Time taken to solve: 30 minutes for all but the 14s and 27across. These added another 15 minutes to my time. The RH I found more straightforward than the LH and in particular the SW corner put up some resistance. In general I found it a very enjoyable puzzle with little or no specialist knowledge required.
Across | |
---|---|
1 | DELIBERATE – “Reverse effects of emancipation” = De-liberate |
6 | (w)ALTO(n) – The composer is Sir William Walton (1902-1983) |
10 | SE(X)E,D-UP – The ending is PUD (rev) and “roly-poly” is the reversal indicator. |
11 | A,M(O.R.)IST – “Men in uniform” = O.R. (Other Ranks) |
12 | SENSITIVE – Anagram of “in St Ives”, then the last letter of Tate |
13 | RUD(G)E – With reference to Dickens’ Barnaby Rudge |
14 | CUT,I.E. |
15 | TEN,NES,SEE – SEN(ator), NET (all reversed) then “visit” = SEE |
20 | F(AM)ED – “Fed” meaning FBI agent is something I learned here recently |
21 | EIDER – Sounds like “Ida” as in “Mount Ida”. I knew it appeared in Greek mythology but until I just checked I didn’t know there were two of them, one in Crete and the other in Turkey. The duck is famous for its down. |
23 | VAC(ILL)ATE |
26 | IN,VOICE |
27 | T,O,RY – My last in and I spent 7 minute on this one alone! To clarify: T= time, O = circle, RY = line, as in railway line. A Tory is traditionally on the right wing in UK politics. |
28 | IT,I,N(E.R.)ANCY – The city of Nancy should be familiar to all Times crossword puzzlers as an indicator of things French, but here is appears in its own right |
Down | |
1 | D(o)O(r) S(e)E(m)S – “Draught” in its medicinal sense as in “sleeping draught” |
2 | (f)LEXING,TO,N – There seem to be about 20 places called Lexington in the US. I don’t know if they all qualify as cities, but the most widely known ones are in Kentucky, the largest, and in Massachusetts, the oldest and site of a battle in the War of Independence, so I guess this is the one we are expected to think of. |
3 | BEDTIME STORIES – B, then anagram of “editor it seems” |
4 | RE,POINT – I discovered an error here whilst blogging as I originally had REPAINT which I think may almost be valid as an alternative. One can “dot with paint” for example, and Collins mentions “a dot of paint”. However I’m sure REPOINT is the answer intended here and on further reflection, perhaps repainting is not really a repair. |
5 | TRADE-IN – The idea is that it sounds like “Trait din”. The problem with this is that many people don’t pronounce “trait” as “tray”, they say “trate” and this is given as a valid alternative in the dictionaries. It seems odd that the setter didn’t start this clue with “Some” as it is needed here, whereas he did so at 21 where I think it is redundant because as far as I am aware “Ida” and “eider” actually do always sound the same. Shame Jimbo isn’t around. |
7 | LAI(R)D – LAID = “set out” around the final letter of motor |
8 | O,(a)N THE M,END |
9 | F(OUR)-LEA,F.C.,LOVER – Traditionally a bringer of good luck |
14 | COMP(l)ETE,N.T. – Another very late one in for me as I don’t associate “expert” with “competent”, I think it usually suggests something more. However, although none of the dictionaries shows a direct link, Collins Thesaurus does, and I believe there’s also a meaning in law by which a “competent” witness means an expert. |
16 | SUMMAT,1,ON – Hm. “Summat” is UK dialect for “something” but it’s not confined to the north and not everyone in the north says it that way. |
22 | DOPER – Hidden word. Collins doesn’t list it. COED does but with no definition. Chambers has the criminal meaning required here. |
24 | EL(E.G.)Y |
Look-up check for a mountain called IDA.
I have never heard anyone pronounce trait as tray. Perhaps I don’t move in the right circles. I thought maybe this was a mischievous homophone ie. trez din, very noisy being a characteristic of a second-hand car. This is a case of manipulating the clue to meet with one’s preferred answer. Anyway, it was right.
Instead of:
…some people share the traits of their pets.
you would get:
…some people share the trays of their pets.
I’d go further than Jack on the incompetent definition of COMPETENT (14dn): sure, sometimes a witness must be an expert in order to be competent, but that doesn’t mean that “competent” means expert – rather, it means suitable.
Clues of the Day: 20ac (FAMED), 23ac (VACILLATE), 22dn (DOPER).
I thought ‘repoint’ and “Walton’ were rather obscure, although well-known to me. Here in NYC, we are obliged by law to repoint our brickwork every five years. I didn’t bother with the cryptic in ‘trade-in’, which is probably just as well.
Quibbles aside, another enjoyable crossword in a week of good ‘uns.
I was beginning to wonder how many other words I have been mispronouncing without anyone telling me.
There was a young man from Bombay,
Who kept switching his sounding of ‘trait’.
Though some would berate
This character trait,
He would shrug and say “Nobody’s parfait”.
Had to take the car for its MOT this morning so I hoped this puzzle would be challenging enough to make the waiting room experience bearable. Almost, but not quite – probably 15 minutes although I wasn’t watching the clock; sadly what I was watching – distractedly/distractingly – was utterly dreadful daytime television. I hope to God I never reach retirement age.
The solve would have been quicker but for a lengthy delay at 14A/14D, 21A and 27A, 21A finally going in on the basis that “it fits”. Like Jack I had an absolute mare trying to unravel 27A but got there eventually.
Another one who isn’t convinced that “roly-poly” works at 10A, but I’m prepared to let it pass since the word sort of playfully suggests a reversal even if it doesn’t mean one.
Interesting to note FED used as “FBI agent” at 20A. A recent puzzle by … ahem, cough, splutter … featured the same device and … ahem, cough, splutter … had to admit the error (a typo).
I ticked 11A and 9D as COD candidates – will settle on the latter as wrestling good clues out of long answers is never easy.
Q-1 (If … ahem, cough, splutter … couldn’t get away with it…) E-7 D-7 COD 9D FOUR-LEAF CLOVER
I liked 16 with it’s dialect reference.
I like the construction of the four-leaf c but my COD nod goes to 1a for a good spot
If this isn’t intended ironically, then I have found my spiritual home. Praise be.
Mind you, that was pushing 60 years ago, and my mother had bought the dictionary while at teachers training college many years prior to that.
You were taught correctly. Teachers taught proper in those days (daits?).
And I bet you don’t say “haitch”, either!!!