18:50 for this, which was quite tricky in places. The wordplay for 7dn and 26ac took some seeing (although 7dn was easily biffable). I found 16dn and 22dn harder than they should have been too. First two in were 2dn followed by 1ac, so I was off to a good start, but it was short-lived and most of it was ground out with very few gimmes. Good puzzle.
Across | |
1 | Plant business minimal, with sterling suffering reverse (12) |
TRADESCANTIA – TRADE (business) + SCANT (minimal) + A1 (sterling) reversed. A genus of plants named after the 16th century plant collector John Tradescant | |
9 | Light turned on by doctors (5) |
AMBER – RE (on) + BMA (British Medical Association, doctors), all reversed. | |
10 | Ban translation aid in language students’ exercise (9) |
PROSCRIBE – CRIB (translation aid) inside PROSE (language students’ exercise). | |
11 | Transport English and French back aboard this? (3,5) |
CAR FERRY – E(nglish) and FR(ench) reversed inside CARRY (transport). | |
12 | In the middle of a film, daughter interrupts (6) |
AMIDST – A + MIST (film) around D(aughter). | |
13 | No odd number in service (8) |
EVENSONG – EVEN (no odd) + SONG (number). | |
15 | Short cut taken by commander in dispute once (3,3) |
COD WAR – DWAR(f) (short, cut) next to CO (commander). | |
17 | Writer showing conflicting political positions briefly? (6) |
CONRAD – CON(servative) next to RAD(ical). Joseph Conrad, one of the best novelists to write in English, despite the fact that it was his third language (after Polish and French). | |
18 | Identified dish eaten by boy (8) |
LABELLED – BELLE (dish) inside LAD (boy). | |
20 | Group of pupils oddly is not mad keen (6) |
INTAKE – alternate letters of Is NoT mAd KeEn. | |
21 | Absent-minded diarist wasted time (8) |
DISTRAIT – (diarist)* + T(ime). | |
24 | The standard of London theatre? (9) |
CRITERION – double definition. A well-known theatre on Piccadilly Circus. | |
25 | Proper old duettist (5) |
PRIMO – PRIM (proper) + O(ld). | |
26 | Apparently, trees should be planted in a dry position, it’s said (2,5,5) |
AT FIRST SIGHT – FIRS (trees) inside A TT (teetotal, dry) + SIGHT (sounds like site, position). |
Down | |
1 | Measure of nectar squiffy husband imbibed (7) |
TRANCHE – (nectar)* around H(usband). | |
2 | Scientist set entire lab out at home (6,8) |
ALBERT EINSTEIN – (set entire lab)* + IN (at home). | |
3 | Ghostly-sounding retreat for hunter (5) |
EYRIE – sounds like “eerie”. | |
4 | One helping raise issue about a payment after work (2-6) |
CO-PARENT – C (about), then A RENT (a payment) after OP (work). | |
5 | Something helpful brought round for inexperienced person(4) |
NOOB – BOON (something helpful) reversed. A derogatory word for someone inexperienced, usually in IT, particularly online. Short for newbie. | |
6 | Hassle as government dept cuts pay (9) |
INCOMMODE – MOD (Ministry of Defence, government dept) inside INCOME (pay). | |
7 | Household task revolving around old loo unrewarding? (6-8) |
WINDOW-CLEANING – WINDING (revolving) around O(ld), WC (loo), LEAN (unrewarding). | |
8 | Train soldiers to resist at the front (6) |
MENTOR – MEN (soldiers) + TO + R(esist). | |
14 | Overcome by sleep briefly, stop being most lively (9) |
SPARKIEST – PARK (stop) inside SIEST(a) (sleep briefly). | |
16 | Underwear, secure inside cases (8) |
PATIENTS – PANTS (underwear) around TIE (secure). | |
17 | Embrace lover at first during a walk in the park (6) |
CLINCH – L(over) inside CINCH (a walk in the park). | |
19 | US city: unwelcome president initially avoids it (7) |
DETROIT – DE TRO(p) (unwelcome, minus the P for president) + IT. | |
22 | What’s served in Spanish bar? Milk, for example (5) |
TAPAS – TAP (milk) + AS (for example). | |
23 | Show one musical from the 1950s (4) |
GIGI – GIG (show) + I (one). 1958 film starring Leslie Caron and Maurice Chevalier. |
Edited at 2016-03-05 02:02 pm (UTC)
Rita
So the answer is no, sorry. However, if you’re offering, we’d be glad to welcome you on board.
Edited at 2016-03-06 08:32 pm (UTC)
Rita
I did manage to solve more clues than the previous two weeks so some progress. David