Lovely puzzle, on the trickier side of things.
Izetti is a master at creating clues that seem baffling until a checker or two (or a complete rethink) gives you a way in. So it was for me today, with a very sparse grid after a first pass of the acrosses (getting just 9, 16, 17 and 22), despite a number that seem perfectly gettable in hindsight. Exactly the way a good crossword should be.
I think it’s partly that some clues were unnecessarily long (such as 1ac or 17ac) – an effective form of misdirection, especially given this setter’s usual concision. A few of bits of GK might have helped or hindered your solve a touch, depending, although all were fairly clued. I came home a second under 8 minutes (slower than yesterday; much better than my performance on Tuesday), and enjoyed it all very much – many thanks to Izetti!
| Across | |
| 1 | Put in case what is needed for card games (4) |
| PACK – double definition | |
| 3 | People leaving money behind in trucks? (7) |
| TIPPERS – double definition, with Collins defining the second as short for tipper trucks | |
| 8 | Hostess died — he sadly washes up (4,3,6) |
| DOES THE DISHES – anagram (sadly) of HOSTESS DIES HE | |
| 9 | Mums participating in drama sometimes (3) |
| MAS – “participating in” the letters of draMA Sometime | |
| 10 | Island’s heavenly sign when corn has been cut (5) |
| CAPRI – CAPRIcorn (heavenly sign) when CORN is removed | |
| 12 | Room for service personnel in a port (7) |
| MESSINA – MESS (room for service personnel) IN A | |
| 14 | Musical section in street bands (7) |
| STRINGS – ST(reet) RINGS (bands) | |
| 16 | Church pursuing writer for money (5) |
| PENCE – CE (Church of England) pursuing PEN (writer) | |
| 17 | Wood that may be used for burning when hard (3) |
| ASH – AS (when) H(ard). I was a bit mystified by the definition while solving, but I see that ash is considered one of the best types of wood for burning. | |
| 20 | A life of someone by himself? (13) |
| AUTOBIOGRAPHY – cryptic definition: “by himself” meaning “alone” in the cryptic reading, and “written by himself” in the literal. | |
| 21 | French editor celebrated, ultimately fantastic editor (7) |
| DIDEROT – D (celebrateD “ultimately”), anagram (fantastic) of EDITOR. | |
| 22 | Left-winger to run (4) |
| TROT – double definition | |
| Down | |
| 1 | Home crops — limited space for horses (8) |
| PADDOCKS – PAD (home)DOCKS (crops) | |
| 2 | Boss sacks one kitchen worker (4) |
| CHEF – CHiEF (boss) “sacks” I (one) | |
| 3 | Article is on origin of mystical belief system (6) |
| THEISM – THE (article) IS on M (“origin” of Mystical) | |
| 4 | They seriously think hip-hop losers will regroup (12) |
| PHILOSOPHERS – anagram (will regroup) of HIP HOP LOSERS | |
| 5 | One written to by St Paul, man going after wandering sheep (8) |
| EPHESIAN – IAN (random man) going after an anagram (wandering) of SHEEP. As in Paul’s epistle to the Ephesians. | |
| 6 | Just right, just right, OK? (2-2) |
| SO-SO – just right = so; OK in the sense of just-about-average. | |
| 7 | A male in charge, having less feeling as a scientific figure (6,6) |
| ATOMIC NUMBER – A TOM (male) IC (in charge) NUMBER (having less feeling) | |
| 11 | Dan and Peter, badly brought up (8) |
| PARENTED – anagram (badly) of DAN and PETER | |
| 13 | Excited mate’s holding your old gemstone (8) |
| AMETHYST – anagram (excited) of MATES, holding THY (your, in old tongue) | |
| 15 | Deliberately avoided day away from home (3,3) |
| SAT OUT – SAT (day) OUT (away from home) | |
| 18 | Worker may be bananas (4) |
| HAND – double definition | |
| 19 | Box carried by his partner (4) |
| SPAR – “carried” by hiS PARtner | |
Late on parade today. I was like others in having vaguely heard the name DIDEROT without knowing in what capacity, and also suffering from a twitchy eyebrow over TROT. Two passes, no real problems.
FOI PACK
LOI SAT OUT
COD DOES THE DISHES
TIME 3:46
All went haywire after I put suit in for 1ac 😠
Really enjoyed this. Very pleased with my time for an Izetti (15 mins).
Slightly harder than average for me, since there were three clues remaining when I got to Winchester. NHO Diderot but decided that was the most likely placement of the vowels. Also NHO Messina, but it could be deduced from the clue. Thought it was a good puzzle.
A very enjoyable puzzle from Izetti, plenty of really nice clues. I didn’t know DIDEROT but that’s just a gap in my GK, some things you know and some you don’t.
COD – CAPRICORN. Thanks Izetti and Rolytoly.
16 minutes.
Happy until I came here. Thought I’d done well. Turns out I hadn’t.
All that effort on big crossword and I’m still at the back. I want to do this quickly and I just haven’t got what it takes to solve quickly. I lack the mental furniture.
Big crossword supposed to be straightforward today. Nor for me! 🤣🤣
Only two mins behind me – that’s negligible.
Cryptic quintagram – first 3 answers straight in then turned into 5mins of nothingness and ended up getting help to get to the starting letter of #5
Big crossword – 27:57
Anyway … stop wanting to do it fast .. and get on with doing it!
I’ll try 😊