Solving time: 42:25
On the whole, I found this a pretty good puzzle, with some very good clues contained within. There were a few I wasn’t keen on, but they’re all perfectly sound, so I have no real quibbles.
9a I’d seen done before in a very similar way by the same setter, so I wasn’t keen on that one, but I did like the two brand name clues at 2 & 25, but my COD goes to the one that made me laugh at 8d.
cd = cryptic def., dd = double def., rev = reversal, homophones are written in quotes, anagrams as (–)*, and removals like this
Across | |
---|---|
1 | THE ST LEGER = (GET SHELTER)* – I’m not sure I like ‘fans’ as a anagrind |
7 | SACK – dd |
9 | SPUR-OF-THE-MOMENT – the current top player at Spurs would be the Spur of the moment. I recognised this clue so I checked back through my previous blogs. Tim clued this same phrase in a very similar way back in May 2011, in ST 4435 |
10 | OPENER = OP + RENE rev |
12 | NOISETTE = (ONE’S |
13 | THERESA = (HEATERS)* – Theresa May is the current UK Home Secretary |
15 | DROOPS = SPOOR rev after D |
17 | MET + T |
18 | POR(T |
19 | CAM + ARGUE |
21 | OVERDO = (DROVE)* + O |
22 | WOMEN’S INSTITUTE = (WISEST I TUT + NO MEN)* – &lit – not the most natural of surfaces I’ve ever seen, but a good anagram nonetheless. |
24 | STUD |
25 | DOG’S DINNER – dd – Pedigree Chum being a well-known brand of dog food |
Down | |
2 | H(I)P – Another brand name in HP Sauce – ‘with it’ is the definition |
3 | STRINGENT = SENT (turned on) about RING (syndicate) after T (short time) – although I can’t quite see why SENT is ‘turned on’ |
4 | LIFER – rev hidden |
5 | GEHENNA = ( |
6 | REM(A)INDER |
7 | SO(M)ME – It’s a river as well as a battle |
8 | CONSTIPATED = (PAST IT + |
11 | POTTER + ABOUT |
14 | ENERGISED = END about (GIS in ERE) |
16 | OVEREATEN = OVER + “ETON” |
18 | PFENNIG = PIG (what’s difficult) about FEN (money from China, 100 fen = 1 yuan) + N (Norway) – ‘Mark’s part’ is the definition as 100 pfennigs made a Deutschmark |
20 | A.M. END |
21 | O(UTE)D – Amerind is any of the Native American languages, and Ute is one such language spoken in and around Utah |
23 | TOE – cd – One only needs one toes when counting to 20! |
LOI was CAMARGUE from the wordplay as I can never remember the regions of France but I did at least recognise it once I’d worked it out.
I don’t like overuse of A for 1 – one occasionally perhaps but not two in the same puzzle.
‘Fan’ is on the Chambers list of anagram indicators so I’ve no complaints there.
Enjoyed the HP sauce reference despite reminding me of Harold Wilson who favoured it (Gannex next?) but I have happier memories of Henry the bloodhound promoting Pedigree Chum alongside the lugubrious Clement Freud.
Edited at 2013-02-03 05:29 pm (UTC)
Constipated made me chuckle too, as did Hip. Thanks Dave for parsing Outed, Pfenning and Dog’s Dinner. I’d not heard of Ute as a language or the Fen coins and having never been a dog owner didn’t twig that Chum referred to a pet food brand.
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