Times 28,229: A Good Blog Spoiled

Author   VerlainePosted on Categories Daily Cryptic
I liked the first row of this very much, with the interesting device at 1ac and “details of damage on label” being a classic sneaky definition part. But a lot of the rest was relatively standard fare and I finished in a fairly zippy time, only much held up at the end by 20ac where the “QU” made it trickier than usual to see the word from the crossers. 15dn gets bonus points from me because I like crossword clues about crosswords, and 5dn is the kind of bang-up-to-the-minute pop culture content I really enjoy in the Times, but I do think 1ac was my favourite clue in the end, and nothing wrong with putting a good clue front and centre. Good work and thanks setter!

Definitions underlined, (ABC)* indicating anagram of ABC, {} deletions and [] other indicators.

Across
1 Prepares space for game of golf in grounds (6)
GROOMS – G{round->ROOM}S. Take grounds and replace “round” [game of golf] with “room” [space]. Cool and unusual clueing
4 Pig crate needs repair — details of damage on label (5,3)
PRICE TAG – (PIG CRATE*). “Damage” as in “cost”
9 Exhausted, failed to play one’s part? (5,2)
DRIED UP – double def. To “dry up” on stage is to forget one’s lines
11 A line slipped into big report for added weight (7)
BALLAST – A L slipped into BLAST
12 Finished last in event, that’s clear (5)
OVERT – OVER [finished] + {even}T
13 Set aside organ, one of two not in pristine condition (9)
EARMARKED – EAR [organ, one of two] + MARKED [not pristine]
14 Catch kid adopting Linnaeus’s term for pansy (10)
HEARTSEASE – HEAR TEASE [catch | kid] “adopting” {linnaeu}S
16 Workers’ groups put together gear for Kirov, perhaps (4)
TUTU – T(rade) U(nion) twice over. As in the Kirov Ballet
19 One’s told to heighten beams (4)
RAYS – homophone of RAISE [to heighten]
20 Familiar master, inwardly curious, heading for dormitory (10)
ACQUAINTED – ACE with QUAINT within, + D{ormitory}. LOI
22 Solution for hygienist opening laundry (9)
MOUTHWASH – MOUTH WASH [opening | laundry]
23 Gardening aid welcomed by more women on retirement (5)
MOWER – hidden reversed in {mo}RE WOM{en}
25 Bountiful dynasty needing initial support, of course (7)
TEEMING – MING needing initial TEE [support, of (golf) course]
26 Junior guy, one mixed up with Resistance (7)
YOUNGER – (GUY ONE*) + R
27 Malformed sardines maybe, about a kilo netted (8)
FREAKISH – FISH, “netting” RE A K
28 Paid our dues when we dined with daughter? (6)
ATONED – AT ONE [when we dined] + D
Down
1 Male boxer possibly making a comeback with different sponsor (9)
GODMOTHER – M DOG reversed + OTHER. If you see me in real life you are allowed to call me M-DOG, though I will of course accept V-DOG too
2 Compound in hydrogen-depleted animal skin (5)
OXIDE – OX{h}IDE
3 Consider change for the better, inspired by spouse (8)
MEDITATE – EDIT “inspired” by MATE
5 He wrote the story our disheartened bloke adapted (6,7)
ROBERT SOUTHEY – (THE STORY OUR B{lok}E*)
6 Part of shirt buttonhole (6)
COLLAR – double def. “Buttonhole” as in “accost”
7 Recorded number on case for trainer’s loose kit (9)
TRACKSUIT – TRACK [thing on a record] on SUIT [thing in court]
8 Gun with enamelled casing kept within college (5)
GATED – GAT + E{namelle}D
10 Want no unpaid help to initiate action? (6,7)
PREFER CHARGES – double def with the whimsical idea that if you literally “prefer charges” you don’t like getting things for free
15 Like the solvers, the setters are back to square one (2,3,4)
AS YOU WERE – AS YOU, WE’RE
17 One who’s up robing duke with unusual grandeur (9)
UNDERGRAD – D “robed” with (GRANDEUR*)
18 Minds out for shocking gymnast’s last move? (8)
DISMOUNT – (DISMOUNT*)
21 Reduce drill (cut by hour) (6)
SHRINK – SINK “cut” by HR. Not 100% sure how “sink” is “drill”, maybe in sense of drilling/sowing seeds?
22 Single decoration, apt reward when viewed in retrospect (5)
MOTIF – FIT O.M. reversed
24 Go to and fro aboard carrier (5)
WAGON – WAG [go to and fro] + ON [aboard]

52 comments on “Times 28,229: A Good Blog Spoiled”

  1. Nothing too difficult here, though did take a while to recall the pansy’s other name.

    Last two in ATONED and WAGON.

  2. Really enjoyed this one – strangely, my solving time was exactly the same as the time taken to consume a sausage’n’egg McMuffin, hash brown, OJ and coffee in a Motorway cafe in the teeming rain.
  3. 10:16. I resisted the temptation to submit without checking my answers to get in under 10 minutes. So of course I didn’t have any mistakes. Steady enough solve, finishing in the NW where I tried and failed to parse GROOMS before just bunging in what seemed the only possible answer.
    The only reason anyone’s even heard of Southey is because Byron hated him so much, which is a bit sad really.
  4. …have picked up loads from the blog and the puzzle itself today, including ‘term’ for end, HEARTSEASE itself (horticulture tripping me up again) and PREFER CHARGES which is a big NHO and still doesn’t make much sense to me as a ‘initiate action’ as I’ve never seen prefer used in that way.

    Did get SHRINK but had ‘sink’ as short for countersink i.e. the bigger drill bit that allows the screw head to sit flush…I now see that was unnecessary/lucky as I recognise you would ‘sink a well’ (oil or water) by drilling for it.

    Thanks all – appreciating the education.

  5. ….for a disgracefully poor weeks solving — or, in today’s case, not solving. Down to the last crossing pair in 11 minutes or so, but was quite unable to crack them. Resigned after 16 minutes without ever seeing ACQUAINTED or TRACKSUIT. No excuses — I simply had some sort of brain fade.
  6. Gave up on the hour with HEARTEASE not entered and was never going to be. Couldn’t see it at all. I liked PRICE TAG and managed to get the right answer at 10d. Guessed Robert from the anag.

    Thank you V for reminding me that I had a good round ruined yesterday by a missed birdie and two three putts. A bit like today really! Ta to setter too.

  7. Got thirteen of these and had some ideas about some others. Finished it off in the electronic version by trial and error. Did not parse about a third of these. Found this more accessible than some. Thanks, V, and setter.
  8. Too many obscure or inaccurate clues ( tracksuit is not loose kit).
    Stop thinking how clever you are, or think you are
    1. Whether or not actual reality bears it out, the Chambers definition of tracksuit begins “a loose warm suit” so the setter must be deemed to be off the hook here. It seems the lexicographer may have been in a jocular mode though as the definition ends with “sometimes worn by [non-athletes] in an error of judgment”…!

      Edited at 2022-03-04 07:05 pm (UTC)

  9. Thanks V for parsing “Grooms” – I couldn’t see that.
    I would question – is editing a change for the better or just a change – do we always dine at one – are malformations freakish – is an OM a reward or an award?
    Nevertheless, good puzzle.
    Mike Cowking
  10. Not to mention Lexico (‘loose, warm set of clothes’) and American Collins (‘loosefitting outfit’).
  12. 17.58. A good puzzle which I enjoyed and ran through in a decent time, managed to see things quite quickly and didn’t dither too much over anything.
  13. After an hour I took a break with three or four answers missing, then needed another 15 minutes to finish with one mistake. Never heard of HEARTSEASE, didn’t catch the meaning of “term” and put in HEARTLEASE, which seemed strange but not impossible. The rest was fun, though, and I did eventually manage to parse it all, including GROOMS.

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