Addendum: I’m sorry I did not include my own time, which was 25:40. I am usually in the 9-14 minute range, so this was a long way from my typical time. It also appears to have blasted away records on the SNITCH, matching a puzzle that was a repeat of an older puzzle (which I didn’t even attempt) and the only regular daily to crack 200. Today’s setter has popped in to clear up a question in the comments.
Well, for those of you wondering when the next stinker was coming, welcome to Thursday! I was worried I was not going to be able to complete this at all, in a reading of the across clues not a single one came to mind, and a first run through the down clues only netted me 1 and 17 down.
I am certainly not the target audience for this puzzle, there’s a cryptic definition that nearly made me throw my laptop through the window, and a bunch of strangely clued place names and proper names. The presence of 25 down made me wonder if I was missing something hidden in the grid, but I’m not seeing anything.
First definitions are underlined in clues
Away we go…
| Across | |
| 1 | Bolt that is attached to drive (5) |
| SCRAM – bolt in this case meaning to leave quickly. SC(scilicet, that is), then RAM (drive into) | |
| 4 | A stroll in the park leads up garden path to gorge (4,5) |
| KIDS STUFF – KIDS(leads up garden path, lies to), STUFF(gorge) | |
| 9 | A computer network block is in binary (9) |
| ALDEBARAN – A LAN(computer network) with DEBAR(block) inside. Aldebaran is a binary star | |
| 10 | War hero off to meet the Queen (5) |
| BADER – BAD(off, turned) and ER for Douglas BADER | |
| 11 | Endless confounded traps alternating current and past state (6) |
| THRACE – THREW(confounded) missing the last letter and containing AC(alternating current) – former Roman state | |
| 12 | Leaves visibly embarrassed hosts with no other option? (8) |
| REQUIRED – QUIRE(an amount of paper, leaves), inside RED(visibly embarrassed) | |
| 14 | Music to send nanny’s boy to sleep? (10) |
| ROCKABILLY – you may need to ROCK A BILLY goat | |
| 16 | Coup d’état removing number two by force (4) |
| FEAT – remove the second letter of ETAT and put F(force in front of it) | |
| 19 | Clobber with blow after spinning round (4) |
| GARB – BRAG (blow, boast) reversed | |
| 20 | Ball girl chosen for final footie match (10) |
| CINDERELLA – cryptic definition | |
| 22 | Peers in time bother to hold end of debate up (3,5) |
| AGE GROUP – AGGRO(bother) containing the end of debatE, then UP | |
| 23 | Bucks, might one possibly say, and cuts loose? (6) |
| UNDOES – bucks could be UN(not) DOES | |
| 26 | Take courses provided by university somewhere in Italy (5) |
| UDINE – DINE(take courses, eat) next to U | |
| 27 | Dieter’s pal possibly cut starchy, fatty food he’s just started (9) |
| FRIEDRICH – the starchy fatty food is FRIED RICE, remove the end and add the first letter of He’s | |
| 28 | Article on a smart UK foreign relations manual (4,5) |
| KAMA SUTRA – A(article) with an anagram of A,SMART,UK | |
| 29 | Understand whose turn it is to catch one, say (5) |
| DIGIT – DIG(understand) and when it is your turn to catch, you are IT | |
| Down | |
| 1 | Unduly complacent about cunning doctor’s thought-provoking prescription? (5,4) |
| SMART DRUG – SMUG(unduly complacent) containing ART(cunning), DR(doctor) | |
| 2 | Run after players in training, locating kit (5) |
| RADAR – R following RADA(players or actors in training) | |
| 3 | One favouring gangsterism as a rule, or combat manoeuvres (8) |
| MOBOCRAT – anagram of OR,COMBAT | |
| 4 | Edge of fibre, knotted up, frayed at edges (4) |
| KERB – hidden reversed in fiBRE Knotted | |
| 5 | Employee in school yard up for keeping secret with boy (6,4) |
| DINNER LADY – YD(yard) reversed containing INNER(secret) and LAD(boy) | |
| 6 | Deputy deserts master (6) |
| SUBDUE – SUB(deputy) and DUE(just deserts) | |
| 7 | Get a poor price for German and Irish lines (9) |
| UNDERSELL – UND(German for AND), ERSE(Irish), LL(lines) | |
| 8 | A lot coming with commercial storage unit (5) |
| FARAD – FAR(a lot) and AD(commercial) for the unit of electrical capacitance | |
| 13 | Snackbar at first makes its sandwiches in batter (10) |
|
MINIBUFFET – I thought this had a hyphen? It has a hyphen in Chambers, and isn’t in Collins. Anyway, M |
|
| 15 | Short drama piece broadcast live for now (5,4) |
|
CARPE DIEM – anagram of DRAM |
|
| 17 | End of story which is told initially by bowler? (5,4) |
| THATS THAT – THAT’S(which is), T(old), HAT(bowler) | |
| 18 | Island’s criminal society keeping racket up (8) |
| TRINIDAD – TRIAD(criminal society) containing DIN(racket) reversed | |
| 21 | Appliances seen often in gents clubs? Not very (6) |
| DRIERS – hand dryers, presumably. DRIVERS(golf clubs) missing V | |
| 22 | Answer jumped-up Lord or Lady in frenzy (5) |
| AMUCK – A(answer) and then Lord or Lady MUCK | |
| 24 | Taking in too much limited-overs cricket not good (5) |
| ODING – ODI(one day international), NG(not good) | |
| 25 | Maybe miss out with odd bits of insignia (4) |
| NINA – alternating letters in iNsIgNiA | |
Good cryptic, almost as one expects, but a lot of thought put into definitions here I feel, and it paid off. Took me 70 minutes, but they were very enjoyable ones.
Thanks setter and GLH.
MINIBUFFET, DRIERS, REQUIRED, FARAD and SUBDUE were the laggards.
Thanks GL
Well, there was one, but you know what I mean 🙂
Edited at 2018-07-27 03:39 pm (UTC)
Even though I didn’t finish, I think this was the best value-for-money puzzle I’ve seen in quite a while, awash with superb clues. Many thanks to the setter.