Sunday Times 4596 (29 Jun 2014) by Dean Mayer

Author   daveperryPosted on Categories Weekend Cryptic
Solving Time: Offline, about 25 minutes

Quite an easy one by Dean’s standards, but enjoyable as always. Lots of natural surface readings.

I’m not sure that 9d really works – surely an oath is a swear word, which is a four-letter word, and OATH has four letters, so when is it not? I don’t get it. But, that aside, a good crossword. Nothing particularly stands out enough individually for a COD, although I lliked the simplicity and misdirection of 13d.

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

Across
1 PE(TIT)E – ‘to go’ is PEE, a very Anax opener
4 A FAIR COP = (AFRICA)* + OP
10 SUPERNOVA = (SUAVE PORN)*
11 S(P)LIT
12 ROADWORTHINESS = (WASHER SO NO DIRT)*
15 CHAUFFEUR = “SHOW FOR” – more or less, hence ‘casually’
16 AR(O)M + A
17 ONSET – rev hidden
18 TAROT CARD = DRAT about ACTOR all rev
19 THE VIRGIN QUEEN – cd, a virgin being someone who ‘hasn’t done it’
22 rAFTER
23 O(BE + DIE)NCE
25 HACIENDA = (HAD A NICE)*
26 MYRTLE = TRY in ELM all rev
Down
1 PA’S + TRY + CO + OK
2 TIP – dd
3 THREW A FIT = (WITH + AFTER)* – 22a being AFTER
5 FEAT + HERB + RAINED
6 I(BSE)N
7 COLD STORAGE = (GLAD SCOOTER)*
8 PAT + H
9 FOUR-LETTER WORD – I’m not sure I get this – surely an oath often is a four-letter word.
13 ANAESTHETIC = (I CAN SEE THAT)*
14 JARDINIERE = JAR + DIN + (ERE + I) rev
16 ANTIQUITY = IT rev + QUIT all in ANY
20 V + ERSE
21 OATH = OH (I’m disappointed) about (A + T)
24 NUT – dd – National Union of Teachers

8 comments on “Sunday Times 4596 (29 Jun 2014) by Dean Mayer”

  1. I did this quickly but for some reason I went with OBEISANCE initially for 23ac, and then when it became apparent that it was wrong I failed to correct all the letters and ended up with OBEDIANCE. Grr.
    I can’t help with 9dn.
  2. I think the idea is that ‘this’ has 4 letters whereas ‘but’ doesn’t.
  3. 40′. Started fast then slowed down rather. Couldn’t quite get my head round ‘rattle’ meaning jar rather than a succession of jars, but then we’re in the same parish.
  4. I am probably making a serious mistake saying this, but it appears that Dean is definitely much kinder on a Sunday than he used to be. Apart from a slight hold up caused by falling into the obeisance trap, the whole thing only took 9 mins to sort out.
  5. Mostly straightforward. 6dn turns up in a rival cryptic today also at 6dn and using the identical construction.
  6. I think rather that ‘this’ is a four-letter word, but isn’t an oath (21).
  7. Re 9 dn: ‘This’ is (a four-letter word) — ‘but’ isn’t (being a three-letter word) — 21 (‘oath’, often a four-letter word). A clever clue from Mr Mayer.

Comments are closed.