Solving time: 37 minutes with the last 7 spent on 16 & 20ac and 8dn
Many of these clues have brilliant surface readings that rely on alternative definitions of words.
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 juxtaposition indicators unless there is a specific point that requires clarification.
 Across |
|
| 1 | Pam’s disco dancing is somewhat erratic (9) |
| SPASMODIC | |
| Anagram [dancing] of PAM’S DISCO | |
| 6 | Go on to gatecrash very pathetic party (5) |
| SADDO | |
| ADD (go on) contained by [to gatecrash] SO (very) | |
| 9 | Up with the lark? He’s famous for it! (7,8) |
| VAUGHAN WILLIAMS | |
| For this cryptic clue one needs to know that The Lark Ascending is amongst Ralph Vaughan Williams’s most famous works. Personally I don’t like it although I admire much of his other music. | |
| 10 | Wanderer heading west loaded with Eastern spirit (6) |
| DAEMON | |
| NOMAD (wanderer) reversed [heading west], containing [loaded with] E (Eastern) | |
| 11 | Mint in silver wrapping I ate at the outset as defence (8) |
| APOLOGIA | |
| AG (silver) containing [wrapping] POLO (mint), then I, A{te} [at the outset]. ‘Polo – The Mint with the Hole’ – a leading UK brand of confectionary since 1948. | |
| 13 | Such as The Hollies’ perennial hits? (10) |
| EVERGREENS | |
| Two meanings, with the first referring to the family of shrubs and trees rather the pop group of the 1960s and 1970s as might be implied by the surface reading. Hundreds of examples of the second meaning can be found in The Great American Song Book. Amazing that this should come up again so soon defined with reference to popular music, as it previously appeared last Friday. | |
| 14 | One aiming at a fast buck or deer (4) |
| STAG | |
| Two meanings. A STAG at the Stock Exchange is a trader who buys a new issue solely for the purpose of selling immediately to make a quick profit. | |
| 16 | Earth to become fine with time (4) |
| SETT | |
| SET (fine – in good order; all set), T (time). Dangerous territory this as I think I was called out on it on a previous occasion, but as far as I’m aware the only animals that live in a SETT are badgers. According to Chambers their hole can also be called an ‘earth’, but ‘earth’ is more usually associated with foxes. | |
| 17 | Leave, having failed intake exam (4,2,4) |
| MAKE AN EXIT | |
| Anagram [failed] of INTAKE EXAM | |
| 19 | Fairground Attraction song adopting American English (8) |
| CAROUSEL | |
| CAROL (song) containing [adopting] US (American) + E (English) | |
| 20 | Mathematician prompt to withdraw cover (6) |
| EUCLID | |
| CUE (prompt) reversed [to withdraw], LID (cover}. My LOI, and even after I’d biffed it I struggled to see the first bit of parsing. | |
| 23 | Raj account switching deposits again into Agra’s banks (1,7,2,5) |
| A PASSAGE TO INDIA | |
| Anagram [switching] of DEPOSITS AGAIN contained by [into] A{gr}A [‘s banks]. The classic novel by E.M. Forster and the only one of his major works that I have never read. I have seen the film though. | |
| 24 | Ruff partner, always reflecting when holding spade finally (5) |
| REEVE | |
| EVER (always) reversed [reflecting] containing [holding] {spad}E [finally]. A type of sandpiper, the female of the ruff (Philomachus pugnax). | |
| 25 | Like one of those 24 hour bugs? (9) |
| EPHEMERAL | |
| Cryptic. ‘Ephemera’ is a fever that lasts only a day. Certain insects such as the mayfly are sometimes termed ‘ephemera’ because of their very short life-span (typically 24 hours) and I guess some people might class them as bugs. | |
| Down |
|
| 1 | Worked hard, putting aside pounds deposited in the bank (5) |
| SAVED | |
| S{l}AVED (worked hard) [putting aside pounds – l as in l.s.d.] | |
| 2 | Entertainment venue playing REM etc ad nauseam? (9,6) |
| AMUSEMENT ARCADE | |
| Anagram [playing] of REM ETC AD NAUSEAM | |
| 3 | Mum overcomes Jack in honourable, good golf game (3-5) |
| MAH-JONGG | |
| MA (mum), then J (Jack) contained by [in] HON (honourable), G (good), G (golf – NATO). I didn’t know this alternative spelling so I had to trust the wordplay. | |
| 4 | Delicate shot racket struck at the finish (4) |
| DINK | |
| DIN (racket – noise], {struc}K [at the finish] | |
| 5 | Ape gets ringing noise outside tank — runs away (10) |
| CHIMPANZEE | |
| CHIME (ringing noise) containing [outside] PANZE{r} (tank) [runs away]. ‘Panzer’ comes from the German meaning ‘armoured’. | |
| 6 | Only fish landlady gutted (6) |
| SOLELY | |
| SOLE (fish), L{andlad}Y [gutted] | |
| 7 | Drink with retired setter maybe after installing old copper insulator (7,8) |
| DRAUGHT EXCLUDER | |
| DRAUGHT (drink), EX-CLUER (retired setter maybe) containing [installing] D (old copper – l.s.d again – a penny) | |
| 8 | Oscar winner Charles’s cycling assault (9) |
| ONSLAUGHT | |
| This is my first opportunity in a blog to try out Shabbo’s advice on ‘cycling’ clues as posted here last Tuesday. Quote: I have been told that when you see “cycling”, you should write the letters of the word in a circle and then start from each letter in turn travelling clockwise until you find the solution. Try it. It works! Many thanks to Shabbo for the tip!
The Oscar winner is Charles Laughton, so LAUGHTON’S (Charles’s) cycling gives us this: Laughton was nominated for ‘Best Actor in a Leading Role’ on three occasions but won the Oscar only once in 1933 for The Private Life of Henry VIII. The other two nominations were for Mutiny on the Bounty (1935) and Witness for the Prosecution (1957). |
|
| 12 | Hotshot lawyer on mag finally getting stuck into a couple of beers (5,5) |
| LEGAL EAGLE | |
| LEG (on – cricket), then {ma}G [finally] contained by [getting stuck into] ALE + ALE (a couple of beers). Apparently ‘legal beagle’ is also a valid term. | |
| 13 | Where unchallenged professor might relax? (4,5) |
| EASY CHAIR | |
| Cryptic, based on EASY meaning unchallenging and CHAIR being a post occupied by a professor at a university | |
| 15 | Bevan almost succeeded to get on top of mass disorder (8) |
| ANEURISM | |
| ANEURI{n} (Bevan) [almost], S (succeeded), M (mass). Read about the politician Nye Bevan here if you wish. | |
| 18 | Follow us heading north in unspoiled surroundings (6) |
| PURSUE | |
| US reversed [heading north] contained by [in] PURE (unspoiled) | |
| 21 | Attract Liberal, in a manner of speaking (5) |
| DRAWL | |
| DRAW (attract), L (Liberal) | |
| 22 | Carve cross, removing each end (4) |
| ETCH | |
| {t}ETCH{y} (cross – angry) [removing each end] | |
Really enjoyed reading the blog – thanks. Very late solve. Dnk LAUGHTON but got the answer. Failed in the end only on ANEURISM – as it’s a too late now to carry on chewing away.
26 minutes in the pub with a pint of Adnams and someone else’s dog at my feet.
I like the The Lark Ascending but not too often. Same with the Thomas Tallis Fantasia, Enigma Variations, Sheherezade and all those other Classic FM favourites. Which probably means not listening to Classic FM.
Aneurism? What’s an aneurism when it’s at home? It was aneurysm when I was at medical school. Even Americans prefer aneurysm.
Not sure why I needed to biff so many today. When the bloggers explained it was so easy. Don’t like earth and sett. 35 mins but really a fail as I wrote, do it on paper, “jongh” thanks to bloggers for helping me see the light.
Did this in bits of my busy day – whenever I got to sit down with the pen, so no idea how long it took me. Have to admit to never even thinking of Vaughan Williams, asthe music reference passed me by – thought I was looking for a lark asas the playful tr ick, so started off with VOUCHER ? (Sry- cannot manage this new way of hiding your writing behind the keyboard – impossible to correct!). FOI SPASMODIC, with most following at a steady, but slow, pace. Never unravell ed the book title from the enumeration ( as I should have done); so that was a look-up that helped with LEGAL EAGLE and ETCH,. CODs to EUCLID and DAEMON.