This seemed to flow nicely. There are a couple of clues with slightly left-field wordplay – for example the use of ‘essentially’ in 18ac – but overall very enjoyable with some nice surfaces. Five and a bit minutes for me
| Across |
| 7 |
Girl with one sweet or savoury drink (5) |
|
LASSI – LASS + I. Yoghurt-based drink from India. |
| 8 |
State newspaper (7) |
|
EXPRESS – double definition |
| 10 |
Axe small door frame on exit (7) |
|
HATCHET – HATCH (small door) + ET (‘frame’ of EXIT) |
| 11 |
What receives signals in rheumatoid-arthritic back? (5) |
|
RADIO – reverse hidden word |
| 12 |
Game rousers trapping exposed reed birds (3,6) |
|
BEE EATERS – BEATERS with [R]EE[D] inserted |
| 14 |
Destiny that can be drawn out (3) |
|
LOT – double definition |
| 15 |
Draw level, almost (3) |
|
TIE – Level is TIE[D] |
| 16 |
Deterioration of nickel regularly occurring after ten years (9) |
|
DECADENCE – Alternate letters of NiCkEl after DECADE |
| 18 |
Pigment essentially etched into mineral aggregate (5) |
|
OCHRE – CH (the central part or ‘essence’ of ETCHED) inside ORE |
| 20 |
Hernial malfunctions — breather required (7) |
|
INHALER – anagram (‘malfunctions’) of HERNIAL. A hernial is a hernia afflicting someone from Bristol |
| 22 |
Quietly locate wild mustelid (7) |
|
POLECAT – P + anagram (‘wild’) of LOCATE. Mustelids being weasels etc. |
| 23 |
Blood covers tip of spiny, prickly shrub (5) |
|
GORSE – GORE with S for SPINY inserted |
| Down |
| 1 |
Confusing series of acronyms unexpectedly appeal to Bush (8,4) |
|
ALPHABET SOUP – anagram (‘unexpectedly’) of APPEAL TO BUSH |
| 2 |
Possibly weariest, so to speak (2,2,4) |
|
AS IT WERE – anagram (‘possibly’) of WEARIEST |
| 3 |
Using humour, primarily humour (4) |
|
WITH – WIT (humour) + first letter of HUMOUR |
| 4 |
Kind chap, extremely likeable (6) |
|
GENTLE – GENT + L[IKEABL]E |
| 5 |
Given notice, hauled up assistant extracted with difficulty (8) |
|
APPRISED – PA backwards + PRISED |
| 6 |
Commander The Admiralty accommodates (4) |
|
HEAD – hidden word |
| 9 |
Brave deaths, true to struggles (12) |
|
STOUTHEARTED – anagram (‘struggles’) of DEATHS TRUE TO |
| 13 |
Poet hosting current church gathering (8) |
|
AUDIENCE – AUDEN with I (current) inserted + CE. W.H. Auden is famous enough, but in the QC ‘poet’ usually just means ‘bard’ or sometimes ‘Dante’. That, together with a slightly obscure definition of audience = gathering might trip a few |
| 14 |
Publican is large as well as noble (8) |
|
LANDLORD – L (large) + AND + LORD |
| 17 |
Printed fabric feature — fringes of topaz (6) |
|
CHINTZ – CHIN (feature) + T[OPA]Z. ‘Feature’ in crosswords is always ‘chin’ for some reason |
| 19 |
Bore left in thread periodically (4) |
|
HELD – Alternate letters of tHrEaD with L inserted |
| 21 |
Cheerful greeting announced (4) |
|
HIGH – Sounds like ‘Hi’ |
I was pleased to get through this in 12:27 as it felt quite tricky in places. Took the long anagrams on trust (indeed LOI ALPHABET SOUP went in entirely from checkers without appreciating it was an anagram). Slow on WITH because it didn’t leap out as equating to ‘using’. Nevertheless, an enjoyable puzzle. Thanks, Curarist and Cheeko.
Very hard! I forgot to set the timer when I started this morning. I was certainly heading for about 15 minutes with less than half done. I got back from a U3A meeting just now, and finished it in about another 10. A Disastrous Day, but at least I didn’t have to resort to aids. It was touch and go though 😭
For all that, I quite liked it – POLECAT, GENTLE and AUDIENCE all got ticks. I just wish I could get on Cheeko’s wavelength.
About 25 minutes with several hours in between
FOI Express LOI and COD Alphabet soup (and Anagram of the Day too)
Thanks Cheeko and Curarist
DNF, of the failed miserably version with little more than half completed.
Too much that I didn’t know (like LASSI, BEE BEATER and mustelid), didn’t associate (like ALPHABET SOUP for acronym) or too vague (like “poet”). How many poets are there out there? How many am I meant to know?? Rather like “boy” meaning any one of a thousand possible boy’s names.
35 minute DNF.
Put HIGH for WITH. Still don’t get the clue. Using = With? (don’t bother explaining, I’m past caring today).
Another nightmare day to end a horrid week:
M – 11 mins
T – 48 mins DNF
W – 11 mins
Th – 18 mins
F – 35 mins DNF
Utterly pathetic.
Isn’t there anyone who can provide me with some advice on how to do these wretched puzzles? I hate being so bad at this. I feel stupid and ignorant after coming here.
PS Please don’t tell me that the time doesn’t matter. If it doesn’t matter to you, that’s fine. It does matter to me. It’s the only thing that matters to me.
Gary, you are there or there abouts with most of the 15×15, so there is no question about your overall ability.
As to your times, do you perhaps keep looking at the clock while solving? This is a well-known kiss of death for a fast time. Either ignore the clock, or buy a cheap stop-watch, face down, click to start and click to finish.
Thanks Invariant, much appreciated. I’ll follow that advice about the clock.