Saturday Times 25963 (6th Dec)

Author   linxitPosted on Categories Weekend Cryptic
19:55, so a bit trickier than some recent Saturday puzzles (although it could have just been me – 4th one tackled on my Monday morning commute, and I was starting to flag a bit). Some tricky wordplay in places, and some excellent deception which held me up a couple of times, especially the pair at 24 and 25 across, which jointly get my COD nomination.

Across
1 Tempting trick putting the Tories, say, back on edge (9)
HONEYTRAP – PARTY (the Tories, say) reversed, next to HONE (edge).
6 After 11 brewed a sweet drink (5)
LASSI – anagram of 11ac. I actually wrote this one in first, with a quick glance at 11 to confirm.
9 Record collection, large one, with tracks by British artist (7)
LIBRARY – L(arge) + I (one) + B(ritish) + RA (artist) + RY (tracks).
10 Very likely after queen’s returned glance? (7)
REBOUND – BOUND (very likely) after ER (queen) reversed.
11 Rope maker is getting in a lot of tar (5)
SISAL – IS inside SAL(t) (a lot of tar).
13 Will I have to deal with not being a man? (9)
EXECUTRIX – cryptic definition.
14 Reportedly snoops round for somewhere to fight (5,4)
PRIZE RING – sounds like “pries” (snoops) + RING (round).
16 River — first of rivers not in sequence (4)
ODER – remove R (first of Rivers) from ORDER (sequence).
18 Search for degenerate (4)
RAKE – double definition.
19 Wood taken after struggle fighting in Korea (3,4,2)
TAE KWON DO – (wood taken)*.
22 Upheaval as Merlot is replaced with Medoc at first (9)
MAELSTROM – (as Merlot)* + M(edoc).
24 Simple anagram clue in crossword, finally correct… (5)
EMEND – last letters of “simple anagram clue in crossword“. Took me ages to spot that!
25 …but on reflection the setter’s devious (7)
EVASIVE – SAVE (but) reversed + I’VE (the setter’s). He certainly is – what a great pair of linked clues.
26 More suitable container for right kind of food (7)
FRITTER – FITTER (more suitable) around R(ight).
28 Clear about accepting agreement that’s symbolic (5)
TOKEN – NET (clear) reversed around OK (agreement).
29 Prune, sticky one I can’t recall (9)
THINGUMMY – THIN (prune) + GUMMY (sticky).

Down
1 Wash outside of small mugs (5,2)
HOLDS UP – HOLD UP (wash, in the sense of bearing scrutiny) around S(mall).
2 Cop wanting moratorium lifted (3)
NAB – BAN (moratorium) reversed.
3 Periodicals having mainly long pieces of fiction (8)
YEARLIES – YEAR(n) (mainly long) + LIES (pieces of fiction).
4 Verse that’s touching about husband upset brother! (5)
RHYME – RE (touching) around H(usband) and MY (brother!) reversed.
5 Shark left tailless by black bird of prey (9)
PORBEAGLE – POR(t) (left tailless) + B(lack) + EAGLE (bird of prey).
6 Employment rating in line with a number first rejected (6)
LABOUR – AB (rating, i.e. sailor) inside L(ine), (f)OUR (number first rejected).
7 Hop down from old-fashioned country steps? (6,5)
SQUARE DANCE – DANCE (hop) underneath SQUARE (old-fashioned).
8 One name unknown in animals I order into lists (7)
INDEXER – I (one) + N(ame) + X (unknown) inside DEER (animals).
12 Catch extremely large second fish (11)
STICKLEBACK – STICK (catch) + L(arg)E + BACK (second).
15 Reticent criminal stopped by judge, say, abruptly (9)
INTERJECT – (reticent)* around J(udge).
17 Searching for blanket (8)
SWEEPING – double definition.
18 Run into resistance in gamble to become a ballet dancer (7)
RAMBERT – RAM (run into) + R(esistance) inside BET (gamble). Marie Rambert (1888-1982), who founded the famous ballet company.
20 Well-behaved soldier going about minor tasks for officer (7)
ORDERLY – double definition.
21 For instance, notice detail (6)
ASSIGN – AS (for instance) + SIGN (notice).
23 Expert in religious law off-duty cop may assume (5)
MUFTI – double definition.
27 United maybe dropping English or Scottish cap (3)
TAM – TEAM (United maybe) without the E for English.

18 comments on “Saturday Times 25963 (6th Dec)”

  1. A very enjoyable puzzle, quite tricky in places. I have no solving time to offer as it was solved over several sessions, but in total it must have taken well over my 30-minute target (which I relax at weekends anyway). My only totally unknown answer was PORBEAGLE so it was fortunate the wordplay was so helpful. But I failed to work out TAEKWONDO, which having cheated and looked it up, of course I should have thought of. Its alternative enumeration 3,4,2 might have helped me get there.
      1. Oh dear, further evidence of brain-rot. I meant to say that if I knew it at all I knew it as (9), not as (3,4,2).
  2. Fairly straightforward, about 20 minutes.

    Are we missing a jumbo blog? I thought 1120 dd 22 Nov would have been out last weekend?

  3. 29 mins. I found this one quite tricky, although with one exception my times haven’t been that good since my holiday so maybe I was just being slow again.

    I agree that the clue for EVASIVE was excellent and it was my LOI after I decided to trust the wordplay for RAMBERT. I couldn’t parse RHYME so thanks for that.

  4. Straightforward, 19 minutes for me, with the spelling of TAE KWON DO a plump from the anagram, a pleasant puzzle easier than most Saturdays.
  5. An hour and 20, so I found this tough but very good. I rather liked 20 – its simplicity was deceptive amidst all the deception around it. Ticks against 12 and 29 too.
  6. 15:32. Nice puzzle, from what I remember. I’m sure I’ve come across PORBEAGLE before, but I had forgotten it so it had to be constructed carefully from the wordplay. Similarly TAE KWON DO required care as without the anagram fodder I wouldn’t have had a clue how to spell it.
  7. Found this much easier than the previous week’s, though had to trust the wordplay for RAMBERT, who I hadn’t heard of, and PRIZE RING wasn’t familiar either. p0rbeagle was (and, dare I say, still is) my Counter-Strike alias, so no problems there, though I can’t remember why I chose it.
  8. Managed to complete in under 3 hours, which is my equivalent of a four minute mile for a Saturday puzzle!

    Had not equated MY with BROTHER in 4dn, and the penny has only just dropped now as I finally see the significance of the exclamation mark in Andy’s blog.

    Whilst it was quite easy, I thought 27 dn was a brilliant surface so that gets my COD.

  9. These 2 appear to be independently solvable.
    Grateful if anyone can advise how 24 and 25 are linked
      1. The use of ellipsis at 24 and 25 implies a link between the two, referenced also in your blog where those two are identified as a “pair”
        I need help to see how it works.
        Thanks
  10. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a pair of clues joined by an ellipsis where there was any actual connection. As Andy (Linxit) says, the only link here–and to the best of my knowledge everywhere–is in the surface. I think the main point of this sort of thing is that it allows the setter to create a clue that might not work otherwise. Here, for instance, ‘But on reflection’ as the beginning of a sentence would be awkward at best.
    1. Thank you kevingregg – it is kind of you to take the time to help me improve my understanding of how/why setters use ellipsis.
      Your very clear explanation is much appreciated.
    2. Kevin, although ellipses are usually just used to create a lengthened surface reading I have definitely come across clues linked by ellipses in which the answers were also linked in some way. It may happen more often in the Guardian or the Independent, although I have no empirical evidence for that.
  12. …the famous ballet company
    Really?
    I guess there’s no absolute scale of fame, but this seems to be obscure at least
    I got it BTW, but only after staring at it (and EVASIVE) for ages, then checking this random collection of letters really *was* a recognisable danceuse (it’s not really taken 4 years and change, I came across this uncompleted grid whilst clearing out an old drawer – glad I did, it’s been a real treat)
    Still a DNF though, as I imagined the SQUIRE DANCE as some quaint rustic tradition

    jb

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