Sunday Times 4626 (25 Jan 2015) by Dean Mayer

Author   daveperryPosted on Categories Weekend Cryptic
Solving time: 54 minutes

All manner of sensibilities seem to have been ruffled with this one. Probably a combination of 11d & 20a that did it. Personally I think these people need to get out more. Seemed all good fun to me – an excellent puzzle. Dean’s tricks up to their usual standard.

My COD goes to 24a, I think.

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

Across
1 ON (available) + CachE
3 TO THE NINES = (NOT IN THESE)*
9 T’ + RAY
10 PER (a) + MEAT (substance, as in the meat of an argument) + I + ON
12 FELL IN + I (international)
13 DI(ALE)CT
14 SWING THE LEAD = (LENGTHWISE)* + AD
17 UNREST + RAINED
20 AT A LOSS = A TOSS (A monkey, as in ‘to not give a …’) about (A + L)
21 RELEASE – dd
22 DEAD-END JOB – cd
24 goOGLE – I liked this one
25 COUR(THOU)SE – semi-&lit
26 B(powdeR)UT
Down
1 OU (SA slang term for man) + TO + FUSE
2 CHA + PLAIN
4 ONE-NIGHTERS = O + (REIGNS THEN)*
5 HUMan
6 NIAGARA FALLS = FAR AGAIN rev + ALL’S
7 NAILED = (IN A)* + LED (little light)
8 SANITY (mind) = SANITARY (pure) with A + R removed
11 VIRGIN FOREST – cd – one’s ‘cherry’ being one’s virginity
13 DELETERIOUS = DELETE + (IS OUR)*
15 END + ANGER
16 A + D(HER)ENT
18 BAR + DICk
19 XANADU = X + AU about (AND)* – plastic is the anagrind
23 D(U)O

9 comments on “Sunday Times 4626 (25 Jan 2015) by Dean Mayer”

  1. 41:42 …. very tough, but well worth it.

    Some lovely surfaces (I especially liked “Tea with modest clergyman”), and extra kudos to Dean M for achieving the rare feat of getting every clue into one line of text (on my screen at least). I suspect that’s an awful lot harder to do than it sounds.

    I think the bit of fuss on the Forum was the result of certain people being vaguely familiar with the expression alluded to in 11d but not familiar enough! A working knowledge of end-of-pier euphemism and how’s-your-father-related vocab. seems like a prerequisite for crossword solving.

    Great Sunday puzzle all round.

  2. I think I took the best part of 2 hours over this one but I did enjoy it I and agree with comment about some people needing to get out more. If I have a minor quibble it’s with the South African slang at 1dn, but it’s only one part in three of the wordplay and the other two parts and the definition are crystal clear so I had no problem solving the clue.

    Edited at 2015-02-01 01:48 pm (UTC)

  3. Enthused by getting there or thereabouts with several cryptics in the week leading up to this one, I was firmly reminded of my ability (or lack of) by spending an hour only to get 12a.And believe me I tried.Never heard of ou.
    For what it’s worth I am quite happy with clues like 11d and 20a in Cyclops in PE or Anus in Viz but think they are totally out of place in the ST -and I do get out a lot.

    Edited at 2015-02-01 02:00 pm (UTC)

  4. 24:30 for a very enjoyable puzzle. I thought 11dn was particularly good. I might be mildly surprised to see it in a daily puzzle but but the conventions are different in the ST puzzles, and a good thing too. Clueing VIRGIN FOREST without making it slightly naughty would just be a wasted opportunity.

    Edited at 2015-02-01 04:11 pm (UTC)

  5. Very enjoyable stuff from a master setter. Anyone who thinks the ST is not the place for clues like this has a very different view of the ST to me, and anyway the clues in question were pretty harmless
  6. Really enjoyed tussling with this one. Finally thwarted in the SW corner with BARDIC, XANADU and DEAD END JOB all eluding me (still struggling to really make sense of 22 ac).

    Many excellent clues, with OGLE my favourite.

  8. Simply couldn’t see any possibilities for 10ac and 8d other than–wait for it–PERMEATION & SANITY–and couldn’t see any way to justify either. Oh, well. I was quite surprised to see 11ac–one of the very few times I’ve laughed out loud at a solution–and I wonder if there is a US/UK divide on the (not) offending term. When I was a child, at least, ‘cherry’ in the relevant sense was definitely taboo; it would never have occurred to me to use it in public, and I was a fairly foul-mouthed boy.

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