Times Cryptic 28184 – University challenge

Author   jackktPosted on Categories Daily Cryptic

Solving time: 40 minutes with a lot of time lost toward the end on the cryptic clue at 26ac.

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 Efficient message covering a page (7)
CAPABLE
CABLE (message – telegram) containing [covering] A + P (page)
5 Decline evident finally: time flies (7)
DIPTERA
DIP (decline), {eviden}T [finally], ERA (time)
9 Disgraced junior to do UCLA wrong (5,1,5)
UNDER A CLOUD
UNDER (junior), anagram [wrong] of DO UCLA. I couldn’t make any sense of the surface until I checked that UCLA stands for University of California at Los Angeles.
10 Strip of silk, perhaps — or lace? (3)
TIE
Two meanings
11 Grass on dude in China (6)
CATHAY
CAT (dude), HAY (grass). Both ‘cat’ and ‘dude’ are slang for ‘man’ so that’s okay for the crossword,  but each usually carries overtones as to a type of person which I don’t think match necessarily. The answer is noted as archaic and poetic but nevertheless it’s well-known.
12 State could get around rules, initially (8)
MARYLAND
MAY (could) + LAND (get – capture, obtain) containing [around] R{ules} [initially]
14 Current queen and various characters in one majestic residence (7,6)
WINDSOR CASTLE
WIND (current), then R (queen) + CAST (various characters) contained by [in] SOLE (one). Her Maj’s main place of residence these days, other side of the tracks (well, the M4) from Slough.
17 Convert also respected statement of belief (8,5)
APOSTLES CREED
Anagram [convert] of ALSO RESPECTED
21 One punch after another bringing cheers (4-4)
CHIN-CHIN
CHIN (another punch), CHIN (one punch). ‘Cheers’ as in a toast to health.
23 Excellent drink — get round in (4-2)
SLAP-UP
LAP (get round) contained by [in] SUP (drink)
25 Back in a game (3)
AGO
A, GO (game)
26 Food in hot and cold state (5,6)
BAKED ALASKA
A cryptic definition that nearly did for me and added a good 10 minutes to my solving time
27 Short song about US university (7)
LIMITED
LIED (song) containing [about] MIT (a second US university!)
28 Make longer   sentence (7)
STRETCH
Two meanings, the second being a term of imprisonment
Down
1 Champ in moment of truth? (6)
CRUNCH
Two meanings
2 Flat pack for West Country town (7)
PADSTOW
PAD (flat),  STOW (pack). Famous for its May Day celebrations and ‘Obby ‘Oss festival.
3 East End locks securing publication in drawer (3,6)
BAR MAGNET
BARNET (East End locks – Barnet Fair / hair) containing [securing] MAG (publication )
4 Score eight tries, conversions harder originally (4)
ETCH
E{ight} T{ries} C{onversions} H{arder} [originally]
5 Blunder, as might careless builder? (4,1,5)
DROP A BRICK
A main definition and a cryptic hint
6 Pet in field? (5)
PADDY
Two meanings. ‘Pet’ and ‘paddy’ are both slang for a fit of temper.
7 Cutting more, cut less content (7)
EXTRACT
EXTRA (more), C{u}T [less – remove – content]
8 Accessing a mountain, road we take ultimately for British city (8)
ABERDEEN
RD (road) + {w}E + {tak}E [ultimately], contained by [accessing] A + BEN (mountain)
13 East winds endangered by a star (10)
ASTERISKED
Anagram [winds] of EAST, then RISKED (endangered)
15 All clear for development around university lacking basic units (9)
ACELLULAR
Anagram [for development] of ALL CLEAR containing [around] U (university – non-specific this time)
16 Expression of disapproval about hot blanket (5-3)
CATCH-ALL
CATCALL (expression of disapproval) containing [about] H (hot)
18 Order including usual number in eggbox, because that’s what eggs are like (7)
OVIFORM
OM (Order of Merit) containing [including] VI (usual number in eggbox – 6) + FOR (because)
19 Put top side in trouble? (7)
DEPOSIT
Anagram [in trouble] of TOP SIDE
20 Publicise    irregular spot (6)
SPLASH
Two meanings. If your paint brush drips on the floor it leaves an irregular spot or ‘splash’ .
22 Old measure in fragment of copper? (5)
CUBIT
CU (copper), BIT (fragment)
24 Very large keys have split: but they can be fixed (4)
ODDS
D + D (keys) contained by [have split] OS (very large – outsize)

71 comments on “Times Cryptic 28184 – University challenge”

  1. An hour and a quarter. Most enjoyable. Had help from husband on capable, ago and cubit, for which I would have put cubeb as I knew it was Cu for copper and I had the b, but cubeb is a shrub and I couldn’t bring the measurements of the ark to mind. FOI under a cloud, LOI diptera, which also gets my COD. Quite a few unparsed – Windsor Castle, Maryland, oviform, Aberdeen, so thanks for shining the light on those, and for the blog, Jack. Thanks, setter, for the entertainment, in places for two, which was even better.
  2. LOI was 14a, obviously WINDSOR CASTLE, but there was a chin-stroking interlude until I parsed it to my satisfaction.
  3. A bit slower than yesterday, but then who wasn’t? Windsor Castle was well IKEAN. COD 12ac MARYLAND. WOD 26ac BAKED ALASKA.
  4. 53:20 and not much to add this late, except to say I didn’t linger long with CATRAT at 11ac but moved swiftly and confidently on to CATPOT (grass=pot is, I believe, a thing): a novelty ceramic biscuit barrel. But it wasn’t POT. So we seem to have a Times Crossword with no drugs references. Who’d have thought it
  5. Drugs such as alcohol, codeine, ‘fentanyl’, morphine, pethadrine, cannabis today all have important medical propensities. It is their abuse that is a problem. You seem to be slightly out of touch!
  6. What a difference a day makes. Struggled to see some of the solutions that turned out to be rather more obvious than I was trying to make them, then had a brainfreeze and put in ODES instead of ODDS for a technical DNF in 17:26. Still can’t fathom why I thought ODES could be fixed. Oh well.
  7. Last two in were splash and slap-up, and I wasn’t convinced they were right. I had lap for drink, which made it hard to parse. The cockney locks I had down as ‘air’ for a good while, which slowed me down in that corner. COD definitely extract. Many thanks to setter and blogger.
  8. 54 minutes and quite an enjoyable puzzle, certainly more to bite into than yesterday. My LOI was CATHAY since it took me some time to make myself aware that HAY and not just RAT was a 3-letter grass, and of course that dude was not going to be D for some reason and China would not be PAL but rather the literal meaning of the answer. Fortunately I proofread before submitting, so that I didn’t submit DOPOSIT. PADSTOW started off as PADCREW, which seemed very unlikely (and was). I managed to biff BAKED ALASKA almost from the grid, without reading the clue. COD to OVIFORM for the cleverly knitted wordplay.
  9. Ran out of time in the end with only 61% done. Found it hard but I reckon I’d have got there or thereabouts in the end if I’d persevered. Very annoyed not to get BAKED ALASKA which seems so completely obvious when you see it.

    I had XIAMAN in for 11ac for a very long time – it nearly works as XIA is some kind of grass and MAN is dude. However, Xiamen, not Xiaman, is a place in China. But in the end my favourite airline slotted in nicely.

    Thanks blogger and setter…

  10. Having the blundering builder Show A Crack was my worst error, but there were others. (H)air Closet anyone? But I had proper nits to pick all over the rest of the place. Capable is not efficient. Chin is not a punch (it’s the recipient of one) any more than gut or kidney is. I could go on, but then you would think I’d just turned in a rotten time and was irked. And you’d be right.
  12. I messed up and put in the non-existent AIR MAGNET since I’d forgotten the CRS BARNET and so went with ‘AIRNET. Then I never managed to get CAPABLE before I had to go and do something else. So DNF for me.

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