Solving time, probably over half an hour in the end, but only because of the infamous 12ac which seemed to catch most people out. As usual I was solving this on the Monday morning commute and it was the third one in the pile (having already polished off Monday’s Times and Guardian first). At Euston I had to put it away with that annoying gap, but the brain must have been still mulling it over in the background as the answer popped into my head while I was on the Tube.
Across |
1 |
UTTER – double definition. |
4 |
REPOSSESS – POSSES (gangs) inside RES(t) (most of the others). |
9 |
SHIPSHAPE – “SHIPSH” (sips, slurring) + APE (oaf). |
10 |
RECTO – hidden reversed in “MOT certificate”. |
11 |
LOG OUT – LOUT (aggressive man) around GO (spirit). |
12 |
LOVE NEST – (S)LOVENES (Austrian neighbours) minus the first letter + T(ime). Last one in by a distance, but judging from the forum posts on the Crossword Club site that was true for most people. |
14 |
CHILDCARE – (Circle had)*. |
16 |
TRUCE – C(onservative) inside TRUE (genuine). |
17 |
NOTES – double definition. |
19 |
SNARE DRUM – MURDERS (killings) around A N(ew), all reversed. |
21 |
CHEYENNE – CAYENNE (very hot stuff) with the A replaced by HE (the man). |
22 |
FIERCE – FIER(y) (endlessly passionate) + CE (Church of England, Anglicans). |
25 |
OP ART – O (ring) + PART (piece). |
26 |
TALKING-TO – KING (ruler) inside (total)*. Seems to have been this week’s buzzword, as it appeared in at least three other puzzles I solved since last Saturday. |
27 |
SINCERELY – RELY (depend) next to SINCE (seeing that). |
28 |
MARRY – RR (Right Reverend, bishop) inside MAY (is allowed to). |
Down |
1 |
UNSELFCONSCIOUS – SELF (ego) inside UNCONSCIOUS (id). |
2 |
THING – THIN (weak) + G (attraction’s constant, i.e. gravity). |
3 |
RESOUND – SOU (little money) inside REND (split). |
4 |
ROAM – MAJOR (significant), without the J and reversed. |
5 |
PHENOMENAL – HEN OMEN (poultry warning) inside PAL (China). |
6 |
SARGENT – (strange)*. Sir Malcolm Sargent (1895-1967). |
7 |
EXCHEQUER – X (rudimentary signature) + CHEQUE (money order), inside ER (monarch). |
8 |
SHORT-TERM MEMORY – cryptic definition. |
13 |
MAISONETTE – IS ONE (has lived a year) + (that)T, inside MATE (friend). |
15 |
IN THE MAIN – punning definition. |
18 |
SWEETIE – SWEE(p) (reduced lottery) + TIE (draw). |
20 |
ELITISM – cryptic definition. |
23 |
ROGER – R(esistance) + EG (like, for example) + OR (other ranks), all reversed. |
24 |
PLOY – first and last letters of “pin tail on donkey“ |
Am I right in thinking that the ‘neutrinos’ are beginning to slink away from the Club leader board? I also have the feeling that we’ve been consistently getting more of the tricky puzzles in the last couple of months – the two things may well be related.
Edited at 2013-07-20 12:17 pm (UTC)
Edited at 2013-07-20 12:06 pm (UTC)
Needless to say LOVE NEST was my last in as I was distracted far too long by the possibility of LOVE SEAT. 18dn was also a problem. After the past 10 days or so I am convinced my solving skills are deteriorating.