This continued my run of troubled solves that took me well beyond my 30 minute target. On reflection I can’t really see what gave me so many problems, although if I’d known the name of the Cornish town in 7dn it would have saved me a lot of worrying over the parsing of my biffed answer. Here’s my blog…
As usual definitions are underlined in bold italics, {deletions are in curly brackets} and [anagrinds, containment, reversal and other indicators in square ones]
| Across | |
| 1 | Unfortunate problem is, hotel is blocking plan (6) |
| MISHAP – IS + H (hotel – NATO alphabet) inside [is blocking] MAP (plan) | |
| 5 | End up with one novel still in its wrapping (8) |
| UNOPENED – Anagram [novel] of END UP ONE | |
| 9 | Car capital? Nothing’s left, just endless rubble (8) |
| DETRITUS – DETR{0}IT (car capital) [nothing – 0‘s left), {j}US{t} [endless] | |
| 10 | Phone delivery man left nearer the front (6) |
| BLOWER – BOW{←L}ER (delivery man) [Left nearer the front] | |
| 11 | Reserves short flight for novel establishment? (8) |
| BOOKSHOP – BOOKS (reserves), HOP (short flight) | |
| 12 | Brad goes back to collect Times for North African (6) |
| LIBYAN – NAIL (brad) reversed [goes back] contains [to collect] BY (times) | |
| 13 | Warning sign on entrance: “No English!” (3,5) |
| RED LIGHT – RE (on), D{e}LIGHT (entrance) [no English] | |
| 15 | What’s worn in Paris maybe by Private Pike back to front (4) |
| KEPI – PI+KE becomes KE+PI [back to front]. Hmm. It’s a French military cap, hence the “Paris” and “Private” references. | |
| 17 | I delay every so often; it’s how I behave? (4) |
| IDLY – I, D{e}L{a}Y [every so often] | |
| 19 | Old hacker’s target presently, PM admitted (8) |
| SPITTOON – SOON (presently) with PITT (PM) contained [admitted]. With reference to hacking coughs presumably. I’m not sure if “old” is referring to the hacker or the target, or why it’s needed at all, come to that as spittoons still exist both for medical use and wine tasting. | |
| 20 | Metal business enlists personnel with this writer (6) |
| CHROME – CO (business) contains [enlists] HR (personnel), ME (this writer) | |
| 21 | Trophy goes to poet defending love in press (8) |
| CUPBOARD – CUP (trophy), BARD (poet) containing [defending] 0 (love) | |
| 22 | Relaxing, each succeeded in golf (6) |
| EASING – EA (each), S (succeeded), IN, G (golf – NATO alphabet once again) | |
| 23 | Preparation for going out to work: better to ignore tips (8) |
| TOILETTE – TOIL (work), {b}ETTE{r} [ignore tips]. Not when staying in? | |
| 24 | Man replaces firm in Caledonia? Part of it (8) |
| SHETLAND – HE (man) replaces CO (firm) in S{co}TLAND (Caledonia) | |
| 25 | Needlework that’s liberated husband as well (6) |
| TATTOO – T{h}AT [has liberated Husband], TOO (as well) | |
| Down | |
| 2 | In Berlin, I must get hold of tablet, running water and freezer (8) |
| ICEHOUSE – ICH (in Berlin, I) contains [must get hold of) E (tablet), OUSE (running water) | |
| 3 | Honourable act has always remained a key, if rare, ideal primarily (4-4) |
| HARA-KIRI – First letters [primarily] of H{as} A{lways} R{emained} A, K{ey} I{f} R{are} I{deal} | |
| 4 | Reconciled glib revolutionary party (7,2) |
| PATCHED UP – PAT (glib), CHE (revolutionary), DUP (party – Democratic Unionist Party) | |
| 5 | Simple duties can, mixed with this absorbing work (15) |
| UNSOPHISTICATED – Anagram [mixed] of DUTIES CAN THIS containing [absorbing] OP (work) | |
| 6 | Old songwriter exiles son, handy expert? (7) |
| PALMIST – P{s}ALMIST (old songwriter) [exiles Son] | |
| 7 | Honeymooner in Cornish port docked with journalist (8) |
| NEWLYWED – NEWLY{n} (Cornish port) [docked], W (with), ED (journalist). I’m usually good on West Country towns but this one wouldn’t come to mind and I was fixated on Newquay. | |
| 8 | Call for one in Times maybe with bottle (8) |
| DARINGLY – RING (call) replaces [for] I (one) in DA{i}LY (Times maybe) | |
| 14 | Hurry off initially for pint, working to make an impression at Ascot (9) |
| HOOFPRINT – H{urry} + O(ff} [initially], anagram [working] of FOR PINT | |
| 15 | People who give up stocking new bloomers (8) |
| KNICKERS – KICKERS (people who give up – e.g. kick a habit) containing [stocking] N (new) | |
| 16 | Old Jew’s harp in need of tuning, I understand (8) |
| PHARISEE – Anagram [in need of tuning] of HARP, then I, SEE (understand) | |
| 17 | Unwilling to work at home, act fast (8) |
| INDOLENT – IN (at home), DO (act), LENT (fast) | |
| 18 | Fancy Gilbert, heading off to his work (8) |
| LIBRETTO – Anagram [fancy] of {G}ILBERT [heading off], TO. A reference to W.S Gilbert who wrote the words to Sullivan’s music. | |
| 19 | Very important if dropped from cup tie? (7) |
| SEMINAL – SEM{if}INAL (cup tie?) [if dropped] | |
I patted myself on the back (not literally, that would be ridiculous) for remembering the crossword words KEPI and ‘brad’. And for checking the (fortunately kind) wordplay at 3dn and therefore correcting HARI to HARA.
I’m off to Piedmont tomorrow and SPITTOONs will feature heavily in the rest of my week: they are certainly still useful objects when you’re tasting lots of different wines in a cold cellar at 10am. Having said that the clue makes more sense to me if the ‘old’ applies to the hacker.
An enjoyable puzzle but rather a lot of biffing for me today.
Edited at 2016-11-01 09:57 pm (UTC)
Ancient joke, set in ancient pub that’s been modernised:
First old bloke: “I miss the old spittoons.”
Second old bloke: “You always did!”
No clues leapt out at me as CODs, but perhaps that just means that they were all equally well-crafted. There was also a blissful absence of cricket and Spoonerisms, which can only be a good thing.