Hello all. No prizes for guessing my favourite clue today. I also enjoyed the rest of the puzzle, particularly 4d and 18d. Thanks Alex!
Definitions are underlined in the clues below. In the explanations, most quoted indicators are in italics, specified [deletions] are in square brackets, and I’ve capitalised and emboldened letters which appear in the ANSWER. For clarity, I omit most link words and some juxtaposition indicators.
| Across | |
| 7a | Engineer can hide a country house in Spain (8) |
| HACIENDA — Make an anagram of (engineer) CAN HIDE A | |
| 8a | Ring Kitty returned (4) |
| LOOP — POOL (kitty – a pool of funds) reversed (returned) | |
| 9a | Select the French relish (6) |
| PICKLE — PICK (select) + LE (the, French) | |
| 10a | Lamp weighing relatively little (5) |
| LIGHT — Two definitions | |
| 11a | Regularly inserts trap (3) |
| NET — Every other letter of (regularly) iNsErTs | |
| 12a | Rank supervised detectives (6) |
| RANCID — RAN (supervised) CID (detectives) | |
| 14a | Regularly ahead of time by end of day (6) |
| YEARLY — EARLY (ahead of time) next to (by) the last letter of (end of) daY | |
| 16a | Fanatic to laze around (6) |
| ZEALOT — TO LAZE anagrammed (around) | |
| 18a | Detain trainee (6) |
| INTERN — A double definition | |
| 19a | Hear song of praise for that man (3) |
| HIM — You might hear the answer as HYMN (song of praise) | |
| 20a | Display on stone step (5) |
| STAIR — AIR (display) by (on) ST (stone) | |
| 21a | Quietly increase approval (6) |
| PRAISE — P (quietly) + RAISE (increase) | |
| 23a | Go by licence (4) |
| PASS — A double definition | |
| 24a | Nervous as second tyrant initially telephoned (6,2) |
| STRUNG UP — S (second) + Tyrant initially + RUNG UP (telephoned) | |
| Down | |
| 1d | Banter is not good at home over time (8) |
| BADINAGE — BAD (not good) + IN (at home) above (over) AGE (time) | |
| 2d | Quirk of king with tattoo (4) |
| KINK — K (king) with INK (tattoo) | |
| 3d | Popular nurse is mean (6) |
| INTEND — IN (popular) + TEND (nurse) | |
| 4d | Imperfect university department’s caught out (6) |
| FAULTY — FA[c]ULTY (university department) has C (caught) absent (out) | |
| 5d | To draw attention to tirade is outrageous (8) |
| FLAGRANT — FLAG (to draw attention to) + RANT (tirade) | |
| 6d | Measure force returning as well (4) |
| FOOT — F (force) + reversal of (returning) TOO (as well) | |
| 13d | Failure as everyone gets upset in wood (8) |
| COLLAPSE — ALL (everyone) is reversed (gets upset) in COPSE (wood) | |
| 15d | Plant’s branch supporting bird (8) |
| LARKSPUR — SPUR (branch) underneath (supporting) LARK (bird) | |
| 17d | Push gist of argument (6) |
| THRUST — Two definitions | |
| 18d | Bring in setter’s drink (6) |
| IMPORT — I’M (setter’s – setter is) + PORT (drink) | |
| 20d | Drench small tree (4) |
| SOAK — S (small) + OAK (tree) | |
| 22d | Frequently visit topless relative (4) |
| AUNT — [h]AUNT (frequently visit) without the first letter (… topless) | |
Managed 19 of the clues today, the rest of then stumped me. Find it funny that I managed to get Saturdays done, but the snitch says it’s harder than this one. How I’ve done that I don’t know! Thank you for explaining the clues for me 😁
Portcullis grid today. Not so many starter letters provided. I was slower on Saturday’s puzzle than today’s which is what the Quitch uses to judge difficulty as it only looks at completed solves
A disappointing 15 minutes. Thought I’d done ok until I saw the Snitch and the times of others.
Same with 15 x 15. Felt happy at finishing until I saw the Snitch and blog. Now just demoralised that I took ages for what was seemingly easy.
Was on for a quick time (for me) until held up in NE corner for, with the benefit of hindsight, no particular reason. 41 mins in the end.