Solving time: 7:42
If I’d been a bit braver with 1ac I would have done somewhat better with this. As it was, I had a pretty slow start before getting going. 20ac caused me a headache at the end.
This was a fairly standard Sunday Times puzzle. Some examples of ‘non-daily’ devices include ‘starting to lose’ for L in 10ac, the dash in 7dn which affects the cryptic grammar and the nounal anagram indicator ‘play’ in 9dn, and one or two other clues take the odd liberty. But most of this was sound and straightforward.
* = anagram.
| Across | |
|---|---|
| 1 | HEAR (double definition); ‘attend’ as in ‘listen to’. I don’t know why I didn’t write this straight in (I think ‘hear’ = ‘attend’ rang a spurious alarm bell) but it held me up badly on 1dn and 2dn. |
| 10 | L + AVER – Rod Laver is one of only two men ever to have won all four of tennis’s Grand Slam events in a calendar year, which he did twice in 1962 and 1969, and is considered by many to have been the greatest tennis player ever. If Roger Federer can win the French Open, of which he reached the final last year, he will probably take on that mantle. |
| 11 | CRESCENDO – Italian musical term for ‘getting louder’. |
| 12 | VERISIMILITUDE; (I MUST DELIVER + I (one) + [hal]I[fax])* – something that sounds true, or the quality of sounding true. |
| 15 | SURF ACE – Bondi Beach is a famous surfing spot in New South Wales, Australia. |
| 20 | COMMITTEE STAGE – so many words fit S?A?E that this was a struggle. |
| 25 | MURPHY SLAW |
| Down | |
|---|---|
| 1 | HALF-VOLLEY; VOL[ley] = VOL.[ume] – I knew this was a tennis shot but was very slow to spot it. |
| 2 | ADVER(TI)SE |
| 6 | MOCK TURTLE SOUP (cryptic definition) – made of these. |
| 7 | [d]OWNED |
| 9 | PROSCENIUM ARCH; PROS + (CUE IN)* + MARCH |
| 18 | GAT + HERS – ‘Gat’ is short for Gatling Gun but is now slang for any gun, especially a rifle. |
| 21 | OTT ER |
Answer: SHOP – double definition: “A place to buy” and “grass” (as in “inform on someone”).
3a (I mess about)* though in a way that’s restrained (10)
ABSTEMIOUS
14a Hangs around c(loister)*s but not Catholic school (7)
LOITERS. Catholic abbreviates to C and School to S for omission from the anagrist.
17a Ironing in the twilight (7)
EVENING. DD.
19a Some PurCELL IS Tricky for Lloyd Webber? (7)
CELLIST. Hidden answer refering to Julian Lloyd Webber, the cellist brother of Andrew.
23a Lawyers (are snotty)* when drunk (9)
ATTORNEYS. They are though eh?
24a Join United Nations? That’s about time! (5)
UN I T E
26a Return to smack insect (4)
GNAT. TANG = TASTE = SMACK backwards.
4d Gets suits (7)
BECOMES. DD.
5d (Tell sir)* about latticework in the garden (7)
TRELLIS
13d Clear soldiers, with time, from the village (10)
SETTLE MEN T. Not sure exactly how “from the” fits into the wordplay other than to provide a surface?
16d I’m in a country making cartoons (9)
A N I’M ATION
19d (Lace she)* obtained from upmarket part of London (7)
Chelsea
22d Damage limb at hospital (4)
H ARM