At 30 minutes I found this reasonably straightforward. How did you do?
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 | This writer in Somerset town in a trance? (7) |
| CHARMED : ME (this writer) contained by [in] CHARD (Somerset town). Designed to baffle our overseas contributors I suspect, as CHARD is a small town of only about 15,000 inhabitants and has no particular claim to fame as far as I can tell other than being home to the popular Henry vacuum cleaner, a machine that’s only distinguished from dozens of its rivals by having a smiley face painted on its side. Chard is on the old A30 which was a major route to the West Country but it’s all by-passed now. | |
| 5 | Relief when river is kept outside shelter (7) |
| DETENTE : DEE (river) contains [is kept outside] TENT (shelter). ‘Relief’ in sense of easing of tension in strained relationships e.g. between nations. The French word détente translates literally as ‘relaxation‘. | |
| 9 | Device for gambling? Youngster needs short warning, is enthralled (9) |
| TOTALISER : TOT (youngster). then ALER{t} (warning) [short] with IS contained [enthralled]. Collins has this as: a system of betting on horse races in which the aggregate stake, less an administration charge and tax, is paid out to winners in proportion to their stake. And as: the machine that records bets in this system and works out odds, pays out winnings, etc. It’s also known as ‘totalisator’, and ‘z’ is available as an alternative spelling in both versions. UK solvers may be aware of ‘The Tote’ aka ‘Horserace Totalisator Board’, the bookmakers who operate the system nationally. | |
| 10 | Irritability about book in religious literary collection (5) |
| BIBLE : BILE (irritability) containing [about] B (book) | |
| 11 | A feature of golf — uncompleted match (5) |
| AGREE : A, GREE{n} (feature of golf) [uncompleted]. I went through all my golfing words last week when looking for the answer ‘lie (of the ball)’, and ‘green’ was still fresh in my mind from that exercise. | |
| 12 | Bitter gain with Left ousting Right (9) |
| INCLEMENT : INC{r}EMENT (gain) becomes INCLEMENT (bitter) [Left ousting Right]. Inclement weather can be very cold to account for ‘bitter’ as the definition. | |
| 13 | Ridiculous overdue amount must be circumvented (13) |
| OUTMANOEUVRED :Anagram [ridiculous] of OVERDUE AMOUNT | |
| 17 | Little Sarah embraces new rite as a clergywoman? (13) |
| MINISTERIALLY : MINI (little), SALLY (Sarah) contains [embraces] anagram [new] of RITE. Only last week we had ‘Sal’ for ‘Sarah’ and somebody said it was obscure, but here it is again. It was common enough in my youth, but possibly not now. | |
| 21 | European suspended, one deemed heretical (9) |
| HUNGARIAN : HUNG (suspended), ARIAN (one deemed heretical) | |
| 24 | Sender of message dispatching a runner (5) |
| MILER : M{a}ILER (sender of message) [dispatching ‘a’] | |
| 25 | Child impeded by group of women, as you would say? (2,3) |
| TO WIT : TOT (child) contains [impeded by] WI (group of women – Women’s Institute) | |
| 26 | The French fashion is in part one promoting particular philosophy (9) |
| PLATONIST : LA (‘the’ French) + TON (fashion) + IS contained by [in] PT (part) | |
| 27 | Show emotion when old queen enters factory (7) |
| CANNERY : ANNE (old queen) contained by [enters] CRY (show emotion) | |
| 28 | Evil exercises? They can give you a headache (7) |
| SINUSES : SIN (evil), USES (exercises) | |
| Down | |
| 1 | Peasant in bed with sailor (6) |
| COTTAR : COT (bed), TAR (sailor). SOED has: cottar – a villein who held a cot with an attached plot of land in return for working for his lord part of the time, and in Scotland: a tenant occupying a farm cottage, sometimes with a small plot of land, orig. in return for labouring on the farm as required. I didn’t know this one but the wordplay was plain enough. | |
| 2 | One on raft floating around much of day (9) |
| AFTERNOON : Anagram [floating around] of ONE ON RAFT | |
| 3 | Most gentle maiden that is hugging disheartened lad on street (7) |
| MILDEST : M (maiden), IE (that is – id est) containing [hugging] L{a}D [disheartened], then ST (street) | |
| 4 | Waste in East Anglian town I disposed of, having secured parking (9) |
|
DISSIPATE : DISS (East Anglian town), I ATE ( I disposed of) containing [having secured] P (parking). In DISS we have another off the beat English town, and with a population of only about 7,500 it’s roughly half the size of CHARD. It has more going for it as at least it was celebrated in verse by Sir John Betjeman:
A Mind’s Journey to Diss Dear Mary, That levellers we may be reckoned Above the chimney-pots we’ll go Then further gentle undulations |
|
| 5 | Greek detectives turning up to apprehend men (5) |
| DORIC : CID (detectives) reversed [turning up] containing [to apprehend] OR (men- Other Ranks) | |
| 6 | Dramatic scene in which gold is hidden under item of furniture (7) |
| TABLEAU : TABLE (item of furniture), AU (gold) | |
| 7 | Half-hearted dope is good (5) |
| NOBLE : NOB{b}LE (dope) [half-hearted]. SOED has: nobble – tamper with (a horse), e.g. by drugging or laming it, in order to prevent it from winning a race. | |
| 8 | Fast faller sung of at Cup Final (8) |
|
EVENTIDE : The anthem Abide With Me has been sung before kick-off at every FA Cup Final match since 1927. The words, by Henry Francis Lyte begin as follows:
Abide with me; fast falls the eventide; Those who know their Hymns Ancient & Modern may be also be aware that the melody to which it is sung is called EVENTIDE and it was composed in 1847 by Willliam Henry Monk. |
|
| 14 | Cats tormented relations (9) |
| ORIENTALS : Anagram [tormented] of RELATIONS. Collins has: oriental – a breed of slender muscular cat with large ears, long legs, and a long tails. I didn’t know this. | |
| 15 | What author wants — connections to the top people? (9) |
| ROYALTIES : ROYAL (the top people), TIES (connections) | |
| 16 | Forceful English politician in charge should admit pork pie maybe (8) |
| EMPHATIC : E (English) + MP (politician) + IC (in charge) contains [should admit] HAT (pork pie maybe) | |
| 18 | Frighten in heartless manner with cunning intervention (7) |
| STARTLE : ST{y}LE (manner) [heartless] contains [with…intervention] ART (cunning) | |
| 19 | Make fun of a fairly quiet twerp going round (7) |
| LAMPOON : LOON (twerp) containing [going round] A+MP (fairly quiet – music: mezzo piano) | |
| 20 | Big inmate finally escapes and is free (6) |
| GRATIS : GR{e}AT (big) [inmate finally escapes], IS | |
| 22 | Currently at the crease and hopeless? (2-3) |
| NO-WIN : NOW (currently), IN (at the crease – cricket). As in ‘a no-win situation’. | |
| 23 | Hint in straightforward manner: Leader must go (5) |
| IMPLY : {s}IMPLY (in straightforward manner) [leader must go] | |
Comments are closed.