Saturday Times 26154 (18th July) – Times for The Times

Solving time was about 17 mins if I remember correctly. Should have been quicker but I got completely stuck on 1D at the end when it should really have been a write-in without any checkers. COD to 16D, which is just about perfect in my eyes.

Across
1	Ecstasy is available in a number of shops (8)
	PARADISE – IS inside PARADE (a number of shops).
5	Holds power among the aristocracy for example (6)
	CLASPS – P(ower) inside CLASS (eg the aristocracy).
8	Piece of music for organ? (3)
	RAG – double definition.
9	In rail terminus regularly call out greeting (10)
	SALUTATION – STATION (rail terminus) around (c)A(l)L (o)U(t).
10	Leave university in depressed state (8)
	COMEDOWN – double definition, although the first requires the two words to be separate.
11	A great obstacle returning in Middle East region (6)
	ARABIA – A + [A1 (great) + BAR (obstacle), reversed].
12	Woman embraced by philanderer, reflecting (4)
	EDNA – hidden reversed inside philANDErer.
14	Almost drunk about noon? Get some sleep (5-5)
	NIGHT-NIGHT – NIGH (almost) + TIGHT (drunk) around N(oon).
17	Someone not born in Michigan, perhaps, makes the case for Latin? (10)
	NOMINATIVE – NO MI NATIVE (someone not born in Michigan). If I remember correctly (it was a long time ago) this was called “Form A” in our Latin classes. I think they then went form B (accusative), form C (dative), form D (genitive) and form E (ablative). Funny how it all comes back when you think about it!
20	Spectators glad about team’s expert headers (4)
	GATE – initials of Glad About Team’s Expert.
23	Recover key in Calais street? (6)
	RESCUE – ESC (key) inside RUE (French for street).
24	Trio sang after arranging for keyboard player (8)
	ORGANIST – (trio sang)*.
25	Notice roué corrupted with lust seeking extra-marital pleasure (10)
	ADULTEROUS – AD (notice) + (roue, lust)*.
26	Hurry up, we’re told (3)
	HIE – sounds like high (up).
27	Fail to assemble as full team, perhaps, getting trounced (6)
	BEATEN – BE A TEN (rather than the full eleven).
28	Street party — flipping fish sandwiches feature prominently (8)
	STANDOUT – ST(reet) + DO (party) inside TUNA reversed. Although STANDOUT can be one word, surely this definition requires two?

Down
1	Greek leader’s in place, excited to welcome British monarch (9)
	PERICLEAN – (in place)* around ER (British monarch).
2	Body temperature deficient? Course of therapy needed (7)
	REGIMEN – REGIMENT (body) without the T for temperature.
3	During parties one’s up for it? (2-2-2)
	DO-SI-DO – DO, DO (parties) around 1’S reversed. A corruption of the French dos-à-dos (back-to-back), which Chambers only gives as dosi-do (4-2).
4	Very disreputable man’s finally lost game of cards (4,5)
	SOLO WHIST – SO (very) + LOW (disreputable) + HIS (man’s) + (los)T.
5	Loud-voiced worker is inferior to quiet one (7)
	CLAMANT – ANT (worker) underneath CLAM (quiet one).
6	A concert keeping tasteless stuff in? That’s worrying (9)
	AGITATING – A + GIG (concert) around TAT (tasteless stuff), IN.
7	The reverse of cool houses near Italian town (7)
	PENRITH – HEP (cool) reversed around NR (near), IT(alian). A town in Cumbria (not Umbria!)
13	Battle area surrounded, occupied by officer, leader of unit (9)
	AGINCOURT – A + GIRT (surrounded) around NCO (officer), U(nit).
15	Hiding head, pusher left the dock? (9)
	HOVERPORT – (s)HOVER (pusher) + PORT (left).
16	Matter dealt with by hospital department? (9)
	TREATMENT – (matter)* + ENT (hospital department), and a perfect &lit.
18	Control over amount charged by gym (7)
	OPERATE – O(ver) + PE RATE (amount charged by gym).
19	A top article in ancient language (7)
	AVESTAN – A + VEST (top) + AN (article).
21	A hankie picked up? Sound evidence of a cold (7)
	ATISHOO – sounds like A TISSUE.
22	Provides one ballad, and most of another (4,2)
	LAYS ON – LAY + SON(g).

8 comments on “Saturday Times 26154 (18th July)”

29 mins. I had no problem with the bottom half of the puzzle, and in retrospect I’m not sure why I found the top half so chewy. I didn’t do it at the normal time but I don’t remember being tired when I got round to tackling it. CLAMANT was my LOI after CLASPS.

One initially incorrect answer that didn’t help was at 15dn where I first had (D)RIVERPORT before I changed it to the correct (S)HOVERPORT after I realised 14ac had to be NIGHT-NIGHT. If I had seen 14ac as quickly as I should have done I wouldn’t have had the problem in the first place.

Needed aids to finish this off though in the end there was only one unknown, at 19dn. Extra time was needed post-solve to unravel some of the more complicated wordplay. Nice to have something slightly more straightforward this Saturday.

8A Sorry to be thick, but why is ‘rag’ an organ ?

A pretty good crossword done in about 25 minutes. I’d go along with 16dn for COD and the rather corny 27ac was my last in. Perhaps some of the definitions were too obvious, leading to the unloved BIFD. To garden mole, an organ is a newspaper is a rag.

Thanks sidcuppa. Should have introduced myself. I am a long-time lurker and very appreciative of all the wit and wisdom of all you contributors. I am never likely to have much to say as I do the crossword in bed as I find it helps clear the mind after the vicissitudes of the day. So anything I have to say will appear next morning after I have emerged blinking into the daylight.

Such a comfort to read the introduction. The crossword took 16:06 of which the whole last five minutes was spent on working out 1d.

I solved from 12a/14a downwards bar 19d and 26a but got nothing above so comforted by Andy’s comment.
On 7d , I thought it would be hip reversed -don’t think I’ve come across hep. Would never have got 3d.

20 minutes or so for this. It’s a shame about 19dn, where I think the answer is sufficiently obscure to merit unambiguous wordplay. I thought ABEATAN looked unlikely but I had to look it up to be sure it was AVESTAN and not ABESTAN.
It was all for nought anyway because I had somehow managed to type REGIMTN.

Edited at 2015-07-25 11:10 am (UTC)

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