Times 28269 – monkey puzzle, and a bridge too far.

For me this was a meatballs sort of puzzle; not exceptionally tasty but filling and quite acceptable. No unknown words, not much else to add; 30 minutes done and parsed. The long anagrams were fun.

Across
1	Revolutionary male doctor went down to find monkey (8)
	MARMOSET – RAM reversed = revolutionary male; MO = doctor; SET is to mean went down, not sure I can see in what sense though. Perhaps ‘set down’ as in written, went down on paper? #or as pointed out below, sun set = go down.
9	Man’s situation woman has abused, smuggling in ecstasy (5,3)
	IRISH SEA – IRIS (a woman) (HAS)* with E inside. Came to mind as I lived there for nearly 20 years.
10	Sculptor with initial cast showing ruler in Asgard (4)
	ODIN – RODIN loses his initial R; where ODIN lived in Norse mythology.
11	This attained, perhaps, so can one get involved with female? (3,2,7)
	AGE OF CONSENT – (SO CAN ONE GET F)*.
13	Seductive dancer to accept honour in exchange for money (6)
	SALOME – OM (honour) insode SALE (exchange for money).
14	Smooth youth rounds cape in armoured ship (8)
	IRONCLAD – IRON (smooth) LAD (youth) insert C for cape.
15	Decorative chain having two metals additionally inset (7)
	FESTOON – FE (Fe, iron) and SN (Sn, tin) have TOO inserted.
16	Have argument about rook with an ascetic? (7)
	SPARTAN – SPAT = argument, insert R add AN.
20	Returning quietly, do penance in church and vacant tomb (8)
	CENOTAPH – P, ATONE, all reversed inside CH.
22	This installed, point at vehicle sent the wrong way? (6)
	SATNAV – S (point) AT, VAN reversed.
23	Those considered expendable fed on corn and nuts (6,6)
	CANNON FODDER – (FED ON CORN AND)*.
25	Regularly find clues not working (4)
	IDLE – alternate letters of f I n D c L u E s.
26	Regret very much pronounced in French philosopher (8)
	ROUSSEAU – sounds like “rue so”.
27	Ocean drifters not put back on board (8)
	PLANKTON – NOT reversed on a PLANK.

Down
2	Sailor to expire whilst receiving whip, or give up (8)
	ABDICATE – AB (sailor) DIE (expire) insert CAT = whip.
3	Sophisticate, person on brink of victory? One’s lost! (3,5,4)
	MAN ABOUT TOWN – MAN ABOUT TO WIN on the brink of victory, loses I.
4	To dine before travel shows moral conscience (8)
	SUPEREGO – SUP (dine) ERE (before) GO (travel). Sup to me means drink not dine, but I guess one can sup one’s supper.
5	Thin wrapping material can be frustrating? (7)
	TINFOIL – TIN (can) FOIL (be frustrating).
6	Stunner going about one day in gown with sash (6)
	KIMONO – KO (knockout, stunner), has I MON (one day) inserted.
7	Key passage denied opening note (4)
	ISLE – AISLE (passage) without the initial A, key as in Florida Keys.
8	Needing to trap fox, secret lodger lost elephant (8)
	MASTODON – MASON (“secret lodger”) has TOD = fox inserted.
12	Crisis with turkey supply is threat to country? (8,4)
	SECURITY RISK – (CRISIS TURKEY)*.
15	Jack perhaps following champion around on street (4,4)
	FACE CARD – F (following) ACE (champion) CA (around) RD (street, road).
17	One news supremo quickly on the rise in City (8)
	PASADENA – all reversed; A, N ED (news supremo) ASAP (quickly, as soon as possible). I have stayed with my old school friend in Glendale, CA so I know Pasadena is the next door city.
18	Coal processed outside top university in resort (8)
	ACAPULCO – CAP U (top university) goes inside (COAL)*.
19	Distressed having to get together with son (5,2)
	SHOOK UP – S for son, HOOK UP for get together.
21	Attention-seeker covering British sailors in battle? (6)
	ARNHEM – “AHEM” = attention seeker, insert RN for Royal Navy.
24	Pointless to see reduction in common sense (4)
	NOUS – NO USE would be pointless, reduce the E.

44 comments on “Times 28269 – monkey puzzle, and a bridge too far.”

A rather dozy 20 minute solve with the cricket on and Mrs Z drawing attention to fascinating entries on Facebook. Quite an elegant puzzle, I thought, lots of deception (“secret lodger”, “man’s situation”) and some smooth, story-telling surfaces throughout.
So cleverly concealed was the anagram for AGE OF CONSENT, I genuinely gave up looking for the wordplay and assumed it was a rather wordy CD. I’m delighted it wasn’t!
MARMOSET was my first guess but last actually entered. Just didn’t think of RAM for male.

Very nice puzzle, completed in several short work breaks so no time, but I’d guess about 40 mins in total. Thanks for parsing MASTODON, which I couldn’t see for looking, much as used to be the case with the secret lodgers, although in my experience they seem to be rather less shy these days. Still a mystery to me why they exist, but heigh ho!

31 minutes including proofreading, 30 without, and nothing to complain about. I did biff several answers (ACAPULCO, IRISH SEA, NOUS, and others) before sorting out the wordplay. The clue I liked best was for TINFOIL, and NOUS was my LOI because it took a while so see how it worked.

22.06. I thought this was an engaging puzzle with a few tricky bits in it, more than enough to keep me occupied.

Making this comment for fellow solvers in the Australian. I think the setter might be a bridge player. Set=went down is bridge terminology for failing to make the contract. The appearance of FACE CARD in the puzzle supports the theory.

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