Time taken: 10:25
Please forgive me if I am a little distracted and numb today. I became a US Citizen in 2014, and have spent today obsessively watching the events going on in Washintgon DC, talking with friends there, and talking with colleagues and students about the truly awful events of today that surely must signal the end of an era in US politics. I’m ashamed of the leadership of my adopted country.
OK – puzzle. My time is just a scratch better than my average, but I think there’s a few that can be biffed without thinking too hard of the wordplay (which in one case is exceptionally clever). Though looking at the early leaderboard, it is verlaine, aphis99 and myself who are in the top three, so maybe this is a shade more difficult than usual.
Added after I completed the write-up… this is a really good puzzle! Looking back at the clues, there is a lot of good wordplay, solid surfaces and a challenge. I think I enjoyed it more as I was writing it up.
Away we go…
Late addendum: Thanks for all the kind comments and empathies. It is interesting to me that the Jonathan apple is not particularly familiar – they were pretty popular in Australia, and although they are not so much in the US, a related Jonagold apple (a cross between Jonathan and a golden delicious) is.
| Across | |
| 1 | Confucian text about time is causing irritation (7) |
| ITCHING – the Confucian text is the I CHING, insert T(time) | |
| 5 | Partially hang a cross around Italian artist (7) |
| ORCAGNA – hidden reversed in hANG A CROss. Grateful for the wordplay here, I don’t recall hearing of the 14th centuary Florentine artist | |
| 9 | Good to take in friend and propose housing area (9) |
| PALATABLE – PAL(friend) and TABLE(propose) containing A(area) | |
| 10 | Losing face, grimace in stress (5) |
| ICTUS – remove the first letter from RICTUS(grimace) | |
| 11 | Gosh! I’m not sure what steals Jonathan’s heart? (5) |
| CORER – COR(gosh) and ER(I’m not sure). Jonathan referring to the type of apple here. | |
| 12 | Feeling less clear about famous residence (6,3) |
| NUMBER TEN – NUMBER(feeling less) then NET(clear) reversed for the Prime Minister’s residence. This is by far my favorite clue in today’s puzzle, well done, setter. | |
| 13 | This person’s on tram stoned, excited and showing off? (13) |
| DEMONSTRATIVE – I’VE(this person’s) after an anagram of TRAM,STONED | |
| 17 | How shop closes, bailiff’s work showing bias (13) |
| PREPOSSESSION – last letter of shoP, then REPOSSESSION (bailiff’s work) | |
| 21 | Playing arena, band’s Indian accompaniment (4,5) |
| NAAN BREAD – anagram of ARENA,BAND | |
| 24 | Whirling around, party in bar (5) |
| LEVER – reversal of REVEL(party) | |
| 25 | More pathetic view from European beach? (5) |
| LAMER – from an Eurpoean beach you may see LA MER | |
| 26 | Where one may study royal fashion (9) |
| PRINCETON – PRINCE(royal), TON(fashion). A university in New Jersey | |
| 27 | New weaponry initially dropped in sister’s home (7) |
| NUNNERY – N(new), then GUNNERY(weaponry) missing the first letter | |
| 28 | Transport rental including hotel transport (7) |
| ENTHRAL – anagram of RENTAL containing H(hotel) | |
| Down | |
| 1 | Legislator blocking current law’s effect (6) |
| IMPACT – MP(legistaltor) inside I(current), ACT(law) | |
| 2 | Romantic pass finally made before watershed? (9) |
| COLERIDGE – COL(pass) then the last letter of madE, and RIDGE(watershed), referring to the Romantic poet Samuel Taylor | |
| 3 | Lag, one put inside when students attend school (7) |
| INTERIM – I(one) inside IN TERM(when students attent school) | |
| 4 | Vulgar speaker given tropical fruit flip (2,7) |
| GO BANANAS – GOB(vulgar form for mouth) the ANANAS(tropical fruit) | |
| 5 | Listeners’ disapproval in ancient theatre (5) |
| ODEUM – sounds like ODIUM(disapproval) | |
| 6 | Illusion’s toll on artist (7) |
| CHIMERA – CHIME(toll as a bell) and RA(artist) | |
| 7 | It’s mean to criticise (3,2) |
| GET AT – double definition | |
| 8 | Missing person dispatched during a competition (8) |
| ABSENTEE – SENT(dispatched) during A BEE(competition, particularly at spelling) | |
| 14 | Go for spin in cricket shot, following match (4,5) |
| TEST DRIVE – DRIVE(cricket shot) after TEST(cricket match) Double cricket! There’s no cricket going on in Sydney right now due to rain. | |
| 15 | Wrought iron’s imported tax-free for pioneer (9) |
| INNOVATOR – anagram of IRON containing NO VAT(tax-free) | |
| 16 | Love to write schedule without divisions (4-4) |
| OPEN-PLAN – O(love), PEN(write), PLAN(schedule) | |
| 18 | Ball’s carried for English playmaker (7) |
| OSBORNE – O’S(ball’s) BORNE(carried) for John OSBORNE, playwright of Look Back in Anger | |
| 19 | Suffering? Current back spasm ruled out (7) |
| ILLICIT – ILL(suffering), I(current) then a reversal of TIC(spasm) | |
| 20 | Where men go home through river (6) |
| URINAL – IN(home) inside the river URAL | |
| 22 | Angry after 1000 sinks getting article for plug supplier (5) |
| ADMAN – MAD(angry) with the M(1000) at the bottom, then AN(article). Another really good clue, using conventions that would only work for down clues. | |
| 23 | My pet cuckoo is vain (5) |
| EMPTY – anagram of MY PET | |
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