ParkSolve time 37:43, slightly sluggish on both the run and the solve.
This one from Asp took me longer than usual, and that also seems to be the case for some of the big names on the early leaderboard. I can’t see any obvious horrors as I’m writing the blog so maybe it’s just good clever clueing.
Let us know how you went. Hope you had enough time on this glorious Saturday morning to appreciate and enjoy the puzzle.
Late edit: BletchleyReject has spotted a Nina, which may or may not assist with your solving. I can safely say it didn’t help me because as usual I missed it. Have a look at the first and last columns of the grid, and part of the middle column.
(In the clues, definitions are underlined and anagram indicators are in bold italics. In the explanations (ABC)* indicates an anagram of abc. Deletions and other devices are indicated accordingly, I hope).
| Across | |
|---|---|
| 4 | Concerning schoolgirl lacking in care (6) |
| REMISS – RE (concerning) + MISS (schoolgirl) | |
| 7 | Part of court policy introduced by HQ (8) |
| BASELINE – LINE (policy) “introduced by” BASE (HQ)
Tennis court, obvs. |
|
| 8 | Judge commander-in-chief hosting short ceremony (6) |
| CRITIC – CIC (commander-in-chief) “hosting” RIT [“short” RITE (ceremony)] | |
| 9 | Faculty certainly entertained by boat crew (8) |
| EYESIGHT – YES (certainly) “entertained by” EIGHT (boat crew) | |
| 10 | Sound made by animal’s fur (4) |
| HAIR – Homophone of (sound made by) HARE (animal)
Does “sound made by animal” work? I’m not sure. |
|
| 12 | Learner driver overwhelmed by unfamiliar throttle (8) |
| STRANGLE – L (learner driver) “overwhelmed by” STRANGE (unfamiliar) | |
| 15 | Main’s current share is distributed (5,3) |
| IRISH SEA – I (current) + (SHARE IS)*
I is the standard symbol for electrical current and pops up here very frequently. |
|
| 18 | Rent until end of October/beginning of November (4) |
| TORN – TO (until) + R (end of octobeR) + N (beginning of November) | |
| 20 | Show I acted in gets recast (8) |
| INDICATE – (I ACTED IN)* | |
| 22 | Indigenous tribe’s first to stop displaying credulity (6) |
| NATIVE – T (Tribe’s first) “to stop” NAIVE (displaying credulity) | |
| 23 | Chapter in lesson about monster’s home? (4,4) |
| LOCH NESS – CH (chapter)in (LESSON)*
If there was a “monsters’ homes” category in Pointless, Loch Ness would score at least 99. |
|
| 24 | Champion’s very good goal (6) |
| DEFEND – DEF (very good) + END (goal)
Very tempting to go with LEGEND here, as several early commenters seem to have done. I was familiar with DEF meaning “for sure” in casual British usage. Apparently DEF for “excellent” originates from hip-hop culture. |
|
| Down | |
|---|---|
| 1 | Staff close to chimney stacks (4) |
| MANY – MAN (staff) + Y [last letter of (close to) chimneY]
MAN = staff is also very common in Crosswordland. Makes more sense when you realise they’re verbs. |
|
| 2 | Worried about final courses (8) |
| DESSERTS – STRESSED (worried) in reverse (about)
One of the more well-known palindromic pairs, but still a good one. |
|
| 3 | Choir members wanting introduction to Robert Burns (6) |
| SINGES – SINGERS (choir members) wanting (lacking) R (introduction to Robert) | |
| 4 | Minister belonging to correct organisation (6) |
| RECTOR – Hidden in (belonging to) corRECT ORganisation | |
| 5 | Server used by revolutionary multimedia magazine (4) |
| MAID – Reverse hidden in (used by “revolutionary”) multimeDIA Magazine | |
| 6 | Pedant — one determined to hold line (8) |
| STICKLER – STICKER (one determined) “to hold” L (line) | |
| 11 | One of man’s best friends publicised trouble on the radio (8) |
| AIREDALE – AIRED (publicised) + ALE [homophone (on the radio) of AIL (trouble)]
Not sure why I always want to spell this with a Y. Maybe some overlap with the one-time name of Uluru. |
|
| 13 | Article writer abandoning subject (3) |
| THE – ME (writer) “abandoning THE |
|
| 14 | Seeing how marzipan on cake might be described? (8) |
| NOTICING – How marzipan on cake might be described?
Marzipan is NOT ICING. |
|
| 16 | Protective device is held in an unusual way (6) |
| SHIELD – (IS HELD)* | |
| 17 | Sailor reportedly managed to avoid capture (6) |
| ABDUCT – AB (sailor) + DUCT [homophone (reportedly) of DUCKED (managed to avoid)] | |
| 19 | Excellent penalty (4) |
| FINE – Double definition | |
| 21 | Bad-tempered, failing to complete series of questions (4) |
| TEST – TEST |
|
14:54. As expected quite a tough one from Asp. Those consecutive unchecked letters make things a bit harder; I took a while to get STICKLER and AIREDALE – always good to see one of our canine friends make an appearance – was my LOI. Didn’t really understand the ‘marzipan’ clue.
Thanks to Asp – I’m very grateful for the little present in the grid which was the only reason I was able to tap “Submit” with confidence – and to galspray.
Thanks Bletch, I never noticed that (I never do).
NHO DEF for “very good” and went for LEGEND since it had a G. Both DEFEND and LEGEND fit the definition, so if you don’t know DEF it’s just a guess.
Also had BARK for fur so was never finishing this one. I feel Asp is always trying a bit too hard to be clever/obscure.
13 minutes with DEFEND responsible for missing my preferred 10 minute target. It was going to be LEGEND until I suddenly thought of DEF as perhaps meaning very good.
Traditional Christmas and special occasion cakes have both marzipan and icing so I don’t think 14dn quite works. The only one I can think of with marzipan alone is the Battenberg which appeared in one of the puzzles here within the past 2-3 weeks.
But for the clue to work isn’t it sufficient that the marzipan on the cake is considered not to be icing?
8:57 somehow managed to read choir as orchestra in my head and so was very confused that ST(R)INGS wouldn’t fit.
DNF, failed on DEFEND where I was another Legend, as I NHO (and would never have guessed) DEF for very good. Also failed to get HAIR, where like our blogger I’m “not sure” it works (polite-speak for pretty sure it doesn’t…).
A shame as many of the clues were very clever and much of the puzzle very enjoyable. But I echo David’s final comment that these two were perhaps a bit too obscure.
Many thanks Galspray for the blog and a good weekend to all.