Solving time 13:44, still surprisingly loose by today’s standards but a bit better than the 1964 one. I probably solved this first time round. In 1988 I’d just started working for Ladbrokes as a betting-shop manager, and always bought the Times to solve the crossword in the pub at lunchtime. Still a lot of cryptic and double definitions, more than you’d see nowadays even from Rufus in the Guardian Monday puzzle!
Across |
1 |
WARPATH – cryptic definition. |
5 |
CLOGGED – (egg, cold)* |
9 |
LINED – LINE (course) + D(ay). |
10 |
PLUMB-LINE – cryptic definition. The bob is the weight at the end of the plumb-line. |
11 |
SONG-CYCLE – Daisy had a bicycle made for two in the song, and leader sounds like Lieder (German for songs). |
12 |
DEGAS – DE (“of” in French) + GAS (sensation). Edgar Degas, French artist. |
13 |
TRUST – triple definition, I think. |
15 |
THEOMANIA – (at home, I, an)* |
18 |
LAIRDSHIP – cryptic definition. |
19 |
NORTH – double definition. Lord North was prime minister 1770-82. |
21 |
GRANT – double definition. |
23 |
DAY-SPRING – an old poetic word for dawn. |
25 |
CALABOOSE – lots of words for a prison. |
26 |
ASSAI – hidden inside “USA’s said”. Italian word for very, used in musical notation. |
27 |
LETTERS – double definition. |
28 |
ARTISAN – (Anitra’s)* |
Down |
1 |
WELL-SET – double definition. “Used to bowler” means of a batsman in cricket, unlikely to be bowled out any time soon. |
2 |
RANUNCULI – (uncurl in a)* |
3 |
ASDIC – cryptic definition. An old type of sonar used to detect submarines. |
4 |
HOP-SCOTCH – HOP (jump and dance) + SCOTCH (spirit). |
5 |
CAUSE – U(ranium) inside CASE (luggage). |
6 |
OMBUDSMAN – cryptic definition. Beef as in complaint. |
7 |
GOING – straightish definition. |
8 |
DEEP SEA – sounds like DEEP C. |
14 |
TIDE-TABLE – another weakish cryptic definition. |
16 |
EMPHYSEMA – coffers sounds like coughers. A condition causing distension of the lung. |
17 |
NARCISSUS – cryptic definition. I’m sure you know the myth, so enraptured by his own reflection in the water that he grew roots and turned into a flower. |
18 |
LOGICAL – GI (soldier) inside LOCAL (one’s pub). |
20 |
HYGEIAN – (Any GI he)*. Hygeia was the Greek goddess of health. |
22 |
ALLOT – ALL (everyone) + TO reversed. |
23 |
DROSS – D(ead) + ROSS (sea in Antarctica). An early lift-and-separate clue? |
24 |
PLANT – double definition. |
Slowed slightly by trying to fit SONAR into 3dn, and HYGIENA (!) into 20dn, but both were easily fixed.
Found it hard going today and would have found it more so back then. Needed Onelook for the last dozen. (How that has helped my solving these last few years by removing the need to search tediously through the dictionary for word matches!!). Didn’t help myself by putting in Regular at 18 down (eventually corrected to Logical) and then Cellblock at 25 across (not Calaboose).
New words learned: hygeian, calaboose, day-spring and asdic. Low tars = submariners made me smile.
Thanks for the blog Andy and for explaining Well-set. I couldn’t see what cricketers or hats had to do with the answer!