My solving time was off the scale although I found the right-hand side reasonably straightforward. I came a cropper on the left and technically this was a DNF as I ran out of stamina at10ac and resorted to aids .
As usual definitions are underlined in bold italics, {deletions and substitutions are in curly brackets} and [anagrinds, containment, reversal and other indicators in square ones]. I usually omit all reference to positional indicators unless there is a specific point that requires clarification.
| Across | |
| 1 | Understand way of presenting information is within reach (8) |
| GETTABLE : GET (understand), TABLE (way of presenting information) | |
| 9 | One with no heart playing Macbeth for example (8) |
| ANTIHERO : Anagram [playing] of I (one) NO HEART | |
| 10 | Endlessly awkward old man responsible for stock (6) |
| GAUCHO : GAUCH{e} (awkward) [endlessly], O (old). This was my last one in after resorting to aids. Before doing so I was considering the possibility of RANCHO, thinking that like ‘ranchero’ it might mean a rancher, so I looked it up but alas it’s only a ranch building. At that point I decided I’d had enough of it. | |
| 11 | Off to obtain one’s hot rum (10) |
| OUTLANDISH : OUT (off – set out/off), LAND (obtain – e.g. a prize), I (one), S (‘s), H (hot). ‘Rum’ in the sense of ‘odd’. | |
| 12 | Wail when displacing back joint (4) |
| KNEE : KEE{n} (wail) when displacing back (letter ‘n’) becomes KNEE | |
| 13 | Hoot catching a youngster dressing (5,5) |
| SALAD CREAM : SCREAM (hoot) containing [catching] A LAD (a youngster) | |
| 16 | Notice protective garment for expert (7) |
| ADVISOR : AD (notice), VISOR (protective garment) | |
| 17 | A new house featured in the writer’s story (7) |
| IVANHOE : A + N (new) + HO (house) contained by [featured in] I’VE (writer’s). By Sir Walter Scott and as played in 39 TV episodes (1958-59) by Roger Moore. Fans of trivia might care to note that Ivanhoe’s first name was Wilfred. | |
| 20 | Reserve number one of eleven for clerk? (10) |
| BOOKKEEPER : BOOK (reserve), KEEPER (number one of eleven – goalie) | |
| 22 | No longer owns hotel east of Panama? (4) |
| HATH : H (hotel – NATO alphabet) placed to the right [east] of HAT (Panama?). ‘Hath’ being ‘no longer’ in general use. | |
| 23 | Encouraging and cheerful, fond of play pens (10) |
| SUPPORTIVE : SPORTIVE (fond of play) contains [pens] UP (cheerful) | |
| 25 | Gaunt eccentric eating nothing sweet (6) |
| NOUGAT : Anagram [eccentric] of GAUNT containing [eating] 0 (nothing) | |
| 26 | Good name kept by parliament led by person with honour (8) |
| OBEDIENT : OBE (person with honour – Order of the long defunct British Empire), then N (name) contained [kept] by DIET (parliament) | |
| 27 | Clergyman‘s soft with that lady in Slough (8) |
| SHEPHERD : P (soft) + HER (that lady) contained by [in] SHED (slough – a snake may slough its skin). SOED has: ‘shepherd’ fig. A person, esp. a member of the clergy, who watches over, guides, or cares for a group of people; a spiritual guardian, a pastor. | |
| Down | |
| 2 | Tested chopper on the rise, likely to explode? (8) |
| EXAMINED : AXE (chopper) reversed [on the rise], MINED (likely to explode) | |
| 3 | Designer label in hat on the left is to amuse (6,4) |
| TICKLE PINK : CK (designer label) contained by [in] TILE, PINK (on the left – politically). CK may stand for Calvin Klein, although I had understood that the daily Times does doesn’t allow brand names in its puzzles. An alternative may be that it’s a reference to C-K design theory. Personally I’d go with the first option whilst wagging a finger at the setter and/or editor for allowing the breech of rules. It’s no big deal in itself but then we get into the realms of once started, where will it all end? On edit: I’ve just remembered we had Pepsi only yesterday and I’m beginning to wonder if product placement is now a consideration when setting clues? Only joking…I hope! | |
| 4 | It might be spotty young fellow’s character (10) |
| BLOODSTONE : BLOODS (young fellow’s), TONE (character). NHO this. Collins has ‘bloodstone’ as a dark-green variety of chalcedony with red spots: used as a gemstone. | |
| 5 | Hartley novel concerned with human life (7) |
| EARTHLY : Anagram [novel] of HARTLEY. The writer LP Hartley wrote one of the most quoted opening lines of a novel: ‘The past is a foreign country; they do things differently there’ – The Go-Between 1953. | |
| 6 | Something ventured climbing a peak (4) |
| ETNA : ANTE (something ventured – an advance payment or stake) reversed [climbing] | |
| 7 | Profane sentence newspaperman holds up (6) |
| DEFILE : ED (newspaperman) contains [holds] LIFE (prison sentence), all reversed [up] | |
| 8 | Head turned by US neighbour’s cheerfulness (8) |
| BONHOMIE : NOB (head) reversed [turned], HOMIE (US neighbour). Collins has ‘homie’ as a person from the same area as you, especially one from the same social group as you.[US, informal] | |
| 14 | Creed, given converts, shows difference (10) |
| DIVERGENCE : Anagram [converts] of CREED GIVEN | |
| 15 | Weakling needs hard, difficult practice (3-7) |
| RUN-THROUGH : RUNT (weakling), H (hard – pencils), ROUGH (difficult) | |
| 16 | A call for assistance carrying cream building material (8) |
| ASBESTOS : A, SOS (call for assistance) containing BEST (cream – crème de la crème) | |
| 18 | Playing a specific melody live (2,3,3) |
| ON THE AIR : ON (playing), THE (specific – definite article), AIR (melody). I’m not 100% convinced by the definition here as most live performances never go on the air, and most performances that are on the air (these days anyway) are not live but precorded. | |
| 19 | Son runs off and goes fast (7) |
| SPRINTS : S (son), PRINTS (runs off) | |
| 21 | Huge creature that’s hunted bird (6) |
| OSPREY : OS (huge), PREY (creature that’s hunted) | |
| 24 | Rock and roll dance (4) |
| REEL : A triple definition, I think, although the first two are perhaps not entirely distinct | |
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