Struggled with this one in 21:05, but I don’t know why. Looking at the times of some others in the Stats it should have been much easier than that. Maybe I’m just getting run down after over a month of 7-day weeks at work (with probably another month’s-worth to follow!). In fact this blog would have been up several hours ago if work hadn’t intervened. But it’s here now…
Across |
1 |
GEOSTATIONARY – (negotiator say)*. Def: apparently not moving. |
8 |
RAKE – BRAKE (slower) without the first letter. Def: one making progress in series of pictures, which refers to a series of 8 paintings by William Hogarth depicting the downfall of one Tom Rakewell. |
9 |
REVIEW COPY – RE (about) + VIE (compete) + W(ith) + COPY (journalist’s material). Def: free book. |
10 |
JEWELLER – JE (abroad I) + WELLER (Sam Weller, a character in Charles Dickens’ The Pickwick Papers). Def: He may give me a ring. |
11 |
ARREST – REST (breather) after A + R(un). Def: stop. |
13 |
PILGRIMAGE – LIP (edge) reversed, + GRIM (hard) + AGE (time). Def: journey. |
16 |
VILE – VILLE (French town), minus the middle letter. Def: shameful. |
17 |
FAZE – sounds like phase (stage). Def: put off. |
18 |
GENIUS LOCI – (use logic in)*. Def. spirit in the neighbourhood (the Latin phrase literally means “spirit of the place”). |
20 |
SEANCE – SEE (observe) around ANC (African National Congress, Nelson Mandela’s party). Def: spirited meeting. |
22 |
REPOSING – RE-POSING (taking another position). Def: lying. |
24 |
SHROVETIDE – (shivered to)*. Def: period that’s usual in Februrary. |
26 |
OCHE – sounds like ‘ockey (game commonly said). Def: one throws here (the line behind which darts players stand when throwing). |
28 |
RUN A TIGHT SHIP – cryptic definition. |
Down |
1 |
GRAVEN IMAGE – GRAVE (serious) + (enigma)*. Def: idol. |
2 |
OBESE – OBE’S (honours) + (availabl)E. Def: very substantial. |
3 |
THRILLING – HR (hour) inside TILLING (fieldwork). Def: engrossing. |
4 |
TAVERNA – ANT reversed (worker rising) around AVER (state). Def: restaurant. |
5 |
OMEGA – double definition: the Greek letter omega (Ω) is also used as the symbol for the ohm, a measure of resistance in physics. |
6 |
ARCHRIVAL – R(egular) inside ARCHIVAL (of records). Def: great competitor. |
7 |
YAP – PAY (give money) reversed. Def: complain shrilly. |
12 |
SILICON CHIP – I inside (posh clinic)*. Def: transistor? Lots here. |
14 |
GREENHORN – HORN (instrument) next to GREEN (village centre). Def: one learning. |
15 |
EQUIPMENT – QUIP (retort) inside (c)EMENT (binder, minus the first letter). |
19 |
NURSING – double definition. Strangely my ex-wife (who didn’t have a degree at the time) used to teach graduate student nurses on work placement. |
21 |
EXERT – X (by) inside TREE (box perhaps) reversed. Def: work strenuously. |
23 |
SOOTH – (sooth)*. Def: truth once. |
25 |
HER – HERO (ideal man) minus the O (unloved?). Def: woman’s. |
Eliot’s autobiographical Mill on the Floss is an easier read, by turn, sitcom, soap opera, melodrama and drama. If anyone really wants to push the boat out – both figuratively and literally; those Victorians loved their flood scenes – they should try George MacDonald’s ‘Sir Gibbie’ (available as an e-text). If one has a love for nature (and more specifically, Scotland) and is willing to overlook the occasional preachments, it’s a rollicking and moving tale, if only a ‘mediocre’ novel.
According to the usual sources that include it 6dn should be (4-5) but Collins Online sanctions (9) along with a lot of very dubious stuff!
“Must” in 10ac seems to be superfluous and the second definition at 19dn is utterly feeble.
I don’t think anyone has mentioned it’s a pangram.
GEOSTATIONARY satellites always remind me of physics at school. There was a question that came up very regularly in our final bac exams that required you to show (with workings) how far from the earth a satellite has to be to be geostationary. Everyone just learned the answer by rote, so if it came up (as it did for me) it was an easy and very quick four marks.