Solving time: 18 minutes
I missed even my extended target of 15 minutes so I would have to count this as harder than average, but having reviewed it all whilst writing the blog I have no idea what my problems were.
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]. “Aural wordplay” is in quotation marks. I usually omit all reference to juxtaposition indicators unless there is a specific point that requires clarification.
 Across |
|
| 1 | A base insult badly open to being prolonged (11) |
| SUSTAINABLE | |
| Anagram [badly] of A BASE INSULT | |
| 8 | Competitor raced in European northern Tourist Trophy (7) |
| ENTRANT | |
| RAN (raced) contained by [in] E (European) + N (northern) + TT (Tourist Trophy) | |
| 9 | Rubbish three times gets left out (5) |
| TRIPE | |
| TRIP{l}E (three times) [left out] | |
| 10 | Fruit old queen put in stirred neat gin (9) |
| TANGERINE | |
| ER (old queen) contained by [put in] anagram [stirred] of NEAT GIN. I wish setters wouldn’t clue our late monarch as ‘old queen’. It’s unnecessary. |
|
| 12 | A foot behind (3) |
| AFT | |
| A, FT (foot) | |
| 13 | Some swear thyme is blue (6) |
| EARTHY | |
| Hidden in [some] {sw}EAR THY{me}. Obscene, bawdy, racy. | |
| 15 | Flow of vapour across river (6) |
| STREAM | |
| STEAM (vapour) containing [across] R (river) | |
| 17 | Dry in southeast and cold (3) |
| SEC | |
| SE (southeast), C (cold). Usually with reference to wine. | |
| 18 | One in penny casino game losing pound in turn (9) |
| PIROUETTE | |
| I (one) contained by [in] P (penny) + ROU{l}ETTE (casino game) [losing pound]. Spinning round in ballet. | |
| 20 | Irritable like a horrible child having lost book (5) |
| RATTY | |
| {b}RATTY (like a horrible child) [having lost book] | |
| 22 | Some empty out of the way resort area (7) |
| SEASIDE | |
| S{om}E [empty], ASIDE (out of the way) | |
| 23 | Former college, filthy place, to mostly renovate insulation, perhaps (11) |
| POLYSTYRENE | |
| POLY (former college – polytechnic), STY (filthy place), RENE{w} (renovate) [mostly] | |
| Down |
|
| 1 | Rich fabric not entirely satisfying (5) |
| SATIN | |
| SATIN{g} (satisfying) [not entirely] | |
| 2 | Enterprise, say, opening small joint (9) |
| SPACESHIP | |
| SPACE (opening), S (small), HIP (joint) | |
| 3 | Certain characters in regatta individually win (6) |
| ATTAIN | |
| Hidden [certain characters in] {reg}ATTA IN{dividually} | |
| 4 | Catch a number climbing (3) |
| NET | |
| TEN (number) reversed [climbing] | |
| 5 | Girl marrying outside key alpha group (7) |
| BRIGADE | |
| BRIDE (girl marrying) containing [outside] G (key) + A (alpha) | |
| 6 | Stable incident has me turning prude, extremely embarrassed (4-8) |
| EVEN-TEMPERED | |
| EVENT (incident), then ME reversed [turning], P{rud}E [ extremely], RED (embarrassed). As in a well-adjusted personality. | |
| 7 | Threw parties, organising a guard for doors and windows (7,5) |
| WEATHER STRIP | |
| Anagram [organising] of THREW PARTIES. SOED: a strip of wood, rubber, etc., applied to a door or window to exclude rain and wind. I recognise the description but never knew what it was called. |
|
| 11 | Group is mostly keen about new holiday itinerary (9) |
| ENTOURAGE | |
| EAGE{r} (keen) [mostly] containing [about] N (new) + TOUR (holiday itinerary). My last one in a couple of minutes after all the other answers. | |
| 14 | One wrapped up in Bottom’s performance (7) |
| RECITAL | |
| I (one) contained [wrapped up] in RECTAL (bottom’s) | |
| 16 | Attempt to contain burnt material and rubbish (6) |
| TRASHY | |
| TRY (attempt) containing [to contain] ASH (burnt material) | |
| 19 | Head of embroidery is after double thread (5) |
| TWINE | |
| TWIN (double), E{mbroidery} [head of…] | |
| 21 | Certainly you expect soup to begin with (3) |
| YES | |
| Y{ou} + E{xpect} + S{oup} [to begin with] | |
19 minute DNF
Another week blown. I can’t stand much more of this humiliation.
I put STATESHIP for 2dn. I knew it didn’t parse and I still put it in – idiot, idiot, idiot! Is it even a word?
I even thought of STARSHIP, but my addled brain was unable to make the connection. How can I be this bad?
Another entry in my ever lengthening list of ways to mess it up.
An evening of self-loathing and recrimination awaits. I fail more QCs now than I did 2 years ago. How is that possible?
Thanks for the blog.
Phew got there in the end.
LOI Weather Strip – I have many but I call them draught excluders!
Now for some fruit in neat gin …..
Ooof, I found this one to be a bit of a monster. 29:47, so back to my comfy old chair in the SCC and frankly I’m just glad I managed to finish it at all.
Thank you for the blog!
Nice to get back to normality after Friday’s rout! I found this one moderate in difficulty apart from Recital, Ratty and Weather strip (NHO and LOI), which took a bit longer. Liked Spaceship. Could not parse Entourage so needed the blog. Thanks Joker and jakkt.
After my disaster on the QC, I attempted the big crossword. I should have known better. Well over an hour and still 4 clues I couldn’t get.
A truly awful performance today (couldn’t even finish the Quintagram).
☹️☹️