16 minutes for this one. I had some problems getting started and must have read more than half-a-dozen clues before an answer jumped out at me. I can’t recall now which was my first one in, but it was somewhere in the lower half of the grid and I had to work my way backwards and upwards from there, which is seldom the best approach.
Definitions are underlined, deletions are in curly brackets and indictaors, where given, are in square ones
|
Across |
|
|---|---|
| 1 | Devon, Cornwall, perhaps, long for change? (6) |
| SWITCH – SW (Devon, Cornwall, perhaps), ITCH (long). SW stands for South West (England) here. | |
| 4 | Advice about vessel for Swede perhaps (6) |
|
TURNIP – TIP (advice) encloses [about] URN (vessel). My understanding has always been (and remains so) that parsnips and turnips are quite distinct root vegetables but apparently in some circles e.g. in the US, what I call a swede is known as a Swedish turnip and I believe what the Scots eat traditionally with haggis on Burns Night for example, they call ‘neeps’ – presumably short for ‘ |
|
| 8 | Order pies for a stage ceremony (4,2, 7) |
| RITE OF PASSAGE – Anagram [order] of PIES FOR A STAGE | |
| 10 | Seafood fellow found in western lake close to rock (5) |
| WHELK – W (western), HE (fellow), L (lake), [close to] {roc}K | |
| 11 | Toilet, unfashionable, king enters – a worry (7) |
| LOOKOUT – LOO (toilet), K (king), OUT (unfashionable). The definition relies on solvers knowing the usage at play in the expression ‘it’s not my lookout’. | |
| 12 | Bill, unusually lenient at second game (5,6) |
| TABLE TENNIS – TAB (bill), anagram [unusually) of LENIENT, S (second) | |
| 16 | Late bowling sequence, contest not completed (7) |
| OVERDUE – OVER (bowling sequence), DUE{l} (contest) [not completed] | |
| 17 | Tea at both ends of room – attractive feature (5) |
| CHARM – CHA (tea), R{oo}M [both ends] | |
| 18 | In favour of attacks (running) and distribution of gains (6-7) |
| PROFIT SHARING – PRO (in favour of), FITS (attacks), HARING (running) | |
| 19 | Part of opera: The Ring? Quite (6) |
| RATHER – Hidden [part of] in {ope}RA THE R{ing} | |
| 20 | Eager to get good deer back at end of January (6) |
| GREEDY – G (good), DEER reversed [back], [end of] {januar}Y | |
|
Down |
|
| 1 | Hard-nosed quiet wife invested in claret? (6) |
| SHREWD – SH (quiet), W (wife) enclosed by [invested in] RED (claret) | |
| 2 | Unconventional Bohemian taste – sharing problems (2,3,4,4) |
| IN THE SAME BOAT – Anagram [unconventional] of BOHEMIAN TASTE | |
| 3 | Cold bird, swindler? (5) |
| CROOK – C (cold), ROOK (bird) | |
| 5 | A French performance, unfinished, Royal Navy cut? No! (7) |
| UNSHORN – UN (A, French), SHO{w} (performance) [unfinished], RN (Royal Navy). The definition is an antonym of ‘cut’ as indicated by ‘No!’ | |
| 6 | Northeast answer courteous no end – a pleasing Italian dessert (10,3) |
| NEAPOLITAN ICE – NE (Northeast), A (answer), POLIT{e} (courteous) [no end], A, NICE (pleasing) | |
| 7 | Balance put in Post Office immediately (6) |
| PRESTO – REST (balance) [put in] PO (post office). I lost time thinking ‘pronto’ here. | |
| 9 | Friend metres off in the evergreens (4,5) |
| PALM TREES – PAL (friend), anagram [off] of METRES | |
| 13 | This person initially labourer, ultra determined, destroyed industrial textile equipment (7) |
| LUDDITE – First letters [initially] of {L}abourer {U}ltra {D}etermined, {D}estroyed {I}ndustrial {T}extile {E}quipment. Rather a good &lit. | |
| 14 | Policeman – one managing to absorb pressure (6) |
| COPPER – COPER (one managing) encloses [absorb] P (pressure) | |
| 16 | Polluted motorway in wet surroundings (6) |
| SMOGGY – M (motorway) enclosed by [in] SOGGY (wet) [surroundings] | |
| 17 | Preside over Church broadcast (5) |
| CHAIR – CH (church), AIR (broadcast) – as one might chair a meeting | |
Edited at 2015-10-19 05:18 pm (UTC)
Particularly enjoyed 1a and 6d.