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Mephisto 2856 by Don Manley

May. 31st, 2015 at 6:00 AM

times_xwd_times

dorsetjimbo

Straightforward puzzle to the easier end of the spectrum

Across
1	SATYRISK - SAT-Y-RISK;
6	ABBAS - SABBA(th) reversed;
11	PORTULAN,CHART - (patrolcar hunt)*; old maps - see Portolano in C;
14	DE,NOVO - DEN-O-V-O;
15	BLUSH - B(L)USH; old inn=BUSH;
16	TOMIA - AI-MOT all reversed;
17	GAST - GA(S)T; old word for scare;
18	SLIPKNOTS - S(LIP=KNOT)S; flap=LIP; bird=KNOT; ship=SS;
19	SPECKS - two meanings;
22	STARRS - STAR(R)S; deeds;
23	HOROSCOPE - HO-ROS(COP)E;
25	LAIR - (b)LAIR; mire;
26	RUSHY - RU-SHY;
27	GALUT - LAG reversed-UT; as=UT; an exile;
29	OPUSES - (spouse)*;
30	LEISURE,CENTRE - LE[I(SURE-CENT)R]E; Ireland=IR; shelter=LEE;
31	LETHE - LE-THE; French for "the" is LE; the river that wiped memories;
32	STEADY,ON - STEAD-YON; advantage=STEAD;

Down
1	SPAB - SPA-B; Society for Preservation of Ancient Buildings;
2	TROUSER,SUIT - TROUT surrounds (sure is)*;
3	YTOST - hidden (repertor)Y-TO-ST(ratford);
4	ILEAL - I-LEAL; true-hearted=LEAL; of the ilium;
5	KNOSPS - (pinks so - I)*; ornaments;
7	BHOONA - B(H-OO)NA; BNA from B(e)N(g)A(l);
8	BALMORALITY - BAL(d)-MORALITY; superficial love of cabers and haggis;
9	ARBITRIUM - A(R)BIT-R(I)UM; power to make decisions is definition;
10	STRASS - STRA(u)SS; paste for making artificial jewelry;
12	ANTINOISE - (is etonian)*;
13	A,LA,POUPEE - A(OPAL reversed)U-PEE(r); gold=AU;
19	SHRILL - little person=SHRIMP then change IMP to ILL; keen;
20	COHOSH - COHOS-H; salmon=COHOS; husband=H; herb;
21	SCOURS - S-COURS(e); rushes along;
24	PEECE - PEE-CE; old word for part;
25	LAUND - LAUND(er); grassy spot;
28	TA'EN - NEAT reversed;

Sunday Times 4643 by Jeff Pearce

May. 31st, 2015 at 10:21 AM

times_xwd_times

nick_the_novice

Many thanks to Mr. Pearce for a most enjoyable puzzle that I found chewy in parts and fun throughout. A splendidly rich and diverse range of characters were on parade, including a goatish Tory (who gets my COTD award), an angry scrubber, the funny man with the tickling stick, Castor & Pollox, the man who gave us The Gherkin, a political assassin and a champion pole vaulter better known for his acting.

Some very enjoyable surfaces - particularly liked 13a, 19a, 20a and 3dn - and some inventive definitions to be found in 10a and 6dn. Great stuff.
Definitions underlined, DD = Double Definition, anagrams indicated by *(--)

Across
1	Lover of animals goes round box tree (5,8)
	HORSE CHESTNUT - HORSE NUT (lover of animals) "goes round" CHEST (box)
10	Remember a small bit of Ronnie Barker (9)
	RETRIEVER - RETRIEVE (remember) + R (a small bit of Ronnie) giving the canine. Very nice
11	Island starts to grow organic fruit (5)
	MANGO - MAN (island) + first letters of (starts to) G~~row~~ O~~rganic~~
12	Fool randy Conservative? (5)
	CHEAT - C (Conservative) "on" HEAT (randy). Top flight clue, I thought, albeit curiously hard to explain (see dialogue below with Kevin!)
13	Works from single American writer featured in cricket broadcast (4,5)
	TONE POEMS - ONE (single) + POE (American writer) "featured" in TMS (Test Match Special - the iconic BBC radio cricket broadcast widely known by its initials to aficionados, but probably somewhat obscure to others...)
14	Rude and unwise if Republican is hosted (8)
	IMPUDENT - IMP[R]UDENT
16	Small fairy - that's a popular image nowadays (6)
	SELFIE - S (small) + ELF (fairy) + IE (that's)
19	Horn featured in middle sections of frantic boleros (6)
	ANTLER - FRANTIC BOLEROS (answer constructed from the "middle sections"). Great surface!
20	Scrubber shows anger at court - wife left outside (4,4)
	WIRE WOOL - IRE (anger) + WOO (court), with W (wife) and L (left) "outside". Another fine surface
22	Teenage player needs a shower after squash (5,4)
	JAMES DEAN - JAM (squash) + *(NEEDS A) with "shower" as the anagrind, for the junior pole vault champion who also made a name for himself as a "player" of angst ridden teenagers
24	Crack sculpture right in the middle (5)
	BURST - BU[R]ST
25	Theologian leaves funny guy for Japanese discipline (5)
	KENDO - KEN_DODD. He of the tickling stick - and Knotty Ash's most famous son - without DD (Doctor of Divinity - "theologian"). "Funny guy" is, I guess, always a matter of opinion: a list of his top one liners has, at number 1, "Did you hear about the shrimp who went to a prawn's cocktail party? He pulled a mussel." It's the way he tells 'em...
26	Oil rig mob behaving badly in mess (9)
	IMBROGLIO - *(OIL RIG MOB) with "behaving badly" as the anagrind. One of my favourite words, as it happens
27	Transport frying pan then break it (5-8)
	PENNY FARTHING - *(FRYING PAN THEN) with "break it" as the anagrind. Always been quite fascinated with the penny-farthing - it just looks so improbable. Some wag once described a camel as "a horse designed by a committee": the P-F is surely the bicycle equivalent

Down
2	Like a shot in hot water? (2,3,4)
	ON THE SPOT - DD, with just a slight bit of eyebrow action on the first of the definitions initially, but on reflection I guess both it and the answer can mean "immediately"
3	Satirical piece about Thatcher finally seen in the fringe (5)
	SKIRT - SKI[R]T. ~~Thatche~~R finally enters a sketch
4	After some fizzy wine girl produces simple song (8)
	CAVATINA - CAVA (Spanish bubbly) + TINA (girl) giving what (I subsequently learned) is "a short song of simple character". Did not know the word, but having drunk more than my fair share of the world's stock of CAVA and having never met a girl called Tuna, it looked about right
5	Offending member of Royalty with tirade (6)
	ERRANT - ER (member of Royalty) + RANT (tirade)
6	Watch the enemy with a gun! (9)
	TIMEPIECE - TIME (is the enemy) + PIECE (slang for firearm). Very droll - maybe time as "the enemy" is an old chestnut in Crosswordland, but it was new to me
7	Bones heads to Enterprise after nicely leading Uhura back (5)
	ULNAE - First letters (heads) of E~~nterprise~~ A~~fter~~ N~~icely~~ L~~eading~~ U~~hura~~ reversed (back), giving the plural of one of the bones in the forearm
8	Bloke goes round kitchen - primarily after handy rag (9,4)
	PRACTICAL JOKE - JO[K]E (bloke goes round first letter - "primarily" - of Kitchen), coming "after" PRACTICAL (handy), giving the sort of shenanigans that may well happen during "rag" week
9	Twins, perhaps, sent out during light meal (13)
	CONSTELLATION - *(SENT) with "out" as the anagrind, inside (during) COLLATION (light meal - a word my grandmother used to use when producing plates of "cold cuts" of dubious vintage usually accompanied by pickled onions), with the heavenly twins being an example of a constellation
15	Tear off a strip for inappropriate state of attire (5,4)
	DRESS DOWN - Nice and straightforward DD
17	Puzzle factory contracted to produce image of Foster's? (5,4)
	FLOOR PLAN - FLOOR (Puzzle) + PLANT (factory contracted - i.e. shortened) giving the type of graphic likely to be produced by Norman Foster, architect responsible for (inter alia) The Gherkin and the Reichstag in Berlin - a somewhat unlikely pairing...
18	Bright red vehicle outside pub with a blonde in the front (8)
	CINNABAR - CAR (vehicle) going around (outside) INN (pub) with A B (B~~londe~~ in the front), giving the bright red pigment derived from the mineral. Did not know the word, but gettable thanks to the generous wordplay plus cross checkers
21	Help priest imprisoned by Judge (6)
	RELIEF - R[ELI]EF - the setter's favourite cleric "imprisoned" by the man in black that the crowd loves to hate
23	Vermin eating last bit of rotten meat (5)
	MINCE - MI[~~ROTTE~~N]CE.
24	Stand and stall an assassin (5)
	BOOTH - DD (I believe) featuring John Wilkes Booth, Lincoln's assassin, with a temporary erection at a trade fair or street market. Not quite sure what the "Stand and stall" is doing as it seems like a repeat of the same usage - I guess it's just to make the surface read more smoothly, unless I'm missing some additional layer of subtlety...

Times Jumbo 1149

May. 30th, 2015 at 10:40 AM

times_xwd_times

helenougham

On the easy side, this one, I thought. 37ac, GLAIR, was probably the most obscure answer

As usual, * indicates an anagram.

Across
1	OAKUM - first letters of 'old African king's unusual moral'
4	CLOUDBURST - LOUD BURS, in CT
9	IMPISH - wIMPISH
14	CONTRALTO - C~~otton~~, + ONTO around R ALT
15	SMALLHOLDINGS - SINGS, around MALL + H~~ugging~~ + OLD
16	IMAMATE - I'M A MATE
17	ALERTNESS - ALbERT + NESS
18	COCOA - COCO + A
19	BOISTEROUSNESS - (tour boss sees in)*
22	IMMENSE - MM (Military Medal; 'gong') + (seen)*, after I
25	ARCHBISHOP - ARCH + BISH + OP
27	READJUSTMENT - JUST MEN, in READ + T
30	INURE - IN UR, +E~~scorts~~
31	ACID-HEAD - A CID HEAD (i.e. A, + 'head of the Criminal Investigation Department')
32	PILLAGER - ILL AGE, in PR
35	ALTITUDE - ATTITUDE, with L replacing the first T
36	ATHENIAN - THE N, in A IAN
37	GLAIR - ~~greyla~~G + LAIR. GLAIR is a lovely old word for the white (or albumen) of an egg
39	INTERROGATOR - IN TERROr + GATOR
41	ESPLANADES - PLAN A, in (seeds)*
43	TANGIER - double definition
45	ANTARCTIC OCEAN - (creation can act)*
48	BLEEP - B, + Peel reversed
49	CATALYSIS - could sound like 'cat, Alice's' - reference is to Alice Liddell who inspired Lewis Carroll's two 'Alice' books
51	EPITHET - THE, in E PIT
53	WHISTLE-BLOWER - double indication
54	INDECORUM - IN DEC(ember) O RUM
55	DRESSY - DRESS + ~~smartl~~Y
56	BANDLEADER - B~~lues~~ + AND, + LEADER which could sound like 'lieder'
57	RHYME - could sound like 'rime' (frost), depending on pronunciation

Down
1	ORCHID - ORC + HID (lady's tresses are orchids)
2	KANGAROO COURT - cryptic indication
3	MARIA - MAIA around R
4	COLLEGE - COLE ('Porter, perhaps') around LEG
5	ONOMATOPOEIA - could sound like 'on a mat a peer'
6	DISPERSE - DIS PER SE
7	UNAPT - PT after UNA
8	SILVERSIDE - S SIDE, around (liver)*
10	MODICUM - MUM, around O + DICk
11	INNOCENCE - (once)* after INN, + CE
12	HOSEA - HO + SEA
13	CONSTITUTIONAL - double definition
20	SUBVERTER - VERT, in rebus (reversed)
21	ELEVATED - E + LEEDs, around VAT
23	ENTERPRISE - ENTER, + PRISE (sounds like 'prize')
24	CAPITALIST - CAPITALS around I, + Tax
26	STAND CORRECTED - cryptic indication (a chairman wouldn't stand)
28	TELEGENIC - TEEN + IC, around LEG (yes, it's this week's cricketing reference)
29	WHITE-OUT - WE around HIT, + OUT
33	GRANDFATHERLY - GRANDLY, around FAT HER
34	DISSATISFIED - SATISFIED after DIS (the second reference in this puzzle to DIS as the underworld or its boss)
38	TARANTELLA - A~~shton~~ + RAN + TELL, in TA
40	TANGERINE - ANGER, surrounded by TIN + E~~rupt~~
42	PRESERVE - P + RESERVE
44	IMPETUS - I'M + PET, + US
46	CHEDDAR - ED, in (Chard)*
47	STYMIE - STYE around MI
48	BOWED - double definition
50	LOWED - sounds like 'load'
52	INCUR - I, + run (reversed), around C~~amp~~

Saturday Times 26106 (23rd May)

May. 30th, 2015 at 10:26 AM

times_xwd_times

linxit

Struggled with this one, limping home in 26:16. I just couldn't get on the setter's wavelength for some reason, and I'm sure I've solved much trickier puzzles in half the time before. Coming back to it today I can't see any problems with it, plenty to like in fact. Maybe I was just tired. It looked like a definite pangram candidate during the solve, but in the end the V was missing.

Across
1	Weak complaint from left during strike (5)
	BLEAT - L(eft) inside BEAT (strike).
4	Judge no longer in despair, taking time in making discovery (9)
	DETECTION - DEJECTION (despair) without the J for judge, and around T(ime).
9	Wind up everybody outside about narrow escape (5,4)
	CLOSE CALL - CLOSE (wind up) + ALL (everybody), around C (about).
10	Musical group performing in drag (5)
	NONET - ON (performing) inside NET (drag).
11	A puzzle not completed — needing old name for flower? (6)
	AMAZON - A + MAZ(e) (puzzle not completed) + O(ld) + N(ame).
12	Somebody against men on purpose? (8)
	OBJECTOR - OR (men) next to OBJECT (purpose).
14	A very short distance from Bath has rider struggling (5-7)
	HAIR'S-BREADTH - (Bath has rider)*.
17	Give order to find Emma once — or another book (2,4,3,3)
	OF MICE AND MEN - (find Emma once)*. 1937 novel by John Steinbeck.
20	Prepare to fight fuddy-duddy in court (6,2)
	SQUARE UP - SQUARE (fuddy-duddy) + UP (in court).
21	Girl given test about keeping home (6)
	MAXINE - EXAM (test) reversed, around IN (home).
23	Flyer from east close to landing in the drink (5)
	EAGLE - E(ast) + (landin)G inside ALE (the drink).
24	Complaint that a criminal is concealing wealth (9)
	AFFLUENCE - FLU (complaint) inside A FENCE (a criminal).
25	Decorum shown by pack member that is seen during conversion of try (9)
	PROPRIETY - PROP (pack member) + I.E. (that is) inside (try)*.
26	Dope found in port after a note’s dispatched (5)
	TWERP - ANTWERP (port) without A N(ote).

Down
1	Gamble on contents of sachet for pain (8)
	BACKACHE - BACK (gamble on) + (s)ACHE(t).
2	In advancing years, soon over obsessive preoccupation with me (8)
	EGOMANIA - AGE (years), around IN A MO (soon), all reversed. That one went in from the definition, took me ages to see how it worked!
3	Drunk and disorderly father swore twice, disowning one son (3,5,3,4)
	THE WORSE FOR WEAR - (father swore swore)*, without one S.
4	Swap start and end of clue to get agreement (4)
	DEAL - LEAD (clue) with the first and last letters swapped. LOI for me, tricky if you don't spot it right away. Someone on the forum claimed a legitimate alternative answer, but I can't think what that might be.
5	Gossip from following people more revealing, we hear (10)
	TALEBEARER - sounds like "tail barer".
6	Yes-man in the majority in Congress (10,5)
	CONSENTING ADULT - cryptic definition. Clever and funny.
7	Set off from meeting, initially somewhat upset (6)
	IGNITE - hidden reversed in "meeting, initially".
8	Character’s name for maiden in bloom? (6)
	NATURE - MATURE (bloom), with the M exchanged for an N.
13	Recital at university broadcast, say, clearly (10)
	ARTICULATE - (recital at U)*.
15	Bishop’s put in appearance, impressed by excellent atmosphere (8)
	AMBIENCE - B(ishop) inside MIEN (appearance), all inside ACE (excellent).
16	Very much involved in call for cutting support (4-4)
	KNEE-DEEP - NEED (call for) inside KEEP (support).
18	Inattentive man’s fleeced regularly over parking (6)
	ASLEEP - alternate letters of "man's fleeced" + P(arking).
19	Sailor’s porridge — food served up over and over again (6)
	BURGOO - GRUB (food) reversed + O(ver) + O(ver). Unfamiliar word for me, but the helpful wordplay allowed me to put it in confidently.
22	Second, not first up in the air (4)
	IFFY - JIFFY (second), minus the first letter.

Times 26,111: My Blog Has No Nose. How Does It Smell?

May. 29th, 2015 at 9:02 AM

times_xwd_times

verlaine

Somewhat exemplary fare this morning - neat and tidy construction, convincing surfaces, all fair to the solver without any vocab or general knowledge demands likely to prove controversial. I have to confess that when confronted with something like this I do pine for the anarchy of Rochester's housekeeper or even an unfair oread (see blog posts earlier this week if that makes no sense whatsoever), something to get us at loggerheads in the comments. But one can't really complain. Blogging the Friday puzzle as I do I can always repair to the TLS straight afterwards for a double dose of the literary bafflegab that I like.

12 and a half minutes on the clock, neither fast or slow (definitely outside 2xMagoo though), just working steadily through. FOI was 11A, and the bottom RH corner the last to fall - I think 28A was my LOI despite the fact that I feel like I've seen P + RESERVE about three times in puzzles in recent memory, not that RE-SERVE isn't an innovation. COD probably to 1D for some clever "lift and separate" action and being otherwise relevant to my interests. It's only rock and roll, but I like it more than ballet.

Much obliged to the setter, another tidy week of cryptics in the bag. See you all for the next one!

Across
1	CHILL OUT - veg: OUT [blooming] "accompaniment for" CHILL [cold]
5	PATTON - general: P [P{rogressing} "initially"] + AT TON [at \| great speed]
10	BED AND BREAKFAST - accommodation: BAND BREAK [group (taking) holiday] around ED ["centre of" {sw}ED{en}] + FAST [stuck]
11	LIGHT ON - discover: double def with "what makes night time reading possible?"
12	FLANKER - rugby player: reverse of REF ["about"] "to detain" LANK [scrawny]
13	MASSAGER - "I'll work my fingers to the bone?" (cryptic def of the masseur's art): reverse ("knocked back") of R E.G. ASSAM ["initially" R{esuming} \| say (before) tea]
15	DRILL - instruction: DR ILL [drive \| badly]
18	ANTIC - used to be (i.e. an old word for) bizarre: ANTI C ["supporting Labour presumably", i.e. anti-Conservative]
20	OVERCAST - dull: and a theatre director's place is OVER (the) CAST
23	SET DOWN - note: double def with "tennis player is losing, if this" (i.e. if a set down)
25	SCREECH - outcry: CREE [Indian language] is introduced into SCH [school]
26	CLEAN AS A WHISTLE - innocent: (CALAIS THEN WALES*) ["abroad in"]
27	MADE DO - managed: (A DOMED*) ["structure"]
28	PRESERVE - guard: P [pressure] + RE-SERVE [to join ranks again]

Down
1	COBBLE - little rock: COB [roll] + BLE [B{a}L{l}E{t} "every now and then"]
2	INDIGNANT - cross: DIG NAN [like \| elderly relative] "confined to" IN T [home \| "a short" time]
3	LINCTUS - remedy: homophone of LINKED ["reportedly" associated] + US [the States]
4	URBAN - Pope: "part in" {o}UR BAN{ishment}
6	AWKWARD - hard to deal with: WARD [child in care] after A WK [a \| week]
7	TRACK - dog: TACK [food] with R [runs] "inside"
8	NATURALS - talented people: reverse of TAN [become less pale, "climbing"] + URALS [mountains]
9	PERFORCE - unavoidably: MAN "has to pull out" of PERFOR{man}CE [show]
14	GOODNESS - my: (DOG'S NOSE*) ["twitches"]
16	INSPECTOR - examiner: IN SPEC{s} [wearing glasses "mostly"] TO R [R{ead} "at first"]
17	CAPSICUM - salad ingredient: SIC UM [so \| {y}U{m}M{y} "regularly"] with CAP [better] "for starters"
19	CROWNED - C.R. OWNED [King Charles \| had], and a crowned head is what King Charles had (until divested of it)
21	CURRIES - spicy meals: CUR [rogue] + RI{s}ES [appears "to lack the heart"]
22	WHEEZE - gag: double def with "how heavy smoker might cough"
24	TWEED - woollen material: TWEE [rather cute] on D [daughter]
25	SOWER - broadcaster: H ["initially" H{oping}] "to avoid" S{h}OWER [downpour]

Club Monthly 20176 May 2015 - Mediterranean Edition

May. 29th, 2015 at 8:48 AM

times_xwd_times

jerrywh

Solving Time: About 40 minutes, quicker than average for me, greatly helped by knowing more than the usual number of words this time. Once again a highly enjoyable solve - I hope the setter enjoys setting it, as much as I enjoy solving it.. Though (s)he does get paid I suppose.

Apologies for this rather pared down blog. I am currently soaking up the sun on a vineyard near Narbonne. This is an excellent place to be from many standpoints (eg, the en vrac wine here is good and is €1,60/litre, equivalent to something under £1/bottle) but there is no wi-fi in the gite. And I am using an ancient laptop with a sticky keyboard. So although I can post this (I think) I can't look up references or dictionaries. I can respond to comments or queries but there may be some delay. Now, back to the sunshine...

cd = cryptic definition, dd = double definition, rev = reversed, anagrams are *(--), homophones indicated in ""

ODO means the Oxford Dictionaries Online, OED = Oxford English Dictionary, etc.

Across
1	demogorgon - DEMO (march) + GR(eek) rev. in GO ON
6	swad - W (wife) in SAD (down)
9	opium poppy - POP (old man) in *(PIMP YOU)
10	pepo - hidden, in riPE Pomegranate
12	ratio decidendi - DE(I)CIDE (all-powerful figure's murderer) in RATION (helping) + I'D, rev. This struck me as an impressive clue... the setter has surely spurned much easier ways of clueing "decide!"
14	upgush - U(niversity) + GP (doctor) rev., + 'USH, what cockneys say instead of hush (quiet)
15	penneeck - (pol)E in PEN (write) + NECK (down, as in beer)
17	alcahest - *(HEALS CAT)
19	coggly - COG (tooth) + (U)GLY
22	dieffenbachias - *(FINE FED) + BACH (composer) + I + AS (like, as in.. well, as in). I was fortunate in having heard of dieffenbachias, almost certainly from an earlier club monthly or mephisto!
24	doit - DO (to make, though no ready example springs to mind) + IT, short for Italian, which is short for vermouth as in "Gin & It"
25	emu-bobbing - E(uropean) + MU (Greek character) + BOB (Hope) and BING (Crosby), stars of the Road movies before I was born, or at least, watching films. "Emu-bobbing" is a fine phrase which I intend to casually drop into a conversation at the earliest opportunity
26	yuko - YUK (that's disgusting) + O
27	scarlatina - SCAR (disfigure) + LATIN (tongue of old) + A(~~ctor~~). A fine lift & separate needed
Down
1	doob - BOO (don't approve) + D(~~etective~~), all rev.
2	mridang - M(~~ale~~) + DAN (martial arts expert) in RIG (gear, as in equipment)
3	gemeinschaft - EG (say), rev. + sounds like "mine shaft." Not to be confused with "Gesellschaft."
4	Rhonda - *(HAD NO R). Never met a Rhonda myself, but there must be some … one Rhonda Fleming rings a faint bell.
5	oxpecker - X (cross) in O (zero) + PECKER (spirits, as in "keep your P up"). A curious phrase which I have always supposed to be rather rude. I did love the def. though, "Bird dining on beef."
7	wheenge - ENG(~~land~~) in WHEE(L), (turn, sans tail)
8	doohickeys - I had trouble parsing this. The def. is "gadgets for American," and I think it is HOO (thrilled reaction) in CID (investigator) both rev., + KEYS (clues). At first I thought the thrilled reaction was "Ooh," but that doesn't precisely seem to work. To my recollection I have never said hoo. The occasional ooh, certainly
11	odontophobia - *(BOTH DO O PIANO).
13	sugar daddy - DRAG US (pull us) rev., + ADD (sum) + Y (an unknown, not x or z). A euphemistic reference to paid sex between an old man and a young woman.
16	isonomic - ON + O (ring) + M(arried) in I (one) + SIC (thus)
18	chewink - CHE (presumably, italian for "what") + WINK (flash)
20	gradini - GRADING (classification), with the second G(ood) replaced by I (one)
21	jamber - JAM (predicament) + BE(A)R, "stand after shedding a"
23	agma - AGM, (where directors & shareholders convene) + A

Current Mood: relaxed

Quick Cryptic No 319 by Pedro

May. 29th, 2015 at 9:39 AM

times_xwd_times

pipkirby

The Times IT chaps seem to be jumbling up the URL numbers for the quickies on their site, so this time I was unable to guess it and solve ahead and post 'early doors.' This was straightforward, taking me 8 minutes and half a slice of toast; a well balanced entry level puzzle with nothing obscure or unfair, I thought.

Across
1	MURDER - RED RUM = colourful drink, reversed; def. death.
5	PROTON - PRO = supporting, TON = large amount; def. tiny particle. One of the fundamental particles in the nucleus of the atom, the number of protons being the factor which determines which element it is.
8	SCRAP-MERCHANT - (CARS PARCHMENT)*, anagrinds 'dodgy' and 'torn'; def. dealer in old stuff. A nice anagram clue.
9	DELI - Hidden in SI(DELI)NES, def. foodstore.
10	WARDROBE - WA = was, cut down, (BORDER)* indicated by 'reshaped', def. item of furniture.
11	IMAGES - I'M AGES = I'm a long time; def. pictures.
13	DEMISE - DE = of in French, ME = the writer, insert (capture) IS, def. end.
15	AMICABLE - AM I CABLE = TV subscription; def. friendly.
17	SOME - Half of SOME(RSET); def. certainly not all.
19	POWER STEERING - (REPORTS E G WINE)*, anagrid 'mistakenly'; def. something benefitting drivers.
21	CHOSEN - CH = church, (ONES)* anagrind 'converted'; def. selected.
22	KEYPAD - KEY = significant, PAD = flat;; def. component of phone?

Down
2	UNCLE - UNCLE(AN) = dirty, drops the AN; def. relative.
3	DRAWING - Cryptic double definition.
4	RAM - Double definition, not even cryptic.
5	PARTRIDGE - PART = some, RIDGE = outcrop; def. bird.
6	OTHER - MOTHER = parent, remove the M = blowing top; def. different.
7	OMNIBUS - SUMO = wresting, reversed = OMUS, insert NIB = writer; def. anthology.
10	WASH-BASIN - (BASH AS)*, anagrind 'riotous', inserted in WIN = victory; def. some clean-up occurs here.
12	MAMMOTH - MAM = old woman, MOTH = insect; def. large.
14	MISERLY - M = start of music, (LYRE IS)* anagrid 'replaced'; def. offering little.
15	CHESS - Game, hidden in MAT(CHES S)HOWCASING.
18	MANIA - MAN = fellow, I, A = initially admired; def. obsession.
20	ELK - EL = the Spanish, K = king; def. deer. Is an elk a deer?

Times Quick Cryptic No 318 by Mara

May. 28th, 2015 at 1:17 PM

times_xwd_times

macavity123

Hi everyone

Solving time: fairly straightforward.

Apologies for the lateness, a messy trip to hospital. Can't remember the last time I wrestled with Aram on a Thursday, early on I think. Very pleasant and full of nice clues that raise a smile and make you enjoy solving it. A couple of minor quibbles (one of which has been largely explained by a very nice lady), but overall an enjoyable solve.

Across
8	CHIPPER - We start with a double definition clue, but one half is cryptic. A word that means upbeat can also be someone who prepares potatoes in a certain way. The question mark here is important as it's telling you that it isn't quite a normal word or way of saying it.
9	RANGE - The definition is number of mountains. RANG (called) + E (first letter of Everest).
10	DIZZY - Silly is the definition. Two unknowns (Z is a letter used to represent unknown in maths) inside D I Y (do-it-yourself).
11	NONAGON - Figure is the definition. NO (ON returning) + NAN (granny) around GO (to leave).
12	CHATEAU - French castle is the definition. Two words for a cuppa (CHA & TEA) + U (upper-class).
14	TWANG - Accent is the definition. TANG (distinctive flavour) around W (western).
15	NOBLE - Aristocratic is the definition. NO + BLUE (colour of said blood) minus U (another appearance for upper-class).
17	CLEAVER - Butcher's knife is the definition [might have been Butcher's chopper, in a less tasteful outlet!]. C (beginning, first letter of Chop) + LEAVER (one going).
19	REALISM - Authenticity is your definition. An anagram (baffling) of ME and LIARS.
20	MORAL - Definition is right. ORAL (the OU French exam I have next week!) following M (first letter of Maths).
22	THIGH - Part of the leg is the definition. T (temperature) + HIGH (much above normal).
23	NOT HALF - Another double definition clue, with a cryptic half. What Alan Freeman used to say when he meant he couldn't agree more is also anything up to (and beyond) 50 per cent.

Down
1	ACID - Very bitter is the definition. A + CID (group of investigators).
2	PIAZZA - (Italian) square is your definition. PIZZA (round dish) around A.
3	SPRY - Active is the definition. S (small) + PRY (to nose).
4	PRONOUNCEMENT - Statement is the definition. PRONOUN (grammatical term) + CEMENT (stick).
5	BRUNETTE - Not fair! is the slightly devious definition. BRUTE (beast) with NET (trap) inside.
6	ENIGMA - I suppose you could have cryptic or puzzle as your definition, but in the interests of accuracy puzzle is the correct one. An anagram (CRYPTIC) of GAME IN. Nice clue.
7	TEENAGER - And another anagram. Youngster is the deifnition. An anagram (brewing) of GREEN TEA.
12	CONCRETE - Real is the definition. CON (hox) + CRETE (Greek island).
13	EYESIGHT - The Last One In today and probably the most difficult. Faculty is the definition. Checking my dictionaries it's a power and as a certain lady solving chum pointed out think of the expression "all one's faculties". Be interested to hear what you thought. YES (absolutely!) inside EIGHT (crew).
16	BEAT IT - As with 17, this could probably have been clued differently in certain publications like Private Eye. Another double definition with one half cryptic, again the question mark tells you that you need to think out of the box a little. If you were to behave like a small garden bird (BE A TIT) you'd get a phrase meaning to vamoose, if you slightly adjust the spacing.
18	VERBAL - Insult is the definition. Hidden in the word oVERBALanced.
20	MATE - Double definition. The way a chess game normally ends and a word meaning pal.
21	LEFT - Another d/d to finish. I'm assuming the "was" here goes with Socialist, otherwise "was shown the door" doesn't mean left.

26110 The tale of the fretful porpentine

May. 28th, 2015 at 3:24 AM

times_xwd_times

z8b8d8k

I completed this in 21.37, stopping on the way to make sure everything was properly accounted for. My unimpeachable general knowledge, some of it remembered, will explain to those of you who know not Miss Joan Hunter-Dunn (for example), the place she holds in military history and the Great Sceme of Things, and to residents of New South Wales why they need not be choking over their tinnies after all. There are some parochialisms knocking around to be sure, and a couple of hints that we have a setter to whom certain religious phrases are commonplace, and who expects his/her solvership to be familiar with them, 19th century novels and politicians, but generally speaking the answers are safely guessable from the wordplay or the definition. I haven't spotted any themes or hidden messages, and it's no-one's pangram, but I enjoyed it.

Here are the fruits of my labours

Across

1 DEBATES discussions
A nice tap-in to start with, Times are DATES, used here to cover a reversed BE, live with a short I to be detached from "discussions".
2 ALCOPOP flavoured spirit.
Primarily for those who seek the relaxing effect of strong drink but are philistine about its taste. Busy is 19th century slang for a policemen, hence COP, which occupies A LOP, deriving from prune. Is it true they now do fruit flavoured Fozzies?
9 BOTANY BAY Distant sound.
Let's get the word play out of the way. BOT is larva (here, anyway) and some bark provides ANY BAY, the latter in connecton with dogs and moons. To those of you who live close enough to the Australian version to consider it a mere kangaroo's hop away, I offer you Botany Bayin the middle of Enfield Chase which I could poke with a ten mile stick. It may be difficult to interpret it as a sound (except on Tuesday nights when the Bay Jazz Club is in full - um - swing), but it's a helluva long way from you guys.
10 BLUER more liable to cuts
Bluer scripts have words in them of which Auntie (this crossword, passim) might disapprove and therefore subject to cuts. To blue is also to squander (many consider it should be blow) and a big spender puts a generous tip of an R on the end.
11 RUCHE flounce
A frilly attachment. Game is (as often) R(ugby) U(nion), add CHE, not the revolutionary, but a CHEF missing F(ollowing). Note to setters: you see, it doesn't have to be Sr Guevera
12 LETTER BOX One receiving election leaflets, say
(Re-) design TO TREBLE and pencil your X in the preferred square.
13 AT ONE'S WITS' END being lost?
Careful separation needed. Makes good: ATONES. Sense: WIT. Drive: SEND. Assemble and redivide appropriately
17 SURROUND SOUND that comes from hi-fi.
Anything that SURROUNDs is ringing, and noise just gives you the rest. A decent &lit.
21 BEELZEBUBevil one.
If this had been TLS you'd have just got "Golding's god?" or such. It's the onomatopoeic offensive punning name that the Hebrews gave to the one of the Philistine gods which renders it as "Lord of the Flies", adapted in NT times as yet another name for the Prince of Demons, almost certainly a Bad Lot, Oh yes, the wordplay. Auntie is one of the affectionate names Brits give to the BBC, Another, used here to contain L(arge) and ZEBU (an ox of some sort), is the BEEB.
24 EYRIE elevated retreat
Jane Eyre was the ~~housekeeper~~ ~~to Mr Rochester~~ governess to Mr Rochester's ward, Adele Varens - see discussion below. I, and the setter, stand corrected.. You may conclude from her famous line "reader, I married him" how this proto M&B saga worked out. Visit her surname with a 1

25 LOIRE a foreign banker
Something with banks. "See that passion" translates to LO! IRE!
26 LAST TRUMP a blast to wake the dead.
The literal is much easier than the cryptic, but the latter goes Notes: LAS (dos-res-mis, etc) on the wagon: TT (teetotaller) and behind: RUMP. Chambers, I think, cracks one of its little jokes when it gives teetotaller:n a total abstainer; a principle, movement or pledge of total abstinence (rare).
My choir is giving a performance of the Verdi Requiem, which includes one of the the two great Last Trumps. 4th July Walthamstow Assembly Hall. Not all that far from Botany Bay.

27 ASTUTER more perceptive
Not a word that should be allowed to exist. AS (when) and (teacher) TUTOR when (out)spoken.
28 NON-SKID keeping slippers away (geddit?
S(on) is concealed within NON-KID, therefore adult.

Down

1 DO BIRD have time to serve
More slang for a prison term. Cook: DO. Turkey, maybe {BIRD)
2 BATH CHAIR One getting pushed.
A university professorship might also be so termed, if the Uni was West Country. Bath Chairs were forerunners of wheelchairs. Lord Chatterley had one with a small (and largely ineffective) motor.
3 TANGELO Cross
I.e. a hybrid. TAN is amber (at least the fake version worn by b list celebrities is) and O is ring. Insert GEL for set.
4 SUBALTERN One wanting Miss Hunter-Dunn
Advance SUB, change ALTER, N(ame). Miss Joan Hunter Dunn was the love interest in John' Betjeman's " A Subaltern's Love Song". Both Miss J and Betjeman's infatuation with her were real.
5 AS YETup to now
Like legendary creature: AS YET(i), plus some padding
6 COBBETT Old radical campaigner
Take H(usband) out of TO THE BBC and then "broadcast" it. Worth checking at least his Wiki page. His sometime pseudonym (much needed) was Peter Porcupine.
7 PLUMB Sound
As in ...the depths. And bang as in ...on. Model laconic clue.
8 PEROXIDE very fair
As in ...blonde. Does this count as the chemistry clue? A gives PER, poem ODE, insert team XI.
14 WASH BASIN sink
Sort of lead is HB (think pencils) and "used to be bad" gives WAS A SIN. Assemble.
15 EIDER DUCK That could get you down!
Think feathers and antique duvets. In the interests of economy, today's cricket clue and rhotic-ignoring homophone are combined. What did you score Brad/Jimmy/Gary/Mark/Tom?
16 ISABELLA Girl
An anagram of LIABLE (sadly) with an insertion of "it", in this case S(ex) A(ppeal) See above, Miss joan H-D.
18 OOZIEST most muddy
As well gives TOO, which "climbs" to contain a shortened (and also inverted) form of SEIZ(e), to catch.
19 UNEATEN Left
"Bureau finally" gives the U to decorate the top of NEATEN, tidy.
20 TEMPED moved between posts?
Today's every other letter clue: sTrEaM sPrEaD
22 EDICT order
Today's (reverse) hidden, in eighT CIDEr. "Bottles" the containment indicator, the one which I often miss.
23 BALER Farm machinery
Better suited might be ABLER. As instructed, move the "roof" of B(arn)

Times 26109 - make a short story out of this!

May. 27th, 2015 at 10:16 AM

times_xwd_times

pipkirby

Fearing another vintage torture session alongside a Championship Qualifier, I was relieved - or even a little disappointed - to receive this relatively straightforward but enjoyable puzzle, solved in 20 minutes over the tea and toast.
There's quite a wild collection of nouns in these answers; I started to speculate about the short story you could come up with, if instructed to use as many of these words as possible in it; drugs, toilets, dodgy trousers, a vertically challenged artist, seductive women... best entry wins a turn head-first down 27a? [enough - Ed.]

Across
1	SUPPORTER - SUP = drink, PORTER = a drink, def. one behind another, a backer.
6	TURIN - TURN = go, around the I of Italy; Turin or Torino was the first capital city of Italy from its proclamation in 1861 and in my experience has the best restaurants in the country.
9	GANJA - NAG = horse, reversed GAN, JA = yes in German etc., def. drug; marijuana, pot, weed, cannabis, especially so-called in the Caribbean.
10	BRAINLESS - B = ultimately dumb; RAINLESS = clear; &lit.
11	TOULOUSE-LAUTREC - TOULOUSE = European city, (CLARET U)*; I can recommend a visit to the T-L Museum in Albi, just up the road from Toulouse.
13	LANDLORD - LAND = to catch, 'supposedly drunk' = drunk as a LORD; def. innkeeper.
14	TENDON - TENON = part of a joint, insert D for died, def. tissue.
15	OEUVRE - The LOUVRE = museum, not initialled = remove the L, insert E = heading for exhibition; def. work of art. Old French word for work.
18	LAVATORY - LAVA = hot flower, TORY = blue, def. for the Ladies, perhaps. I spent a minute or two thinking H - river - loo before the penny (to spend) dropped.
21	PITHECANTHROPUS - (NAP THE COURTSHIP), anagrind 'sadly'. Java Man, homo erectus*, hence 'old man'.
23	NEW JERSEY - Double definition; US State, and a possible new 'top'. From Top Shop, perhaps.
25	BAKER - BANKER = financier loses N = unspecified amount; def. one making a bloomer? A bloomer being a type of loaf.
26	SEWER - Double definition, different pronunciations.
27	CRESTA RUN - (AS CURRENT)*, anagrind 'swirls'. I suspect 'thrilling' descent is an understatement.

Down
1	SIGHT - Sounds like 'site'; or even 'cite' (see below); a faculty or sense.
2	PENGUIN SUIT - Cryptic definition, nickname for a dinner jacket.
3	ON A ROLL - Double definition.
4	TO BE SURE - (TRUE SO HE)*, anagrind curious; def. certainly. Bit of a weak anagram. In 14 years living in Ireland I can't once remember a local saying 'to be sure' once, never mind twice (as in the yellow lines joke).
5	REALLY - Cryptic double definition, of a sort.
6	TONSURE - TON = heavy weight, SURE = certain, def. severe haircut.
7	RUE - ROUE = philanderer, remove O = love; def. cry over.
8	NOSE CANDY - NO, SEC = little time, AND = with, Y = end of February, def. snow, cocaine, blow.
12	RED-HOT POKER - RED-HOT = passionate, POKER = game, def. one bedded. Kniphofia, a flower often found in beds and crosswords.
13	LOON PANTS - LOTS = many, 'clothes' ON PAN = on youthful boy, LO(ON PAN)TS; def. seventies fashion; ridiculous looking trousers, now you see the photos, although at the time we thought they were pretty cool.
15	CAT THYME - (AM TETCHY); def. plant. Teucrium Marum*, for those who like to know these things; not a true thyme, a relative of germander, supposed to deter cats.
17	ROE DEER - Sounds like 'row, dear'; def. Bambi. Worth a groan.
19	ACROBAT - A CROAT, insert B = bishop; def. one taking a tumble?
20	PARSEC - PARSE = dissect, C = speed of light; def. a measure of astronomy. A parsec is the distance from the Sun to an astronomical object that has a parallax angle of one arcsecond; about 31 trillion kilometres. Our nearest star Proxima Centauri is about 1.3 parsecs away.
22	SIREN - SIRE = father, N = Brown's ultimate; def. charmer.
24	WOW - Palindrome, def. incredible!

Quick Cryptic Number 317 by Tracey

May. 27th, 2015 at 1:35 AM

times_xwd_times

william_j_s

I hope I’m not alone in finding this one quite tricky. There is plenty to get you started, including several short answers and two hidden words (although one is cleverly obfuscated by brackets), and yet this means bouncing all over the grid without really getting a foothold anywhere. 8ac is especially devious, in that it includes an unusual synonym in its wordplay and a definition that I am still to encounter outside of crossword-land. I am indebted to my friend Francesca Arnold for introducing me to both the vegetable and its alternative name at 22ac; those of you who do not know Fran, or are less familiar with West African cuisine, may have found that one slightly harder. Then there’s a socialite that required looking up post-solve.

I hope the rest makes sense! Definitions underlined.

Across
3	A grim terribly ancient plant (8)
	MARIGOLD - anagram of (terribly) A GRIM plus OLD (ancient).
7	This helps one to see in garret (in attic) (6)
	RETINA - hidden in garRET (IN Attic).
8	Cautious bringing in youth as cleaner (8)
	CHARLADY - CHARY (cautious) surrounding (bringing in) LAD (youth).
9	Did battle, reportedly, in old trading station (4)
	FORT - homophone of (reportedly) “fought” (did battle).
10	In favour of concert being shortened (3)
	PRO - shortened PROm (concert).
11	Man perhaps after fine knitwear pattern (4,4)
	FAIR ISLE - ISLE (of Man, for example) after FAIR (fine, like the weather).
13	Tots turn over (4)
	NIPS - SPIN (turn) reversed (over).
15	Helpful hint about river excursion (4)
	TRIP - TIP (helpful hint) surrounding R (river).
17	Word puzzle bringing on a vexed moment, by the sound of it (8)
	ACROSTIC - homophone of (by the sound of it) “a cross tick” (a vexed moment).
19	A record for a high mountain (3)
	ALP - A with LP (long play, record).
22	Fine artist depicting ladies' fingers (4)
	OKRA - OK (fine) plus RA (Royal Academician, artist).
23	I haven't a clue what suspicious customs officer might do (6,2)
	SEARCH ME - double definition.
24	Distant meteor disintegrated (6)
	REMOTE - anagram of (disintegrated) METEOR.
25	Fired back in the course of fight — not with this weapon! (8)
	STILETTO - LIT (fired) reversed (back) inside (in the course of) SET-TO (fight). One cannot ‘fire back’ with a dagger.

Down
1	Elegant socialite being broadcast (8)
	DEBONAIR - DEB (debutante, socialite) ON AIR (being broadcast).
2	Very cold beer (6)
	BITTER - double definition.
3	Man's first card, a club (4)
	MACE - first letter of Man, plus ACE (card).
4	Show up again to gather fruit (8)
	REAPPEAR - REAP (to gather) and PEAR (fruit).
5	Liquid measure, litre, held by girl, working (6)
	GALLON - L (litre) inside GAL (girl) and ON (working).
6	Ballad about duke and lord's wife (4)
	LADY - LAY (ballad) around D (duke).
12	Photograph game attacked with gun (8)
	SNAPSHOT - SNAP (game) plus SHOT (attacked with gun).
14	In religious house it is something given special attention (8)
	PRIORITY - inside PRIORY (religious house), IT.
16	Police using bad PR a lot (6)
	PATROL - anagram of (bad) PR A LOT.
18	Passionate romance captivating millions (6)
	STORMY - STORY (romance, for example) surrounding (captivating) M (millions).
20	Told to go with group touring North (4)
	SENT - SET (group) around N (north).
21	Emperor in Wagner opera (4)
	NERO - hidden in wagNER Opera.

Quick Cryptic No 316 by Hurley

May. 26th, 2015 at 9:48 AM

times_xwd_times

chrisw91

Two long anagrams, an unusual instrument and a great clue at 20ac add interest and challenge. Congrats to Norwich City for their success yesterday (commiserations to Boro) - I don't think I can blame the celebrations for all my slowness today.

A note to bloggers:
1. I couldn't find today's crossword in advance.
2. I will be away next week where wifi is extremely unlikely - could someone please cover for me?

Definitions underlined, cd=cryptic definition, dd=double definition, deletions ~~CROSSED OUT~~

Across
1 Troubled co-star shunning second player? (5)
ACTOR - Anagram (troubled) of COSTAR without the second (S).
4 Publicise drink additive? (6)
SPLASH - dd. The first is (transitive) to print (a story or photograph) prominently in a newspaper, the second is the splash of soda in whisky - not enough of the former in too much of the latter caused some of my problems today.
9 Enemy of wood in school time, biter at heart? (7)
TERMITE - School time (TERM), bITEr.
10 Time and volition to get fabric (5)
TWILL - Time (T), volition (WILL).
11 Intimidate farm animal (3)
COW - dd.
12 One acting desultorily, Harry meeting Queen? (8)
POTTERER - Harry POTTER, ER. I may be one of these round the garden today.
15 Creed (Lord’s one) converted this group? (8,5)
ENCLOSED ORDER - &lit and anagram (converted) of CREED LORDS ONE.
17 Newspaper I am getting in healthy period of rest (4-4)
HALF TIME - Newspaper (FT) and I ~~(ME)~~ I'M inside HALE - after which BORO put on a strong performance and were unlucky not to score.
18 Not quite mature, move rapidly (3)
RIP - RIPe.
20 Group that remains identified by ethnicity first of all (5)
TRIBE - Took ages to see - first letters of That Remains Identified By Ethnicity. Lovely surface and my COD.
22 Portion of cosmetic henna in Madras once (7)
CHENNAI - Cosmeti(C HENNA I)n.
23 Private investigator to think highly of law-breaker? (6)
PIRATE - Private Investigator (PI), RATE.
24 Your old extremely mature shrub (5)
THYME - Old version on your (THY), M~~ature~~E.

Down
1 One criticising later, losing head about cheap stuff (8)
ATTACKER - LATER around TACK.
2 Flummox heartless tough — dispute follows (5)
THROW - T~~oug~~H ROW.
3 One painting home first to praise high point resistant to moisture (9)
RAINPROOF - RA is often the Egyptian Sun God in crosswordland who, if he had painted, would, I'm sure, have been welcomed into the Royal Academy of Arts (RA), home (IN), (P)raise, point (ROOF) - a highest or topmost point or part ⇒ Mount Everest is the roof of the world.
5 Advice about mine (3)
PIT - TIP backwards.
6 Some attendees in atrium brought up spicy item? (7)
ANISEED - Atten(DEES IN A)trium backwards.
7 Hearts on top of tree — leadership position (4)
HELM - Hearts (H), ELM.
8 Principal feature of abnormally nice peer, etc (11)
CENTREPIECE - Anagram (abnormally) of NICE PEER ETC.
13 Running away to join up? Open, let me out! (9)
ELOPEMENT - Anagram (out) of OPEN LET ME. Another great clue.
14 Chart — it’s associated with English form of carbon (8)
GRAPHITE - Chart (GRAPH), IT, E.
16 Instrument in car I’ve adapted safeguarding learner (7)
CLAVIER - Anagram (adapted) of CAR IVE plus learner (L). It is any keyboard instrument or the keyboard itself.
18 Lacking consistency — amusing with beginning changed (5)
RUNNY - Amusing (fUNNY) with a different first letter.
19 Discontinue street work (4)
STOP - ST, OP.
21 Consume beef, say, when starter’s off? (3)
EAT - MEAT.

Times Cryptic 26108

May. 26th, 2015 at 1:53 AM

times_xwd_times

jackkt

Once again I thought I was in for a tricky solve as I read through many a clue before finding an answer that leapt to mind at 5dn, but as I progressed it came together very nicely and I completed the grid in 40 minutes. I don’t seem to have a lot to say today so I won't waste time saying it.

{deletions}, [indicators] and definitions - where indicated

Across
1	SUBTERRANEAN - ERRAN{d} (mission) inside ET+BUS (alien + vehicle - reversed), then A, N (new)
9	POSER - Double definition
10	PLANT LICE - PLAN (system), T (tons), L (left), ICE (freeze). I didn't know this species.
11	INDUSTRY - {b}IND (difficulty), US (American), TRY (endeavour)
12	APACHE - PA (old man) reversed, ACHE (long)
13	MUTE SWAN - SET+UM (group + hesitant utterance) reversed, WAN (looking sickly)
15	ASCEND - AS (when), C (clubs), END (close)
17	DREAMY - AM (before noon) inside DREY (nest - that of a squirrel)
18	INVOICES - CE (church) inside anagram [changed] of VISION,
20	TWO-WAY - WOW (success) inside TAY (river)
21	MICAWBER - MI (note), then W (wife) inside CABER (pole tossed). Definition: Hired clerk. Wilkins Micawber is employed by Uriah Heep in Dickens' David Copperfield.
24	CANDIDATE - CA (about), anagram [nuts] of DIET AND
25	TINGE - TIN (element), GE (germanium)
26	CONCERT PITCH - CON (cheat), CERT (sure to win), P (power), ITCH (yearning). In addition to its literal meaning in music this can be used figuratively (as here) to mean a heightened state of readiness.

Down
1	SOPHISM - OP (work) inside S{c}HISM (separation)
2	BESIDE THE POINT - SIDE (aspect) inside BET (opinion), anagram [demolished] of PITH ONE
3	EARNS - EAR (attention), N/S (non-smoking -as used in personal ads)
4	RIPARIAN - I{nvestigation} + PARI{s} (capital) inside RAN (hastened). Definition: of bank, with reference to rivers and streams.
5	NEAT - {i}N{t}E{r}A{c}T
6	ANTIPASTO - ANTI (opponent), PAST (finished), O (old)
7	KITCHEN CABINET - Anagram [crooked] of CHECK BAIT IN, then NET (trap)
8	BEHELD - HE+L (man + left) inside BED (layer)
14	SIMPATICO - IMP (spirit) inside anagram [funny] of CAST I, then 0 (love)
16	ENGINEER - GIN (spirit) inside {v}ENEER (pretence)
17	DETACH - C (cape) inside HATED (disliked) reversed
19	SCREECH - SCREE (rock), CH (companion - of honour)
22	ACT UP - A, CT (court), UP (in front of a judge)
23	TALC - A (area) inside TLC (sympathetic treatment - Tender Loving Care)

Times 26107 - Over and over, more or less

May. 25th, 2015 at 1:33 AM

times_xwd_times

vinyl1

Solving time: 23 minutes

Music: Mozart, Sinfonia Concertante, Davis/LSO.

We're back to the easy Monday mode, with many of the clues being chestnuts that I was unfortunately very slow to recognize. My LOI was particularly galling, as it is a stock clue if there ever was one.

I have not been solving or posting much lately, owing to summer activities such as golfing and travelling. On my last junket, I took six unsolved Guardian puzzles with me, and only had time for one, so I am getting further and further behind. At least I am nearly caught up with the Times, although the May 19th puzzle threw me for a loop. Xyster, indeed!

Across
1	VANITY, VA(N.I)T + Y.
4	SARAJEVO, SARA + JE + V[ery] O[ld]..
9	ROTUNDA, sounds like WROTE UNDER for you non-rhotic chaps.
11	ATTACHE, CAT backwards in A + THE.
12	IDYLL, backwards hidden in [rea]LLY DI[slike], an apt clue for those who read Tennyson as 14-year-olds.
13	TENTACLED, TEN + TAC[k]LED.
14	HEADSTRONG, anagram of ORGAN[i]ST + HE'D.
16	OPUS, O + PUS[s].
19	DALI, DA(L)I. However, if you check with the Office Of National Statistics, you'll find that you are far more likely to encounter a boy named Oliver or Jacob in modern-day Wales.
20	AFFABILITY, A + F + F + ABILITY.
22	DYSPEPSIA, anagram of PEPYS SAID, rather obvious because PEP stays together.
23	LIMBO, L(I'M + B[eing])O.
25	TSUNAMI, ST backwards + UN AMI.
26	NIBLICK, BIN backwards + LICK, biffed in by me.
27	DRY STONE, DR(anagram of STY)ONE.
28	URGENT, UR GENT, unfortunately my LOI.

Down
1	VARNISHED, VA(R)NISHED.
2	NATTY, N + A(T,T)Y.
3	TUNELESS, anagram of LUST SEEN.
5	AGAIN AND AGAIN, A GAIN AND A GAIN.
6	ASTRAY, AS[h]TRAY, a chestnut.
7	EUCALYPTI, anagram of CUTE PLAY + I.
8	OREAD, cryptic definition, with 'fell' as one of the identically-spelt substantives, in this case an upland plateau.
10	AFTER A FASHION, double definition.
15	AYLESBURY, sounds like ALES + BURY.
17	SKYROCKET, S(KY R)OCKET. How McConnell was re-elected?
18	MILLIBAR, sounds like MILLIE + BAR.
21	PEDANT, P + DANTE with the last letter moved to the top.
22	DATED, double defintion..
24	MAINE, MA IN E. Since Maine is an Eastern state, this is not a particularly deceptive clue.

Quick Cryptic 315 by Joker

May. 25th, 2015 at 12:07 AM

times_xwd_times

mohn2

Today is the Spring bank holiday in the UK, though the rest of the world shouldn't feel left out as there's a preponderance of other observances to occupy one's time, including Africa Day, Geek Pride Day, Towel Day (Douglas Adams fans), and National Tap Dance Day (US only) - take your pick.

I will venture to suggest that this is on the easier side of things for a Quicky, with no complicated constructions or obscure vocabulary - perhaps with the exception of parts of the wordplay to 11A and 2D. My COD is 10A.

Definitions are underlined.

The puzzle can be found here if you're having trouble accessing it through the Times website: http://feeds.thetimes.co.uk/timescrossword/20150525/5660/ For some reason, as of time of writing this link doesn't show the setter's name so I'll add that into the title when I know who it is.

Across
1	Returned pet I had with little enthusiasm (5)
	TEPID - reversal (Returned) of PET, + I'D (I had)
8	Stand for sappers here (9)
	REPRESENT - RE (sappers, i.e. Royal Engineers) + PRESENT (here)
9	Olympian character of some games (5)
	OMEGA - hidden in (of) sOME GAmes. Here, "Olympian character" means a letter that would be used by someone from Olympia in Greece.
10	Los Angeles - less than clean (7)
	LAUNDER - LA (Los Angeles) + UNDER (less than). LA doesn't have the greatest air quality, giving some extra meaning to the surface reading.
11	Proper information the telly regularly provides (7)
	GENTEEL - GEN (information) + ThE tElLy (regularly, i.e. taking alternate letters)
12	Finding time going very quickly (7)
	TRACING - T (time) + RACING (going very quickly)
16	Greatly anger old wandering Tuareg (7)
	OUTRAGE - O (old) + anagram (wandering) of TUAREG. Not that it's necessary to know this, but a Tuareg is a North African nomad so the surface comes together well. Volkswagen named their Touareg SUV after the Tuareg people.
17	Ban joint accommodation for soldiers (7)
	BARRACK - BAR (Ban) + RACK (joint, as in a rack of lamb)
20	Joint deposit needs arranging (7)
	TOPSIDE - anagram (needs arranging) of DEPOSIT. Two joints in a row.
22	Where gladiators fought a long time back (5)
	ARENA - reversal (back) of AN ERA (a long time). A nice surface.
23	Took legal action about dye that's continually running (9)
	SUSTAINED - SUED (Took legal action) about STAIN (dye)
24	At least twenty-four months is a long time (5)
	YEARS - a slightly weak double definition, the first based on the fact that in order to have years (plural) you need to have at least 24 months. I find this perhaps a little too closely related to the second definition.

Down
1	The height of negligible garments, primarily? (5)
	THONG - initial letters (primarily) of The Height Of Negligible Garments. A kind of &lit. Maybe not the time or the place to get into the old "Is a g-string the same as a thong?" debate. Possible confusion here for those readers from parts of the world where thongs are flip-flops.
2	Expecting president's first ruling (8)
	PREGNANT - P (president's first, i.e. the first letter of president) + REGNANT (ruling)
3	Duck daughter becoming linked to libertine (5)
	DRAKE - D (daughter) + RAKE (libertine). Duck is used in the generic case here, rather than to indicate a female.
4	Upset the runners and give the game away (5,3,5)
	SPILL THE BEANS - double definition, the first cryptic in that it's referring to runner beans rather than runner athletes
5	Examination of South American country girl (7)
	PERUSAL - PERU (South American country) + SAL (girl)
6	Visibly embarrassed about a book? (4)
	READ - RED (Visibly embarrassed) about A. In the sense of "That was a good read".
7	Shop holding silver in warehouse space (7)
	STORAGE - STORE (Shop) around (holding) AG (silver)
13	American working where judges sometimes sit (2,6)
	IN CAMERA - anagram (working) of AMERICAN. A judge is in camera if they are conducting some part of a case in a room in which neither the public nor the press are permitted entry. This anagram was also used in Quicky 255 in March.
14	Dispute argument against trial (7)
	CONTEST - CON (argument against - think pros and cons) + TEST (trial)
15	See Value Added Tax put on one tin (7)
	VATICAN - VAT (Value Added Tax) + I (one) + CAN (tin). A see is a bishop's jurisdiction. In Crosswordland it's usually Ely, simply because that's a handy set of letters for a compiler, but in this case it's the Vatican, which is often called the Holy See (though I don't think that strictly speaking they're the same thing).
18	Easily obtained cash (5)
	READY - double definition
19	Beginning of English task involved poet (5)
	KEATS - anagram (involved) of E (Beginning of English, i.e. the first letter of English) + TASK, for the poet who gave us Ode to a Nightingale, To Autumn, On First Looking into Chapman's Homer, and many others.
21	Propose getting rid of one job (4)
	POST - POS{I}T (Propose) without the I (getting rid of one)

Times Jumbo 1147 (Bank Holiday) - placeholder

May. 24th, 2015 at 10:55 PM

times_xwd_times

topicaltim

Noting that tomorrow is a bank holiday made me realise I lost track of the Jumbo schedule, i.e. I haven't yet posted the blog for the May day holiday puzzle, so apologies, it will appear asap.

Sunday Times 4642 by Tim Moorey

May. 24th, 2015 at 1:00 AM

times_xwd_times

keriothe

15:27. I spent over half of this time staring at 19ac. I came up with what turned out to be the answer very quickly, but I couldn't justify it in any way so I spent ages trying to come up with something else. In the end I looked at a list of English racecourses on Wikipedia to get the answer and bunged it in, still baffled by the definition. A very strange clue in an otherwise very easy puzzle and all in all not my most satisfying solve of 2015. I liked 3dn though.

Across
1	After tahini spread, I put out chicken
	FAINT-HEART - (AFTER TAHINi)*.
6	Slight sound of drinking reduced
	SLUR - SLURp.
10	Volume of touching literature given precedence
	LITRE - RE (touching) with LIT before it ('given precedence').
11	Aid heaving invalid after losing his head?
	GIVE A HAND - (AiD HEAVING)*. The letter to remove is the head of 'invalid'. &Lit.
12	Guard parking in front of special area
	PRESERVE - P, RESERVE (special area).
13	Love excellent final letter
	OMEGA - O (love), MEGA (wicked, sick, awesome, excellent).
15	About time to leave messy plates in sink again
	RELAPSE - RE, (PLAtES)*. This is the third clue in this puzzle that is an anagram of a set of words from which you have to remove one letter.
17	Comedian Laurel maybe seen at Irish party
	STAND-UP - STAN (Laurel maybe), DUP.
19	DJ coming from English racecourse, one's heard
	TOASTER - according to ODO a TOASTER is 'a DJ who accompanies reggae with improvised rhythmic speech'. And Towcester is a racecourse in England that is pronounced 'toaster'. If like me you don't possess either of these rather esoteric pieces of knowledge, you've got a problem. A clue that appears designed to catch people out.
21	Leaves food in part
	BEATS IT - B(EATS)IT.
22	Writer returning, put a question after answer
	AESOP - POSE (put a question) reversed after A (answer).
24	Eastern oil company cutting pay for internet content
	WEB PAGE - W(E, BP)AGE.
27	Specially treated in a hostelry? They may be
	THE ROYALS - (A HOSTELRY)*. A semi-&Lit in which the definition needs the rest of the clue to make sense.
28	Brave leaving hospital quickly
	APACE - APAChE.
29	Gambling resort from which a single rupee may be brought back!
	RENO - reversal of ONE, R (rupee). My knowledge of RENO comes from Dr Seuss: On a mountain, halfway between Reno and Rome, We have a machine in a plexiglass dome Which listens and looks into everyone’s home. And whenever it sees a new sleeper go flop, It jiggles and lets a new Biggel-Ball drop. Is it just me or does that sound like the NSA?
30	Struggled again losing millions in a racket
	BATTLEDORE - BATTLED mORE. I know this term from the book The Three Little Wolves and the Big Bad Pig: at one point the three little wolves are playing battledore and shuttlecock in their garden. You should by now be developing a good idea of the kind of stuff I read.

Down
1	Nice son giving money for Iraqis
	FILS - did anyone put this in from the definition?
2	Among others, where Nato’s placed in Anatolia
	INTER ALIA - because in Anatolia NATO is placed in the middle of ALIA. Not to be confused with INTER ALIOS.
3	Time to get even with society?
	TEENS - T, E'EN, S. A very nice &Lit.
4	Fencing position essential to hidden garden
	EN GARDE - contained in hidden garden.
5	Are topless wives out for critical periodicals?
	REVIEWS - (aRE WIVES)*. And there's another one.
7	Time off in Split, not cold
	LEAVE - cLEAVE.
8	English racecourse favourites may be what 27 enjoy
	RED CARPETS - REDCAR (an English racecourse I have heard of), PETS.
9	Wide-angle view of parents holding girl
	PANORAMA - PA(NORA)MA.
14	Muscle shown by expert on farm vehicle
	PROTRACTOR - PRO (expert), TRACTOR.
16	Accommodate patient fellow in dishonest work
	PUT-UP JOB - JOB is a term for a very patient person, after JOB, noted for doing patient stuff in the Book of JOB, which is in the Bible. The old bit I think.
18	Reckless person’s turn of speed on cobbled road
	DESPERADO - (SPEED), (ROAD). A DESPERADO is of course a person characterised by a tendency to ride fences and a consequent need to come to his or her senses.
20	A little fighting written up in information being analysed?
	RAW DATA - reversal of A TAD WAR.
21	Take care of issue raised by neighbour?
	BABYSIT - CD.
23	Hank, one German to support limits in savings bank
	SKEIN - EIN underneath (supporting) S~~avings ban~~K. I'm sure I wasn't along in putting this in from wordplay, which fortunately was clear. A HANK is a 'coil or skein of a specified length', according to Chambers.
25	Saw mature publicity first
	ADAGE - AD before AGE.
26	Lady’s close for the present
	HERE - HER (lady's), thE.

Mephisto 2855 - Paul McKenna

May. 24th, 2015 at 12:49 AM

times_xwd_times

glheard

I have a closing night tonight and won't get this done until early-afternoon Sunday UK time. Feel free to query below, the hive mind of Mephisto solvers I'm sure will assist.

Hope nobody was seriously inconvenienced by my poor scheduling choices.

Paul McKenna has again taken us on a wild ride through the nether and classical regions of Chambers, since I was solving with an eye to blogging later on I made more notes than usual of wordplay elements I was not familiar with.

Away we go...

Across
1	I SHOULD COCOA: IS, OULD, COCOA containing H
10	STRAW POLLS: SLOP(cassock),W,ARTS containing L all reversed
11	EROTEMES: TEME(old word for TEAM) in EROS
13	CATENA: CAT(heavy tackle for lifting an anchor) then N in EA(river)
14	HOUR,I
16	BANDAR: RAD,NAB all reversed
17	E,GERS
18	SC,A,GLIA: been a while since I saw SC for SCULPSIT
20	ALP,AS TO: a little head-scratching but I guess mountains are referred to as male sometimes
22	SMELT: double definition
23	MI,AS,MS
26	SETAL: T~~(usk)~~ in SEAL
27	SHIPPO: SHIP then OP reversed
28	GATE-VEIN: (EG,NATIVE)*
29	DOCUDRAMA: DOC and DR containing U, then A(about),MAS(French Farm)
30	A,DAM,'S,FLANNEL

Down
1	ICE-CREAM SODA: (AMERICA,DOES)* surrounding C(cloudy)
2	SCRAG(throttle),G~~(rowl)~~,LIER
3	~~(p)~~OTTER
4	URENAS: U, R, then SANE reversed
5	LAMAIST: AM and A(afternoon) in LIST
6	DWEEB: BD(bound) reversed containing WEE
7	O,0,LONG
8	C,LOUD,LET
9	AS,PI,RATIONAL
12	TRAIL A PIKE: AIL,AP in TRIKE
15	HEPATICA: HEP(knowing), then ATTIC(pure) without 'T, A(acre)
19	COASTAL: COAL(char) with STA inside
21	AS,A,RUM: AS is a Roman unit of weight
22	SCHEMA: (CASH)* conatining 'EM
24	SCARF: triple definition
25	DIVAN: DIN containing VA~~(t)~~ - the council met on a sofa?

Saturday Times 26100 (16th May)

May. 23rd, 2015 at 10:32 AM

times_xwd_times

linxit

Solving time 12:15, helped by the two 15-letter answers going straight in. 1ac was tricky to parse and I had to wait until all the crossers were in. Some grammatical oddities in the grid - 28ac and 9dn are two examples of reduplication (something I came across on StackOverflow.com while looking for the answer to a technical programming problem - they have lists of other questions on the right which range from the esoteric "Is every closed curve in 3D a geodesic on a genus-0 surface?" to the bizarre "How do you fight a Nazghul?" One was "is there a name for words like chitchat, zigzag etc", so I followed the link to find out). Maybe there's also a word for words like 11ac, which look like their meaning! Answers on a postcard...

Across
1	In skipping tutorial, boy gets round girl (8)
	ROSEMARY - IN removed from SEMINAR (tutorial), inside ROY (boy).
5	Tyrant executes leading journalist coming from the East (6)
	DESPOT - TOPS (executes) ED (leading journalist) reversed (coming from the East).
10	Welsh actor eating fish and game in artists’ place ... (10,5)
	BURLINGTON HOUSE - BURTON (Welsh actor) around LING (fish) + HOUSE (game). Home of the Royal Academy.
11	... will dine out in posh eatery at last, awkwardly (10)
	UNWIELDILY - (will dine)* inside U (posh), Y (last letter of eatery).
13	At school it may be called a cylindrical moulding (4)
	ROLL - double definition.
15	Occupied area of England once, and most of Wales, oddly (7)
	DANELAW - (and, Wale)*
17	Forth — a river surrounded by rolling downs? (7)
	ONWARDS - A + R(iver) inside (downs)*.
18	Sound made by simple feline, one living in burrow (7)
	MEERKAT - sounds like "mere cat" (simple feline).
19	Capricious European kings, Greek by the sound of it (7)
	ERRATIC - E(uropean) + RR (kings) + ATIC (sounds like ATTIC, Greek).
21	Cereal having a certain appeal before work (4)
	SAGO - SA (a certain appeal) + GO (work).
22	Adequate set of songs about youngster’s first transport (5,5)
	FAIRY CYCLE - FAIR (adequate) + CYCLE (set of songs) around Y(oungster). Apparently a small bike for children, so it's semi-&littish. Never heard the term before myself.
25	Chap with friend, one touring 10, a broadcasting centre once (9,6)
	ALEXANDRA PALACE - ALEX (chap) + AND (with) + PAL (friend) + ACE (one), all around RA (see 10ac). AKA the Ally Pally, former home of the BBC.
27	New judge attends function taking place in tower (6)
	DONJON - N(ew) + J(udge) inside DO (function), ON (taking place).
28	Husband long constrained by spiteful woman’s gossip (4-4)
	CHIT-CHAT - H(usband) + ITCH inside CAT (spiteful woman). I found out only yesterday that this is an example of an ablaut reduplication.

Down
1	Overthrow of monarch sure to have an adverse effect (7)
	REBOUND - ER (monarch) reversed + BOUND (sure).
2	Way to address gentleman convict finally released from jail? (3)
	SIR - T (last letter of convict) removed from STIR (jail).
3	Effeminate fellows accepting help, as it were (10)
	MAIDENLIKE - MEN (fellows) around AID (help) + LIKE (as it were).
4	Falsify papers for firm (5)
	RIGID - RIG (falsify) + ID (papers).
6	Genuine German dramatist, not British (4)
	ECHT - BRECHT (German dramatist), minus BR(itish). It could be argued that German is doing double duty here, but this German word's in my English dictionary and it means genuine.
7	Like a fat cat or dog roaming Arctic? (11)
	PLUTOCRATIC - PLUTO (dog) + (Arctic)*.
8	Archer is about right, training climbers on it (7)
	TRELLIS - TELL (archer) + IS around R(ight).
9	Porter, possibly, outside a large house where nuts may be stored (4-4)
	COAL-HOLE - COLE (Porter possibly) around A + L(arge) + HO(use). One definition of nut is "a small lump of coal". This is also a rhyming reduplication (see 28ac).
12	Shrub wife planted on grassy area south of Bury? (11)
	WINTERGREEN - W(ife) + GREEN (grassy area) underneath INTER (bury).
14	Way to frame remark about airmen’s proficiency in fencing? (10)
	SWORDCRAFT - ST (way) around WORD (remark) + C (circa, about) + RAF (airmen).
16	Moderate Tories protecting secure wildlife reserve (8)
	WETLANDS - WETS (moderate Tories) around LAND (secure).
18	Hot stuff gathered for inspection, do we hear? (7)
	MUSTARD - sounds like "mustered" (gathered for inspection).
20	Male Anglicans on time to welcome Liberal pope (7)
	CLEMENT - CE MEN (male Anglicans) + T(ime), around L(iberal). Any one of 14 popes, although the last one died in 1774.
23	Arrive at range (5)
	REACH - double definition.
24	Some cherish a longing for a saint’s aura (4)
	HALO - hidden in "cherish a longing"
26	Remains found in wood (3)
	ASH - double definition.

Jumbo 1148

May. 23rd, 2015 at 6:00 AM

times_xwd_times

sghanson

Nothing too tricky here. A couple of unfamiliar words (15A, 17A) and a few nice clues (37A in particular)

No solving time noted

Across
1 TEPID - TEP = PET = favourite, reversed, I.D. = papers
4 BRIEFED - BRIE FED = on a diet of French food
8 GASTROPUB - GAB = talk, around SPROUT*
13 IRONSTONE - IRON'S = club's, TONE = vocal sound
14 UNPUTDOWNABLE - UNABLE = powerless, around PUT DOWN = insult
15 GEORGIC - the sixth letter in beethOven, in GRIEG*, C = approximately. One I needed to look up to confirm
16 ESTELLA - hidden reversed in wALLETS Evidently
17 REIFIED - IF = poem, I, all surrounded by REED = plant
18 MECHANICAL ENGINEER - (CHINAMAN, NICE, LEG)*, E'ER = always
21 WHOA - WHO = question, A
23 BUTTERNUT - BUT = except, around UTTER = pure, N(ew)
25 THESIS - THE SIS(ter) = the relative
26 DIK-DIK - KID, KID = children, reversed
28 BLOOD-AND-GUTS - DAN = desperate man (see The Dandy comic), in (GOLD BUT SO)*
30 CHICKEN OUT - CHICKEN = meat, OUT = off
33 WASHINGTON - WING = branch, around ASH = tree, TON = heavy weight
34 UNPRODUCTIVE - (C(onservative) UP DRIVEN OUT)*
37 NUMBER - stunTWOman and wEIGHTlifter both contain hidden numbers. A clever clue
39 MEDINA - MED = sea, IN A = enclosed by a
40 INAMORATO - O.T. = old testament, A ROMAN = a latin, I(nscription), all reversed
42 THUG - TUG = boat, around H(orn)
43 NUDGE NUDGE WINK WINK, NUDE = without clothes, around G(ood), twice, then WINK, WINK = flashes
46 SATSUMA - SAT = school test, SUM = problem, A(nswer)
47 DEPOSIT - OP = work, ED(itor), all reversed, SIT = rest
48 ETHANOL - hidden reversed in ceyLON AH TEa
50 INCONVENIENCE - IN, CONVENIENCE = ladies or gentlemen
51 COUP D'ETAT - TATE = art gallery, DUO = pair, C(aught), all reversed around P(ower)
52 GREEN BELT - GREEN = simple, BELT = hit
53 ASTILBE - (ITS ABLE)*
54 WIDEN - W.I. = women's group, DEN = office

Down
1 THINGUMABOB - THIN = stick-like, BOB = man, around GUMA = A MUG = a face, reversed
2 PHOTO - PO = river, around HOT = on fire
3 DESIGNATED DRIVER - (SEDATED, GIN)*, DRIVER = club
4 BRONCHI - BRO = ORB = eye, reversed, INCH*
5 INELEGANT - GELATINE* around (fla)N
6 FOURTH ESTATE - FURTHEST = most distant, ATE = goddess, around O = zero
7 DAPPLE GREY - DREY = squirrel's nest, around APPLE = fruit, and (ba)G
8 GOTTA - OTT = too much, in GA = Georgia
9 SCOURGED - CO = carbon monoxide = exhaust gas, in SURGED = rushed
10 RENOIR - RE(d) = crimson, NOIR = black
11 PUBLISHED - PUSHED = forced, around B(ook) and LI(e) = story
12 BREADBASKET - BREAD = lolly, BET = chance, around ASK = appeal
19 CITROUS - (CROUT(on), IS)*
20 NEITHER - NETHER = infernal, around I = one
22 FIVE O'CLOCK SHADOW - cryptic definition
24 NONAGE - E.G. = here's an example, ANON = soon, all reversed
27 ACADIA - AC = account, A, DIA = AID = charity, reversed
29 GOOD EGG - double definition
31 ORIGAMI - OI = attention seeker, around RIGA = capital, M(aking)
32 INCANDESCENT - INCAN DESCENT = blood of old people. There was a similar clue in another crossword recently
33 WINE-TASTING - WIN = gather, ET = French "and", ASTI = Italian white, N.G. = no good
35 EXOSKELETON - EX = old, (KNEES TOO)*
36 GIANT PANDA - GIP = PIG = boar, around ANT = insect, AND = also, A
38 MOUSTACHE - H(orse), TAC = CAT = feline, all reversed in MOUSE = rodent
40 IDENTICAL - I = current, DENT = hole, I, CAL. = state
41 GUYANESE - GUY = man, AN, followed by initial letters of E(xtremely) S(uccessful) E(cuadorian)
44 ICE CUBE - I.E. = that is, around C = a hundred, CUBE = eight, perhaps
45 TURN IN - TURIN = European city, around (pensio)N
47 DRIFT - double definition
49 NOTED - double definition

Mephisto 2856 by Don Manley

Sunday Times 4643 by Jeff Pearce

Times Jumbo 1149

Saturday Times 26106 (23rd May)

Times 26,111: My Blog Has No Nose. How Does It Smell?

Club Monthly 20176 May 2015 - Mediterranean Edition

Quick Cryptic No 319 by Pedro

Times Quick Cryptic No 318 by Mara

26110 The tale of the fretful porpentine

Times 26109 - make a short story out of this!

Quick Cryptic Number 317 by Tracey

Quick Cryptic No 316 by Hurley

Times Cryptic 26108

Times 26107 - Over and over, more or less

Quick Cryptic 315 by Joker

Times Jumbo 1147 (Bank Holiday) - placeholder

Sunday Times 4642 by Tim Moorey

Mephisto 2855 - Paul McKenna

Saturday Times 26100 (16th May)

Jumbo 1148

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S	M	T	W	T	F	S
May 2015
					1	2
3	4	5	6	7	8	9
10	11	12	13	14	15	16
17	18	19	20	21	22	23
24	25	26	27	28	29	30
31