This proved another in a run of not-very-quick cryptics for me. 12 minutes with the problem clue being 9dn. I liked the definition of 16dn.
Definitions are underlined in bold italics.
| Across | |
| 1 | Wrecked, craft turned over and ditched (7) |
| TRASHED – craft – art – turned over (TRA), ditched (SHED). | |
| 5 | Fixture ends in drubbing: Chelsea team sublime (4) |
| GAME – drubbin(G) Chelse(A) tea(M) sublim(E). | |
| 7 | Old South American soup found here? (5) |
| INCAN – tinned soup is found in a can. | |
| 8 | Domain abandoned, heading for country, wandering homeless (7) |
| NOMADIC – anagram (abandoned) of DOMAIN, (C)ountry. | |
| 10 | River mostly in Devon placed in Sussex, erroneously (3) |
| EXE – in Suss(EX E)rroneously. The Exe flows south from the source in Somerset but it is mostly in Devon. | |
| 11 | Naval officer, one found in Botswana, surprisingly (9) |
| BOATSWAIN – one (I) found inside an anagram (surprisingly) of BOTSWANA. | |
| 13 | Catch partner briefly returning (6) |
| ENTRAP – partner backwards less the last letter r(ENTRAP). | |
| 14 | Snake seen behind opening in lavatory, run! (6) |
| LADDER – snake (ADDER) behind (L)avatory. Run as in stocking/tights. | |
| 17 | Clueless, fumbling for light switch? (2,3,4) |
| IN THE DARK – one could be fumbling for a light switch if in the dark. | |
| 19 | Pinch leg from the back (3) |
| NIP – leg – pin – backwards (NIP). | |
| 20 | Duck or swallow? (3,4) |
| GET DOWN – double definition. | |
| 22 | Coffee yet to arrive having eaten last of breakfast (5) |
| LATTE – yet to arrive (LATE) containing breakfas(T). | |
| 23 | Dirty colour (4) |
| BLUE – double definition. | |
| 24 | Danger at sea: English prepare to fight! (2,5) |
| EN GARDE – anagram (at sea) of DANGER, English (E). | |
| Down | |
| 1 | Object passed round I figure later today (4,7) |
| THIS EVENING – object (THING) around I (I) and figure (SEVEN). | |
| 2 | Old canine barking threateningly at first (7) |
| ANCIENT – anagram (barking) of CANINE, (T)hreateningly. | |
| 3 | Worker on holiday, reportedly — one’s pulled up at end of journey (9) |
| HANDBRAKE – worker (HAND) on top of a homophone of break. No handbrake to pull up in my car (see 12dn). | |
| 4 | Refusal reviewed in deal (6) |
| DENIAL – anagram (reviewed) of IN DEAL. | |
| 5 | Stick face up (3) |
| GUM – face – mug – upwards (GUM). | |
| 6 | Point raised about journalist for press etc (5) |
| MEDIA – point – aim – raised upwards (MIA) around journalist (ED). | |
| 9 | Focus delivered a calmness, did you say? (11) |
| CENTREPIECE – great homophone here (did you say?) which foxed me for some time – ‘delivered a calmness’ – ‘sent a peace’. The focus of a display could be the centrepiece – which didn’t occur for too long. | |
| 12 | Engine component to inspire commercial perhaps? (5,4) |
| SPARK PLUG – inspire (SPARK), commercial perhaps (PLUG). Been over a year since I got an electric car – no spark plugs or handbrake – I did a service the other day – checked the tyres and topped up with windscreen washer. | |
| 15 | Teacher has work schedule written up for patron (7) |
| DONATOR – teacher (DON) work schedule – rota – upwards (ATOR). | |
| 16 | Something that comes with filling is near ground (6) |
| SARNIE – anagram (ground) of IS NEAR. | |
| 18 | Complete idiot ultimately has messed up a lot (5) |
| TOTAL – idio(T) anagram (messed up) of A LOT. | |
| 21 | Figure in motion, exercising (3) |
| ONE – inside moti(ON E)xercising. | |
We are in Norfolk for a few days and I had problems downloading the paper. I started late and used the (unfamiliar) ‘new’ Times App. I finished within target but then was shown an error message and the clock kept ticking. I finally realised that ONE had been mistyped as OEE. I don’t like the settings for entering answers (I must have had ‘skip filled squares’ set wrongly). So, a technical dnf.
I’ll be back to the trusty ‘Classic’ Times download tomorrow. I like the certainty of the familiar in this case,
Thanks to both. John M.
A relatively speedy 12:46 for me. Held up by CENTREPIECE, where I forgot the British spelling for the longest time, and LOI SARNIE, where it took me ages to spot the anagram. COD LADDER. Thanks to setter & blogger.
Alas, being a filthy American proved my downfall! 😉 Muddled through most of it well enough, but the southeast* corner had me totally stumped. Guessed SARNIE based entirely on the anagrist. I always forget the word “don” so when I had 15d ending in -TOR I thought it had to involve TUTOR somehow; went to bed and then when I woke up in the middle of the night I looked at the puzzle again and it popped into my head.
Then it was just endless glaring and squinting and muttering over 14a … until I finally admitted semi-defeat and checked my grid, whereupon I discovered that the answer to 9d was *not* “CENTERPIECE” 🙁 🙁 🙁
(I’m kidding on the dramatics, of course. Fun puzzle as always!)
* initially called this southwest in my comment. I’m telling you, I can’t do geography!
Great puzzle! Sarnie – lovely clue – is in my (battered) 2011 Chambers. Several clues, and solutions, to raise a smile. COD 24a – EN GARDE – took me a while to see this was (mostly) an anagram. Grateful thanks!
11 mins, only paused for a sarnie, this evening, entrap.
COD sarnie.
I thoroughly enjoyed this QC. Some brilliant clues. By no means a fast solve, but a very satisfying one.
Thank you for an excellent blog.
You’re very welcome.
18:50
Struggled to get started with both TRASHED and THIS EVENING eluding me for a long time but really held up by LOI CENTREPIECE having seen PIECE straight away but not realising the whole thing was a homophone.