I whizzed through this in 7:02, putting this well into my fastest 10 times. I was this close to the never-achieved “perfect solve” (all the acrosses in order, then all the downs in order), but I couldn’t see SURPRISINGLY on my first visit, so that put an end to that hope.
The problems started when I came to write the blog. I had successfully biffed three clues that I then had trouble parsing and/or explaining: MAD HATTER, LABRADOR and VAIN. Looking forward to seeing whether I missed anything.
Definitions underlined, synonyms in round brackets, wordplay in square brackets and deletions in strikethrough. Anagram indicators italicised in the clue, anagram fodder indicated like (this)*.
| Across | |
| 7 | Swap skilled occupation (5) |
| TRADE – Double definition | |
| 8 | Age range for retirement? Exit is arranged before start of summer (7) |
| SIXTIES – (EXIT IS)* + [start of] S |
|
| 10 | Clothes become old, stuff to throw away (7) |
| GARBAGE – GARB (clothes) + AGE (become old). | |
| 11 | Let down by large debtor (5) |
| LOWER – L for large + OWER (debtor) | |
| 12 | Member of Tea Party’s implied threat? (3,6) |
| MAD HATTER – Ooh, the lesser-spotted Reverse Cryptic!
MAD HATTER could be a clue for THREAT that would be parsed as MAD being the anagram indicator and HATTER the fodder. I’m not sure what “implied” is doing for us in the clue, I think the clue works just fine without it. |
|
| 14 | One has a blade, decapitating wild pig (3) |
| OAR – |
|
| 15 | To some extent ignore conjunction (3) |
| NOR – Hidden in [to some extent] igNORe.
It took me a moment to remember what a conjunction is. |
|
| 16 | Splits up unmatched clothing (9) |
| SEPARATES – Another double definition | |
| 18 | Offered pound for hammer (5) |
| GAVEL – GAVE (offered) + L (pound)
I had a slight eyebrow twitch at “gave” = “offered”, but then “he offered no resistance” came to mind. |
|
| 20 | Moving about USSR, Scotsman perhaps used this? (7) |
| RUSSIAN – (USSR)* + IAN (Scotsman perhaps).
All Scotsmen not called MAC are called IAN in Crosswordland. The answer refers to the Russian language. |
|
| 22 | Doctor, highly talented but not good, failed to settle (7) |
| DRIFTED – DR (doctor) + |
|
| 23 | Turn round using wide part of foot (5) |
| WHEEL – W for wide (from cricket and shoe sizes) + HEEL (part of foot). | |
| Down | |
| 1 | Adjusted damages agent effectively arranged (5-7) |
| STAGE-MANAGED – (DAMAGES AGENT)* | |
| 2 | Dog found briefly in experimental area (8) |
| LABRADOR – I think all that is going on here is that LAB is the common abbreviation for LABRADOR and for LABORATORY.
I’m not 100% convinced of that parsing, but I can’t see any other word play here. |
|
| 3 | Put money on a second-class mark (4) |
| BETA – BET (put money on) + A (from the clue).
Despite having attended Oxford, I’ve never actually been in a class where Greek letters were used for grades. Perhaps if I hadn’t been doing a science degree… |
|
| 4 | Feature of derelict apse and court (6) |
| ASPECT – (APSE)* + CT (abbreviation for Court, as in street names) | |
| 5 | Scout’s former partner given new role in public relations (8) |
| EXPLORER – EX (former partner) + (ROLE)* in PR (public relations). | |
| 6 | Compete against women’s opinion (4) |
| VIEW – VIE (compete), next to [against] W for women’s.
Alternatively, you could construe VIE as “compete against”, but I like my parsing better. |
|
| 9 | Grumpy about power increasing, curiously (12) |
| SURPRISINGLY – SURLY (grumpy), containing [about] P for power and RISING (increasing). | |
| 13 | Unqualified, having unchecked power (8) |
| ABSOLUTE – A double definition, and a good description of … no, I’m not going there. | |
| 14 | Gave general idea of unpopular policy decision to begin with (8) |
| OUTLINED – OUT (unpopular) + LINE (policy) + D |
|
| 17 | Cut carefully round advertisement for row of shops (6) |
| PARADE – PARE (cut carefully) containing [round] AD (advertisement). | |
| 19 | Conceited and idle (4) |
| VAIN – double definition, the second as in “a vain hope”.
I’m not really happy with the example I’ve given there, but I need to get this blog published! |
|
| 21 | Sons have scattered (4) |
| SOWN – S for sons, + OWN (have) | |
23 minutes of hell.
I don’t get on with this setter’s puzzles and today was no exception.
I still fail to understand MAD HATTER or LABRADOR, but perhaps that’s because I have no talent whatsoever for this. Explanations are not required.
If that was easy, there’s no point in me doing these infuriating puzzles. There’s no enjoyment to be had being this bad.
11 minutes after golf.
LOI TRADE which I had to think about several times.
Like others wondered about LABRADOR and RUSSIAN.
Right level for a QC.
David
20ish min solve. But feel unhappy with so many unparsed answers. Got Lab but where did rador come from? Why does a Scot speak Russian? And does Absolute = Unqualified?
Thanks Doof for the brave blog and Teazel for so many great clues as well
Think of the “with a quibble” meaning of “qualified”, as in “a qualified yes”, and then “unqualified” – without a quibble – works as a synonym for “absolute”.
Got it. Thanks
Re RUSSIAN: I got the wordplay easily enough but struggled with the definition at the time! I hesitate to suggest it’s a semi &lit, as these things can be very elastic, but I feel it’s the nearest I could get to understanding the clue.
USSR is being moved about, ie it’s an anagram, giving you RUSS, plus a Scotsman. The ‘perhaps’ is guiding you towards a definition by example. In this case he’s IAN, but he is quite often Mac 😅 I guess Scotsmen might have spoken RUSSIAN (used this) when visiting the USSR!
Hope I’m not teaching the proverbial grandmother how to suck eggs!
13.42 – any time under 15 is a Very Good Time for us. Has been an good crossword week in our small world. Partially biffed -VAIN and RUSSIAN. MAD also in before fully parsed – thank you for explanations in blog and in comments.
Liked a number of the clues, eg SURPRISINGLY, though now much better informed, COD MAD HATTER
Thanks to Teazel and Doofenschmirtz
I spent over 90 mins on 15 x 15 and was still 3 short. I am beyond incompetent! Snitch just 82. How anyone can do these puzzles is beyond me.
2 hours today on cryptic crosswords. Appalling performance. ☹️☹️☹️☹️☹️
Just for the record, 7:25 today. Couldn’t understand the RADOR part of 2dn but now I see today’s blogger must be right.