Times 25770

Author   daveperryPosted on Categories Daily Cryptic
Solving time: 53:20

I solved most of this quite quickly, but came unstuck in the NE, and that took me an age to untangle.

Some good clues here – 19d was a good spot by the setter, also the notes in 10a and the substitution in 12a.

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

Across
1 HORSEWHIP = (HIRE SHOP)* about Wares
6 GU(PP)Y
9 SUGAR – rev hidden
10 brIve + SO-LA-TI + ON
11 TENT PEG – cd
12 MIDWIFE = MID-LIFE with L replaced by W
13 THE BUTLER DID IT – cd
17 SAVED BY THE BELL – cd
21 IN UTERO – hidden
23 ROT + A + TORy
25 AFTERGLOW = (OR WET FLAG)*
26 CU + BAN
27 AUDIT – I’m not sure where the ‘for cooking, say’ comes in – is it just a cd?
28 TURN LOOSE = (OR NO LET US)*
Down
1 HESITATE = SIT (to meet) in HEATEd
2 REGAN = maNAGER rev – one of King Lear’s daughters
3 ENRAPTURE = bridgE + NR + APT + URE
4 HAIR GEL = (RALEIGH)*
5 PROMMER = PRIMMER with I replaced by O
6 GRAN’D
7 P(RIM)IT + I’VE
8 YANKEE – dd
14 EVACUATED = TAU in DEC + AVE all rev
15 IDENTICAL = DENT in II (two) + CAL
16 FLORENCE = LORd in FENCE
18 BOOK + LET
19 TURF WAR = RAW FRUiT rev
20 CI(CAD)A
22 EGRET – becomes GREET if the opening E is moved to the middle
24 TAB + O + Original

51 comments on “Times 25770”

  1. Highly enjoyable, especially after yesterday’s expedition to the further reaches of the OED. 23 clues on the train Balham-Purley, the remainder, quickly, on the way back, about 35 minutes in all.

    As with nearly everybody, just couldn’t see why “for cooking, say” was part of the clue for AUDIT, and kept that in reserve until I had all the crossers, and even later. “For cooking” implies the auditor is part of the “cooking” process, whereas – if anything – it is the reverse, quite apart from the legal niceties of audit as explained at length above. Poor clue. Especially as many Times readers will have had some experience of company audits, in active or passive roles.

    FOI HORSEWHIP, LOI PROMMER (I was one, many years ago), COD EVACUATED for giving the humble “tau” a starring role.

    1. The way I read it, the clue is desribing an AUDIT as a review of the books to look for cooking. In the same way you might say that an AUDIT is a review of the books for accouting errors.
      1. Yes, thanks, on a second reading it makes sense. I suppose it’s deliberately ambiguous to confuse literal-minded chaps like me. (It’s like one of those pictures where you see a long legged dancer, then look again and it’s the face of an old crone.)
  2. 36 minutes ending with 14 and the excellent 13. Have endured 36 hours of problems – not excluding trying to send this comment – with LJ on PC(s) and iPad.

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