16:07 — not my finest effort. Most of this puzzle was quite easy, but there were a few clues in the upper-left which completely stymied me!
My conventions in the solutions below are to underline definitions (including a defining phrase); put linking words in [brackets]; and put all wordplay indicators in italics. I also use a solidus (/) to help break up the clue where necessary, especially for double definitions without linking words.
| Across | |
| 1 | One grand Conservative in club, a tigerish sort? (3,3) |
| BIG CAT – I + G + C in BAT | |
| 4 | Top male entertained by a church (4) |
| ACME – M in A + CE | |
| 9 | Not much ale: tilt drunkenly! (1,6) |
| A LITTLE – anagram of ALE TILT | |
| 10 | Guide a society, containing these inner thoughts (5) |
| IDEAS – hidden in GUIDE A SOCIETY | |
| 11 | Very glad to be put in the dark, as you might suppose? (9) |
| DELIGHTED – DE-LIGHTED
Fooled me. |
|
| 12 | Eccentric old theologian (3) |
| ODD – O + D.D. (Doctor of Divinity) | |
| 13 | [What’s] concerning man who substitutes for ruler? (6) |
| REGENT – RE GENT | |
| 15 | Actors brought to the French monument? (6) |
| CASTLE – CAST + LE (‘the’ in French) | |
| 17 | Covering [provided by] thatcher, partly (3) |
| HAT – hidden in THATCHER | |
| 18 | One character inferior to another (9) |
| SUBSCRIPT – cryptic definition
As a mathematician, to spend five minutes on this one was quite embarrassing. |
|
| 21 | Enlarged garment for king to wear (5) |
| GROWN – GOWN around R | |
| 22 | Be obsessed by man — stifling bore! (5,2) |
| DWELL ON – DON around WELL | |
| 23 | Policy / that may be laid down by ruler (4) |
| LINE – double definition
‘Ruler’ meaning a straight-edge. |
|
| 24 | Like a fateful day, [providing] incidental messages (6) |
| ASIDES – AS IDES | |
| Down | |
| 1 | Bloke‘s beginning / to run — body part sending message? (7) |
| BLADDER – first letter of BLOKE + LADDER
This definition was, for me, unrewardingly vague. Took me ages. |
|
| 2 | Repeatedly question / cook (5) |
| GRILL – double definition | |
| 3 | Annoying worker / caught in two minds? (12) |
| ANTAGONISING – ANT + AGONISING
Another very difficult one, though fair. |
|
| 5 | Revolutionary base — that one’s smoking? (7) |
| CHEROOT – CHE + ROOT
“That, one’s smoking” |
|
| 6 | Stopped losing head [and] relaxed (5) |
| EASED – CEASED without first letter | |
| 7 | Any number in group [becoming] ecstatic (4) |
| SENT – N in SET | |
| 8 | Those who spot our feathered friends [in] prepared bed rich with straw (4,8) |
| BIRD WATCHERS – anagram of BED RICH STRAW
I confess to have biffed this one. |
|
| 14 | What someone on rooftop must do? Become depressed (3,4) |
| GET DOWN – presumably they must, eventually
As in “that really got me down”. |
|
| 16 | Carries on [with] English nurses — about ten! (7) |
| EXTENDS – E + TENDS around X
Hard definition to see. Maybe ‘with’ is part of the definition? |
|
| 17 | Philosopher [and] ambassador / come together (5) |
| HEGEL – H.E. + GEL | |
| 19 | Small county / hotels offer these (4) |
| BEDS – BEDS. (= Bedfordshire) | |
| 20 | What lazy person did? One had been in front (5) |
| IDLED – I’D LED (= “one had been in front”) | |
All but SUBSCRIPT done in 13 minutes or so, but for some reason I never managed to see the answer & needed help. All parsed except for ANTAGONISING, which gave me a real “D’oh!” moment when I read the blog. My only MER was with BLADDER, but the B + LADDER wordplay was clear enough that I moved on.
yes tricky but came in under 19 just. Am I right in thinking that ‘Don’ s relevant to the setter? many thanks as always
Yes, Don Manley.
Thanks Jack. He sometimes let’s a name drop slip in I seem to remember.
Hopeless again, just like yesterday. Five only.
Chin up, it’s been a tough old week so far.
DNF
just not on wavelength today
Started really well, but found the across clues in the bottom half of the puzzle a little taxing. I don’t quite know why in retrospect.
FOI BIG CAT
LOI EXTENDS
COD DWELL ON
TIME 4:11
16:09
Nothing too tricky. Held up by the NW corner but once I had BIG CAT the rest fell into place.
Well, I claim the prize for the slowest finish today. Held up for ages by bladder (like others, I didn’t ‘get’ the clue) and subscript. Got sub but guessed script.
I also didn’t equate ecstatic with sent and wasted time here.
Nurses had me going through SENs and SRNs for ages.
My total time was well over the hour mark. Every time I think I’m making progress, a QC comes along which puts me in my place! Annoying after a good performance yesterday.
Great blog Jeremy.
It’s definitely one of those weeks.
Thankfully I managed to complete this in 23 mins, with the main hold up being 17dn “Hegel”. I stupidly biffed “Crown” for 21ac before I realised it wouldn’t parse.
I also thought there were a few odd definitions, 15ac “Castle” being the obvious (and already heavily mentioned) one. After going through various aspects of the body’s central nervous system, the penny finally dropped for 1dn, which I then dutifully picked up and spent considering it took me so long.
FOI – 9ac “A Little”
LOI – 17dn “Hegel”
COD – 14dn “Get Down” (not Get High as I originally thought)
Thanks as usual!
Despite making steady progress over the last few weeks, I found this difficult today.
I’m especially vexed by not making the connection between run and ladder, because in fact I had a ladder in my stockings today that was antagonising me all day. Luckily managed to hide it under my coat on the way home though!
Loads of body parts send messages but at my age I only have to hear a running tap to get the message.