I needed 48 minutes for this one. I thought it was going to be easy because I wrote in 7 adjoining answers in the NW straightaway but then slowed to a crawl, gradually picking off the answers one by one until eventually building up momentum again and finishing in another flurry of activity. There’s nothing particularly out of the ordinary in terms of words or wordplay today, but just a solid and well-constructed puzzle
As usual definitions are underlined in bold italics, {deletions are in curly brackets} and [anagrinds, containment, reversal and other indicators in square ones]
| Across | |
| 1 | Is he working with sampan, requiring this? (10) |
| SEAMANSHIP – Anagram [working] of IS HE SAMPAN. I think this has to be semi&lit to account for double duty. | |
| 7 | Yarn from Times employees joining paper (4) |
| WEFT – WE (Times employees), FT (paper – Financial Times). Threads of yarn stretched lengthwise on a loom are called the warp and those crossing them are the WEFT. | |
| 9 | Slap isn’t commonly on hand, keeping right back (8) |
| WARPAINT – PAW (hand) containing [keeping] R (right) reversed [back], AIN’T (isn’t, commonly). Two slang terms for ‘make-up’ are required for the definition. | |
| 10 | Old doctor content to leave Indian root (6) |
| ORIGIN – O (old), RIG (doctor – falsify), I{ndia}N [content to leave] | |
| 11 | Figure‘s rather heavy, not wide (6) |
| EIGHTY – {w}EIGHTY (rather heavy) [not wide] | |
| 13 | Pressure group pocketing cash and running off (8) |
| PRINTING – P (pressure), RING (group) containing [pocketing] TIN (cash) | |
| 14 | Foreign money, yen, accepted by no French doctor (12) |
| NEUROSURGEON – EUROS (foreign money) + URGE (yen) contained [accepted] by NON (no, French). Solvers in the eurozone won’t view the currency as ‘foreign’, but this is the Times of London. | |
| 17 | Helping car run in stopping place (12) |
| MINISTRATION – MINI (car), R (run) in STATION (stopping place) | |
| 20 | Design is formerly held in vice for shaping (8) |
| CONCEIVE – ONCE (formerly) contained by [held in] anagram [for shaping] of VICE | |
| 21 | Maybe duck attack by criminal (6) |
| CONFIT – CON (criminal), FIT (attack). Usually a duck or goose dish. | |
| 22 | Architect welcoming return of artist’s colony (6) |
| WARREN – WREN (architect) containing [welcoming] RA (artist) reversed [return]. A breeding ground for rabbits or the creatures themselves, apparently. | |
| 23 | Go and admire translated bit of kanji? (8) |
| IDEOGRAM – Anagram [translated] of GO ADMIRE. I’d no idea what ‘kanji’ was so I trusted to wordplay and checkers. I’ve now learned that it’s the Japanese equivalent of the Chinese ideogram. | |
| 25 | Sailors on exercises in waves (4) |
| PERM – PE (exercises), RM (sailors – Royal Marines). Short for the ‘permanent wave’ hairstyle. | |
| 26 | Novel twist of fate does entertain in extremis (4,2,4) |
| EAST OF EDEN – Anagram [twist] of FATE DOES, E{ntertai}N [in extremis]. The novel by John Steinbeck is also remembered as one of the few films to star James Dean before his untimely death. | |
| Down | |
| 2 | Person testing ditch, climbing on digger (8) |
| EXAMINER – AXE (ditch – sack, get rid of) reversed [climbing], MINER (digger) | |
| 3 | Cleaner Englishman is bowled over (3) |
| MOP – POM (Englishman) reversed [bowled over] | |
| 4 | Loud individual with curious clothing (5) |
| NOISY – I (individual) contained by NOSY [with ‘curious’ clothing] | |
| 5 | Rebellious warrior in stirrups to hurry up (7) |
| HOTSPUR – Reversed [up] and hidden in {stir}RUPS TO H{urry}. ‘Harry Hotspur’ was Sir Henry Percy, 1st Earl of Northumberland. His exploits as a ‘rebellious warrior’ are well-documented on the web for those who wish to know more. | |
| 6 | Overcharge for help when driving in wood (9) |
| PROFITEER – PRO (for), then TEE (help when driving) contained by [in] FIR (wood), I was caught out by FIR clued as ‘wood’ very recently so it came to mind easily today. | |
| 7 | Old London bigwig opening for Warwickshire, scoring century (11) |
| WHITTINGTON – W{arwickshire} [opening], HITTING (scoring) TON (century). ‘Thrice Lord Mayor of London’ and cat owner whose name lives on in the traditional rhyme and Christmas pantomime. | |
| 8 | Starter of nectarine slices cooked in China (6) |
| FRIEND – N{ectarine} [starter] is contained by [slices] FRIED (cooked). Today’s CRS clue. | |
| 12 | Wasted cash consuming a drink? Another is reckless (5-6) |
| HARUM-SCARUM – Anagram [wasted] of CASH containing [consuming] A + RUM (drink), then RUM again (another – drink). I was pleased the wordplay was helpful here or I may have been tempted to write ‘harem-scarem’. | |
| 15 | Awareness one is overwhelmed by life, say (9) |
| SENTIENCE – I (one) contained [overwhelmed] by SENTENCE (life, say – prison sentence) | |
| 16 | Partner’s accommodated at home after refusal to propose (8) |
| NOMINATE – NO (refusal), MATE (partner) with IN (at home) contained [accommodated] | |
| 18 | Group that is breaking glasses (7) |
| SPECIES – IE (that is) contained by [breaking] SPECS (glasses) | |
| 19 | A lot of extra alcohol or spirits (6) |
| MORALE – MOR{e} (extra) [a lot of], ALE (alcohol) | |
| 21 | Military leader adopting Leninist principles (5) |
| CREDO – CO (military leader – Commanding Officer) containing [adopting] RED (Leninist) | |
| 24 | Well I never shortened anorak (3) |
| GEE – GEE{k} (anorak) [shortened] | |
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