Solving time: 10 minutes
No major problems for me here, but how did you do?
From the Puzzles Newsletter 25/1/25: Times crossword editor Jason Crampton…is encouraging setters to avoid using male and female names as wordplay elements, at least when clued as ‘girl/boy/woman/man’. This will be music to the ears of those who complain regularly about the use of ‘random’ names in wordplay.
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 |
|
| 3 | People watching a nude, ice dancing (8) |
| AUDIENCE | |
| Anagram [dancing] of A NUDE ICE | |
| 7 | R and A support item for a different sport (6) |
| RAPIER | |
| R, A, PIER (support). For the surface it’s best to read ‘R and A’ as one, a reference to the R&A, a governing body of golf, contrasting with the item for a different sport (fencing). | |
| 8 | Wrong to restrict core of something remembered for all time (8) |
| IMMORTAL | |
| IMMORAL (wrong) containing [to restrict] {some}T{hing} [core of…] | |
| 9 | Without money, having to ditch new comedy performance (4) |
| SKIT | |
| SKI{n}T (without money) [having to ditch new] | |
| 10 | Argument against company name (3) |
| CON | |
| CO (company), N (name) | |
| 11 | Competition, true, developed item of IT (8) |
| COMPUTER | |
| COMP (competition), anagram [developed] of TRUE | |
| 13 | Time to imitate recording (4) |
| TAPE | |
| T (time), APE (imitate) | |
| 15 | Tire following delay (4) |
| FLAG | |
| F (following), LAG (delay) | |
| 17 | Able to read line and repeat (8) |
| LITERATE | |
| L (line), ITERATE (repeat) | |
| 19 | Nature reserve dispatching first rescue vessel (3) |
| ARK | |
| {p}ARK (nature reserve) [dispatching first] | |
| 22 | Striking book from the past (4) |
| BOLD | |
| B (bold), OLD (from the past) | |
| 23 | Find time to play new record? (8) |
| DISCOVER | |
| With the DISC OVER it may be time to play a new record | |
| 24 | Settlement evasive about extended cut (6) |
| COLONY | |
| COY (evasive) containing [about] LON{g} (extended) [cut]. Collins has coy – evasive, especially in an annoying way. | |
| 25 | Investigation here, with cars involved in crash (8) |
| RESEARCH | |
| Anagram [involved in crash] of HERE CARS | |
| Down |
|
| 1 | Provide funding for riverside function, we hear (8) |
| BANKROLL | |
| Aural wordplay [we hear]: “bank role” (riverside function) | |
| 2 | Best end to introduce spinner (6) |
| TIPTOP | |
| TIP (end), TOP (spinner). ‘To introduce’ indicates placement. | |
| 3 | River surrounded by support under dry conditions (4) |
| ARID | |
| R (river) contained [surrounded] by AID (support) | |
| 4 | Humour mostly upset scoundrel, a US politician (8) |
| DEMOCRAT | |
| COMED{y} (humour) [mostly] reversed [upset], RAT (scoundrel) | |
| 5 | Expression of hesitation over tirade as “rambling” (6) |
| ERRANT | |
| ER (expression of hesitation), RANT (tirade) | |
| 6 | Cooper’s first to put down the greatest boxer (4) |
| CLAY | |
| C(ooper’s) [first], LAY (to put down). A very clever and succinct surface! On 18 June 1963, two boxing legends met in a fight that helped catapult Muhammad Ali, then Cassius Clay, towards becoming the Heavyweight Champion. In the early rounds it was Henry Cooper who dominated and in the fourth he became the first boxer to knock Cassius Clay down in a professional fight. However Clay fought back and the fight was stopped in the fifth due to a cut above Cooper’s eye. | |
| 12 | Discuss buy-out without first European to secure end of deal (4,4) |
| TALK OVER | |
| TAK{e} OVER (buy-out) [without first European] containing [to secure] {dea}L [end of…] | |
| 14 | Favourite Disney film losing millions? Start to turn peevish (8) |
| PETULANT | |
| PET (favourite), {M}ULAN (Disney film) [losing millions], T{urn} [start to…]. I’ve never heard of this 1998 film. | |
| 16 | Left for France, showing little sensitivity (6) |
| GAUCHE | |
| Two meanings | |
| 18 | British twice blocking government showing evidence of collapse (6) |
| RUBBLE | |
| B+B (British twice) contained by [blocking] RULE (government) | |
| 20 | Tube platform is packed everywhere to begin with (4) |
| PIPE | |
| P{latform} + I{s} + P{acked} + E{verywhere} [to begin with] | |
| 21 | Public demonstration possibly skipping first bridge (4) |
| ARCH | |
| {m}ARCH (public demonstration possibly) [skipping first] | |
0.02 without any errors🤣🤣