30 minutes (I don’t record seconds. If ever I begin to achieve sub 20 minutes regularly I might start, but this seems unlikely at the moment). Once again I have drawn a long straw on my blogging day as this puzzle was undemanding but nevertheless a pleasant and satisfying workout for my failing brain. And as last time I blogged there is really very little to be said so I’ll just get on with it.
* = Anagram
Across | |
---|---|
1 | FACSIMILE – SIM (phone card) inside FACILE (easily achieved). I learn that SIM stands for Subscriber Identity Module. |
6 | BLAZE – B,LAZE |
9 | USURP – Hidden and reversed |
10 | SCULPTING – S{CU(L)P}TING |
11 |
STEPDAD – P |
12 |
LADETTE – AD inside LETTE |
13 | MEN IN GREY SUITS – (YES MINISTER GUN)* |
17 | FIRE DEPARTMENT – IRE,DEPART,MEN all inside FT (fort) |
21 | ONEROUS – O,NERO,US (useless) |
23 | SHELLAC – SHE + CALL reversed. The answer is in its verbal form to fit the definition. |
25 | PRECIPICE – P,RECIP(IC)E |
26 | NOVEL – V inside NOEL (time for Carol). Can anyone remember the convention on the use of capitals in clues such as this? |
27 | EPSOM – S inside MOPE reversed. The racecourse where the Derby is run. |
28 |
EAST ENDER – |
Down | |
1 | FOURSOME – (MORE OF US)* . The number of players normally needed for a game, or rubber, of bridge. |
2 | CAUSE – Sounds like “caws”, the noises made by crows. |
3 | IMPUDENCE – I’M, then DEN (private room) inside PUCE (purplish). The definition is “neck” . |
4 | INSIDER – (I’D RISEN)* |
5 |
EQUALLY – E, |
6 | BIPED – BI(PE)D |
7 | ARISTOTLE – A then TOTS reversed inside RILE (anger). |
8 | EAGLES – Two under par on the golf links. |
14 | NOISELESS – LIONESSES* |
15 |
UP THE ANTE – PUT*, then N |
16 | STICKLER – S,TICKLER |
18 | EN SUITE – IT (desirable quality – yawn) inside ENSUE (result) |
19 | ANSWERS – ANtWERp (Belgian port) with its “p” and “t” (each end of port) replaced by S (succeeded). Again the answer is in its verbal form. |
20 |
TOUPEE – O |
22 |
ODIUM – |
24 |
LIVID – 1+V |
I thought 19 was very clever, telling you what letters to substitute for what. I nearly put ‘Antwerp’ without thinking, then thought of the nonsensical ‘Sntwers’, then saw how the clue worked.
At least 1 down wasn’t a golf clue as well!
Edited at 2012-10-19 01:37 am (UTC)
Edited at 2012-10-19 02:03 am (UTC)
34 minutes, with the NW last to fall. Joint CODS to CAUSE and ANSWERS. Clever how the setter worked ‘pd’ into a clue, which was the clear instruction but seemed counter-intuitive. Wasn’t aware neck meant impudence and have I think only met onerous meaning useless in crosswords. Thanks to Jack for the full parsing of the fire service. ‘Ft’ as an abbreviation for fort threw me, though now I come to think of it, I seem to remember it from those westerns I used to (sort of) watch on a Saturday afternoon. And then there’s Ft Knox …
In this case US = useless and onerous = oppressive
I’m sure we were supposed to be lured into CUPOLA (the other university press) at 20dn; leaving a serious dome-scratching (ASCOT?) at 27ac.
Didn’t know they had a press at Cambridge…..
Edited at 2012-10-19 04:40 am (UTC)
As far as Carol at 26A is concerned my advice is to forget the “rules” and ignore punctuation. That “rule” will work for you 999 times out of 1,000
Re Onerous: lawyers and accountants will know of onerous contracts and I guessed the oppressive meaning from that.
“What does the acronym SIM stand for?” is a good quiz question. Will ask my in-laws it when I see them on Sunday.
Best of luck to everybody competing in the Championship tomorrow.
As has been remarked for a lot of clues it was a case of throwing in the answer on the basis of definition with maybe a hint of the wordplay.
At 17 like McText I could neither find the fort nor explain the final T. I also read the def at 20 as “synthetic cover” with tee satisfying “support for Dome”, dome being slang for golf ball, natch.
Good luck to my fellow competitors (or rather participants) tomorrow, except those in heat 1 hoping to sneak into the top 25.
I thought 1 down was unusually risque for The Times.
Nice andlit clue at 11 across