Times 26932 – I like the way the Americans say 20 down

Author   glhPosted on Categories Daily Cryptic
Solving time:  8:21. At the moment this has me second of about 18 on the list, so I might have gotten lucky with a jump on some of the wordplay here.

Now let’s talk wordplay – there is definitely play at work here, and I don’t think there’s anything unfair but there are a few devices we don’t see everyday.

Definitions are underlined in the clues

Away we go…

Across
1 Organisation representing soccer school in London? Wrong (5)
FALSE – FA is the soccer organisation and the London School of Economics (LSE) is the school
4 Maybe a bit like someone sneering about book that’s hard to understand (9)
GIBBERISH – GIBER-ISH (maybe like someone sneering) surrounding B
9 Interfering old females: nasty? Not very (9)
OFFICIOUS – O(old), F,F(females) then VICIOUS missing V
10 Name for male artist surrounded by smoke (5)
CRAIG – RA is the artist inside a CIG
11 Bird heads for trees, having to fly (6)
THRUSH – first letters of T(rees), H(aving) then RUSH (fly)
12 Percussion instrument players ultimately showed spirit (4,4)
SIDE DRUM – SIDE(players), then (showe)D, RUM(spirit)
14 Infamous Conservative briefly installed in Number Ten, useless (9)
NOTORIOUS – TOR(y) inside NO, IO (ten as in a one next to a zero), US(unservicable, useless)
16 I hadn’t reviewed paintings (5)
TONDI – I’D NOT all reversed
17 Brandy knocked back by first of patients in pain (5)
CRAMP – MARC(brandy) reversed then P(atients)
19 Fan of rugby player, one not dropping ball (9)
PROPONENT – PROP is the rugby plater, then ONE, and NOT missing O(the ball)
21 Just about enough pre-match publicity? (8)
ADEQUATE – EQUATE(match) with AD(publicity) first
22 Note one central line? The reverse, several lines (6)
SIXAIN – reversal of N(note), I, AXIS(central line)
25 Beef good, ready for eating (5)
GRIPE – G, RIPE(ready for eating)
26 Gatecrashing pub, wanting drinks (7,2)
BARGING IN – BAR(pub) and GIN, GIN (drinks)
27 Going down to get nurse for daughter, ageing (9)
SENESCENT – DESCENT(going down) with SEN replacing D
28 Show feelings, stuck in Portuguese motel (5)
EMOTE – hidden in PortuguesE MOTEl
Down
1 Liabilities resulting from naval attacks? (8,7)
FLOATING CHARGES – doubl definition, the second more cryptic
2 Judge — extremely illiberal — hauled up prisoner (5)
LIFER – REF(judge) and I(llibera)L all reversed
3 One forgives former addict injecting cocaine at first (7)
EXCUSER – EX-USER (former addict) containing C(ocaine)
4 Peter Sellers, for one, to appear before audience (4)
GOON – or GO ON referring to the old radio show
5 Award nurses in small hospital top accolade (4,2,4)
BEST IN SHOW – BESTOW(award) containing IN,S,H
6 English school: worry it could become government property (7)
ESCHEAT – E, SCH, EAT
7 Having tussle with rat, canine’s dazed (2,1,6)
IN A TRANCE – anagram of RAT, CANINE
8 School principal overseeing refurbishment of canteen needing much attention (4-11)
HIGH-MAINTENANCE – HIGH school, then MAIN(principal) and an anagram of CANTEEN
13 Welcoming lots of people shortly with very good food (10)
HOSPITABLE – HOS(t) – lots of people, then PI(very good), TABLE(food)
15 Get in RADA for retraining? One might (9)
TRAGEDIAN – anagram of GET,IN,RADA
18 Person, not working, keeping blooming pigeons (7)
POUTERS – PERS(on) containing OUT(blooming) – this was the only clue I got from wordplay alone
20 Opening gold reserve, inserting single key (7)
ORIFICE – OR(gold), ICE(reserve) containing I(single), F(key with one flat as a major)
23 Article accompanies leaders in Guardian giving report of trouble (5)
AGGRO – A(article) then first letters in Guardian Giving Report Of
24 Worry about appearing in newspaper (4)
FRET – RE(about) inside FT(Financial Times)

71 comments on “Times 26932 – I like the way the Americans say 20 down”

  1. DNF
    Having put in Escheat and Tondi purely from the wordplay I raised the white flag and admitted that this setters vocabulary is clearly far superior to my own. The livejournal spellcheck is equally mystified.
  3. Things were ticking right along, even with the unknown or barely knowns, until I got stuck in the SW. Didn’t think of the easy Marc or the ripe in Gripe, so spun my wheels on the more difficult words. 35 min.
  4. Around 30m and a pleasant solve. My pick of the day is BAR-GIN-GIN, very drole. Thanks for blog and the puzzle today.
  5. DNF, since I couldn’t see what pigeons might have to do with pouting, so I made up the word PRUTER instead, an onomatopoeic description based on the sound a cooing pigeon makes (perhaps). And of course a blooming flower might be said to be in rut. Rather doubtful about SIXAIN, but the wordplay was clear, and of course I did not understand how NOTORIOUS arose (but the definition was clear). I knew ESCHEAT only from the excellent History of English podcast which has been brightening my walks for the last several months.
  6. Enjoyed the crossword, and also the early jazz (or jass) that I was listening to while I solved. It is quite incredible what you can get on Youtube free of charge. I searched for Original Dixieland Jazz Band and was quite surprised when the first track I selected automatically rolled on to other really interesting short films. All of this is to suggest that I would have been much quicker but for the welcome distraction.
  8. Enjoyed the crossword, and also the early jazz (or jass) that I was listening to while I solved. It is quite incredible what you can get on Youtube free of charge. I searched for Original Dixieland Jazz Band and was quite surprised when the first track I selected automatically rolled on to other really interesting short films. All of this is to suggest that I would have been much quicker but for the welcome distraction.
  11. Hi,
    I’m a Newbie here, and very late I know for this puzzle, but why does PI mean very good?

    The blog is great BTW, adds so much to just doing the crossid blindly. Thanks to all contributors !

    1. Welcome!

      “pi” is allegedly an informal British abbreviation for “pious”, i.e. devoutly religious. No, I’ve never heard anyone say it either, but it’s in my dictionary…

      Do keep on coming, and don’t be afraid to join in.

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