34:17, with much time spent on one clue in particular. I found this to be a rather gentle puzzle for a Friday, with many familiar devices. Nevertheless it was a bit sticky, and the SNITCH seems to reflect this.
| Across | |
|---|---|
| 1 | Rocky 6 — in a rut, Hugh Jackman? (10) |
| AUSTRALIAN – anagram of ALAS (6ac) IN A RUT | |
| 6 | Festivals starting late, unfortunately (4) |
| ALAS – {g}ALAS | |
| 10 | Biblical messenger[’s] talk that is splitting sides (7) |
| GABRIEL – GAB + IE in L R | |
| 11 | Do musical score? (7) |
| HAIRCUT – HAIR (musical) CUT (score?)
To score is to make a light incision. |
|
| 12 | Most intense part [of] impressive dish that’s unfinished (9) |
| EPICENTRE – EPIC ENTRÉ{e} | |
| 13 | Like croissants without ends, say (5) |
| UTTER – {b}UTTER{y} | |
| 14 | Open banana avoided by worker, perhaps (5) |
| PLAIN – PL{ant}AIN | |
| 15 | Confectionery with marijuana? It’s a bit of a racket (5,4) |
| SWEET SPOT – SWEETS POT | |
| 17 | Glance over young professional[’s] football skills (5-4) |
| KEEPY-UPPY – PEEK reversed + YUPPY | |
| 20 | Did row ultimately undo American revolutionary? (5) |
| OARED – {und}O + A + RED | |
| 21 | Shape [of] mug that H&M cut apart (5) |
| RHOMB – ROB (mug), interrupted by H and M | |
| 23 | Inferior work following exclusive about a French duke (9) |
| POUNDSHOP – OP after POSH (exclusive) around UN (‘a’, in French) + D | |
| 25 | Sweetheart for many encapsulates poetry? (3,4) |
| ART FORM – hidden | |
| 26 | Most tacky introduction for Iggy and Stooges briefly broadcast (7) |
| GOOIEST – anagram (broadcast) of I{ggy} STOOGES | |
| 27 | Notice essay has page replacing it (4) |
| ESPY – ESSAY with P instead of SA (it = Sex Appeal) | |
| 28 | Churchgoers welcoming corrupt female swimmer (10) |
| PARROTFISH – PARISH around ROT F | |
| Down | |
|---|---|
| 1 | Two lines required to capture this / fish (5) |
| ANGLE – double definition
Capture as in represent visually. |
|
| 2 | Petition to eat BLT with filling that’s extended [and] purified (9) |
| SUBLIMATE – SUE (petition) around B + LIMA + T
Radio language. |
|
| 3 | Act surprised as Obi-Wan, Rey and ultimately Luke Skywalker are cast (5,2,7) |
| RAISE AN EYEBROW – AS OBI-WAN REY + last letters of LUKE SKYWALKER ARE anagrammed | |
| 4 | They show unqualified person recently breaking records (1-6) |
| L-PLATES – LATE in LPS
Learner plates. |
|
| 5 | Two articles about permitted jumper? (7) |
| ATHLETE – A THE around LET | |
| 7 | Legitimate Literature 101 dons (5) |
| LICIT – CI (101 in Roman numerals) in LIT | |
| 8 | Dripping [is] like some fat (9) |
| SATURATED – double definition | |
| 9 | Abrupt Times editor: undo changes [in] our masthead text! (4,2,3,5) |
| DIEU ET MON DROIT – TIME{s} EDITOR UNDO
Here I confess I just cheated and looked at the front page. But this was after close to ten minutes of playing with anagram fodder. My problem was I really couldn’t see what to use, and if I’m being unkind, I’m not sure what I think about ‘abrupt’ to mean ‘remove the last letter’. (Actually I’m quite sure what I think about it.) (Chambers doesn’t agree with me.) |
|
| 14 | Useful feature for table fork, with peace shattered (5,4) |
| POKER FACE – anagram of FORK PEACE | |
| 16 | Aha! House of Commons censure over game (9) |
| PARCHEESI – I SEE + HC + RAP reversed | |
| 18 | Channel covering mixed martial arts after 12 (3-4) |
| PIP-EMMA – PIPE MMA
Radio language. |
|
| 19 | Who’s looking at this African nation, ignoring one more recently created? (7) |
| YOUNGER – YOU (who’s looking at this) N{i}GER
Easily my favorite clue of the bunch. |
|
| 22 | Someone paid by the state to stock books, available as needed (2,3) |
| ON TAP – OAP (old-age pensioner) around NT (books) | |
| 24 | Way to conceal Conservative plot (5) |
| PATCH – PATH around C | |
Fortunately, I knew Dieu et Mon Droit, and after I got a few letters I biffed it. I wasn’t so swift with raise an eyebrow, however, even if it should have been obvious. I was a little worried about poundshop – is that a thing – and couldn’t parse sublimate. I did like rhomb – that was pretty good.
Time: 52:31