35:31
A charming and relatively straightforward end to a fairly easy week. I did not know the joint, the port, or the final synonym in 6ac but they were quite guessable.
Definitions underlined.
| Across | |
| 1 | Groom at function stops one fighting (9) |
| COMBATANT – COMB (groom) + TAN (function) contained by (stops) AT. | |
| 6 | Force pig out and wipe floor with cloth (5) |
| STUFF – quadruple definition, and my vote for COD. | |
| 9 | “Problem” in musical involving doctor’s instrument (7) |
| MARIMBA – MARIA (problem in musical, Sound of Music) contianing (involving) MB (doctor). | |
| 10 | Pressurised bitter king, say, to live with queen (3,4) |
| KEG BEER – K (king) + EG (say) + BE (to live) + ER (queen). | |
| 11 | Putting new handle on a fine vase, maybe, after chip initially noted (10) |
| NICKNAMING – A + MING (fine vase, maybe), all after NICK (chip) + the first letter of (initially) Noted. | |
| 12 | None were in a hurry to see this port? (4) |
| ORAN – O (none) + RAN (were in a hurry). Algerian port. | |
| 14 | Papers over the cracks, finally, in case of protests (5) |
| PRESS – last letters fom (finally) oveR thE crackS, in the first and last letters (case) of ProtestS. | |
| 15 | Reason to corner rodent (9) |
| GROUNDHOG – GROUND (reason) + HOG (corner). | |
| 16 | Conviction for smuggling when found with head of Rodin sculpture (3-6) |
| BAS-RELIEF – BELIEF (conviction) containing (smuggling) AS (when) and first (head) of Rodin. | |
| 18 | Date of exit? (2,3) |
| GO OUT – double definition. | |
| 20 | Putting hotel on this island on reflection would be capital (4) |
| IONA – adding ‘h’ (hotel) to this answer reversed (on reflection) would give hANOI (capital, of Vietnam). | |
| 21 | Hideous new and expensive metal chairs (10) |
| NAUSEATING – N (new) + AU (gold, expensive metal) + SEATING (chairs). | |
| 25 | Figure — small one — in blazer (7) |
| INFERNO – INFER (figure) + NO (abbreviation for (small) ‘number’ (figure). | |
| 26 | Office work that’s attractive, with time off later (7) |
| TEMPING – TEMPtING (attractive) minus the second (off later) ‘t’ (time). | |
| 27 | Perennial coming together of solver historically and setter (5) |
| THYME – THY (‘of you’, of solver, historically) + ME (setter). | |
| 28 | Means to end abuse of power: need exit (9) |
| EXPEDIENT – anagram (abuse) of P (power) with NEED EXIT. | |
| Down | |
| 1 | Spice combined with meat taken from sink (5) |
| CUMIN – CUM (combined with) + central letters of (meat from) sINk. | |
| 2 | Wonder how far one might go to keep up estate? (7) |
| MIRACLE – MILE (how for one might go) containing (to keep) reversal of (up) CAR (estate?). | |
| 3 | Rebuked, I’d nod, trembling with shame (10) |
| ADMONISHED – anagram of (trembling) I’D NOD with SHAME. | |
| 4 | Apprehension as the marines do it? (5) |
| ALARM – À LA RM, in the manner of the Royal Marines. | |
| 5 | Mimicry becoming fashionable (6,3) |
| TAKING OFF – double definition. | |
| 6 | Palm raised, ace admitted to blunders (4) |
| SAGO – reversal of (raised) OGS (own goals, blunders) containing A (ace admitted). | |
| 7 | Find uniform tight, and ticklish on the outside (7) |
| UNEARTH – U (uniform) + NEAR (tight) + outermost letters of (on the outside) TicklisH. | |
| 8 | Dictator’s engaged in chivalrous combat for several days (9) |
| FORTNIGHT – sounds like (dictator’s) “fought knight” (engaged in chivalrous combat). | |
| 13 | Grandmama is so taken with niece, ultimately! (10) |
| ANAGRAMMED – GRANDMAMA is anagrammed (so taken) with the last letter from (ultimately) niecE. | |
| 14 | Local allowed to retain second agent for promotions (9) |
| PUBLICIST – PUB (local) + LICIT (allowed) containing (to retain) S (second). | |
| 15 | Primary objective involves appeal to act independently (2,2,5) |
| GO IT ALONE – GOAL ONE (primary objective) contains (involves) IT (appeal). | |
| 17 | Hospital doctor’s beginning career as bloodsucker! (7) |
| SANDFLY – SAN (hospital) + first of (…’s beginning) Doctor + FLY (career). | |
| 19 | Opening in Oregon, assuming to finish off there? (7) |
| ORIFICE – OR (Oregon) + IF (assuming) + ICE (to finish off, or kill, in American slang). | |
| 22 | Exercise to postpone retirement? (3,2) |
| SIT UP – cryptic hint. To stay (or sit) up after bedtime. | |
| 23 | Joint concert on the books (5) |
| GIGOT – GIG (concert) + OT (Old Testament, books). A French word for a leg (or joint) of mutton. | |
| 24 | Instructions for cutting cheese (4) |
| BRIE – BRIEf (instructions) without the final letter (for cutting). | |
A terrific crossword, which I only began late last night, and finished this morning, albeit a DNF, as I couldn’t tease out NICKNAMING and had to use aids, even after completing and parsing the rest of the NW corner. ORIFICE was also a biff, which I couldn’t parse and though SIT UP had to be, I never thought of the staying up meaning, being obsessed with a reversal of postponement. SAGO unknown as a palm. Loved so many of these once the penny had dropped on them, particularly NAUSEATING, THYME and MARIMBA. Very sad there won’t be any more. RIP RR and thanks to William.
Well then, I’ll chime in even later. I too dropped in from the QC world to give it a try and was truly charmed, though I gave up after an hour and 40 minutes (must be my longest time ever persisting with one puzzle) with ORIFICE unsolved. It was gettable, but I simply didn’t see it despite four (!) alphabet trawls. Loved NICKNAMING and ANAGRAMMED, among many others.
Thanks to William, all respect and gratitude to RR.
42’03” on Sunday evening. A quarter of that spent on LOI ORIFICE. Ridiculous. But I was convinced the answer was another place in America. Lovely crossword.
Twenty or more years since doing a cryptic, managed a third. Thanks to the blogger for putting me out of my misery!
Couldn’t help feeling that 18 and 27 across were somewhat apt for what turned out to be a superb final crossword.
1 wrong. OBIGICE (O being start of Oregon and BIG being assuming as antonym of unassuming). Knew it was wrong, but couldnt see anything else. ORIFICE obvious, as they usually are, with hindsight.
The Australian didn’t print the reference to the late setter, and the Times obit is behind the paywall, but the summary “witty wordplay, hidden meanings and splendidly abstruse conundrums” is a fine tribute, and an apt description of this last printed puzzle.