Pip Kirby (pipkirby) wrote in times_xwd_times,
Pip Kirby
pipkirby
times_xwd_times

Times 27489 - a European journey

Well, I thought Monday's was tough, at least the left side of it, but this one was closer to one I'd expect for a Monday. If it has a theme, it's a Tour de l'Europe, and odyssey indeed, referring to places in Greece (twice), Romania, Armenia, Germany (twice), and Italy (twice), But this is a mere observation, made to help avoid a blank space before the analysis of clues below, and doesn't help you solve the clues. It took me 20 minutes and my only MER was in relation to 12d, see below. I thought my clue of the day, 10a, was mildly amusing.


Across
1 Matched level in light drama, backer having withdrawn (8)
COMPARED - PAR (level) inside COMED which is COMEDY without its backer.
5 Seated outside clubs, Hesse emptied small bag (6)
SACHET - SAT has C (clubs) and HE (Hesse emptied) inserted.
8 Wicked deeds at or around large towns (10)
ATROCITIES - AT, OR reversed, CITIES.
9 Poet relieved of diamonds getting payment in advance (4)
ANTE - the poet DANTE loses his D.
10 Why logician won't accept chair is obvious (6,2,6)
STANDS TO REASON - Cryptic definition ha ha.
11 Daily forced to cancel leader in ridiculous pretence (7)
CHARADE - CHAR (daily) (M)ADE.
13 Headless corpse is sent back for certain journey (7)
ODYSSEY - (B)ODY'S = headless corpse is, YES reversed = sent back for certain.
15 Divine law associated with electoral system (7)
PREDICT - PR (electoral system) EDICT (law).
18 Country folk involved in operatic number (7)
ARMENIA - MEN (folk) inside ARIA.
21 Nobleman to free bananas at this point stuck in tree (4,2,3,5)
PEER OF THE REALM - PALM is the tree, into which insert (TO FREE)* and HERE.
22 Fortify, across the pond, a private thoroughfare (4)
GIRD - GI (across the pond a private), RD (thoroughfare). My loins are frequently girded.
23 One to quit troubled Dáil Eireann — that causes rush! (10)
ADRENALINE - (DA L EIREANN)*.
24 Irishman joins Anglicans for spirited meeting (6)
SEANCE - SEAN the Irish chap joins CE the Church of England. Perhaps not.
25 Outrageous sort of animus (8)
INFAMOUS - (OF ANIMUS)*.
Down
1 Brilliant rescue dog detailed to enter cricket club (7)
CLASSIC - CC cricket club has LASSI(E) a 'detailed dog' inserted.
2 Horse carrying disease endlessly spread (9)
MARMALADE - MARE the horse has MALAD(Y) inserted.
3 Song about stinker seen in rural idyll (7)
ARCADIA - ARIA (song, as in 18a), has CAD (stinker) inserted.
4 Style shown in being short with the French (7)
ENTITLE - ENTITY = being, shortened = ENTIT, LE the in French.
5 One to support stocking revolutionary American poet (9)
SUSPENDER - SU = revolutionary American, SPENDER as in Stephen Spender a poet.
6 Husband tucking into liqueur that’s got body (7)
CHASSIS - CASSIS a blackcurrant liqueur, has H for husband inserted.
7 Agreement achieved with three tens, minus tips (7)
ENTENTE - (T)EN, TEN, TE(N).
12 Researcher wanting this instruction to make tea? (9)
DOCTORATE - to get TEA you need to 'doctor' ATE. First instincts were that a doctorate is a qualification being sought, or obtained, but here it refers to a person in course of obtaining one, perhaps with an added word 'student' being understood. EDIT there again, as pointed out below, if the definition is "researcher wanting this" it works.
14 Romanians on the rampage in small republic (3,6)
SAN MARINO - (ROMANIANS)*.
16 Alligator is one regarding soft floor covering (7)
REPTILE - RE (regarding), P (soft), TILE (floor covering).
17 Prepare without finishing and study in China (7)
DRESDEN - DRES(S), DEN = study.
18 Long article about a provincial Greek (7)
ACHAEAN - ACHE (long), AN (article), insert A. An Achaean comes from an area of Greece in the NW Peloponnese.
19 Wine stain unfortunately showing up (7)
MARSALA - MAR = stain, ALAS reversed.
20 After correction, smile, as lacking purpose (7)
AIMLESS - (SMILE AS)*.
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