Time taken: 11:07
From the times of the first few people to finish, I suspect this is on the more difficult end of things. In my first run through the across clues I only got four or five, did a bit better on a run through of the downs, but then the last few took quite a while. Nothing overly obscure, but a wide range of knowledge and tricks.
How did you get along?
| Across | |
| 1 | Garage where favourite composer, leaving hydrogen, fills quota (6,7) |
| PETROL STATION – PET(favorite) then the composer Gustav HOLST, minus H(hydrogen) inside RATION(quota) | |
| 8 | Deity entering principal UK island in attempt to annex? (4) |
| GRAB – RA(deity) inside GB(principal UK island) | |
| 9 | Copy that is used by band famed saxophonist familiarly engages (10) |
| TRANSCRIBE – SC(scilicet, that is) and RIB(band) inside TRANE (nickname for John Coltrane) | |
| 10 | Second church that looks to the west in Crosby? That’s lovely (8) |
| BECOMING – MO(second) and CE(church) reversed inside BING Crosby | |
| 11 | Record-holder needs rest shortly before historic victory (6) |
| SLEEVE – SLEEP(rest) minus the last letter before VE(Victory in Europe, historic victory) | |
| 13 | Early arrival taking in new books? Outstanding (10) |
| PREEMINENT – PREEMIE(early arrival) containing N(new), then NT(books) | |
| 16 | Legal institutions or pubs in north and south (4) |
| INNS – IN, N(north) and S(south) | |
| 17 | What sewer may carry tests unit regularly (4) |
| ETUI – alternating letters in tEsTs UnIt | |
| 18 | English team struggling with pitch showing understanding (10) |
| EMPATHETIC – E(English) then an anagram of TEAM and PITCH | |
| 20 | 11 is worn by a swashbuckling sort (6) |
| ARAMIS – ARM(11 is SLEEVE) and IS containing A, reference to the character from The Three Musketeers | |
| 22 | Having been corrected, Chapter One divided circle (3,5) |
| PIE CHART – anagram of CHAPTER,I(one) | |
| 24 | Day ran short during strike for final action (4,6) |
| LAST HURRAH – THUR(day) and RAn inside LASH(strike) | |
| 26 | Uncivilised type in New York, before noon disappearing (4) |
| GOTH – GOTHAM(New York City) minus AM(before noon) | |
| 27 | Director from Left Bank originally visiting this French river that’s inundated factory (5,1,7) |
| CECIL B DEMILLE – L(left) and the first letter of Bank inside CECI(this, in French) and DEE(river) surrounding MILL(factory) | |
| Down | |
| 1 | Proper treat organised for responsible individual (11) |
| PERPETRATOR – anagram of PROPER,TREAT | |
| 2 | Two rounds added to bill — that’s unacceptable (5) |
| TABOO – O,O(two rounds) after TAB(bill at a restaurant or bar) | |
| 3 | January not starting sunny? Here a soaking’s possible (2,4,3) |
| ON THIN ICE – January is MONTH 1, remove the first letter, then NICE(sunny) | |
| 4 | Resort missing out on a turn to shine (7) |
| SPANGLE – SPA(resort) then A removed from ANGLE(turn in a different direction) | |
| 5 | Old man looking up relative point in orbit (5) |
| APSIS – PA(old man) reversed, then SIS(relative) | |
| 6 | Altered realities figure in Bible (9) |
| ISRAELITE – anagram of ISRAELITE | |
| 7 | Sharp point found by climbing mountain peak (3) |
| NEB – BEN(mountain peak) reversed | |
| 12 | Dressing Victor in ornamental plume? (11) |
| VINAIGRETTE – V(victor), IN, AIGRETTE(ornamental plume) | |
| 14 | Me clutching booze, knocked back at one: clues initially incomprehensible (9) |
| ENIGMATIC – ME containing GIN(booze) all reversed, then AT, I(one), then the first letter of Clues | |
| 15 | In London town, one acting badly after X amount of brandy? (9) |
| TOTTENHAM – HAM(one acting badly) after TOT TEN(the Xth amount of brandy) | |
| 19 | Parisian pop installed in flat that’s decorated (7) |
| PAPERED – PERE(father in French) inside PAD(flat) | |
| 21 | Singular act of slaughter leads to row (5) |
| SCULL – S(singular), CULL(act of slaughter) | |
| 23 | Male hair product for a thinking man? (5) |
| HEGEL – HE(male), GEL(hair product) | |
| 25 | In sound flood rescue vessel reveals bow (3) |
| ARC – sounds like ARK(rescue vessel) | |
I very much enjoyed this puzzle which took a little over the hour. Unlike one earlier in the week even the unknowns were solvable by the clear direction of the clever cryptics, surely that’s the ‘game’?
Thanks setter and G
Not unlike me though, Steve! I too couldn’t compare its difficulty with the real toughie yesterday; but though I fared a lot better today, was left dissatisfied with my work. Could be the lack of “clever” surfaces , or of humour maybe? Ploughed through the top half (mostly scoring downs), had a bit of a Nana-nap, attacked once more and the answers flowed a lot easier. Still didn’t get the ON THIN ICE clue, or where PREEMIE came from, but it had to be. CODs to SCULL and CECIL B.