Sunday Times 4567 (8 Dec 2013) by Tim Moorey

Author   daveperryPosted on Categories Weekend Cryptic
Solving time: About 55 minutes.

One of Tim best puzzles, as far as I’m concerned. A neat use of the four names around the outside, and a few choice clues.

There was lots to enjoy here – the clever &lit at 27a, the neat 16d, and the topicality of 4d, but my COD goes to 26a for the succint but amusing surface.

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

Across
1 BILLIE HOLIDAY = HOLIDAY (leave) after BILL (tab) + IE (that’s)
8 ABSCOND = ABS (Seamen) + CON (with) + D
9 KEELSON = NO + SLEEK all rev – I didn’t know the word, but I could work it out as an extension of KEEL, and from the wordplay & checkers.
11 BIG CHEESE – dd
12 SERAI – hidden – again I didn’t know the word, but the hidden wasn’t hard to spot.
13 RATBAG = TBA (to be announced) in RAG (tabloid)
14 ONE-SIDED = (INDEED SO)*
17 CHEETAHS = (THE CHASE)* – ‘They could be shifting’ is the definition, that’s ‘shifting’ as in moving very fast
19 SONATA = SO + N + Administration about AT
22 MaOIST
24 QUARTER TO = QUARTETTO (Italian musical foursome) with the 2nd T replaced by R – ‘Forty-five’ is the definition.
25 SE(A)TTLE
26 LEONARD = (ONE)* in LARD (fat) – An excellent surface that made me chuckle
27 THOMAS CRANMER = (MAN TO CHARM + State + ER)* – An excellent &lit. Presumably, the ER referred to in the clue would have to be the boy king Edward VI, as Cranmer was executed by Mary I before Elizabeth came to the throne.
Down
2 INSIGHT = IN + “SITE”
3 LIONHEART = (LATRINE + H)* about O – Ajax is both a Greek hero, and a brand of cleaning products
4 EDDIES = EnglanD + (SIDE)* – a particularly apt clue considering the state of the Ashes at the moment
5 OAK FERNS = (FORSAKEN)*
6 IDEAS = ‘A’ SIDE with the AS being moved to the end
7 ASSURED = ASS (Charlie, as in a proper Charlie) + cURED
8 ALBERT CAMUS = (BUT CLEAR AIMS)* with the I removed
10 NEIL DIAMOND = NIL about E + DIAMOND (rock)
15 SHOOT DOWN = SHOWN (appeared) about (OT + DO)
16 CHEQUERS – dd – The name of the official country retreat of the Prime Minister, so ‘Major’ here is a reference to John Major who held the position from 1990-1997. Hence ‘in the past, for example’
18 EPITAPH = PIT in (HEAP)*
20 ACREAGE – I’m not entirely sure how this one works. I’m guessing it’s (Crop + AREA + EG (for example))* – ‘could be represented’ is the anagrind, which makes it a semi-&lit
21 PALLOR = PAR (standard) about L/L (lines) + Order
23 TOTE + M

10 comments on “Sunday Times 4567 (8 Dec 2013) by Tim Moorey”

  1. I’d agree with Dave: this was a lovely puzzle. And for what it’s worth, I analyzed 20d as Dave does. I wasted a good deal of time on 3d, thinking it began with LOO, and on 16d, thinking of ‘chess’ enclosing EG or something; but got the thing done at long last. I think I’d give 24ac my COD.
  2. Dave,

    There’s an extra puzzle this week by Anax – he says it’s very easy, half GK, half easy cryptic. It was a bit of a rush job to go with an article in this week’s ST, which I only found out about this evening. Can you do a quick blog of it? If not I might be able to find time later in the afternoon.

    I should add that it’s not a prize puzzle – apparently the answers are underneath it upside-down, so maybe a brief explanation of the cryptic clues would be fine.

    Edited at 2013-12-15 02:05 am (UTC)

    1. Thanks for the mention, linxit. For those rummaging through the reams, the extra crossword is part of a full-page article on p26 of the main newspaper.
      1. or for those of us on the digital only edition, it is in “Focus” entitled “Why crosswords still float our boat”

        nb. I liked some of the specific clues quoted very much, (quite right, to ignore all the TFTT cries of “arcana” regarding Mimi!) but I don’t much like the superfluous words in the bigamy one

        Edited at 2013-12-15 01:35 pm (UTC)

        1. Is there any way for those if us still in the CC, and not yet over to digital, to get the article? I get the usual first pp, then an offer to sign up which I’m not ready for for another couple months. It sounds like something to read.

          Re today’s, got stuck on the last few, and took forever to realise that Charlie w/o opener wasn’t nAFF. I know both definitions, but as usual am not fluent in switching from one BritUse to another when necessary. Liked many of the definitions – for some reason the big cheese and quarter to were pleasing.

  3. 37 minutes, so on the wavelength, especially compared to Jeff Pearce’s fine offering today. Yet another COD nomination – mine for SONATA. I am still wondering if ‘appeared’ can be rendered as SHOWN, given the transitivity issues.
  4. This continued my run of lengthy solves though I have a note to remind me that I made good progress until the last five answers which held me up for ages. Didn’t know KEELSON or that Ajax = LIONHEART.

    The additional puzzle 1512 (why? -where has that number come from?) won’t display to print when requested, so it’s a no-go area for me.

    1. Jack: check your email for 1512. No idea about the number*
      Also: if Dave’s busy, I can blog it. Nothing much to do here except listen to the Test Match.

      * Maybe 15/12 = 15th December?

      Edited at 2013-12-15 09:48 am (UTC)

  5. About 45 mins, slightly less than today’s one. I never satisfactorily parsed SONATA so thank you Dave. I dont see the ‘with difficulty’ bit of TOTE as a verb, although I see that the word as a noun can mean a burden.
  6. A really good puzzle, this one. I especially liked the four name clues on the outside.

    But Dave, I don’t understand why you feel the need to attribute a monarch to ER in 27a. You simply need the letters ER, without any particular attribution, to finish the anagram, surely?

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