A jolly number from Pedro, with some witty definitions, neat doubles and nothing to frighten the horses. There are some cracking clues in here and it greatly entertained me on my way to 05:53 (an Excellent Day). I hope you all enjoyed it too.
Definitions underlined in bold.
| Across | |
|---|---|
| 1 | Notice evidence of measles? (4) |
| SPOT – double definition. The ? after measles indicates a definition by example, since spots have other causes too. | |
| 4 | Briars to upset tree specialist (8) |
| ARBORIST – anagram [upset] of “briars to”. | |
| 8 | Leaders in Home Office intend to hold line over purchase arrangement (4,4) |
| HOME LOAN – HO [leaders in Home Office] + MEAN [intend] containing [to hold] L [line]. A HOME LOAN is a mortgage. | |
| 9 | Former soldier retaining second garment (4) |
| VEST – VET [former soldier] containing [retaining] S [second]. | |
| 10 | Get rid of boat in Asia (4) |
| JUNK – double definition. The English word “junk” for a ship comes from the Portugese “junco”, which was how they in turn had rendered the Malay word “jong” used of large Javanese trading ships. | |
| 11 | Feature of St Paul’s criticism, mainly of the family (8) |
| DOMESTIC – DOME [feature of St Paul’s Cathedral] + STIC{k} [criticism mainly]. | |
| 12 | Austere saint welcomes joke for the most part (6) |
| STRICT – ST [saint] contains [welcomes] TRIC{k} [joke for the most part]. | |
| 14 | A second pupil, not entirely perceptive (6) |
| ASTUTE – A [a] + S [second] + TUTE{e} [pupil not entirely]. I liked the way that the definition is actually the reverse of the surface meaning. | |
| 16 | Pay ranges in shifts (8) |
| EARNINGS – anagram [shifts] of “ranges in”. | |
| 18 | Book on Dalton’s debut as film spy (4) |
| BOND – B [book] + ON [on] + D [Dalton’s debut]. Timothy Dalton famously turned down Bond roles twice: once in the 1970s, when he was asked to replace Sean Connery (Dalton thought he was too young and Roger Moore got the part) and once in the 1990s, when he was asked to renew an expired contract and refused. In between he starred in The Living Daylights and Licence to Kill. Wonderful surface – look at “on”, hiding in plain sight – and my COD. | |
| 19 | Present favourable impression of quick trip (4) |
| SPIN – double definition (the latter as in “let’s go for a spin”). | |
| 20 | Leaves drinker finally imprisoned by magistrate for drinking session (3,5) |
| TEA BREAK – TEA [leaves] + R [drinker finally] going inside [imprisoned by] BEAK [magistrate]. A lovely definition. | |
| 22 | Various arts with inks revealing ancient script (8) |
| SANSKRIT – anagram [various] of “arts” and “inks”. | |
| 23 | That chap backed the French scoundrel (4) |
| HEEL – HE [that chap] + EL [backed the French, i.e. “le” reversed]. | |
| Down | |
|---|---|
| 2 | Manufactured item supporting pipe (7) |
| PRODUCT – PRO [supporting] + DUCT [pipe]. | |
| 3 | Minor change that’s initially not very effective? (5) |
| TWEAK – T [that’s initially] + WEAK [not very effective]. | |
| 4 | Trouble beginning to affect party (3) |
| ADO – A [beginning to affect] + DO [party]. | |
| 5 | Embargoes limiting movement of money? Not at all (2,2,5) |
| BY NO MEANS – BANS [embargoes] containing [limiting] an anagram [movement] of “money”. | |
| 6 | Come back to minister, one with seat (7) |
| REVISIT – REV [minister] + I [one] + SIT [seat]. | |
| 7 | American aboard vessel cut down oriental food (5) |
| SUSHI – SHI{p} is “vessel cut down”; US [American] is inside [aboard] that. | |
| 11 | One setting off to read, not fidgeting (9) |
| DETONATOR – anagram [fidgeting] of “to read not”. Another lovely, clever, misleading definition! | |
| 13 | Top prize money for session of cricket (7) |
| INNINGS – remove the first letter [top] of {w}INNINGS [prize money]. | |
| 15 | Someone scolding in manner carried weight (7) |
| TONNAGE – NAG [someone scolding] inside [in] TONE [manner]. The weight of the cargo being carried by a ship is the TONNAGE. | |
| 17 | Main star appearing in surreal phantasy (5) |
| ALPHA – hidden. | |
| 18 | New baby? Husband and family mostly bowled over (5) |
| BIRTH – reading backwards [bowled over], this is H [husband] and TRIB{e} [family mostly]. | |
| 21 | Skill in stage role (not lead) (3) |
| ART – a “part” is a “stage role”; remove the first letter [not lead]. | |
Pedro had the goods today, I found a lot of this to be pretty tough and finished in 12.09. The top half flew in but then I hit a wall, and even obvious answers like EARNINGS, INNINGS and BOND (missed the ‘on’ in plain sight) eluded me. Putting in TEA PARTY w/o actually thinking about it caused mayhem in the SE, but as Templar said some cracking clues in here. Thanks to both.