Regular readers will know that a while back a number of us were criticising The Times for dumbing down this puzzle. Happily over recent weeks we have seen a return to normal standards. The Times, clearly stung by our criticism, decided to make this puzzle extremely difficult by publishing it on the crossword club site without a single clue. However, they reckoned without my powers of ESP as a result of which we are able to bring you the solution.
I enjoyed this puzzle very much. I found it a tough but fair test that took me around an hour to complete. There are fewer full anagrams than usual and one anagrind “oils” that I feel a bit equivocal about. I can’t find ALL THE GO in the dictionary and assume it means “in vogue”. The phrase “big up” used to mean APPLAUD is new to me. Other than that no complaints.
For new solvers (C) = Chambers used to verify part of a clue (S) = starter clue (see memories/solving tips at the top of the page)
| Across | |
|---|---|
| 1 | CYNICS – CY-(IN reversed)-C(onsider)-S; CY=Cyprus; S=entropy (from statistical thermodynamics, where it is the logarithmic measure of the density of states – hence “s”); the philosophical forerunners of The Stoics; C; |
| 6 | GABBRO – ORB-BAG all reversed; ORB-2=blank panel; BAG=criticize in Cairns; common igneous rock found worldwide; C; |
| 11 | BALL,PARKS – BALL-(s)PARKS; BALL=dance; sparks=Edwardian lovers; the phrase originated from the space programme and in particular the approximate area of splashdown when returning; |
| 12 | SHUL – SHUL(e); shule=shool=to saunter; a synagogue; C; |
| 13 | BURP,GUNS – SNUG-PU(R)P all reversed; R=Republican; SNUG=comfy; PUP=bar; a light sub-machine-gun; |
| 14 | CONTEMPLATE – CON-TEMPLATE; CON-3=show; TEMPLATE=model; |
| 15 | ROTA – ROT-(clanj)A(mfray); a repetitious canon; C; |
| 17 | ARITA – A(ntiques)-R(oadshow)-IT-A; IT=the best; A=anonymous; well known Japanese porcelain; S; |
| 21 | SOURSOP – SOU(R-SO)P; R=Regina=Queen; West Indian fruit; S; C; |
| 23 | MAILOUT – M(AIL)OUT(H); trap=mouth; spam=bulk unsolicited e-mail; |
| 25 | BUSSU – BUSS-U; BUSS-1=kiss=smack playfully; an American palm; C; |
| 27 | CHAR – four meanings; 1=do (clean for); 2=new island; 3=fish; 4=reduced wood; C; |
| 29 | SPAGHETTINI – (heating tips)*; “oils” is anagrind (?); thin pasta; |
| 30 | ALL,THE,GO – A-LL-THE-GO; A=one; LL=will; GO=attempt; THE-2=so much; “once in” is the definition=”once all the rage” I’m guessing as I can’t find ALL THE GO in the dictionary; |
| 31 | TACT – T-ACT; T=tense; S; |
| 32 | TREILLAGE – TR(E-ILL)AGE; sorting out=”triage” then substitute E=Spain + unfavourably=ILL for “i”=one; a trellace; C; |
| 33 | TODAYS – sook’s=toady’s then move d=day; S; |
| 34 | SYRTIS – SYR-TIS; SYR=Syria; quicksand but better known as Syrtis Major, a feature on the surface of Mars; S; C; |
| Down | |
| 1 | CASCROM – CA-SCRO(g)-M; CA=circa=about; scrog=scrubby wood; M=marks; a spade in Stirling; C; |
| 2 | YAHOOS – YA(HO)OS; SOAY=Hebridean sheep; HO=house; “woefully entertaining attempts at the Oval” is definition. The Oval is the other London cricket ground and a YAHOO is an attempted slog by the batsman that fails; C; |
| 3 | NAUNT – N(A)UN-(Zehori)T; NUN=Hebrew letter; an old word for aunt; C; |
| 4 | CABER – pickled garnish=caper then swap “p” for “b”=black; pole tossing in Perth; S; |
| 5 | SLUMP,SUM – SLUM-P-SUM; SLUM-2=part of crude oil; P=pressure; SUM-2=money in Uzbekistan; see slump-2 in C; better known as “equity release”, the withdrawal of equity from a property to supplement other income; C; |
| 7 | APPLAUD – APP(DUAL reversed); APP=approved; DUAL=consisting of two; I don’t understand “big up”; |
| 8 | BAGARRE – B(AG)ARRE; AG=Attorney General; BARRE=capo; a brawl in Boulogne; C; |
| 9 | BRUTISH – BRUT-IS-H; S; |
| 10 | OSSIA – OSSIA(n); an easier alternative passage in a difficult concerto; C; |
| 16 | BOTTEGAS – BOTTE-GAS; BOTTE=pass; GAS=wind; Italian restaurants from Melbourne to LA but the best I think is La Pastavino in Paris; C; |
| 18 | DISPLED – DIS-P(a)LED; DIS=Pluto; a=acting; told off; C; |
| 19 | ALSATIA – (assailant – s=second and – n=name)*; one of the official “places of sanctuary” and thus homes to every type of criminal, ALSATIA was situated near Fleet Street, London. They were abolished by Act of Parliament in 1697; C; |
| 20 | ROUGHLY – R(O-UGH)LY; RLY=railway; S; |
| 22 | PERITUS – PER-IT-US; PER=a; IT=crowning quality; US=you and I; a Roman Catholic theologian who advises the Ecumenical Council; C; |
| 24 | SANCAI – SA-(I can)*; SA=secundum artem=according to art; a glaze; C; |
| 25 | BLATT – BL-A-(pi)TT(sburgh); BL=Bachelor at Law; A=absent; rag=newspaper=BLATT (Der Blatt is a Yidish weekly published in New York; C; |
| 26 | STOGY – ST(O-G)Y; O=old; G=golf (phonetic alphabet); A cheroot much prized by Mark Twain; S; |
| 28 | HIANT – HI(A)NT; wide open; S; |
As a matter of interest (and seriously!) do you think that The Times takes our comments into account?
JamesM