This started out with some difficult early clues but my solving pace accelerated under the influence of the well-known phenomenon of grid gravity and I just managed to sneak in under the 10-minute barrier at 09:36. I didn’t find anything to complain about, either in clue construction (apart from a minor quibble with 8a) or word esotericism (I think I made that up). Favourites were the surfaces for 18a and 23a and the clever cross-reference for 13d.
Thanks to Mara
Definitions underlined in bold, deletions indicated by strikethrough.
Across | |
1 | Mischievous thing eatin’ by the sound of it? (6) |
GOBLIN – Aural wordplay (‘by the sound of it?’) of GOBBLIN’ (‘eatin”) | |
4 | Energy drink (6) |
SPIRIT – Double definition | |
8 | Travel document cut one high point for sightseer (7) |
VISITOR – VIS I agree that a ‘sightseer’ is usually a VISITOR somewhere, but perhaps a “?” or “maybe” could have been included as a ‘sightseer’ is one sort of VISITOR and eg a guest or caller are others. |
|
10 | Judge confronting queen, direct (5) |
REFER – REF (‘Judge’) in front of (‘confronting’) ER (‘queen’)
‘Direct’ as a verb. REF as an abbreviation for REFEREE, which I miss every time, even though it’s our setters’ favourite ‘Judge’ |
|
11 | Bar situated in Madeira I like (4) |
RAIL – Hidden (‘situated in’) MadeiRA I Like | |
12 | Dark omen, loss shocking (8) |
MOONLESS – Anagram (‘shocking’) of OMEN LOSS | |
14 | Rodent found in African country by gannet (6,3) |
GUINEA PIG – GUINEA (‘African country’) PIG (‘gannet’)
‘Gannet’ for a greedy eater or PIG. Capybaras are my favourite rodents, but guinea pigs are high up on the cuteness scale. |
|
18 | Amorous actor in plays about marriage, primarily (8) |
ROMANTIC – Anagram (‘plays’) of ACTOR IN containing (‘about’) M Good surface. I was looking for the name of a heartthrob ROMANTIC actor, which lead to the correct answer |
|
20 | Military force cracked when leader lost (4) |
ARMY – Being a cricket fan helped with this one |
|
22 | Launch some motif, linguistically (5) |
FLING – Hidden (‘some’) in motiF LINGuistically | |
23 | Hands down, armpits dry? (2,5) |
NO SWEAT – Double definition, the first an expression meaning decisively or easily, the second, more literal one, a cryptic hint | |
24 | Object in tin, yet rotten (6) |
ENTITY – Anagram (‘rotten’) of TIN YET | |
25 | Physical things are important (6) |
MATTER – Double definition |
Down | |
1 | Run finished in outskirts of Gijon (6) |
GOVERN – OVER (‘finished’) contained in (‘in’) G Not that it mattered in solving the clue, but I’m embarrassed to admit that I hadn’t heard of this Spanish city |
|
2 | Transport leader playing for cash (7) |
BUSKING – BUS (‘Transport’) KING (‘leader’) | |
3 | Greek letter is omitted, taken away initially (4) |
IOTA – First letters of (‘initially’) Is Omitted Taken Away | |
5 | Root vegetables, standard crops (8) |
PARSNIPS – PAR (‘standard’) SNIPS (‘crops’)
Yum…, or maybe not |
|
6 | Steal and carry off weapon (5) |
RIFLE – Double definition
I was unsure whether to parse this as a triple definition but couldn’t convince myself that to ‘carry off’ by itself was the same thing as ‘rifle’. Collins agrees and has one sense of ‘rifle’ as “to steal and carry off”. |
|
7 | Winger in hurry after touch on both wings (6) |
THRUSH – RUSH (‘hurry’) after T Nothing to do with rugby, as my initial reading of the clue had me believe |
|
9 | Old African tailors and hosier (9) |
RHODESIAN – Anagram (‘tailors’) of AND HOSIER | |
13 | I had thing adjusted below a thousand — twelve (8) |
MIDNIGHT – ID (‘I had’) anagram (‘adjusted’) of THING both under (‘below’) M (‘a thousand’)
I like the way this also refers back to the answer for 12a. |
|
15 | Item of clothing where man has pinned something inside sleeve (7) |
GARMENT – GENT (‘man’) contains (‘has pinned’) ARM (‘something inside sleeve’) | |
16 | Sweet thing of little consequence (6) |
TRIFLE – Double definition
BAGATELLE on my last watch but clearly didn’t fit this time. I don’t want to overdo the U vs non-U thing, but I was brought up to believe that ‘sweet’ was definitely the latter, as was any other word for “pudding”. |
|
17 | New store stocks variable seafood (6) |
OYSTER – Anagram (‘New’) of STORE containing (‘stocks’) Y (‘variable’) | |
19 | Damp haze enveloping capital in Oman (5) |
MOIST – MIST (‘haze’) containing (‘enveloping’) O |
|
21 | Continent in Americas I assume (4) |
ASIA – Hidden (‘in’) AmericAS I Assume |
Took an embarrassingly long time, again, and I don’t know why. 9:39.
Today’s 15×15 is definitely worth having a go at.
Well, I know why I took longer than I might have – I marked guinea pig as 3,6, instead of 6,3 on my paper copy. You’ll never solve it that way! If was strange I couldn’t remember trifle until I had all the checking letters, as it would normally be a write-in. I would have to say that the chestnut percentage is high, although the busking clue is a nice variant.
Time: 8:03
9.37, no particular problems but I got held up by a couple that turned out to be not that hard, SPIRIT and BUSKING. I did not know gannett meant greedy one and I never appreciated GARMENT until BR’s helpful blog. Arm = something in sleeve, ha! As Kevin mentioned, it’s worth taking a look at the big board today.
9 minutes. Nice puzzle.
Almost a carbon copy of our blogger’s solve – slow to start, down clues came more quickly, 9½ minute solve. GARMENT LOI and only parsed after completion, but otherwise no real hold-ups.
A proper trifle is far from a “thing of little consequence”; in the Statherby household it has many ingredients including considerable amounts of cream and a fair slug of alcohol, and would more accurately be called a “substantial”.
Many thanks BR for the blog
Cedric
18.36. Always good to immediately see 1a and it gets our COD. Solved about two thirds on my own while Mrs RH engaged in emergency ironing session then needed her help to finish the last half dozen or so!
Like our blogger (thanks BR), always forget judge=ref and that was our LOI as we had a dodgy ruler until the PDM for rifle.
Thanks Mara
Last half dozen shirts?!
Another day another typo. MIDNuGHT this time. Stuggled with the NE and was left at the end with REFER and RIFLE for absolutely ages – and SPIRIT before that. Enjoyed MOONLESS after trying to do something with ‘solemnos’. Not all green in 21.11.
Similar story here, not the typo, but being held up by the same three words in the NE corner and for more or less the same reason in all three cases: the synonyms in all three clues were a bit remote – for me anyway.
To me the verb “rifle” merely means to search through something, a drawer for instance; you might steal what you find there, you might not; that said the Concise OED does give steal as one of the definitions of “rifle”, although not the primary one – maybe that use is now a bit archaic?
Similarly, “direct” is not the first synonym that occurs to me for “refer”, but I did manage to convince myself that one was right before writing it in.
But “energy” = “spirit”? Concise OED does give “energy” as a possible definition for “spirit”, so who am I to argue? My problem is being too literally minded, so “energy” is something physical, whereas “spirit” is mental – so to me, “spirit” might mean “enthusiasm” or “willingness”, which might impart energy, but it doesn’t mean “energy” per se.
My literal mindedness is not an asset when solving cryptic crosswords…
Did this on an early train with son #2 who’s on his way to help son #1 move house. Challenged by him to a speed solve I was spurred on to 06:34. He’s still solving as I type. Very good for morale to be able to beat one’s children at *something*.
I enjoyed that, lots of neat clues. COD to BUSKING. Many thanks Mara and Bletchers (love the idea of grid gravity!).
Indeed. I hardly dare look at the fantasy football table nowadays, my son is so far ahead (ditto all my nephews…)
I had the opposite experience to our blogger in that I started out fast and continued that way until hitting the buffers in the NE.
I confidently chucked in ‘somnolent’ at 12a thinking that the letters looked about right and there might be some very tenuous connection between sleep and dark whilst also overlooking the wrong number of letters – but other than that it was a great answer!🤦♂️
Also had a brainfreeze for REFER.
Started with GOBLIN and finished with THRUSH in 7.26 with COD to NO SWEAT.
Thanks to BR and Mara
I know what you mean about the wrong number of letters. I was so convinced that the answer was SOLEMN that I wrote it in and just stared at the two blanks at the end of the clue in disbelief. And having though of solemn I simply could not get it out of my head.
Could not parse GARMENT as my crossword brain couldn’t see beyond ARM meaning weapon. Enjoyable puzzle today with some great clues. Thanks BR and Mara.
Very nice puzzle with some cleverly misleading clues, for me anyway, and no show stoppers thankfully.
Finished in 28 minutes and particularly liked GARMENT for ‘something inside sleeve’ as ‘arm’ and BUSKER where ‘playing for cash’ was the clue.
Some clever anagrinds too e.g. ‘tailors’ giving a nice surface for 8a
Thanks Mara and BR.
4:20. Slow to start with RAIL my FOI, but it all came smoothly enough after that. MOONLESS and RHODESIAN took the longest to identify. Nice puzzle. Thanks Mara and BR.
10:05
Held up for several unaccountable minutes in the NE corner but got there in the end.
18 mins…
I agree with Bletchleyreject – this was hard to get going, however pieces fell into place as I went further down the grid. Thought there might be a theme at first with “Romantic Army”, “Goblin Spirit” etc. when reading some of the answers across, but probably reading too much into it.
FOI – 11ac “Rail”
LOI – 4ac “Spirit”
COD – 23ac “No Sweat”
Thanks as usual!
Well that was much more friendly, thank you, Mara. LOI THRUSH (needed SPIRIT to get it). But couldn’t quite parse all, so thank you too, BR.
7:45
No real delays. LOI was MIDNIGHT.
COD to BUSKING and THRUSH.
Thanks BR and Mara
09:00
I got stuck in the NE on rifle, thrush, and LOI spirit.
COD Thrush or busking.
25 mins
At one stage I was heading to a PB, but that quickly dissipated.
LOI Rhodesian
Enjoyable.
Thanks to Mara and BletchleyReject
Somewhere between 30-40 minutes for me, so not exactly a breeze. My inability to solve almost any of the clues in the NW corner made for a slow start and hampered my progress right through to the end. GOVERN, VISITOR, BUSKING and GOBLIN were my LOsI. MATTER, right down in the SE corner, also took some prising out from its hiding place. The clues in between, whilst not all easy, seemed fair and at the right level for a QC. No particular standouts or favourites today, but an enjoyable challenge overall.
Thanks to Mara and BR.
From GOBLIN to the SPIRIT/THRUSH crossing in 5:05. I would have recorded a rare under five minutes solve had I not bunged in Spritz at 4a. A welcome change from yesterday’s disaster.
🔥🔥
I was slow to get going, but eventually got from GOVERN to ROMANTIC in 8:11. Thanks Mara and BR.
Another to start slowly and then to get going once a few clues solved. A couple of biffs required to finish in about 25 minutes- about par for me.
I found the main puzzle much easier than this today so I don’t know what that says! I think Mara stretched things a bit maybe (eg visitor for sightseer) but nothing was actually unfair. Thanks Mara and Bletchley reject
18:17 for the solve! Slow to begin, quickened up until I was left at around 11mins with the four in the NE corner which blocked me for about five mins. I liked the GARMENT clue.
14:57
Started quickly enough, lots of hidden words and several biffs but got a bit stuck in the NE corner with SPRITE, THRUSH, RIFLE and LOI REFER all causing problems.
5:49
Mostly comfortable, just a brief kerfuffle at the end whether ROMANTIC or ROMANCES – didn’t initially see the anagram – before LOI RHODESIAN.
Thanks BR and Mara
6.16. A pretty smooth run.
Made heavy weather of this, but eventually got going. Managed SE, then NW, struggled mightily in NE, to find last corner SW an easy biff-fest.
BUSKING made me laugh and cheered me up. Also liked PARSNIPS, NO SWEAT, GUINEA PIG.
Once I solved e.g. SPIRIT I don’t know why I didn’t see it immediately.
FOI ASIA, LOI ENTITY.
Thanks vm, BR.
Like many others I was slow to start but picked up the pace to finish a whisker outside target at 10.05. A good puzzle I thought at QC level that was pitched at just the right level of difficulty. 23ac was topical as far as I was concerned after reading of the current difficulties being experienced by my namesake.
I didn’t have much trouble here, other than the parsing of GARMENT.
FOI GOBLIN
LOI THRUSH
COD NO SWEAT
TIME 3:46
Held up in the NE by RIFLE/REFER/THRUSH, otherwise fairly plain sailing. I’m sure GOBLIN is probably a chestnut but it’s very much my sort of clue/humour so this gets COD. Also liked NO SWEAT for similar reasons! Many thanks for the blog BR.
Made a good start, with 1d/ac and associated offspring going more or less straight in, and a fairly steady solve thereafter produced a 16min finish. Might even have had a shot at a rare sub-15, but for the same issue as BR with Ref blindness (😉) holding up Refer, Thrush and Rifle. Some good clues to pick from, but my CoD vote goes to 15d, Garment, for the smile. Invariant
16 minutes for me for a puzzle I found quite hard work throughout.
Nothing unfair. LOI ROMANTIC -excellent surface deceived me.
I seemed to take a number of wrong turns like trying GNAWIN at 1a which absorbed plenty of time.
COD to SPIRIT.
David
17:18
Much time spent on LOI MATTER, dozens of words fit, and a double def means they all have to be checked against either definition.
A nice QC, all complete on one cup of coffee. Initially thought it was going to be more challenging but once a few were entered the rest fell into place. As per Merlin, MATTER was the LOI. COD THRUSH, and just had a song thrush looking for snails outside the window.
Same experience as BR, slow to start but gathered pace later on. Must remember to make more use of grid gravity in future. Held up somewhat at the end by the 10ac/6dn crossing but I eventually finished in 18 minutes, all parsed.
FOI – 11ac RAIL
LOI – 10ac REFER
COD – 2dn BUSKING
Thanks to Mara and BR
5.13
No problems here with a decent sprinklage of chestnuts
Thanks Mara and BR
I felt so grim yesterday that I didn’t even tackle the puzzle, so did that one and this today. I blame the virus / flu / brain rot for somewhat slower than usual slow solving, but all done now. Felt like a lot of DDs. Kept finding biffs that turned out to be wrong, so had to concentrate on what the clue actually said!
16.59, which is speedy for me.
Took ages over GUINEA PIG – I had the first and last Gs and my mind couldn’t get past GXXXXX DOG, until other checkers fell into place.
Pi
Evaded the SCC by a whisker, at 19:45. BUSKING took me a good few minutes by itself, even with all the checking letters – I just couldn’t split the clue in the right place.
Thank you for the blog!
BR, an aside re your blog. Went to an upmarket resto the other night with family. After main course, foreign waitress announced in worried tones and long rigmarole that there was no pudding. Daughters in law upset, all of us mystified by resto’s mismanagement. Head honcho summoned. Turns out there was plenty left on the dessert menu, just that one item, the actual treacle pudding or whatever, was no longer available.
Yes, the “pudding” thing is weird to us. After all, pie is not pudding.
But you can have apple pie for pudding! I am multi-lingual, kind of, and would probably say dessert rather than pudding in some circumstances but the waitress above-mentioned fooled us all.
Not even close to getting this puzzle. Gave up with no hope of a solve
Got the three easy four letter clues, plus no sweat and matter, but nothing else.
Steady solve from the top, although I needed to move to the down clues to get some momentum.
Enjoyable, after mucking up a relatively easy 15×15.
Thank you for the blog and thanks to Mara.
Recovered from a stodgy start to record a very acceptable 6.58. This one completed in the post-lunch hazy aftermath of my first turkey dinner of the festive season replete with Christmas Pud and lashings of brandy butter all served up in the office. Notwithstanding the Christmas Cheer LOI was SPIRIT having rebuffed temptations to biff SPRITE or SPRITZ.
Some nice surfaces here but for COD Ill go with PARSNIP.
Cheers Mara and thank you Bletchley for the blog.
20:12 for a slow day, but again grateful for no long frustrations. Was it brain fog that kept me from making progress in the northwest? I had all the wrong ideas, wanted 2D to be BETTING (oh, not that kind of playing). Today I learned that “gannet” can mean a greedy person. PARSNIPS, yum! I couldn’t parse THRUSH until revisiting it just now. I had Ref blindness too! The grid gravity 🤣 was definitely a thing today.
How does cricket help with ARMY, please?
Thanks Mara and Bletch!
The Barmy Army – England fan contingent that follows team on away tours.
The Barmy Army support the English cricket team.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barmy_Army
thanks both!
9.07 Mostly quite quick. I spent a moment trying to make NAVY work and followed it with a biffed GARMENT to finish. Thanks BR and Mara.
15:20. REFER and THRUSH were favourites.
19 mins and very enjoyable. Thanks BR for parsing Romantic and Midnight, I couldn’t quite work out the parsing but knew they were correct. Thanks Mara
13 minutes, with a very slow start.
Thanks for the blog.
PS I found the 15 x 15 far from easy! A long way over the hour mark.