Time: 1:14.34
A mixture of the easy and hard; chestnuts and originals; known and unknown; mundane and brilliant. I got through most of it pretty quickly but was held up mightily on a few at the end.
| Across | |
|---|---|
| 1 | Now and then, writer is in very British newspaper (9) |
| SOMETIMES – ME (writer) in SO (very) and our very own TIMES. Easy unless you had 1d the wrong way round and were vainly looking for an answer beginning with an F. | |
| 6 | Drank regularly eating German spicy dish (7) |
| DHANSAK – HANS inside every other letter of “drank”. Hopefully well known to lovers of a curry, it originated among the Parsi community of Gujarat, comprising chicken or mutton with lentils and vegetables. | |
| 10 | Cold meat with side of potatoes is a winner (5) |
| CHAMP – C + HAM + P (side of potatoes). | |
| 13 | Dismissals in heavy beatings entertaining a Parisian (7) |
| RUNOUTS – ROUTS outside UN. | |
| 14 | Girl from the east disengaged somewhat (5) |
| AGNES – Reverse hidden. | |
| 15 | Embroiderer in open car nursing foot when I passed (9) |
| TAMBOURER – Foot here is IAMB which has its I removed before being inserted into TOURER for “open car”. One of my last in. Similar derivation to the musical instrument. Every time I think I have nailed the list of possible cars a new one comes up. I actually solved this by eventually thinking of IAMB, believe it or not, so thank you (again) for my A-Level Greek. | |
| 16 | Fantastic new atherosclerosis drugs blocking iron the result of years of hard work? (5-5,7,6) |
| FIRST-CLASS HONOURS DEGREE – Anagram (fantastic) of N + ATHEROSCLEROSIS inside FE (iron). I wonder whether the setter was given a wager to include that condition in a puzzle…? Quite a good clue I thought. | |
| 17 | After revolution, sneakily look again for ideal partner (6) |
| KEEPER – Reversal of REPEEK (sneakily look again). | |
| 18 | Order mixed bean soup (8) |
| SUBPOENA – Anagram (mixed) of BEAN + SOUP. | |
| 19 | A long walk, or wild parties? (7) |
| TRAIPSE – Anagram (wild) of PARTIES. | |
| 22 | Department boss with unknown research project (5,5) |
| FIELD STUDY – FIELD (department) + STUD (boss) + Y (unknown). | |
| 23 | Moderate plonk with Adam and Eva? (3,1,6,2) |
| PUT A DAMPER ON – PUT (plonk) + ADAM (in plain sight) + PERON (Don’t cry for me, Argentina…). Absolutely loved this clue. | |
| 27 | A long letter (5) |
| AITCH – A + ITCH. | |
| 29 | Seem likely, in auction? (3,4) |
| BID FAIR – Double definition. Only vaguely heard of the literal. I think the idea of the second limb is that an auction is a place where there are sales (a FAIR) of BIDS. | |
| 30 | Outside, by boring 90s girl group (8) |
| EXTERNAL – I took it on trust that there was a 90s girl group called ETERNAL. Quite well known and successful, in fact – probably most famous for being the first home of Louise Redknapp. You take that and “bore” it with X (by, as in times). | |
| 32 | America converted into oligarchy, principally, in tragedy for the West (8) |
| OCCIDENT – Substitution clue. Tragedy is ACCIDENT from which you take the A (America) and convert it into an O (first letter of oligarchy). | |
| 34 | Recalled an excursion via Hooters? (7) |
| NASALLY – Reversal of AN + SALLY (excursion). Smooth surface. For those that don’t know “The waiting staff at Hooters restaurants are primarily young women whose revealing outfits and sex appeal are played up and are a principal component of the company’s image.” An American company in case you had any doubt… | |
| 36 | Page three’s dropping resistance to change (5) |
| SHEET – I also loved this equally smooth clue, which I slightly struggled to unpick. It’s simply an anagram (to change) of THREE’S without the R (resistance). | |
| 39 | Early issues — flight into work restricted by particles of sand? (7,5) |
| GROWING PAINS – Double sandwich clue. WING (flight) goes into OP (work) which goes into GRAINS (particles of sand?). | |
| 41 | Up-to-date question by guest throwing very harsh interrogator (10) |
| INQUISITOR – IN (up-to-date) + QU (question) + VISITOR (guest) dropping V. | |
| 44 | After being snubbed, impolite of setter to detain large dynasty’s founder (6,1) |
| RUDOLF I – RUDE (impolite) with the last letter deleted (snubbed) + OF (in plain sight) I (setter) all outside L (large).
Rudolf I (1218-1291) was the first German king of the Habsburg dynasty (says Wiki…). |
|
| 46 | Curry and French wine with Father John (8) |
| VINDALOO – VIN (French wine) + DA (father – a dialect shortened form of dad, possibly unusual though well known to me growing up in the north east) + LOO (john).
Another smooth and evocative surface. |
|
| 48 | Person eating in restaurant with love for American bread (6) |
| DINERO – DINER (person eating in restaurant) + O (love).
A NHO slang for money in the USA, but the w/p was pretty clear. |
|
| 50 | Add pounds to pot when playing card game, reportedly, and panic (3,4,8,2,1,5) |
| GET ONES KNICKERS IN A TWIST – A homophone clue, playing on the fact that KNICKERS sounds like NICKERS (slang word for a pound sterling). TWIST is the card game. | |
| 53 | Obsessive desire to publish in mostly kind country having run away (9) |
| TYPOMANIA – TYPE without the last letter is “mostly kind”. Add to that ROMANIA with the R being deleted (having run away).
Never heard of the word but guessable. |
|
| 54 | Japanese coin found in Argyll and Bute town close to Clachaig (5) |
| OBANG – There aren’t so many useful crossword towns in Argyll and Bute, so you can be pretty sure it’s going to be OBAN. Add G as the last letter of Clachaig. The word rang a faint bell, or maybe it just looked believable. It’s a historical large Japanese gold coin from the 16th to 19th centuries, often used for special ceremonies. | |
| 55 | Ship is grand the whole time (7) |
| GALLEON – G + ALL + EON (time). | |
| 56 | Fight arrest (3,2) |
| RUN IN – Double definition. | |
| 57 | Scoff too much? Partner scratching head before repast, off and on (7) |
| OVEREAT – LOVER (partner) loses its first letter and then you add alternate letters of REPAST. | |
| 58 | I rate Chas & Dave finally breaking rubbish flower (9) |
| TEATASTER – The first thing you learn when doing these things is to lift and separate, so chapeau setter for foxing me on this one for ages. How can “I rate Chas” be a definition? Answer: if it is the plural of another word for “tea”. Brilliant (though maybe not the smoothest surface). Once you have cracked that, the w/p is easy – E (Dave finally) inside TAT + ASTER. | |
| Down | |
|---|---|
| 1 | Sacks revolutionary displaying foot in some fonts (5) |
| SERIF – I was stymied in the NW by inserting FIRES without giving the clue much thought and arguably it is one where the reversal could apply to either end of the clue. | |
| 2 | Several notes from children still at church accepted by God squad at last (5,7,5) |
| MINOR SEVENTH CHORD – This is MINORS (children) + EVEN and then CH inside THOR (God) + D (last letter of squad). | |
| 3 | Prime Minister once shortened concluding part of Riot Act, a legal document (5,4) |
| TRUST DEED – Rather more ex PMs nowadays than in times of yore and who knows, maybe another soon enough so from quite a long list we choose the shortest serving (TRUSS) remove her tail; add T (concluding part of RIOT) and finish with DEED (Act). | |
| 4 | Bodily strength of marine bivalve announced (6) |
| MUSCLE – Homophone of mussel. | |
| 5 | Dad’s trusted to work with lots of famous people (4-7) |
| STAR-STUDDED – Anagram (to work) of DAD’S + TRUSTED. | |
| 6 | Mafia bosses in singular academic positions (8) |
| DONSHIPS – DONS + HIP (in) + S (singular). Feels like an odd word but if you can have professorships, why not? | |
| 7 | Founder of controversial website in, for example, Caribbean capital curtailed on returning (7) |
| ASSANGE – Reversal of EG and NASSAU without the U (curtailed). | |
| 8 | After Saturday, add sensible pottery (7,4) |
| SATSUMA WARE – Originating on the southernmost largest island in Japan around the end of the 16th century (and seeing a resurgence in the 19th century). | |
| 9 | Travelling around USA with Amtrak for Hindu text (4,5) |
| KAMA SUTRA – Anagram (travelling around) of USA + AMTRAK. | |
| 10 | Sickness in slum in upward curve (7) |
| CHOLERA – HOLE (slum) in a reversal of ARC (curve). | |
| 11 | Clotheshorse is lighter, but fine to leave (5) |
| AIRER – FAIRER missing F (fine). | |
| 12 | Net contracts with one in Germany (5,5) |
| PURSE SEINE – This really isn’t easy if you don’t know the type of fishing net, and I certainly wouldn’t if I hadn’t recently read Snow Falling on Cedars, where they are quite central to the plot. EINE for “one in Germany” is okay but PURSES for “contracts” (as a verb) is harder with various other synonyms for contract as a noun to consider. | |
| 17 | New Zealand parrot circling female author (5) |
| KAFKA – I didn’t know the KAKA parrot but it was eminently guessable to surround F. | |
| 20 | I’m not sure chap with English books welcomed by Trump, say, is legal immigrant (9,8) |
| PERMANENT RESIDENT – I toyed with “permitted” but what we need is ER (I’m not sure) + MAN (chap) + E (English) + NT (books, New Testament, for newbies), all inside PRESIDENT (Trump, say). | |
| 21 | Fast horses live here (6) |
| STABLE – Easy double definition. | |
| 24 | University rector stopping home in trouble (6) |
| UNREST – R for Rector is very rare but valid, and here it goes in between (stopping) U (university) and NEST (home). | |
| 25 | Destination of couples, with romance primarily promoted? (5) |
| PARIS -A semi &Lit I think rather than the Full Monty as “Destination” is not part of the w/p. Couples are PAIRS where the R (romance primarily) needs to go up a notch (promoted). | |
| 26 | One’s fired priest over the phone (6) |
| CANNON – Homophone of canon. | |
| 28 | Welcome to round island nation (5) |
| HAITI – HI (welcome to) goes around AIT (island). If you are new around here you might scratch your head thinking that you had got “island” sorted with “i” or “is” or even “key” but you have to take this more off-beat word for a small island into account as well (and its alternative spelling, eyot). | |
| 31 | Youngster briefly under bottom of boat crossing River Test (3,3) |
| TRY OUT – YOUTH (youngster) without its last letter (briefly) underneath T (bottom of boat), all of which is placed around (crossing) R (river). Another nice “lift and separate”. | |
| 33 | Beneficially, name European after amphibious vehicle, as it were? (2,9) |
| TO ADVANTAGE – TAG (name) + E (European) after the marvellous TOAD VAN (amphibious vehicle, as it were). | |
| 35 | According to Spooner, suspicion of Dawn in direct view (4,2,5) |
| LINE OF SIGHT – I love a Spoonerism but hopefully those who involuntarily shudder when they see them won’t have had too much trouble with this one, where we need to convert SIGN OF LIGHT to our answer. | |
| 37 | Part of body initially treated roughly (5) |
| TORSO – T (initially treated) + OR SO (roughly). | |
| 38 | Partly scrag Greg, a torchbearer for company that collates financial details (10) |
| AGGREGATOR – Hidden. | |
| 40 | Lass doing badly quickly played notes (9) |
| GLISSANDO – Anagram (badly) of LASS + DOING. | |
| 42 | All it takes, on reflection, to ignore king a fraction (9) |
| SCINTILLA – Reversal of ALL IT NICKS (takes) without K. | |
| 43 | Spike organised introduction to trainspotting — very harrowing (8) |
| LACERANT – Another NHO but believable and gettable as long as one remembers LACE for “spike” to which we add the easier RAN (organised) and T (introduction to trainspotting). | |
| 45 | Star with nothing boosted American footballer (7) |
| LINEMAN – A reversal (boosted, in a down clue) of NAME (star) + NIL (nothing). | |
| 47 | Terrible encores cause death (7) |
| NECROSE – Anagram (terrible) of ENCORES. Never come across the verb form of necrosis but it couldn’t really be anything else. | |
| 49 | Mystery in game resolved (6) |
| ENIGMA – Anagram (resolved) or IN + GAME.
Perhaps the chestnuttiest chestnut of them all. |
|
| 51 | Recording short, easy putt (3-2) |
| TAP-IN – TAPING (recording) with the last letter deleted (short). | |
| 52 | Not one retailer stocks chemical for photocopier (5) |
| TONER – Hidden. | |