I thoroughly enjoyed this offering from Asp. It took me 15:15, just about my average time, with the top-right corner being the last to fall.
I was very happy to get the two long anagrams without resorting to paper or other aids. Normally they are my Achilles heel, but today I got lucky and spotted them quite quickly.
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 | |
| 1 | Normal colours? (8) |
| STANDARD – A double definition to get us started. The second meaning is a flag, as in “the Royal standard”.
I breezily said “to get us started”. But I didn’t get this until I had most of the crossers. |
|
| 5 | Man attempting to avoid mate? (4) |
| KING – A barely-cryptic definition, referring to chess. | |
| 9 | Scottish poet feels strong emotion (5) |
| BURNS – A second double definition. This was my first one in. | |
| 10 | Fancy picture frames at home (7) |
| IMAGINE – IMAGE (picture) surrounds [frames] IN (at home).
This is an example of the classic setter’s trick where the definition is one part of speech in the clue but a different one in the answer. |
|
| 11 | Legislation’s defects uncovered (3) |
| LAW – |
|
| 12 | Rebel ruins working man (9) |
| INSURGENT – (RUINS)* + GENT (man). | |
| 13 | Television capturing politician in place of worship (6) |
| TEMPLE – TELE (television) containing [capturing] MP (politician).
I would normally have “telly” as a short form of “television”, but it was too long, and “box” was too short. |
|
| 15 | Mother’s labrador rolled in fragrant substance (6) |
| BALSAM – MA’S LAB (Mother’s labrador), reversed [rolled].
This is a word I knew of but would have struggled to define. |
|
| 17 | Make light of recluse being beaten up (9) |
| FLUORESCE – (OF RECLUSE)*
Not a pleasant surface story 🙁 |
|
| 19 | Director of boat company unknown (3) |
| COX – CO (abbreviation for company), X (unknown, as in algebra).
In rowing, the cox steers/directs the boat. |
|
| 20 | Always recalled concealing falsehood to help (7) |
| RELIEVE – EVER (always), reversed [recalled], containing LIE (falsehood). | |
| 21 | Period of substantial growth bearing large flower (5) |
| BLOOM – BOOM (period of substantial growth) including L for large. | |
| 22 | Chase American out of place visited frequently (4) |
| HUNT – H |
|
| 23 | Fundamental transformation of triangle (8) |
| INTEGRAL – (TRIANGLE)*
A very neat whole-word anagram. One to remember, even though I didn’t. Maybe next time… |
|
| Down | |
| 1 | Spooner’s Bar opening is another story? (7) |
| SUBPLOT – Spoonerism of PUB (bar) and SLOT (opening).
Apparently the only “spoonerism” that can be reliably attributed to Dr Spooner is “Kinkering Kongs Their Titles Take”, which he announced from the pulpit as the next hymn. All the others have probably been invented just for fun. Seems a bit harsh on the poor man. |
|
| 2 | Remove lead from slender pointer (5) |
| ARROW – Thats “lead” as in “leader”, not as in “pencil”. |
|
| 3 | Sterile lid is developed for drinks manufacturers (12) |
| DISTILLERIES – (STERILE LID IS)* | |
| 4 | Showers included in extra installation (5) |
| RAINS – hidden [included] in |
|
| 6 | Ascetic, in essence, has aloof manner (7) |
| ICINESS – another hidden: I don’t recall seeing just “has” as a containment indicator, but I like it. |
|
| 7 | Reporter’s expressed tentative view about visitor (5) |
| GUEST – Sounds like GUESSED (expressed tentative view).
“Reporter’s” is the clue that this is a sound-based clue. |
|
| 8 | Ready to become union member? A rare gamble I lost (12) |
| MARRIAGEABLE – (A RARE GAMBLE I)*
TWO twelve-letter anagrams? |
|
| 14 | Tearful girl invited into garden cut short relationship (7) |
| MAUDLIN – MAUD (girl invited into garden) + LIN “Come Into The Garden, Maud” is a play by Noël Coward. Which surprised me: I thought it was a song! |
|
| 16 | Saw almost everybody more than anything else (7) |
| MAXIMAL – MAXIM (saw) + AL |
|
| 17 | Unusual rift close to Scottish estuary (5) |
| FIRTH – (RIFT)* + last letter of [close to] |
|
| 18 | This woman topped men for brightness (5) |
| SHEEN – SHE (this woman) + “Sheen” for “brightness” is very much the lingo of shampoo adverts. |
|
| 19 | Church organ is replaced, primarily for singers (5) |
| CHOIR – CH for Church + first letters [primarily] of O |
|
DNF today.
The asp bit
I was doing quite well – until I wasn’t! I think Asp is more of a scorpion than a snake – there always seems to be a sting in the tail 😂 Today, it was 5a and 14d. Like others, I tried to make KING much harder than it was – but liked it a lot once I twigged. MAUDLIN ws semi-parsed, once I realised who was going into the garden. I only knew it as a line from Tennyson – in fact it’s the only line from the poem that I know! I also liked DISTILLERIES and ICINESS, but my favourite was the mother’s dog. Unfortunately, in our family, it’s my daughter’s dogs and they prefer stinky stuff 😅
11:33 FOI Standard LOI Maudlin COD Balsam
Thanks Asp and Doofers
Late start. 8 in 20, 16 in 40.
Thanks D and A
,
Thanks Doofers, although I’m pretty sure Spooner was a cleric, not a medic!
Steady workthrough of this one, until being blocked with 2 remaining. Mr P then tried to direct me to unlock “hunt” with a muttered “that was painful” when I finally got there. Maudlin then fell into place.
FOI Burns
LOI Maudlin
COD iciness for an excellent hidden
thanks Asp and D
Wow! Not sure I’ve ever successfully completed an Asp, but I reached the finish line today spot on 20 minutes. Nuff said, I think. Most enjoyable!
Many thanks to Doofers and Asp.
Well done, Mr Random. a tough puzzle, yet a shorter time than usual, I think. 🙂
14:27 a rare QTB (quicker than blogger) but not seen Pi around these parts for a while so no idea if it was a QTPi…
Iciness of King didn’t make Guest Marriageable sort of sums up my issues in the Nort East with that Subplot in the North West
TaDAA
22 mins
7.36. I knew the Tennyson poem and the song (especially the super rendition by Robert Tear), but not the Coward playlet.