Times 25316

Solving time: 61:50 – with one wrong

I started this last night, but fatigue overwhelmed me after 40 minutes with barely a third done. I got up early this morning to finish and polished it off in about 20 minutes, albeit with one careless mistake. Had I done it all this morning, I suspect I could have knocked 20 minutes off the total time.

I’m not quite sure about the synonym in 18, but otherwise a pretty good puzzle. The dd in 29a made me smile so I’ll give that my COD, but there were quite a few clever clues here – 1d, 2d, 12a, 13a & 24a to name but a few.

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

Across
1 JUST AS WELL = JUST (fair) + A + SWELL (balloon)
6 SKI + M
9 A + N + ARCHY (like the Arc de Triomphe)
10 OAK + LAND – Port in California
12 FEDERATION = FED (provided with fare) + RATION (allowance) about E (European), ‘Union’ is the definition
13 AWL – rev hidden – ‘hide sticker’ is the well-disguised definition
15 IMPART – ‘Not full admission’ is I’M PART
16 STURGEON = SURGEON about acT – ‘Catch’ is the definition
18 AN(CHORE)D – a well-disguised definition, although I can’t quite see how CHORE and ‘fatigue’ are synonymous.
20 ADMIRE = MIRE (dirt) on DA rev
23 vErY wEt
24 PETROL PUMP = (M + PER + L + TOP-UP)* – &lit
26 QUITE SO = QUITS (even) + O (old) about fashionablE
27 DERVISH = DISH (course) abour E + RV
28 sEVENs
29 OFF-PUTTING – dd – I rather liked this one.
Down
1 JOAN = JOB (post) with the final B ‘upgraded’ to an A + N (new)
2 SHAKE-UP = SHAPE UK with K (king) exchanged with P (page) – this is where I went wrong, carelessly putting SHAPE-UP
3 ARC DE TRIOMPHE = (METRO RIDE CHAP)*
4 WAY + LAY
5 LOOKINTO = LOO (small room) + KIN (family) + OT (books) rev
7 KHANATE = (THE + azerbaijaN + AKA)*
8 MUD-SLINGER = SUM (put together) rev about Door + LINGER (hang on)
11 KIND + RED + SPIRIT
14 PI(CARES)QUE
17 MEAT LOAF = ME (yours truly) + TA (cheers) rev + LOAF (lounge)
19 CHEMISt + E
21 IS + MA(I)LI
22 HOLD-UP – dd
25 THUG = HUG after arresT

37 comments on “Times 25316”

  1. I found this rather a slog, happy by dint of numerous interruptions to be unable to record a time, which would have been well over the hour. Not helped by an unaccountable attraction to ‘Oakmont’ (too much time spent watching and reading about sport?).

    Among a fine bunch of clues, I thought 24ac didn’t really work as an &lit or an anagram, i.e. as a clue.

  2. Technically a DNF for me. I was going steadily if rather slowly and had all but four answers in 38 minutes and then I hit a wall. After a further 20 minutes with no progress I resorted to aids as I never felt I was on the verge of a breakthrough with any of the remaining clues.

    For the record my problems were with KHANATE (would never have thought of it), ISMAILI (simply DK), PICARESQUE (vaguely knew but it wouldn’t come out) and ANCHORED (simply should have got it!).

    In my childhood I had an aunt of sorts who lived in OAKLAND so I didn’t have to think too long about that one, but is it just me, or is ‘barrel of sorts’ = OAK somewhat feeble?

    On IMPART I had Dave’s parsing.

    18ac:’Fatigues’ are ‘chores’ in the military, I think. Digging ditches etc.

    Another thoroughly enjoyable puzzle though with plenty of really good clues.

    Edited at 2012-11-09 07:51 am (UTC)

    1. My problem with ‘not full admission’ meaning ‘I’m part’ is that I can’t think of a context where ‘I’m full’ can be contrasted with ‘I’m part’. But perhaps I’m missing something.

      On the other hand, ‘I’m party’ could be construed as ‘I’m involved in this (action, agreement etc.)’.

      1. Do you need to think of a context where this works? For cryptic grammar purposes can’t IM[whatever] legitimately be clued as a “[whatever] admission”, whatever [whatever] means? It doesn’t necessarily have to make sense semantically. So as long as “not full” can mean “part”, it’s OK.
        1. You’re probably right, but I don’t like it much. I think my parsing is more elegant, even if it suffers in its own way from ‘I’m party’ not exactly being an admission!
          1. I’ve no idea if I’m right or not, but I’d agree with you that this kind of thing makes for less elegant clues.
    2. … are definitely CHORES. But the latter can be singularised, while the former cannot. You can’t be on one fatigue any more than you can be on one janker!

      Edited at 2012-11-10 05:26 am (UTC)

  3. Having surrendered about half way through this thing and read the, as usual, excellent explanation/solution to it, I remain puzzled by 13 ac.
    Could someone explain the link between ‘awl’ and ‘hide sticker’ please? I assume there is a connection?
    1. One of the many uses for an awl is for a shoemaker to make holes in leather. I think the “sticker” bit is a reference to the sport of pig sticking, which made holes in pigs, but it works just as well to think of sticking the awl through the hide.

      Edited at 2012-11-09 09:22 am (UTC)

  4. 33 minutes, playing a game of “Spot the Definition” all over the grid. Even the shortest ones caught the disease – “hide sticker” indeed!
    By the time I arrived at ANCHORED, I was so bamboozled I decided that it was itself a synonym for dog tired, and didn’t twig either the “and” or the “chore”, though the latter works well enough for fatigue, as any lowly private would know.
    I can see what Ulaca means with regard to the &lit at 24, though at the time of solving I thought it an excellent example.
    OFF PUTTING raised the biggest smile, KINDRED SPIRIT next best, most of the rest needed determination and much skull sweat for me to solve, not joyless but no relaxation either. Clever stuff.
  5. 22:51 for what I would describe as a proper Friday puzzle, where it takes half the solving time just to spot what might be a plausible candidate for the definition in most of the clues (16ac being a perfect example of this misdirection). I liked the description of 3dm as “archy”, as I’m the sort of person who always enjoys Barry Cryer’s new definitions on I’m Sorry I Haven’t A Clue – e.g. “slippery: a bit like a slipper”.
  6. 34 minutes after getting bogged down with the anchor. I think the Orleans reference is to Joan of Arc – so that whole corner of the puzzle appears to be “themed”.
  7. Even though this took me over three-quarters of an hour, I thought it was a brilliant puzzle. The cleverly hidden definitions and absence of hackneyed formulae in the word play were most refreshing, as were the concise clues and lack of solemnity. That’s put quite a spring in my step today so many thanks to the setter.

    By the way, thanks also to Jack for rescuing my post from the spam bin yesterday; I’ll avoid links until the problem is sorted out.

  8. 20 minutes for all but KHANATE, where I didn’t have a clue. I tried what I thought was every possible permutation of the potential anagram fodder but never considered the initial “the”. Definitely an Elmo day.
    A highly enjoyable puzzle. I am full of admiration for the setter even if I don’t like him or her very much just at this moment.
  9. Got slower and slower and eventually crawled over the line in over an hour. Phew. Can’t seem to get simple when needed, e.g. looking for sodden etc. for very wet, a trait that increases as the mind tires. I actually thought of pique and cares but was looking for a noun and only returned to them and put them together at the end. Maybe more than all else it’s the ability to stay fresh that ebbs with age. At any rate a tiptop puzzle.
  10. Tough one for me – 25 minutes with anchored as last in, thinking it was a strange double definition. Mud-slinger went in from definition alone. Loved archy and picaresque – good stuff, setters!
  11. 24:44 but a fail on 7. Like Keriothe I completely overlooked the initial “the” so my fodder consisted of the last two eastern bits of the A place (AN) + AKA then HE for Governor. Can anyone show me where Kaanahe is on the map?

    I, too, enjoyed archy but my COD tick went to 19 for the short person dispensing.

    Oops, just noticed I fell into the shape-up trap as well, just replacing the K in UK with any old P rather than swapping for the one in shape. I blame ONJ for telling John Tavolta he’d “better shape up”.

    1. I don’t know about Kaanahe, but IJAN (easternmost part of AzerbaIJAN) plus AKA can make Kajaani, which was “one of the cities founded in 1651 by the Governor General of Finland”!

  12. I spent about 20 minutes on this last night, very late and very tired, trying to solve it by staring really hard at it.

    Spent at least as long this morning relishing some first rate clueing. I ‘solved’ KHANATE the way one solves the bit left over after putting together a flat-pack wardrobe – it looked plausible and fitted the hole. Never did work out where it came from, though, so thanks, Dave.

  13. Interrupted so no exact time, but struggled to finish, had to look up options for KHANATE and put it in without understanding the THE was involved. Clever if difficult puzzle with some hard-to-spot defs. Off-putting raised a smile.
  14. Forgot to ask – can anybody tell me why how=way? (4 dn.) I can see ‘the way’ – it’s the way he solves them – but ‘way’?
    1. As is often the case you just need to follow the trail of breadcrumbs left by ex-members of Deep Purple.

      From Whitesnake’s Steal Your Heart Away:

      I want some love and I want it now
      And I’m going to take it any old how

      1. I had read it as a kinda Valley Gurl speak, like, you know, that’s waaay lay. But the Whitesnake solution is way better (and a lot less annoying).
    2. Chambers defines how(n.) as manner/method and gives both meanings for way. I shared your doubts though.
  15. About 40 minutes, ending with the religious crossers at DERVISH/ISMAILI, the latter from wordplay only. But alas, I have SHAPE UP. Note to self: Don’t be a dope, read the whole clue. The mistake is a shame, especially after I was so pleased with myself for spotting KHANATE. If anyone wishes to help me, why does ‘quits’=’even’? Regards to all.
  16. After 37 minutes I had to go to aids for the NE corner. I had all the checkers for KHANATE but couldn’t see it without help. It still looks a bit like a random collection of letters. Enjoyably frustrating throughout. Ann
  17. 19:17 for me, slowed by someone’s burglar alarm going off in the distance and by all those horrid vowels in the answer to 12ac (‑E‑E‑ being my absolutely least favourite start).

    But this is what crossword solving is all about – a delight from start to finish. I raise my hat to the setter.

  18. Squeaked in just under an hour, with desperation arising several times in the course of that hour. LOI KHANATE. I was pleased with myself for having guessed that ‘knocker’ was the definition in 8d, but could come up with nothing but ‘bad-mouther’ for ages. Also slowed myself down at 22d with ‘hold-up’. Lots of terrific clues, but my COD goes to 16ac.
  19. I had no problem with the cryptic portion of the clue, but I am very unhappy about “impart” meaning “to grant”.

    Is anyone able to supply a suitable sentence showing this meaning?

    1. Collins has “impart” as “give or bestow (something, esp an abstract quality): to impart wisdom”.
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