Sunday Times 4438 (19 Jun 2011)

Author   daveperryPosted on Categories Weekend Cryptic
Solving time: 41:40

Something of a mixed bag here. I wasn’t keen on some of the wordplay, particularly 16 & 25. The rest of it was pretty much OK, but certainly nothing to write home about.

At least I think that what I thought – I forgot to write the blog at the time, so I’m having to write it a week later, at the time of posting, so I can’t really remember much about how I felt at the time. But looking at it now, I’m guessing that’s what I would have thought.

cd = cryptic def., dd = double def., rev = reversal, homophones are written in quotes, anagrams as (–)*, and removals like this

Across
4 WILD + B(O)AR
8 PAR IS H
9 STOCK + TO + N
10 BASEMENT = BENT about (SAME)* – I didn’t know this was a rock formation, but the wordplay was clear enough.
11 lEARNER
12 JETTISON = JET + (NO IT’S)*
13 SNOW DROP – dd
16 SIDE’S + LIP – I didn’t like ‘Skid at Monaco’ as a definition, the ‘at Monaco’ seems entirely irrelevant.
19 EXPO + SURE
21 DIM SUM – dd
23 MANIFEST = MAST about (FINE)*
24 HACIENDA = (A CHAINED)*
25 STAyS + IS
26 PENELOPE – It took me a while to parse this one. It’s POPE about EN (space) + EL (railroad – an elevated railway)
Down
1 CARAMEL = (A + CREAM)* + L
2 MILES + TONE
3 CHEERS – triple def – Praises / eggs on / toast
4 WESTON-SUPER-MARE = (PRESUME SEA TOWN + Resort)* – a semi-&lit
5 LOOKER-ON = LOON about (bROKEn)*
6 BAnKER
7 ATONE + GO
14 DOGS OF WAR – cd, referring to Afghan hounds
15 FLAME + NCO
17 lIMIT + lATE
18 P(ROSA)IC
20 PU(NI)SH
22 STILE = “STYLE”

5 comments on “Sunday Times 4438 (19 Jun 2011)”

  1. 55 minutes with no aids, so on the tough side for a Sunday, or would have been under previous management. I don;t see any definition at 5dn so I suppose it’s meant to be &lit in which case it seems a bit loose.

    BASEMENT as a rock formation was new to me, and EL for Elevated Railway was something learnt recently in crosswords and then immediately forgotten.

    1. Yes, it is an &lit. It probably is a bit loose, but then &lits often are.
  2. 26:30, with 25ac my LOI: the wording of the instruction to drop Y slowed me down a bit, and it took a long time to dredge up ‘stays’ from memory. I also spent some time on 1d wondering if there was a British sweet called ‘miracle’, having taken ‘One’ to be I instead of A. 4d was clever, I suppose, but the enumeration gave the game away. Nothing COD-worthy, perhaps, but I liked 3d.
  3. I found this quite tricky. The club timer says just over 36 minutes but I had to retype all the clues twice (the dreaded 500) so I’d say about half an hour. Looking at it now I can’t for the life of me see what caused me the problems.
    I’ve had the same 500 problem with the Jumbo this weekend. I’d nearly finished and I’m not sure I can be bothered to type all those in again. Back to pen and paper for Jumbos I think.
  4. A leisurely 33 minutes with one wrong. I didn’t see the cryptic for 19a and had PAVEMENT, which I thought was a kind of rock formation. I’ve never heard of BASEMENT with this meaning.

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