Saturday Times 24096 (Dec 13)

Author   linxitPosted on Categories Weekend Cryptic
Solving time 13:56, which I was quite pleased with as there were a few tricky clues here that I put in as guesses which turned out to be right. A very enjoyable puzzle to solve, with a lot of good definitions and surface readings. The grid is a pangram, which probably happens more on Saturdays than all other days put together, but is still fairly infrequent.

Across
1 MOTOR BUS – MOT + U in ORBS
9 AUTUMNAL – LAN(e) + MUTUA(l), all reversed.
10 CLICHE – CLIC(k) + HE
11 ASSIGNMENT – ASSIGN + MEN + T(ime)
12 NOVA – N(ew) + OVA
13 HIGH COMEDY – cryptic definition.
16 LALIQUE – LI inside equal*
17 WEBSITE – WE + S(cam) in BITE.
20 THUNDEROUS – UNDER 0 inside THUS.
22 EMMY – hidden reversed in sYMMEtrical.
23 TERRA FIRMA – (rare if tram)*
25 BLAZER – nice cryptic definition.
26 DJELLABA – DJ + BALL reversed in EA. An Arab cloak, can also be spelled with an H on the end.
27 WANDERER – W(omen’s) + R(ight) around AND (as well as) + ERE (before). Tricky wordplay to finish.

Down
2 OKLAHOMA – MA (graduate) following LA (note) inside hook*. The Rodgers and Hammerstein musical, that is.
3 OCCUPATION – neatly done double definition.
4 BLEAK HOUSE – B + LEAK + H.O. + USE.
5 SAUSAGE – USA in SAGE.
6 STAG – (hunter)S + TAG.
7 SNEEZE – (zen see)*.
8 FLAT TYRE – FLAT + TYRE.
14 CHELSEA BUN – SEA (drink) inside (lunch be)*. Excellent clue, my COD.
15 MASTER RACE – M(otorway) AS TERRACE.
16 LATITUDE – TIT inside LAUD E(nglish).
18 TIMORESE – MORES (customs) inside TIE.
19 POOR LAW – (war pool)*.
21 UNREEL – sounds like “unreal”.
24 FLAX – FLA + X

7 comments on “Saturday Times 24096 (Dec 13)”

  1. Another excellent Saturday puzzle that I really enjoyed. Like Linxit I had a few “reverse engineer” clues where I guessed the answer and then worked back to understand the wordplay. My thanks to the setter.
  2. A very good and enjoyable puzzle. About 35 mins which means about average difficulty for me.

    At 24dn, I thought the usual clueing of a US state was its USPS (2-letter) code. Using other codes as well could get very complicated for solvers – I see for example that Kansas can be not only KS (USPS) but (under other systems) KANS, KAN or KA.

    1. I don’t know exactly where the others come from, but Kan., Kans. and KS are all in Collins and COED. I don’t object to the ones like this that can be worked out from the state name…
  3. Can someone clarify what the definition is in 21d? I don’t quite understand how ‘unreel’ can be ‘wind like..’ rather than ‘unwind…’.

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