Solving time: 23 minutes
Now here’s a real Monday puzzle; this is about as fast as it gets for me. I just had a little trouble getting a started, but once I had a few words it was just filling in the blanks. I’ll have to figure out the cryptics for the blog, but I expect nothing terribly esoteric.
Music: Carol of Harvest
Across | |
---|---|
1 | STARS AND STRIPES, double definition, the flag and a simple paraphrase. |
9 | LYONNAISE, anagram of IS ANYONE + L[amb]. I didn’t know this, but the cryptic hands it to you. |
10 | CATER, CAT + RE backwards. The setter missed a chance to indulge the whims of two queens. |
11 | MALAGA, M + A LAG + A. A port I didn’t know, but the cryptic was very helpful. |
12 | STEP DOWN, double definition. |
13 | STINGY, STING + Y. |
15 | CUTPURSE, anagram of PUT in CURSE. Knowledge of 16-century criminals might help here. |
18 | MACKEREL, anagram of CREEK MA[y] + L[ake]. Holy mackerel! |
19 | TROIKA, T + RO(I [par]K)A[d]. My last in, relatively tough for this puzzle, where I was forced to analyse the cryptic carefully. |
21 | SINISTER, RETSIN[a] IS backwards. |
23 | AFFECT, double definition. |
26 | THETA, T(HE)T A. I wanted ‘omega’ for a bit, then got the crossing letters. |
27 | FREELANCE, FR(EEL)ANCE. |
28 | PUT IN A WORD OR TWO, double definition, one referring to the process of solving this puzzle. I rather suspect you got more than one or two! |
Down | |
1 | SALAMIS, M + ALAS upside down on IS. |
2 | ATOLL, A + TOLL, in the sense of the bell tolling. |
3 | SYNAGOGUE, sounds like SIN + AGOG, if not a chestnut it should be. |
4 | NAIL, [s]NAIL. |
5 | SPECTRUM, anagram of CRUMPETS. I thought that if this was an anagram, the paucity of vowels demanded ‘str’ somewhere, but not so. |
6 | RECAP, PACE + R upside down, a definite chestnut, but a novel surface. |
7 | POTPOURRI, anagram of TIP OR POUR. |
8 | SYRINGE, S(YR)INGE. |
14 | IN CONCERT, double definition. |
16 | PORTFOLIO, PORT + F + OLIO. ‘Portfolio’ is often used to mean the vast wealth you have at your stockbroker, but here the literal is a bit more literal. |
17 | FEVERFEW, F + EVER + FEW. A plant I didn’t know, but the cryptic just hands it to you. |
18 | MISSTEP, MISS + PET upside down. |
20 | ART DECO, anagram of TRACED. |
22 | SPAWN, S + PAW + N. |
24 | ERNST, hidden in [postmod]ERN ST[yle] – a most appropriate place for him to be hiding! |
25 | WEAR, double definition. |
I’d imagine SALAMIS may hold one or two up.
I’m ‘agogue’ for the Turkey to emerge from the oven later today…
24dn: I’d rather say that Dada was the peak of modernism??
Edited at 2013-12-23 02:11 am (UTC)
CUTPURSE / PORTFOLIO / TROIKA didn’t exactly fly in. And SINISTER / SPAWN took almost as long.
COD .. SPAWN, for the penny-dropping moment.
COD for me was TROIKA from the way it sprang from the cryptic – always nice!
Yep, all quite straightforward today, with the only unknown, CUTPURSE, being clearly signalled by the cryptic.
No other problems, just can’t wait for the turkey blog 🙂
Yesterday’s ST cryptic also top class stuff
I agree Jerry that yesterday’s ST Jumbo cryptic was most enjoyable and having finally (after 3 days) cooked my Turkey to my satisfaction,I look forward to the distinguished blogger.
Edited at 2013-12-23 08:15 am (UTC)
Now to see if our team can win the annual Christmas quiz.
Looking forward to the Turkey blog, but I’m about to embark on a seven-hour car journey so it will have to wait until this evening.
I thought ‘step’ in 6 across was a rather careless give-away, considering STEP is part of the answer to 12ac, which crosses it.
I got bogged down in the SE where Cutpurse was unknown, Troika was known only in the context of Eurozone financial shennanigans, affect could have been pretty much anything with just ???e?t (accent, indent..) and portfolio didn’t have enough checkers for me to spot the wine or which end of the clue held the definition.
Edited at 2013-12-23 06:04 pm (UTC)
Best wishes to all.
Only three more sleeps until Boxing Day!
Best Wishes for a Happy Christmas to all!