This puzzle took me 8 minutes so I’d say it’s at the easier end of the spectrum, but it still has a few trickier clues that may stretch the brain a little more.
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]
| Across | |
| 1 | Edith relaxing with sons: they seek pleasure (9) |
| HEDONISTS – Anagram [relaxing] of EDITH SONS. I’m not entirely convinced by ‘relaxing’ as anagrind, but it’s on the Chambers list. | |
| 6 | Black and silver container (3) |
| BAG – B (black), AG (silver) | |
| 8 | Battalion having no time for course of therapy (7) |
| REGIMEN – REGIMEN{t} (battalion) [having no time]. I believe that in strict military terminology a battalion is only part of a regiment, but in more general terms both words are used figuratively for a large group of people, and that’s what’s required for this clue to work. | |
| 9 | East European turns to run off with partner (5) |
| ELOPE – E (East) + POLE (European) reversed [turns] | |
| 10 | Sat for photo, showing composure? Not I (5) |
| POSED – PO{i}SED (showing composure) [not I] | |
| 12 | Drunk spotted reeling in front of Edward (6) |
| WASTED – SAW (spotted) reversed [reeling], TED (Edward) | |
| 14 | Regal figure organised prison concert (6,7) |
| PRINCE CONSORT – Anagram [organised] of PRISON CONCERT | |
| 16 | Traveller in coach, returning first class (6) |
| SUPERB – REP (traveller as in ‘commercial traveller’) contained by [in] BUS (coach) all reversed [returning] | |
| 17 | Old Wren turned out to be a possessive type (5) |
| OWNER – O (old), anagram [turned out] of WREN. A rather good misdirection here in the definition. | |
| 19 | Leave work during strike (3,2) |
| HOP IT – OP (work) contained by [during] HIT (strike) | |
| 20 | Area bound by a border, nothing out of the ordinary (7) |
| AVERAGE – A (area) contained [bound] by A VERGE (a border) | |
| 22 | Heads for this outlying rocky peak (3) |
| TOR – T{his} O{utlying} R{ocky} [heads]. ‘Rocky’ could have been part of the definition but it’s needed for the wordplay and double usage is usually to be avoided . | |
| 23 | Complete makeover incorporating new naval flag (3,6) |
| RED ENSIGN – REDESIGN (complete makeover) containing [incorporating] N (new) | |
| Down | |
| 1 | Hope to engage sailors with very good dance at sea (8) |
| HORNPIPE – HOPE contains [to engage] RN (sailors) + PI (very good). The hornpipe dance has been associated with sailors for a couple of centuries though wasn’t originally, but even if performed by sailors they don’t necessarily have to be ‘at sea’ at the time. | |
| 2 | Closely follow / pointer, perhaps (3) |
| DOG – Two definitions, the second by example, hence ‘perhaps’ | |
| 3 | No bananas for homeless person (5) |
| NOMAD – NO, MAD (bananas) | |
| 4 | Advertisement from Kentish golf course committee? (8,5) |
| SANDWICH BOARD – SANDWICH (Kentish golf course), BOARD (committee). Apparently the British Open is often hosted by at least one of the courses in Sandwich but that fact was lost on me so the reference to golf was irrelevent. Just as well I knew the name of the town and where it is located. | |
| 5 | Member of extended family keeps walking (7) |
| STEPSON – A straight definition and a slightly whimsical one that requires the alternative spacing, STEPS ON | |
| 6 | Got very upset and stopped working (5,4) |
| BROKE DOWN – Two meanings | |
| 7 | Some big reward got bigger (4) |
| GREW – Hidden [some] in {bi}G REW{ard} | |
| 11 | Sporty type in winter’s half-skimpy pullover (3,6) |
| SKI JUMPER – SKI{mpy} [half], JUMPER (pullover) | |
| 13 | Fish: medic eats tons (8) |
| STURGEON – SURGEON (medic) contains [eats] T (tons). Caviar comes from virgin sturgeon… | |
| 15 | Sound happy crossing street in English city (7) |
| CHESTER – CHEER (sound happy) containing [crossing] ST (street) | |
| 17 | A few lines about Greek theatre (5) |
| ODEON – ODE (a few lines – of poetry), ON (about). Wiki says: The original Odeons were the popular amphitheatres of ancient Greece. The name Odeon had been appropriated by cinemas in France and Italy in the 1920s, but the impresario Oscar Deutsch made it his own in the UK. His publicity team claimed Odeon stood for “Oscar Deutsch Entertains Our Nation”. | |
| 18 | Short note: check it (4) |
| CHIT – CH (check), IT | |
| 21 | Noted boxer among finalists (3) |
| ALI – Contained by [among] {fin}ALI{sts} | |
I have apparently watched three Opens on TV that were played at Royal St George, without realizing it is in Kent. I had thought all the English courses in the rota were located on the coast of the North Sea.
Edited at 2018-07-09 07:08 am (UTC)
Edited at 2018-07-09 07:07 am (UTC)
I enjoyed that, with COD shared between OWNER and RED ENSIGN. Thank you, Flamande.
Jack – why is “check” CH? Is it a chess abbreviation? Thanks for the blog, though I’m now going to have “virgin sturgeon needs no urging” on my brain for the rest of the day and I didn’t even click your link!
Templar
Other common abbreviations under CH / ch are chapter, chestnut (re horses), church (of course), chain (measurement), chief, Companion of Honour, Custom House and Switzerland.
Edited at 2018-07-09 08:43 am (UTC)
Templar
Thanks for the blog
My time was longer than I anticipated whilst solving – just over 2 Kevins.
LOI was 16a which held me up a bit. Red Ensign was my COD.
John
Edited at 2018-07-09 10:06 am (UTC)
Once I’d finished this I glanced at today’s 15×15 and have nearly finished it. A few tricky ones left to decode. David