Around average difficulty.
I made fairly even progress through this, finishing up in 6:28, about two minutes slower and quicker than the previous couple of days, respectively. I doubt I’m alone in not hanging around too long to check some things like the anagrist of the skin expert, or the second half of the two chess colours clue, but there were some lovely things along the way, my favourite being that superb CARDIAC. Many thanks to Joker!
| Across | |
| 1 | Sleazy bar outside City area is influential (8) |
| DECISIVE – DIVE (sleazy bar) outside EC (City of London area) IS | |
| 5 | Suddenly realise what grows on tree (4) |
| TWIG – double definition | |
| 8 | Skin expert got old-timer as transformed (13) |
| DERMATOLOGIST – anagram (transformed) of GOT OLD TIMER AS | |
| 10 | Best one of those scoring one in Scrabble turns? (5) |
| ELITE – E TILE (one of those scoring 1 in Scrabble) “turns” | |
| 11 | Get too big for old hat having good line (7) |
| OUTGROW – OUT (old hat/uncool/etc.) having G(ood) ROW (line) | |
| 12 | Spur incorporated it by end of shoe (6) |
| INCITE – INC. IT E (“end” of shoE) | |
| 13 | Brawl with a very loud fellow (6) |
| AFFRAY – A FF (Forte = loud in music) RAY (fellow) | |
| 16 | Flowers I dropped in heaving boutique (7) |
| BOUQUET – anagram (heaving) of BOUTIQUE, after having dropped/removed the I | |
| 18 | Where one can stay very warm — the middle of Hell (5) |
| HOTEL – HOT (very warm) EL (the “middle” of HELL) | |
| 20 | Both sides on board admitting no middle ground (5,3,5) |
| BLACK AND WHITE – double definition | |
| 21 | Victor leaves noisy celebration dance (4) |
| REEL – V(ictor) leaves REVEL (noisy celebration). A carelessly biffed 12d meant I was briefly looking for an unknown dance D_ E _, and an improbable celebration D_ V E _. That’s generally the time one should consider reconsidering one’s biffs. | |
| 22 | Make winning chess move for childhood friend (8) |
| PLAYMATE – PLAY (make) MATE (winning chess move). I think in the sense of MAKE = PERFORM = PLAY, but I’m struggling to think of a direct swap. | |
| Down | |
| 1 | Avoid Italian magistrate imprisoning daughter (5) |
| DODGE – DOGE (Italian magistrate) imprisoning D(aughter) | |
| 2 | I initially avoid clubs after what could be ace of hearts (7) |
| CARDIAC – I A (“initially” Avoid) C(lubs) after CARD (what could be ace) | |
| 3 | Puts on tense fight like a starry-eyed player? (5-6) |
| STAGE-STRUCK -STAGES (puts on) T (Tense, in the grammar sense) RUCK (fight/beef/etc.) | |
| 4 | Reportedly in France, you perform black magic (6) |
| VOODOO – sounds like (reportedly) VOUS (you, in France) and DO (perform, not in France) | |
| 6 | Buzz initially within hive is running riot (5) |
| WHIRR – “initial” letters of the next five words | |
| 7 | Escape, breaking gate system (7) |
| GETAWAY – anagram (breaking) of GATE and WAY (system) | |
| 9 | No longer being obstructive? That’s unusual (3-2-3-3) |
| OUT-OF-THE-WAY – cryptic hint, rather than a double definition, which would need the hyphens out of the way to mean out of the way. | |
| 12 | Drunk, perhaps, I am investing billions in German beer (7) |
| IMBIBER – I’M, and then invest B(illions) in BIER (German beer).
I looked as far as DRUNK and I _ B _ B _ _, and assumed wrongly. |
|
| 14 | Partly secret sin — alcoholic drink (7) |
| RETSINA – “partly” secRET SIN Alcoholic. | |
| 15 | Part of threat on a link having no established key (6) |
| ATONAL – “part of” threAT ON A Link | |
| 17 | Employment of university philosopher (5) |
| USAGE – U(niversity) SAGE (philosopher) | |
| 19 | Belgian city under feudal tenure (5) |
| LIEGE – double definition | |
On a roll today,solved in a blink of an eye,2 seconds all it took.Am i good or what?