An enjoyable puzzle from Teazel. The word at 8a is a bit obscure but very gettable if you follow the instructions, and there was lots of wit and sparkle. All done in 07:40 for a Steady Eddie Day. Many thanks Teazel. I hope you all enjoyed it too.
Definitions underlined in bold.
| Across | |
| 1 | Prudent, being consumed by worry? (7) |
| CAREFUL – cryptic hint. I think the idea is that if you are “full” of “cares” then you could be said to be “consumed by worry”. Something like that. | |
| 5 | Plunder big bag (4) |
| SACK – double definition. | |
| 7 | From the start relish a good scrap (3) |
| RAG – first letters [from the start] of “relish a good”. | |
| 8 | A new bit of advice: work with energy for unrecognised leader (8) |
| ANTIPOPE – A + N [new] + TIP [bit of advice] + OP [work] + E [energy]. A five-component IKEA clue. I assembled it according to the instructions and the unfamiliar word appeared, which was satisfying. I thought an ANTIPOPE was someone who would pick Jacob Bethell at 3 for the Ashes but no, apparently it’s someone who sets themselves up as the Pope in opposition to the canonical Pope. That used to be a thing. | |
| 10 | Old Central American person hides always (5) |
| MAYAN – MAN [person] contains [hides] AY [always]. The Mayans were a jolly impressive bunch. | |
| 11 | Hug me back: steady! (7) |
| EMBRACE – EM [me back] + BRACE [steady, as in “brace yourself!”]. | |
| 13 | Where knockout is likely, put ice out (3,3) |
| CUP TIE – clever – unless the rules allow for a replay, a CUP TIE will end with one of the sides being knocked out of the competition. Anagram [out] of “put ice”; it should have been easy but I immediately saw “cue tip” and then couldn’t unsee it until I had checkers. | |
| 15 | Turning up, mean at last to score basket (6) |
| PUNNET – PU [turning up] + N [mean at last] + NET [to score]. | |
| 17 | Temporary fix as apps got confused (7) |
| STOPGAP – anagram [confused] of “apps got”. | |
| 18 | Saint breaks into type of Sunday hymn (5) |
| PSALM – S [saint – it’s usually ST but has been S often enough for me to remember this] going inside [breaks into] PALM [type of Sunday, very good]. | |
| 20 | Once more grab time off, trailing back (8) |
| REARREST – I suppose to grab someone is to arrest them, so fair enough. REST [time off] going after [trailing] REAR [ back]. | |
| 22 | Perhaps member of army finishing lieutenant (3) |
| ANT – army ANTs featured in yesterday’s NYT Connections. Last three letters [finishing] of “lieutenant“. | |
| 23 | Go and return potty (4) |
| STAB – have a go/have a STAB. “Bats” [potty] backwards [return]. My first thought was “stun” (nuts backwards) but no. | |
| 24 | Unsteady dog? (7) |
| LURCHER – cryptic definition. Bit of a cracker joke and thus COD from me; I am easily pleased. LURCHERs are longleggedy beasties with a phenomenal turn of speed and a strong hunting instinct. | |
| Down | |
| 1 | Armistice broken by Charlie Potter (10) |
| CERAMICIST – anagram [broken] of “armistice” after C [by Charlie]. I knew that the capital P would be a piece of setter’s chicanery, yer not foolin’ me Teazel. | |
| 2 | Mat to hand for sport (5) |
| RUGBY – RUG [mat] + BY [to hand]. | |
| 3 | Close relative in Highland dance showing off (9) |
| FLAUNTING – AUNT [close relative – not if you’d met my aunts] inside [in] FLING [Highland dance]. Very sporting to specify “Highland”. | |
| 4 | Refuse group of newborn (6) |
| LITTER – double definition. | |
| 5 | Juice: nothing odd in usual power (3) |
| SAP – SA [the even letters of “usual”, so “nothing odd”] + P [power]. | |
| 6 | Panic at changing leader (7) |
| CAPTAIN – anagram [changing] of “panic at”. | |
| 9 | Write feeble second half of letter in verse (10) |
| PENTAMETER – More IKEA. PEN [write] + TAME [feeble] + TER [second half of letter]. A line of verse with five metrical feet, from the Greek pente five + metron measure. Interestingly this word seems to have entered English around 1550, just before Big Bill Shakespeare, World King of the Pentameter, was born. | |
| 12 | Sign to leave miserable apostle (4,5) |
| BLUE PETER – the BLUE PETER is a signal flag, being a blue rectangle with a white square or rectangle in the centre. It is flown to indicate that the ship is preparing to leave harbour. Most Brits of a certain vintage know this, having been raised on a BBC show called BLUE PETER: the presenters would explain the origin of the name at least once a year (it was supposed to suggest to the viewing children “we are setting sail for adventure”). | |
| 14 | Demonstrate in favour of trial (7) |
| PROTEST – PRO [in favour of] + TEST [trial]. | |
| 16 | Request recording of a cascade of bells (6) |
| APPEAL – sounds like [recording of] “a peal”. | |
| 19 | Make embarrassed in a party (5) |
| ABASH – A + BASH [party]. | |
| 21 | Polish most of gemstone (3) |
| RUB – RUB{y}. | |
My thanks to Teazel and Templar.
13a Cup tie. I don’t like footie and don’t really understand the link between a knockout competition and the term “tie”. Don’t bother to help me here.
22a Ant. I can’t remember seeing this construction before; take an unspecified count of the trailing letters out of this to give the answer. But of course the count is in the enumeration.
Dnf…
Just wasn’t in the right frame of mind this, and there were a few blanks across the grid by the time I decided to throw in the towel. Upon reviewing the blog, there was nothing too difficult, but I couldn’t see 21ac “Rearrest”, 12dn “Blue Peter” nor many others in that SE corner. I originally thought of Psalm for 18ac, but couldn’t see how “St” fitted in. I will have to remember that “S” can also be used.
FOI – 7ac “Rag”
LOI – Dnf
COD – 3dn “Flaunting”
Thanks as usual!
It wasn’t only me then! All done bar one in about 9 minutes, and then a breezeblock with knobs on 😧 I had all the checkers for REARREST but couldn’t make sense of them, so went off for an hour or so. Of course, I saw the word immediately on return but it still took time to parse. I’m really struggling with the 15×15 today too but I’m not going to have an existential crisis about it 😂 On the other hand, the NY Times Connections and Strands weren’t too bad, despite some Americanisms I’m not familiar with.
Apart from that, it didn’t cause too much trouble. I wasn’t overly keen on CAREFUL – OK, if you were consumed by worry, you’d be care-full, but it seemed a bit loose. I got ANTIPOPE from the instructions – I knew the word and now I know what it means too! I liked CUP TIE, STOPGAP and CERAMICIST.
9:30, with a two hour break! FOI Rag LOI Rearrest COD Blue Peter
Thanks Teazel and Templar
9.56.
A very poor 24 minutes, at least 10 of which spent on REARREST.
Completed 15 x 15, but that is no consolation when I can’t finish the QC in a decent time.
A poor day.
Gave up on 13 minutes with rearrest unsolved. Unhelpful checking letters, hard wordplay and a meaningless surface, so didn’t mind failing at that. Rest was enjoyable.