Sunday Times 4586 and Dave Perry

Posted on Categories Weekend Cryptic
Bad news I’m afraid. Dave emailed me yesterday to inform me he’s had a stroke, so will obviously be unavailable for blogging duties until further notice. I had intended to do his Sunday Times blog myself, but work had to take precedence today (I’ve been online non-stop since 7am). It’s a bit late now, but if anyone else can post something I’ll be grateful.

I’m sure everyone here will join me in wishing Dave a speedy recovery.

paul_in_london provided a blog in the comments, just reposting it here for more visibility.

SUNDAY TIMES CRYPTIC 4586 – By Jeff Pearce
A smooth puzzle with some good clues and some equally nice fill in the grid. I don’t have a time – but think of this as on the easier side, as I both finished and was able to parse everything (except, perhaps, 1a). But let’s be realistic: I’d rather be reading David’s comments on this puzzle than this. Our thoughts are all with him.

1a SPATCHCOCK = a kind of snipe, which is a bird famous for the most part for not existing when a rookie is sent out to look for it. mohn2 points out its a dd.

6a ITCH = burn. (HA)ITCH = a phonetic for the letter H. This is not exactly a made-up-word, but who really knows how to spell the letter? Aitch? Haitch? Even possibly Hetch.

9a ATONE = remedy. A + TONE = temper

10a MIGRATION = movement of people. MIG = Jet (the old Russian fighter which Tom Cruise made short work of in Top Gun) + RATION = helping in the sense of a serving

12a TREASURE TROVE = a valuable find. Cherish = TREASURE; TROVE = voter*, the anagrind is new

14a UNSEEMLY = inappropriate. Not always an exact synonym, but we’re in crossword land and it’s close enough, I think. Cooking = anagrind, MENUS (r)ELY*

15a SHINTO = faith, in Japan, and a bit of an international problem this week due to politicians visiting a Shinto shrine which holds the remains of some WWII war criminals, thereby putting visiting Obama in a pickle and irritating the Chinese, Koreans, and others. HINT – clue, SO – provided (that) outside (without)

17a BASSET = hound. Prediction – BET (again, close enough for crosswords) outside ASS – donkey

19a PHOSGENE = poison. PHONE = ring, holding S for Sulphur, EG for say, reversed

21a SPITTING IMAGE = show on TV. S – second, MAGE – game* anagrind silly, around (in) PITTING – competing, as in pitted against + I – one (thanks mohn – I’d missed out the I)

24a BALLERINA = dancer. BALL – has a great time (has a ball), plus A – American, around ERIN (Ireland)

25a IRATE = mad. The bucaneer is a PIRATE this time (not the Glazer family’s other sports holding), losing the P. I think we’ve seen something similar several times recently

26a NUDE = Painting (of a kind). cd – barely exhibited, which works, well enough I think, in the overall scheme of cryptic definitions. I’ll save my whining for one that doesn’t get me to the answer quite as easily.

27a HARDHEADED = tough. HARD(y) – truncated novelist Thomas, HEADED – in charge (of)

1d SHAM = fake. SHAM(e) – pity, truncated

2d AGOUTIS = Rodents. OK, I’ll admit it. I needed to check this in the dictionary to make sure I had it right. But the wordplay is clear: GOUT – disease, inside the last half of calAIS

3d CRÈME DE MENTHE = almost &lit. – make drunk with offer of this. DE MENT – make crazy inside an anagram of CHEER ME, anagrind drunk.

4d CAMISOLE = undergarment. E MAILS* CO – small company. About is the somewhat weak anagrind

5d CIGAR = smoke. IG – US soldier GI (we’ve debated this one enough, I think) upended, inside CAR – vehicle

7d TRICORN – an old-fashioned hat. Hidden in eccenTRIC OR Novelty

8d HANDED OVER = passed (along or over to). HAND – member of a boat’s crew, E – our favourite (or at least most crosswordly useful) drug, DOVER – port

11d ANTIHISTAMINE = substance that chemists sell, and almost a giveaway definition. IN THE MAIN IT’S A*, anagrind is manufactured

13d RUBBISH BIN = cd, though a bit weak at the ‘bin’ end perhaps. As an American it took me ages to learn that PANTS is both underwear (not trousers) and is rubbish. I’m guessing that the rubbish useage is derivative.

16d THAILAND = country. A bit complicated: HAIL – greet, inside TAN – brown, with D – dam at the end. I’m not sure if the D = dam abbreviation is from horse breeding or map drawing.

18d SKID LID = slang for a crash helmet. SLID – moved smoothly, around KID – child

20d EMERALD = green. LEADER* angrind is new, around M – maiden, our cricket reference for the day

22d NAIRA = African rhino, that is, slang for the currency in Nigeria. First letters (starts to) of Nudge Antelope In Rural Area

23d WEED A bit cheeky regardless of whether it’s drug speak or potty-mouth.

22 comments on “Sunday Times 4586 and Dave Perry”

  1. That’s very sad. I really enjoyed his blogs. I hope he has a speedy recovery
  2. Sorry to hear about Dave – hope he’s soon on the mend. I can knock out a quick blog now.
  3. SUNDAY TIMES CRYPTIC 4586 – By Jeff Pearce
    A smooth puzzle with some good clues and some equally nice fill in the grid. I don’t have a time – but think of this as on the easier side, as I both finished and was able to parse everything (except, perhaps, 1a). But let’s be realistic: I’d rather be reading David’s comments on this puzzle than this. Our thoughts are all with him.

    1a SPATCHCOCK = a kind of snipe, which is a bird famous for the most part for not existing when a rookie is sent out to look for it. mohn2 points out its a dd.

    6a ITCH = burn. (HA)ITCH = a phonetic for the letter H. This is not exactly a made-up-word, but who really knows how to spell the letter? Aitch? Haitch? Even possibly Hetch.

    9a ATONE = remedy. A + TONE = temper

    10a MIGRATION = movement of people. MIG = Jet (the old Russian fighter which Tom Cruise made short work of in Top Gun) + RATION = helping in the sense of a serving

    12a TREASURE TROVE = a valuable find. Cherish = TREASURE; TROVE = voter*, the anagrind is new

    14a UNSEEMLY = inappropriate. Not always an exact synonym, but we’re in crossword land and it’s close enough, I think. Cooking = anagrind, MENUS (r)ELY*

    15a SHINTO = faith, in Japan, and a bit of an international problem this week due to politicians visiting a Shinto shrine which holds the remains of some WWII war criminals, thereby putting visiting Obama in a pickle and irritating the Chinese, Koreans, and others. HINT – clue, SO – provided (that) outside (without)

    17a BASSET = hound. Prediction – BET (again, close enough for crosswords) outside ASS – donkey

    19a PHOSGENE = poison. PHONE = ring, holding S for Sulphur, EG for say, reversed

    21a SPITTING IMAGE = show on TV. S – second, MAGE – game* anagrind silly, around (in) PITTING – competing, as in pitted against + I – one (thanks mohn – I’d missed out the I)

    24a BALLERINA = dancer. BALL – has a great time (has a ball), plus A – American, around ERIN (Ireland)

    25a IRATE = mad. The bucaneer is a PIRATE this time (not the Glazer family’s other sports holding), losing the P. I think we’ve seen something similar several times recently

    26a NUDE = Painting (of a kind). cd – barely exhibited, which works, well enough I think, in the overall scheme of cryptic definitions. I’ll save my whining for one that doesn’t get me to the answer quite as easily.

    27a HARDHEADED = tough. HARD(y) – truncated novelist Thomas, HEADED – in charge (of)

    1d SHAM = fake. SHAM(e) – pity, truncated

    2d AGOUTIS = Rodents. OK, I’ll admit it. I needed to check this in the dictionary to make sure I had it right. But the wordplay is clear: GOUT – disease, inside the last half of calAIS

    3d CRÈME DE MENTHE = almost &lit. – make drunk with offer of this. DE MENT – make crazy inside an anagram of CHEER ME, anagrind drunk.

    4d CAMISOLE = undergarment. E MAILS* CO – small company. About is the somewhat weak anagrind

    5d CIGAR = smoke. IG – US soldier GI (we’ve debated this one enough, I think) upended, inside CAR – vehicle

    7d TRICORN – an old-fashioned hat. Hidden in eccenTRIC OR Novelty

    8d HANDED OVER = passed (along or over to). HAND – member of a boat’s crew, E – our favourite (or at least most crosswordly useful) drug, DOVER – port

    11d ANTIHISTAMINE = substance that chemists sell, and almost a giveaway definition. IN THE MAIN IT’S A*, anagrind is manufactured

    13d RUBBISH BIN = cd, though a bit weak at the ‘bin’ end perhaps. As an American it took me ages to learn that PANTS is both underwear (not trousers) and is rubbish. I’m guessing that the rubbish useage is derivative.

    16d THAILAND = country. A bit complicated: HAIL – greet, inside TAN – brown, with D – dam at the end. I’m not sure if the D = dam abbreviation is from horse breeding or map drawing.

    18d SKID LID = slang for a crash helmet. SLID – moved smoothly, around KID – child

    20d EMERALD = green. LEADER* angrind is new, around M – maiden, our cricket reference for the day

    22d NAIRA = African rhino, that is, slang for the currency in Nigeria. First letters (starts to) of Nudge Antelope In Rural Area

    23d WEED A bit cheeky regardless of whether it’s drug speak or potty-mouth.

    Edited at 2014-04-28 01:12 am (UTC)

  4. 6a: It’s most definitely AITCH, as in “to drop one’s aitches” — the dictionaries all agree. The erroneous “haitch” is, ironically, an over-reaction to attempting not to do so!

    1ac: ODO tells us the second meaning:

    • informal, chiefly Brit. add (a phrase, sentence, clause, etc.) in a context where it is inappropriate: a new clause has been spatchcocked into the Bill.

    So a double def.

    Edited at 2014-04-28 01:10 am (UTC)

    1. Thx, McT. Do me a favor and run your eye over the parsings with a little extra care. I did this pretty quickly and might have missed something else.
  5. I take some comfort from reading that it was Dave himself who notified you, Andy. I hope to see him here as soon as possible.
  6. This must have been my PB for STs, until yesterday’s, when I knocked a further 9seconds off. I’d like to flatter myself that I’m getting better, but it looks like the setters are getting gentler. DNK 1ac in the sense defined, or 18d. 9ac was my LOI; didn’t think ‘remedy’=ATONE. I always think it’s a bit much referring to SHINTO as a faith; more a set of behaviors, but still.
  7. No time recorded but I think most of it went in smoothly except the NW corner where disaster befell me having written ATONE at 9ac with some degree of confidence. This made 2dn impossible to solve and I wasted hours (not literally, but it felt like it at the time) attempting to do so. I did sort it out eventually but by then I had lost all interest in the thing.

    I’d like to send my very best wishes to my co-Friday blogger. Hope to see you back here soon, Dave.

  8. … from a predecessor who received very strong support from this community when the medics had to fiddle with his grey matter.
  9. So sorry to hear about Dave. I hope it’s not too debilitating. Best wishes for a speedy recovery. The crossword was a relatively straightforward 30 minutes. It would have been quicker but I was reluctant to put SPATCHCOCK in until I had all the checkers. I only know the word as a kind of flattened chicken you can get in Marks & Spencer. Ann
  10. I’m having a lot of difficulty in getting online with TftT so this is a bit ‘day late and a dollar short’ but I do want to offer my best wishes for a speedy recovery to Dave. God speed!

Comments are closed.