Little to say about this puzzle. I seemed to rattle through it reasonably quickly and didn’t get a kick out of any of the solutions which is most unusual.
Definition parts of clues underlined where appropriate.
Across | |
8 | Aristocracy look to get on (7) |
PEERAGE – PEER(look) + AGE(to get on). | |
9 | Tennis shot Monsieur features in frame (5) |
SMASH – SASH(window frame) with M(Monsieur) inside(features in). | |
10 | On hill, check flashlight (5) |
TORCH – CH(check) on TOR(hill). | |
11 | First 50 admitted to the plant (7) |
THISTLE – IST(first) + L(50) inside(admitted to) THE. | |
12 | South western diner’s warm clothing (7) |
SWEATER – SW(south western) + EATER(diner). | |
14 | Turn away from green area first (5) |
AVERT – A before(first) VERT(green, heraldic term). | |
15 | Brought over drink fit for a king (5) |
REGAL – LAGER reversed(brought over). | |
17 | Have great desire to put in range here? (7) |
KITCHEN – ITCH(great desire) inside KEN (range of knowledge). I didn’t know the right meaning of KEN and got this from guessing the cryptic definition. | |
19 | Opening, glasnost, riled section (7) |
NOSTRIL – hidden |
|
20 | Intend initially sharing resources (5) |
MEANS – MEAN(intend) + S(first letter of sharing). | |
22 | Biblical woman not disheartened – it happens! (5) |
EVENT – EVE(biblical woman) + N |
|
23 | Chinese, perhaps, initially edging towards rear of ship (7) |
EASTERN – E(initially edging) + A(towards, a- prefix. probably a staple in crossword land but the first time I’ve seen it) + STERN(rear of ship). |
Down | |
1 | Awkward situation – son found with drug (4) |
SPOT – S(son) + POT(drug). | |
2 | Judgment last month about source of energy (6) |
DECREE – DEC(last month) + RE(about) E(source, beginning, of energy). | |
3 | German composer’s term of address for Welshman (4) |
BACH – double definition. He was a German composer and it is a term of endearment used by Welsh speakers. | |
4 | Let her kestrel loose causing disorder? (6-7) |
HELTER SKELTER – anagram of LET HER KESTREL indicated by loose. | |
5 | Partisan in conflict, he seeks higher position (8) |
ASPIRANT – anagram of PARTISAN indicated by in conflict. | |
6 | Social group welcomes Liberal in Leeds, say? (6) |
CASTLE – CASTE(social group) with L(liberal) inside(welcomes). Leeds Castle is a pretty awesome example in Kent. | |
7 | Hear tent shaking – to suggest rain? (8) |
THREATEN – anagram of HEAR TENT indicated by shaking. | |
12 | Small item of office equipment for athlete (8) |
SPRINTER – S(small) + PRINTER(item of office equipment). | |
13 | Indulge learner with time to get involved in gambling system (8) |
TOLERATE – L(learner) + ERA(time) inside(to get involved in) TOTE(gambling system). | |
16 | Set importing outsize piano? It’s true (6) |
GOSPEL – GEL(set) with OS(outsize, questionable) P(piano). | |
18 | Guy looking over avenue (new), very pleasant place (6) |
HEAVEN – HE(guy) + AVE(avenue) + N(new). | |
20 | One of nine? Think! (4) |
MUSE – double definition. The nine daughters of Zeus and Mnemosyne in Greek mythology and think. | |
21 | Posted perfume, you say? (4) |
SENT – homophone (you say?) of scent(perfume). |
‘Scent’ and ‘perfume’ came up in articles about U and non-U over the weekend as examples of social status. The posh (though they now term themselves ‘smart’) call it ‘scent’ whereas oiks and the hoi polloi say ‘perfume’.
On 23ac your explanation is completely correct though ‘astern’ is a word in it’s own right so the ‘a’ doesn’t need to separated.
Edited at 2014-04-22 01:59 am (UTC)
I think astern means ‘towards the rear of the ship’ as in ‘you’ll find the tiller astern of the mast’.
Sorry jackkt – just seen your comment on astern.
Should also have mentioned that my COD was 4dn as it reminded me of a BBC interview with Helen Skelton!
Edited at 2014-04-22 08:17 am (UTC)
Thought 3 dn was quite amusing – had never linked the master of the fugue with my old Welsh mates at school who applied the “Bach” salutation to each other when they got excited watching rugby.
The surface of 4 dn appealed: something very pleasing about the image of a woman roaming around with a kestrel and deciding to let it loose to cause disorder.
Thought “very pleasant place” as a definition of HEAVEN (18 dn) was a tad odd. Sort of puts it on a par with Worcester or Amalfi, or the Commodore pub in North Sydney.
Probably all of the above is a bit whimsical, but I am on holiday…
Edited at 2014-04-22 08:54 am (UTC)
Edited at 2014-04-22 11:26 am (UTC)
Am enjoying these puzzles as a newcomer to cryptics. They’ve proved just right with my husband’s guidance.
Collins’s very first definition of ‘tolerate’ is ‘treat with indulgence’ so this is a case of complaints to the dictionary rather than to the setter.
13 minutes, held up by wanting to put in CATTLE as social group in 6d, then puzzled over how to make CATTE a homophone of Leeds!/leads/lieds etc. Just goes to show – if you can’t work out the parsing, you are probably wrong….