Morning!
Solving time: medium
I suspect there might be a few extra solvers today after the slight hiatus yesterday. I found this a bit stiffer than some of the recent puzzles and it needed a little thought to work out a couple of clues.
After my initial scan of the clues, I wrote in OUT OF HABIT for 23 across without too much thought. I then dropped in GOB for no logical reason for 22 down. This held me up for a wee while before there was some head slapping and cursing.
Thanks to our setter for a spirited challenge today!
Across | |
1 | SALT CELLAR – We start today with an anagram of RECALLS TAL(E) (indicated by endlessly and spun). The definition is ‘what diner could pick up’. |
7 | ATTIC – The definition here is a little cryptic. ‘Lofty’ here is used in the same way that the joke “What’s brown and sticky? A stick”, i.e lofty = like a loft. Volunteers = TA (a standard crossword indication for TA, the Territorial Army, a voluntary force. [I did see this abbreviation described as ‘Dad’s Army’ in a puzzle the other day, not the same thing!) Reverse the abbreviation and add TIC (involuntary movement). |
8 | FILLIP – Boost = def. PILL (medicine) + IF all reversed. |
10 | TUB – Bath = def. BUT (Bar) reversed. |
12 | OVERWHELM – Swamp = def. OVER (done) + WH (with, hollow, minus its innards) + ELM (tree). |
13 | RACHEL – Def = name. RL (girl abandoned by GI) with ACHE (longing) inside. |
14 | BOGOTA – Def = Capital. GOT (obtained) inside BOA (snake). |
17 | NEWSPRINT – Made the papers = def. A word sum, NEW (novel) + SPRINT (race). |
19 | BUS – Public transport = def. BUS(T), broke down minus its last letter, ‘not reaching its terminus’. |
20 | TROLLS – People who wind up = def. T (debt, finally) + ROLLS (expensive car). |
21 | EGGED – Like an omelette? = cryptic def. (B)EGGED (pleaded, not havng starter). |
23 | OUT OF ORDER – You’ll have read of my woes above! This is a double definition clue with both sort of cryptic. If you stopped being a monk, you’d not be part of the brotherhood, i.e. OUT OF ORDER. If you were no longer a monk, then it could be because your behaviour had been ike this, i.e. inappropriate. |
Down | |
1 | SMATTERING – Very little = def. MATTER (affair) inside SING (celebrate). |
2 | LIT – Full of beans = def. LT = army officer with I (one) inside. |
3 | CYCLONE – Big blow = def. One of the useful tips for novice solvers is to get to know the laws of cricket. Here, LEG (side) equates to the word ON (side) inside CYCLE (pedal). |
4 | LIFFEY – Another crossword favourite ‘banker’ is like ‘flower’ a cryptic way of describing a river. L (large) + IFFY (dubious) with E (first letter of equity) inside. |
5 | AGLOW – Light may be = def. AG (silver) + LOW (blue). |
6 | TIME BOMB – Here we have a cryptic definition. Set off isn’t here used as ‘leaving’, it relates to detonation. |
9 | AMBASSADOR – Messenger = def. An anagram (wafting around) of BAD AROMA with SS (ship) inside. |
11 | BACKWARD – Primitive = def. BACK (SUPPORT) + WARD (a protected person, think Dick Grayson in the Batman stories) |
15 | ON THE GO – Active = def. An anagram (unusually) of GOTH ONE. |
16 | FIASCO – Disaster = def. FI (upset) + AS (when) + CO (company). |
18 | PILAU – Dish = def. Hidden answer (indicated by within) inside SHIP I LAUNCHED. |
22 | GOD – Mars? = def. GO (travel) + D |
I presume the D in GOD comes from the last letter of asteroid but it is not clear to me.
Found myself with a few interlocking ones putting up fierce resistance on the west flank – Smattering, Rachel and Backward – and something needed to give! I was also hindered having convinced myself (from the B) that the “support” reference in 11d was bringing BRA into play.
Eventually RACHEL yielded, so to speak, then BACKWARD was evident and finally I saw SMATTERING.
I reckon this will be a very tough challenge for our newer friends.
My COD was 23, closely followed by 17. Thanks (as ever) macavity for very nice blog.
11 minutes
PS to Rube above: ‘Close to (as in ‘ending of’) asteroid’ gives us the ‘D’
Edited at 2014-05-29 10:04 am (UTC)
Love the column. As a real neophyte I use it to cheat when I’m stuck.
Loved “out of order”
I meant to add that I am very (overly) familiar with cricket and have known since year dot that leg=on but had no clue that I had to apply it here.
As a hated Banker I’m delighted to learn that we equate to river in this curious land.
In the end needed lots of prompting from the other half reading from Macavity’s blog, to get to the end. Have to admit I’ve never heard the word FILLIP before. CYCLONE took me an age too.
Really interesting learning curve today – thankyou for the blog.
I managed about half the clues today but the top half of the puzzle was distinctly unyielding. This newbie must try harder.