Times 28907

Author   william_j_sPosted on Categories Daily Cryptic

26:33

An entertaining and fairly gentle puzzle. I found the top easier than the bottom, and had to stoke my beard for a bit over the composer (13ac), tricks (15ac), and unmanly (26ac). LOIs, though, were the innocent-looking ruffian (3dn) and goddess (16ac).

Definitions underlined.

Across
1 Warm tribute, last of many (6)
TOASTY – TOAST (tribute) + last of manY
4 Learned of English square housing University College (8)
EDUCATED – E (English), then DATED (square) containing UC (University College).
10 Change regular journey (7)
COMMUTE – double definition.
11 Outline all but first of paradigm shifts (7)
DIAGRAM – remove the first letter from pARADIGM and anagram.
12 Hard drinker knocked back moonshine (4)
TOSH – H (hard) + SOT (drinker) all reversed.
13 Composer and friend sit near Brahms and Liszt (10)
PALESTRINA – PAL (friend) + an anagram of SIT NEAR (B&L is CRS for pi**ed, drunk).
15 Smart visionary welcoming new tricks (9)
CHICANERY – CHIC (smart) + AERY (visionary, as in like a vision, incorporeal) containing N (new).
16 Goddess regularly suppressing her reaction (5)
ERATO -regular letters from hEr ReAcTiOn.
18 Revise fourth letter following word of agreement (5)
AMEND – D (fourth letter) after AMEN (word of agreement).
19 Female experts declare it spares one’s blushes (4-5)
FACE-SAVER – F (female) + ACES (experts) + AVER (declare).
21 Reverse engineering of terminus (10)
MISFORTUNE – anagram of OF TERMINUS.
23 Mark’s shock when failing to finish (4)
SCAR – SCARe (shock) without its last.
26 Heroic Leander oddly dismissed as unmanly (7)
EPICENE – EPIC (heroic) + even letters from lEaNdEr.
27 My darling returned for a dance (3-4)
ONE-STEP – ONE’S (my), then PET (darling) reversed.
28 Loneliness and anxiety after loss of heart (8)
SOLITUDE – SOLIciTUDE (anxiety) losing its two central letters.
29 Commotion as hairy hosts left (6)
FLURRY – FURRY (hairy) containing L (left).
Down
1 Silent guy climbing with relations (5)
TACIT – CAT (guy) reversed + IT (sex, relations).
2 It’s a crime to break a truce (9)
ARMISTICE – anagram of ITS A CRIME.
3 Tough time with press (4)
THUG – T (time) + HUG (press). Hug and the nounal form of tough both caught me out.
5 Frail stranger in empty doorway (7)
DODDERY – ODDER (stranger) in DoorwaY. Lovely clue – my COD.
6 Green plan, green practice (10)
CHARTREUSE – CHART (plan) + RE-USE (green practice).
7 Bones of sailor shortened by injury at work? (5)
TARSI – TAr (sailor) missing the last + RSI (repetitive strain injury, common in typists, injury at work).
8 Humble setters’ carriage (9)
DEMEANOUR – DEMEAN (humble) + OUR (setters’).
9 Ply Rex, say, with beer (6)
REGALE – R (Rex) + EG (say) + ALE (beer).
14 An impressive way to hold up present that’s most generous (10)
HANDSOMEST – SOME (an impressive) + ST (street, way), underneath HAND (present).
15 Unattractive male lacking cleaner clothes (9)
CHARMLESS – M (male) + LESS (lacking), covered on top by CHAR (cleaner).
17 Supporter abbreviated part of speech by old Roman Republican (9)
ADVOCATOR – ADV (abbreviation for adverb, part of speech) + O (old) + CATO (Roman) + R (republican).
19 Dad finally scrubbed and emptied mug (7)
FATHEAD – FATHEr (dad) without the last (finally scrubbed) + AnD without the central (emptied).
20 Hypocrisy about division of territory (6)
CANTON – CANT (hypocrisy) + ON (about).
22 Where spirit is made calm, as before (5)
STILL – triple definition!
24 Fabric-covered walls of library echo (5)
REPLY – REP (fabric) on top of the first and last (walls) of LibrarY .
25 Reportedly flog prisoner here (4)
CELL – sounds like “sell” (flog).

48 comments on “Times 28907”

  1. SPAM ALERT! Administrators take note!
    Tony Smith (if that is your real name): Get lost!

  3. Thanks both. PALESTRINA was fun and triply musical and STILL was clever. ADVOCATOR is a horrible word. ERATO is a muse, not any old goddess.

  4. 24.17 after a delayed second session, but several unparsed, so a late visit here for enlightenment.

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