Solving time : 30 minutes
This is my first analysis and I have been dreading getting the hardest puzzle in twenty years.
In the event it’s relatively straightforward but with several homophones, which are not my favourite type of clue because they don’t always work in your particular accent. For me there are no outstanding clues but 13 across and 2 down are quite good.
Across | |
---|---|
1 | BUCCANEER – sounds like “Buchan” + sounds like “here” |
9 | WILDCAT – again so soon. Two meanings. |
10 | INVADER – (t)IN-VA-DER |
11 | SHAKE – two meanings |
12 | NICOTIANA – (inaction + a)* – proper name for tobacco |
13 | DAILY – DALLY with “L” turned to “I” |
14 | ENTRAMMEL – (lament + mre)* – mre from m(a)r(k)e(d) |
17 | MINNESOTA – M-INNE-SOT-A – “Inne” is olde worlde |
18 | TAKEN – TA-KEN – “ken” is Scots for knowledge |
19 | SUSPENDED – refers to suspended sentence |
22 | RIPON – RIP = scam but with ON rather than OFF |
24 | ECHIDNA – E-CHID-NA the anteater – CHID in (p)ENA(l) |
25 | OIL CAKE – OIL(y) + CAKE = set as in mud |
27 | ELSEWHERE – E-LSE-WHERE E=English, LSE=London School of Economics, WHERE sounds like “Wear” |
 | |
Down | |
1 | BOWLS – two meanings |
2 | COLLATION – COL-LATI-O-N – COL = officer, O= o(rdered) in LATIN |
3 | ARCHETYPE – ARCHE(r) + TYPE |
5 | RAIN CATS AND DOGS – (conga is standard)* |
6 | RIVET – (p)RIVET |
7 | MEDIA – two meanings (reference the Medes) |
8 | TARPAULIN – TAR + PAULIN(e) |
13 | DAMASCENE – two meanings, from Damascus and putting gold onto Toledo swords |
15 | AFTERGLOW – (great wolf)* |
16 | MAKE PEACE – homophone for William MAKEPEACE Thackeray |
21 | ENDOW – hidden word (m)en do w(ithout) |
23 | NIECE – seems like a straight non-cryptic definition |
Otherwise, pretty straightforward puzzle. No stand-out COD candidates, solving time around 15 minutes.
pub in Maine + M(inn)E
drunkard = sot
area = A
The abbrev. for Maine is ME
Barbara from USA
Having completed this puzzle yesterday because of the error on the Club site I downloaded the monthly puzzle for my journey to work this morning during which time I put in only four words and three of those are guesses. This has done wonders for my self-confidence. Not.
Anyway 23763 was not very exciting or distinguished by interesting cluing. My COD would be 22a because it at least raised a smile.
I think in 17a the E comes from ME (Maine) rather than ye olde inne.
Barbara
Clarification on 23D:
Online: Brother’s, daughter (5) [with mistaken comma]
Print: Relative peace ultimately found on the Riviera (5).
Other COD possibles: 11 (possibly chestnutty) and 26.
Good luck when tougher Tuesday puzzles come along…
Edited at 2007-11-20 11:25 am (UTC)
However, is not the point of 1 ac that it sounds like Buchan + ‘ere? I think this was my COD, despite its being, as Peter Biddlecombe would say, a bit chestnutty. It was amusing in itself, with the bonus of taking us back into the quaintly old-fashioned world of the Times xword where the East End of London is presumed still to be populated exclusively by cheerful-chappie cockneys who drop their aitches.
Elsewhere, ‘elsewhere’ was the last to fall, not knowing LSE!
If I had a COD it would be 5d only because that’s exactly what it has been doing here all morning!
6a Send clocklike device back (5)
REMIT. TIMER backwards.
26a European bishop entering vulgar joint (5)
E L B OW
4d Friendly relations in Paris? (7,8)
ENTENTE CORDIALE. It was pre-Brexit.
20d Blood relative defending a hard gentleman in India (5)
S AH IB. I never think of my brother and sister as sibs but sib = sibling appears to be allowed.