Solving time: 7 minutes. This was fine puzzle to solve but when I was blogging it felt a bit repetitive in the type-of-clue department – 6 anagrams and 8 double meanings including 4 of the last 5 Down clues. Also there are 2 straight hidden words with is one above par. I haven’t made a study of how all this compares with an average day so perhaps I’m being unfair.
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 | Owls, bizarrely, train tortoise or snail? (9) | |
| SLOWCOACH : Anagram [bizarrely] of OWLS, COACH (train). Without wishing to reopen the debate from last Wednesday I wonder if the setter has been reading our efforts and decided to recognise our (self-proclaimed) SCC? | ||
| 6 | Share of the profits reduced (3) | |
| CUT : Two meanings | ||
| 8 | After first of fumbles, shocking goalie leaves (7) | |
| FOLIAGE : F{umbles} [first], anagram [shocking] of GOALIE | ||
| 9 | Eye part one studies (5) | |
| PUPIL : Two meanings | ||
| 10 | Crossing centre, I sit on rocks (12) | |
| INTERSECTION : Anagram [rocks] of CENTRE I SIT ON | ||
| 12 | Cleaning product that’s shown on TV (4) | |
| SOAP : Two meanings | ||
| 13 | Supposed healer in Gujarati medicine (4) | |
| TIME : Hidden [in] {gujara}TI ME{dicine}. “Time is a great healer”. | ||
| 17 | State where man’s hip replaced (3,9) | |
| NEW HAMPSHIRE :Anagram [re-placed] of WHERE MAN’S HIP. Those who follow the 15×15 blogs may know that this is a sore point with me at the moment following the appearance last Friday of the non-existent 15-letter word, NEWHAMPSHIRITES. | ||
| 20 | Country welcomed by Washington, Gambia (5) | |
| TONGA : Hidden in [welcomed] {washing}TON GA{mbia} | ||
| 21 | Degeneration of retinas more unpleasant (7) | |
| NASTIER : Anagram [degeneration] of RETINAS | ||
| 23 | Fellow Yankee’s call for attention (3) | |
| HEY : HE (fellow), Y (Yankee – NATO alphabet) | ||
| 24 | Worm catcher, one up at cockcrow? (5,4) | |
| EARLY BIRD : “The early bird catches the worm”. I think this counts as another ‘double meaning’. | ||
| Down | |
| 1 | Seat, until now, short (4) |
| SOFA : SOFA{r} (until now) [short] | |
| 2 | US city or country, overpopulated originally (7) |
| ORLANDO : OR, LAND (country), O{verpopulated} [originally] | |
| 3 | Tea man hasn’t finished (3) |
| CHA : CHA{p} (man) [hasn’t finished] | |
| 4 | A part of song opposed (6) |
| AVERSE : A, VERSE (part of song) | |
| 5 | Game where drink taken after dance (9) |
| HOPSCOTCH : HOP (dance), SCOTCH (drink) | |
| 6 | Italian island, sign short of corn? (5) |
| CAPRI : CAPRI{corn} (sign of the Zodiac) [short of corn] | |
| 7 | Territorial Army loaned gift (6) |
| TALENT : TA (Territorial Army), LENT (loaned) | |
| 11 | Pleased with an extraordinary walk by the seaside (9) |
| ESPLANADE : Anagram [extraordinary] of PLEASED AN | |
| 14 | Drink: boy needs one (7) |
| MARTINI : MARTIN (boy), I (one) | |
| 15 | Quickly grab fragment (6) |
| SNATCH : Two meanings | |
| 16 | First batsman in door, perhaps? (6) |
| OPENER :Two meanings | |
| 18 | Going this way and that — as might be the weather? (5) |
| WINDY : Two meanings | |
| 19 | Dry river saved by charity (4) |
| ARID : R (river) contained [saved] by AID (charity) | |
| 22 | Express, for example (3) |
| SAY : Two meanings | |
Either way, not a lot to say. ESPLANADE and then SOAP were my last two in.
3:46.
Thanks all
John George
FOI FOLIAGE
LOI TONGA
COD INTERSECTION
TIME 3:03
So often a crossword is spoilt at the expense of the nina but yours was created beautifully. I loved all the surfaces – so smooth – most impressed. Thank you for taking the time to fill the weekend gap. If I didn’t know I would not think that an “an amateur” was preparing these crosswords; they are just as good and often better than our standard fare. MM
So often a crossword is spoilt at the expense of the nina but yours was created beautifully. I loved all the surfaces – so smooth – most impressed. Thank you for taking the time to fill the weekend gap. If I didn’t know I would not think that an “an amateur” was preparing these crosswords; they are just as good and often better than our standard fare. MM
Vegetable quiche courtesy of Messrs Waitrose
Thanks,
David.