An almost completely sequential solve for me. The only one that I had to pass over first time round was 21A where the double definition just managed to elude me but popped out like a glass eye once I had the checkers. Thanks Hurley for a very gentle start to the week.
FOI was obviously 1A and LOI 21A as suggested above. COD as usual is difficult for me to decide as nothing really stuck its neck out but perhaps 12D?
Definitions are underlined and everything else is explained just as I see it as simply as I can.
Across | |
1 | Case for weapon in small taxi seen by poet (8) |
SCABBARD – S (small) + CAB (taxi) + BARD (poet). | |
6 | Mother’s meeting son’s crowd (4) |
MASS – MA’S (mother’s) + S (son) [edited following Kevin’s comment below]. | |
8 | Nasty riot in southeast leading to soldiers’ sudden sally (6) |
SORTIE – anagram of RIOT (‘nasty’) ‘in’ SE (southeast). | |
9 | Floor covering in vehicle — a favourite (6) |
CARPET – CAR (vehicle) + PET (favourite). | |
10 | Release without charge (4) |
FREE – double definition. | |
11 | Business discussed after hours as spa loth to change tack ultimately (8) |
SHOPTALK – anagram of SPA LOTH (‘to change’) + K (tacK ‘ultimately’). | |
12 | Dance company not getting approval initially (5) |
CONGA – CO (company) + NGA (Not Getting Approval ‘initially’). | |
13 | Behind in time — some daft error (5) |
AFTER – hidden word: ‘some’ dAFT ERror. | |
15 | Angry words as aid returned by large family? (8) |
DIATRIBE – DIA (aid ‘returned’) + TRIBE (large family). | |
17 | Conspiracy cutting India out of experimental programme (4) |
PLOT – P |
|
19 | Good to visit West African country, harmless (6) |
BENIGN – G (good) ‘visiting’ BENIN (West African country). | |
20 | Chesspiece that is needed for new recruit (6) |
ROOKIE – ROOK (chesspiece) + IE (i.e., that is). | |
21 | Flier’s harmless mischief (4) |
LARK – double definition. | |
22 | Nudge perhaps about person caring for children (8) |
REMINDER – RE (about) + MINDER (person caring for children). |
Down | |
2 | Singers, choosy (not half!) I recognise at first (5) |
CHOIR – CHO |
|
3 | Bird nibbled beside another one (7) |
BITTERN – BIT (nibbled) + TERN (another bird). | |
4 | First-rate catcher? Nothing odd in that (3) |
ACE – cross out the odd letters of |
|
5 | New version of Art Deco — to a degree (9) |
DOCTORATE – straight anagram (new version) of ART DECO TO. | |
6 | Dormer I think displays good qualities (5) |
MERIT – hidden word: dorMER I Think ‘displays’. | |
7 | All set for reform at end of December? Outstanding! (7) |
STELLAR – anagram (‘for reform’) of ALL SET + R (end of DecembeR). | |
11 | Shop for writers where trains are — supported by Queen (9) |
STATIONER – STATION (where trains are) ‘supported by’ (i.e. ‘on top of’ in this down clue) ER (queen). | |
12 | Agree with artist it’s unrealistic idea (7) |
CHIMERA – CHIME (agree) + RA (Royal Academician, artist). | |
14 | Typo containing H — cricket side storm (7) |
TYPHOON – TYPHO (TYPO ‘containing’ H) + ON (the LEG side in cricket). | |
16 | Indication of approval to include King in batch of playing cards (5) |
TRICK – TICK (indication of approval) ‘to include’ R (king). | |
18 | Nothing good kept in reserve (2,3) |
ON ICE – O (nothing) + NICE (good). | |
20 | Farm animal’s damage on way up (3) |
RAM – MAR (damage) reversed (i.e. ‘on way up’ in this down clue). |
I’m off to solve and blog today’s 15 x 15 – I hope it’s an easy one, as I’m a hour or two behind today.
Thanks.
Edited at 2022-01-24 07:06 am (UTC)
FOI 1ac SCABBARD
LOI 21ac LARK
COD 19ac BENIGN
WOD 14dn TYPHOON a storm brewing in a new teacup.
I’ll fetch me cheung-sam!
Wordplay helped with CHIMERA as the definition was new to me.
COD: PLOT.
FOI SCABBARD, LOI REMINDER, COD TYPHOON, time 07:49 for 1.4K and a Very Good Day.
Many thanks Don and Hurley.
Templar
Edited at 2022-01-24 08:38 am (UTC)
Thanks Hurley and Astartedon. Have a good week everyone.
… and all done in 8 minutes. Only hold-up was on my LOI 21A Lark, where even with the two checkers I still took time to see the answer — my usual problem with DDs, where I find that if I don’t immediately see it, it can take a while. Especially as there are quite a few words that go -A-K.
Like others, I had not seen not seen 11A Shoptalk written as one word before, but given that the final K was so clearly signposted, the answer could not have been anything else, so it went in despite its unfamiliarity.
Many thanks to Don for the blog
Cedric
CHIMERA unlocked what was my main sticking point — the bottom left, LARK went in last.
8:00
FOI: SCABBARD
LOI: CHIMERA
COD: BITTERN
Thanks Astartedon and Hurley.
Edited at 2022-01-24 09:39 am (UTC)
I overcomplicated 1a by trying to put WN (case for weapon) into a short word for taxi to come up with a poet, which set the tone for the rest of my solve. I was slow to untangle DOCTORATE and SHOPTALK (which I have heard of) and nearly submitted without solving LOI ACE. Finished in 10.45. so only just over target despite my troubles.
Thanks to astartedon
Ended up limping home in just under 11 minutes.
Thanks Setter and Blogger.
CHIMERA and DOCTORATE were the other ones I didn’t get without some thought.
A nice puzzle with which to start the week.
Thanks for the blog!
BW
Andrew
Nevertheless I was home in 08:00.
COD to DIATRIBE.
David
CARPET was a favourite playing charades as a child.
Thanks vm, Don.
DNK the definition of 12dn “Chimera” (I always thought it was a kind of mythical monster)
FOI — 2dn “Choir”
LOI — 22ac “Reminder”
COD — 18dn “On Nice”
Thanks as usual!
FOI – 6ac MASS
LOI – 21ac LARK
COD – nothing really stood out. Liked 7dn STELLAR and 12ac CONGA for the surfaces.
Thanks to Hurley for a relatively gentle start to the week and to Astartedon for the blog.
Nothing troublesome, COD BENIGN. A little confused on 5d where I thought the anagrist was “of Art Deco”, so this led to words like the mathematical drink Factorade.
Thank you, Hurley and Don.
Diana
Edited at 2022-01-24 01:57 pm (UTC)
FOI SCABBARD
LOI DOCTORATE
COD BENIGN (I daren’t state here what my first thought was !)
TIME 4:22
Couldn’t get 1a (SCABBARD), but all its four dependants came quickly, as did 5a (MASS) and much of the top half of the grid. Slowed somewhat, but not too badly, until I had just 4 clues remaining — all in the SW corner, and all interconnected.
Unfortunately, 8 minutes then passed until I eventually broke through with TRICK. BENIGN, CHIMERA and LARK (my LOI) then followed fairly quickly. All in all, I was quite happy with the outcome.
Many thanks to Hurley and Don.
And dec rather than doc
Wod diatribe
I can’t win!
Almost within my target of 20 mins; thought I was on for a PB until I got to the last two rows. Stumped because on my first pass I put PIG instead of RAM (I’m suffering a bit of Gip in my leg seemed to fit the clue) and HAWK instead of LARK (he was a hawk in policy setting was akin to harmless mischief but not really correct). Then held up by BENIGN as I could see what the clue wanted but couldn’t bring the appropriate country to mind.
Altogether a very enjoyable solve and a few more learnings on process. Thanks for blog and puzzle as always. Prof
GaryA