Time taken: 13:23
Looking at the early times, I made a bit of a meal of this, and I’m glad for the unusual grid with the generous checking in a few areas. The wordplay is difficult, but it might help to be familiar with some of the rarely-seen words in the grid.
How did you get along?
| Across | |
| 1 | Figure one Grand Master must enter with first class marks (8) |
| STIGMATA – STAT(figure) containing I(one), GM(Grand Master) then A(first class) | |
| 9 | In flight, bat is not a plant-fancier (8) |
| BOTANIST – anagram of BAT,IS,NOT | |
| 10 | Sea dweller not entirely near a bit of sun (8) |
| STINGRAY – STINGY(near, miserly) missing the last letter then RAY(a bit of sun) | |
| 11 | Parisian institution aggrieved to receive German capital (8) |
| SORBONNE – SORE(aggrieved) containing BONN(German capital) | |
| 12 | Saying “Run!”, shocked, when circling area steeped in blood (10) |
| SANGUINARY – anagram of SAYING,RUN containing A(area) | |
| 14 | Maiden going to resort getting lots of unwanted correspondence (4) |
| SPAM – M(maiden) next to SPA(resort) | |
| 15 | Medical man’s impression about twisted pose (7) |
| DENTIST – DENT(impression) surrounding SIT(pose) reversed | |
| 17 | Confinement when stockpiling, having overlooked area (5-2) |
| LYING-IN – This was my last in, and it was a guess at the last unchecked letter. LAYING IN(stockpiling) minus A(area). I haven’t heard of either part of this – LYING-IN is confinement in childbirth, and LAYING IN is not in Collins, however LAY IN is, as stockpiling | |
| 21 | Copper following to provide restraint for prisoner (4) |
| CUFF – CU(copper), FF(following pages) | |
| 22 | Relative mostly needs caring when out of sorts (10) |
| GRANDNIECE – anagram of most of NEEDs and CARING | |
| 23 | Cost of pair in charge of back entry (5,3) |
| PRICE TAG – PR(pair), IC(in charge) and GATE(entry) reversed | |
| 25 | Reversing small car I call almost pernicious (8) |
| INIMICAL – reverse of MINI(small car), then I, CALL minus the last letter | |
| 26 | Detective Sergeant apprehending former suspect in low spirits (8) |
| DOLDRUMS – DS(Detective Sergeant) containing OLD(former), RUM(suspect) | |
| 27 | Dear person who encourages Swiss composer (8) |
| HONEGGER – HON(dear), EGGER(person who encourages) | |
| Down | |
| 2 | Student about to delay getting protection (8) |
| TUTELAGE – TUTEE(student) surrounding LAG(to delay) | |
| 3 | Instinctive to cover fellow’s opening in nearby armed battle (8) |
| GUNFIGHT – GUT(instinctive) containing the first letter of Fellow in NIGH(nearby) | |
| 4 | Cautious, having answer misplaced? It’s wrong (4) |
| AWRY – WARY(curious) with the A(answer) moved | |
| 5 | Dreadful article — Times largely diminished (7) |
| ABYSMAL – A(article), BY(times, multiplied by), then SMALL(diminished) minus the last letter | |
| 6 | Looked to consume whisky and brandy, finally out of touch with reality (6-4) |
| STARRY-EYED – STARED(looked) containing RYE(whisky) and the last letter of brandY | |
| 7 | Get hold of drink, say, in Canadian city (8) |
| WINNIPEG – WIN(get hold of), NIP(drink), EG(say). In 1996 a friend dared me to spend a Christmas in Winnipeg and while it was bitterly cold, it was far more fun than I expected. Particularly remember drinking at Earl’s and looking down on trucks loading up snow and carting it off to dump on the frozen river to later flood the Dakotas | |
| 8 | Workers in carbon and iron and different elements (8) |
| STEELMEN – anagram of ELEMENTS | |
| 13 | Astute, flushing it out (10) |
| INSIGHTFUL – anagram of FLUSHING,IT | |
| 15 | Small party walked up for crustaceans (8) |
| DECAPODS – S(small), DO(party), PACED(walked) all reversed | |
| 16 | Lack of difficulties about French at a basic level (2-6) |
| NO-FRILLS – the lack of difficulties would be NO ILLS, surrounding FR(French) | |
| 18 | Last of huntsmen considering ignoring first sound of horses (8) |
| NEIGHING -last letter of huntsmeN, then WEIGHING(considering) minus the first letter | |
| 19 | Small quantity of grasses, mostly rudimentary (8) |
| INCHOATE – INCH(small quantity), then OATEN(of grasses) minus the last letter | |
| 20 | Fairly big Scottish town containing one hospital (7) |
| LARGISH – got this from definition. The town of LARGS, surrounding I(one), then H(hospital) | |
| 24 | Family gathering around Lima’s oven (4) |
| KILN – KIN(family) surrounding L(Lima, NATO alphabet) | |
15.27
Liked it. Didn’t give a second’s thought to Bonn. Knew INCHOATE. Dithered over HUN -v- HON. Agree HEN possible also
Thanks all
As I am lying “abed” today, just took my time over this and was glad to only have to cheat on a couple. Liked the PDM at STARRY-EYED, similarly at LYING-IN, which should be no problem for female solvers. Dashed in STIGMATA straight away, having followed the cryptic carefully, so was off to a reasonable start. Never did crack SANGUINARY ( “steeped in blood” really?) and had to biff the second part of GRANDNIECE as unable to parse.
Apart from that, a leisurely solve, with only HONEGGER to frighten the horses.