This one took me 9 minutes after a rather slow start and there were several clues I needed to pass over until I had a checker or two in place to jog my brain.
Access to the puzzle in the old format is available here: http://feeds.thetimes.co.uk/puzzles/crossword/20151217/11640/
Definitions {deletions} [indicators]
|
Across |
|
|---|---|
| 1 | Supply on street in county town (8) |
| STAFFORD – ST (street), AFFORD (supply – provide) | |
| 5 | Streetcar runs behind time in the morning (4) |
| TRAM – T (time), R (runs – cricket), AM (in the morning) | |
| 8 | Odd route, unconventional (5) |
| OUTRÉ – Anagram [odd] of ROUTE. It’s almost possible to switch th eanagram indicator and definition here but on balance I think my parsing has to be the correct one | |
| 9 | One taken in, reportedly, to get help (7) |
| SUCCOUR – Sounds like [reportedly] “sucker” (one taken in) | |
| 11 | Normal role? Not quite (3) |
| PAR – PAR{t} (role) [not quite] | |
| 12 | Striker on trial for big game (4,5) |
| TEST MATCH – TEST (trial), MATCH (striker) | |
| 13 | Poor travelling to Portuguese city (6) |
| OPORTO – Anagram [travelling] of POOR, TO | |
| 15 | Pole chasing stolen souped-up car (6) |
| HOTROD – HOT (stolen), ROD (pole). The old units of measurement, rod, pole and perch are all the same. | |
| 18 | Classified operations within Crete, strangely beginning to tell (3-6) |
| TOP-SECRET – OPS (operations) inside anagram [strangely] of CRETE, T{ell} [beginning] | |
| 19 | Racket made by small daughter at home (3) |
| DIN – D (small daughter), IN (at home) | |
| 20 | Immediately name English city (7) |
| PRESTON – PRESTO (immediately), N (name) | |
| 21 | Hunting dog ignoring black bird (5) |
| EAGLE – {b}EAGLE (hunting dog) [ignoring black] | |
| 22 | Very little wood, ultimately, and burnt remains (4) |
| DASH – {woo}D [ultimately], ASH (burnt remains). The definition is in the sense of a small quantity e.g. a dash of lemon in a drink. | |
| 23 | Check with a candid clergyman (8) |
| CHAPLAIN – CH (check), A, PLAIN (candid) | |
|
Down |
|
| 1 | Sign of tailless arachnid (7) |
| SCORPIO – SCORPIO{n} [tailless] (arachnid) | |
| 2 | Agent releasing fine player (5) |
| ACTOR – {f}ACTOR (agent) [releasing fine] | |
| 3 | Quick to collect barking setter in London thoroughfare (5,6) |
| FLEET STREET – FLEET (quick), anagram [barking] of SETTER | |
| 4 | Oppose others around island (6) |
| RESIST – REST (others) around IS (island) | |
| 6 | List containing duck and cock (7) |
| ROOSTER – ROSTER (list) containing 0 (duck) | |
| 7 | Male leading demonstration (5) |
| MARCH – M (male), ARCH (leading – think arch-villain, perhaps) | |
| 10 | Pile of fertiliser, inexpensive – order by mail received (7,4) |
| COMPOST HEAP – OM (order – Order of Merit) + POST (mail) inside CHEAP (inexpensive) | |
| 14 | Her opus excited legendary musician (7) |
| ORPHEUS – Anagram [excited] of HER OPUS. He was the musician and poet of Greek legend. | |
| 16 | Place for prisoner that’s done for misbehaving with gun? (7) |
| DUNGEON – Anagram [misbehaving] of DONE GUN | |
| 17 | Bishop organised church’s regional office (6) |
| BRANCH – B (bishop), RAN (organised), CH (church) | |
| 18 | Unenthusiastic in assembly over bringing in piano (5) |
| TEPID – P (piano) inside DIET (assembly) reversed [over]. The Diet of Worms is a famous example of such an assembly. | |
| 19 | Follow scholar’s teaching (5) |
| DOGMA – DOG (follow), MA (scholar – Master of Arts) | |
Seriously though, I knew it but was momentarily distracted by the gender suggested in the clue (where ‘her’ serves as anagram fodder), and to be fair I was blogging in a hurry to provide emergency cover.
Edited at 2015-12-17 04:16 pm (UTC)
Quite tricky I thought but all done in about 40 minutes. Last was Hotrod. David