Times 27135 – That dog again!

Author   piquetPosted on Categories Daily Cryptic
I found this a straightforward job, lots of anagrams and ‘do what it says’ type wordplay, but overall I couldn’t get excited about it. Maybe I was just not in the mood, in the middle of moving house and not much time for relaxing with more than one quick coffee. In a word, for me, unmemorable. It took half an hour but would have been less if I was concentrating.

Across
1 Last part of race maybe sorted out (8)
STRAIGHT – Double definition; sorted out in the sense of ‘put straight’.
5 Epicurean opponent hosting current party in recession (6)
FOODIE – FOE = opponent, hosts I DO reversed, I = current, DO = party.
9 Latest of restrictions in force affected trees (8)
CONIFERS – (S IN FORCE)*, the S from end of restrictionS.
10 County with the very thing in accommodation (6)
BEDSIT – BEDS as in Bedfordshire, IT as in the very thing,
12 Supremacy accorded local lions? (5,2,5)
PRIDE OF PLACE – Cryptic definition, witty-ish.
15 The writer contributing to series that could be tripe (5)
RUMEN – RUN = series, insert ME the writer.
16 Haggard villain I caught crossing state (9)
CADAVERIC – CAD = villain, IC = I caught, insert AVER = state. Nothing to do with H. Rider Haggard,
18 Official staff previously rung several times (9)
SPOKESMAN – SPOKES = rung, several times, then MAN = staff.
19 Where we meet goddess, making final 90 degree turn (5)
VENUE – VENUS the goddess has her S turned from south to east for an E.
20 Deplorable teenage acts finally destroy business (6,6)
ESTATE AGENCY – (TEENAGE ACTS)*, Y. The Y from end of destroy. After the end of this month, with luck, I may NEVER have to deal with an estate agent again. Someone said, the world’s second oldest profession, just as bad as the oldest; I am inclined to agree. Apologies if any honest estate agents  (is that an oxymoron?) are readers of this.
24 Cats — over fifty disposed of by relatives (6)
OUNCES – O = over, UNCLES = relatives, lose their L.
25 Lawman from area still going round collecting rent (8)
ATTORNEY – A = area, YET = still, reversed = TEY, insert TORN = rent.
26 Decoration from Territorial Army without backing (6)
TASSEL – TA then LESS = without, reversed.
27 Disciplined horse moves a long time after groom (8)
DRESSAGE – DRESS = groom, AGE = a long time.

Down
1 Breakaway group declined to let Conservative in (4)
SECT – SET = declined, as in ‘set on not letting him in?’ Insert a C for Conservative. Not very convincing. Is a sect always a breakaway group? I thought, just a group.
2 Offensive superiors may pull it (4)
RANK – Double definition.
3 What was gathered at the wicket about to penetrate boundary? (9)
INFERENCE – IN = at the wicket, FENCE = boundary, insert RE = about.
4 Both comrades at sea out of action (4,2,6)
HORS DE COMBAT – (BOTH COMRADES)*
6 Rider cryptically having the advantage (3-2)
ONE-UP – Well, one up on a horse is a rider.
7 Hopeless days in Rome, one having left partnership (10)
DESPAIRING – DIES = Latin for days, I = one is removed; PAIRING = partnership.
8 Difficult to shift, as were troops on the Somme (10)
ENTRENCHED – Not very cryptic definition.
11 Breed of dog on street, unusually bearing right? (6,6)
GORDON SETTER – (DOG ON STREET R)*. I think I’ve seen the same clue recently, but can’t remember if in this esteemed organ or another beginning with G. Anyway I’d never heard of this kind of setter until the clue came up before.
13 Badly shod curate flopped spectacularly (7,3)
CRASHED OUT – (SHOD CURATE)*
14 Badgers bring in new disease, ultimately infecting us (10)
IMPORTUNES – IMPORT = bring in, then insert N = new, E = disease ultimately, into US.
17 Animated, like a thug casing V&A? (9)
VIVACIOUS – V A inside VICIOUS.
21 Some particular premises unfinished (5)
THESE – THESES plural of THESIS = premise(s).
22 S American coin cashier’s taken in (4)
INCA – not very hidden, in CO(IN CA)SHIER’S.
23 Build up healthily, filling out with exercise (4)
HYPE – HY = healthy with the ‘filling’ removed, PE = exercise.

44 comments on “Times 27135 – That dog again!”

  1. Hello Mr Grumpy. Isn’t it spoke as the past participle of speak and rung as the past participle of ring, not bicycles and ladders spokes and rungs?
  2. 40:26. I got a bit bogged down in parts of this, not too sure why. I agree with Pootle that “disciplined horse moves” is very nice. DNK rumen but not hard to guess. Cadaveric also uncommon but gettable. Couldn’t see set for decline in 1dn but sect had to be the answer. I think I have seen the setter before but Gordon wasn’t the first one to spring to mind.
    1. Thanks Keriothe. That meaning isn’t in my concise OED. I think the past participles reading works ok but I may have been overthinking it.
      1. ODO is based on the Oxford Dictionary of English, which has an avowedly more international approach than its stablemates, so it sometimes includes things they won’t Collins is a pretty standard reference though.

Comments are closed.