DNF by some way. Bravo, setter.
Too good for the likes of me, but I enjoyed the challenge, until I didn’t and gave up. Trusty aids and liberal use of the check feature came to the rescue. I’ve unpicked as much as I can for the blog, but would be grateful if someone could return the favour with a couple of them!
Definitions underlined.
| Across | |
|---|---|
| 1 | The last thing batter needs to stop collapse? (8) |
| GROUNDER – last letter of batteR inside (to stop) GO UNDER (collapse), &lit. A grounder is a delivery in cricket that stays low and may lead to a dismissal. Anyone who has followed The Ashes will not need an explanation of ‘batting collapse’, but to the uninitiated it’s when several batsmen are dismissed in quick succession. | |
| 9 | What’s encapsulated by 007 and certain to stir? (8) |
| ACTIONER – anagram of (to stir) CERTAIN with the central O from (what’s encapsulated by 0O7) – thanks Jackkt for the help. Another word for an action film/movie. | |
| 10 | You did ask to ignore such a significant difference (4) |
| ODDS – even letters from (ignoring odds, the answer, such) yOu DiD aSk. As in, ‘at odds’. | |
| 11 | A breakfast order for one — Bill’s golf round ahead (4,8) |
| EGGS BENEDICT – E.G. (for one), and the reversal of (round) NEB’S (bill’s) + G (golf), all in front of (ahead) EDICT (order). I now know that ‘neb’ is an actual word for beak or bill; I’ve previously only heard it in the phrase ‘keep your neb out’ and assumed it was a non-sense word. | |
| 13 | Select pipe to feed empty cistern (6) |
| CHOSEN – HOSE (pipe) in (to feed) the first and last from (empty) CisterN. | |
| 14 | Nothing loaded, in that case what’s charged magazine? (3,5) |
| THE ONION – O (nothing) contained by (loaded) THEN (in that case), followed by ION (what’s charged). Satirical online magazine. | |
| 15 | In the company of medic, dread takes hold (7) |
| AMONGST – MO (medic) which ANGST (dread) contains (takes hold). | |
| 16 | Relief only some deny donating to the West (7) |
| ANODYNE – reverse (to the West) hidden (only some) dENY DONAting. | |
| 20 | Film one crashing against tree, then reversed over (3,5) |
| RIO BRAVO – I (one) contained by (crashing) V (versus, against) with ARBOR (tree), all reversed, then O (over). John Wayne film. | |
| 22 | Compositions confirmed residents of Planet Earth? (6) |
| NONETS – NON-ETS (not extra-terrestrials, confirmed residents of Planet Earth). | |
| 23 | “I H8 U”: slogan ultimately adopted by disaffected Biden voters (8,4) |
| INVERTED SNOB – last of (ultimately) slogaN contained by an anagram of (disaffected) BIDEN VOTERS. The definition is ‘I hate upper class’, written in a decidedly lower class way, which an inverted snob might say and do. | |
| 25 | Within limits, fancied backing fiery mount (4) |
| ETNA – the inside letters (within limits) of wANTEd (fancied) reversed (backing). | |
| 26 | Contrary article edited a lot in The Times? (8) |
| NATIONAL – reversal of (contrary) AN (article), plus an anagram of (edited) A LOT IN. | |
| 27 | Narcissus advanced, in a furtive manner, the last of his dodges (4,4) |
| LENT LILY – LENT (advanced) + sLILY (in a furtive manner) with the last letter of his removed (dodges). | |
| Down | |
|---|---|
| 2 | “Meet” me on the waves? (5,3) |
| RADIO HAM – I think this is a cryptic definition for someone you might virtually meet on the (air)waves, but also a homophone (on the radio) of “meat” (HAM). | |
| 3 | Ill-timed counter logic makes right arguments in the end (12) |
| UNSEASONABLE – UNrEASONABLE (counter (to) logic) replacing the ‘r’ (right) with the last letter of (in the end) argumentS. | |
| 4 | The Cynic leaves us eating melon (8) |
| DIOGENES – DIES (leaves us) containing (eating) OGEN (melon). The founder of the philosophical school of Cynicism. | |
| 5 | Brought into line, book parts rather like Peter or Roger? (7) |
| RABBITY – |
|
| 6 | A particular example is in this position (6) |
| STANCE – I have no idea how this works. Thanks to Jackkt – ‘inSTANCE’ (a particular example) is ‘in’ + this. | |
| 7 | Heritage group taken in by first-class con (4) |
| ANTI – NT (National Trust, heritage group) contained by (taken in by) A1 (first-class). | |
| 8 | Show coppers curtains connected with front of theatre (8) |
| PRETENCE – PENCE (coppers) contains (curtains) RE (regarding, connected with) and first latter (front) of Theatre. | |
| 12 | Ring done well, but individual characters adapted rhyme (4,4,4) |
| DING DONG BELL – change only one letter from each word (individual characters adapted) rING DONe wELL. | |
| 15 | Scales one of these when going over rising ground (3,5) |
| AIR SIGNS – AS (when) containing (going over) an anagram of (ground) RISING. Libra/scales is an air sign in astrology. | |
| 17 | Unaffiliated religious individual’s initiation in middle of day (8) |
| NONUNION – I need help getting this to work. NUN (religious |
|
| 18 | Having ruled out Holy Island, left with just an impression (8) |
| NOTIONAL – NOT (having ruled out) + IONA (holy island) + L (left). | |
| 19 | Real life and natural laws are seen to grip (7) |
| HOLDALL – real life and natural laws are both seen to HOLD ALL. | |
| 21 | On stage as temporary replacement? (6) |
| ACTING – double definition. | |
| 24 | One used to fighting old Prohibition (4) |
| VETO – VET (veteran, one used to fighting) + O (old). | |
Arbor for tree is perhaps more forward in my mind, triggered by Nullarbor Plain. Surely the woody bower is spelled arbour unless an Americanism is indicated? Crashing against as an indicator for the position of i is misleading, crashing into would fit.
DNF mostly too hard and convoluted for me.