Solving time: 12:32, but with one stupid typo, I somehow had an extra U in 1 down. I had been pretty careful lately and this was my first typo in over a month so I’m kicking myself. It is late and I am pretty tired so although I got off to a flying start, this puzzle came in a little bit above my average time.
In case I have made an error, please check the comments first – I will be unable to make any amendments to this blog until much later in the day tomorrow.
Away we go…
Across | |
1 | Blaise, perhaps, having way with pen (7) |
MODESTY – MODE(way) and STY(pen) – reference the old comic strip and movie character | |
5 | Occupant of bed regrets you’re taking it back (6) |
OYSTER – hidden reversed inside regRETS YOur | |
8 | Rash, one caused by such a fire? (9) |
UNGUARDED – double definition, the second one slightly cryptic | |
9 | Man maybe taking risks, losing races (5) |
BEING – BETTING(taking risks), missing TT(races) | |
11 | It’s about the tax (5) |
TITHE – reversal of IT, then THE | |
12 | Left one timid person squeezing in vehicle (9) |
LIMOUSINE – L(left), I(one), MOUSE(timid person) containing IN | |
13 | One large officer, half upset, is unsuitable (3-5) |
ILL-TIMED – I(one), L(large), LT(lieutenant, officer), then DEMI(half) reversed | |
15 | Flyer with current data about something resembling egg? (6) |
WIGEON – W(with), I(current), GEN(data) surrounding an O(something resembling egg) | |
17 | Junior minister to organise exhibitions (6) |
CURATE – double definition | |
19 | Train skater in West Indies to take up another sport (5-3) |
WATER-SKI – anagram of SKATER inside WI(West Indies) | |
22 | A tick for one old king skipping posh old school (9) |
ARTHROPOD – king ARTHUR missing U(posh), O(old), POD(school) | |
23 | Stuck my job, having abandoned India (5) |
CLUNG – the author’s job is CLUING, remove I(India) | |
24 | Pointless showing wit and energy (2,3) |
NO USE – NOUS(wit) and E(energy) | |
25 | Capital raging at New Labour (4,5) |
ULAN BATOR – anagram of AT, N(new), LABOUR | |
26 | Appropriate article that is very penetrating (6) |
THIEVE – THE(article) containing IE(that is), V(very) | |
27 | Five score for former county division (7) |
HUNDRED – a double definiton, though I did not know that it meant a county division, got it from the first definition |
Down | |
1 | Get on a short distance in a clapped-out Sierra (8,5) |
MOUNTAIN CHAIN – MOUNT(get on), A, INCH(short distance) than an anagram of IN,A | |
2 | Fancy one short speech is using computer technology? (7) |
DIGITAL – DIG(fancy) I(one), then TALK(speech) missing the last letter | |
3 | Row close to huge wave (5) |
SPATE – SPAT(row) then the last letter of hugE | |
4 | Person shouting to muffle regularly good singer (8) |
YODELLER – YELLER(person shouting) containing alternating letters in gOoD | |
5 | Old, old Asian brought up a problem with fluid (6) |
OEDEMA – O(old) then MEDE(old Persian) reversed, A | |
6 | Boat departs, given access to fuel? It’s undecided (3,6) |
SUB JUDICE – SUB(boat) then D(departed) inside JUICE(fuel) | |
7 | Building journalist provided rocks (7) |
EDIFICE – ED(Journalist) IF(provided), ICE(rocks) | |
10 | Like good gardener’s area for putting on felt (5-8) |
GREEN-FINGERED – GREEN(area for putting) then FINGERED(felt) | |
14 | Moderate papers holding centre ground finally close (9) |
INTERCEDE – ID(papers), containing an anagram of CENTRE, then the last letter of closE | |
16 | Ready way around cutting grass (4,4) |
HARD CASH – RD(way), CA(around) inside HASH(grass) | |
18 | Improve drench that’s painful (7) |
RETOUCH – RET(drench), OUCH(that’s painful) | |
20 | Keep mum, say, closer (7) |
SHUTTER – SH(keep mum), UTTER(say) | |
21 | Smart police force once occupying small gym (6) |
SPRUCE – RUC (Royal Ulster Constabulary) inside S(small), PE(gym) | |
23 | Bishop visiting killer’s shack (5) |
CABIN – B(bishop) inside CAIN(killer) |
DK the old Persian at 5dn but that didn’t prevent me getting to OEDEMA; it would have been a straightforward biff if I’d known how to spell it.
Edited at 2020-01-09 06:27 am (UTC)
But I would not have got WIGEON as I have always spelled it as WIDGEON anyway.
Good crossword despite my error.
MODESTY BLAISE took a while to come to mind too: like Kevin my first – and, for a while only – thought was Pascal.
Edited at 2020-01-09 08:04 am (UTC)
You can see on my sheet where I’ve corrected ULAN BATUR to ULAN BATOR, so apparently having no confidence in my geographical knowledge is a good thing 🙂
“The law of the Medes and Persians” has come up here before, else I might’ve had problems with 5d OEDEMA, but possibly watching The Death of Mr Lazarescu and thereby spending 2½ hours immersed in hospitals last night helped…
MER (like Matt above) at ‘upset’ for reversal in an across clue. Surely that’s not right.
Thanks setter and G.
One of the advantages of taking one’s time is that mistakes seldom occur, since each clue is fully parsed. But annoyingly I did manage PIGEON today, despite wondering rather about the P
UK citizens may know that an MP who wishes to resign has to apply for the stewardship of the Chiltern Hundreds, which is an office of profit under the Crown, in order to do so.
< 17′, thanks george and setter.
Peter P
What a rubbish clue, IMHO.
MODESTY was first in – would’e been a struggle to come up with Pascal – before my time….
I see ULAN BATOR is no longer in favour, the transliteration now in use is ULAANBAATAR, which would be a clueing challenge. Any offers?
“Darius the Mede was a king and a wonder, his eye was proud and his voice was thunder. He kept bad lions in a monstrous den, and fed them up on Christian man.”
Surely we all did the Daniel jazz at school?
DUffer
Did not enjoy this puzzle as my RANGE was limited at 1dn
COD certainly not WIGEON which was an awful clue IMHO
so 5dn OEDEMA
WOD None
Please Sir, I had 3dn as SPARE : to SPAR – to row (quarrel) with, with the (hug)E.
Mood Meldrewvian and tomorrow is Friday
Edited at 2020-01-09 04:08 pm (UTC)
But as you ask – to spare the rod is to wave (goodbye) to the punishment!
Pootle you are a gem.
Edited at 2020-01-09 06:35 pm (UTC)
Not a fan of “Blaise” as def for Modesty – would “Day” be fair for “Robin”?
Bah, humbug
FOI MODESTY
LOI ILL-TIMED
COD ARTHROPOD
TIME 12:05
COD: ARTHROPOD.
I did this in two sessions today, so no definite time – maybe 50 minutes.
I struggled with 1a for ages because I was sure that lurking in the back of my mind was a French author or poet called Modeste Blaise! I do vaguely remember the name from the 60s but don’t think I saw the comic strips etc.
Mostly I enjoyed this although ret and mede were unknowns so I just trusted the definitions.
FOI Oyster
LOI Spate
COD Tithe
Off for a bit of winter escapism now 😊
Edited at 2020-01-10 03:15 pm (UTC)
If there’s a motto, has to be doing the Times Crossword is always an education!
Edited at 2020-01-09 10:50 pm (UTC)