Bit of a tricky one today, I found.
I only managed four acrosses after a first pass (8, 9, 12, 23), and it remained something of a piecemeal solve right to the end as I kept hopping around the grid. I came home in 9:23, not far off the last two days combined – nothing of obscurity, just good clueing. Lovely stuff – many thanks to Joker!
| Across | |
| 1 | Change around tempo for sometimes high instrument? (9) |
| ALTIMETER – ALTER (change) aroud TIME (tempo). “Sometimes” because it isn’t “high” during take off and landing (or indeed while hedge-hopping, or doing a spot of strafing). I was slow getting this, imagining some improbable instrument like an altocello. | |
| 6 | Pub is empty after last one leaves (3) |
| BAR – BARE (empty) after last one leaves | |
| 8 | Caught recent rattling noise (7) |
| CLATTER – C (Caught in cricket) LATTER (recent) | |
| 9 | Promised a choice of three directions (5) |
| SWORN – S(outh) W(est) OR N(orth) are our three necessary choices | |
| 10 | Coldness trendy ahead of argument (12) |
| INDIFFERENCE – IN (trendy) DIFFERENCE (argument) | |
| 12 | Worker has loud complaint (4) |
| BEEF – BEE ( worker) F (forte = loud) | |
| 13 | Take a seat in which one may find rest (4) |
| EASE – takE A SEat “in which one may find” the answer | |
| 17 | Consulted her about lingerie (12) |
| UNDERCLOTHES – anagram (about) of CONSULTED HER. A carelessly biffed ROUBLE at 15d meant I had some form of lingerie starting with an O, and was wondering what kind of sheltered life I’d been living. | |
| 20 | A block needs turning in light wood (5) |
| BALSA – A SLAB (a block) “needs turning” = reverse | |
| 21 | A Tale of Two Cities one’s abandoned (7) |
| ROMANCE – our two cities are ROMA and NICE, the latter abandoning the I (one) | |
| 23 | The day before is not entirely smooth (3) |
| EVE – EVEN (smooth) “not entirely” | |
| 24 | Chest many designed for sailors (9) |
| YACHTSMEN – anagram (designed) of CHEST MANY | |
| Down | |
| 1 | Demonstrate removing mass for bridging structure (4) |
| ARCH – MARCH (demonstrate) removing M(ass) | |
| 2 | Student taking shower in slip-on garment (7) |
| TRAINEE – RAIN (shower) in TEE (slip-on garment) | |
| 3 | Almost the ultimate check carpet (3) |
| MAT – MATE (ultimate check in chess) “almost” | |
| 4 | Slight disagreement limiting a king’s list of duties (6) |
| TARIFF – TIFF (slight disagreement) limiting A R (Rex = king) | |
| 5 | Broadcast rerun gets revived (9) |
| RESURGENT – anagram (broadcast) of RERUN GETS | |
| 6 | Brother to acknowledge prime minister (5) |
| BROWN – BR. (brother) OWN (acknowledge) | |
| 7 | Park keeper managed to get over bug mostly (6) |
| RANGER – RAN (managed) going over/above GERM (bug) “mostly” | |
| 11 | Hospital home with tree given by former queen (9) |
| INFIRMARY – IN (home) with FIR (tree) given by MARY (former queen) | |
| 14 | Bone in back and middle of rump (7) |
| STERNUM – STERN (back) and UM (“middle” of rUMp) | |
| 15 | Russian’s ready to import British debris (6) |
| RUBBLE – RUBLE (Russian’s ready) to import B(ritish) | |
| 16 | Archbishop, perhaps large chap under cape (6) |
| CLERIC – L(arge) ERIC (chap) under C(ape) | |
| 18 | What dwarves do captured by wood elves (5) |
| DELVE – “captured” by wooD ELVEs | |
| 19 | Tight chap is grabbing everything initially (4) |
| MEAN – MAN (chap) is grabbing E(verything) “initially” | |
| 22 | Encountered yours truly on top of tram (3) |
| MET – ME (yours truly) on T (“top” of Tram) | |
Gosh that was tough with lots of unusual word meanings etc (See above). Is there an upper limit for the SCC? Is entry denied to those taking over an hour? And several not parsed, including ROMANCE. NHO the Russian currency being the RUBLE, I assumed it had to be with the answer RUBBLE.
19 mins
Thanks for the blog.
Thought I had completed big puzzle, but three incorrect answers, including one that I am too embarrassed to ever provide the details for.
I need a finish of 39 mins or better tomorrow to achieve, for the first time this year, my target of 5 finishes in under 2 hours.
The name of the setter basically sums up what this cryptic is:A JOKE !