I needed 31 minutes for this one, so another puzzle at the easier end of the spectrum methinks. And only one unknown word or meaning which presented no problem at all.
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 | Sign of error with repair makes one irritable (10) |
| CROSSPATCH – CROSS (sign of error – as opposed to ‘tick’), PATCH (repair) | |
| 6 | An element of unknown, batting first for change (4) |
| ZINC – Z (unknown), IN (batting), C{hange} [first] | |
| 9 | Record for auditors comparatively feeble denial (10) |
| DISCLAIMER – DISC (record), LAIMER sounds like [for auditors] “lamer” (comparatively feeble) | |
| 10 | Flipping onion making you cry! (4) |
| BLUB – BULB (onion) reversed [flipping] with onion being one example of a bulb | |
| 12 | Issue of accident-prone doctor being raised with others? (6,8) |
| FOSTER CHILDREN – Cryptic definition. The accident-prone medic is Doctor Foster (of nursery-rhyme fame) who went to Gloucester all in a shower of rain. He fell in a puddle right up to his middle and never went there again. | |
| 14 | Frenchman landing place with royal backing (6) |
| PIERRE – PIER (landing place), ER (royal – HMQ) reversed [backing] | |
| 15 | Everyone’s awake early, evidently, and readily available (2,1,5) |
| ON A PLATE – If everyone’s awake early, then none or 0 NAP LATE | |
| 17 | Hardly surprising, snow on Derry’s walls (2,6) |
| NO WONDER – {s)NOW ON DER{ry} contains [walls] the hidden phrase | |
| 19 | Slips tailored with oriental fabric (6) |
| PLISSE – Anagram [tailored] of SLIPS, E (oriental). I didn’t know this word but having established it was mostly an anagram and having worked out all the checking letters it wasn’t hard to arrive at. | |
| 22 | Chap is, note, visibly embarrassed after getting important letter? (10,4) |
| REGISTERED POST – REG (chap), IS, TE (note), RED (visibly embarrassed), POST (after) | |
| 24 | Briefly, Louis XIV ruined (4) |
| SUNK – Louis XIV was the Sun King or SUN K[briefly] | |
| 25 | African no longer in sin bin, say, fouled outside area (10) |
| ABYSSINIAN – Anagram [fouled] of SIN BIN SAY containing [outside] A (area). I wouldn’t claim to have more than a passing knowledge of the subject, but I suspect some Africans still regard themselves as Abyssinian. | |
| 26 | Put out / someone to grass (4) |
| NARK – Two meanings. As a verb it’s to annoy, and as a noun it can mean ‘informer’ – hence ‘grass’, another slang term for the same | |
| 27 | Partner no longer can pour drinks one put out (10) |
| EXTINGUISH – EX (partner no longer), TIN (can), GUSH (pour) contains [drinks] I (one). I’m not getting into the recent tin can debate. | |
| Down | |
| 1 | Hand over ear’s observed incorrectly? (4) |
| CEDE – sounds like [ear’s] “seed” (observed – incorrectly, as it should be ‘seen’ or ‘saw’) | |
| 2 | Leg needing support to land (7) |
| ONSHORE – ON (leg – cricket), SHORE (support) | |
| 3 | Sir sits alone, sadly, in this? (12) |
| SOLITARINESS – Anagram [sadly] of SIR SITS ALONE | |
| 4 | Group in circulation taking train where air travel the norm (6) |
| AVIARY – A (group in circulation – blood), VIA RY (taking train) | |
| 5 | What Italian repeated in front of Poles and people in Russia (8) |
| CHECHENS – CHE (what, Italian) + CHE (repeated), N S (poles) | |
| 7 | Ancient place not well ventilated, on reflection (7) |
| ILLYRIA – ILL (not well), AIRY (ventilated) reversed [on reflection] | |
| 8 | Rambling in Feb stopping potholer’s winter depression? (5,5) |
| CABIN FEVER – Anagram [rambling] of IN FEB, contained by [stopping] CAVER (potholer) | |
| 11 | Film excerpt left in capturing sound of horses’ hooves (4-8) |
| CLIP-CLOPPING – CLIP (film excerpt), L (left) contained by [in] COPPING (capturing – it’s a fair cop, guv!) | |
| 13 | Cooler, more easy-going (4,6) |
| OPEN PRISON – Cryptic definition | |
| 16 | Contest broadcast on TV — in which case something valuable? (5,3) |
| JEWEL BOX – JEWEL sounds like [broadcast] “duel” [contest], BOX (TV). Batten down the hatches in readiness for complaints about this one! | |
| 18 | Trucker’s wife doomed? (7) |
| WAGONER – W (wife), A GONER (doomed) | |
| 20 | Ham is twice mistaken for fish dish (7) |
| SASHIMI – Anagram [mistaken] of HAM, IS IS [is twice] | |
| 21 | One skims the drink: Black Russian, amusingly? (3,3) |
| JET SKI – JET (black) + SKI (Russian, amusingly?). ‘Ski’ is one of the suffixes common to a lot of Russian words and as such can be added to English words for humorous effect to suggest they may be the Russian equivalent. | |
| 23 | Rum for one to steal (4) |
| INCH – Two meanings. ‘Inch’ is a Scottish or Irish term for a small island, so the Isle of Rum may well qualify for that epithet although I’m not aware of it ever being referred to as such. It also means to move stealthily. | |
Edited at 2018-02-20 03:48 pm (UTC)
Found this one a bit weird for a Monday!
Edited at 2018-02-20 05:24 pm (UTC)
I had to dial back on the speed a lot because I did a typo in the Quick Cryptic, and could no longer trust my fingers 🙁
He stepped in a puddle,
Right up to his middle,
And never went there again.
(I doubt if you will see this reply, Mr. or Ms. Anonymous.)
Had this last week with jolt when it was also clue