On reflection I’m not sure why this delayed me 4 minutes over my target 10 but it did. There seemed to be something of a world-trip going on today with references to Sudan, Spain, India, Hungary, Egypt, Zambia, Belize and Estonia. Also the Mediterranean, Central America, and generic terms such as world, earth, country and nation. Interested as always to hear how others fared.
As usual definitions are underlined in bold italics, {deletions are in curly brackets} and [anagrinds, containment, reversal and other indicators in square ones]
| Across | |
| 8 | Digit has one — wrong one in the end (7) |
| TOENAIL – Anagram [wrong] of ONE contained by [in] TAIL (end) | |
| 9 | Country ending in tremendous agony (5) |
| SPAIN – {tremendou}S [ending], PAIN (agony) | |
| 10 | Direct issue (5) |
| POINT – Two meanings. Point or direct a gun, for example, and the point at issue. | |
| 11 | Collection of useful implements — assumed it to be about fifty (7) |
| TOOLKIT – TOOK (assumed) containing [about] L (fifty), IT | |
| 12 | Unexpected danger, eastern weapon (7) |
| GRENADE – Anagram [unexpected] of DANGER, E (eastern) | |
| 14 | Nation in debt is ashamed, initially (5) |
| INDIA – IN, D{ebt} + I{s} + A{shamed} [initially] | |
| 15 | Track opening of the bar (5) |
| TRAIL – T{he} [opening], RAIL (bar) | |
| 17 | Eager to welcome a European country (7) |
| HUNGARY – HUNGRY (eager) containing [to welcome] A | |
| 19 | Scone: it needs cooking a bit (7) |
| SECTION – Anagram [cooking] of SCONE IT | |
| 20 | Revered symbol the Egyptians originally found in cat (5) |
| TOTEM – T{he} + E{gyptians} [originally] contained by [found in] TOM (cat) | |
| 22 | This world famine needs heading off (5) |
| EARTH – {d}EARTH (famine) [heading off] | |
| 23 | Old tree, largely hollow (7) |
| ELDERLY – ELDER (tree), L{argel}Y [hollow] | |
| Down | |
| 1 | Stair animals loved climbing (4) |
| STEP – PETS (animals loved) reversed [climbing] | |
| 2 | Zambian leader interrupts to contradict Central American nation (6) |
| BELIZE – Z{ambian} [leader] contained by [interrupts] BELIE (contradict) | |
| 3 | Not all catch up (4) |
| PART – TRAP (catch) reversed [up] | |
| 4 | Upset, changes hotel room firstly — something in wardrobe? (7,6) |
| CLOTHES HANGER – Anagram [upset] of CHANGES HOTEL, R{oom} [firstly] | |
| 5 | European nations upset after vote, ultimately (8) |
| ESTONIAN – {vot}E [ultimately], anagram [upset] of NATIONS | |
| 6 | Ship in sea, noted (6) |
| MARKED – ARK (ship) contained by [in] MED (sea) | |
| 7 | Insecure Sudan yet to rebuild (8) |
| UNSTEADY – Anagram [rebuild] of SUDAN YET | |
| 12 | Visit daughter in decline (2,2,4) |
| GO TO SEED – GO TO SEE (visit), D (daughter) | |
| 13 | None left? I agree (3,5) |
| ALL RIGHT – If none is left then all could be right | |
| 16 | A line about Churchill’s first agreement (6) |
| ACCORD – A + CORD (line) contains [about] C{hurchill} [‘s first] | |
| 18 | Queen aboard pretentious vessel (6) |
| ARTERY – ER (Queen) contained by [aboard] ARTY (pretentious) | |
| 20 | Yet to be ticked off for commotion (2-2) |
| TO-DO – Two meanings. Jobs on a list that have not been ticked off are still to do | |
| 21 | Elected official finally dismissed for something saucy (4) |
| MAYO – MAYO{r} (elected official) [finally dismissed] | |
I started in SPAIN 9ac and landed happily in 2dn BELIZE.
COD 4dn CLOTHES HANGER – I am rather partial to long anagrams.
WOD I also like 21dn MAYO – but have never been to Ireland.
A pleasant start to the week.
I had trouble seeing the long anagram, unlike the large one in today’s 15 x 15. We do seem to be getting lots of Estonians lately.
About 30 minutes on toenail, grenade, go to seed and LOI clothes hanger.
COD Go to seed.
Worth having a go at the 15×15 today, finished in 1.39 including work interruptions.
22:15, a good start to the week. Spent too long on UNSTEADY, COD GO TO SEED.
Digit = fingers or toes, but not often used for the latter.
Was tempted by ENGARDE, as in fencing for GRENADE. Was also desperate to get “ankh” in at 20a as a revered Egyptian symbol, it feels very crosswordy.
Based on the advice herein, I will try the 15×15 now.
Thanks for the blog
PlayUpPompey
Brian
I worked it out eventually.
Not easy for me. COD to Clothes Hanger. David