Saturday Times 25556 (17th August)

Author   linxitPosted on Categories Weekend Cryptic
Sorry this is late, I’m afraid I won’t have time to do the blog until later tonight, or tomorrow if I’m too tired. This placeholder was supposed to go up first thing this morning, but I found it unposted on my screen when I got back 🙁

As I expected, I got back quite late yesterday and was too tired, but here it is now, better late than never! Solving time not recorded as I solved in fits and starts while at work last Saturday, but 76 minutes elapsed between the start and the finish. I thought something of a mini-theme was developing around synonyms for theft, but it was probably just a coincidence.

Across
1 GLOOM – (coolin)G + LOOM (tower).
4 SWIPE CARD – SWIPE (half-inch) + D(iameter) around CAR (wheels).
9 INSOFAR AS – INS (home’s) around SOFA (comfy seat) + R.A. (drawer).
10 FATWA – TWA (couple of Scots) next to F.A. (game’s governing body).
11 GALAXY – X,Y (two unknowns) next to GALA (celebration).
12 PRICE TAG – (I, R(un), EG, C(old), TAP)*. Great definition, “damage shower”.
14 WAISTLINE – just a cryptic definition I think. I thunk wrong – Peter_G got it right in the comments below, and it’s a convoluted &lit. I (one) inside AS, inside WT for weight, + LINE (sign of ageing).
16 SQUAT – double definition.
17 YODEL – hidden reversed in “pickled oyster”.
19 INCOME TAX – (Mexico, tan)*
21 UNLAWFUL – WALNU(t) reversed (chopping tree back) + FUL(l) (comprehensive cut).
22 ON CALL – (l)ON(g) + CALL (term).
25 FENCE – double definition.
26 TROUSERED – TO USE RED (socialist employer’s objective?) around R(ight).
27 TREASURER – TREA(d) (gait briefly) + SURER (more confident).
28 TENOR – NET reversed (web spun) + OR (gold).

Down
1 GOING-AWAY OUTFIT – GONG (medal) around I (one) + AWAY OUTFIT (visiting team).
2 OUSEL – OUSE (river) + L(ake).
3 MR FIXIT – (IT firm)* around X (by). Suddenly sounds more sinister since Jimmy Savile’s demise. Not in Chambers or Collins, but it is in the Shorter OED.
4 SORT – SPORT (wear) without P (quietly).
5 INSURGENCY – URGENCY (something pressing) below IN’S (hip’s).
6 EFFECTS – double definition.
7 ANTITRUST – (start, unit)*
8 DRAUGHT EXCLUDER – DRAUGHT (dragging) + EX-CLUER (old crossword compiler) around D (key).
13 FILIBUSTER – BUS (one form of transport) inside FILTER (strain).
15 INDOLENCE – DOLE (benefit) inside INN (local), CE (church).
18 LOWNESS – OWN (to have) inside LESS (not so much).
20 MINDSET – MINDS (watches) + E.T. (film).
23 APRON – A(rea) + PRO (backing) + N(ew).
24 POOR – SPOOR (track) without S(mall).

11 comments on “Saturday Times 25556 (17th August)”

  1. This one took me round about 27 mins. I thought the clues for SWIPE CARD, PRICE TAG, SQUAT and SORT had well-hidden definitions, and I thought the clue for GOING-AWAY OUTFIT was excellent.
  2. One of many recent puzzles that took me over an hour to solve. Some of it was harder to explain than to crack and I never quite understood 26ac as I couldn’t see past ’employer’ = USER. I thought we were in for a pangram but ended up 4 letters short. I liked ‘solution to current problem’ and ‘damage shower’ as definitions.
  3. Thought this very good, even if I needed aids to finish in just over the hour. Squat was top notch but the literal for trousered rather forced.
  4. Probably over an hour; I stopped counting after the half-hour online. A number of terms I didn’t know: GOING-AWAY OUTFIT, SWIPE CARD, DRAUGHT EXCLUDER. Fortunately, ‘trouser’ was used recently, or I might still be floundering. I couldn’t figure out what to do with the RA of 9ac; and I’m afraid I still don’t see RA=’drawer’. COD to PRICE TAG.
    1. Members of the Royal Academy of Arts of London, England are known as Royal Academicians. The abbreviation RA is used after the Academician’s name.
      1. How truly embarrassing! Of course I knew RA=artist, I’ve seen it a hundred times here. For some reason, though, this time all I could think of was the Royal Artillery.
  5. I half-justified this answer as One (I) expanding by AS (to give AIS) and then WT (to give WAIST) + LINE (sign of ageing), the whole clue being the definition – or is that too devious, or even too obvious?

    Peter_G

    1. I think you’re almost spot on – apart from WT = weight, not waist, but that’s what you meant, isn’t it?

      So yes, as my comment suggested, I thought there must be something more to it, but I couldn’t see it at the time. Apologies to the setter are due, and I’ll update the explanation.

      Edited at 2013-08-27 10:37 pm (UTC)

      1. Yes, linxit, I did mean weight not waist. I was so exited that I had found an explanation that our experts had missed I failed to check my comment thoroughly.
        Whilst I am here, may I just say how much I enjoy and look forward to these blogs. As a struggling solver, who generally finishes the Saturday crossword around midweek (in a good week), I find them an invaluable and entertaining educational resource.

        Regards

        Peter_G

  6. We are a group of Australian fans who rely on your blog for many of the explanations. (We often get answers but see no logic) so please keep up the good work.
    Parkland Village Perth WA

    1. Hi, thanks for the vote of confidence, but why post the comment on a blog from a year and a half ago? I thought your papers were only about 6 weeks behind?

      I assume you know about Roy Low’s website which links to the correct blogs for the Times puzzles syndicated in The Australian?

      http://www.low.net.au/xwords/showlinks.html.

      Cheers,
      Andy

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