Times Cryptic 27926

Author   jackktPosted on Categories Daily Cryptic

My solving time was 35 minutes and I found it quite straightforward. There were a couple of unknown bits and pieces but assisted by friendly wordplay.

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 Arrogant, having been promoted, a matter for regret (6)
UPPITY : UP (having been promoted), PITY (a matter for regret)
4 Got to the bottom of friend having no stomach to hold party (8)
FATHOMED : F{rien}D [having no stomach] containing [to hold] AT HOME (party). SOED defines an ‘at-home’ as a reception of visitors within certain stated hours, during which the host has announced that he/she will be at home. Oh for the long-ago days when we were allowed to receive visitors?
10 One goes with hose that’s found in gutter (7)
DOUBLET : DOUBLE T (that’s found in gutter). In the 15th century the combination of doublet and hose was the well-dressed man’s basic outfit.
11 Act under compulsion to cancel church Mass (7)
PERFORM : PERFOR{ce} (under compulsion) [cancel church – CE]
12 Great success of small group setting leader back (4)
RIOT : TRIO (small group) becomes RIOT when  its leader -T – is set back
13 Not always on hand, went travelling (3,3,4)
NOW AND THEN : Anagram [travelling] of ON HAND WENT
15 Endlessly tough for each general author (6,3)
HARPER LEE : HAR{d} (tough) [endlessly], PER (for each), LEE (general – Robert E Lee). Author of To Kill a Mockingbird.
16 I hadn’t turned round paintings (5)
TONDI : I’D NOT (I hadn’t) reversed [turned round]. Paintings in circular form.
18 Board to manage progress (3,2)
GET ON : Two meanings. Board a postbus and progress one’s career. Edit: see brnch’s and Kevin’s comments below for a third definition.
19 Some hours which minutes on piano might stretch into? (9)
AFTERNOON : M (minutes) on P (piano) = PM (afternoon). The rule for Across clues, ‘A on B = BA’ applies here. I’m not sure whether this clue is clever or clumsy.
21 One adds zest as Liberal, in showing partiality (10)
FLAVOURING : L (Liberal) contained by [in] FAVOURING (showing partiality)
23 Dressed heel, nicked by end of chisel (4)
CLAD : CAD (heel) contains [nicked – is cut into – by] {chise}L [end]
26 Inspired by a new religious centre (7)
VATICAN : VATIC (inspired – prophetic), A, N (new). ‘Vatic’ was new to me. Sounds more like a brand of hoover!
27 As soon as clocked in the workplace can be heard (2,5)
ON SIGHT : Sounds like [can be heard] “on site” (in the workplace). ‘Clocking’ is slang for spotting or seeing something. The surface refers to the old practice of  ‘clocking in’ at one’s place of work using timed punch cards, now superseded electronic gadgets if practised at all. I had to do this in my first paid employment as a student working part-time in a department store.
28 Course a little short for its country’s patron (2,6)
ST ANDREW : ST ANDREW{‘s} (Scottish golf course) [a little short]
29 Announced changes of course on crime sentencing rules (6)
SYNTAX : Sounds like [announced] “sin” (crime) + “tacks” (changes of course – sailing). Using grammar proper.
Down
1 Managed by mistake to ignore two leaders (5)
UNDER : {bl}UNDER (mistake) [ignore two leaders]
2 Capitalist rating business: union record on the up (9)
PLUTOCRAT : TAR (rating – sailor) + CO (business) + TU (trades union) + LP (record) all reversed [on the up]
3 Up to work checkout (4)
TILL : Three meanings – until / work the land / a checkout at the supermarket
5 Quickly encompassing end of life — euphemism for “dead” (2,5)
AT PEACE : AT PACE (quickly) containing [encompassing] {lif}E [end]
6 Looking wrong, yet red hair is in the family (10)
HEREDITARY : Anagram [looking wrong] of YET RED HAIR
7 Skulk around, not the first to kiss (5)
MOOCH : {s}MOOCH (kiss) [not the first]. I don’t need much excuse…
8 Time for one obscure worry? No time (9)
DIMENSION : DIM (obscure), {t}ENSION (worry) [no time]. Collins explains:  In physics, the fourth dimension is time. The other three dimensions, which exist in space, are length, width, and height.
9 Start to sketch possibly libellous poster, no hurry (6)
STROLL : S{ketch} [start], TROLL (possibly libellous poster)
14 Operating in colour that’s extra strong (10)
REINFORCED : IN FORCE (operating) contained by [in] RED (colour)
15 Hands up for success in school sport (4,5)
HIGH FIVES : HIGH (school), FIVES (sport). Stuff beyond my ken, but I’m vaguely aware of it.
17 One’s taken wrong line in the dark, lacking this? (4,5)
NEON LIGHT : Anagram [taken wrong] of ONE, then L (line) contained by [in] NIGHT (the dark). Semi &lit.
19 Fix up say to go beyond Scottish island (7)
ARRANGE : ARRAN (Scottish island), then EG (say) reversed [up]
20 Not be serious about woman as PA (6)
TANNOY : TOY (not be serious) containing [about] ANN (woman). Public address system.
22 Cavities in human trachea (5)
ANTRA : Hidden [in] {hum}AN TRA{chea}. Unknown to me although I think the singular ‘antrum’ may have come up before. Collins has: a natural cavity, hollow, or sinus, esp in a bone.
24 Healing process getting both sides in debate to vote (5)
DETOX : D{ebat}E [both sides], TO, X (vote)
25 One share in decision that’s a surprise (1,3)
I SAY : I (one), SAY (share in decision). I have no say in this.

54 comments on “Times Cryptic 27926”

  1. My time suggests that this was, for me, not straightforward. It was a puzzle of two very different modes: half was indeed straightforward, but the Scottish islands and school sports and St Andrewses, the VATICs and the nickings… these held me up. Fortunately they were mostly part of biffable answers, so once I stopped trying to figure anything out, I was able to finish in a reasonable time.
  2. I confidently entered ‘St George’ as my first in for 28a, thinking how clever I’d been to spot Royal St George’s (at Sandwich, in England), one of The Open ‘Course(s)’ which fitted the wordplay and def. Only problem was I’d been a bit too clever and hadn’t thought of the more famous course a bit to the north.

    The rest then went in steadily for a 43 minute solve. Was just able to bring VATIC and TONDI to mind from previous encounters. I liked MOOCH as a word (and the link – thanks) and the parsing for PLUTOCRAT.

  3. Thanks for explaining AFTERNOON. I’d say, clumsy!

    Arguably 18ac is a triple definition: board / manage / progress.

  4. I saw 3 meanings: board, manage (we’re getting on all right, considering), progress (how are you getting on?).
  5. Held up for the longest time in the NW corner. With the R and T in, I thought of PLUTOCRAT, but took a long time to parse it. Then I thought of UPPISH, a word I’d just learned, but couldn’t make it work, of course. Finally UPPITY came to mind. As Olivia and I have both mentioned, this word is pretty much taboo in the US, where in a large section of the country, for certain people, being uppity could be fatal. I’m not in the least surprised that it took me so long to think of the word; I would never use it.
    Aside from that, some great clues (didn’t think much of AFTERNOON, though); COD to SYNTAX.
    1. Isn’t there sometimes another word that is often put with ‘uppity’, one which can cause a lot of trouble?
      1. Well, that’s what I’m talking about, innit?; that’s why I won’t use the word ‘uppity’.
      1. When we’re on a walk and come to a steep bit, Mrs K says ‘we don’t do uppity’. Much better use of the word IMO.
      2. Actually, I wish–for the sake of solving–that it had. I was trying to say that it didn’t: I’ve so expunged the word from my vocabulary that it didn’t occur to me until long after I’d given up on ‘uppish’.
        1. For me, the word always conjures up an image of Mr Uppity for the Mr Men series, beloved of my childhood and my son’s. He’s a purple character with a monocle and a top hat. Words are powerful things.
  6. Difficult for me, especially the NW corner which was all but blank for a long time.
    Thanks, Jack for explaining the many clues I had trouble with i.e.: VATICAN, PLUTOCRAT, AFTERNOON, FATHOMED, DIMENSION.
    FOI was HEREDITARY. That took ages. By then I was screaming out for an anagram to get me on the board.
    LOI: UNDER/RIOT/PLUTOCRAT.
    I thought ARRANGE was very clever but joint COD to SYNTAX and DOUBLET
  7. Enjoyed this. I particularly liked TANNOY, GUTTER and ‘as soon as clocked’. Didn’t know the meaning of vatic. I will give AFTERNOON the benefit of the doubt.
  8. It’s curious how failure begets failure in my solving. Having failed on Friday and yesterday this one seemed OK, then I found I’d put AT PLACE instead of AT PEACE. It parses if you take the other end of “life” but it makes no sense so I’m at a loss to explain why I put it other than a bad run seems to lead to me making silly errors.
  9. …Clothed in white samite, mystic, wonderful

    25 mins pre-brekker. I liked it, especially the anagrams: yet red hair, on hand went.
    I saw the PM=afternoon early, but was puzzled by double T. Go figure.
    Thanks setter and J.

  10. 26′, seemed longer, NW last in. COD to SYNTAX.

    Now off to look up ‘uppity’ to see what Kevin’s talking about.

    Thanks jack and setter.

  11. …bad syntax or not? 41 minutes with LOI TILL. I didn’t know Vatic as a word, so needed HIGH FIVES for VATICAN. I also managed to think of two golf courses which answered the call at 28a but only one is both royal and ancient. The unknown ANTRA removed any lingering doubts. COD to DETOX. I suppose TIME is well established as a dimension in the Space-Time Continuum, but quantum loop gravity doesn’t have it as a continuum! Did the world just stop for you? Thank you Jack and setter.
  12. Another one stuck in the NW with DOUBLET and TILL holding me up for about ten mins. Never did parse AFTERNOON. NHO VATIC but the answer was clear. Did not know TONDI either but again, the wordplay helped. I too liked the two anags. Thank you Jack and setter.
  13. 8:09. No problems today, helped by remembering the obscurities (TONDI, ANTRA) from previous appearances, possibly in Mephisto. 24dn DETOX took a while to see because I associate the word more with Gwyneth Paltrow-style quackery.
    Even as a Brit the association mentioned by Kevin is sufficiently familiar to me that I would never dream of using the word UPPITY.
  14. It’s the ‘n’ word again – much beloved in the gangsta-cultcha. Agatha Christie wrote a book about it! I blame us Brits for introducing cotton-pickin’ slavery into America – that was awful. Read Shaquille Sinclair’s dissertation on line.

    It didn’t bother the setter, the editor, Mr. Harmonic Row, nor our esteemed bogger. But America First eh!?
    After you Claude!

    FOI 22dn ANTRA

    LOI 12ac RIOT

    COD 19ac AFTERNOON

    WOD 1ac UPPITY – a pity Kevin mentioned it; we’d have been none the wiser!

    At 2dn PLUTOCRAT – I find this word rather distasteful

    Edited at 2021-03-16 09:03 am (UTC)

  16. 21:34 I was very slow getting into this. DNK VATIC but remembered TONDI and ANTRA. FOI NOW AND THEN. LOI SYNTAX. Some nice clues which took a bit of unravelling, but managed to parse them all.

    Edited at 2021-03-16 09:20 am (UTC)

  17. All done in 47 minutes —found it tough with the area around AFTERNOON a struggle and also UNDER, DOUBLET and RIOT took an age

    For someone at my level, I find the SNITCH rating more logarithmic than linear. Whereas I can bash out a 70-90 rated crossword in a time equivalent to 25-30 minutes par time, once the SNITCH gets to 100 and beyond, my par time increases significantly.

    I expect this is quite normal but wondered whether anyone else felt the same.

    1. It’s a mathematical thing – there is a definite floor, but no ceiling at all. If your average is 20 minutes, you might often dip below 15, maybe below 10. While on those puzzles you either find harder or have one or two answers just outside your knowledge, you could easily go over an hour – the extra time can be orders of magnitude larger than the reduced time.
      1. Thanks isla — yes, I’m certainly still at the stage of orders of magnitudes of extra time being spent on one or two answers!
  18. Another 40 plus minute struggle, I found this either straightforward or just about impenetrable. The ‘on’ in 19ac makes no sense to me, despite Jack’s helpful explanation of the ‘unwritten’ rule. A new solver, with just the answer tomorrow, and as yet not knowing this excellent TFTT resource, might be baffled for ever. Thanks, Jack, for the explanations.
  19. 36.15 with a slow start- FOI now and then-and an even slower finish. Nearly undone by the NW corner till under finally dawned and the rest followed reasonably quickly with till my LOI.

    NHO tonti and just about managed to stop myself putting in tinti in desperation. Likewise Vatican but the V and T crossers made it a no risk option.

    COD dimension , brought back memories of Dr Who in its pomp.

    Thanks setter and blogger.

  20. Enjoyable if rather quirky one, with some slightly offbeat definitions for those of us tuned to American English (e.g. UPPITY supra). I thought “vatic” meant something to do with predicting the future and MOOCHing=cadging as in Jack’s reference to the inimitable Cab Calloway’s Minnie. “Skulking” was enacted by Hugh Grant and Andie MacDowell in 4 Weddings and a Funeral. I was a bit bemused by the T in AT PEACE because I’d have said “apace” rather than “at pace” to mean quickly. 18.10

    Edited at 2021-03-16 10:11 am (UTC)

  21. Very smooth and enjoyable solve, with lots of nice touches. Only really held up by being another who chose the golf course in Kent to start with, before realising I should be looking a bit further north.
  22. Good fun. I found I enjoyed this more and more as it went on.

    Tondi, Fathomed, Tannoy and Vatic were the pick for me. Had Harper Lee’s brother Laurie in mind for a while (Cider with Rose is currently available on BBC Sounds), also Uppish, – Pish! being an expression one might use to express (very strong) regret. Well, a Scotsman might anyway.

    MER at Stroll equating to No Hurry.

  23. Held up by the last two 11a and 8d, where I had DETENTION for a while = time, creating a problem for 11a. Otherwise 25 minutes with much pleasure. Didn’t understand 19a afternoon, thanks for explaining that jackkt.
  24. I rather struggled with this one, and finally entered REINFORCED after 26 minutes, several of them staring ineffectually at that and the saint. Happy they who saw course and thought golf, even if it misled a bit. I thought of food and several other things, none of which made sense.
    The other force in the grid at 11 also only slowly materialised, and the NW again proved obdurate, until I saw the clever double T trick.
    None of my progress was enhanced by confidently biffing LAURIE LEE for the author, expecting light to dawn on the wordplay later. Obviously it didn’t, and HARPER duly took her place. Curious that both names are gender neutral: I believed for the longest time that Harper was a he.
    1. Back in 2003 my ship docked in Mobile, Alabama, and one of my colleagues made it his mission to visit Harper Lee. Don’t know if he did or not – I was a yob, he was marginally civilised.
  25. Mildly surprised that the SNITCH (at the time of looking) is 117. Thought I was just being a bit slow after yesterday’s missed wavelength.

    Nothing really ungettable though I didn’t know VATIC nor LOI TONDI and only vaguely recalled ANTRA, but being a Harper myself, the author was a write-in.

  26. Some unknowns among both answers and component parts, but nothing to get alarmed about. Very few write-ins — most clues seemed to need at least a bit of thinking through, the mark of a good puzzle, I always think. 26m.
  27. And unfortunately so, as forgot to go back to ‘toll’, an easy get … so a dnf in an interrupted half-hour or so. Some nice touches, esp. the double T (which I failed to parse). Had that moment of cold horror as on coming here I saw ‘TILL’…
  28. I thought the afternoon clue was rather good. p and m stretching, not that they need to, into post meridiem.

    Didn’t help myself by entering AT SIGHT to begin with at 27ac.

    Edited at 2021-03-16 11:40 am (UTC)

  29. I thought I was going nowhere with this as clue after clue refused to yield. My first though was SERVICE for 11a but I was short of an E for my parsing serve ice, and DIMENSION put me right and became my FOI. LEE was my next entry but I didn’t put Laurie in as I couldn’t parse it. NOW AND THEN and AT PEACE followed, and then I had another dry spell. VATICAN went in from crossers and definition as vatic was NHO. Eventually the rest of the answers were dragged kicking and screaming from the clues and I submitted at 61:00 after finally seeing how UNDER worked. Surprised to see that I still came in at 100 on the Leaderboard with that time! Thanks setter and Jack.

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