Solving time: 7 minutes
This puzzle was pretty straightforward, considering that I don’t usually do the ST, but had some of those little faults that often make it an unsatisfying puzzle for me.
Across | |
---|---|
1 | SPIRAL STAIRCASE = (Alsace airstrips)* – an easy anag to identify and solve, but this clue reads and works well. |
9 | MAESTRO – 2 defs – an orchestral conductor like (Simon) Rattle, and an Austin car of the 1980s |
10 | SIDECAR – (race,D=date,is) all rev. – but “that” in the clue does nothing in the cryptic meaning and could have been left out without damaging the surface. |
11 | CO(p)ED – short for co-educational = for boys and girls |
12 | S(T)AGE,COACH – a diligence is a type of coach, and here, the ? at the end of the clue means definition by example is indicated, which doesn’t always happen in the mostly stricter Times puzzle. |
13 | ME ‘AND ‘ER |
17 | N,A(TURE=true*)S |
19 | C(A,N)ARDS – this riles me by using “with” to link def and wordplay, which has never made sense to me. In this case, “in” would have worked pretty well. |
22 | ENID = dine(r) rev. |
25 | EN(RAGE=gear)D – “proper” as an anag. indicator gets another black mark |
27 | SCHOOL=training, OF THOUGHT=with careful consideration. The first of these seems very iffy. |
Down | |
1 | SUMAC = Camus in a very chestnutty reversal |
2 | INEL=line*,e.g.,ANT |
3 | ALTO(gether) |
4 | S. POTTER = Stephen Potter |
5 | AS(SIGN)S |
6 | RE,D.,ACTION |
8 | EARPHONES = (hears, nope)* – another easy anag. when ‘ears’ is/are in the the clue and the meanings are connected. But when you look back to write up these notes, you see that ‘sporting’ is doing double duty – indicating the anag. and describing the wearing of the answer. On reflection, maybe I’m fussing too much here – this seems to work as an &lit. |
14 | D.,ERRING,DO – a nice clue, this one |
19 | CREW CUT – cryptic def. – but only barely – as the term comes from the use of this haircut by rowing crews, the def. is pretty much a plain one. |
23 | D=Germany,WE=you and I,LT=left empty – but this, on the website version, is the worst clue in the puzzle – A house in Germany you and I left empty. “A house” for DWELT is so awful that I think something like “had” or “lived in” must have flen off the beginning. |
24 | IN FO(al) – if the setter gets you to believe that Gen is a girl and not news/dope/info etc., this is a clever clue – but for solvers of even moderate experience, this is a big if. |
There are eight “easies” not in the blog including the 16d – possibly from the 3ds in the altogether?
15a Continues to travel (in Laos)* moving around south (5,2)
SAIL S ON
20a Engineer (vacates pit)* entrances (10)
CAPTIVATES
26a Calm prisoner alone (7)
CON SOLE
7d Some maniAC CRAcked in capital (5)
ACCRA
13d Handles detractors around N Ireland (9)
MO N.I. CKERS. Unusual to see NI not clued as Province or the like.
16d Alert child good with alluring music (5,4)
SIREN SON G
18d Two notes from awkward customer (2,3,2)
SO AND SO
21d Measure of freshwater fish (5)
PERCH. Caught with a ROD or POLE no doubt?