I seem to have tackled this one without serious obstruction, despite my ignorance of equine anatomy. 11ac seems to be some sort of error, but a pleasant solve overall.
Across | |
1 | Before disaster, switch footwear (4-4) |
FLIP-FLOP – switch is FLIP, disaster is FLOP | |
5 | Highly excited in the past, disappointing ultimately (4) |
AGOG – AGO is in the past + G (last letter of disappointing) | |
9 | Find small amount (5) |
TRACE – Double definition | |
10 | New butler admitting old problem (7) |
TROUBLE – anagram (‘new’) of BUTLER, with O for old inside | |
11 | Whale in horror, caught (3) |
ORC – now, I think this is an error unless I’m missing something. The clue as written would work if the answer was ORCA (hidden word: horrOR CAught). It’s still a hidden word, but I can’t find any reference to ORC being a whale. | |
12 | A race isn’t terribly bigoted (9) |
SECTARIAN – anagram (‘terribly’) of A RACE ISN’T | |
13 | Snatch forty winks beside youth (6) |
KIDNAP – KID (youth) + NAP (forty winks) | |
15 | Sense change so near (6) |
REASON – anagram (‘change’) of SO NEAR | |
17 | Rush, healthy plant (9) |
SPEEDWELL – SPEED (rush) + WELL (healthy) | |
19 | Gold initially like hydrogen, say? (3) |
GAS – G (gold, initially) + AS (like) | |
20 | Airmen bombed a country (7) |
ARMENIA – anagram (‘bombed’) of AIRMEN, with an additional A | |
21 | Aircraft ugly, did you say? (5) |
PLANE – sounds like PLAIN (ugly) | |
22 | Unusual way to serve steak (4) |
RARE – double definition | |
23 | Southern mountain most steep (8) |
SEVEREST – S + EVEREST |
Down | |
1 | Sheep eating last bits of the wiriest horse’s hair (7) |
FETLOCK – FLOCK (sheep) ‘eating’ ET (last letters of ‘the’ and ‘wiriest’). I was about to call foul on this too, thinking that FETLOCK meant only the joint in a horse’s leg, but apparently it also means the tuft of hair over that region. | |
2 | Biblical character in short, Abraham’s able child, originally (5) |
ISAAC – first letters of In Short Abraham’s Able Child | |
3 | Liberated status unsupported (12) |
FREESTANDING – FREE (liberated) + STANDING (status) | |
4 | Choose one colour, primarily, for drinks dispenser (5) |
OPTIC – OPT (choose) + I + C (first letter of ‘colour’) | |
6 | Bacterium having arisen, discards scraps (7) |
GUBBINS – bacterium is BUG, ‘having arisen’ makes it GUB, + BINS (discards) | |
7 | Sportingly where one would be putting colour (5) |
GREEN – double definition, the first a golfy one. | |
8 | Extraordinary pearl is close, phenomenal sight (5,7) |
SOLAR ECLIPSE – anagram (‘extraordinary’) of PEARL IS CLOSE | |
14 | Fantasist in daughter, back to embrace me (7) |
DREAMER – D (daughter) + REAR (back) with ME inside | |
16 | Unpredictable seat won with ease (2,5) |
NO SWEAT – anagram (‘unpredictable’) of SEAT WON | |
17 | Look hard, did you say, for step? (5) |
STAIR – Sounds like STARE | |
18 | Remove some platter, as empty (5) |
ERASE – hidden word: plattER AS Empty | |
19 | Serious accent (5) |
GRAVE – double definition, the second one being that which helps the French distingush their où from their ou. |
On 11ac, of the usual sources only COED (ODO in its on-line version) doesn’t mention ‘whale’ under ORC although ‘whale’ is only an example of the wider definition, ‘ferocious sea monster’.
Had giblits for 6d but returned to it because I couldn’t parse it, and was pretty sure it was giblets anyway.
Liked gas and green.
Apricorn
However, just as yesterday, the computer did not like my entry. Solving online I did not write down the letters for the anagram at 8d and biffed TOTAL ECLIPSE. Slapped wrist and lesson learnt. David
Can I be the first to say that ORC is the opposite in East London to a dove.
NeilC
Edited at 2019-01-25 08:22 am (UTC)
I’ve come across ORC before in this context so was quite happy with it.
My thanks as always to setter and blogger.
6’05””
Brian
Edited at 2019-01-25 09:49 am (UTC)
FOI FLIP-FLOP
LOI GUBBINS
COD NO SWEAT
TIME 3:09 originally, still sub 5 minutes after amendment.
Otherwise same story as others – held up only in the NW, which is a shame because that’s where I always start, taking ages to get FLIP-FLOP and FETLOCK. DNK that ORC could be a whale but had to be the answer. Very enjoyable puzzle and blog, thanks Mara (Gaelic for the sea, no wonder there’s an old-school word for whale) and curarist.
Templar
I may try using it for the QC from Monday just to see how it affects my times – if I stay sub-five minutes, I may persevere. The 15×15 is a bigger leap of faith, although I can see advantages.
Adrian
Edited at 2019-01-25 01:15 pm (UTC)
PlayUpPompey
Edited at 2019-01-25 01:33 pm (UTC)
Graham
Had never heard of Speedwell (apart from the canal in the cavern in the Peak District), this is the type of answer I would have previously checked before putting it in but I’m taking Jeremy’s counsel from the blog a few days ago and trying to forego any outside checks on the QC from now on.
Thanks Mara and curarist.
Edited at 2019-01-25 04:19 pm (UTC)
I have always wondered if the word derived from him?
FOI 19dn GRAVe
LOI 5ac AGOG
COD 1dn FETLOLCK
Edited at 2019-01-25 07:52 pm (UTC)
Things picked up in my second sitting and eventually completed in 28.15.
Thanks for the blog