Solving time: 12 minutes with half the time spent on four clues in the SW corner. I was delighted to learn yesterday that Mara is also Paul, my favourite Guardian setter. I gather he also sets (or has set) for The Times 15×15, The Telegraph and The Financial Times.
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 | Hurry up with two pieces of meat (4-4) |
| CHOP-CHOP | |
| CHOP + CHOP (two pieces of meat) | |
| 5 | Live with a posh lover (4) |
| BEAU | |
| BE (live), A, U (posh) | |
| 8 | Large tin changed shape (8) |
| TRIANGLE | |
| Anagram [changed] of LARGE TIN | |
| 9 | Fruit, nasty by the sound of it? (4) |
| UGLI | |
| Sounds like [by the sound of it] “ugly” (nasty). As in ‘things turned ugly’. | |
| 11 | Reference fantastic tonic in journal (10) |
| DICTIONARY | |
| Anagram [fantastic] of TONIC contained by [in] DIARY (journal) | |
| 14 | A horse moved onto land (6) |
| ASHORE | |
| Anagram [moved] of A HORSE | |
| 15 | A New Yorker’s great too (2,4) |
| AS WELL | |
| A, SWELL (New Yorker’s ‘great’) | |
| 17 | Card game to continue tediously in plant (10) |
| SNAPDRAGON | |
| SNAP (card game), DRAG ON (continue tediously). I’m grateful we didn’t have its proper name, Antirrhinum, as I’d have had a problem spelling that. | |
| 20 | Paper half read in the morning (4) |
| REAM | |
| RE{ad} [half], AM (in the morning). I wasted too long thinking of ‘in’ as a containment indicator. | |
| 21 | Perfect son lit up when dancing (8) |
| UNSPOILT | |
| Anagram [dancing] of SON LIT UP | |
| 22 | Fortune favouring another team, Everton initially (4) |
| FATE | |
| F{avouring} + A{nother} + T{eam} + E{verton} [initially] | |
| 23 | Nurse got rotten fish (8) |
| STURGEON | |
| Anagram [rotten] of NURSE GOT | |
| Down |
|
| 1 | Reported location for reference (4) |
| CITE | |
| Sounds like [reported] “site” (location) | |
| 2 | Forget moment climbing over it (4) |
| OMIT | |
| MO (moment) reversed [climbing], IT | |
| 3 | Scale of US money I rate (10) |
| CENTIGRADE | |
| CENT (US money), I, GRADE (rate) | |
| 4 | First in October even, bottom of league recently (2,4) |
| OF LATE | |
| O{ctober} [first of…], FLAT (even), {leagu}E [bottom of…] | |
| 6 | Serious in conclusion — deeply impressed? (8) |
| ENGRAVED | |
| GRAVE (serious) contained by [in] END (conclusion) | |
| 7 | Acrobat’s equipment relative has kept very cool (8) |
| UNICYCLE | |
| UNCLE (relative) contains [has kept] ICY (very cool) | |
| 10 | Sweet silencer? (10) |
| GOBSTOPPER | |
| A cryptic hint supports the main definition. I wonder if anyone has ever choked to death attempting to eat one of these. | |
| 12 | Particular type, disaster in fairness (8) |
| SANSERIF | |
| Anagram [disaster] of FAIRNESS. Another that took me too long. I realised it was an anagram but until the checkers arrived I was unable to unravel it. |
|
| 13 | Uncouth person grabbing tail of skittish bird (8) |
| PHEASANT | |
| PEASANT (uncouth person) containing [grabbing] {skittis}H [tail of…] | |
| 16 | Drawer where artist keeps gouache, primarily (6) |
| MAGNET | |
| MANET (artist) contains [keeps] G{ouache} [primarily]. NHO gouache – not that one needed to – but I looked it up in SOED: A method of opaque watercolour painting, in which the pigments are bound by a glue to form a sort of paste | |
| 18 | Coin found buried in ground, I’m excited! (4) |
| DIME | |
| Hidden [found buried in] {groun}D I’M E{xcited} | |
| 19 | Film relating to school (4) |
| ETON | |
| ET (film), ON (relating to). ‘School’ for a college is perfectly valid. | |
What a wonderful word Gouache is. Hands up who knew it was pronounced goo-ish?
My only ray of pleasure as I just wasn’t on mara’s wavelength today; my horse tried to be a mare, not ASHORE for example. However ugli and gobstopper were instant.