Solving time: 14:07, and since about two minutes of that was on 8 down, which I feel is a term at the forefront of many Times solvers’ minds, I am kicking myself. My 14:07 is the slowest of the three times currently on the Times leaderboard, so this was probably easier than I was making it out to be.
It has been a while since we had two pangrams in a row, but with an Z, Q and J in some of the first clues I solved, I was on the lookout, and it was knowing that there was an X missing that caused the penny to drop at 8 down.
First definition is underlined in each clue… away we go!
| Across |
| 1 |
A diary I found among presents expresses regret (10) |
|
APOLOGISES – A then LOG(diary) inside POSES(presents) |
| 7 |
Very small book-lined alcove (4) |
|
BABY – B(book) with BAY(alcove) outside |
| 9 |
Leaving word out of essay on arachnophobia? (8) |
|
SAYONARA – hidden in esSAY ON ARAchnophobia |
| 10 |
Bloke entering shelter returned protective coat (6) |
|
ENAMEL – MAN(bloke) inside LEE(shelter) all reversed |
| 11 |
First couple in queue to board empty vessel (6) |
|
BARQUE – first two letters in QUeue inside BARE(empty) |
| 13 |
Boss on panel maybe, one proverbially late (8) |
|
DOORNAIL – I think this is NAIL(boss, stud) with DOOR(panel across an entrance). Funny thing is the wordplay seemed better suit DOORKNOB which would be the US version of this answer |
| 14 |
Editor with paper backing quite superb writer (5,7) |
|
EDGAR WALLACE – ED(editor), then W(with), RAG(paper) both reversed, then ALL(quite) ACE(superb) |
| 17 |
Stranger roaming Ross to the west is a wayward type (12) |
|
TRANSGRESSOR – anagram of STRANGER then ROSS reversed |
| 20 |
Prime time dancing therein? (8) |
|
THIRTEEN – T, then an anagram of THEREIN – THIRTEEN is a prime number |
| 21 |
Let me introduce Yankee’s contrary belief (6) |
|
HERESY – or HERE’S Y |
| 22 |
Look wonderingly, bowled over here in the garden? (6) |
|
GAZEBO – GAZE(look wonderingly), B(bowled), O(over) |
| 23 |
An oblique sign of approval aired for puzzle (8) |
|
ACROSTIC – sounds like A CROSS TICK |
| 25 |
A little extra for each kilo (4) |
|
PERK – PER(for each), K(kilo) |
| 26 |
Monoglot dabbling in every vacuous scientific field (10) |
|
ENTOMOLOGY – anagram of MONOGLOT inside E(ver)Y |
| Down |
| 2 |
What dealers and others do round table, clearing year’s bills? (8) |
|
PLACARDS – dealers and others PLAY CARDS – remove Y |
| 3 |
Game ladies, or gents (3) |
|
LOO – double definition, a card game I’ve only found in crosswords |
| 4 |
Critical party supporting gutless leader (5) |
|
GRAVE – RAVE(party) under G(utless)
|
| 5 |
Survey youngster mounted causes outrage (7) |
|
SCANDAL – SCAN(survey) then LAD(youngster) reversed |
| 6 |
Lost vegetarian goats sure to stray (9) |
|
STEGOSAUR – anagram of GOATS,SURE |
| 7 |
Problem isn’t still occupying bishops (5-6) |
|
BRAIN-TEASER – AIN’T(isn’t) EASE(still) inside B and RR(both bishops) |
| 8 |
Country’s withdrawal was effective, king admitted (6) |
|
BREXIT – BIT(was effective) with REX(king) inside |
| 12 |
A place for naval ceremonial suit, possibly (11) |
|
QUARTERDECK – a suit would be a QUARTER of a DECK (well except for the joker) |
| 15 |
How baleen is re-used? (9) |
|
WHALEBONE – anagram of HOW,BALEEN |
| 16 |
Judge joins son in exposing historic encounter (8) |
|
JOUSTING – J(judge) then S in OUTING(exposing) |
| 18 |
Sprinter initially slow, apparently unlikely to fade (7) |
|
SUNFAST – S(printer), then UNFAST(slow, apparently) |
| 19 |
Expression starts to lose its integrity when uttered (6) |
|
PHRASE – sounds like FRAYS |
| 21 |
Women’s rooms provided by one fleet-of-foot male (5) |
|
HAREM – HARE(one fleet of foot), M(male) |
| 24 |
Medicinal compound usually taken regularly (3) |
|
SAL – alternating letters in uSuAlLy |
THIRTEEN was my penultimate entry, although I knew it would turn out to be a prime number (NINETEEN also a possibility). It took me a while to see that it was “therein” that would be dancing and was not just an adverb in the clue. Reading “country’s withdrawal”, BREXIT was very easy. GIT didn’t make sense, so it couldn’t be GREXIT, after all.
Edited at 2018-05-31 06:10 pm (UTC)
No CoD for me, but I liked SAYONARA and DOORNAIL.