My last blog for a few weeks – duties of ‘younger relative’ (thank you 22ac) sitting in USA are outranking my blogging ones. The well-oiled machine that is TfTT has purred smoothly into gear so that you will be well cared for on upcoming Tuesdays (to those who have volunteered – thank you).
I’ll be back towards the end of November which makes this my longest non-blog period since the QC started.
Now to today’s puzzle which took me 12 minutes – so, not obviously easy. My last two 4dn and 10ac had me thinking in exactly the wrong directions – so were satisfying when they clicked.
Definitions are underlined in bold italics.
| Across | |
| 1 | PIN providing on-line security? (7,3) |
| CLOTHES PEG – excellent cryptic definition to start us off. | |
| 8 | Arena’s redeveloped by large football club (7) |
| ARSENAL – anagram (redeveloped) of ARENAS, large (L). | |
| 9 | A student following doctor in emotive situation (5) |
| DRAMA – a (A) and student (MA) after doctor (DR). | |
| 10 | Initially head off a sign of voting fraud (4) |
| HOAX – (H)ead (O)ff (A), sign off voting (X). | |
| 11 | Swimmer’s temperature taken internally by medic (8) |
| STURGEON – temperature (T) inside medic (SURGEON), | |
| 13 | Girl swimming Loch Fyne’s far end (5) |
| CHLOE – anagram (swimming) of LOCH, Fyn(E). I know the Argyll area well so it was hard to separate’Loch’ and ‘Fyne’. | |
| 14 | Bad day switching round sink (5) |
| DROOP – bad day (POOR D) backwards. | |
| 16 | Sweat resulting from piper’s bungled note (8) |
| PERSPIRE – anagram (bungled) of PIPERS, note (RE). | |
| 17 | Cheese kept in Notre Dame (4) |
| EDAM – inside Notr(E DAM)e. | |
| 20 | Previously stuffed by United exactly when expected (2,3) |
| ON CUE – previously (ONCE) stuffed with United (U). | |
| 21 | Angry words from group of three dividing six pounds (7) |
| VITRIOL – group of three (TRIO) separating six pounds (VI L). | |
| 22 | Younger relative and I tan remarkably in Mediterranean country (5-5) |
| GREAT-NIECE – anagram (remarkably) of I TAN inside Mediterranean country (GREECE). Actually I’m grandson sitting but ‘younger relative’ cried out for a reference in the preamble. | |
| Down | |
| 1 | Collision of new cars preceding hospital (5) |
| CRASH – anagram (new) of CARS, hospital (H). | |
| 2 | Rebecca lost a silly sports day contest? (8,4) |
| OBSTACLE RACE – anagram (silly) of REBECCA LOST A. | |
| 3 | Some rubbish in this clue (4) |
| HINT – some of rubbis(H IN T)his. | |
| 4 | Toast is lightly brown across length (6) |
| SALUTE – lightly brown (SAUTÉ) around length (L). COD. | |
| 5 | Put-up job pinching diamonds: trouble for place of riches (2,6) |
| EL DORADO – take job (ROLE) and turn upside down, then insert diamonds (D) into it to get (EL DOR), garnish with trouble (ADO). | |
| 6 | Arrive early to avoid disappointment for guests? (4,4,4) |
| MAKE GOOD TIME – take your pick – a double definition or humorous cryptic. | |
| 7 | Cold bottle of milk, on reflection, is what kitty loves? (6) |
| CATNIP – cold (C), bottle of milk (PINTA) upwards. Pinta is in Collins as (informal) a pint of milk (phonetic rendering of ‘pint of’). It’s also from the slogans started in 1959 – ‘drinka pinta milka day’. | |
| 12 | A rep twice arranged to come back (8) |
| REAPPEAR – anagram (arranged) of a rep twice (A REP A REP). | |
| 13 | One apprehending eclipse over rocky hill (6) |
| CAPTOR – eclipse (CAP) ove rocky hill (TOR). | |
| 15 | Short test covering four inconsequential facts (6) |
| TRIVIA – short test (TRIA)l around four (IV). | |
| 18 | The setter and martial arts star brawl (5) |
| MELEE – the setter (ME), martial arts star Bruce (LEE) | |
| 19 | Shock as attacked by insect? Not good! (4) |
| STUN – attacked by an insect (STUN)g without good – g. | |
Started well but gradually became slower and slower, eventually crossing the line in 20 mins. Never managed to parse EL DORADO but saw everything else. Some very enjoyable clues despite the reservations about MA in 9ac (I was going well at that stage so it only registered the merest twitch of an eyebrow).
FOI – 8ac ARSENAL
LOI – 11ac STURGEON
COD – I ticked 4 clues as candidates today but I have to give it to 7dn CATNIP which I really enjoyed. The runners-up were 1ac CLOTHES PEG, 8ac ARSENAL and 16ac PERSPIRE
An enjoyable five days away sampling the delights of Durham and York, and as a result no crosswords during that time. I finished this one in 10.48 thinking I might have been a bit rusty, but looking at some of the completion times I think I was on better form than I thought. A tough one indeed but as usual with Hawthorn very enjoyable. Particularly liked CLOTHES PEG and OBSTACLE RACE.
A very long 29 mins today with lots of time spent unravelling EL DORADO, CLOTHES PEG (had thought it was something to do with an unknown fishing rod safety catch 🤣) and CATNIP. No problem with Pinta if you’re a certain age…. Liked MELEE and VITRIOL. Tough but enjoyable. Many thanks blogger and setter.
18:32
Held up by LOI Chloe.
I agree with all the remarks that MA should have been called “graduate” rather than “student.” In Cambridge, where a BA magically converts into an MA three and a bit years after graduating, the system ensures that most PhD students do not have MA status.
Bit slow, being a dunce I missed the MA kerfuffle by not thinking about it. I agree with everyone else though.
I liked CLOTHES PEG very much once I’d finally got it.
I’m in a bit of a bad spell again. I think all caused by a PB on the main puzzle last Monday, though I did OK there again yesterday.
9:08
Hey, Chris, you’ve got “Crytpic” in your headline.
I waited and waited to see if anyone else would mention…
Interesting group-word-blindness -but I completely understand as I missed it too! Thanks for pointing it out.
Really not hung up over the 9a MER issue. FWIW My own M.Phil opportunity back in the 1960’s evaporated when they decided they could get x2 students through a one-year M.Sc by examination than me over 2 years by dissertation – and with some dubious legitimacy achieved by an exam ‘standard’. So I think that undertaking an M.Sc would imply following taught subject matter and that would have legitimised ‘students’, and that M.A and M.Phil is splitting hairs for crossword land… How different my life would have been! Re 6D – I think Made might be as good as answer as Make…?
FOI 8a Arsenal
LOI 5D El Dorado – obvious with the opening E
COD has to be 1a Clothes Peg – really good misdirection.
I think the clue would be “arriveD early …” if they wanted the made version.
Just my twopenneth 🙂
I didn’t have any issue with MA, but will happily defer to those of you with far greater experience. I was on for a decent time, but took a few minutes at the end over 13dn. Initially thought one apprehending was ‘cop’ and it took a while for the penny to drop.
Overall somewhere around the 25-30 min mark. I was perfectly happy with this.
Thanks as always for the excellent blog Chris and best wishes for your forthcoming family duties.
LOI and COD = CHLOE, very clever.