Solving Time: well, definitely something over an hour; I tend to do a bit and then leave it and come back later, so hard to say for certain, but it felt somewhat longer than usual. However the website total of 69 correct submissions (out of 76, with five of them under 30 minutes!) indicates that it probably is a tad easier than usual, so it must be just me.. New Year’s day maybe was not the best time for this!
cd = cryptic definition, dd = double defintion, rev = reversed, homophones are written in quotes, anagrams as (–)*
| Across | |
|---|---|
| 1 |
Awetos – A = WET + |
| 5 | Medjidie – Doctor mostly = MEDI containing J = judge + DIE |
| 9 | Clap-sill – In the region of = circa = C + LAPS + ILL = poorly |
| 10 | Bug out – Save = BUT containing superior = U + energy = GO. An Americanism, known to me only thanks to the moving picture “Top Gun.” |
| 11 | Hypothec – Needle = HYPO + (ETCH)* |
| 12 |
Q-train – Q |
| 13 | Cornpipe – (in copper)* – the cornpipe is “made out of the stem of an oat or other cereal,” so is unlikely to be seen in the Berlin Philharmonic any time soon |
| 15 | Ptah – hidden in tHAT Pacified, rev. This held me up somewhat, since not only is it quite well hidden but it is not in the current edition of Chambers.. Though it is in Wikipedia. This omission is very surprising since apparently it was Ptah who called the world into being, and what’s more, became the Primordial Mound. Religion, don’t you just love it? |
| 17 | Tymp – part = PT containing “of mine” = MY, all spinning = rev. |
| 19 |
Antefixa – |
| 20 | Unpope – UN + POP + E for one of the more unusual verbs |
| 21 | Yokozuna – (Yank + ouzo)* – my first one in, it just leapt out at me for some reason |
| 22 | Laidly – LA + IDLY = “without end” in the sense of purposeless. Laidly, which means dowly is not to be confused with gradely, which means the opposite. A year or two ago I walked along the Pennine Way, and picked up a number of useful Yorkshire phrases in the process. My favourites are the greetings “eh up” and “now then,” both spectacularly meaningless, but somehow friendly sounding. In Kent they tend to cause quizzical looks |
| 23 | Inositol – lIgNeOuS mIx ToO oLd |
| 24 |
Orthicon – |
| 25 |
Gossan – dirt = gossip = GOSS + AN |
| Down | |
| 2 | Willyart – Any clue that includes both willy and tip is on a slippery slope, but the setter controls himself much better than I would: “And is” = WILL, + Y + ART. According to Chambers willyart means “wilful, shy,” which I would have thought were mutually exclusive, but it takes all sorts I suppose. Nor am I certain about the synonymous meaning of will and “and is” or “and is going.” what sentence can contain either? |
| 3 | Top-notch – “rear of ancient” = T, + CH = church, containing O + PN + OT. Why does the church have to be ancient, I wonder? |
| 4 | Sticheron – it follows = SO + N = some number, containing dwarf queen = TICH ER |
| 5 |
Malacopterygian – Indonesian = MALAY containing chopper = COPTER, + GIAN |
| 6 | Jauntie – JA + UNTIE = obscure naval slang |
| 7 |
Doolally – DOO |
| 8 |
Eating up – worry = EAT + |
| 14 | Prick-song – hum = PONG containing strains = RICKS.. Once again, the setter is very restrained! |
| 15 | Piquillo – affecting good = PI + QUILL + O. I like the addition of “affecting” to the definition of pi. As for quill = “bit of penne,” Chambers does not seem to support this but Tesco does |
| 16 |
Acupoint – (CA |
| 17 |
Tadzhiks – touch = TAD + “base in Oz” = Z + HI |
| 18 | Minneola – (LEMON IN A)* |
| 19 | Appalti – APPAL, + IT rev. |
I have the same queries as you. Malaya and Indonesia don’t connect for me. Also found Ptah on Wiki and surprised it is not in C – unless an alternative spelling perhaps?
Elegant puzzle I thought
In 2d, I didn’t read ‘and’ as part of the definition for WILL, I thought it was just there to connect the definition to the wordplay. So the definition for WILL is just ‘is going to’.