Saturday Times 24544 (May 22)

Author   linxitPosted on Categories Weekend Cryptic
No time noted on my copy for some reason, but I don’t think it was more than about 15 minutes. There were a few General Knowledge requirements where being British probably helped (e.g. 25ac, 26ac, 15dn) but otherwise it was fairly straightforward.

Across
1 TINTIN – a couple of NITs reversed.
4 TETRAPOD – E(nter) + TRAP inside TOD (fox).
9 AGRIPPA – GRIP on (to the right of) A + PA (state).
11 PIG IRON – PIN around O(ld) RIG reversed.
12 HEADY – HE + (l)ADY
13 CLEARS OUT – double def. I put CLEARS OFF at first but quickly changed my mind.
14 RACONTEUSE – (once as true)*
16 LEAD – double def.
19 YEAR – (pa)Y + EAR
20 PRIORITIES – IT inside PRIORIES
22 ANTONIONI – ANTI around ONION. Michelangelo Antonioni (1912-2007) is the director.
23 BEANO – BE A NO
25 JOE SOAP – JO(k)ES + OAP. RAF rhyming slang for dope, according to Chambers. I didn’t even know there was such a thing, and can’t find any other examples.
26 MARGATE – MAR + GITE, with the I swapped for an A.
27 UNLOADED – (g)UN + LOADED
28 WEEKLY – WE + ELY around K(iosk).

Down
1 TEACHERLY – (they care)* around L
2 NORMA – NOA(h) around RM
3 IMPLYING – I’M + LYING under P
5 EXPRESSIONISM – EXPRESS (say) + SIN rev in IOM (Isle of Man)
6 REGARD – RAGE rev inside RD
7 PERGOLESI – ERG inside POLES + I
8 DONUT – DO + NUT
10 ARC DE TRIOMPHE – (Match re period)*
5 CHARTWELL – T(ime) + WELL (spring), after CHAR (clean). Sir Winston Churchill’s home in Kent, now maintained by the National Trust.
17 DISCOVERY – DISCO + VERY
18 AIRBORNE – “heir born”
21 ANGORA – (Aragon)*
22 ANJOU – hiiden in ItaliAN JOUrnalist.
24 ALACK – À LA CaKe

8 comments on “Saturday Times 24544 (May 22)”

  1. 26. Springtime holiday home in France I swapped for a place in England (7)

    The answer is MARGATE. So, presumably, “Springtime holiday” is MAR. Why is that?

    1. Ah. I think I can answer my own question. “holiday home” = gîte. So “Springtime” -> a Spring time -> March. I had been thinking that “home” = gîte.
  2. 50 minutes for this, the last 5 being spent on 17dn and 23ac. I didn’t know TOD = fox and wasted time trying to make terrapin work at 4ac.
  3. Very straightforward 20 minutes with no particular points of comment.

    To my father, who served in the RAF, JOE SOAP was somebody who foolishly volunteered for something – hence the dope/idiot connotation. For me it is an ordinary member of the public along with Tom, Dick and Harry with the possible inference of somebody being put upon. I suspect it’s dying out because I don’t hear my children using the expression.

  4. Another case where ‘being’ British rather than ‘knowing about Britain’ is to one’s advantage. This Canadian had to look them up so about a half hour for a very enjoyable puzzle. Funnily enough, CHARTWELL the first in with MARGATE a good guess. Liked PERGOLESI and RACONTEUSE though having raconteur for a
    a few minutes held me up until the ‘doh’ moment.
  5. I still dont get ELY. Can you explain? I left it in my crossword but was hoping for an explanation. Thanks
    1. ‘See’ refers to Episcopal see, the area over which a bishop has authority.

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