Well, that was hard work. The blog I mean, not the puzzle. How I miss the halcyon days of Javascript. The blog editor site seems to be possessed by an angry demon who randomly decides how much space is allowed between lines, and absolutely won’t be told otherwise.
As for the puzzle, I’ve had to solve it three times this morning (don’t ask) so I’m having trouble remembering what I thought about it. Enjoyable with a couple of chewy ones, I think. Time: no idea.
ACROSS
1 Section husband over wife’s performance (4)
SHOW – S + H + O + W. Not sure why S is ‘Section’
4 Come after job daughter had (8)
POSTDATE – POST (job) + D + ATE
8 Lively coach beginning to train swimmer (8)
BUSTLING – BUS (coach) + T for train + LING (fish)
9 Chat about a great story (4)
SAGA – GAS backwards (‘about’) + A
10 Clean city (4)
BATH – Double definition
11 Empty out all contents of bevy pack Mum hated (8)
EVACUATE – internal letters of BEVY PACK MUM HATED. Neat.
12 Scottish legend to take part in Innes siege (6)
NESSIE – hidden word. Loch Ness Monster, obvs
14 Cheery start to unknown piano hit (6)
UPBEAT – U for unknown + P + BEAT
16 Waiter’s ability is rustling up nice pâté (8)
PATIENCE – anagram (‘rustling up’) of NICE PATE
18 Flash sucker (4)
TICK – double definition
19 One in every two coming back “flash” after leaving the south (4)
HALF – FLASH backwards minus S for south
20 It saves sailors and passengers fail to be moved (8)
LIFEBOAT – anagram (‘moved’) of FAIL TO BE
22 One who uses manoeuvre to stop military engineers retreating (8)
EMPLOYER – PLOY (manoeuvre) inside REME (Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers) backwards
23 Penny leaves fruit for every person (4)
EACH – PEACH minus P
DOWN
2 Laugh about covering American and European cost of transportation (7)
HAULAGE – anagram (‘about’) of LAUGH with A for American + E
3 Keep an eye out for one with hands around your wrist (5)
WATCH – double definition
4 Foreign character’s backed internet service provider (3)
PSI – ISP backwards
5 Characteristic of mounted US soldier’s personality (9)
SIGNATURE – GI’S backwards + NATURE
6 Trouble is I’d burst all over the place (7)
DISTURB – anagram (‘all over the place’) of I’D BURST
7 Shorter legwear saving money? (5)
TIGHT – TIGHT[S]
11 Join after dropping new friend forever (9)
ETERNALLY – ENTER ‘dropping’ (i.e. lowering) the N, + ALLY
13 Expert finally stops endless fun in coup de grâce (7)
SKILFUL – S (last letter of STOPS) + FU[N] inside KILL
15 Old fashioned chief advanced in charge (7)
ARCHAIC – ARCH (chief) + A + IC
17 A large gun? Panic! (5)
ALARM – A + L + ARM
18 Propose police officer leaves Tories (5)
TABLE – CONSTABLE minus CONS
21 Remote force returns (3)
FAR – RAF (Royal Air Force) backwards
30:36
Well, I have to say, I found that exceedingly hard work. Failed to parse TABLE then had a right old struggle in the SW with EMPLOYER, SKILFUL and LOI HALF.
Dear dear, it took a long time, 24:41, and I got one wrong anyway. I fell into all the transatlantic traps. The flashes unnerved me, that is, 18a TICK made no sense to me, though I got it from “sucker” and the crossers; as a result I was completely unable to see the obvious at 19a HALF. Ohhhh, “in a flash/tick/no time” but we would never say “tick” in that context. In more US-centric whining, we don’t use “bath” as a verb, though of course I know the city. I settled for “wash” and forgot to go back and think again, how sad. And of course as an American I spell it “skillful”. Liked EVACUATE. TABLE gave me pause for a moment but I’ve seen this construction before and I’m good with it.
The whole solving experience felt a bit different to me so I’m starting to understand what it means for a setter to have a style. Welcome Kybos, and I look forward to more.
Thanks Kybos and Curarist.
Mmm did complete even fairly quick if I was to time it. Some nebulous matters I thought if that is fair. How many cities do you need to settle on clean I tried Nice to start with, how many fruits with a P to lose, isn’t TIGHT ‘not spending’ money rather than ‘saving’, but I quibble. A happy Friday many thanks.
If you’re not spending then aren’t you saving the money you would have spent?
Well, I was a bit slow on this one. Held up by the NW corner, as others were. However, it was an enjoyable puzzle and all parsed
Thanks Kybos and Curarist
Unfortunately not on Kybos’ wavelength, but I don’t think any of the clues were too out there after reading the blog, apart from maybe TABLE, but that’s already been discussed. Thank you for the blog 😁
A nice challenge from Kybos. Found it difficult to get a foothold but once started answers started dropping into place. I thought it a well pitched QC.
Thanks Kybos and Curarist
40 minutes, so towards the very bottom of the league table today (why am I not surprised?).
Sheer incompetence from me as usual. I am utterly clueless and totally incapable of ever achieving anything like a decent level of solving ability. I just cannot read clues in the right way.
Last 5 clues took at least 25 minutes. 2 were guessed. All were perfectly solvable with just a bit of application.
I spend hours and hours trying to improve by attempting 15 x 15, yet I can’t complete a moderately hard QC in a respectable time. Proof positive that I will never succeed here. How can I be this bad after so much practise?
Appalling end to a poor week. Nearly 2 hours again. Nowhere near good enough.
My computer is now going off for the weekend. I will doubtless return next week for more pain. Not sure why.
A hard slog for this resident of the SCC. Gave up after about 45mins with BUSTLING, PATIENCE EMPLOYER and SKILFUL amongst others unsolved.
Encouraged by the SNITCH being over 120 and therefore this being known as a hard QC.
like Cedric, I’ve also noticed first puzzles from a setter can be on the more challenging side. I have wondered if that is due to needing some time to get on the same wavelength of the setter, or if they have put a lot of their best clues for their debut! Either way as a relative beginner to these puzzles I enjoy seeing some different concepts being used. I haven’t seen REME before, only RE, so had to come to the blog to see what was going on there.