Solving time: 6 minutes
Mostly straightforward I thought although there were a couple in the lower half that required a return visit with checkers for the answer to come to mind, most notably INTERCHANGE.
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 | Very old canine suffering with temperature (7) |
| ANCIENT | |
| Anagram [suffering] of CANINE, T (temperature) | |
| 5 | Enormous vessel containing sulphur (4) |
| VAST | |
| VAT (vessel) containing S (sulphur) | |
| 7 | Concerned with couple in fix (6) |
| REPAIR | |
| RE (concerned with), PAIR (couple) | |
| 8 | Line on chart is old watering-hole (6) |
| ISOBAR | |
| IS, O (old), BAR (watering-hole – jocular for pub) | |
| 9 | Mackerel apt to be ruined where it might be sold outdoors (11) |
| MARKETPLACE | |
| Anagram [ruined] of MACKERAL APT | |
| 10 | Food stolen by pet, perhaps (3,3) |
| HOT DOG | |
| HOT (stolen), DOG (pet, perhaps) | |
| 12 | Very keen backing to include good Caribbean music (6) |
| REGGAE | |
| EAGER (very keen) reversed [backing] containing [to include] G (good) | |
| 14 | Bury some money where roads meet (11) |
| INTERCHANGE | |
| INTER (bury). CHANGE (some money). There are many words for where roads meet but this one didn’t come readily to mind. It feels as if it has been invented to sound modernistic when an older word such as ‘junction’ would serve just as well. | |
| 17 | Corn, emmer, rice, einkorn — all look initially this? (6) |
| CEREAL | |
| C{orn} + E {mmer} + R{ice} + E{inkorn} + A{ll} + L{ook} [initially] Emmer and Einkorn are both types of wheat. | |
| 18 | One appointed to see man on board (6) |
| BISHOP | |
| The clergyman and the chess piece | |
| 20 | Second-hand American edition (4) |
| USED | |
| US (American), ED (edition) | |
| 21 | Worker with tsarina in revolution (7) |
| ARTISAN | |
| Anagram [in revolution] of TSARINA | |
| Down |
|
| 1 | Grow old with silver mane finally (3) |
| AGE | |
| AG (silver), {man}E [finally] | |
| 2 | Cleaner looking embarrassed how something might be burnt? (7) |
| CHARRED | |
| CHAR (cleaner), RED (looking embarrassed) | |
| 3 | European Great Lake? That’s strange (5) |
| EERIE | |
| E (European), ERIE (Great Lake) | |
| 4 | Tourist has time with Jack in Whitechapel, perhaps (7) |
| TRIPPER | |
| T (time), RIPPER(Jack in Whitechapel, perhaps). Eleven ‘Whitechapel murders’ took place over three years 1888-1891 and all of them at one time or another have been ascribed to the unknown serial killer nicknamed ‘Jack the Ripper’. | |
| 5 | Small plant — six round large area (5) |
| VIOLA | |
| VI (six), O (round), L (large), A (area). As far as I can make out ‘viola’ refers to a whole genus of small plants of which the violet is just one example. | |
| 6 | Spooner’s masculine nation, which goes nowhere? (9) |
| STALEMATE | |
| As Spooner would say “Male state” (masculine nation) | |
| 9 | Dominoes played with son in a sullen manner (9) |
| MOODINESS | |
| Anagram [played] of DOMINOES, S (son) | |
| 11 | Big ape seen in stream in state in India (7) |
| GORILLA | |
| RILL (stream) contained by [in] GOA (state in India) | |
| 13 | Beginning a book (7) |
| GENESIS | |
| This is the first book of the Bible but more widely it can mean the beginning or origin of anything | |
| 15 | Take care of introducing right general direction (5) |
| TREND | |
| TEND (take care of) containing [introducing] R (right) | |
| 16 | Two blood groups included in drug dose addiction (5) |
| HABIT | |
| A + B (two blood groups) contained by [included in] HIT (drug dose) | |
| 19 | What’s now unfortunately personal (3) |
| OWN | |
| Anagram [unfortunately] of NOW | |
First things first: I echo all the congratulations to those who achieved PBs – what a nice way to start the week.
It was A Very Good Day here too – all done and dusted in 5.51. So less than 1K for the first time in ages, although only just! But still slower than Templar and Plett (and many others too, but I usually check T’s and P’s times, as we started posting here around the same time) They have definitely overtaken me in the speed stakes 😅
If it hadn’t been for the Spoonerism, it might even have been a bit quicker, but when I saw that first S, I immediately thought of Spain 😅 Clearly a Marmite style of clue – personally I don’t like them much, closely followed by DDs.
Mostly it was fun – like an amusing Joker crossword of old. I though 18a was excellent – a clue where every word counted, but MARKETPLACE, AGE and GORILLA got ticks too. I didn’t like the surface for TRIPPER so much though.
FOI Ancient LOI Stalemate COD Bishop
Thanks Joker and Jack
Well done PennyB ⚡ hiding away here on the second page
Lots of comments today if its gone to p2 😊
Many congrats on your excellent result 🔥
8:08.
LOI dreaded Spooner.
COD Marketplace.
17:24
Pretty easy but couldn’t work out LOI STALEMATE for ages, adding 4 minutes to the clock.
A very gentle start to the week. I solved 10 out of the 12 across clues in order, and then all the downs, leaving me with just Hot dog and Isobar. The latter held me up for a few minutes. Liked Bishop and Hot dog. Thanks Joker and Jackkt.
If I timed these, this could be a PB – and it’s a Joker too. I don’t like Spoonerisms so left that until last. Just couldn’t believer the rest were read and write-ins! Phew
5:21. Mostly straightforward, as our blogger says, and rather a good crossword. I particularly like ANCIENT, AGE, INTERCHANGE and BISHOP. I was held up for at least a minute or so at the and by my LOI STALEMATE otherwise I would have been comfortably within my target. Thanks Joker and Jackkt.
I’ve been toying with the thought that MOODINESS might be defined in the Uxbridge English dictionary as the state of being johninterred 😅 A far more uplifting feeling, I’m sure. I hope you’re not offended 🤞
Not at all. It made my day! Thanks.
Another week, another nightmare. Every time I think it can’t get worse, it does.
Under 10 mins with all bar 6dn done. Finished after 45 mins. Totally despondent.
Absolutely nothing positive to take from this. Just another addition to my catalogue of horror shows. Getting all the answers bar one is completely meaningless if you can’t finish it off.
Well done to those of you with PBs. Having a horrible time on such a straightforward day makes it all the worse. Don’t know where to go from here. I would say it can’t get worse, but I’m sure it can and will.
Thanks for the blog.
Back for more suffering tomorrow. ☹️☹️