Continuing the run of quite tricky puzzles this one took me 58 minutes. I found it satisfying and was pleased there were no unknown words or references so that I was able to complete the grid without resorting to aids.
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 | Failure at the Slade perhaps providing material for union? (6,6) |
| BOTTOM DRAWER – This answer came up in a puzzle I blogged on 10th April and here’s what I wrote then: “a bottom drawer is a young woman’s collection of clothes, linen and other artefacts, set aside in anticipation of marriage. I understand that on the other side of the pond this is called a hope chest“. The definition today is preceded by a cryptic hint with reference to the Slade School of Art which is part of University College London. Also, there are Slade Professorships of Art at Oxford and Cambridge, all funded by a bequest from the philanthropist Felix Slade (1788-1868). | |
| 9 | Not getting to meeting, maybe, having extra time for coffee (5) |
| LATTE – LATE (not getting to meeting, maybe) contains T [having extra time] | |
| 10 | Explosive, say, hurled back coal (9) |
| GELIGNITE – EG (say) reversed [hurled back], LIGNITE (coal – sometimes clued as as ‘brown coal’ ) | |
| 11 | Like some things in bars, barmaid’s accessory requires time to be installed (8) |
| OPERATIC – Cryptic definition with reference to a type of music, plus wordplay: OPTIC (barmaid’s accessory) with ERA (time) contained within [installed] | |
| 12 | Big cat bringing recall of month in old India (6) |
| JAGUAR – Reverse [recall] of AUG (month) contained by [in] RAJ (old India) also reversed. Pleased to note that this setter recognises the difference between big or wild cats and the domestic variety. | |
| 13 | Team has to contend with a non-frontal approach (4-4) |
| SIDE-VIEW – SIDE (team), VIE (contend), W (with) | |
| 15 | Expression of gratitude amongst a lot of criticism leaves you unmoved (6) |
| STATIC – TA (expression of gratitude) contained by [amongst] STIC{k} (criticism) [a lot of…] | |
| 17 | Survey quantity both small and large? (6) |
| SAMPLE – S (small), AMPLE (large) | |
| 18 | It indicates head of government is in wrong job… (8) |
| SIGNPOST – G{overnment} [head] in SIN (wrong), POST (job) | |
| 20 | …governing is upsetting, very loudly being dismissed (6) |
| RULING – RU{ff}LING (upsetting – feathers, say) [very loudly – FF – being dismissed] | |
| 21 | Go across the range initially in area between peaks (8) |
| STRADDLE – T{he} + R {ange} [initially] contained by [in] SADDLE (area between peaks – in a line of hills, perhaps) | |
| 24 | Delivering the ophthalmologist’s stance? (9) |
| PROVISION – A straight definition with a cryptic hint based on the alternative spacing PRO-VISION | |
| 25 | Set of twelve letters, last of them for island (5) |
| ATOLL – A TO L (set of twelve letters) + L (last of them) | |
| 26 | Inspect circus to an excessive degree? (2,4,3,3) |
| GO OVER THE TOP – Cryptic definition. I’ve taken this as one definition rather than two as although ‘inspect circus’ can stand alone, the remaining words don’t contain a verb to account for ‘GO’. | |
| Down | |
| 1 | Unsettled account reduced over promises to pay (7) |
| BILIOUS – BIL{l} (account) [reduced], IOUS (promises to pay) | |
| 2 | Animal tottered about, a ragged creature (14) |
| TATTERDEMALION – Anagram [about] of ANIMAL TOTTERED. I vaguely knew this word but not exactly what it meant. It’s simply another term for ‘ragamuffin’. | |
| 3 | The ultimate? Picked up a fine specimen, nothing more (5) |
| OMEGA – A + GEM (fine specimen) + O (nothing more) all reversed [picked up] | |
| 4 | Worn-out track, note, at which you must stop (3-5) |
| DOG-TIRED – DOG (track), TI (note), RED (at which you must stop) | |
| 5 | Dismiss involving Left in centre of revolution (4) |
| AXLE – AXE (dismiss) containing [involving] L (left) | |
| 6 | A good deal of advantage over one abandoning defence in Test venue (9) |
| EDGBASTON – EDG{e} (advantage) [a good deal of…], BAST{i}ON (defence) [one abandoning]. The cricket Test venue in Birmingham. | |
| 7 | French claim on the governance of England? (4,2,3,5) |
| DIEU ET MON DROIT – I’m not sure how to categorise this as having read the first bit of the Wiki article, I’d say it’s barely cryptic: “Meaning God and my right, this is the motto of the Monarch of the United Kingdom outside Scotland. It is said to have first been used by Richard I (1157–1199) as a battle cry and presumed to be a reference to his French ancestry and the divine right of the Monarch to govern”. | |
| 8 | Following decimal system satisfied monarch in charge (6) |
| METRIC – MET (satisfied), R (monarch), IC (in charge) | |
| 14 | Film star holding fast in futile love (9) |
| VALENTINO – VAIN (futile) containing [holding] LENT (fast), 0 (love). One of the first heart-throbs of the silver screen, he died in 1926. Good to see The Times keeping up with the times! | |
| 16 | After a bit of learning, “ere” isn’t mistaken for “ear” (8) |
| LISTENER – L{earning} [a bit of…], anagram [mistaken] of ERE ISN’T | |
| 17 | Bends, doing handstand? Exercise class offers difficulty (6) |
| SCRAPE – ARCS (bends) reversed [doing handstand?], PE (exercise class) | |
| 19 | Edited highlight of cup match shows something attached to shirt (3,4) |
| TIE CLIP – TIE (cup match), CLIP (edited highlight) | |
| 22 | Flooded area used to be hot (5) |
| AWASH – A (area), WAS (used to be), H (hot) | |
| 23 | City that is against supporting King (4) |
| KIEV – K (king), IE (that is), V (against) | |
I also don’t know how to classify the clue for DIEU ET MON DROIT, though the answer came to mind readily.
I (sort of accidentally) cheated for EDGBASTON.
Neither cryptic nor solvable without a knowledge of French and a detailed knowledge of English history. Not sure that qualifies as a ‘cryptic clue’?
Edited at 2018-05-09 07:14 am (UTC)