Times Cryptic 29286 – Sat, 19 July 2025. Offer you food and wine.

18 comments on “Times Cryptic 29286 – Sat, 19 July 2025. Offer you food and wine.”

1. Thank goodness it was Saturday (again).
   This appeared to be relatively mild but still tricky in places.
   Got TERGIVERSATE from crossers and parsing, but had to confirm.
   Liked 4d EYESHADE, 18d HEAR HEAR, and even the Spoonerism MIDDLEWEIGHT 3d.
   Thought 10ac ENID was borderline cryptic and a little too easy even for me/us after having recently read The Messenger written in the 50s (very educational).
   Not sure still how BODE is available from ‘token’ for the anagram in 13ac, and where AY comes from for ‘alas’ except via Chambers.
   Thank you branch and setter.

   1. To bode, or to token, can be to foretell.

      1. Hmm, OK and thanks again.
         Just biffed it as a (likely foreign) name for wine shop that had to end in GA.

2. 28:12
   I failed to parse a couple: DISINCENTIVE, HEROISM (DNK ROI). Liked MIDDLEWEIGHT & AXES.

3. I made heavy weather of this and needed 57 minutes to be within one answer and decided to surrender. The missing word was EYESHADE which on reflection I really should have got but my mind was in a loop which I’d tired of by then. I also didn’t parse HEROISM as ROI is not common enough as an abbreviation to have registered in my brain although I’m sure I must have seen it before.

   My cryptic solving self-confidence suffered a double blow yesterday. After the horrors of The Times 15×15 set by Enigmatist of The Guardian, I attempted The Guardian‘s 15×15 set by Paul (Mara of this parish) and barely got started on it before hitting a wall. I used aids on a couple of clues hoping to get things going again but they turned out to be obscurities I’d never even heard of, so I cut my losses and found other things to do.

   1. Wish U a speedy recovery of confidence.
      Attitude plays a part ?

4. At 70 mins, all parsed, I found this tough but all very fair. The risible Spoonerism brought to mind Charles Hawtrey as Pte Widdle in one of the Carry On films. COD to 21d, a hidden word clue disguised by a very convincing surface. In these health-and-safety litigious days, is food still presented in flames to diners?

   1. I had an excellent meal at The Seahorse in Dartmouth on Friday evening where a whole fish was presented to the table in flame before being returned to the kitchen for final preparation. Spectacular and delicious.

      1. Interesting – so it wasn’t actually set down on the table before going back to the kitchen? What fish was it?

         1. Hello Warden.
            Excuse late reply. I hadn’t had that particular dish so I had to email the chef to check. She has just replied. See below. I would give the restaurant 5stars without question for food, service, ambience. Do visit if you can.

            ‘This would have been either our bass or bream baked in salt with olive oil & lemon.
            It’s not always on the menu but when it is, it’s a real winner.’

5. 14:38. Nice puzzle, I thought. I loved the awful spoonerism. No unknowns, and I drank an excellent GARNACHA just the other day.

6. I’ve mislaid my copy of this, but I remember bits of it.
   23a Austin Powers, dredged up from somewhere. Never saw it.
   POI 3d Widdle Mate, I do not need one of these. Private Widdle from warden above reminds me of the man promoted on the day he joined the army to Acting Lance Corporal (unpaid) Parts.
   24d Sunk, Doh, took a while for the penny to drop.
   Thanks branch and setter

7. I wish U guys had not made the Carry On connection with that spoonerism.
   It reminded me of the Indian one:
   Carry On Up the Kyber.

8. Multiple goes needed

   – Didn’t understand the ‘bode’ part of BODEGA
   – Couldn’t parse EYESHADE
   – Had heard of TERGIVERSATE without knowing that’s what it meant
   – Eventually remembered SARGASSO, most likely from a previous crossword

   Thanks branch and setter

   FOI Taxi
   LOI Steered
   COD Disincentive

9. In 19dn I was a bit surprised by ‘admired’, which looks to me to be unnecessary. The hidden at 21dn I very much liked.

   1. “Bottle” can be foolish (drunken) nerve and lead to actions that only make things worse, so far from heroic. Adding “admired” was a good idea.

10. I took a while to get a foothold here and worked, when it came, right side to left, finishing with the devious FLAMBÉED. The WRECKAGE anagram got me started. I gave up trying to make the Spoonerism work. The click-and-connect TERGIVERSATE was a delightful discovery. This was a splendid crossword with each clue unfolding like a little piece of origami.

    Thanks both.

11. Never did get a foothold here! Long delay before getting anything after SUNSHADE ( not surprisingly), multiple look-ups (which didn’t help move things along!), one NHO TERGIVERSTATE, and an only vaguely HO AUSTIN POWERS. My worst attempt for some time. I thought UPRIGHT and IONISE were particularly good.

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