I enjoyed this one as there are a number of clues with clever definitions and wordplay, and almost every clue has a very smooth surface reading. My compliments to the compiler.
I did not time myself as I normally do this on paper whilst half watching football on TV.
I will be at the Championship Finals on the 18th, hoping to do myself justice this year after making a silly error last year. Edit – very pleased to have come second behind Mark Goodliffe who continues to set a blistering pace that the rest of us can only envy
| Across | |
|---|---|
| 1 PAPERWEIGHT – (PAGE WITH REP)* | |
| 7 HUFFED – FF = very loud, in HUED = coloured. The definition is “had pet” where pet = tantrum | |
| 10 ISLA – I = one, SLA(p) = make-up | |
| 14 COOL BAG – COOL = collected, BAG = (to) appropriate | |
| 15 AQUIFER – A QUER(y) = a doubt, around IF = condition | |
| 16 UPTEMPO – (O(ld) MUPPET)* | |
| 17 ST PATRICKS DAY – STAY = visit, around PA TRICKS = old man takes in, and D(aughter) | |
| 18 LITERALLY – LITE RALLY = convention for weight-watchers (presumably). Not sure whether this clue should have a question mark at the end | |
| 19 OF OLD – 0 FOLD = nothing in origami class | |
| 21 HOCUS-POCUS – HOC = this (Latin), US = American, POC = COP = busy, reversed, US = American | |
| 23 TISSUE – TIS = SIT = pose, reversed, SUE = girl | |
| 25 BLIZZARD – B(uzzing), LIZZARD, sounds like LIZARD = monitor | |
| 26 LITTLE GREEN MEN – (ENTER MEETING, L(iberal), L(iberal))* | |
| 29 ORGANZA – ORGAN = periodical, Z, A = extreme letters | |
| 30 I NEVER DID – IN = popular, ED = journalist, around VERDI = composer | |
| 31 SENOR – S(mall), E.N.O. = opera company, R(ight) | |
| 32 LATCH – LATH = strip, around C(lubs) | |
| 34 FIRE DRILL – FIRE = show door, DRILL = go through | |
| 37 TOBACCO – C(assava), CABOT = explorer, all reversed, O = not a bean | |
| 39 GET ONES OWN BACK – GET = receive, SOWN = broadcast, BACK = promote, around ONE = I | |
| 41 MOONWALK – (OK, L(arge) WOMAN)* | |
| 43 THESIS – THE S IS repeated in the word essay. Clever clue | |
| 44 OVER AND OUT – OVER = short Test sequence, AND = with, OUT = inaccurate | |
| 45 TENCH – T(r)ENCH = gully. The definition is “a catch”. | |
| 48 IPSO FACTO – l(IPS OF ACTO)r = what soliloquy passes through. Very neat | |
| 49 LORD PRIVY SEAL – LO = look at, RD = road = the way, PRIVY = ladies, SEAL = lock | |
| 51 GALILEO – GAL = miss, I = one, LEO = a lot of stars | |
| 52 EXISTED – (s)EXIST = unlikely to appoint a girl, ED = boy | |
| 53 ERRATIC – (RICE)*, around RAT = desert | |
| 54 DASH – double definition | |
| 55 CHESTY – hidden in wenCHES TYpically, &lit | |
| 56 REED SPARROW – REEDS = rushes, ARROW = something that indicates, around P(ressure) | |
| Down | |
| 1 PICASSO – PIC = what an artist produces, AS = when, SO = the case (as in “is that so?”) | |
| 2 POOH-POOHING – (O(rchestra), GO ON HIP HOP)* | |
| 3 REBUT – RE = on, BUT = bar | |
| 4 ENGLISH BREAKFAST – (WITH E.G. BRAN FLAKES)* | |
| 5 GOAL KICK – GOAL = the end, KICK = give up | |
| 6 TOUT DE SUITE – TOUT = peddler, DESU = USED = second hand, reversed, ITE(m) = article | |
| 7 HEFTY – HEY = country dance, around FT = foot | |
| 8 FORT LAUDERDALE – LAUDER = one praising, DAL = LAD = youth, reversed, all in FORTE = loudly | |
| 9 EQUITY – EY = YE = you, reversed around QUIT = leave | |
| 11 SIMPLE SIMON = (SOLEMN MP IS I)* | |
| 12 ACOLYTE – hidden reversed in impropriETY LOCAlly | |
| 13 STARLIKE – STAR = lead, LIKE = to dig | |
| 20 DOZENTH – DOZE = are kippers, (eate)N, TH(ursday) | |
| 22 OUTRE – alternate letters of sEcReT jUrOr, reversed | |
| 24 CREDITWORTHINESS – CREDIT = buy (believe), W(ith), OR = gold, THINE = your (old), S,S, shillings | |
| 25 BOOTLEG – BOOT = hack, LEG = pin | |
| 27 NORFOLK – (da)N(ce), OR = alternatively, FOLK = music | |
| 28 MICROWAVE OVENS – MICRO = PC, WAVE = gesture, O(ld), VENS = archdeacons. A misleading definition, where do = cook | |
| 31 SUBUNIT – BUN = Chelsea, for example, in SUIT = formally dressed | |
| 33 TATTERSALLS – (STALL, TREATS)*. Chestnuts in the definition refers to horses as Tattersalls are horse auctioneers | |
| 35 DEBAR – DEAR = steep, around B(elfry) | |
| 36 INCINERATOR – IN = home, IN, ERA = time, TO, R(un), around C(entury) | |
| 38 CHAIN LETTER – CHATTER = rabbit, around LINE*. The definition is “one sent, mushrooming” as punctuation can be ignored in Times crossword clues | |
| 40 NAIL FILE – NAIL = secure, FILE = computer data | |
| 42 COMPADRE, COME = approach, around P.A. = secretary, and DR. = doctor | |
| 43 TWIGGED – (consultan)T, WIGGED = like a judge | |
| 46 HOLY COW – sounds like WHOLLY COW = 100% beef | |
| 47 J-CLOTH – C(ordial), J(ugs), reversed, LOTH = reluctant | |
| 49 LAITY – LA(x)ITY = being laid back | |
| 50 YERBA – final letters in ParaguaY appropriatE foR herB teA | |
1/ Reeds are not rushes, and are quite different. You might as well clue ‘sedge’ for either.
2/ No such thing as a reed-sparrow. A vague term that nobody (except possibly a Norfolk wherryman) has used since well before WW2, and was applied to three or four different species.
Mind you, that didn’t stop us getting the answer, but we had to check in a dictionary to see that the word existed.
I’m sorry I just have a mental block with this.
To me a ‘being suitable for a loan’ would be a ‘creditworthy person’ rather than a ‘creditworthiness’, but I’ll go away now.
I guess I see creditworthiness as the state of being suitable for a loan
Edited at 2014-10-19 10:42 am (UTC)
Very well done.
Thank you for commenting – good to know that there is interest from so far away. On 47D I don’t know how international J-cloths are – some clues are more difficult for non-UK readers.
I found this one tricky and it took 62 mins, the last couple of which were spent reconsidering the idiotic momble “starmine” at 13dn, and finally seeing dig=like to get the correct STARLIKE. I also spent time at the end getting EXISTED after the CHESTY/LAITY crossers.
Are Kippers eaten finally on Thursday the twelfth?
The answer shows “doze” = “are kippers” but surely doze is a verb and kippers a noun or am I missing something?
P.S. I’m not very good at crosswords, it can take me the best part of a week on and off to finish it so any help is appreciated. I often use this resource to help me understand how the answers are derived as there are usually one or two that I just can’t get.
Don’t worry about asking – we are all crossword enthusiasts who want to help others to understand how they work.
Edited at 2014-10-20 09:44 am (UTC)
Anyway, congratulations/commiserations on your second place. Having come second to John Sykes, I know how it feels!
From where I was sitting I could not see Mark, but I knew I was faster than the other 3 sitting just to my left so I did allow myself a small hope. Still – there is always next year in the new offices of The Times.
I have the same problem with the Jumbos, but as I have now discovered that it is simple to pre-date an entry for it to appear at a selected date/time I might try and complete the blog post sooner after completing the puzzle.