Solving time: 9:04, but missed a typo when I was checking over answers, so I’m not gonig to be contributing to the SNITCH times today. As of right now, three of the four solvers have one error, so maybe it is international butterfingers day.
I was expecting a stinker after the last few days being not too difficult, and I didn’t get it (apologies to Verlaine in advance, it must be coming tomorrow). There’s a couple of place names used in wordplay and as solutions, one of which usually appears as a racecouse, so that is something different.
In last week’s Mephisto blog an anonymous poster accused me of being arrogant, smug and unhelpful. It is rare someone nails me on the first try. First definitions are underlined.
Away we go…
| Across | |
| 1 | Cold worker keeping on, good fellow — and steadfast (8) |
| CONSTANT – C(cold), ANT(worker) containing ON, and ST(saint, good fellow) | |
| 6 | Laugh with merriment, no end, after performance (6) |
|
GIGGLE – GLE |
|
| 9 | Prevent vessels returning (4) |
| STOP – POTS(vessels) reversed | |
| 10 | Give up “better” sort of technology (superior no longer) (10) |
| CAPITULATE – CAP(better), IT(technology), U(superior), LATE(no longer). I have to hand it to the setter, that is terrific wordplay and a great clue for a tricky word | |
| 11 | Attest fear about sensation after meal (10) |
| AFTERTASTE – anagram of ATTEST,FEAR | |
| 13 | Husband, slippery type and cad (4) |
| HEEL – H(husband), EEL(slippery type) | |
| 14 | Like article in US magazine that’s prominently printed (8) |
| MASTHEAD – AS(like), THE(article) in MAD magazine. Not a magazine I can recall being used in wordplay. Loved it as a kid, particularly the spy vs spy comics and the fold-in at the back | |
| 16 | Old unseemly pub — eat noisily (6) |
| INDIGN – sounds like INN, DINE. Tricky one – couldn’t remember how to spell it until I got the G | |
| 18 | Act as befits a ram and attack (4,2) |
| BEAT UP – if you act like a ram you may BE A TUP | |
| 20 | Get hold of artist and musician (8) |
| BAGPIPER – BAG(get hold of), PIPER(artist) – when I solved this I thought it referred to a musician but it more likely a reference to the artist John Piper. I saw a concert of Britten’s War Requiem earlier this year where pictures of his artwork were on the screen with the surtext | |
| 22 | Concert given publicity, not half (4) |
| PROM – half of PROMOTED(given publicity) – this was my typo where I had somehow entered FROM | |
| 24 | Trend involved with email being taken off line (10) |
| DERAILMENT – anagram of TREND and EMAIL – nice deception in the definition | |
| 26 | Arrive with the Spanish nibbles brought round for food (10) |
| COMESTIBLE – COME(arrive) and then EL(the, Spanish), BITS(nibbles) both reversed | |
| 28 | Play one way and another for a time (4) |
| NOON – a Japanese NO play forwards and backwards | |
| 29 | Approaching a worker about task, putting out request (2,4) |
| AT HAND – A HAND(worker) surrounding TASK missing ASK(request) | |
| 30 | Restricting trouble, looks after the final bits and pieces (4,4) |
| TAIL ENDS – AIL(trouble) inside TENDS(looks after) | |
| Down | |
| 2 | Having no more fruit that’s unfashionable (3-2-4) |
| OUT-OF-DATE – OUT OF(having no more), DATE(fruit) | |
| 3 | Fool that is not without heart may become wise (7) |
|
SAPIENT – SAP(fool), IE(that is), then N |
|
| 4 | A duck puts the Queen off somewhere near Windsor (5) |
| ASCOT – A SCOTER(duck) missing ER. I didn’t know where they are, but Google Maps says it is about 13km from Ascot to Windsor | |
| 5 | Load of rubbish in hole mounting up (3) |
| TIP – PIT(hole) reversed | |
| 6 | Company is picking up (9) |
| GATHERING – double definition – picking up as in learning | |
| 7 | Girl was forced to set about a noble adventurer (7) |
| GALAHAD – GAL(girl), HAD(was forced to) surrounding A | |
| 8 | Woman’s last to surface — drink has a profound effect here? (5) |
| LETHE – ETHEL with the L at the top, the Greek river of forgetfulness | |
| 12 | Unusual seabird featured in short article (7) |
| SIDEBAR – anagram of SEABIRD | |
| 15 | Hurried up, no longer wanting page changed before printing (9) |
| EXPEDITED – EX(no longer), P(page), EDITED(changed before printing) | |
| 17 | Wife never upset when surrounded by attractive lot of trees in leaf (9) |
| GREENWOOD – W, NEER(never) reversed surrounded by GOOD(attractive) – a forest of leafy trees | |
| 19 | One drafted into office takes a long time, painting (7) |
| TEMPERA – TEMP(one drafted into office), ERA(a long time) | |
| 21 | Tremendous chaps in fantastic Times putting out leader (7) |
| IMMENSE – MEN(chaps) in an anagram of TIMES minus the T | |
| 23 | Squat in inadequate space overlooking street (5) |
|
ROOST – ROO |
|
| 25 | Old tribe pleasant, beginning to end, on island (5) |
| ICENI – NICE(pleasant) with the N at the bottom, then I(island) | |
| 27 | Club in SW city closing early (3) |
| BAT – the city of BATH missing the end | |
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