October 2nd, 2019
Introduction
This one took me 15 minutes, but that doesn't tell the whole story. I was done after only eight minutes, except for three clues in the upper-right corner: 9 Across, 11 Across, and 5 Down.
Last week I was laid low by a stomach bug, and am still feeling the effects of it at times. So, staring at those three clues, all I could feel was a terrible pressure in my forehead and didn't realize that I'd totally misparsed 9 Across. A full seven minutes later, with my head cleared, I realized my error, and finished the puzzle in a matter of seconds.
I confess that most of the answers went in barely having looked at the clues, so I'll be figuring out most of the wordplay as I write the blog.
( Read more...Collapse )A jolly puzzle of moderate difficulty, a little risqué at times, good for biffing and with a few clues a bit more tricky to explain. Some nice smooth surfaces, notably 17a, 20a, 28a. FOI was 1a and LOI was 21d. Around 19 or 20 minutes for me then a minute to parse 13a.
If it's not out of order to comment; I wouldn't be surprised to hear someone use the word at 11d in reference to the current PM, the Benn Act and a certain date, any time soon. Stormy weather ahead!
If it's not out of order to comment; I wouldn't be surprised to hear someone use the word at 11d in reference to the current PM, the Benn Act and a certain date, any time soon. Stormy weather ahead!
| Across | |
| 1 | Leader of Conservatives blocking change leads to dispute (11) |
| ALTERCATION - C inserted into ALTERATION = change. | |
| 7 | Cricket side jeer, opening pair having been dismissed (3) |
| OFF - SCOFF loses its opening 2 letters. OFF as opposed to ON. | |
| 9 | Point about much reduced page is so long (6-3) |
| TOODLE-PIP - TIP (point) goes around OODLE (oodles, much, reduced), and P for page. | |
| 10 | Affluent heiresses, in reduced circumstances, becoming possessive (5) |
| THEIR - Hidden in AFFLUEN(T HEIR)ESSES. | |
| 11 | Scoundrel climbed for wild plant (3,4) |
| DOG ROSE - DOG = cur, scoundrel, ROSE = climbed. | |
| 12 | Ready to change a long time ago (4,3) |
| YEAR DOT - (READY TO)*. A phrase which seems to have originated in the late 19th century. | |
| 13 | Cats with second cast for addicts (5) |
| USERS - Took a mo to see how this works. MOUSERS are cats and lose their MO = second. Nice work. | |
| 15 | Get garage rebuilt for a sum (9) |
| AGGREGATE - (GET GARAGE)*. | |
| 17 | Rent boy hanging around church with speed (9) |
| LACERATED - LAD (boy) has CE (church) and RATE (speed) inside. | |
| 19 | Heads for starters (5) |
| PATES - Double definition, I assume the setter is meaning paté could be served as an entrée or starter, | |
| 20 | Bums are on view from behind in eg cossies (7) |
| TOERAGS - A saucy surface, where we find ARE is 'on view' reversed inside TOGS = cossies, | |
| 22 | Describe former flat (7) |
| EXPLAIN - EX = former, FLAT = plain as in salt flat. | |
| 24 | Without outside assistance, Head Office going to be engaged (2,3) |
| IN USE - IN HOUSE (without outside assistance) loses its HO (head office). | |
| 25 | Quietly living in Cleveland, perhaps (9) |
| PRESIDENT - P (quietly) RESIDENT (living in). The only US President so far to serve two non-consecutive terms. | |
| 27 | One in Sweden's ready for a drink (3) |
| KIR - KR = kronor, Sweden's currency, insert I (one). Apéritif drink of dry white wine with added cassis or similar flavouring such as violette, peach, raspberry. | |
| 28 | One may have a nap on the flight (5,6) |
| STAIR CARPET - cryptic definition. | |
| Down | |
| 1 | A small flat is fitting (3) |
| APT - abbreviation of APARTMENT. | |
| 2 | G-string aria for one with a lisp (5) |
| THONG - Thing a thong of thickspence, for example. Not the air on a G-string. I have a feeling there's a subtle difference between a thong and a G-string, but I don't want to be seen as an expert in these matters. | |
| 3 | Deodorants applied during bowls (4-3) |
| ROLL-ONS - Is this simply ROLLS = bowls, with ON = applied, inserted? Where ON means applied as in a sticker was on my windscreen. Seems a bit weak to me. | |
| 4 | A little application and skill used to make dessert (5,4) |
| APPLE TART -An APPLET is a little APP, and ART = skill. | |
| 5 | Intimate spotted taking a pee (5) |
| IMPLY - take a P from PIMPLY. | |
| 6 | Maybe almond covering for fruitcake (7) |
| NUTCASE - almond NUT, covvering = CASE. | |
| 7 | Extra doctor back is what attracts interest (9) |
| OVERDRAFT - OVER = extra, DR = doctor, AFT = back. | |
| 8 | I foster spring breaks without golf (5,6) |
| FIRST PERSON - (FOSTER SPRIN )*, spring without G in the anagrist. | |
| 11 | Simultaneously accepting opposing beliefs, possibly both unliked (11) |
| DOUBLETHINK - (BOTH UNLINKED)*. First used by Orwell in his book 1984. | |
| 14 | Former auditor spoken of in the Treasury (9) |
| EXCHEQUER - sounds like EX (former) CHECKER (auditor). | |
| 16 | Who's greeted a gismo's introduction with excitement? (9) |
| GADGETEER - (GREETED A G)*. Not an everyday word, but it exists. | |
| 18 | American in residence supplying drilling tools (7) |
| REAMERS - RES short for residence has AMER(ican) inserted. | |
| 19 | 27 served up in pop is something spicy (7) |
| PAPRIKA - PAPA = pop has KIR reversed inserted. | |
| 21 | Arabic work (not old) written up above (5) |
| SUPRA - AR = Arabic, OPUS = work, drop the old = PUS, reverse (written up) = SUP RA. Latin for 'above' used in referring to a previous bit in a text, e.g. as 'vide supra'. | |
| 23 | One's heard a sheep consumed (3,2) |
| ATE UP - sounds like A TUP, a male sheep. | |
| 26 | Little spirit shown by football club's front three (3) |
| TOT - First three letters of TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR? What next? ARS? ACC(rington Stanley)? Ninety or so football clubs for setters to pick. Is your MOTHERWELL? | |
