Solving time: 30:32
I see no blog up for today’s cryptic by mid-afternoon so I thought I’d throw one together. I’m supposed to have retired from Fridays now, but we’ll allow this one for old times’ sake.
I have no idea how the wordplay works for 25a so someone will have to help me out.
cd = cryptic def., dd = double def., rev = reversal, homophones are written in quotes, anagrams as (–)*, and removals like this
Across | |
---|---|
1 | KIT + E |
3 | PORT OF CALL = (POOL + L + CRAFT)* |
9 | SHINGLE |
11 | WHIT |
12 | MAD COW DISEASE = MAD (very keen) + DIS (detectives) + EASE (have no trouble) all about COW (subdue) |
14 | KINGS – triple def – Men promoted (in |
15 | S(P)EED + WELL |
17 | THERMIDOR = (ROME THIRD)* – I didn’t know this was a month, I only knew it in connection with lobsters |
19 | QU(O)IT – ’empty’ indicates ‘contains nothing’ |
21 | HORIZONTAL BAR – dd |
24 | WIN + STON |
25 | OVERRUN – I can’t work this one out, I’m afraid. Anybody? It’s O + VERDUN (battle) with |
26 | RE + LENT + LESS |
27 | SET + H |
Down | |
1 | KISS ME KATE – dd |
2 | TRIES ON = TIES ON about |
4 | OVERDOSED – O (pill?) + VERSED (skilful) about DO (the same) – Not sure about O for pill. |
5 | TOWNS – As in To W/N/S (but not E) |
6 | FAIR AND SQUARE = FAIR + (SQUANDER A)* |
7 | AUSTERE – It looks like ?USTER in |
8 | L + INK |
10 | GOOD SAMARITAN = GOODS + (AT AIRMAN)* |
13 | SLIT TRENCH = (C |
16 | ERRONEOUS = SURE rev about ROMEO with M changed to N. |
18 | ETHANOL – hidden |
20 | OS + BORNE |
22 | ZONAL = L (pound) + AN OZ (a fraction of a pound) all rev |
23 | EWE + R |
25ac is O(ld), then VERDUN is the battle, with
guarD replaced by Rex. I got that one, but couldn’t for the life of me work out what on earth A NOZ was until I came here, so we can consider that a fair swap of information. Also, I think it’s OUSTER which is decapitated in 7dn: I also got that because it had to be what it is, but Collins confirms “(property law) the act of dispossessing of freehold property; eviction; ejection”, which I shall file alongside estoppel in my mental list of obscure legal terms which come up in crosswords.Edited at 2014-06-06 02:50 pm (UTC)
22 mins, and I was slow to see some answers that should have been much easier to get, such as SLIT TRENCH, OVERRUN, MAD COW DISEASE and HORIZONTAL BAR. I had the most trouble in the SW, and the EWER/RELENTLESS crossers took a while even though their wordplay was fairly straightforward. In both cases I was looking for more in the cluing than was actually there. ZONAL was my LOI and went in with a shrug, although I did parse it between finishing the puzzle and this blog being posted. What threw me, as it may have done plenty of solvers, was the misdirection involving a pound sterling and a fraction of a pound weight.
Deke
Deke
I think 25 ac is O (old) then D (guard finally), replacing the D with a R for king, in the battle of VERDUN.
Edited at 2014-06-06 02:48 pm (UTC)
I believe it’s draughts in which men are ‘crowned’ as kings.
Edited at 2014-06-06 02:51 pm (UTC)
Draughts, yes indeed.
Edited at 2014-06-06 03:15 pm (UTC)
10 minutes exactly for this one. No 1 son and I had discussed Lobster Thermidor for his 30th birthday treat last weekend – he didn’t get it – but having mentioned the Roman month to him, it helped with today’s crossword.
Oh, the dirty litte pill
Went rolling down the hill
And dropped right in to the bunker.
From there to the green
I took eighteen
and then by God I sunk her.
MAD DOG DISEASE apparently is real (ie rabies) but of course it does not parse. Did not stop me from putting it in though.
Nice to see you back Dave.
I was tired when I solved this, and it felt like a real struggle, but then I finished it in 20m. Not really sure what to make of that.
38:33 … with one ETHANAL for no good reason. Solved very early this morning. I’m sure I had most of it solved in 15 minutes and I honestly have no recollection of what happened in the other 23 or why it took me so long.
There are a few references appropriate to D-Day in here but I can’t see a pattern to them.
Whilst solving this I had the impression it was a hard one but I completed the grid in 42 minutes which for me is not bad going at all.
I didn’t ‘get’ 22dn which I suppose is quite a clever clue, nor understand what ‘cuts’ is doing in 26ac. WHITSUN is not a holiday (no more than any other Sunday, anyway) and if the setter was thinking of Whit Monday, that ceased to be a public holiday back in the early 1970s, IIRC, though occasionally the date on which it would have fallen may coincide with the newer Spring Bank Holiday.
Edited at 2014-06-06 05:18 pm (UTC)
I too am not convinced by “pill”=”o”. I don’t see the fact that a pill is round makes it an obvious “o”; nor do I think that “pill”=”ball” makes much more sense (especially as “ball”=”o” isn’t a standard crossword reference, or is it?).
I’m tempted to assume that the setter was just careless and forgot to clue the initial “o”, but perhaps I am being uncharitable.
Equally confused by “ouster” = “dismissal” – is this another of those damned cricket references? It seems a needlessly obscure way to clue “uster”.
Still, nice to see one of my favourite organic molecules making an appearance at 18d.
MAD COW DISEASE brings back memories of when we were all planning for the impending arrival of hordes of sponge-brained burger-eaters. Fortunately, this never seems to have happened, although since I’m based in East Anglia it’s possible that it did and nobody noticed.
Edited at 2014-06-06 07:42 pm (UTC)
I was in a right panic at 12 until the penny dropped, thinking I was looking for an unknown (to me) literary character from a book I haven’t read, like, for instance, Mad Dog D’Essage, the mad axe murderer in Pride and Prejudice.
Edit to say good to see you back Dave and thanks for saving the day.
Edited at 2014-06-06 08:08 pm (UTC)
And where is the new blogger who since a first blog has not made a single appearance here – I seem to recall a boast about being lazy in that single offering?
Stand out clue for me was GOOD SAMARITAN, as I’d tried SCHNEIDER (airman, eponymous trophy) from “merchandise” and fussed for ages thinking of a four letter first name with an “M” in it (it was actually Jacques) until the penny dropped, and the reasonably straightforward solution presented itself. This one edges out the excellent MAD COW DISEASE as my COD.
Saw HORIZONTAL BAR quite quickly, but did not enter it until I’d tied down ZONAL, which didn’t come easily.
For some reason I was completely out to lunch on this one. After about 20 minutes with about 6 left to go I went and packed for the weekend and had a look at the TLS offering (which I found equally addling) and then came back to it. With assorted Zs, Ks and Qs I was so sure it was a pangram…. I guess we have days like that. Something in the 45 minute range with a break in the middle. Worst outing in I dunno.