Sunday Times 4526 (25 Feb 2013) by Jeff Pearce

Author   daveperryPosted on Categories Weekend Cryptic
Solving time: 28:12

That’s two sub-30 minute times on the trot for me, so I’m to get worried about what Dean might have in store for next week!

I started with 1a, but I quickly turned my attention to the four long ones and had them all within a few minutes. I didn’t know TONKA BEAN, SCUP or the names of HM’s corgis, but none of these held me up particularly.

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

Across
1 SIT + cuE
3 RECEPTACLE = (TREACLE)* about CEP (fungus – a crossword stalwart)
10 RA(N)GE
11 THESAURUS – cd
12 AGATHA CHRISTIE = A (American) + CHRISTIE (serial killer) about GAT (gun) + H (house) + A – John Christie was the British serial killer portrayed by Richard Attenborough in the film 10 Rillington Place. A film I spotted on TV just this last week.
14 PLEAS + ED
15 W + HOPPER – a big lie, hence the reference to TRUTH SERUM at 13d
17 bRING OFF
19 RARE + BIT
20 AS THE CROW FLIES = (WELSH FACTORIES)*
23 COMPLAINT = COMPLIANT with the AI rev – An Ai being a type of Brazilian three-toed sloth
24 ETHER = (THREE)* – the best surface of the day, and my COD
25 PLEASANTRY = LEASh in LARDER
26 C + RAM – a ram being something that buts, i.e. a butter.
Down
1 SERIAL PORT = “CEREAL” + PORT (left) – ‘where mouse might once have gone’ may have been better. The last mouse I had that attached to a serial port was about 10 years ago.
2 TONKA BEAN = (BANKNOTE)* about A – I’ve never heard of the tree, but it was all I could make out of the letters.
4 ENTICED = ENT (hospital department – an old chestnut) + DICE with the D moved to the end
5 EYEBROW – cd
6 TRANSMOGRIFIED = (I/I + FED ARMSTRONG)* – I wasn’t entirely sure about ‘stuff’ as an anagrind, though
7 CORGI – cd – The names of two of the Queen’s dogs. I didn’t know this particular fact but it wasn’t difficult to guess.
8 EASE = “E’S” (with apologies for the greengrocer’s apostrophe)
9 MEPHISTOPHELES = (THE HOPELESS MP)* about I
13 TRUTH SERUM – cd – ‘pork pies’ being CRS for lies
16 PUBLISHER = PUSHER (dealer of drugs) about (BeautifuL + I) – Corgi being a publisher of paperback books in the UK and part of Random House
18 F + ACTION
19 ROOSTER – hidden
21 conSOMME
22 S + CUP – another word I didn’t know, but the wordplay left little doubt.

5 comments on “Sunday Times 4526 (25 Feb 2013) by Jeff Pearce”

  1. A very enjoyable puzzle. I nearly made it under the 30 minute barrier but for some reason THESAURUS delayed me at the end taking me to 33 minutes. I didn’t understand why COMPLIANT became COMPLAINT or get round to looking it up, so thanks for explaining about the 3-toed sloth.

    Edited at 2013-03-03 02:24 am (UTC)

  2. Hadn’t heard of TONKA BEAN, the corgis, or SCUP, but only the latter gave me any pause – I toyed with the idea of SCAP, wondering whether a CAP for making an international sporting appearance would count as a trophy, but eventually went with SCUP.

    I liked the clue for 6D. I didn’t give much thought at the time to whether or not stuff was an acceptable anagrind, but there’s a (vulgar) definition in Chambers that arguably supports it.

  3. Gave up at 34′ on 1d, probably finished the rest in under a half-hour, but. Never heard the term before, although I did manage to assume that the mouse was that kind of mouse. Also took me a long time to justify RING OFF to myself. Also DNK Christie the killer, or the names of the corgis, or SCUP, or TONKA BEAN, but as with Dave, those weren’t problems. Fortunately for me, the CRS meaning of ‘pork pie’ showed up in a fairly recent puzzle, so it was still freshish in memory.
  4. Another very enjoyable puzzle from Jeff Pearce, whose crosswords I always look forward to. They are just a pleasure to solve and quite enough of a challenge.
  5. Couldn’t make head or tail of 1d, but “SpReAd Palm” fit all the crosses I had at that point. 🙂

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