Another somewhat tricky puzzle today.
After getting the first five acrosses I thought we might be in for a gentler one, but things slowed up considerably. Another puzzle to test your long clue solving skills: I was slow to see what was going on with the “cases” at 16ac, but glad for the helpfully divided-up spelling lesson at 6d.
A few tricky things going on elsewhere. I’m not sure I’d count 1d among them, but it was my LOI and caused some thought, busy as I was devising a one-letter salute that would make some non-existent church thing on the tip of my tongue beginning NOV_.
I finished up in 7:49, almost exactly the same time as yesterday done just before. Most enjoyable – many thanks to Corelli!
Edit: as spotted by Cribbage, there is something of a Nina hidden in the grid…
| Across | |
| 1 | Indian dish female relative brought up, we hear (3,5) |
| NAN BREAD – NAN (female relative), and BRED (brought up) “we hear” the same as BREAD. One A or two acceptable for NAAN. | |
| 5 | Politician flanked by two African warriors (4) |
| IMPI – MP (politician) flanked by II (two) | |
| 8 | Leave no mark, concealing poison (5) |
| VENOM – leaVE NO Mark “conceals” the answer | |
| 9 | Freezing water affected ears: SOS! (4,3) |
| ROSS SEA – anagram (affected) of EARS SOS | |
| 11 | Corrupt Conservative with old African dictator in art gallery (11) |
| CONTAMINATE – CON[servative] with [Idi] AMIN (old African dictator) in TATE (art gallery) | |
| 13 | Furious at Rome’s conspiracy of silence (6) |
| OMERTA – anagram (furious) of AT ROME. More Mafia jargon after yesterday’s PADRONE: a very well hidden anagram makes this tricky if you’re not sure of the word, which is an Italian dialect form of umilta, humility. | |
| 14 | Gradually moves a very short distance (6) |
| INCHES – double definition, both in similar, mildly figurative senses | |
| 16 | Cases not kept in a set-top unit, unusually (11) |
| OUTPATIENTS – anagram (unusually) of A SET-TOP UNIT | |
| 18 | Flammable substance that’s existed around New Zealand, close to wildlife (7) |
| BENZENE – BEEN (that’s existed) around NZ, and E (“close” to wildlifE) | |
| 19 | Swimmer in fur coat, much warmer, losing head! (5) |
| OTTER – HOTTER (much warmer), “losing head” | |
| 20 | Several are flying each week, first of all (1,3) |
| A FEW – Are Flying Each Week “first of all” | |
| 21 | Abandon plane? No, lie back! (8) |
| JETTISON – JET (plane) NO, SIT (no, lie) “back”. | |
| Down | |
| 1 | Church body welcome after November (4) |
| NAVE – AVE (welcome) after N (November in the phonetic alphabet) | |
| 2 | Connect canapé with cooking rejection (13) |
| NONACCEPTANCE – anagram (with cooking) of CONNECT CANAPE | |
| 3 | Protest concerning giant almost consuming rodent (11) |
| REMONSTRATE – RE (concerning) MONSTE |
|
| 4 | Aviator with tune descending on isle (6) |
| AIRMAN – AIR (tune) descending/coming down on top of MAN (isle) | |
| 6 | US state’s religious service: a church employs outside toilet (empty) (13) |
| MASSACHUSETTS – MASS (religious service), A, CH (church), USES (employs) outside T |
|
| 7 | Sort of ballerinas’ ensemble, somewhat reduced (2,1,5) |
| IN A SENSE – ballerINAS ENSEmble “somewhat reduced” | |
| 10 | Making last point in sung composition (8,3) |
| SPINNING OUT – anagram (composition) of POINT IN SUNG | |
| 12 | Colonel, old doctor and I going to a S American country (8) |
| COLOMBIA – COL(onel) O(ld) MB (Bachelor of Medicine = doctor) and I going to A | |
| 15 | Pleasant new English description of a creed (6) |
| NICENE – NICE (pleasant) N(ew) E(nglish) | |
| 17 | Architect’s flyer (4) |
| WREN – double definition, the first as in Sir Christopher | |
Enjoyed a range of different clues from Corelli. Nan for Naan bread was a gimme but bound to provoke. I’ll never be at Rome again without thinking of omerta!
Nave clear to to those of us who remember Salve and Ave in school magazines. 20 minutes and all done! Impi was a guess but the clue was very clear. Great fun – thank you setter and blogger
56 minutes
I am totally, utterly and irrefutably incompetent.
I can’t bring myself to read the other comments, as they will only make me feel worse (if that’s possible).
Congratulations to anyone who did well today. I assume you all beat me.
Yet another week ruined. Why do I persist in the belief that I can ever achieve a reasonable degree of competence? I’m just embarrassing myself.
108 minutes for the week, so I only need an 11-minute solve tomorrow to make my target. Ha ha ha! I knew Monday’s nightmare ending (10 minutes for last clue) would return to haunt me.
Thanks for the blog.
I think there’s a general agreement (especially among the better solvers) this one was tough. Just don’t take a look at my time!
I’m guessing that means you did well? If so, that’s great 👏👏👏. I know you’re in a totally different league to me now and I am so impressed by the progress you have made. I don’t have the mental capacity required to perform regularly at a decent level.
Not a different league at all. Until today you were ahead of me for this week … as I’d taken 24, 19, 15 – give or take the same in my opinion and I’d DNFed on yesterday’s Izetti.
Today’s 15×15 is very approachable. Save it to amble through on the weekend. I’d mentioned how it went for me in my comment.
Thanks, I’ll take a look at it some time over the Bank Holiday weekend.
Good luck with the QC tomorrow.