Solving time: 10 minutes with one wrong answer. When blogging I noticed there are rather a lot of containment clues – 7 out of 14 Acrosses and 3 Downs. I don’t think the puzzle would be easy for all so I look forward to reading how you all got on, especially those of you who are still finding your feet in the world of cryptic puzzles.
Our aim here is to encourage and support all solvers who wish to improve their skills, regardless of their current ability, and I’d like to thank all bloggers and commenters, new and old, who contribute to that.
Note: 04:30 GMT 19 January 2021. I have taken the rare step of disabling further comments since discussion of the crossword puzzle has long ceased and there is argument continuing about other matters. That is not what this forum is for.
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]. I usually omit all reference to positional indicators unless there is a specific point that requires clarification.
| Across | |
| 1 | Reflect and act as go-between? About time (8) |
| MEDITATE : MEDIATE (act as go-between) contains [about] T (time) | |
| 6 | Heroic tale from South Africa about a guerrilla leader (4) |
| SAGA : SA (South Africa) contains [about] A + G{uerrilla} [leader] | |
| 8 | Excellent form of punishment (4) |
| FINE : Two meanings | |
| 9 | Roguish artist’s friend, caught breaking in (8) |
| RASCALLY : C (caught – cricket) contained by [breaking in] RA’S + ALLY (artist’s friend) | |
| 10 | Gather by old retreat in Scottish battlefield (8) |
| CULLODEN : CULL (gather), O (old), DEN (retreat). I didnt know this meaning of cull found in SOED: verb trans. Gather, pick, (flowers, fruit, etc.). The battle took place in 1746 and I have visited the memorial at its site. | |
| 12 | Entomological specimen at university in Pennsylvania (4) |
| PUPA : UP (at university) contained by [in] PA (Pennsylvania). You need to be ‘up’ at university so that you can be ‘sent down’ if you disgrace yourself! | |
| 13 | Rubble found by young socialites touring Rhode Island (6) |
| DEBRIS : DEBS (young socialites – débutantes) containing [touring] RI (Rhode Island). The last presentation of débutantes at Court was in 1958. | |
| 15 | Intrusion of popular Head of Art accepted by staff (6) |
| INROAD : IN (popular), then A{rt} [head] contained [accepted] by ROD (staff) | |
| 17 | Exchange prisoners from the East (4) |
| SWOP : POWS (prisoners of war) reversed [from the East] | |
| 19 | Stupid-sounding moggy beginning to eat salt (8) |
| SILICATE : SILI sounds like “silly” [stupid], CAT (moggy), E{at} [beginning] | |
| 21 | Filmed report showing gatecrashers finally invading recent dance (8) |
| NEWSREEL : {gatecrasher}S [finally] contained by [invading] NEW (recent) + REEL (dance) | |
| 23 | Woman comes back to have a meal (4) |
| DINE : ENID (woman) reverses [comes back] | |
| 24 | Report of one purchasing shelter for cattle (4) |
| BYRE : Sounds like [report of] “buyer” (one purchasing) | |
| 25 | Small Spaniard, possibly, or a native of Omsk? (8) |
| SIBERIAN : S (small), IBERIAN (Spaniard, possibly) | |
| Down | |
| 2 | Gourmet‘s dog tucking into last of nice baked dish (7) |
| EPICURE : {nic}E [last], then CUR (dog) contained by [tucking into]+ PIE (baked dish) | |
| 3 | Perfect declaration of one involved in trade (5) |
| IDEAL : Plus we have a cryptic definition of the alternatively spaced I DEAL | |
| 4 | Bearing of man who’ll succeed when speaking (3) |
| AIR : Sounds like [when speaking] “heir” (man who’ll succeed) | |
| 5 | Eat in less irregularly — that’s vital! (9) |
| ESSENTIAL : Anagram [irregularly] of EAT IN LESS | |
| 6 | Beat a retreat in one’s car periodically (7) |
| SCARPER : Hidden [in] {one}S CAR PER{iodically}. SOED advises this was probably orginally from the Italian scappare = escape or, get away, but later reinforced during or after the First World War by rhyming slang ‘Scapa Flow’ = go. I have my doubts about the second suggestion but it’s nevertheless quite interesting. | |
| 7 | Dance composed by young woman before work (5) |
| GALOP : GAL (young woman), OP (work). A lively ballroom dance in 2/4 time. I’m not sure there is a rule about it but it seems the dance is most usually spelt with a single L whereas the fast pace of the horse takes two. Both words come from the same source. | |
| 11 | Catastrophes involving policeman’s plants (9) |
| DISASTERS : DI’S (policeman’s – Detective Inspector’s], ASTERS (plants) | |
| 14 | Ceremony welcoming pilot officer’s return (7) |
| RIPOSTE : RITE (ceremony) containing [welcoming] PO’S (pilot officer’s) return | |
| 16 | Woman representing a nation? (7) |
| ANTONIA : Anagram of [re-presenting] A NATION | |
| 18 | Puny little child, happy at last (5) |
| WEEDY : WEE (little), {chil}D + {happ}Y [at last] I was a bit careless here, plumping for WEENY. I wouldn’t say I biffed it because I did consider the wordplay but evidently not closely enough. ‘Weeny’ is perfectly valid as a ‘little child’ and anything small so I thought it might also mean ‘puny’, but I realised that it wasn’t a double definition clue and ‘happy at last’ needed to be accounted for. So in my haste I decided that “wee’n”might be short for ‘wee one’ meaning “little child” leaving the y from ‘happy’ to complete the answer. | |
| 20 | Tree leading journalist planted in estate, perhaps (5) |
| CEDAR : ED (leading journalist) contained by [planted in] CAR (estate, perhaps) | |
| 22 | Look at first of bodies — and throw up! (3) |
| LOB : LO (look at), B{odies} [first]. The surface reminded me of TV series such as Silent Witness and Waking the Dead in which a lot of throwing up goes on at the sight of bodies. Not recommended viewing for supper time! | |
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