Saturday Times 25311 (3rd Nov) – Times for The Times

Solving time about 35 minutes, but I didn’t really time myself. This was one to savour, and it’s a shame I’m a bit pushed for time this morning and had to rush the second half a bit.

Across
1	MASS MEDIA – A SS (ship) + MED (the sea), all inside AIM (end) reversed.
6	SPAWN – S (fifth of AuguSt) + PAWN (person used).
9	A LITTLE LEARNING – ALL (fully) + EARNING (bringing in) around (title). “Danger for Pope” is the definition, as this is from Alexander Pope’s An Essay on Criticism* (1711). A little learning is a dangerous thing; Drink deep, or taste not the Pierian spring: There shallow draughts intoxicate the brain, And drinking largely sobers us again.
10	HIKERS – HIKE (a serious constitutional) + R(umpu)S.
11	AFFLUENT – A F(ellow) + FLU (illness) + ENT (hospital department).
13	FOOTSTOOLS – FOOTS (pays) + TOO (over) + LS (odds in LuSt).
14	ONCE – BONCE (head) minus the B for Billions.
16	IONA – reversed alternate letters of “Rain now is”.
17	JAWBREAKER – JA (German’s assent) + W(ith) + BREAKER (wave).
19	BESTRIDE – BEST (supreme) + RIDE (spin).
20	SITCOM – not sure about this one. The definition’s obvious, but ~~the wordplay seems to be missing a reversal indicator. I think it’s SIT(e) (lie) + MOC(k) (tease), both missing the last letter (endlessly).~~ Edit: Obvious in retrospect, now I’ve seen jackkt‘s comment – SIT (lie) + COM(b) (tease) without the last letter.
23	NAUGHTY NINETIES – NAUGHT (love) + Y(ears) + (Einstein)*
24	SASHA – SASH (band) + A(merica).
25	EARWIGGED – PEAR (Conference perhaps) without the P for power, + WIGGED (as judge).

Down
1	MEATH – MATH (American counting) around E(nglish).
2	STICK TO ONE’S GUNS – (Song contest UK is)*
3	MOTORIST – ROT (stuff) reversed, inside MOIST (showing tears?)
4	DUET – DUE (fitting) + T(ooth).
5	ACE OF CLUBS – double definition, the 2nd cryptic.
6	STROLL – S(outh) (pole) + TROLL (post to get people going).
7	ALIVE AND KICKING – I’VE (I have) inside A LAND (a state) + KICKING (giving up).
8	NIGHTWEAR – (with anger)*
12	CONAN DOYLE – (can only do)* + E(cstasy).
13	FAIRBANKS – FAIR (just) + BLANKS (empty spaces) minus L for lake.
15	BERIBERI – BERIA (former head of the Russian secret police), less the last letter, twice.
18	BRAHMA – RAH (bit of a cheer) inside BMA (British Medical Association = our doctors).
21	MUSED – UNAMUSED (like Queen Victoria), without UNA.
22	PIER – sounds like “peer” (no commoner).

6 comments on “Saturday Times 25311 (3rd Nov)”

I thought this a fine effort with the sole exception of 3dn which I struggled to parse and dislike as imo pushing the boundaries of meanings a little too far.

6dn on the other hand, I loved!

75 minutes with use of aids for a couple towards the end of that time (FAIRBANKS and BRAHMA). I agree with Jerry that 3dn is an awful clue and 6dn, on the other hand, was brilliant.

I have 20ac as SIT (lie) + COM(b)

Edited at 2012-11-10 10:01 am (UTC)

Tease might be COMB, as in hair, less the B at the end.
I got stuck thinking that a person used was (a bit vulgarly) a TART, leading to START. Tough because the S and the A cross properly.

Thoughtful in London

Enjoyable Saturday teaser, 28 minutes with a few right but not necessarily parsed. Thanks to the scary-dumb Sarah Palin I knew Fairbanks was in Alaska.

I knew it was FAIRsomething but needed a gazeteer for the city. I also needed aids for BRAHMA/SASHA in the SW. I was trying to fit HIP into 18d as my “bit of cheer”. Didn’t think of RAH. I hate clues involving foreign names like SASHA. There are so many to choose from. Anyway, that aside, a hugely enjoyable puzzle. Worked on it for 35 minutes before resorting to those aids. Ann

My FOI was IONA, so I was expecting the worst, but in fact it took just 31′. Given that I’m an American, I was surprisingly slow in coming up with FAIRBANKS. I agree that 6d is a great clue–now that I understand it. Lots of other fine clues, though; very enjoyable.

Comments are closed.