Solving time: 9 minutes with time lost thinking that 9dn was going to be a pure anagram instead of just a partial.
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 | Boot produced in New Zealand city (10) |
| WELLINGTON | |
| Two meanings | |
| 7 | Dark period — imminent source of trouble (5) |
| NIGHT | |
| NIGH (imminent), T{rouble} [source of…] | |
| 8 | Feeble leaders from England and France attending festivity (6) |
| EFFETE | |
| E{ngland} + F{rance} [leaders], then FETE (festivity) | |
| 10 | Return of tailless bird provides something to chew over (3) |
| CUD | |
| DUC{k} (bird) [tailless] reversed [return]. Ruminant animals such as cows chew this. | |
| 12 | Award no mild ale after brewing (9) |
| MEDALLION | |
| Anagram [brewing] of NO MILD ALE | |
| 13 | Insect not found to contain copper (6) |
| LOCUST | |
| LOST (not found) to contain CU (copper) | |
| 14 | School is beginning to mend division of opinion (6) |
| SCHISM | |
| SCH (school), IS, M{end} [beginning] | |
| 17 | Chairman’s upset, advocating disorder (9) |
| ANARCHISM | |
| Anagram [upset] of CHAIRMAN’S | |
| 19 | Set goals every lesson, initially (3) |
| GEL | |
| G{oals} E{very} L{esson} [initially] | |
| 20 | Allow recommendation regarding hairstyle? (6) |
| PERMIT | |
| A straight definition and a cryptic hint requiring the insertion of a space: PERM IT | |
| 21 | A lot of shops brought back source of wool (5) |
| LLAMA | |
| A + MALL (lot of shops) reversed [brought back] | |
| 23 | Normal electricity supply runs into working unit (10) |
| MAINSTREAM | |
| MAINS (electricity supply), then R (runs) contained by [into] TEAM (working unit) | |
| Down |
|
| 1 | Small group in West Indies close to supply of drink (4,6) |
| WINE CELLAR | |
| CELL (small group) contained by [in] WI (West Indies) + NEAR (close) | |
| 2 | Left, for instance? There’s a right one, too! (3) |
| LEG | |
| L (left), EG (for instance). You really need the whole clue as the definition here and even then it’s all a bit vague unless I’m missing something? | |
| 3 | Narrow strip of land is accordingly crossing motorway (7) |
| ISTHMUS | |
| IS, then THUS (accordingly) containing [crossing] M (motorway) | |
| 4 | Acquisitive editor printed in paler black? (6) |
| GREEDY | |
| ED (editor) contained by [printed in] GREY (paler black). I imagine the question mark is present because the definition of ‘grey’ is a bit iffy. | |
| 5 | Meat product not fresh? Not quite entirely (5) |
| OFFAL | |
| OFF (not fresh), AL{l} (entirely) [not quite]. I’d rather not be thinking about offal that’s going off! | |
| 6 | Remarkable industrial action (8) |
| STRIKING | |
| Two meanings | |
| 9 | Resolved main fear about start of fine novel (6,4) |
| ANIMAL FARM | |
| Anagram [resolved] of MAIN, then ALARM (fear) containing [about] F{ine} [start of…]. As mentioned in the intro I wasted time here having assumed the answer would be an anagram of MAIN FEAR containing F{ine}. The book by George Orwell was published as ‘a fairy story’ in 1945. | |
| 11 | Stated: “Last month Liberal will get ahead of a Communist” (8) |
| DECLARED | |
| DEC (last month), L (Liberal), A, RED (Communist) | |
| 15 | Fantastic castle turned up: item at auction (7) |
| CAMELOT | |
| CAME (turned up), LOT (item at auction). The castle and court of the legendary King Arthur. | |
| 16 | Pay attention: there’s something false about street name (6) |
| LISTEN | |
| LIE (something false) containing [about] ST (street), then N (name) | |
| 18 | It gives one pause, particularly in this clue (5) |
| COMMA | |
| A straight definition and a hint referring to the punctuation mark in the clue. | |
| 22 | Took nutrition at end of race (3) |
| ATE | |
| AT, {rac}, E [end] | |
22 mins…
Started fairly easily in the NW corner and made steady progress, but then got bogged down with 3dn “Isthmus” (tried to insert an “i”) and 23ac “Mainstream” (where I tried to insert “therm” at the end). Eventually it all fell into place for a good start to the week, even if I nearly fell over when I saw the price of the Times.
FOI – 1ac “Wellington”
LOI – 23ac “Mainstream”
COD – 18dn “Comma”
Thanks as usual!
I did well on this one, being unable to answer only two. MAINSTREAM, which I could see once I came here. Also, EFFETE, a word I am unfamiliar with.
Did not time myself today as I was on and off with this during the course of the morning.
4:31 – clean sweep and a PB. I must have slept well.
Thanks for the blog Jack.
4:31 – nice one! Good work on the PB
Thanks!
Found this one nice and gentle for a Monday, although PERMIT and MAINSTREAM held me up. Like others on here I was also chewing on a RIB for a while.
Sailed through most of this until the last three clues, 23a mainstream, when we also tried to fit therm into the end of the word. Still finished well within our target. Thanks Pedro for a pleasant start to the week.
My PB has stood for a day shy of a year without me getting even close to it (nearest was 1:43 off) but today I was whizzing through and thought I had a shot at it, albeit with some serious biffing going on. Furiously I scribbled in my LOI PERMIT and stopped my watch….5 seconds out in 8:39. Slightly disappointed therefore, but nevertheless pleased with the effort, especially as I am sure it was a tougher puzzle than the Oink one of a year ago. COD to LOCUST as it got both an animal and a chemical symbol, two of my favourite things, in to the same clue. Thanks Pedro and Jack.
Unlucky on the near PB … but well done on the first sub-10 in that time. Bittersweet – but focus on the positive!
Others have commented on the unusual grid – has it been seen before? Got through ok with FOI 1a Wellington. LOI 23a mainstream. COD 17a Anarchism (I’ve know many a Chairman create anarchy…). Grateful that Jack has provided more articulate parsing for a couple I muddled through. A nice puzzle, solved through a number of sittings in a busy day and evening, so thanks too to Pedro.