Solving time: 9 minutes
After a fortnight without a sub-10 minute solve, I have had a run of three of them since last Thursday . I wouldn’t suggest they have been getting easier, only that they have suited me better. How did you all do?
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 | The majority long to adopt high-class facial growth (9) |
| MOUSTACHE | |
| MOST (the majority) containing [to adopt] U (high-class), then ACHE (long) | |
| 6 | Delight in archaeological excavation (3) |
| DIG | |
| Two meanings | |
| 8 | Managed to proceed, reaching Burmese city (7) |
| RANGOON | |
| RAN (managed), GO ON (proceed) | |
| 9 | Man or woman backing sailor’s dance (5) |
| SAMBA | |
| SAM (man or woman), AB (sailor) reversed [backing] | |
| 10 | It’s a principle, whichever way you look at it (5) |
| TENET | |
| The answer is signalled as a palindrome | |
| 12 | Old citizen’s article connected with prohibition (6) |
| THEBAN | |
| THE (definite article), BAN (prohibition). There have been two ancient cities of Thebes, in Greece and in Egypt. | |
| 14 | Assorted male cousins unexpectedly entertaining the Spanish (13) |
| MISCELLANEOUS | |
| Anagram [unexpectedly] of MALE COUSINS containing [entertaining] EL (‘the’ in Spanish) | |
| 16 | Criticise a close relative’s headgear (6) |
| PANAMA | |
| PAN (criticise), A, MA (close relative). The hat from Ecuador. | |
| 17 | Danger originally preventing return of old Italian currency (5) |
| PERIL | |
| P{reventing} [originally], then LIRE (old Italian currency) reversed [return of…] | |
| 19 | Rowing crew had a meal, some would say (5) |
| EIGHT | |
| Sounds like [some would say] “ate” (had a meal) | |
| 20 | Sort of coffee popular fellow initially took (7) |
| INSTANT | |
| IN (popular), STAN (fellow), T{ook} [initially]. Some may dispute the definition! | |
| 22 | Sporting group fails to finish meal (3) |
| TEA | |
| TEA{m} (sporting group) [fails to finish] | |
| 23 | Plundered and beat it, getting fired (9) |
| RANSACKED | |
| RAN (beat it), SACKED (fired) | |
| Down |
|
| 1 | Beginning of month — occasion for seafaring? (8) |
| MARITIME | |
| MAR 1 (beginning of month), TIME (occasion) | |
| 2 | Vessel originally used by navy (3) |
| URN | |
| U{sed} [originally], RN (Royal Navy) | |
| 3 | Jog round university to find fish (5) |
| TROUT | |
| TROT (jog) containing [round] U (university) | |
| 4 | Woman involved in scam, running into stars (13) |
| CONSTELLATION | |
| STELLA (woman) contained by [involved in] CON (scam) + anagram [running] of INTO | |
| 5 | Oriental seabird overwhelmed by raging sea (7) |
| EASTERN | |
| Anagram [raging] of SEA, then TERN (seabird). ‘Overwhelmed’ might suggest containment but here it just means on top of. | |
| 6 | Lower your, and my, carriage (9) |
| DEMEANOUR | |
| DEMEAN (lower), OUR (your and my) | |
| 7 | Vigorously attack bearded mammal (4) |
| GOAT | |
| GO AT (vigorously attack) | |
| 11 | Yearning for past? In Angola it’s unusual (9) |
| NOSTALGIA | |
| Anagram [unusual] of ANGOLA IT’S | |
| 13 | One lambasted for keeping old cut off (8) |
| ISOLATED | |
| I (one), SLATED (lambasted) containing [keeping] O (old) | |
| 15 | Former player, one making extortionate demands (7) |
| EXACTOR | |
| EX-ACTOR (former player) | |
| 17 | In Pennsylvania, a way to serve lasagne, say (5) |
| PASTA | |
| A + ST (way) contained by [in] PA (Pennsylvania) | |
| 18 | Considered a suitable material for hats (4) |
| FELT | |
| Two meanings | |
| 21 | Seek information in capacity of king (3) |
| ASK | |
| AS (in capacity), K (king) | |
Very happily settled into the (spacious) SCC. 25 minutes give or take which is good going for me. No real problems, though THEBAN was a bit of a stretch for me. Surprised by the lack of comments on THREE random names (Sam, Stan and Stella)
9 minutes held up at the end by GOAT – took a while to separate it out as attack = go at. Nice clue, good puzzle.
8:48, a very rare sub-10 minute effort for me. Last two in were MARITIME and ISOLATED, the former having been entered and then removed once before, as I missed the “Mar 1” trick.
Thanks to Orpheus and Jackkt.
12:54
A nice gentle start to the week. Only hold ups were DEMEANOUR and LOI THEBAN.
16:20 on this today.
FOI MOUSTACHE
LOI ISOLATED
Enjoyed many of these clues and the overall puzzle.
Thanks to Orpheus and Jack.
A fairly gentle workout today. Did like isolated.
SWMBO gets annoyed that I can get anagrams without writing them down.Wish I knew how though
I get logged out every time as well which really annoys me
nice and easy start to the week!
Congratulations to those with PBs, especially Tina with an amazing time! 👏👏👏
Very annoyed at missing out on a sub-10 and PB time.
Spent too long trying and failing to parse MOUSTACHE before I put it in (idiot Gary – what else could it be?), and then got held up at end with GOAT.
11 mins overall. Yes I know that’s decent, but the elusive sub-10 was there for the taking.
Thanks for the blog.
No real problems at all with this one. All solved at a steady pace. A good start to the week.