This one took me 9 minutes but didn’t flow too well at first so I had to keep hopping around the grid to find answers that came more readily to mind so as not to lose momentum. I don’t think there’s anything particularly obscure other than one Anglocentric acronym at 13dn. The button on The Times site refreshed itself shortly after 1:00 but in case of problems with access here’s the link to the puzzle: http://feeds.thetimes.co.uk/timescrossword/20150615/6196/
defintions {deletions} [indicators]
|
Across |
|
|---|---|
| 1 | Vote that’s put in a box? (6,6) |
| POSTAL BALLOT – Cryptic definition with reference to ‘post-box’ | |
| 8 | Big name opening in theatre gets shock (5) |
| START – STAR (big name), T{heatre} | |
| 9 | Newspapers containing openings for office worker’s skill (7) |
| PROWESS – PRESS (newspapers) containing O[ffice}+W{orker’s) | |
| 10 | American dismissing new breed of cattle (3) |
| YAK – YA{n}K (American). ‘New’ indicates the N for deletion. | |
| 11 | Time to request church working party (4-5) |
| TASK-FORCE – T (time), ASK FOR (request), CE (church) | |
| 13 | Expression of religion suitable when going round a hospital (5) |
| FAITH – FIT (suitable) goes round A, H (hospital) | |
| 14 | Reminder of instructions? Run, then speed back (5) |
| RECAP – PACE (speed) + R (run) all reversed [back] | |
| 16 | A Queen meeting polite man in a South American country (9) |
| ARGENTINA – A, R (queen), GENT (polite man), IN, A | |
| 17 | Bird that hurts tail of gerbil (3) |
| OWL – OW (that hurts!), {gerbi}L | |
| 19 | Do away with old line covered by a mistake (7) |
| ABOLISH – A, O (old) + L (line) covered by BISH (mistake) | |
| 21 | Sound of bell, around end of day, becoming quieter (5) |
| DYING – DING (sound of bell) around {da}Y | |
| 22 | Unhappily fatter, nevertheless tucking in? Here’s a further idea (12) |
| AFTERTHOUGHT – THOUGH (nevertheless) tucks inside anagram [unhappily] of FATTER | |
|
Down |
|
| 1 | Pale meat dish from Cornwall (5) |
| PASTY – Double definition | |
| 2 | Alcoholic drink about to stop showing effervescence (9) |
| SPARKLING – SLING (alcoholic drink) about PARK (stop) | |
| 3 | The Titanic is in trouble, invoking start of massive rescue process? (1,6,2,4) |
| A STITCH IN TIME – Anagram [in trouble] of THE TITANIC IS containing [invoking] M{assive} | |
| 4 | Male singer, interrupted by variable piano, finding an easier way? (6) |
| BYPASS – BASS (male singer) encloses [interrupted by] Y (variable) + P (piano) | |
| 5 | Anticipate attempt to find hospital room: heads for the office (4,7,2) |
| LOOK FORWARD TO – LOOK FOR (attempt to find), WARD (hospital room), T{he}, O{ffice} | |
| 6 | Individual working with energy (3) |
| ONE – ON (working), E (energy) | |
| 7 | See pal out? Out for the count (6) |
| ASLEEP – Anagram [out] of SEE PAL | |
| 12 | Believing neck and groin will need treatment (9) |
| RECKONING – Anagram [will need treatment] of NECK GROIN | |
| 13 | Dispute starts to frustrate regular dispute resolvers (6) |
| FRACAS – F{rustrate), R{egular}, ACAS (dispute resolvers). The Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service involve themselves in attempting to resolve industrial disputes and prevent strikes. Possibly a little unfair on overseas solvers. | |
| 15 | Trendy comedian stricken (4-2) |
| WITH-IT – WIT (comedian), HIT (stricken) | |
| 18 | Insubstantial lamp? (5) |
| LIGHT – Double definition | |
| 20 | Dimwit – old and fat, first of all (3) |
| OAF – O{ld}, A{nd}, F{at} | |
Edited at 2015-06-15 01:55 pm (UTC)
The 13s were my LOIs, which I almost gave up on.