Solving time: 9 minutes. Dare I say I found this straightforward? Please let me know how you all got on.
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 | Last female deer succeeded initially in annual test (8) |
HINDMOST | |
HIND (female deer – specifically a red one), then S{ucceeded} [initially] contained by MOT (annual test – Ministry of Transport roadworthiness test) | |
5 | Handled soft fabric (4) |
FELT | |
Two meanings | |
9 | Jockey cleared the barrier finally (5) |
RIDER | |
RID (cleared) then {th}E + {barrie}R [finally] | |
10 | A Greek character, the first woman to win (7) |
ACHIEVE | |
A, CHI (Greek character), EVE (the first woman) | |
11 | Run on to hill (3) |
TOR | |
TO, R (run). Demonstrating the rule that in Across clues A on B = BA | |
12 | German-born composer frequently heard another composer (9) |
OFFENBACH | |
OFFEN sounds like [heard] “often” (frequently), BACH (another composer). Offenbach was born in Germany and became a French citizen. For all his vast output of music his most famous composition remains his setting of the can-can, otherwise known as Infernal Galop from his operetta Orpheus in the Underworld. | |
13 | Plump freshwater fish in reserve (6) |
CHUBBY | |
CHUB (freshwater fish), BY (in reserve – put by) | |
15 | Left personal documents in German aircraft (6) |
GLIDER | |
L (left) + ID (personal documents) contained by [in] GER (German) | |
17 | Island‘s crime associated with crack or Ecstasy (9) |
SINGAPORE | |
SIN (crime), GAP (crack), OR, E (Ecstasy) | |
19 | Father’s dance step (3) |
PAS | |
PA’S (father’s). Especially a generic term for a step in ballet – perhaps even can-can kick! | |
20 | Thin pastry split on the outside by uncultured learner (7) |
STRUDEL | |
S{pli}T [on the outside], RUDE (uncultured), L (learner) | |
21 | Opening some port, Nigel reflected (5) |
INTRO | |
Hidden [some] and reversed [reflected] in {p}ORT NI{gel} | |
22 | Plan central parts of kids’ meal (4) |
IDEA | |
{k}ID{s} + {m}EA{l} [central parts] | |
23 | Abroad, Pete’s acted as guide, describing some churches (8) |
STEEPLED | |
Anagram [abroad] of PETE’S, then LED (acted as guide) |
Down | |
1 | Dissident woman’s quote retracted (7) |
HERETIC | |
HER (woman’s), then CITE (quote) reversed [retracted] | |
2 | Knight departs during broadcast’s lowest point (5) |
NADIR | |
N (knight – chess notation), then D (departs) contained by [during] AIR (broadcast) | |
3 | Film actor refurbished moorland barn (6,6) |
MARLON BRANDO | |
Anagram [refurbished] of MOORLAND BARN | |
4 | Rod‘s son cheers very loudly (5) |
STAFF | |
S (son), TA (cheers – thank you), FF (very loudly – fortissimo – music) | |
6 | Green alder decaying below upset me (7) |
EMERALD | |
ME reversed [upset], anagram [decaying] of ALDER | |
7 | Note the barking canines, for example (5) |
TEETH | |
TE (note – music], anagram [barking] of THE | |
8 | Body of policemen lean on pornographic business (4,4,4) |
THIN BLUE LINE | |
THIN (lean), BLUE (pornographic), LINE (business). Here’s the link to Wiki if you want to know more. | |
14 | Disconcert jogger heading off, vest half-exposed (7) |
UNNERVE | |
{r}UNNER (jogger) [heading off], VE{st} [half-exposed] | |
16 | Suspect ponders answer (7) |
RESPOND | |
Anagram [suspect] of PONDERS | |
17 | Mum in studio regularly selected Oriental food (5) |
SUSHI | |
SH (mum – silence) contained by [in] S{t}U{d}I{o} [regularly selected] | |
18 | Cockney’s cry of distress encountering alien young bird (5) |
OWLET | |
{h}OWL (cry of distress) [Cockney’s], ET (alien) | |
19 | Person cherished a large flower section (5) |
PETAL | |
PET (person cherished), A, L (large) |
Thanks to Jack and Breadman
LOI: 2d. NADIR
Time to Complete: 64 minutes
Clues Answered Correctly without aids: 24
Clues Answered with Aids: 2
Clues Unanswered: Nil
Wrong Answers: Nil
Total Correctly Answered (incl. aids): 26/26
Aids Used: Chambers
One of those puzzles that I really did not think I would finish. So many of the clues seemed very obscure and difficult. However, as I slowly progressed, I began to see how the clues were made up. I ended up taking a little over an hour with two trips to Chambers, but I am happy with today’s result.
I enjoyed this puzzle – particularly CHUBBY and SINGAPORE.
LOI was ACHIEVE, where I had initially biffed ATHLETE before reading the clue – then realised “EVE” had to be in there.
5:44
Apart from that, I enjoyed many fine clues and will only pick out my COD — OFFENBACH. Thanks to both. John M.
Edited at 2021-08-02 08:41 am (UTC)
I had SUMAI in confidently as my oriental food, I was thinking of SUMAC. This held up STRUEDEL.
LOI CHUBBY. I don’t do well with fish, and was looking at RE=RESERVE.
COD ACHIEVE
I should have refreshed my screen before posting. I was surprised that nobody had already pointed this out but you had.
I was also surprised how many posters have not heard of Offenbach before. We all have our blind spots. John M.
Offenbach’s music is totally different. He lived from 1819 to 1880.
Edited at 2021-08-02 05:37 pm (UTC)
Parsing was not always easy either. RIDER not parsed when solving and others needed a good look. LOI SINGAPORE.
Pleased to finish in 11:18.
COD to OFFENBACH.
David
FOI HINDMOST, LOI STAFF, COD CHUBBY, time 06:44 for 1.2K and an Excellent Day.
Many thanks Jack and Breaders.
Templar
Edited at 2021-08-02 09:04 am (UTC)
Hesitated in NE until the PDM with FELT.
Amused that Moorland Barn is an anagram of MARLON BRANDO – got that one straight away – which helped with OFFENBACH.
Some biffed from checkers like STRUDEL and SUSHI.
FOI NADIR, LOI GLIDER
Many thanks, Jack.
Quip for those around in the 60s : I biffed CHUBBY from the Checkers (geddit?)
My FOI was ACHIEVE and I then made steady progress until I had 8-9 clues to solve, mostly on RHS of the grid. A few minutes then passed before OFFENBACH and THIN BLUE LINE unlocked the rest. My LOI was STEEPLED and I put down my pencil having partially, but not fully, parsed NADIR, CHUBBY and STRUDEL. I also solved PAS by thinking of ‘pas-a-doble’ (sic), rather than ‘pas-de-deux’. Just shows what I know about dancing!
Mrs Random cleaned the house this morning, even though I had cleaned it on Saturday (my efforts didn’t come up to scratch), and then successfully completed the puzzle in 24 minutes. She was held up for a while by MARLON BRANDO, but I think everything else went in quite smoothly.
Many thanks to Breadmon for the challenge and jackkt for clarifying why the solutions were what they were.
We finished in 12 minutes which, for us, suggests a puzzle of middling difficulty. Lots of great clues — very enjoyable start to the week.
FOI: FELT
LOI: HINDMOST
COD: THIN BLUE LINE (amused us)
Thanks Breadman and Jackkt
FOI HINDMOST
LOI STEEPLED
COD THIN BLUE LINE
TIME 3:47
… and consequently on fire for an 8 minute solve, with all bar 13A Chubby fully parsed too. Chubby was my LOI, biffed to stop the clock and with some doubt that Reserve = By. But the consensus is that the link works, so I’ll go with that!
Many thanks to Jack for the blog
Cedric
A preferable clue, I think. John.
Brando took too long as did Hindmost and Strudel (Sumai error for a while)
FOI Tor
LOI Teeth
WOD Chubby
I thought that this was generally tricky with several difficult clues but just about in my capability/patience level.
Thanks all
John George
I found this was a well constructed puzzle with not a few tricky clues.
LOI 17 ac “Singapore” and only after finally getting my head round 17 d “Sushi” when I identified the right “mum”.
COD 8 d “Thin Blue Line” which was quite amusing.
Thanks to Jack and Breadman
Seemed pretty straightforward today except for the NW corner. The last 2, hindmost and nadir took 5 minutes by themselves. Still, got there in the end.
Thanks, Jack, and Breadman. GW.