Times 25,061 – 1404/40=?

Author   topicaltimPosted on Categories Daily Cryptic
Today’s online puzzle bears the caption “Today is the fortieth anniversary of Wadham Sutton’s first crossword for The Times. This is his puzzle no. 1,404.” Given that the paper still favours the cloak of anonymity for the daily puzzle, this is a massive (possibly unprecedented? I’m sure someone will know) tribute to an individual setter; mind you, as my arithmetic suggests he’s been contributing an average 35 puzzles a year for most of my lifetime, it’s thoroughly deserved!

As to the puzzle, just as the Times chooses not to advertise the name of the setter, it generally eschews themed puzzles except on very special occasions. The theme is not a surprise, and is not disguised, so I imagine how much you like it may be influenced by how well you remember the early 70s (I have vivid memories of doing my homework by candlelight in 1974 because of the continuing actions of the 20 across). The style is otherwise very traditional, which I think I would have spotted without being told in advance of the setter’s vintage; and a time of 9:11 indicates that he didn’t mark the occasion with a tough one.

In short, charming puzzle, and happy anniversary to Mr S.

Across
1 FORTY YEARS ON – Play by Alan Bennett with an obvious titular connection. Ys (=”wise”) in FORTE + ARSON.
9 TIMES – SEMITe rev.; closely followed by…
10 CROSSWORD – …CROSS(=not pleased) WORD(=information).
11 FIRESIDE – FIRE(=passion) SIDE(=team); home as in “one’s hearth”.
12 SUTTON – [Time in NOT US]rev. gives the man himself.
13 LEADWORT – LEAD(=direct) (ROW)rev. + This; one of the countless plants of which I have no knowledge, but easily gettable.
15 HARASS – [(A River) in HAS] + Sett.
17 SALUTE – S.A. + LUTE. The use of SA (sex appeal) or just “it” is usually a sign of the more venerable setter.
18 LISTEN UP – (SILENT)* + UP (in court).
20 MINERS – The strike of 1972 was the first in the industry since the General Strike.
21 SKINNING – N,N in SKIING.
24 TESTAMENT – TEST + [MEN in A Tizzy]. Earnest in its nounal sense, as a deposit or promise, and thus testament.
25 X-RAYS – X=a variable, RAYS=”RAISE”, which to an American, e.g. the man revealed in 22 down, would be the equivalent of our “rise”, as in “I went to the boss and demanded a raise because of all the extra work I do”.
26 BEHOLDENNESS – BEHOLD(=see) EN(=printing unit) NESS(=head).
 
Down
1 FATEFUL – lift and separate: Female + hATEFUL minus the Husband.
2 REMARKABLENESS – playful double def: resubmitted schoolwork could obviously then be re-marked.
3 YESES – YE + S,E,S.
4 ENCODERS – COD in (SNEER)*; in 1972, Iceland depended heavily on its fishing industry, leading to various territorial disputes with the UK over fishing rights. Thank goodness they later restored good relations by diversifying into banking.
5 RIOT – double def., “riot of colour”, say, and “running riot”.
6 OBSCURANT – Old Boy‘S + CURrANT without a Run.
7 CONTRAINDICATE – (DIRECTACTIONAunioN)*.
8 ADONIS – A DON (river in Yorkshire or Russia or several other places depending on preference) + IS(=lives).
14 WATERGATE – (GREATTEWA)*, and the biggest political scandal of its age.
16 PICKETED – Energy in PICK TED.
17 SEMITE – S.E. MITE.
19 PEGASUS – E.G. in [PA’S U.S.]
22 NIXON – NIX ON i.e. “nothing on”= barely. See discussion of NIX last week…
23 HERO – tHE ROmans.

33 comments on “Times 25,061 – 1404/40=?”

  1. An appropriately old-fashioned feel to this, with the 1s causing the most head-scratching once I had worked out that RIOT was merely a cryptic clue (‘Merely?’ I rather like them). FORTY YEARS ON blindsided me for several reasons: one, I’d never heard of the play (‘though I once played the part of the false boob salesman in another Bennett play, Habeas Corpus), two, I’ve never come across ‘long suit’ in the ‘strong suit’ sense, and, three, I wasn’t sufficiently mindful of the rubric. 47 minutes; COD to YESES.

    Congratulations to Mr. Sutton (grrh … why did I toy with Merton at 12ac?) on his remarkable longevity and prolificacy. An average of three crosswords per month over 40 years is some going.

  2. Congratulations Wadham. I don’t recall the Times doing anything quite like this before and I think the crossword is the better for it.

    The puzzle is very easy (15 minutes to solve) but an interesting trip down memory lane. 1972 was not the best of years with high inflation, completely inept government, boneheaded unions, and the awfulness of Bloody Sunday in NI. At least it can now be remembered for two “firsts”. Honda’s first car to follow up on its motorbike success and Wadham’s first puzzle!

  3. Yes, well done Wadham Sutton. With that sort of output he can claim to have played a significant role in maintaining the standards of the world’s best and most consistent daily cryptic…
    This effort I didn’t find hard, having seen Forty Years On as a teenager when it first came out, Gielgud and Bennett and all.. most of it straight over the head of this grammar school boy as I recall. And I too spent time thinking about Merton and felt pretty stupid when I did get the answer..
  4. And more congrats to WS from me. Took ages to parse the killer 1ac (“wise” = YY!). And much tempted by EUSTON instead of SUTTON (12ac). But what else could it be?

    Much to love here except the literal for SEMITE (17dn). It has nothing specifically to do with Jewishness, or the blood (=descent?) thereof, if you check out the etymology.

    1. As I read the etymology, all Jews are Semites, as are many other people of middle eastern origin… so it is correct if not specific; there again anti-semitic “overwhelmingly refers to Jews only” (Wikipedia) so IMO it works well as a literal. Great puzzle, evoking those dark days of 1972. Congratulations Mr S.
      1. I guess that makes it a Dame Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire.
  5. Forgot to note the start time, but this felt around the 15 minute mark. If I hadn’t read the article, I’m sure it would have taken longer, as 1ac was pretty opaque (took me ages to parse even when I knew what it was). Since I was looking for thematic answers (“It will, one hopes, not be giving too much away to reveal that the puzzle contains the odd reference to 1972 and the passage of time over the past four decades”) it was easy.
    A fine achievement, and a decent, friendly crossword, though I did wonder about the two long NESS words, which had an element of artificialness about them.
    LEADWORT was unknown and lead seems an unlikely component of a weed, but nothing else seemed to go.
    CoD to the sexy guitar at 17 – had an element of chuckleworthiness.
  6. Time slipped away on this one after a quick start and I finished eventually in 39 minutes. The hold-ups at the end were OBSCURANT, HARASS and BEHOLDENNESS. This last one is only listed on-line in Wiktionary as far as I can find, but REMARKABLENESS is in all the usual sources.
  7. All ok, but took me longer than had I read the para below the (paper version of the) clues before starting, rather than after completing, the puzzle.

    Iac was my LOI, and I got it from the theme, working out the parsing afterwards (never heard of the play).

    I too toyed with Merton (and Hoxton) before getting SUTTON.

    I’d not heard of LEADWORT, nor OBSCURANT, but both gettable.

    Nice trip down memory lane…saw ‘The Iron Lady’ earlier this week, so the MINERS and their actions were fresh in my mind.

    Add my congratulations to the setter, a formidable achievement, and thanks too (as ever) for the clear blog.

  8. 24 minutes.
    As I was born in 1972 the historical references in this puzzle weren’t much help to me. There’s a general whiff of the slightly old-fashioned here: “earnest” for TESTAMENT, SKINNING, “it”, the notion that “raise” is an American term. Nothing wrong with that though, and I really rather enjoyed this. Thanks and congratulations to Mr Sutton.
    Thanks for explaining 1ac Tim: I didn’t have a scooby. I’ve never heard of the play, or the expression “long suit”, so it just went in as the most likely-sounding play title from the checkers.
  9. Interesting puzzle, but I’m in awe of the fast solves, I wonder if Wadham Sutton is the source of a lot of my “I’m not on the wavelength of the setter” puzzles. Did it in breaks during a rehearsal and found the long entries a bear, with BEHOLDENNESS the last in.
  10. 20:59 … very worthy puzzle for such a landmark.

    Bravo, Mr. Sutton. And thank you. Here’s to a good many more!

  11. 28 minutes and for me, the easiest one for many a long time; either that or the clock stopped mid-solve. I enjoyed it immensely.

    In ’72, I entered university and Gough Whitlam became PM of Australia, the first Labor government I had ever experienced. Our subsequent careers followed similar trajectories. The words burn and crash come to mind, not necessarily in that order.

    Congrats to the setter, whoever he may be. Indeed a remarkable achievement.

  12. Many congratulations to Wadham. It seems like no time since the 1000th, now 424 puzzles ago!

    Lifting the cloak of anonymity from the puzzle is not a first. I can think of at least one other such instance, not all that long ago, when John Grant’s last puzzle was similarly attributed.

  13. Slow here, a bit tired, a bit nostalgic. 35 enjoyable minutes. Since I’ve probably done about half the Times puzzles since the mid-sixties I must have encountered a few hundred Sutton settings… not for nothing are his initials those of the bard!
  14. Nice puzzle. Like George, I didn’t find this as easy some others seem to have done. Over breakfast I managed to enter only a handful of answers. Then, taking a leaf out of Jimbo’s book, I played a round of golf, after which it all fell into place quite quickly. I agree – very much a “wavelength” puzzle.

    Congrats to Mr Wadham.

  15. A rather quick solve, about 15 minutes, ending with FORTY YEARS ON, which I hadn’t heard of previously. I enjoyed the thematic nature of this outing, and thanks and congratulations to Mr. Sutton. To judge by its inclusion in this themed puzzle, the Cod War of ’72 must have been a real knockdown, drag-out affair. Regards.
  16. 24.30 for me so my PB of 2012 I think. Bravo to the setter from just down the road in Darlington. Thanx for helpful blog as ever. 1972 – my first year at uni so all a bit vague and woolly, now and then.
  17. About 18 minutes split over three sessions today, so I didn’t really get a good run at it. Nice to see the occasional thematic puzzle in The Times, so well done to the editor for letting Mr Sutton have some fun with it on his 40th anniversary puzzle.

    I’ve added this blog entry to the Memories section under Setter milestones.

    PS I thought there was something else going on with that long string of E’s on the diagonal, but it was probably just a coincidence.

  18. 12:59 for me. Possibly tiredness contributed, but I didn’t really enjoy this one much. I don’t like themed puzzles as a general rule, and one going back to the early 1970s seemed particularly unappealing. I mean, just look at the things commemorated: the Miners’ Strike, the Cod War, Watergate, the election of Nixon!!! With HARASS, FATEFUL and RIOT in there as well, I felt decidedly depressed by the end of it.

    The only thing that cheered my up a little (even though it took me ages to get it) was FORTY YEARS ON, which is a delight from start to finish, so I’ll use that as a reason to offer my congratulations to Mr Sutton.

  19. 32 minutes for me, with Euston instead of SUTTON–never heard of the latter, I’m afraid. I share Tony’s opinion about the theme, but still, congratulations and thanks to Mr. Sutton.
  20. A magnificent occasion sadly overshadowed on this blog by people who tell you thay’d have done the puzzle in two minutes if only they hadn’t stopped to blow their nose. You deserve better. Don Manley
    1. >A magnificent occasion sadly overshadowed on this blog by people who tell you
      >thay’d have done the puzzle in two minutes if only they hadn’t stopped to blow their nose.

      You seem to be reading a different blog from me, Don, as I don’t see anyone claiming anything of the sort. Of course if The Times identified the setters of its crosswords, it would be possible to judge Wadham Sutton on his entire output. However, since they don’t, all I could do was say that I didn’t really enjoy this particular one, but nevertheless offer him my congratulations.

      He may indeed deserve better, but it’s impossible for me to tell.

    2. Don

      I’m afraid I feel this is an unworthy response on your part, and completely at odds with what I wrote. I would even go so far as to say it sours the tone of the entire thread, and is curmudgeonly at best. After careful re-reading, I simply fail to see how the blog I wrote is anything but complimentary about WS’s work. I’d be delighted for you to explain more unambiguously what you didn’t like about it so I can amend it or defend it as appropriate.

      I simply don’t understand your point about my time: I quoted 9:11 because that’s the time I recorded, and the idea of this blog is to indicate whether the blogger found it harder or easier than usual, when measured against the benchmark of their usual time. Are you suggesting that by recording this time I am insulting the setter? That it is not an accurate time? That I shouldn’t have given it in the first place, or, if I did, massaged it to make the puzzle appear more testing? I note from the Crossword Club site that Mark Goodliffe solved the puzzle in 5:35 so I wonder if you think the setter deserves better than that?

      Mostly, I’m rather saddened that a man of some distinction in the crosswording world has chosen to attack me in public for what I thought were quite appropriate comments. But as a mere consumer of the product, who has appreciated the Times crossword for many years, what do I know?

  21. In no way was I attacking you personally , TT. Your blogs are generally very fair and I admire the trouble you take. I was however a little disappointed by the grudging congratulations given by TS, almost as an afterthought. Also I think there is sometimes an undue emphasis on time taken rather than on the merits of the puzzle. Any blogger might have begun on this occasion with congratulating WS before saying anything else. For me that would have been good manners. My pathetic attempt at humour obviously misfired, but then you are a fairly serious group. Please now talk among yourselves, but don’t think I won’t feel free every now and again to express an opinion or two taht may seem against the grain! DM
    1. I thought TT’s congratulations generous and appropriate; and as for the times, the clue is in the title. If you don’t like them, a blog called ‘Times for the Times’ will rarely delight you. I think it’s a misreading to suppose that your humour backfired because it is a serious group: it was ill-natured humour and backfired because it is a good-humoured group. You might have started your reply by apologising to TT; *that* would have been good manners for me.
  22. The exchanged involving Don above confirms my belief that the Times crossword should never start attributing its puzzles, with exceptions for special occasions perhaps such as this.
    I don’t think people should feel inhibited from speaking their mind about a puzzle because they know the identity of the setter. And after all, Tony was only expressing an opinion, politely, but honestly. I didn’t notice too many people quoting ridiculous, unrealsitic solving times. If you want to see that phenomenon look no further than the online crossword club leader board!
  23. I am in Hong Kong, so I don’t get the puzzle until three months after it’s been printed in the U.K. Consequently, I don’t normally comment here. But I enjoy reading the blog very much. Unfortunately, the paper in Hong Kong didn’t have any indication that this was a special puzzle to commemorate Sutton’s 40 years of service, so I’m particularly glad I check the blog to learn the details. I finished in about an hour, with one wrong — Sutton. I didn’t know the London borough or the crossword setter. Having missed “about time” in the clue, I hazarded Ruoton, thinking that it was an unlikely name for a borough!

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