Back on the hard ones again, or I wasn’t on the wavelength and was barking up the wrong tree several times.
Definitions underlined in bold , synonyms in (parentheses) (Abc)* indicating anagram of Abc, other wordplay in [square brackets] and deletions in {curly} brackets.
| Across | |
| 7 | Guide disturbing vet again (8) |
| NAVIGATE – (VET AGAIN)*
Nice simple anagram to kick us off. |
|
| 8 | Advantage of Cockney’s row of bushes (4) |
| EDGE – {H}EDGE (row of bushes)
Where the Cockney is assumed to drop the initial H. |
|
| 9 | Horseman capturing a pillager (6) |
| RAIDER – RIDER (horseman) contains A | |
| 10 | Horny African from eastern region (5) |
| ELAND – E{astern} + LAND (region) | |
| 11 | Row on air from time to time (3) |
| OAR – Sounds like [on air] OR
Does OR mean from time to time? I can’t see how that works. Surely its not ORE? |
|
| 12 | Cruel to ignore new girl (6) |
| VIOLET – VIOLENT (Cruel) with N{ew} removed [to ignore] | |
| 14 | A number disappeared in Turkey on vacation (6) |
| TWENTY – T{urke}Y [on vacation] contains WENT (disappeared) | |
| 16 | A musical country, I hear (6) |
| GREASE – Sounds like Greece (a country) | |
| 18 | Looking angry about sailor’s delay (6) |
| RETARD – RED (looking angry) contains TAR (sailor)
This would be RETARD and “delay” as verbs. |
|
| 19 | Understand this is bishop’s responsibility (3) |
| SEE – Double def
This form of SEE (a district under the jurisdiction of a bishop) is very common here in crosswordland, although in church affairs “diocese” is now the usual term. Not as handy for setters, though. |
|
| 20 | Chap in charge is deranged (5) |
| MANIC – MAN (chap) + I{n} C{harge} | |
| 21 | Two Englishmen down under developing a cannon (3-3) |
| POM-POM – POM (Englishman down under) x 2
New to me, but POM POM was used of the Maxim gun as used during the Boer War, and later for any quick-firing guns, especially anti-aircraft guns on a ship. |
|
| 23 | Advance by oneself reportedly (4) |
| LOAN – Sounds like LONE (by oneself) | |
| 24 | Illogical to pay a poet thus? (8) |
| PERVERSE – It’s illogical to pay a poet PER VERSE
Clever, not sure how to classify the clue, as the definition is doing double duty, as part of the cryptic definition as well. |
|
| Down | |
| 1 | Supercilious supporter of the monarchy once (8) |
| CAVALIER – Double def
I struggled with this as with a down clue I thought that “supporter” might be positional, as well as the usual PROP, BRA, TEE etc |
|
| 2 | Family doctor initially obliging (4) |
| KIND – KIN (family) + D{octor} | |
| 3 | What might persuade a bishop to get into bed? (6) |
| CARROT – COT (bed) contains A + RR (Bishop)
Made a mess of this one, as I only thought of B for Bishop, not RR (=Right Reverend). From the idea of enticing a horse or donkey to move forward by dangling a carrot in front of it. |
|
| 4 | Leave the Sahara? (6) |
| DESERT – Double def, and seen it before. | |
| 5 | Corrupt act ended disastrously (8) |
| DECADENT – (ACT ENDED)* [disastrously]
DECADENT is now more commonly used in neutral or positive sense: luxuriously self-indulgent or sumptuous. |
|
| 6 | Old painter almost keeling over (4) |
| AGED – DEGA{s} reversed [keeling over]
Edgar Degas, French Impressionist artist 1834-1917 famous for his colorful scenes of dancers and everyday life in Paris. |
|
| 13 | Knowledge left grannie in a tizz (8) |
| LEARNING – (L GRANNIE)* [in a tizz] | |
| 15 | One moving slowly to reform Tories (8) |
| TORTOISE – TO + (TORIES)*
And oddly, Americans often conflate the words “tortoise” and “turtle.” Including the Ninja Turtles who are land-based, so are tortoises, right? |
|
| 17 | Run away in dunce’s cap, embarrassed (6) |
| ESCAPE – Hidden in dunce’s cap, embarrassed
One of many school punishments that appear in Jennings and Billy Bunter but not in today’s schools: see also caning, standing in the corner, doing lines, being roasted over a fire etc. |
|
| 18 | Article concerning Hull perhaps (6) |
| REPORT – RE (concerning) + HULL (port) | |
| 20 | North African finding accommodation on way north (4) |
| MOOR – ROOM (accommodation) reversed | |
| 22 | Come across London policemen arresting European (4) |
| MEET – MET (London policemen) contains [arresting] E{uropean} | |
I thought this was very entertaining and had smiles all over the place – MANIC, CARROT, LEARNING and TORTOISE were all contenders for COD 😊 I didn’t think it was too difficult, and finished in 9:07. On the subject of 12a and 1d, I also raised an eyebrow at violent = cruel and cavalier = supercilious and note both Jack’s and Merlin’s comments! But as far as the name is concerned, it’s one of those old-fashioned ones (to us maybe but not millenials) that’s become very trendy again. When you think about it, it’s really quite nice – such a pretty little flower – and easy to pronounce. Not like some ancient Greek ones – even yesterday, someone read my full name out as Penny-loap 🙄
FOI Edge LOI Moor COD Perverse
Thanks Pipsqueak and Merlin
Very enjoyable puzzle. I struggled for a while as has been mentioned I was trying to use B and not RR for bishop. Will I never learn to squirrel it away 🙄
Thanks Pipsqueak and Merlin
28 minutes
For the second day in a row, my last clue (PERVERSE) took longer than all of the rest combined. At the risk of being labelled negative, there is nothing good about that! My run of woeful performances continues. Hard to get any satisfaction from such a bad time.
It’s too late and I’m too demoralised to think about trying the big crossword.
Thanks for the blog.
PS I think it’s late enough in the day for me to wish a happy birthday to Tina, without the risk of everyone else joining in 😊
Thanks Gary 🙂
28 is a very respectable time for this puzzle, I think there were at least 7 clues I couldn’t make heads nor tails of
I thought this was about average except for Perverse, which took me longer than all the rest of the crossword. I liked the clue when I had got it. Did not know Pom-pom for cannon, and could not parse Oar so thank you to the people who did.
DNF today, beaten by the combination of OAR, CARROT and VIOLET. I had entered OAR, but took it out because I’d never come across it as a synonym of ROW. However, checking the dictionary I find it can be a verb, meaning “to row”. So I’ve learned something today.
Thanks to Merlin & Pipsqueak.