Unable to solve ahead because the URL number was not in sequence from yesterday’s, I tackled this in bed on waking and had hardly begun my tea and toast before finishing it in 5 or 6 minutes. It’s at the shallow nursery slope end of the mountain, with a nice mix of clue types, no obscurities, a good work-out for a novice at cryptics.
Across |
3 |
SHARP – S = small, HARP = musical instrument, def. note. |
7 |
PRIEST – PRIES = asks many questions, T = end of sacrament, def. cleric. |
8 |
AJAR – Double definition; partly open, a container. When is a door not a door? |
9 |
TERRAPIN – Insert P = quietly, into TERRAIN = ground; def. reptile. |
10 |
TASK – T = little time, ASK = demand, def. something to do. |
11 |
NELSON’S COLUMN – Mandela’s = Nelson’s, regular newspaper spot = column, def. a capital feature. |
15 |
SPILL THE BEANS – Double definition, one literal, one meaning ‘own up’. |
16 |
KILT – KIT = set of clothes, insert L for large, def. skirt. |
18 |
BLUEBELL – BLUE = unhappy, BELL(E) = beauty queen maybe, cut; def. flower. |
20 |
HEAR – (HARE)*, anagrind ‘jugged’, def. try, as in court case. |
21 |
RESIST – Hidden word in CHART(RES IS T)ERRIBLE; def. weather, as in bear. |
22 |
YIKES – Alternate letters (odds missing) of mY sIcK pEt’S; def. Gosh! |
Down |
1 |
FREEZE-UP – Def. very cold spell, sounds like FREES UP = is liberating. |
2 |
BEAR – BEAR(D) = whiskers being trimmed, def. put up with. |
3 |
STEP ON IT – (IN TOP SET)*, anagind ‘after revision’, def. make quick progress. |
4 |
AMEN – The last word, hidden in L(AMEN)TATIONS. |
5 |
PASTILLE – PAST = sort of tense, ILL = unwell, E = start to eat, def. throat lozenge. |
6 |
DAIS – DA = US Lawyer, IS, def. platform. |
12 |
SOLITARY – (ROYALIST)*, anagrind ‘struggling’, def. lone. |
13 |
CHEQUERS – Double definition, one a board game also called draughts, one a mansion. |
14 |
MINDLESS – Def. ill-considered; if you reduced baby-sitting commitments, you’d MIND LESS. |
17 |
IDEA – (IDEA(L) = perfect, almost; def. concept. A crossword chestnut. |
18 |
BOOK – Obvious double definition. |
19 |
BUST – Another double definition; bust = broken, bust = work by sculptor. |
Initially I put in Careless at 14d but I quickly realised my mistake. LOI was 7a as I searched my brain for obscure ranks of cleric. David