Solving time : 13:31, including taking a phone call, so this was on the easier side of things, which makes four in a row by my reckoning. I was prepared for this one to be a stinker and had snacks and drinks plans. Of course I made my customary typo in a checking letter before hitting submit, so I’m sitting with two errors on the club timer.
For some reason (maybe watching just the right amount of cricket), I couldn’t get TREADWELL out of my head for 12 across, which kept 4 down from coming to mind. It’s a very fun clue for a strange answer.
Away we go…
| Across | |
|---|---|
| 1 | BIG DIPPER: double definition, one of them cryptic |
| 6 | FLOOD: L in FOOD |
| 9 | BURGLAR: take the E out of REAL GRUB reversed |
| 10 | CUT,LASS |
| 11 | LEASE: AS in LEE |
| 12 | SPEED(put one’s foot down),WELL |
| 13 | RATE, |
| 14 | RESIDENCY: take the first letter from PRESIDENCY |
| 17 | SPAGHETTI: 1 after (PATH,GETS)* |
| 18 |
|
| 19 | WAFER-THIN: (FEAR,WITH)*,N(knight) – I hope I’m not the only one who giggled thinking of Mr Creosote from “Meaning of Life”…. but it is only wafer thin… |
| 22 | TOAST: double def |
| 24 | TAIL FIN: AIL,F |
| 25 | IN,ER,TIA |
| 26 | ROGER: double definition |
| 27 | SO TO SPEAK: A SEW/SO clue |
| Down | |
| 1 | BABE, |
| 2 | GARGANTUA: NAG reversed in an anagram of GU |
| 3 | ILL HEALTH: I’LL then L |
| 4 | PORK SCRATCHINGS: POR |
| 5 | ROCKET SCIENTIST: ROCK(loud music) then an anagram of (IN,TEST,ETC,IS) |
| 6 | FETID: E.T. in FID |
| 7 | OVATE: VAT in O |
| 8 | DISPLAYED: ID(passport, identification) reversed, then SPLAYED |
| 13 | ROSE WATER: AWE reversed in ROSTER |
| 15 | D,AUNTLESS: I rather liked AUNTLESS for “relatively short” |
| 16 | NEWCASTLE: since AS CELT is an anagram of CASTLE |
| 20 | FLING: double def |
| 21 |
|
| 23 | TRACK: R in TACK |
http://life.nationalpost.com/2014/01/16/in-praise-of-cryptic-crosswords-they-may-keep-the-brain-young-and-social-life-lively/