Another quality puzzle from Tango, of middling difficulty.
Lots to like again for Tango’s sixth puzzle, that I would estimate is well-pitched in the low 90s on the quitch. I finished up in exactly 7:00, around the midpoint of my solves this week.
Many thanks to Tango!
| Across | |
|---|---|
| 1 | Caught geek returning before hot soak (6) |
| DRENCH – C (caught – in cricket) NERD (geek) “returning”, before H (hot – as seen on a tap). The earliest sense of DRENCH, going back to Old English, was to force to drink. | |
| 4 | Capital controls often reversed in part (4) |
| OSLO – contrOLS Often “reversed” “in part” = backwards hidden | |
| 9 | Two vehicles protecting a third (7) |
| CARAVAN – CAR and VAN are our two vehicles, protecting A | |
| 10 | Dissenter left after brewing beer (5) |
| REBEL – L(eft) after an anagram (brewing) of BEER | |
| 11 | Detective barely mentions imprisonment (9) |
| DETENTION – DET. (abbrev. for detective) and “barely” means remove the outer letters that “clothe” mENTIONs | |
| 12 | Court following American law (3) |
| ACT – A(merican) CT. (court – as in an abbrev. for a postal address) | |
| 13 | Fail to deliver free green energy (6) |
| RENEGE – anagram (free) of GREEN and E (energy, in physics notation, for example) | |
| 15 | Some rubbish options for clergyman (6) |
| BISHOP – “some” rubBISH OPerations | |
| 17 | Finally realised the setter’s not very bright (3) |
| DIM – D (“finally” realiseD) I’M (the setter is). “The setter’s” can equally clue MINE. | |
| 18 | Unwilling cult aren’t converted (9) |
| RELUCTANT – anagram (converted) of CULT AREN’T | |
| 21 | Move brief economic statement (5) |
| BUDGE – BUDGET (economic statement0 “briefly” = dock the tail | |
| 22 | Struggle to bring in new label for high-quality wine (7) |
| VINTAGE – VIE (struggle) to bring in N(ew) TAG (label) | |
| 23 | Moment Republican abandons con (4) |
| TICK – R(epublican) abandons TRICK (con) | |
| 24 | Academic representative knocked back aperitif (6) |
| PERNOD – DON (academic) REP(resentative) “knocked back” | |
| Down | |
|---|---|
| 1 | On reflection, grass accepting policemen’s crucial point (7) |
| DECIDER – “on reflection” = reverse: REED (grass) accepting CID (policemen) | |
| 2 | Flyer is upset about losing coat (5) |
| EGRET – REGRETS = is upset losing “coat” | |
| 3 | Vendor can get supply for part of London (6,6) |
| COVENT GARDEN – anagram (supple-y) of VENDOR CAN GET | |
| 5 | Second pop group reduced the rest period (7) |
| SABBATH – S(econd) ABBA (pop group) THe “reduced” | |
| 6 | Junior member of parliament currently allowed to ignore note (5) |
| OWLET – NOW LET = currently allowed, to ignore N(ote) | |
| 7 | Opposed to books penned by ChatGPT? (4) |
| ANTI – NT (New Testament = books) penned by AI (ChatGPT) | |
| 8 | Start to feel anger about foul ingredient in perfume (12) |
| FRANKINCENSE – F (“start” to Feel) INCENSE (anger) about RANK (foul) | |
| 14 | Wandering off on acid across motorway (7) |
| NOMADIC – anagram (off/foul/rank/etc) of ON ACID across M(otorway) | |
| 16 | Heading off, notice teacher and drug user (7) |
| POTHEAD – SPOT (notice) with the “heading” off, and HEAD (teacher) | |
| 17 | First appearance of French bachelor, extremely upset (5) |
| DEBUT – DE (of, in French) B(achelor) UT (the “extreme” letters of U |
|
| 19 | Be porky, eating veal primarily (4) |
| LIVE – LIE (porky) eating V(eal) “primarily” | |
| 20 | Range popular once more (5) |
| AGAIN – AGA (cooking range) IN (popular) | |
8.39, having got myself into something of a tangle trying to figure out POTHEAD and accidentally misspelling PERNOD. A fun QC, thank you Tango and Roly.
20 minutes. I was distracted at 16dn by having HEAD in both clue and answer.