Hi all. Pipsqueak delivers again, with another enjoyable puzzle perfectly pitched for this slot. Thanks Pipsqueak!
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 | Lawyer’s pants (6) |
| BRIEFS — BRIEF’S (lawyer’s) | |
| 8a | Trainspotter perhaps — and what keeps him warm and dry? (6) |
| ANORAK — Two definitions | |
| 9a | Liberal urges one to change (8) |
| GENEROUS — URGES ONE is to be anagrammed (to change) | |
| 10a | Two bowlers maybe, each wasting time? That’s a laugh (2-2) |
| HA-HA — HA[t] and HA[t] (two bowlers maybe), each discarding (wasting) T (time) | |
| 11a | What might be very hot, but quite cold when picked up (6) |
| CHILLI — Sounds like (… when picked up) CHILLY (quite cold) | |
| 13a | Number of you once crossing river (5) |
| THREE — THEE (you once) around (crossing) R (river) | |
| 14a | Appearance of individual who will succeed, you say? (3) |
| AIR — A homophone of (… you say?) HEIR (individual who will succeed) | |
| 15a | Everyone at home exhausted (3,2) |
| ALL IN — ALL (everyone) IN (at home) | |
| 17a | Got rid of Times editor (6) |
| ERASED — ERAS (times) + ED (editor) | |
| 19a | Steer clear of hotel featuring in tabloid (4) |
| SHUN — H (hotel) featuring in SUN (tabloid) | |
| 20a | Stupidly strikes a star (8) |
| ASTERISK — An anagram of (stupidly) STRIKES A | |
| 22a | Might one be shot with this? (6) |
| CAMERA — A cryptic definition | |
| 23a | Brief description of small boat (6) |
| SKETCH — S (small) + KETCH (boat) | |
| Down | |
| 1d | American Indian’s unending belief (4) |
| CREE — Without the last letter (unending) CREEd (belief) | |
| 2d | Vicar regularly recalls show (6) |
| REVEAL — REV. (vicar) + alternate letters of (regularly) rEcAlLs | |
| 3d | Public schoolboy welcoming second person from Tallinn? (8) |
| ESTONIAN — ETONIAN (public schoolboy) taking in (welcoming) S (second) | |
| 4d | Creatures of the night go back (4) |
| BATS — STAB (go) in reverse (back) | |
| 5d | British held up by more trouble (6) |
| BOTHER — B (British) on top of (held up by) OTHER (more) | |
| 6d | Expensive material a schemer manipulated (8) |
| CASHMERE — A SCHEMER anagrammed (manipulated) | |
| 12d | Try and try again? I agree! (4,4) |
| HEAR HEAR — HEAR (try) and HEAR (try) again | |
| 13d | Somehow I restate thesis (8) |
| TREATISE — An anagram of (somehow) I RESTATE | |
| 16d | Singer hired to entertain pub (6) |
| LINNET — LET (hired) holding (to entertain) INN (pub) | |
| 18d | A craving? Yes (6) |
| AGREED — A + GREED (craving) | |
| 20d | American girl not reaching the end, unfortunately (4) |
| ALAS — A (American) + LASs (girl) stopping short of the last letter (not reaching the end) | |
| 21d | Charlie infiltrating inflexible cult (4) |
| SECT — C (Charlie) going into (infiltrating) SET (inflexible) | |
9.01 I whipped through most of this and then spent as long again on CAMERA, ERASED, SECT and SKETCH. Thanks Kitty and Pipsqueak.
A touch of the chestnuts I think, which does help when you can remember them. BATS from Stab equals Go, SECT from Inflexible equals Set. And of course the very easy ANORAK if you’re old enough and used to see these particular people on ‘Railway’ station platforms, not ‘Nerds’ they’re much younger!
Not familiar with brief meaning lawyer, or Cree really so got held up there. Rest was OK.
12:09 Anorak with camera caused no problems for me but I wasn’t so quick to reveal briefs…
Ta KAP
Your discretion is appreciated.
A game of two halves earlier today – this time not because I got stuck, but because I got interrupted by a very long phone call. I was on about 3 minutes and half way through before the call. I wonder if I might have kept up that momentum if I hadn’t had to stop. Not that I’m complaining, it’s just interesting to wonder.
It’s all been said – a nice way to start the week!
7:16 FOI Briefs LOI Sketch CsOD Generous and Linnet
Thanks Pipsqueak and Kitty
8 minutes. Quite easy, but a good one for new solvers.
5 short on 15 x 15. Struggled and took ages (as always).
Over 2 hours last week on the QC. Still nowhere near where I would like to be with these puzzles. ☹️
4.20. I’m pretty sure it’s a PB for me today.
🏆
Thank you. I always appreciate your contributions to the blog.
🙏