A few trickier things brought this up towards par for our most prolific setter of the last couple of years.
With the great new Quitch tool, I see that over that time Joker has set 63 puzzles at an average nitch of 99, so if that isn’t the perfect yardstick for an “average” QC, I don’t know what is. Except, I generally find a 100 rating feels more difficult than average, with both the QC and the 15×15. I’m not really sure what to make of that. Perhaps I somehow routinely think that Times puzzles are easier than I find them. Whatever that means.
In any case, I don’t think today’s puzzle will alter Joker’s average very much – I raced though a good half of it before getting slowed down with Joker’s typically devious misdirection, finishing up in 8.22. Very much enjoyed – many thanks to Joker!
| Across | |
| 1 | Bring out ecstasy sanctioned by law (6) |
| ELICIT – E (ecstasy) LICIT (sanctioned by law) | |
| 5 | Boost following quiet approval (6) |
| PRAISE – RAISE (boost) following P (piano = quiet) | |
| 8 | Initially met a more methodical killer? (3-5) |
| MAN-EATER – M (“initially” Met), A, NEATER (more methodical) | |
| 9 | Government regret keeping Labour’s leader (4) |
| RULE – RUE (regret) keeping L | |
| 10 | Give up, taken in by police detail (4) |
| CEDE – “taken in by” poliCE DEtail | |
| 11 | Shoes perhaps are of two shapes (8) |
| FOOTWEAR – a well-hidden anagram (shapes) of ARE OF TWO. “Perhaps” in the definition because other, non-shoe footwear formats are available. | |
| 12 | One offering insight keeping non-drinking dog (6) |
| SETTER – SEER (one offering insight) keeping TT (Teetotal = non-drinking) | |
| 14 | Where planes fly over area of golf course — but not loud (6) |
| AIRWAY – fairway (area of golf course) but not F (forte = loud) | |
| 16 | Way speed is limited (8) |
| MODERATE – MODE (way) SPEED (rate). MODE for way, etc seems to trip me up fairly consistently. | |
| 18 | Dismiss rather shapeless dress (4) |
| SACK – double definition. Either simply an ill-fitting dress, or “a loose, tube-shaped dress” (Collins). Chambers only has a somewhat unrelated historical usage (also spelt SACQUE), being either a “woman’s loose-fitting gown” or a “woman’s hip-length coat with a loose-fitting back.” Which could have caused confusion: the diligent witch hunter would ideally have asked in what variety of sack the witch |
|
| 20 | Look after home in outskirts of Milford (4) |
| MIND – IN (home) in “outskirts” of M |
|
| 21 | Train gone? Nearly frantic, not knowing (8) |
| IGNORANT – anagram (frantic) of TRAIN and GON (gone, “nearly”) | |
| 23 | Dynamism new in excerpt from Peer Gynt (6) |
| ENERGY – N (new) goes in EER GY (an “excerpt” from pEER GYnt). Unusual clue, and very nice. | |
| 24 | Unusual all pea dish (6) |
| PAELLA – anagram (unusual) of ALL PEA | |
| Down | |
| 2 | Make happy when abolishing penny rent (5) |
| LEASE – PLEASE (make happy) when abolishing P (penny) | |
| 3 | Attlee maybe being merciful (7) |
| CLEMENT – double definition | |
| 4 | Endlessly carry small child (3) |
| TOT – TOTE (carry) “endlessly” | |
| 5 | Part of volume about crime in church establishment (9) |
| PARSONAGE – PAGE (part of volume) about ARSON (crime). LOI, which I found quite tricky for some reason. | |
| 6 | Director of public school in East End (5) |
| ARROW – HARROW (pronounced ‘ARROW in the East End) is our public school, distinguishing itself from Eton by teaching its pupils how not to piss on their hands (according to Churchill, anyway). | |
| 7 | Aunt Sal cooked dried fruit (7) |
| SULTANA – anagram (cooked) of AUNT SAL | |
| 11 | Scores holding African country ceremony (9) |
| FORMALITY – one score = twenty; two score = scores = FORTY (other multiples are available), which holds MALI (African country) | |
| 13 | Possibly hate having made changes to omit one (7) |
| EMOTION – anagram (having made changes to) OMIT ONE | |
| 15 | Book place to see game (7) |
| RESERVE – double definition, the second as in nature reserve. | |
| 17 | Bush senior (5) |
| ELDER – double definition. Very good! | |
| 19 | Preserve a lake waterway (5) |
| CANAL – CAN (preserve), A, L (lake) | |
| 22 | Pinch a drink (3) |
| NIP – double definition | |
Completed in about 30 minutes during advert breaks whilst watching Tour de France. Not quite as tough as the climb up the Col de la Loze near Meribel in the Alps but a good test nonetheless. Some clever anagrams and particularly liked ARROW and PARSONAGE which featured amongst my “grupetto” of today! Thanks Joker and Roly.
4.04
Think I’ve retained some of the rarefied air from my recent Austrian Alps trek. Sub-Phil? I’ll wake up soon! (Might even be a PB though I don’t keep track).
It was a gentle one, but liked MIND with its natural surface
Thanks Joker and RT
Having now seen the Snitch score for the QC today, I’m slightly disappointed by my time! I found it tricky in places (which perhaps shows my limited ability). ☹️