Solving time: 07:25
Today’s gentle offering from Orpheus contains perhaps only one vocabularic obscurity, making this a decent entry-level puzzle. How did you get on?
With no answer longer than eight letters, the anagram count (two) is matched by the number of hiddens. Expecting some fast times from the speed merchants…
Definitions are underlined in bold italics, {deletions and substitutions are in curly brackets} and [directions in square ones].
| Across | |
| 7 | Window of small size seen around Kentucky (8) |
| SKYLIGHT – SLIGHT (of small size) around KY (state abbreviation for Kentucky) | |
| 8 | Leave out books about Military Intelligence (4) |
| OMIT – OT (books – Old Testament) around MI (Military Intelligence) | |
| 9 | Lookalike finally suffering unwelcome stabbing pain (6) |
| TWINGE – TWIN (lookalike) + {sufferin}G {unwelcom}E [finally = final letters of both words in this instance] | |
| 10 | Check origin of updraught in mine entrance (5) |
| AUDIT – ADIT (mine entrance) containing U{pdraught} [origin of = first letter of] | |
| 11 | Runner’s second kilometre, impressive at first (3) |
| SKI – S (second) K (kilometre) I{mpressive} [at first = first letter of]
Both S{econd} and K{ilometre} could also be covered by the ‘at first’ indication. |
|
| 12 | Scottish dish soldier introduced to old crones (6) |
| HAGGIS – GI (soldier) inserted into [introduced to] HAGS (old crones) | |
| 14 | Holding trap over by Yorkshire river (6) |
| TENURE – As in the holding of an office. NET (trap) reversed [over] by URE (Yorkshire river) | |
| 16 | Confused Welshman keeping two daughters (6) |
| ADDLED – ALED (Welshman) containing [keeping] DD (two daughters) | |
| 18 | Line framed by Wessex writer? Scarcely! (6) |
| HARDLY – L (line) within [framed by] HARDY (Wessex writer) | |
| 19 | Language used in Djibouti? Yes and no (3) |
| IBO – Hidden [used] in Djibouti (Yes) but not spoken there (no – it is a Nigeria-based language more than 2000 miles away in the west of Africa) | |
| 20 | Classy types away in borders of Texas (5) |
| TOFFS – OFF (away) in first and last letters [borders] of T{exa}S | |
| 21 | Usual girl getting left behind (6) |
| NORMAL – NORMA (girl) followed by L (left) | |
| 23 | Sounds made by domestic pets in stabling area once? (4) |
| MEWS – Today’s double definition | |
| 24 | Awfully sly men, extremely unchaste and improper (8) |
| UNSEEMLY – Anagram [awfully] of SLY MEN + first and last letters [extremely] of U{nchast}E | |
| Down | |
| 1 | Horse in southern gardens, lacking hair (8) |
| SKEWBALD – S (southern) KEW (gardens) BALD (lacking hair)
A SKEWBALD horse has a coat of white patches on any non-black base colour. |
|
| 2 | Family initially languishing in jail (4) |
| CLAN – L{anguishing} [initially] in CAN (jail) | |
| 3 | Outlet, for example, on ship (6) |
| EGRESS – EG (for example) RE (on) SS (ship) | |
| 4 | Channel artist misrepresented (6) |
| STRAIT – Anagram [misrepresented] of ARTIST | |
| 5 | Solitary type accommodating lecturer, a capital person (8) |
| LONDONER – LONER (solitary type) containing [accommodating] DON (lecturer) | |
| 6 | Clothing, possibly, including large skirtlike garment (4) |
| KILT – KIT (clothing, possibly) including L (large) | |
| 13 | Female visiting good, fairly elderly swimmer (8) |
| GOLDFISH – G (good) OLDISH (fairly elderly) – insert F (female [visiting]) | |
| 15 | Engineers disposed to be trustworthy (8) |
| RELIABLE – RE (Engineers – Royal in this instance) LIABLE (disposed) | |
| 17 | Endlessly talk about track event (6) |
| DISCUS – DISCUS{s} (talk about) with the last letter removed [endlessly]
Minor Eyebrow Raise at this one – the DISCUS is regarded as a ‘track and field event’, but most certainly takes place on the field rather than on the track (unless the thrower is a bit wayward) |
|
| 18 | Straight with one’s team? Not entirely (6) |
| HONEST – Hidden [not entirely] in with one‘s team – ignore the apostrophe | |
| 20 | Youngster’s support on course, needed at the start (4) |
| TEEN – TEE (support on course i.e. a golf course) N{eeded} [at the start i.e. first letter] | |
| 22 | Flightless bird, male, captured by painter (4) |
| RHEA – HE (male) within [captured by] RA (painter i.e. Royal Academician) | |
9 minutes; which is quick for me, LOI TEES, which is sad when I play the game (badly)
done in two halves due to illness
a gentle offering
Aled Jones should have been in Croydon on Monday but the concert was cancelled