What a difference a week makes – the weather, the vaccination rate, the relative freedoms and a really Q C. 2 seconds under 6 minutes for this one to fly by more or less top to bottom. Held up only slightly by not spotting (6,6) at first in 8dn. Smile and COD to 21ac.
Thanks to Breadman for keeping this interesting whilst still quick – all in all a splendid QC.
Definitions are underlined.
| Across | |
| 1 | Andrew associated with British spirit (6) |
| BRANDY – Andrew (ANDY) with British (BR). | |
| 4 | Catch sight of small earthenware vessel (4) |
| SPOT – small (S), earthenware vessel (POT). | |
| 9 | Snake around border with India, finding ancient kingdom (7) |
| BOHEMIA – snake (BOA) around border (HEM), India (I). Most will be familiar with the ‘artist type area’ but the name came from an ancient kingdom in Central Europe surrounded by mountains roughly where Czechoslovakia now is. | |
| 10 | Some heathen celebrated from this time (5) |
| HENCE – some of heat(hen ce)lebrated. | |
| 11 | African National Park‘s remarkably green site (9) |
| SERENGETI – anagram (remarkably) of GREEN SITE. | |
| 12 | Fitting carpet regularly (3) |
| APT – c(A)r(P)e(T). | |
| 13 | Fruit also covers rug (6) |
| TOMATO – also (TOO) covers rug (MAT). | |
| 15 | Held in enclosure: sheep (4-2) |
| PENT-UP – enclosure (PEN), sheep (TUP). What do ewe mean – you haven’t heard of a tup? | |
| 17 | Jolt container (3) |
| JAR – double definition. | |
| 18 | New roadmen returning notice group of stars (9) |
| ANDROMEDA – anagram (new) of ROADMEN, notice – ad – returning (DA). | |
| 21 | Rodent marks domestic ’abitat? (5) |
| MOUSE – marks (M), domestic ‘abitat’ (‘OUSE). | |
| 22 | V & A visitor most uncertain (7) |
| VAGUEST – V&A (VA), visitor (GUEST). | |
| 23 | Lout repeatedly clipped child’s toy (2-2) |
| YO-YO – lout repeatedly clipped (YO)b – (YO)b. | |
| 24 | Briefly drink black stuff, a delicious beverage (6) |
| NECTAR – briefly drink (NEC)k, black stuff (TAR). | |
| Down | |
| 1 | Barbara rings Yankee — it’s to mind infant (4-3) |
| BABY-SIT – Barbara (BABS) rings Yankee (Y), it (IT). | |
| 2 | Hate having a house in Bangor’s outskirts (5) |
| ABHOR – a (A), house (HO) inside (B)ango(R). | |
| 3 | Fiend started to stir and protested publicly (12) |
| DEMONSTRATED – fiend (DEMON), anagram (to stir) of STARTED. | |
| 5 | Writer and Italian poet mostly hanging ornament (7) |
| PENDANT – Writer (PEN), Italian poet mostly (DANT)e. | |
| 6 | English river split after junction (5) |
| TRENT – split (RENT) after (T) junction. | |
| 7 | Beware! Large hole underground (4) |
| CAVE – large hole underground (CAVE) – I’ve included the ! in the definition as Collins has ‘watch out!’. | |
| 8 | GI with clean house rearranged item of furniture (6,6) |
| CHAISE LONGUE – anagram (rearranged) of GI CLEAN HOUSE. | |
| 14 | Drunk embraces copper — it may indicate warmth (7) |
| MERCURY – drunk (MERRY) embraces copper (CU). Due to register highly today. | |
| 16 | Perhaps Band Aid record brought back tears when broadcast (7) |
| PLASTER – record – LP – brought backwards (PL), anagram (when broadcast – not a homophone indicator this time) of TEARS. | |
| 17 | Lucky having two minutes surrounded by colourful bird (5) |
| JAMMY – TWO MINUTES (MM) surrounded by colourful bird (JAY). | |
| 19 | Five inside exit disreputable place (4) |
| DIVE – five (V) inside exit (DIE – pretty final kind of exit). | |
| 20 | Upright European reportedly ruined (5) |
| ERECT – European (E), homophone (reportedly) of wrecked. | |
FOI BRANDY
LOI CHAISE LONGUE
COD TOMATO
TIME 3:51
LOI 7d Cave
COD 13a Tomato — I saw Too but took more time since I couldn’t think of a fruit starting with To and ending in o!
19 enjoyable minutes
Was it Care or Cave — just thought of Caveat and decided Cave on balance but not heard of as “K.V.” as some earlier have posted…
Thanks all
John George
FOI: BABYSIT
LOI: PLASTER
COD: PENT UP
Thanks to Breadman and Chris.