Solving time 22:18, so a bit tougher than most recent puzzles. It took me about 3 minutes at the end just to get 24D, as I couldn’t think of anything other than ALOFT, which didn’t quite fit the clue. In the end a trawl through the alphabet quickly brought the correct solution to mind. I also struggled with 14D (never heard the expression) and 9D (couldn’t see anything that fit for a while). As last week, I started looking for a pangram when X and Z went in quite early on, but this time it came up short of a J and a Q.
Across |
1 |
HIBS – alternate letters of tHeIr BuS. Nickname of Scottish football team Hibernian. |
3 |
EMERY PAPER – (prepare my E)*. |
10 |
GLAMORGAN – GLAM ORGAN. The only Welsh team in cricket’s County Championship. Quite a strong cricket them to this puzzle, with two other related answers (5D and 19D). |
11 |
EMPTY – cryptic definition. |
12 |
WARSHIP – WASH 1P around R(oyal). |
13 |
PEEKED – “peaked”. |
15 |
YOU’VE GOT ME THERE – not really a double definition, more a definition with possible alternative interpretation. |
18 |
ARCHIMEDES SCREW – M(inute) in ARCHIE + (cress)* in DEW. A device for raising water, often used for draining mines. Shame the surface reading is a bit nonsensical. |
21 |
CONFAB – CON + FAB. Definition “jaw” as a verb. |
23 |
SMETANA – MET (the Metropolitan Opera House in New York City) in SAN (hospital) + A. Bedrich Smetana (1824-84), Czech composer. |
26 |
ARGUE – AGUE (fit) around (fo)R. |
27 |
STROMBOLI – MO reversed inside (Bristol)*. Italian volcano that last erupted on April 13th 2009. |
28 |
AIDE-DE-CAMP – (v)AI(n) + CEDED reversed + A M.P. |
29 |
STAG – ST + A(nswer) + G(ood), &lit definition for a bridegroom-to-be, which doesn’t really fit the answer. |
Down |
1 |
HIGHWAYMAN – (W, H, I may hang)*, the W and H from W(ith) and H(orse). |
2 |
BY AIR – first letters of Both Yachts Active In Regatta. |
4 |
MEGAPHONE – MAP (chart) + HONE (tune) around E.G. |
5 |
RUN-UP – RUN (series) + UP (in buoyant mood). |
6 |
PRETEXT – RE (what comes before “Me” in the tonic sol-fa – Do-re-me etc.) inside P (quiet) TEXT (message). The definition is just “Excuse” as a noun. |
7 |
PUPPETEER – PEER around UP + PET (i.e. a term of endearment like “Ducks”). |
8 |
RAYS – “raise”. I like “out of one’s trap” as a homophone indicator. |
9 |
SOPHIE – SOP (gift) + HIE (press on). |
14 |
GET WEAVING – GET + (win gave)*. Same meaning as “get cracking”, not one I was familiar with though. |
16 |
UNCLOGGED – N (knight in chess notation) inside UC (upper case, hence capitals) + LOGGED (entered). |
17 |
MAELSTROM – MAESTRO around L(ake) + M(edium). |
19 |
INFIELD – INFIDEL wit the D moved to the bottom. |
20 |
STEAMY – TEA inside S(econds) + MY! |
22 |
BASIC – B.C. around ASI(a). |
24 |
AFOOT – A(rm) + FOOT. Seems obvious now, but it took ages to work out last week. |
25 |
ZARA – Z + A R.A. |
I did like the parts I solved. The clue for ‘Archimedes screw’ was quite entertaining. Although I spotted the literal fairly quickly, it still needed quite a few checking letters.
COD to AFOOT, I think, as ALOFT was a definite possibility. Thank goodness today’s was less involved and much more manageable!
Please can folks not comment on today’s crossword, thanks.
A gem-studded puzzle, this, which in combination with a relaxed attitude to cryptic grammar leads me to suspect Anax.
Clues of the Day: 21ac (CONFAB), 8dn (RAYS), and 9dn (SOPHIE), plus a special mention for certain aspects of 27ac (STROMBOLI), 29ac (STAG), and 4dn (MEGAPHONE).
In each case I was undone by a particular idée fixe: ENO for “opera” in 23ac (I’ve never heard of Smetana and Saenona seemed just as likely for a long time) and ALOFT for 24dn, which I just couldn’t get out of my head even though I knew it wasn’t right.
A very good challenging puzzle.
Been out and/or busy all day so now looking forward to a glass of wine and today’s.