Times 26584 – nine down?

Author   glhPosted on Categories Daily Cryptic
Solving time : 18:43 but with one mistake, which on a glance back at what I submitted turned out to be a rather silly typo. I was so far from the setters wavelength on this one that it’s not even funny, though in the end I think I understand all of the wordplay.

It is the start of December and that means that I have been bringing you every other Thursday crossword (and Mephisto) for nine years now. It continues to be a blast.

Away we go…

Across
1 RED HAT: Spoonerism of HEAD RAT
4 FLAGSHIP: FLAGS(flowers), HIP(with it) leading to Nelson’s Flagship
9 TANK TOP: TANK(vat), TOP(maximum). Not sure how often they are knitted
11 NATURAL: A, RUT(pothole) in LAN(e) all reversed
12 FRYER: FRY(little fish), (h)ER(e) – an all-in-one clue
13 OUT OF LINE: double definition, with one cryptic (if you are out of the hereditary line)
14 IN GOOD NICK: another double definition with the police one being slightly cryptic
16 WOAD: first letters of W(orn) A(s) D(ecoration) containing O
19 GLIB: L inside BIG(large) reversed – definition is smooth
20 ASTRINGENT: anagram of NET RATINGS
22 APPORTION: PORT inside an anagram of PIANO
23 CAP,ER
25 PRIMULA: UM reversed inside an anagram of APRIL
26 EROSION: the statue of EROS with I, ON(leg side in cricket)
27 COGWHEEL: the source of jelly is a COW HEEL – insert G
28 AFFORD: (aren)A, F(following), FORD(car)
 
Down
1 RATIFYING: remove the first letter from GRATIYING
2 DINKY: D(diamonds), INKY(showing dark stain)
3 ANTERIOR: this was my typo as somehow I had ANTERIOT in the grid. ER inside ANTI(hostile), OR(troops at the front) Oops – “at the front” was the definition, as pointed out in comments
5 LUNATIC FRINGE: anagram of IN CULT FEARING, and a term that may need to be re-evaluated following recent elections
6 GET OFF: two definitions, neither of which I suspect are the usual use of this term
7 HERBIVORE: HERO(lion) RE(about) containing the first letters in B(uck) I(n) V(eldt),
8 PULSE: double definition
10 PROGNOSTICATE: PRATE(go on) containing O, GNOSTIC
15 GLIMPSING: G(enia)L, IMP(rogue), SING(pipe)
17 DETHRONED: sounds like THROWN(brought down) inside DEED
18 KNOCK OFF: double definition
21 TROUGH: THROUGH missing an H
22 ASPIC: ‘AS PIC
24 PRIMO: RIM in OP reversed – the lead part of a duet

46 comments on “Times 26584 – nine down?”

  1. 13:48 for me, finding this one quite tough going.

    There’s some good stuff in there, but I’m not keen on THRON sounding like “thrown” in 17dn or “butcher” for KNOCK OFF in 18dn, and “shed” for GET OFF in 6dn only just scrapes home.

    Oops! Forgot to add my congratulations.

    Edited at 2016-12-01 11:32 pm (UTC)

  2. This one took me eight hours and 39 minutes, but eight hours of that were due to the time difference between Cambridge (where I started it) and Kuala Lumpur (where I finished).

    Like Tony, I wasn’t keen on “shed” for GET OFF – I can’t think of any instances where one is an adequate substitute for the other. “Butcher” is just about serviceable for KNOCK OFF, but only just.

    At 5d, I did accidentally stumble across “guilt in France” as another anagram – perhaps a suitable clue for LUNATIC FRINGE after their next election, depending on the outcome.

    And congratulations to GLH!

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