Solving time a gentle 12:50, solved from the paper for a change in a pub garden in Chester between rainstorms last Saturday. I was hoping for something a bit trickier which would have required a second pint, but never mind. Two minor quibbles, one with the enumeration of 17ac and the other with the disagreement of when lunchtime is between 20ac and 16dn! Maybe Across and Down have separate sittings. 🙂
Across | |
1 | Question papers ready? (4) |
QUID – QU(estion) + ID (papers). | |
4 | Drink sparkling wine with ricotta? Not I (5,5) |
TONIC WATER – (wine, rcotta)*, i.e. ricotta without the I. | |
9 | Rifle we must store in box, right? (10) |
WINCHESTER – WE around IN CHEST (box), + R(ight). | |
10 | No end of publicity for concert (4) |
PROM – PROMO (publicity), without the final letter. | |
11 | Develop as writer whose son’s gone to the front (6) |
SPROUT – PROUST (writer), with the S for son moved to the front. | |
12 | Pub open? Drug available within, it’s suggested (8) |
INNUENDO – INN (pub) + UNDO (open), around E (drug). | |
14 | Sea creature half-visible from Orkney (4) |
ORCA – half of ORCADIAN (from Orkney). Another name for the killer whale. | |
15 | Lacking consideration, come what may (10) |
REGARDLESS – double definition. | |
17 | A place to rest when training outside for cross-country event (10) |
PAPERCHASE – A + PERCH (place to rest) + AS (when), all inside P.E. (training). Enumeration’s wrong, should be (5,5) according to most of my dictionaries, although one gave it as (5-5). | |
20 | Seconds of onion soup available when it’s 16? (4) |
NOON – (o)N(ion) + (s)O(up) + ON (available). Definition refers to the answer to 16dn. | |
21 | Robberies on the increase among crooks (5-3) |
STICK-UPS – UP (on the increase) inside STICKS (crooks). | |
23 | Release a foreign worker (6) |
UNHAND – UN (a foreign) + HAND (worker). | |
24 | Cut of beef no good (4) |
RUMP – GRUMP (beef), without the G for good. | |
25 | Hitchcock’s first appearance at what’s announced as cutting-edge horror film? (4-6) |
HAIR-RAISER – H(itchcock) + AIR (appearance) + RAISER (sounds like “razor”, cutting-edge). | |
26 | Missing ace serve, player stumbles awkwardly (10) |
PERVERSELY – (serve, plyer)*, i.e. player minus the A for ace. | |
27 | Language writer seldom uses (4) |
ERSE – hidden in “writer seldom”. |
2 | Light drink downed by fellow in one (11) |
UNIMPORTANT – PORT (drink) inside MAN (fellow), all inside UNIT (one). | |
3 | Academic qualification showing kid up to speed (9) |
DOCTORATE – COD (kid) reversed + TO + RATE (speed). | |
4 | Social networker using rather cute short name (7) |
TWEETER – TWEE (rather cute) + TER(m) (short name). | |
5 | Change trains? One might, crossing tip of English county (15) |
NOTTINGHAMSHIRE – (trains one might)* around H (last letter (tip) of “English”). | |
6 | Head of organisation is in control, and that’s official (7) |
CORONER – O(rganisation) inside CORNER (control, as in to corner the market). | |
7 | City, one in grip of revolution (5) |
TURIN – I (one) inside TURN (revolution). | |
8 | Lover boy runs rings around me (5) |
ROMEO – R(uns) + O,O (rings) around ME. | |
13 | We sell cheaper food, though not hot chips (11) |
DISCOUNTERS – DISH (food) minus the H for hot, + COUNTERS (chips). | |
16 | Maybe one hot guy being entertained by uncle lavishly (9) |
LUNCHTIME – H(ot) + TIM (guy), inside (uncle)*. | |
18 | Irritating member of audience in box speaking (7) |
COUGHER – sounds like “coffer” (box). | |
19 | Royal attendant really blowing top, having to guard queen repeatedly (7) |
EQUERRY – VERY (really), minus the first letter, around QU, ER (queen repeatedly). | |
21 | Secure, oddly enough, with only one small coin in purse (5) |
SCRIP – alternate letters of secure + 1P (one small coin). | |
22 | Port is overlooking lake, so we’re told (5) |
IZMIR – sounds like IS, MERE (lake). A port in Turkey which is its 3rd largest city. |
Several clues I thought were (metaphorically speaking) well worth the entry money on their own – particularly liked SPROUT, HAIR-RAISER and COUGHER.
Also managed to knock over today’s (which I know we are not allowed to talk about), so very happy with progress! And most of that progress is thanks to this site, so a sincere thankyou to all the senior players who help us newbies find a way through the maze.
Ah, that’s interesting – my SOED 5th edition has it hyphenated but the 6th edition has it as one word. Objection withdrawn 🙂
Edited at 2014-05-17 12:31 pm (UTC)
We had PAPERCHASE about a month ago where the enumeration was given as (5,5). Not that there’s any requirement for consistency of enumerations between puzzles (as long as they’re supported by a dictionary), but it seems a little jarring from an editing point of view.
Edited at 2014-05-17 01:46 pm (UTC)
LOI and COD IZMIR.
First unaided completion for years.
I am a fan of the quick cryptic which is at my level.
Doesn’t lunchtime begin around noon in UK? Lunchtime here is 12 noon, almost everything closes 12 till 2 or 3, you risk refusal in French restos if you arrive much after 12.30 (but there again, it’s about 3 p.m. just down the road in Spain so it’s a moveable feast!).
Edited at 2014-05-17 07:44 pm (UTC)