Times 25220

Author   daveperryPosted on Categories Daily Cryptic
Solving time: 32:30

Not quite within the half-hour today, but still a fast time for a blogging day. I daresay there will be some fast times by the speed merchants. I probably could have been under 30 minutes, if I hadn’t invented the word HEDONISED at 10a and then spent a couple of minutes trying to justify DADDY for 4d. I eventually realised that HEDONISED had too many Es to fit the wordplay and corrected it.

14a made me smile so I’ll give that my COD. Otherwise, little to report.

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

Across
1 STAR + CH
4 DECIMAL – rev hidden
9 ROMANce – A typeface, particularly appropriate for the Times
10 HUMANISED = (U + MAN + IS) all in (HE + D)
11 PAR + SIMONY – I knew the word PARSIMONY, but not the word SIMONY which is an ecclesiastical sin.
12 LO + USE
13 E + IRE
14 FRIENDLESS = (FRI + ENDLESS)
18 SEPARATIST = PARA + SIT rev all in SET
20 GALA = LAG rev + A
23 DRIVEl
24 MAN + DATING
25 OUT + FITTER
26 CHE + ER
27 ST + RANGE
28 IN + TEND
Down
1 STRIPPERS – dd – You can get male strippers too, of course. It depends what sort of clubs you frequent!
2 A + D(M)IRER
3 CANDIDates
4 DUMMY – dd – In bridge, one hand is always laid face up on the table and this hand is known as the dummy.
5 CONCLUDE = CON + CLUE about worD
6 MISRULE = (cLUMSIER)*
7 L + EDGE
8 THEOCRAT = (THE + RAT) about CO rev
15 ELSINORE = (IRON + StEEL)*
16 STAGGERED = STAG + EG rev + RED
17 ARMENIAN = (MARIANNE)* + MARIANNE
19 P(O)INTER – Harold Pinter is the playwright in question
21 ABILENE = (A + BEELINe)*
22 CANada + CANada
23 DROPS – td
24 MET + RE

37 comments on “Times 25220”

  1. Yes, Dave, a relatively easy workout for a Friday morning. Main hold ups were: not seeing the part-anagram in 6dn (lumsier than usual?) and looking for an R and a G (from “drugs”) in 12ac; so a bit stuck in the top right. The only difficult parsing, apart from these, was 18ac where -ISM looked possible.
  2. Congrats on the early blog, Dave!

    A disappointing 35 minutes – disappointing because I thought I had all but one answer in 20 minutes and it took me another 15 to identify where the problem lay.

    The one remaining was 23ac where I was left trying to fill S?I?E having put SPOTS at 23dn i.e. anagram (treatment) of ‘stops’ = ‘spots’ = ‘eyes’ which I think works as an alternative answer. It would be have been a bit feeble of course but to be honest some of the other clues today were so straightforward it didn’t strike me as particularly out of place as it might have done in a more challenging puzzle.

    I’m probably not reading it correctly but I can’t quite see how ‘stiff’ = STARCH at 1ac. I’d have thought ‘starchy’.

    Edited at 2012-07-20 12:38 am (UTC)

  3. 10:40 .. guessed at ABILENE, never having heard of either the one in Texas or the one in Kansas. I browsed through the Wiki entry for Abilene, Tx, looking for an interesting fact. The only one I could spot was that it was named after the one in Kansas.

    Same question as jackkt re STARCH=stiff.

    1. I have heard of something called the ‘Abilene Syndrome’ which is when a group of friends end up doing something no-one really wants to do, each only doing it because they think all the others want to. Not sure of the origin, but I think it came from a bunch of cowboys on a ranch in Abilene who ended up going into town under those very circumstances. Ring any bells anyone?
      19:15 today and needed the blog to explain parsimony.
      1. You are probably thinking of the Abilene Paradox, about which I confess to knowing nothing; I just stumbled upon it today when I was trying to find the words to the song Abilene.
        1. That is actually, properly interesting. And yet, the original story rather confirms the fact that there’s no reason on earth to go to Abilene, Texas. Paradoxically (and yet appropriately), I now feel an overwhelming need to go there. I’m very confused.
  4. I fell into jack’s trap but couldn’t get out, despite knocking the ‘s’ off ‘spots’ and trying again at 23ac. It’s always hard to restart when one’s pretty sure one’s got the answer, at least, for me it is!

    Around 40 minutes barring the time spent trying to sort the SW out. ABILENE on a wing and a prayer, only because the other combinations of bs,ls and ns looked even less plausible.

    Re starch = sitff, definition 6 in Collins online (available online via Onelook) is ‘(of a person) formal; stiff’, ‘though I have to confess to never having run across such a usage.

    Edited at 2012-07-20 02:28 am (UTC)

    1. Yes, it’s in the printed Collins too, now that I look again. I’ve certainly never come across this before.

      I’m a little surprised that ABILENE seems to have caused others some problems. For the second day this week Westerns and country singers informed my thought process, on this occasion by reminding me of the films ‘Abilene Town’ (Randolph Scott, 1946) and ‘Gunfight in Abilene'(Bobby Darin, 1967), and the song ‘Abilene’ a hit for George Hamilton IV in 1963.

      Edited at 2012-07-20 06:38 am (UTC)

      1. If it had been referenced in a Hitchcock film or in Schubert or Brahms’ chamber music, it would have been a gimme for me! (Just my way of saying we all have different areas of interest.)

        Edited at 2012-07-20 08:14 am (UTC)

        1. Point taken, ulaca, and I wasn’t meaning to suggest that anyone should be expected to know ABILENE because of these references. It’s more that because the place has been on my radar for as long as I can remember it has never occurred to me until this morning that it is a lesser known town or city.

          Edited at 2012-07-20 09:14 am (UTC)

      2. And it turns out there was a movie – Abilene Town – with Randolph Scott. Turns out both Abilenes are interesting. My apologies to all Abilenians.
      3. My Chambers also says that “starch” can be used as an adjective to mean “of starch; stiff, rigid, formal”, but, like you, I’ve never before seen it used that way.
  5. After taking over an hour yesterday I equalled my best time, 10.30, today. Almost desperately relieved to find Abilene was right. Almost desperately amazed to beat Sotira by ten seconds. Almost desperately happy to be alive…
    1. Congratulations Joe. Next target a sub-10? (Apologies if you’ve set your sights on a Hansonesque sub-4).
      1. Thanks. What gets me is that my glide through the air on a flying trapeze is like a slow trudge through heavy marshland for such as Hanson and Sever, and that too in far more difficult weather so to speak. If there are aliens among us…
  6. Just under 25 minutes. The reversed hidden DECIMAL deserves a mention, and so does CANDID: both received a tick from me.

    I’ve been like a dog with a bone over this stiff/ starch business. Chambers also gives starch as an adjective, but I cannot think of a convincing phrase that I could describe as normal usage. Also experimented with stiff as a verb and a noun, but without success. This distraction, and the song ABILENE going round in my head, will give me the appearance of having hit the brandy bottle earlier than usual today.

    I was surprised to discover that ABILENE (song) is fairly recent; perhaps I’m mixing it up with Avalon. I wonder how many solvers there are whose knowledge of US towns and cities comes, like mine, exclusively from Tin Pan Alley and Hollywood.

    1. Not exclusively, John, but certainly to a great extent. Various singers 1962+ recorded the song “I’ve Been Everywhere” which added a few towns and cities the old-time song-writers hadn’t got round to. It comes in very handy if you can remember the lyric:

      First verse
      Reno, Chicago, Fargo, Minnesota, Buffalo, Toronto, Winslow, Sarasota, Wichita, Tulsa, Ottawa, Oklahoma, Tampa, Panama, Mattawa, La Paloma, Bangor, Baltimore, Salvador, Amarillo, Tocopilla, Barranquilla and Padilla.

      Second verse
      Boston, Charleston, Dayton, Louisiana, Washington, Houston, Kingston, Texarkana, Monterey, Ferriday, Santa Fe, Tallapoosa, Glen Rock, Black Rock, Little Rock, Oskaloosa, Tennessee, Hennessey, Chicopee, Spirit Lake, Grand Lake, Devils Lake and Crater Lake.

      Third verse
      Louisville, Nashville, Knoxville, Ombabika, Schefferville, Jacksonville, Waterville, Costa Rica, Pittsfield, Springfield, Bakersfield, Shreveport, Hackensack, Cadillac, Fond du Lac, Davenport, Idaho, Jellico, Argentina, Diamantina, Pasadena and Catalina.

      Fourth verse
      Pittsburgh, Parkersburg, Gravelbourg, Colorado, Ellensburg, Rexburg, Vicksburg, El Dorado, Larimore, Atmore, Haverstraw, Chattanooga, Chaska, Nebraska, Alaska, Opelika, Baraboo, Waterloo, Kalamazoo, Kansas City, Sioux City, Cedar City and Dodge City.
      (Some are outside the USA)

    2. Abilene, Abilene
      Prettiest town I ever seen.
      Folks down there don’t treat you mean
      In Abilene, my Abilene.

      I sit alone most every night
      Watch them trains roll out of sight
      Wish that they were carryin’ me
      To Abilene, my Abilene.

      Crowded city, ain’t nothin’ free
      Nothin’ in this town for me
      Wish to God that I could be
      In Abilene, my Abilene.

      How I wish that train would come
      Take me back where I come from.
      Take me where I want to be
      In Abilene, my Abilene.

      Rotgut whiskey numbs the brain
      If I stay here I’ll go insane.
      Think I need a change of scene
      To Abilene, my Abilene.

      Outside my window cold rain falls,
      Sit here starin’ at the walls;
      If I was home, I’d be serene
      In Abilene, my Abilene

      [George Hamilton IV (Gibson & Loudermilk, 1963 movie Hootnanny Hoot]

      Edited at 2012-07-20 11:44 am (UTC)

        1. I enjoyed those. Thank you.
          My favourite ever version of Georgia on My Mind is by Maceo Parker. It doesn’t seem to be on YouTube (the proper version anyway), so if you wanted to hear it you’d have to buy Life on Planet Groove. I won’t be offended if you don’t.
          The guitar solo by Rodney Jones is, um, good.
          1. Thanks K,
            I found some clips of the album on Amazon and am sure its the same one an old mate was telling me about last time we went out for a pint. When I see him again I’ll borrow the CD.

            Edited at 2012-07-21 06:40 pm (UTC)

  7. Same problems as everybody else with STARCH=stiff and whilst it’s in the dictionary can’t see a usage. Also entered “spots” without a second thought until 23A had to be DRIVE. 20 minutes to solve.

    Knew ABILENE from The Chisholm Trail which I met whilst reading about the development of the USA (for some reason I now can’t remember)

  8. No time today, having forgotten to check the watch at end of solve. Top half was read ’em and write ’em, bottom half rather slower, almost grinding to a halt with the DROPS/DRIVE crossing. I was discouraged from entering DRIVE because I thought if it was drive, it was a really lame clue. Some of us don’t leave rubbish on the drive because a)we haven’t got one and b) our collection executives won’t pick up from there anyway. Some ten minutes after finishing, the L dropped into place. Still not one of the great clues.
    There must be some other Danish castles?
    CoD for amusement to FRIENDLESS, but I needed everything that crossed it.
  9. Just under 10 minutes for this, so I found it very straightforward like others.
    Last in the unheard of ABILENE. I was relieved to find it wasn’t ALIBENE or ABINELE. Not my favourite clue of the week.
    I wondered about STARCH too but it’s also in Chambers as an adjective. New to me.
  10. Pleased to be all correct today after near misses all week. LOI Theocrat. Liked Friendless a lot.

    Knew Abilene (Texas) because it’s the hometown of an interesting American couple we met on a Baltic cruise last summer. They must have been in their 80s, he was ex-USAF and long retired after a heart attack in his 40s, and his wife was the ex-wife of his golfing buddy who dropped dead on the course! At the vodka tasting he drank his military style, ie down in one, no sipping. They weren’t too supple and after our tour of Catherine’s Palace near St Petersburg my wife helped them off with their overboots.

    Back to Lytham to check on McIlroy’s progress…

  11. 13:18 for an enjoyable solve. Thought FRIENDLESS and PARSIMONY were both very good clues of their type. Spent ages convinced that the definition for 15 down couldn’t be “Danish castle” because it would be ridiculous to expect me to know a castle in Denmark, for heaven’s sake; then took another short beak to kick myself.
  12. The easiest of all today’s cryptics so far (I haven’t done the FT), Elgar’s DT Toughie being particularly beastly. 8 minutes for me after I realised that it couldn’t be hedonised once I saw what a DUMMY I was!!
  13. I’m really pleased – I’ve finished in about half an hour without any aids, a first for me! Using this site has certainly helped so thank you to all contributors.
    One minor point-shouldn’t it be “practise” in 27 across?
    1. It should indeed be practise – well spotted. And well done on the first clean finish!
  14. I met a couple a few weeks ago who were moving from Abilene (Texas version) to Asheville (North Carolina) and couldn’t be happier to be gone. Apparently it’s a dumpy satellite town for Dallas.

    Something I don’t recall ever doing on this one – I got every single down answer from a first reading. Didn’t time myself as it was during a coffee break at work and I didn’t think I’d finish it in one go, but there it was.

  15. About 15 minutes, with only a minor problem due to, yes, entering SPOTS, and then having to suss out what DIRVE was believing it started with the ‘s’, and realizing my error. I can understand why ABILENE is not on the tip of all the UK or at least the non-US tongues. But quite easy here, with another song reference to assist. The paradoxically(!) named song London Homesick Blues, actually written in London by a member of the Lost Gonzo Band, touring with Jerry Jeff Walker, has the memorable chorus:

    I want to go home with the armadillo.
    Good country music, from Amarillo to Abilene.
    The friendliest people and the prettiest women you’ve ever seen.

    Now how can you forget that? COD to FRIENDLESS, and regards to all.

  16. 6:12 for me – so not a total disaster, but I still made heavy weather of some easy clues. STARCH got me off to a nervous start as the adjective was new to me too. Commiserations to anyone caught out by SPOTS.
  18. 30 minutes for me which is one of my best times. I thought it must be a fairly easy one as I filled it in from top to bottom without leaving big empty spaces to go back to. I got DROPS and DRIVE quickly as I saw “eye treatment” as the definition before I saw “stops” as anagram fodder. I trifled with HEDONISED briefly before seeing MAN for fellow. STARCH went straight in (FOI) as the wordplay was obvious even if the usage was obscure. STRIPPERS followed and the rest was a steady solve. Finished it before finishing my third mug of tea this morning.
  19. The OED says that is adjective is “Somewhat archaic”.
    Google for “starch reserve extinguish” to see it used.

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