Times Saturday 23725 (Oct 6) – delayed

Author   linxitPosted on Categories Weekend Cryptic
Solving time 22:29

At least 5 minutes of which was spent on 12ac at the end. Looking through it again now, I can’t remember anything else holding me up much. I see they’re not publishing the solution till Monday, but I think it’s safe now to put up the blog.

Across

1 APO(C)RYPHA – C=chapter inside (a happy or)*
10 TWISTER – two meanings
12 LAEVU(value*),LOSE – last one I got. Took a long time to realise that “cane” was an anagram indicator for “value” and not connected to “sugar”.
13 PIQUE – “peek”
14 YOR(K(SH)IR)E – i.e. SH (pipe down), inside KIR (drink), all inside YORE (long ago). Team is often used to define a county who play first-class cricket.
17 S(W)EATS,H,OP
18 I(NAN)E
22 TAC(1)T – one “undamaged” might be “intact”.
25 H(A,LIB)UT
27 TETE (A) TETE – vacate “the” four times = TE,TE,TE,TE

Down

1 A,SCOT – scot is an old type of tax, seen more often in barred crosswords.
2 (m)O(DALI)SQUE
4 PENALTY SHOOT OUT – nice cryptic def.
6 A(DIE)U
8 PERS(EVER)E – “per se” means literally “by oneself”.
13 PA(SO DOB)LE – “when delivered” = D.O.B. (date of birth). A PALE is a fence-post.
15 SC,IN TILL,A – SC is an abbreviation used by printers.
16 IRASCIBLE – (L,Siberia,C)*
23 TI(T)LE

4 comments on “Times Saturday 23725 (Oct 6) – delayed”

  1. LAEVULOSE held me up as well, though for about 2 minutes rather than 5; 7:27 total but heavily assisted by a fortunate early solve of ODALISQUE. I thought this was a terrific puzzle; ‘Spot the ball competition’ at 4dn is one of my favourite clues of the year.
  2. I’m surprised that nobody has mentioned this (26A), which in my opinion is an absolutely brilliant &lit.
    1. You’re right, it is! I missed the subtlety first time round, thinking it was a fairly obvious cryptic definition, so didn’t bother to comment on it.
  3. It is a pity that this blog was delayed as this puzzle merits more comment than it received in the end.

    The sugar at 12a is Fructose by another name – Laevulose – so named because of the affect it has on plane polarised light – bending it to the left (laevorotatory). The dextrorotatory (bending to the right) dextrose is more familiar as another name for glucose. All clear on that everyone?

    There is a footy XI of “easies” to play with:

    6a Reverse stance on answer he wrote in Greek (5)
    A ESOP> Or POSE A backwards.

    9a Continue to impede mountaineering equipment? (7)
    CRAMP ON

    11a Second time going against the grain (5)
    T RICE

    19a Check very soft top is watertight (4,5)
    DAM PP ROOF

    24a Against fuss going past supporter that’s swaggering (7)
    BRA V ADO

    26a Might one stand at this adding final touch to oil? (5)
    EASE (oi)L. Nice &lit one as mentioned above.

    3d Show is on here (9)
    RE PRESENT

    5d When pork pie downed suddenly (2,3,4,2,1,3)
    AT THE DROP OF A HAT. Using my crystal ball I can predict that this answer will be clued thus on Monday 2nd October 2017: 6d How rescue services should respond when boater goes down? (2,3,4,2,1,3).

    7d Scrap percieved in ink-blOT TESt when inverted (3-2)
    SET-TO. Don’t get us started on inversion of SUGARS (see 12a)!

    20d Intends to get money (5)
    MEANS

    21d Some valuable wisdom? (5)
    PEARL. As in pearls of wisdom not to be cast before swine.

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