As usual definitions are underlined in bold italics, {deletions and substitutions are in curly brackets} and [anagrinds, containment, reversal and other indicators in square ones]. “Aural wordplay” is in quotation marks. I now use a tilde sign ~ to indicate an insertion point in containment clues. I usually omit all reference to juxtaposition indicators unless there is a specific point that requires clarification.Definitions underlined in bold italics, (Abc)* indicating anagram of Abc, deletions and [] other indicators.
 Across |
|
|---|---|
| 1 | Bit of zinc is easily cut into (6) |
| INCISE – Hidden in [bit of] {z}INC IS E{asily} | |
| 4 | Drunk was collared by elderly assassin (6) |
| OSWALD – Anagram [drunk] of WAS contained [collared] by O~LD (elderly). Supposedly shot JFK. | |
| 8 | European swimmer outside hotel (7) |
| FINNISH – F~ISH (swimmer) containing [outside] INN (hotel) | |
| 10 | Ski resort area almost finished (5) |
| ASPEN – A (area) SPEN{t} (finished) [almost] | |
| 11 | Fish and rook in quarrel (5) |
| SPRAT – R (rook) contained by [in] SP~AT (quarrel) | |
| 12 | Unrestrained tirade involving a politician (7) |
| RAMPANT – R~ANT (tirade) containing [involving] A + MP (politician) | |
| 13 | Duke wobbly in market town (9) |
| DUNSTABLE – D (duke), UNSTABLE (wobbly). This place has come up before and is very near to where I live. Contrary to its pleasant sounding description in the clue it’s a bit of a dump (with apologies to anyone who lives there). | |
| 17 | Demand for alimony? Speak boldly (7) |
| EXCLAIM – CLAIM against one’s EX | |
| 19 | Explosive component strangely inert (5) |
| NITRE – Anagram [strangely] of INERT | |
| 20 | Fat covering one landowner (5) |
| LAIRD – LA~RD (fat) containing [covering] I (one) | |
| 21 | Effect of solar battery? (7) |
| SUNBURN – Cryptic, I assume, though I don’t see what battery has to do with burn. | |
| 22 | Season with Milan football team (6) |
| WINTER – W (with), INTER (Milan football team) | |
| 23 | High praise for Hope (6) |
| ASPIRE – Anagram [high] of PRAISE | |
| Down |
|
|---|---|
| 1 | Info short on employment for soak (6) |
| INFUSE – INF{o} [short], USE (employment) | |
| 2 | Clash: accord not in it unfortunately (13) |
| CONTRADICTION – Anagram [unfortunately] of ACCORD NOT IN IT | |
| 3 | Small glove taken (7) |
| SMITTEN – S (small), MITTEN (glove) | |
| 5 | Shepherd initially caring for flock (5) |
| SWARM – S{hepherd} [initially], WARM (caring) | |
| 6 | Three stars from Catharine cavorting with Paul (5,8) |
| ALPHA CENTAURI – Anagram [cavorting] of CATHARINE PAUL | |
| 7 | See wrapping on gift (6) |
| DONATE – D~ATE (see) containing [wrapping] ON | |
| 9 | Satirical work ruined this dream (4,5) |
| HARD TIMES – Anagtram [ruined] of THIS DREAM. Didn’t know it is satirical. | |
| 14 | Fruit bats (7) |
| BANANAS – Two meanings | |
| 15 | Chicken like a canary (6) |
| YELLOW – Maybe two meanings or the second is a hint | |
| 16 | Seneca spoiled attempt to raise spirits (6) |
| SEANCE – Anagram [spoiled] of SENECA | |
| 18 | Confuse daughter twice introduced to beer (5) |
| ADDLE – D+D (daughter twice) contained by [introduced to] A~LE (beer)[ | |
I thought “solar battery” just meant the sun’s rays battering you would lead to sunburn.
That’s how I saw it as well.
Exactly, as in “assault and battery”. [Edit – as I now see Bletchers says below!]
I did wonder whether “solar battery” should be interpreted as a battery of suns, as in a gun battery – that would certainly cause sun burn.
Thank you! I struggled to see how the clue worked.
Slow AND dnf
Didn’t know Dunstable.
According to jackkt’s opinion, you are lucky!
10 minutes. About medium level difficulty for me. For SUNBURN, much like curryowen, I took ‘battery’ to be in the sense of the “assault and battery” of the sun’s rays leading to a harmful effect. I did know DUNSTABLE which I associate with Luton, another town which doesn’t always get a good press. Glad I didn’t have to name the ‘Three stars’ of ALPHA CENTAURI which I don’t know. Favourite was SWARM; not an earthquake in sight today.
My understanding is that there’s little doubt that Lee Harvey OSWALD did fire a shot which hit and killed JFK, the uncertainty being if there was another gunman on the infamous “grassy knoll”.
Thanks to Wurm and Jack
[BTW Jack, sorry to point this out, but the def for RAMPANT at 12a isn’t underlined and italicised; my turn tomorrow. On edit, now corrected – thanks.]
A little tricky in places but nothing too difficult. Fell for thinking the clue for DUNSTABLE was an anagram of ‘in market’ (wobbly) after ‘D’. Liked OSWALD for the assassin. SWARM again, this time for a flock rather than earthquakes. Took a while to see HARD TIMES. Liked SMITTEN for taken. Like curryowen I took ‘battery’ as bombarded with rays for SUNBURN.
Thanks Jack and setter.
I was on the wavelength, and wrote in the answers steadily. Alpha centauri was a key get, cracking open the bottom of the puzzle. I admit that Oswald was a bit of a surprise, but the cryptic is pretty easy. I didn’t parse Finnish while solving, thinking it had something to do with fins.
Time: 6:22
6.14, an untroubled top to bottom solve starting with 1ac INCISE and ending with ASPIRE in the SE. I suppose that interpretation of battery at 21ac makes sense but I don’t like it much. Thank you Jack, thank you Wurm.
Slow start, fast middle, crawled to a finish. All my problems were in the NE: SWARM, OSWALD (once it wasn’t ninja I was in trouble), DONATE and ASPEN all needed careful consideration. Then finished with the overlooked ASPIRE. Tough start to the week for me, all green in 17.09.
11:38. Some sticky moments, especially in the north-east with OSWALD, SWARM and ASPEN. I couldn’t have told you that ALPHA CENTAURI consisted of three stars, but with a couple of crossers – especially the I at the end – in it went. I liked YELLOW.
Thank you Wurm and jackkt
DNF – OSWALD. Not even looking in that direction..despite trying to move ‘was’ about.
Biffed RAMPAGE which held back DONATE . Finally saw the error in our ways, then partially biffed DONATE for gift having failed to register the ‘date/see’ connection.
ASPEN also biffed having tried and failed to incorporate ‘alps’ or /and ‘spa’.
HARD TIMES- only knew as a novel, and not a satirical one, NHO the website that is apparently very much a satirical one!
Some nice clues in there but not a happy solve for us.
Thank you Wurm and Jacckt.
A top quality puzzle with some tricky bits, especially in the NE.
I initially went for Doncaster at 13a based on the fact that if something was on casters it might be wobbly. It felt like a bit of a stretch at the time and ALPHA CENTAURI eventually pointed me in the right direction.
I also spent time trying to make a politician out of an anagram of ‘tirade and a’ at 12a. Seeing the correct answer was the key to unlocking the NE.
Started with INCISE and finished with DONATE in 7.34.
Thanks to Jackkt and Wurm.
Another DONCASTER here, initially
12:59 Finnish winter. swarm and finish in Aspen…
Couldn’t get properly going on the downs until some of the acrosses jumped out at me. My half-parsing wasn’t up to par either so I was surprised to avoid the SCC TBH
Ta JAW
Slow and DNF. The US part of the crossword I found too much for me. 9d summed it up.
Was doing OK until I decided RAMPAGE fitted 12ac perfectly. Was downhill after that.
NHO ASPEN as ski resort. I thought this was a bit tough for a (UK) QC.
Got OSWALD eventually but the definition as assassin missed me by. I have always heard the name as LEE HARVEY OSWALD so Oswald by itself doesnt suggest the US murderer. I spent some time wondering if it referred to Oswald of Northumbria.
I enjoyed EXCLAIM and SMITTEN.
Dunstable isn’t that bad. Has an interesting and long history. I can think of far worse places to live.
Thanks for the blog.
I think it would have been tougher had the answer been a UK ski resort instead of ASPEN.
There are 5 Scottish ski resorts, I gather.
I think LECHT or GLENSHEE should be make an appearance just to see the complaints…
Very good, rather chewy. Wasted some time trying an anagram of D + “in market” at 13a. Couldn’t do the anagram in my head for CONTRADICTION and it ended up LOI. Good job we had SWARM recently. Couldn’t spell CENTAURI so more pen and paper. COD to EXCLAIM, true for many a split I’m sure.
All done in 08:56 for a Sluggish Day. Many thanks Wurm and Jack.
Eight in 20 minutes, no more in 30.
Missed some easier clues including the hidden which may have helped with others.
I did get contradiction after putting in the TION from crossers and assuming CON.
I should have given myself more time to wake up and get my eyes working.
Cheers Wurm and Jack
HARD TIMES indeed, as I struggled to a 14:54 finish. Main hold-ups were in NE, where I took an age to cudgel ASPEN out of some obscure memory bank, completely misunderstood the wordplay for OSWALD, and only then noticed I had RAMPAge for 12A, which needed correcting before my LOI DONATE could go in.
DK that HARD TIMES was satirical and still don’t understand the reference, couldn’t have told you before doing the puzzle that ALPHA CENTAURI is a triple star, and didn’t understand the reference to battery in the clue for SUNBURN (thanks BR and others for the explanation). So all in all a rather stuttering start to the week.
Many thanks Jack for the blog.
“DK” or DNK? I’m still intrigued by your being an expert witness, but maybe that has to be shrouded in secrecy.
Ah. Clearly frazzled this morning. DK for “Didn’t know” – but should of course have been DNK.
As for being an expert witness, I shall use the get out that those in authority always use when pressed on something controversial – “cannot possibly comment on a live matter before the courts”!
Find it odd that you blogged Joker’s QC on Saturday with a glowing review which I felt was much harder than today’s QC by Wurm which I found rather pleasant. Like there is no series of earthquakes for swarm.
13:28, very slow to see my FOI, eventually all the way down to NITRE before I got one.
LOI SEANCE. RAMPAGE for RAMPANT held me up at the end as well.
Didn’t understand SUNBURN.
ALPHA CENTAURI is the one of the very few “famous” star or constellation to be only visible in the Southern Hemisphere. Famous enough to be in a crossword, that is. Are antipodeans fans of constellations like the Air Pump, or the Chisel?
A flu-ridden 6:01. The dread flu taketh away all enjoyment of completion, yet verily, completed the crosswords must still be!
Indeedeth
5:25. LOI SEANCE. I took a while to remember Lee Harvey Oswald, wondering if King Oswald was an assassin. Doh. Thanks Wurm and Jackkt.
Struggled with this at first but gradually got going to finish in 23:52. SUNBURN last in.
A good workout and an intriguing mix of easy and chewy clues for me. I started well but finished (all parsed with a wobble on SUNBURN) in 18.50. I am always pleased to avoid the SCC with a Wurm puzzle these days. I never seem to find his puzzles easy but I admire the clever clues he always offers us.
I enjoyed the anagrams and, given a few crossers, I managed to solve them in my head (although my LOI and COD SEANCE took a while).
Thanks to both. Fine puzzle and a fine blog.
16:01
Very slow on this. I needed pen and paper to get CONTRADICTION. LOI was DONATE, which required my going through all the checkers and changing RAMPAGE to RAMPANT, as well as remembering that “see” does not always mean Ely.
Thanks Jack and Wurm
Thank you, Wurm; LH half easier than RH but all doable, LOI SWARM. None too sure about the last letter of CENTAURI but it was the only letter left. NHO a Milan football team but there’s only one season beginning with W. Thank you, Jack (and others for explaining) – I was puzzled about battery/burn, too.
Ah, DNF. Put Alpen, not ASPEN. Alp + en(d) kind of works. And biffed Denote instead of DONATE.
Very slow but enjoyable. Needed hint for Mitten and Aspire – the latter gave me SEANCE (joint COD). DUNSTABLE – other COD because it made me laugh.
I was extremely pleased with myself for solving ALPHA CENTAURI but it didn’t give me many crossers. Btw, did not recognise High indicates anagram.
Also liked EXCLAIM, RAMPANT, SWARM, INFUSE. No problem remembering OSWALD, alas.
Many thanks, Jack.
Incidentally – One of A. Trollope’s heroines is called Miss Dunstable.
I tend to assume that if there are the right number of letters available in a clue, and it is not obviously any other sort of clue, one of the other words, however unlikely, is probably an anagram indicator. And it’s usually so!
Good thinking…
. . . I’ve lost count of the number of excursions down the path of trying to anagram the ‘right number of letters’ in a clue.
I initially thought Alpen as well, but then realised it was a breakfast cereal (assuming it’s still going).
Well, it means ‘of the Alps’ too. !
Very true – but I kept thinking “Alpine” in that regards.
I started by chance on the easy clues, only to get bogged down on several quite tricky ones.
LOI DONATE, not parsed at the time. I was also worried about FINNISH but saw it as soon as I sat down to type this.
I remember trying to learn the names of stars at the start of my crossword journey; that was shortly after learning the antelopes. It proved useful today.
I got OSWALD from parsing and assumed he was medieval.
But all correct and a good test.
COD to EXCLAIM.
David
22:22
The left hand side seemed easy enough but struggled with the right. Slow to see the star system, the cryptic SUNBURN and took forever to realise high was an anagram indicator for LOI ASPIRE.
This felt like it contained some quite chewy stuff, so I was pleased to be going through it at a steady pace and when I finished in 16:05 (perhaps I should have reserved that time for Wednesday). I should have guessed most others were probably thinking much the same. Plenty to enjoy. Liked ASPEN and OSWALD, but COD goes to SPRAT as I always think of spat for quarrel when it comes up, so it’s nice when it’s the right answer for once. Thanks Wurm and Jack.
A promising 1ac/d start, but then I drew a blank in the NE, so worked my way steadily down the LHS before moving across to the right. Fortunately, Wurm supplied just enough freebies to keep a sub-20 in sight until only the NE corner remained empty. There, I thought Oswald, Aspen and Rampant were a notch or two above the other clues in terms of difficulty, and so was not too surprised to find I had wandered into the SCC by a good couple of minutes at the finish. CoD to Exclaim, for the smile. Invariant
Failed on 10a ASPEN which I have never heard of. I bunged in ALPEN – ALP (Ski resort area) EN (almost finished i.e. END without its last letter which doesn’t quite work obvs) – No problem with the rest, would have been just over 8 mins.
Thanks Jack and Wurm
Middling to tricky for me. As others have noted, I was held up by the NE corner. Once I got SWARM, then ASPEN and DONATE also fell Liked DUNSTABLE, though I won’t be rushing off to visit given the advice above!
Enjoyed the puzzle. Thanks Wurm and jackkt
Significantly hampered by the crossword club not wanting to accept my answers on the right hand side of the grid, requiring several log out and log in agains, and even then I had to be careful when I submitted as it had also missed out the I from EXCLAIM. Sounds like a me problem though as no-one else seems to have experienced the same.
8 mins, though I think I can take a minute off that with all the typing in vain into a single square, plus all the restarts.
Several chewy clues in this enjoyable puzzle. From INCISE to EXCLAIM in 7:37. Thanks Wurm and Jack.
My thanks to Wurm and jackkt.
I thought it hard, but never quite stalled.
8a Finnish mis-parsed with a shrug.
21a Sunburn, I too was foxed by the battery.
I got myself in a proper mess with this one finishing in a very slow 14.34. Mostly of my own making I have to say thanks to a biff fest that backfired on me. I put in CONFRONTATION for 2dn, RAMPAGE for 12ac and finally TANNING for 21ac. Of course all these errors made the crossing clues impossible, and by the time I had back tracked to sort out the mess and properly parse them, a considerable time had elapsed.
A 26 minute DNF, due to AlPEN.
An enjoyable solve but held up at the end by the NHO ASPEN (never been skiing – could never afford to when younger and now can’t, due to a permanent leg problem), DONATE (had biffed RAMPAge) and RAMPANT (see above).
No idea why battery appears in the SUNBURN clue.
Many thanks to Jack and WURM.
A modest 18:22 today. I had the great idea that “Duke wobble” could be “Doncaster” for duke “on caster” and that made a whole load of the rest quite impossible until I realised my error. Not having read HARD TIMES I didn’t know it was a satire, but it was easy enough to guess once I had the checking letters. I laughed out loud when I finally figured out EXCLAIM.
Thanks WURM and Jack.
Duke on castor – brilliant!
Initially thought it was going to be a walk in the park. NE slowed me. Couldn’t understand OSWALD – LOI. Had SUNDOWN for SUNBURN – a better answer I think. NHO ALPHA CENTAURI but managed to biff it. Thanks Jack for explaining everything!
7.36
Chewy but successfully, and enjoyably, consumed. SEANCE was good – or at least I completely missed the right sort of SPIRIT leading to reduction of speed but increase of amusement once the pdm arrived.
Thanks Wurm and Jackkt.
Two left after 10 minutes. 3 minutes later I realised that I’d completely fat-fingered BANANAS, the last two fell shortly after.
COD had to be SWARM after Saturday, roared with laughter.
Lovely puzzle, fab blog, thanks both.
Trouble in the top right, beaten by: Oswald, Donate and Aspen. Struggled with many others, taking time to workout the definition and wordplay. Great workout, thanks Wurm and Jack
A brisk solve today. I didn’t have a problem with DUNSTABLE as it is located 11 miles away from the village I live in (I never go there!). I did however struggle to parse SUNBURN. COD for me is EXPLAIN although I rather like RAMPANT too. FOI INCISE and LOI DONATE in 6:22 Thanks Jack
22:20, with aids. This felt very anagram-heavy and I just never really got into any sort of flow. Ah well, onto tomorrow.
Thanks to Wurm and Jackkt.
10.34 I had SUNTRAP for a while. OSWALD, SEANCE, ASPEN and DONATE slowed me at the end. Thanks Jack and Wurm.
16:40 WOE (a fat-fingered SONBURN), slow ish but it’s Wurm so staying out of the club counts as a win. Especially with the lingering effects of sedation for minor surgery. Sheesh. I’d say never again but that’s not likely.
I was surprised by ASPEN, didn’t think it would be well known in the UK and kept looking for something in the Alps. Hurray for me, I remembered Inter for the Milan team. Aaaaand I needed all the crossers for Alpha Centauri, because I’m too ignorant to know that it’s three stars, not one. COD RAMPANT, for the misdirection, with OSWALD a close second. I too searched my memory for some early English Oswald assassin.
Thanks Wurm and jackkt.
16 mins…
Definitely on the harder side, but enjoyable nonetheless. Main hold up was the NE corner that had me stumped for a while. Whilst I got “Oswald” for 4ac, I didn’t see the Lee Harvey connection until I read the blog. In addition, and apologies if it’s been explained above (I couldn’t see it), but what’s the “see/date” connection?
Chuckled at my COD 13ac “Dunstable” – I can assure you there are worse places than that market town.
FOI – 1ac “Incise”
LOI – 10ac “Aspen”
COD – 13ac “Dunstable”
Thanks as usual!
. . .I’m going on a date/I’m seeing someone
Sometimes I think my brain is going. That is so obvious, I’m almost embarrassed I asked the question. Thanks Invariant.
Some oddities, I think, sorry not to know WINTER is signed with Milan, as a technical sort of chap don’t really think a ‘Solar Battery’ which stores solar energy will cause SUNBURN, wouldn’t want to soak my tea to INFUSE it, but I do ASPIRE to enjoying myself! Many thanks
Slow to see LOI DONATE as I hadn’t thought of see=date. Everything else went in steadily. SEANCE made me smile when the penny dropped. Biffed then parsed ASPEN, DUNSTABLE and ALPHA CENTAURI. Couldn’t parse FINNISH. Thanks Jack. Lovely QC. Thanks Wurm.
Enjoyable QC. All doable but not over easy. I did spend some time on the anagram for HARD TIMES but got through in just under 11 minutes.
A somewhat slow 13:30. SUNBURN occurred to me early on but I didn’t enter it as it seemed an odd answer even though there was a vague justification for it. Bunged it in at the end having nothing better and was relieved to find that it was correct. I hadn’t known before today that ALPHA CENTAURI was a triple star system but it clearly fitted so that went in with little hesitation. COD EXCLAIM. Thanks to all.
8.59, and I was not impressed.
Very enjoyable, slow I think but done in several tranches. Surprised at the MER at Aspen – name 3 more famous ski resorts? Love the quintessential old-fashioned Englishness of “Nitre”, last used in explosives in the first world war, and has been called Potassium Nitrate since the early 1920s, both more than a century ago. It is no more an explosive component than Shakespear has an exciting new play. Shall we have woad clued as cosmetics shortly? When the answers are something like “ye” they have to be clued as “ex” or “former”. How long does a word have to fall out of usage before there is an indicator? more than a hundred years obviously. I suppose it is always 1850 in crosswordland. Thanks to Wurm and jackkt.
St Moritz, Chamonix, Klosters, Morzine .. but they are nearer to hand.