Times Saturday 23874 (Mar 29) – placeholder

Author   linxitPosted on Categories Weekend Cryptic
Parents visiting from Cyprus this weekend, so I don’t know whether I’ll find time to do the blog today. Can’t even find last week’s solution grid at the moment, may have to re-solve it! It doesn’t help matters that my head’s still a bit woolly from last night’s Sloggers and Betters meeting…

5 comments on “Times Saturday 23874 (Mar 29) – placeholder”

    1. Sorry Adrian, I will get to it eventually. I came down with flu over the weekend too, and started a new job on Monday which I’ve been dragging myself in to.
  2. The rest of the puzzle was straightforward, but 6D O?Z?E no word I can find fits, and 23D AYER was a philosopher, but how does the rest of the clue yield that?

    John in Michigan

    “I am a human below”

  3. As the final comment is from May 14th I assume that this one did not get blogged? Here is my take on it including answers to John in Michigan’s queries:

    1a Aim to wrap Eliza’s present : superlative form or rum (8)
    QUE ‘ERE ST. Eliza from Pygmalion was a Cockney so her “present” would be said ‘ere.

    5a Jiffy bag containing one picture (6)
    MO SA 1 C

    9a Young bride initially wears kimono specially for me (2,2,4)
    IN M YB OOK. (Y)oung (B)ride in an anagram of KIMONO.

    10a Plant a field with mAiZe regularly (6)
    AZ A LEA

    12a He could get (bang with tame)* shot (12)
    BANTAMWEIGHT

    15a Material from tidy bed appearing on time (5)
    T WEED

    16a Reference body of correspondence in Spectator (9)
    GAZ ETTE ER. Body of correspondence = (L) ETTE (R).

    18a Note replacement hammer used by forge (5,4)
    POUND COIN. Hammer = Pound and Forge = Coin? As in “coin a phrase”? Could one “forge a phrase”?

    19a Force men back underground (5)
    MET RO. Met(ropolitan Police) followed by (O)rdinary (R)anks backwards.

    20a Thus topless bathing suits may be seen round City! (8,4)
    A NY THING GOES. Where topless bathing = athing and suits = GOES around City = NY.

    24a Young locust gardener gathers very quietly (6)
    HO PP ER

    25a Decline to perform about one year’s worth of judgements (8)
    SAG AC 1 T Y

    26a Rabbit, turning, goes after grass snake (6)
    RAT BAG

    27a Watch salesman scoff when fed properly (8)
    JE WELL ER

    1d Ill-eQUIPped to seal crack (4)
    QUIP

    2d Setter’s measure and setter’s award (4)
    EM MY

    3d Artist sending away third and last journalist with new logo (9)
    RE(M)BRAND(T) ED

    4d Where ruthlessness ultimately left sides crushed? (6,6)
    S PORTS GROUND

    6d Topless bathing suit Victorian perhaps? (5)
    (C) OZZIE. Victorian as in someone from SE Australia. Slang all round here – no wonder some were confused. Topless bathing suits again – see 20a.

    7d English runs within reach after total scored briskly (10)
    ALL E G R ET TO. Scored as in wrote music. Good cricket surface.

    8d Conservative Party member that’s crazy TV talk show star, potentially? (10)
    C HATTER BOX

    11d (Camera-gazing)* eccentric’s religious air (7,5)
    AMAZING GRACE

    13d Go on marathon walk, roping in the mater’s new chap? (10)
    STEP FA THE R

    14d Mole, one on the nose perhaps, cut into by fresh (autopsy)* (6,4)
    BE AUTY SPO T. BET could be “on the nose” or “to win”.

    17d Draw energy, concealing age, even (9)
    TEMP ERA T E

    21d Meat-eater longing to tuck into pork cut (5)
    H YEN A(M)

    22d Water fetchers’ second tumbler (4)
    JILL. Who came tumbling after.

    23d Film’s lead character is withdrawn philosopher (4)
    (L) AYER. Where a film = a layer.

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