Music: Charlie Byrd, Brazilian Byrd
Time: 34 minutes
This puzzle was unusually tricky for a Monday, particularly in terms of general knowledge. If you had heard of all the answers, you might do very well, but otherwise you’re in trouble. Years of solving Mephisto served me well, as I put in words I had never heard of, or only vaguely remembered. The NE is particularly difficult, particularly if you don’t spell escalope right on your first attempt.
I also didn’t feel particularly well well solving, and had to force myself to concentrate. I see from the SNITCH that most of the early solvers did well, but there are quite a few solvers with errors on the leaderboard. So I am expecting mixed results.
| 1 | Nice crop developed by American astronomer (10) |
| COPERNICUS – Anagram of NICE CROP + US. | |
| 6 | Country fellow opening note (4) |
| MALI – M(AL)I, the setters’ favorite fellow, a gangster. Figures. | |
| 9 | Cake shop originally included in postman’s short run (10) |
| PATISSERIE – PAT(I[ncluded]’S + SERIE[s]. The cryptic is useful for those dubious of the spelling. | |
| 10 | A large number in service (4) |
| MASS – Double definition, a simple one. | |
| 12 | Odd chap with a true claim to do with drugs (14) |
| PHARMACEUTICAL – Anagram of CHAP + A TRUE CLAIM. | |
| 14 | Sally’s type, extremely imaginative (6) |
| SORTIE – SORT, I[maginativ]E. | |
| 15 | Key work going into beer and meat dish (8) |
| ESCALOPE – ESC + AL(OP)E. You may think this word should have LL, but not so. | |
| 17 | Like certain pressure one thus accepts round pub (8) |
| ISOBARIC – I S(O,BAR)IC, and not SO as you might think as you are solving. | |
| 19 | Mushroom I cooked initially with a fish (6) |
| AGARIC – A GAR + I + C[ooked]. | |
| 22 | Popular archer one bloke’s primarily identified among eggheads (14) |
| INTELLIGENTSIA – IN TELL + I + GENT’S + I[dentified] A[mong]. Again, the cryptic offers spelling help. | |
| 24 | Arduous journey, ultimately not for the weak (4) |
| TREK – Last letters of [no]T [fo]R [th]E [wea]K. | |
| 25 | Bloomer made by tiny child inspiring key chamber work (10) |
| MIGNONETTE – MI(G, NONET)TE. A flower that might be unknown to some – it was to me! G seemed like the most likely key. | |
| 26 | Gifted leader dismissed from board (4) |
| ABLE – [t]ABLE, a Quickie clue. | |
| 27 | Untidy woman’s hospital attendant (10) |
| DISORDERLY – DI’S ORDERLY. | |
| Down | |
| 1 | Cod, for example — better choice ultimately (4) |
| CAPE – CAP + [choic]E. | |
| 2 | Longing to fill a large earthenware jug (7) |
| PITCHER – P(ITCH)ER. | |
| 3 | Rare beast in loch unexpectedly responsive to calming (12) |
| RESTRAINABLE – Anagram of RARE BEAST IN L. | |
| 4 | Feature of Arctic upsetting Father Cecil endlessly (6) |
| ICECAP – PA CECI[l] upside-down. | |
| 5 | Sphere of activity involving students’ literary output? (8) |
| UNIVERSE – UNI VERSE. | |
| 7 | A sailor mostly caught one over in Corsican port (7) |
| AJACCIO – A JAC[k] + C + I +O. If you think of the right word for sailor, the cryptic guides you home. | |
| 8 | Ruin pub importing crack cocaine yearly to begin with (10) |
| INSOLVENCY – IN(SOLVE)N + C[ocaine] Y[early]. You’re cracking the cryptic, right? | |
| 11 | Made even, though impoverished, we hear (12) |
| STRAIGHTENED – Sounds like STRAITENED. | |
| 13 | Plant in raid is past reforming (10) |
| ASPIDISTRA – Anagram of RAID IS PAST. | |
| 16 | A couple of cash handouts securing tropical tree (4-4) |
| DIVI-DIVI – DIVI + DIVI, what we retirees like to receive. Fortunately, I had seen the tree before in some puzzle or other. | |
| 18 | Porridge ingredient principally offered at breakfast, say (7) |
| OATMEAL – O[ffered] AT MEAL. | |
| 20 | Again bury first of items stored by landlord? (7) |
| REINTER – RE(I[tems])NTER. | |
| 21 | Outhouse quietly removed from scene of battle (4-2) |
| LEAN-TO – LE[p]ANTO. | |
| 23 | Group of girls needing drink, one Victor rejected (4) |
| BEVY – BEV[v]Y. | |
The East of England co-op paid out £ 750000 in dividends in 2023 and announced it as, ‘it’s divi time’
https://www.eastofengland.coop/divi2023
14.36 but feel a bit cheated about divi divi. I reckoned that was the answer but did a check and found the only reference on Google was a bloody airline. Chagrined I took the easy but incorrect route to piri piri.
Oh well, a new answer logged.
One of the many failing with the DIVI-DIVI/MIGNONETTE combo. Bit annoyed with myself because DIV and NONET crossed my mind but I didn’t follow up.
Used to take holidays in Corsica so AJACCIO an easy one for me.
A fairly relaxed but not particularly exciting workout, all done in 23 minutes. NHO the tree, but I had heard of the Co-op and remember helping my mother count out her metal tokens to cash in at the shop. We always referred to it as the divi/divvy without caring too much about the spelling. So DIVI-DIVI was favourite for the tree, as nothing else appealed. Our Co-op has now stopped paying divi, and instead gives a discount on items on production of your membership card/keyfob. Less romantic, but no doubt more efficient.
FOI – COPERNICUS
LOI – DIVI-DIVI
COD – PATISSERIE.
Thanks to vinyl and other contributors.
DNF – guessed DIVI DIVI correctly but revealed MIGNONETTE in a huff. I’m sure I’ve ordered one of those rare with peppercorn sauce. Did the rest in 25 mins.
Thanks vinyl.
19.38 DNF
Miraculously punted DIVI-DIVI correctly – terrible clue I’m afraid Setter but you’re forgiven for that one. Unfortunately I couldn’t choose between ASALCIO; ATARCIO and AJACCIO. Another horrendous clue I’m afraid. The port did ring a very faint bell but, come on, when it’s a pretty random place the w/p has got to be clearer than that.
Liked CAPE and a few other clues but a flawed entry today imho
Thanks all
Picked the newspaper up later in the week. I got hamstrung by thinking 10AC was HOST. I actually like my answer better than the setter’s answer. Confirmation bias? Did not know the words mignonette or divi-divi.
Rattled through this until I got to guess what, and left that mostly blank. Did not get MALI ( couldn’t dredge up any four-letter countries 😩); but was pleased to to work out certain clues entirely from the cryptic – which is of course what’s intended! – and new the meat ‘dish’ and the flower. But the ASPIDISTRA gave me today’s earworm, with memories of the late, great Gracie Field’s rendition of “The Biggest Aspidistra in the World”. So CODs to that, and PHARMACEUTICAL.