.
My solving time was 32 minutes for all but 3 letters, but this was a technical DNF because I had rather lost patience with the puzzle by then so I used aids to complete the last word. It’s a shame that I didn’t enjoy it much because this is my 500th blog of weekday 15×15 puzzles (QCs are up to 225) and I would have preferred a more satisfying offering to mark the occasion.
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 | In America worship gets to a higher level (8) |
| UPRAISES | |
| PRAISE (worship) contained by [in] US (America) | |
| 6 | Girl jokes when speaking in bed (6) |
| MATRIX | |
| Sounds like [when speaking] “May tricks” (girl jokes). This was the clue that did for me as I had no idea that ‘bed’ was a definition of ‘matrix’ and the sound-alike wordplay only became apparent once I knew what the answer was. Way down a long list of definitions SOED has matrix as the bed or hollowed place in a slab in which a monumental brass is fixed. Collins offers a couple of variations. Why would anyone know this? | |
| 9 | Minister stopping short, interrupted by a French beast (6) |
| VICUNA | |
| VICA{r} (minister) [stopping short] contains [interrupted by] UN (a, French). It’s a llama. Another obscurity for me, but the wordplay was helpful. | |
| 10 | Swiftness with which the thing eats into plant on allotment? (8) |
| CELERITY | |
| IT (the thing) contained by [eats into] CELERY (plant on allotment). Unless I’m missing something, ‘on allotment’ adds nothing and only serves to confuse the issue. Celery is not the most popular of vegetables because of its bitter taste, so I’d be surprised if many allotment holders grow it. It goes nicely with a strong cheese, especially Stilton, but other than that, I’d never eat it. | |
| 11 | A word from IT to be effective when spoken (4) |
| BYTE | |
| Sounds like [when spoken] “bite” (be effective). Hm… | |
| 12 | One copper with external protection, heading off to get transport (10) |
| HELICOPTER | |
| I (one) + COP (copper – policeman) contained by [with external] {s}HELTER (protection) [heading off]. ‘Copper’ cluing COP is feeble. | |
| 14 | Worm finding mate after short journey (8) |
| TRICHINA | |
| TRI{p} (journey) [short], CHINA (mate – CRS, plate). Another unknown. | |
| 16 | Sweet wine takes no time to get word of approval (4) |
| OKAY | |
| {t}OKAY (sweet wine) [no time – t]. I knew of the wine from a 1929 song of the same title by Noel Coward, but also it has come up here on a few occasions. | |
| 18 | Spot unwanted visitor in garden? (4) |
| MOLE | |
| Two meanings | |
| 19 | Drink cleric knocked back with empty talk (8) |
| VERMOUTH | |
| REV (cleric) reversed [knocked back], MOUTH (empty talk – bragging). All mouth and (no) trousers! | |
| 21 | Party acquiring dubious votes — the limit possibly for famous Russian (10) |
| DOSTOEVSKY | |
| DO (party), anagram [dubious] of VOTES, SKY (the limit possibly). The vaguest of definitions forces solvers to rely on wordplay, checkers and enumeration. | |
| 22 | Ship‘s load, about to be discharged (4) |
| ARGO | |
| {c}ARGO (load) [about – c – to be discharged]. | |
| 24 | By a large lake Heather slips maybe (8) |
| LINGERIE | |
| LING (heather), ERIE (large lake) | |
| 26 | Simpletons so timid, having lost heart sadly (6) |
| IDIOTS | |
| Anagram [sadly] of SO TI{m}ID [having lost heart] | |
| 27 | Speak ill of brilliant ace, the writer (6) |
| DEFAME | |
| DEF (brilliant), A (ace), ME (the writer) | |
| 28 | Groups gathering information — about a thousand pieces (8) |
| SEGMENTS | |
| SETS (groups) containing [gathering] GEN (information) containing [about] M (a thousand). A Russian doll clue. | |
| Down | |
| 2 | Be nosy about four ladies? (5) |
| PRIVY | |
| PRY (be nosy) containing [about] IV (four) | |
| 3 | An attractive sort of voice that Renee often has (5,6) |
| ACUTE ACCENT | |
| A (an), CUTE (attractive), ACCENT (sort of voice). As in Renée Zellweger. | |
| 4 | Has this film finally bombed? Or maybe it’s this! (5,3) |
| SMASH HIT | |
| Anagram [bombed] of HAS THIS {fil}M [finally] | |
| 5 | A vile princess is involved in historic rebellion (8,7) |
| SICILIAN VESPERS | |
| Anagram [involved] of A VILE PRINCESS. I’d heard the expression but didn’t know its historical meaning. I thought it was a work by Monteverdi! | |
| 6 | Hostility in country church (6) |
| MALICE | |
| MALI (country), CE (church) | |
| 7 | Possibly Dartmoor’s big mound of rubbish piled up (3) |
| TOR | |
| ROT (rubbish) reversed [piled up]. There are lots of tors on Dartmoor of which Haytor is perhaps the most famous. It’s around 1500ft high and I’m rather surprised that I have a photo of myself, aged 11, taken at its summit in 1959 . As far as I’m aware that was my first and only attempt at such an adventure. | |
| 8 | Experiencing difficulty. but evidently not off one’s trolley (2,3,4) |
| IN THE CART | |
| A definition and a cryptic hint. I can’t say I knew the expression with this meaning but I found it on-line, decribed as ‘obsolete’. Apparently it comes from the practice of taking prisoners for punishment or to their execution in carts. Victims were transported to the gallows in a cart, which was also used as the means of execution by attaching the noose and then driving the cart away. ‘Off one’s trolley’ means mad. There’s a rogue punctuation mark in the middle of the clue. | |
| 13 | Expert being paid to take the case likely to stir up anger? (11) |
| PROVOCATIVE | |
| PRO (expert being paid)), VOCATIVE (case – grammar) | |
| 15 | Act to probe the iron spread out in mineral (9) |
| RHODONITE | |
| DO (act) contained by [to probe} anagram [spread out] of THE IRON. Another unknown, but the wordplay and checkers presented limited options. | |
| 17 | Fish that is grand, superior to two others (8) |
| GRAYLING | |
| G (grand), RAY LING (two others – fish). ‘Superior’ is simply a placement indicator in a Down clue. | |
| 20 | Ruling to wane, when being ignored (6) |
| DECREE | |
| DECRE{as}E (wane) [when – as – being ignored] | |
| 23 | See bird, for example, flying north (3,2) |
| GET IT | |
| TIT (bird} + EG (for example) reversed [flying north] | |
| 25 | Indian location showing ambition, no end (3) |
| GOA | |
| GOA{l} (ambition) [no end] | |
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