Times Crossword 25,786 – Second Championship Qualifier

Solving Time: About 15 minutes for this – it is not hard, as we have come to expect from a qualifier. However, I found it a very entertaining crossword, well produced and with some exceptionally good clues; 21 ac and 12 & 13 dn stand out in particular. Thank you, setter!

cd = cryptic definition, dd = double definition, rev = reversed, anagrams are *(–), homophones indicated in “”

ODO means the Oxford Dictionaries Online

Across

1 qualifier – as = QUA, + I in LIFER, a long term prisoner – though not as long as all that, these days, apparently. Nice word to have as 1ac in a, well, qualifier. If qua is unfamiliar to you, see some usage examples here
6 bravo – dd, one from the NATO alphabet, Alfa, Bravo, Charlie etc.. (and yes, I thought it would be Alpha, too..)
9 in use – hidden, rev., in thE SUN Is
10 lay to rest – stake = bet = LAY + dashed = TORE + ST
11 To the Lighthouse – *(Tut High heels too). A reference to the well-known novel by Virginia Woolf. If you haven’t heard of it, rather than embarrassing us all by confessing, just bone up here
13 Earl Grey – (evenin)G + R(oyal) E(ngineers) in in good time = EARLY. There is no proven connection whatsoever between the Earl and the tea, despite various claims. It is worth noting that bergamot oil was used specifically to improve the taste of inferior teas so that they could be palmed off as Chinese, an unlikely source for an Earl’s tea blend. Whatever the truth may be, it is now lost amongst the various conflicting folk derivations and allegations.. as this painstaking article from the wonderful World Wide Words website explains
14 wrasse – W(ate)R A(nxiou)S S(e)E. A wrasse is an attractive fish with a most startling sex life including changing sex as required.
16 titchy – T(ime) + ITCHY. Not absolutely certain if “is rash” perfectly equates to “itchy,” but the intent is clear enough so no worries
18 unafraid – girl = UNA + F(ollowing) + sortie = RAID
21 middle-of-the-road – what a neat clue this is.. a dd, one def. being moderate, the other (t)HERO-A(d), a way of defining not hero, notice, but “hero – a,” just as the clue says.. lovely
23 objective – dd
25 datum – lawyer = DA + corporation = stomach = TUM. From the OED: “The body; the abdomen, esp. when large and prominent. colloq. and vulgar.”
26 eight – authority = WEIGHT, without the W. What we watch American post-graduate olympic rowing champions doing for Oxford and Cambridge, each year.
27 lord mayor – *(OLD ARMY) + ranks = OR

Down

1 quilt – L(eft) in desert = QUIT
2 adulterated – I think this is ADULT and X-RATED, ie twice unsuitable for child viewing, with the X changed to E in a “change of heart.” Though in Venezuela one must be over 18 to see an E rated film..
3 iceberg – zInC + GREBE rev.
4 ill-timed – *(L(ine) + LIMITED)
5 rhythm – last letters of oR toucH lightlY chesT witH palM, the def. being “beat”
6 brother – soup = BROTH + ER, the US equivalent of what we would call A & E
7 ace – dd. The suit, ie clubs, has to be mentioned to make a single (club) = ace..
8 on the mend – *(NOT) + edge = HEM + close = END.
12 unseaworthy – *(REASON WHY TU(b)). What a good clue this is! It is an &lit, ie the whole clue acts as the definition, and a very good one
13 extempore – 5 (= 5dn, rhythm) = TEMPO in partner no longer = EX, + religious classes = RE. another beautifully constructed clue
15 knitwear – sounds like “nit were.” When some people say it, anyway. Close enough for me, I don’t tend to get too sniffy about homophones
17 half-cut – boy = ALF + C(aught), in shed = HUT. Why half-cut should mean very drunk is a mystery to me.. the OED defines cut as drunk and half-cut as half drunk, which seems logical. The ODO, & Collins online, and Chambers too, just say “drunk” for half-cut
19 fiefdom – F(ine) in style = MODE + IF, all rev.
20 jovial – work = JO(B) + bottle = VIAL
22 demur – RUM ED, rev.
24 jog – a dd.

Author: JerryW

I love The Times crosswords..

12 comments on “Times Crossword 25,786 – Second Championship Qualifier”

  1. I certainly found this much easier than the first qualifier, though I was rather slower than I feel I ought to have been.

    Thanks for another fascinating blog, Jerry – especially the link to World Wide Words, which is new to me – and I quite agree with you that this was a fine puzzle.

    1. Michael Quinion does a free weekly newsletter which is never less than fascinating and should surely be required reading for all budding cruciverbalists. The site search facility is also very useful on occasion (try “cruciverbalist” 🙂
      1. >Michael Quinion does a free weekly newsletter which is never less than fascinating
        >and should surely be required reading for all budding cruciverbalists.

        I’ve already signed up.

  2. Agreed that this is a well-wrought piece. 12dn alone is worth the price of admission. One for the books along with “I rifle tubs at sea (10)”.
  3. A fine crossword indeed – 8:50 for me – much ‘easier’ than the first one and lots to enjoy.

    Re speed v pleasure – I’ve given this a bit of thought lately and I appear to be someone who solves for pleasure (and gets enormous pleasure from doing so, especially crosswords lke this one) but just happens to be speedy.

  4. 20 mins. I didn’t find this as straightforward as some of you did. The OBJECTIVE/JOG crossers were my last in.

    By the way Jerry, in your blog LORD MAYOR should be 27ac and you have omitted 26ac, which is (w)EIGHT.

  5. I remember being pleased to finish this in reasonable time, but can’t recall exactly how long. Certainly easier than the first one. Some great clues, as observed above.
  6. I would have sent my entry in, but I think a time of 2 days probably wouldn’t have qualified.
    But at least I finished it!
  7. I seem to be out of step because I found this just a bit harder than the first one. I didn’t time myself, and didn’t rush either, but as best I recall it took about 20 which is normal for me. The clues were very neatly done and amusing (the merry bachelor with the bottle and the tottery high heels) so I wondered at the time if this was an Anax work.

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