Times 25900 – the setter’s revenge

Author   piquetPosted on Categories Daily Cryptic
Maybe I am just dim this morning. Or I’ve been too blasé on past Wednesdays and upset the nice gentlemen who compose these masterpieces. After an hour and 22 minutes on this stinker, I have all but two clues (I think) sorted out; hopefully the last will come to mind while composing the blog, now being written and shortly to appear; or no doubt the sharper minds have their pencils poised to publish their sparkling times.

Across
1 FISHWIFE – I SH (keep it zipped) W(ith) inside FIFE; def. baggage?
5 FENCES – Double def; receives, as in stolen goods; fences to be jumped / negotiated. Very clever.
9 ORC – ORCA is a killer whale (one out of school), cut the A, def. warlike figure; one of the nastier types in LOTR.
10 SPRING A LEAK – SPEAK around RING AL. (Talk around syndicate, Al Capone).Def. start letting stuff out.
12 TABLE-D’HOTE – Anagram, (HEAD BOTTLE)*, I was put off by the (unwarranted?) hyphenation for a while.
13 IGOR – I GO R (one shot runs); first name of 8 dn.
15 AT REST – TA (cheers, thanks), reversed, REST = others, def. still.
16 DO A BUNK – Cryptic double def; build a bed, run away.
18 CORSICA – CORA(L) = short pink, around SIC(K) = in very poor taste, largely; island.
20 CANAPE – CAN = American name for the Gents; APE = do like, imitate; def. party food.
23 NUMB – NU (Greek letter), MB (doctor); def. insensitive.
24 STAY-AT-HOME – STAY = guy (rope), AT HOME = sort of party; becoming a non party goer.
26 PLAY FOR TIME – PLAY (toy, as in play with = toy with); F (fine), OR (gold); TIME (bird, prison time); def. stall.
27 ETH – last letters (east enders) of CrewE buT WelsH; an old letter used in Middle English and various Scandinavian tongues.
28 SHERRY – SHY = retiring, around ERR = are out; def. a drink.
29 IDOMENEO – I (one) DO (gathering) MEN (fellows) E(nglish) O (round); Mozart’s first opera.

Down
1 FROSTY – FRO (opposite of ‘to’, not ‘to’), STY (stay with the A dropped); def. very unfriendly.
2 SACKBUT – SACK = fire, BUT = save; def. old instrument. My FOI.
3 WASHETERIA – (WHITES ARE A)*; the Are A from are as, mostly; another name for a launderette.
4 FOR THAT MATTER – Hidden in HENCE(FORTH ATM AT TER)MINAL; def. indeed. Well hidden it was, too.
6 ERAS – ERAS(ED) = disappeared (sort of), without the Ed for our esteemed Editor; def. Times. The ‘The’ was misleading me. Thanks Jimbo.
7 CHENGDU – (CND HUGE)*, Chinese city.
8 SIKORSKY – KO (put out) inside SIR, then SKY = send up; def. Russian engineer, emigrated to the US in 1919 and founded his company which made the first flying boats for Pan Am and the first viable helicopters.
11 NOT A DICKY BIRD – Amusing cryptic definition; def. nothing.
14 MAINSTREAM – MA’AM (way to greet Queen), around (ER ISNT)*; def. conventional.
17 SCHNAPPS – SNAP (sudden) P’S (pressure’s), around CH; def. spirit.
19 RUMMAGE – RUM (eccentric), MAGE (old savant); def. not organised search.
21 PHONE-IN – PIN (clip) with HONE (perfect) inside; def. radio show.
22 JETHRO – JET (what’s released under pressure); HR (personnel dept.); O(ld); def. man’s name.
25 IFOR – One for, Welsh first name.

64 comments on “Times 25900 – the setter’s revenge”

  1. Came back to this after leaving only half done for a few weeks; hoping that inspiration would hit when I’d given senior-ness a chance to erase all the false leads that I couldn’t ignore (eg LOI was SHERRY – couldn’t see that nurse was also a verb!)
    Brilliant puzzle which served to make non-leaguers like myself stop thinking we know it all (forehead sore from much smacking)

    Final note on 4d – not just hidden but indeed at the very centre, as the clue so obviously (now) points out
    Times setters are indeed a race apart

    JB

  2. Re the explanation for 29A, Idomeneo is generally considered to be Mozart’s first “great” opera, but is far from being his first, which he wrote some 14 years earlier at the age of 11. Ironically, as a huge fan of Mozart, I struggled to get this answer for some time!

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