This came in at six and a bit minutes which puts it in the medium category. Generally enjoyable with one or two sticky ones, I spent longest trying to parse 21ac but got there in the end.
| Across |
| 1 |
Defeat is bad in the highest degree (5) |
|
WORST – Double definition. ‘Worst’ meaning ‘defeat’ as a verb , which is weirdly synonymous with ‘best’ and thus beloved of crossword setters. |
| 7 |
Contact island to the west within range (9) |
|
REACHABLE – REACH (contact) + ELBA backwards |
| 9 |
Firm supporter in emergency committee (5) |
|
COBRA – CO (firm) BRA (supporter). UK govt committee named after the venue for their meetings, Cabinet Office Briefing Room A |
| 10 |
Anonymous card somewhat ambivalent in expression (9) |
|
VALENTINE – hidden word, and arguably an &lit. |
| 11 |
Sticky stuff in mountain lake with no name (3) |
|
TAR -TARN minus N for name |
| 12 |
Friends recalled criticism for comedy (9) |
|
SLAPSTICK – PALS backwards + STICK |
| 14 |
Be confused with Tuesday the last chance to eat (3-2,4) |
|
USE-BY DATE – anagram (‘confused’) of BE + TUESDAY |
| 16 |
Drop around for fuel (3) |
|
GAS – SAG backwards |
| 18 |
One stirring has to confront blank expression (5,4) |
|
POKER FACE -POKER (one stirring) + FACE (confront) |
| 20 |
It isn’t commonly a contaminating influence (5) |
|
TAINT – T’AINT. How common people say ‘it isn’t’. |
| 21 |
Can do boar in stew? Beef, rather (9) |
|
CARBONADO – anagram (‘in stew’) of CAN DO BOAR. I got very confused here thinking of CARBONNADE, which is a beef stew. Turns out CARBONADO is a piece of meat scored before being grilled, and not necessarily beef. The OED says it’s obsolete. |
| 22 |
Nick’s not connected to church (5) |
|
NOTCH – NOT + CH |
| Down |
| 1 |
Gate that may fall on cricket pitch (6) |
|
WICKET – Double definition |
| 2 |
Sightseer’s drunk beer with Bruckner (12) |
|
RUBBERNECKER – anagram (‘drunk’) of BEER + BRUCKNER |
| 3 |
Video ref overturned in bad-tempered farce (8) |
|
TRAVESTY – VAR (video assistant referee) backwards inside TESTY |
| 4 |
Trouble had upset delicate flower (6) |
|
DAHLIA – AIL HAD backwards |
| 5 |
Flimsy object’s no good (4) |
|
THIN – THING minus G for good. |
| 6 |
Extremely bare area of ship to decorate (6) |
|
BEDECK – B[ar]E + DECK |
| 8 |
There’s no water higher than this (7,5) |
|
BOILING POINT – cryptic definition |
| 13 |
Type of key item one would prefer not to have in cupboard? (8) |
|
SKELETON – double definition |
| 14 |
Take apart or reverse one’s choice? (6) |
|
UNPICK – cryptic definition |
| 15 |
Screen image of a sailor hugging Virginia (6) |
|
AVATAR – A + TAR with VA (Virginia) inserted |
| 17 |
Second wife longing to change (6) |
|
SWITCH – S + W + ITCH |
| 19 |
With this, king moves to castle (4) |
|
ROOK – cryptic definition. In order to castle, king moves with rook. |
I biffed Carbonade which made the key very difficult! I wasted a good couple of minutes trying to sort that out, but rather liked it when all became clear. In fact, I rather liked the whole thing – ticks went to SLAPSTICK, RUBBERNECKER and SKELETON among others.
About 15 minutes FOI Cobra LOI Skeleton COD Valentine
Thanks Teazel and Curarist
Just another horror show.
26 minute DNF after putting CARBONARO. A perfectly avoidable error. No excuse for that.
I did this after 2 hours on the 15 x 15, hoping it would improve my performance. Of course it didn’t. RUBBERNECKER and USE BY DATE took forever, and I still don’t get WORST (no explanations required). BOILING POINT also took ages.
Just to ruin my day even more, I had a DNF on the 15 x 15, two answers being incorrect (each by one letter and each easy for anyone with a modicum of ability).
My level of sheer frustration with this is off the scale. 2.5 hours today for nothing but failure. I look at the times of others and question why I slog through the 15 x 15 only to record such dismal time on the QC. I am behind almost everyone today and I find that so dispiriting.
Two DNFs this week and only 2 SCC escapes. I don’t call that progress!
Thanks for the blog.