Times 24177

Author   richardvgPosted on Categories Daily Cryptic

Solving time: 25 mins with one missing

I think this was a tricky puzzle, but I made heavy weather of it. In the end, after spending several minutes working out the difficult 27A, I simply could not see the relatively straightforward 14A.

One thing contributing to my slowness was getting wrong directions fixed in my head and not discarding them efficiently. This happened with 26A, and 7 ,18 and 20D

I can’t entirely explain why, but among several really good clues I like 22 (IMPUDENTLY) best.

Across

1 SPECIFIC – two meanings, the second rather old-fashioned
9 HIER (=”higher”) + ARCH – “superior, speaking” is a better-disguised homophone than most
10 MARQU(IS)E
11 CALLE(D) IN – ie D in (a)LLIANCE*
12 CON TRIBUTE – definition just “Give” and the rest clues the whole phrase
14 (s)PORT – I can’t explain why I couldn’t see this. Apart from “cobber”, and “mate” which is in the clue, “sport” is the most obvious word.
15 STREETS = (STEER T(axi)S)(rev)
17 (c)A(l)L(s)F(o)R(n)E(w)D(e)A(l)
21 LUGE – reversed hidden
22 I’M PUD (g)ENTLY – lovely
23 (join)T + AC + I TURN
25 N(ew) + AR(CO)TIC
26 O.R. D(N)ANCE – easy once I stopped trying to fit an X in
27 RE (on) B(ail) + UTTER (say) – a variant of REBUTTAL with which I was not familiar

Down

2 PLAY SOUT(h) – I do prefer bridge references to cricket ones
5 CHECK (=Czech) + UP
6 WELL-HEELED – two definitions, with the split between “be” and “more”
7 A RID(ZO N)E, the insert being (N(orthern) OZ)(rev) – became easier once I abandoned the idea that SAND was part of the answer
8 (ma)CHINA TE + A – very clever
15 SO LUT(I)ON
16 REGI(C.I.D.)E – the container being EIGER(rev)
18 RUN A BOUT – my distraction this time was RING
19 DOLOMITE – (OLD TIME (tang)O)* – having recently visited the Dolomites, this came fairly quickly
20 S + PINNER – I foolishly wasted time running through 7-letter South London areas
24 C + RAB – BAR(rev) – I wasn’t certain of this unfamiliar definition. Which probably made 27A slower

20 comments on “Times 24177”

  1. I stopped counting on this one as I did it in several dribs and drabs, but I’m sure it took at least an hour. The NE corner went in quite easily and the SE followed but the LH was a real battle of attrition.

    I was particularly vexed by 20. Having lived near Pinner for 25 years and actually IN it for a further 5 it never occurred to me until I had all the checkinig letters in place.

  3. I didn’t get a clear run at this and had to do it in fits and start, so I have no idea of time, but it was certainly at the harder end of the spectrum of difficulty.

    I’d go along with Richard for 22ac as COD, but some tricky wordplay and good surfaces abound.

    There seemed to be a bit of a transport/travel theme – “transport” is in 3 clues, and several other involve some form of journey or means of transport. I can’t see that it can have much significance though, so maybe just coincidence.

  4. This felt quite difficult while I was solving, so I was surprised when I stopped the clock at 13:24 as it seemed slower than that. That’s despite the fact that the last two minutes were spent trying to guess the answer to 7D from the crossing letters. Eventually I actually looked at the wordplay and got it.

    I’ve just realised I got 2D right for the wrong reason, thinking it was PLAY S(h)OUT (some obscure game I just invented obviously).

  5. 33:46 .. I found this very tricky, but immensely satisfying (especially when REBUTTER turned out to be right).

    I agree with Richard that IMPUDENTLY is a belter – ‘lightly topped’, in a dessert-based clue, is delicious. Grade A puzzle.

    One Across Rock .. Delta blues legend Specific Lee Streets

  6. Couldn’t finish this last night so slept on it and got the last few this morning (PLAYS OUT last to go in creepy – I thought maybe there was a game called SHOUT as well).

    I had a granuiad moment in thinking 1 was a cryptic definition (ugh) and wrote in DIURETIC. Some very nice wordplay, 8, 12 and 25 in particular.

  7. I also had two stabs at this. Mostly done in one session of 35 minutes, leaving 5 gaps in the NW corner ( 1,2,3,4,10). Looking at it again an hour later I saw FAIR, whereupon all but one clue fell like dominoes, starting with SPECIFIC, but 2 dn still stumped me. I could think only of PHASE OUT, which was grammatically wrong (apart from not fitting the wordplay), so 1 clue short today.
  8. I think we’ll have to come to some consensus on the rules of the game of SHOUT. It seemed the obvious place to put the H. Realisation of the true construction came much later (after I googled it and couldn’t find anything very convincing).

    Some very smooth clue writing here. I Liked 12, 15ac, 27, 3, 8, etc. The two double meaning clues were as good as they get I thought. But you’re right that 22ac gets COD, even though it troubled me less than some of the others, particularly on the left.

    Also a sense of deja vu with TACITURN, WELL HEELED and RUNABOUT appearing in recent Jumbo, Times & Sunday Times puzzles respectively.

  9. Also found this hard – 13:15 so Andy nearly had a win. 24/25/27 were last – not helped by “bail for a start say” suggesting a final BEE = the initial “B” of bail – something like ‘rebarbee’ seemed possible as a legal term. Also slow on 2 and 8. Many wordplays with different interpretations to ponder – I went the same way as Richard at 18, and wanted 19 to be (old-time)*,O until {rock = -ITE} from word-endings took charge. And I surely can’t have been the only one trying to fit ICI into something like NICIOTIN at 25. The daft PLAQU(IS)E at 10 occurred to me too late to matter, and “play Shout” was an idea just before the truth dawned.

    Best of luck to US solvers with Luton Airport! Glued permanently in British minds to this Campari ad. (Poor sound but the only clip I can find). Can’t think of anything as entertaining for Pinner.

    8D gets my COD vote as a change from 22, but 21A was fun too. 22 and 26 nicely avoided stock wordplays IMP(r)UDENTLY and ORD(i)NANCE.

  10. 50 minutes, starting in the NW and finishing in the SE, with the combination of 19 / 24 / 27 giving me a good 10 minutes of grief at the end. Lots of nice clues here, COD maybe 15ac.
  11. As I surmised yesterday, my attempt at a week of each puzzle completed in under 30 minutes failed miserably today.

    I still had thirteen left to do after 30 minutes and struggled, even with a bit of help, to complete in under the hour. The NW corner was by far the most difficult for me with NE and SE going in fairly easily by comparison.

    All very fair though. I learnt a new meaning for SPECIFIC. I had the right idea on 10ac but was not familiar with MARQUISE.

    I liked the clue for CHINA TEA once I finally saw how it worked.

  12. A cracker, as many have already said. Lots of very tricky wordplay. I liked 12ac – so obvious once the penny dropped, but, in my case at least, it was a long time a-dropping. Also excellent wordplay at 8dn, though the “leaves for drink” reference, and the presence of a three-letter word in the answer, was a pretty strong hint that “tea” had to feature somewhere. I needed several bites at the cherry, so no accurate timing.
  13. As with most others found this quite tough. 24 minutes. REBUTTER was a new word to me and struggled with 2,9 and 12 among others. Last to go in was SOLUTION where I spent ages just trying to get a word to fit! Agree about 22 but also thought 8 was an equally good clue.
    Don’t suppose Alfreda will be appearing in the list of top names this year any more than Jamesina, Williamina etc. will
  14. Excellent puzzle, difficult but fair with some really excellent clues (all mentioned above) – 22A is my personal favourite but not by much. About 40 minutes to solve so easily the most difficult of the week. Well done setter!!
  15. Each of these clues uses a meaning that I’m sure exists but which I couldn’t find in any of the standard dictionaries: ‘plays out’, and ‘marque’. Did I simply not look carefully enough?

    I don’t think anyone mentioned 15ac, which was in my opinion the best of a good bunch.

    1. marque = (car) nameplate is there in my old Collins. So is ‘play out’ = finish
  16. I definitely prefer the Cricket references – especially when I don’t even know a clue IS a bridge reference. Add me to the list of SHOUT players at 2d.

    There are 3 left out:

    3d Some might say little bird is a flirt (8)
    COQUETTE. Only easy once you have the Q from MARQUISE at 10a.

    4d Market square (4)
    FAIR

    13d What conspirators are up to is fascinating (10)
    INTRIGUING

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