Time: 40 minutes. I made good progress but was slowed by at least four answers I didn’t know.
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]. “Aural wordplay” is in quotation marks. I now use a caret sign ⁁ to indicate an insertion point in containment clues. I usually omit all reference to juxtaposition indicators unless there is a specific point that requires clarification.
 Across |
|
|---|---|
| 1 | All the best working dogs went (8) |
| GODSPEED – Anagram [working] of DOGS, then PEED (went) | |
| 6 | Blunder, almost hugging new primate (6) |
| BONOBO – BO⁁O–BO{o} (blunder) [almost] containing [hugging] N (new). I count this as a ‘never heard of’ although it has appeared here a couple of times previously | |
| 9 | Perplexed, makes up for deficiencies with shortened broadcast (2,4,4,3) |
| AT ONES WITS END – ATONES (makes up for deficiencies), WIT{h} [shortened], SEND (broadcast) | |
| 10 | Rebellious, throw to the left, then throw to the right (6) |
| BOLSHY – LOB (throw) reversed [to the left], then SHY (throw) not reversed [to the right] | |
| 11 | Dull lecture announced extinct bird (5,3) |
| GREAT AUK – Aural wordplay [announced]: “grey talk” (dull lecture) | |
| 13 | Work at probing every Republican in charge of different geographical areas (10) |
| ALLOPATRIC – OP (work) + AT contained by [probing] ALL (every)⁁ R (Republican), IC (in charge). Truly unknown this time, the answer is making its first appearance in the TfTT era. | |
| 15 | Problem of teenagers in north contained by expert (4) |
| ACNE – N (north) contained by AC⁁E (expert) | |
| 16 | Lacking in energy, male stops backchat (4) |
| LIMP – M (male) is contained by [stops] LI⁁P (backchat) | |
| 18 | Cops kept up with malfunctioning toy (4,6) |
| SOCK PUPPET – Anagram [malfunctioning] of COPS KEPT UP | |
| 21 | State is backed and supported by hatred (8) |
| AVERSION – AVER (state), IS reversed [backed], ON (supported by) | |
| 22 | Fat reduced by half in round rice cake (6) |
| ECLAIR – LA{rd} (fat) [reduced by half] contained by [in] reversal [round] of RICE | |
| 23 | Horrific Icelandic mess in economics? (6,7) |
| DISMAL SCIENCE – Anagram [horrific] of ICELANDIC MESS. Wikipedia: “The dismal science” is a derogatory name for the science of economics, coined by Scottish essayist Thomas Carlyle in 1849. It contrasts with “the gay science”, a then-current name for poetry. |
|
| 25 | Meddles close to first minister (6) |
| PRIEST – PRIES (meddles), {firs}T [close to…] | |
| 26 | Current price of copper is precise (8) |
| ACCURATE – AC (current), CU RATE (price of copper) | |
| Down |
|
|---|---|
| 2 | Respect part in audition experiencing continuing success (2,1,4) |
| ON A ROLL – Aural wordplay [in audition]: ON A / “honour” (respect) + ROLL / “role” (part), | |
| 3 | Rows with pet shop about spectacular event (11) |
| SHOWSTOPPER – Anagram [about] of ROWS PET SHOP | |
| 4 | Heading north, cavalrymen easily suppressing hostile forces (5) |
| ENEMY – Hidden [suppressing] and reversed [heading north] in {cavalr}YMEN E{asily} | |
| 5 | Make bet for wealthy old lady (7) |
| DOWAGER – DO (make), WAGER (bet) | |
| 6 | Part of seat higher for broadcast, which is a bloomer (9) |
| BUTTERCUP – Aural wordplay [for broadcast] BUTTERC / “buttock” (part of seat), then UP (higher). Easy for me as I remembered this piece from A Bit of Fry and Laurie (1990). | |
| 7 | Engage regularly? In Perth, no (3) |
| NAE – {e}N{g}A{g}E [regularly] | |
| 8 | Nomad’s become settled around Oxford University (7) |
| BEDOUIN – BED⁁IN (become settled) containing [around] OU (Oxford University) | |
| 12 | Bouncer’s two modes of transport across river (11) |
| TRAMPOLINER – TRAM ⁁ LINER (two modes of transport) containing [across] PO (river). If I ever had the need to refer to such a person I’d be more like to say ‘trampolinist’. | |
| 14 | Attacker of creature, one with six feet, having internal trouble (9) |
| ASSAILANT – ASS (creature) ⁁ ANT (one with six feet) containing [having internal] AIL (trouble) | |
| 17 | Vice-admiral blocking popular article from German aggressor (7) |
| INVADER – VA (Vice-admiral) contained by [blocking] IN (popular) ⁁ DER (article from German) | |
| 19 | John thanks nurses when playing card game (7) |
| CANASTA – CAN (John – loo) ⁁ TA (thanks) contains [nurses] AS (when) | |
| 20 | Important and valuable source found in English books (7) |
| EMINENT – MINE (valuable source) contained by [found in] E (English) ⁁ NT (books – New Testament). This completes a run of SIX consecutive containment clues! | |
| 22 | Essentially, sent kid back for early computer (5) |
| ENIAC – {s}EN{t} + {k}I{d} + {b}AC{k} [essentially]. NHO this. It appeared once in a 15×15 10 years ago, but otherwise only in Mephistos and Monthy Specials. | |
| 24 | Witness search for missing king (3) |
| SEE – SEE{k} (search for) [missing king] | |
This was fun! Laughed at GODSPEED and SOCK PUPPET.
Wasn’t sure why BUTTERCUP worked (homophone trouble again) and NHO either ENIAC or ALLOPATRIC but fairly clued. Every day’s a school day!
Thanks to everyone.
15:19, my third fastest ever, finishing with the unknown ALLOPATRIC.
Thanks Jack and setter
A pleasant 33:14, relatively quick for me. BOLSHY and GODSPEED my favorites. BUTTERCUP, whew. Thanks setter and Jack.
Shade over 30 min, which is quick for me; no big hurdles here, and some nice clues. Checked a couple as i went, but the more obscure words were well supported by the explicit wordplay – tku blogger and setter
9.30
Late entry due to travels. Not at all because of my time but I really enjoyed this. The dodgier the homophone the better, for sure
Thanks Jackkt and setter