Saturday Times 24125 (17th Jan)

Author   linxitPosted on Categories Weekend Cryptic
A rather embarrassing 8:25 this morning, having solved it last week in about 15 mins. Still, at least it’s now fresh in my mind for a change! 9A was the last to go in both this week and last, really good cryptic definition that fooled me twice.

Across
1 SPREAD – double definition
5 SOFT-SOAP – SOFT + SOAP (Opera)
9 FOOT FAULTS – cryptic definition, makes you think of telephones rather than tennis. My COD, and the last one I got.
10 ALAS – ATLAS without the T. I liked “world records” for atlas.
12 FATHER – A + THE in FR(ench)
13 VERB – VER(y) + B(ook). Art is an old-fashioned verb form.
15 STORMING – M in STORING
18 MOREOVER – MORE + OVER
19 SONG – SON + (confessin)G. A Lied (pronounced “leet”) is a German art-song.
21 BEAVER – double definition, the first being a protection for the lower part of the face in mediaeval armour.
23 CAUSALLY – C(irca) + ALLY around USA (NATO member). I think that’s how it works, but that means “around” is doing double duty. Or it could be CA + US + ALLY, but there’s no indication for ALLY to go to the end. What am I missing? [ The obvious, as usual! As dorsetjimbo says, it’s CA (around) + US ALLY (NATO member) ].
25 HINT – double definition.
26 GLITTERATI – (title)* inside GRATI(s)
27 HARRIDAN – H(usband) + I’D inside ARRAN.
28 RESENT – RE-SENT

Down
2 PHOTO – HOT + O under P. Not sure about hot meaning touchy though.
3 ESTIMABLE – I’M inside E + STABLE.
4 DEACON – CO in DEAN
5 SELF-DESTRUCTION – seems like a straight clue to me. Where’s the cryptic misdirection?
6 FAST FOOD – cryptic definition.
7 START – double definition.
8 AGAMEMNON – ANON around GAME + M(arried)
14 ESOTERICA – (a secret I)* around O.
16 MASSACRES – MASS + ACRES. I didn’t understand this at all at the time, but a bit of research dug up Bob Acres as a character in Sheridan’s The Rivals.
17 AVERAGED – AVER + AGED.
20 CUTTER – C(ape) + UTTER
22 VOTER – overt*
24 LATIN – i.e. “this language from transLATINg”.

10 comments on “Saturday Times 24125 (17th Jan)”

  1. At 23A I think it’s CA=circa=around+US+ALLY and “Combine” is saying “put them together”.

    You’ve made all the comments I have (like hot=touchy?). I don’t like acres=rival. Agree with you that FOOT FAULT was nicely misleading.

    Not one of the best Saturday offerings.

    1. It’s also just occurred to me that rather than “NATO member”=USA it’s just as correct I think to say “NATO member”=USA ALLY
      1. Of course it is! I figured that out last week, but totally forgot about it this morning. D’oh!
  2. Mixed bag of a puzzle. A bit obvious in places – SOFT SOAP, HINT and the, as you say, linxit, scarcely cryptic 5d. But a few inspired and inventive moments – FOOT FAULTS, VERB and ‘rations for the fleet’.

    I initially had two answers wrong, though both kinda worked. I put SLANG for 24a (it’s in there) and SAV(AG)ING at 15a.

  3. The headings a bit misleading, linxit, as the puzzle was published on 17th January.

    65 minutes for me, I’m afraid.

    Jimbo, if you didn’t like Acres in this one I wonder what you will make of 20a in this week’s, assuming I have solved and understood it correctly.

    1. When I first wrote my comment about Acres Jack I included a remark about this week’s 20A but took it out in case I was giving too much away. It was my last in and I had to guess the homophone from checking letters (not difficult but a little painful) and then use Google to understand the full nature of the clue references. If I say I’m not impressed and leave it at that you’ll get the flavour.
  5. 9:57 for me for a pleasant puzzle with some neat clues – I’m fond of simple clues with good surface readings like 12A. I wasn’t too worried about 5D which just seemed like a throwback to the old days.

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