Times Cryptic 27848

Author   jackktPosted on Categories Daily Cryptic

Solving time: 40 minutes, but this was a technical DNF.

As usual definitions are underlined in bold italics, {deletions and substitutions are in curly brackets} and [anagrinds, containment, reversal and other indicators in square ones]. I usually omit all reference to positional indicators unless there is a specific point that requires clarification. I apologise if experienced solvers find some of my explanations are too detailed or obvious, but I am increasingly aware that our readership is expanding by the day to include solvers making the journey from the Quick Cryptic to the 15×15 and my intention is to ease their path.

Across
1 Swayed right away in discussion that went to one’s head? (6,3)
COCKED HAT : {r)OCKED (swayed) [right – r – away] contained by [in] CHAT (discussion). An extremely loose definition suggesting only that the answer may be an item of headwear. Wordplay takes us to something more specific.
6 Very penetrating remedy for wind (5)
CURVE : V (very) contained by [penetrating] CURE (remedy)
9 Whinge from Liberal in defeat (5)
BLEAT :  L (Liberal) contained by [in] BEAT (defeat)
10 Rogue caught accomplice dividing spoils (9)
SCALLYWAG : C (caught) + ALLY (accomplice) contained by [dividing] SWAG (spoils – stolen goods)
11 Haitian gangster moving unnaturally? (7,3,5)
AGAINST THE GRAIN : Anagram [moving] of HAITIAN GANGSTER
13 Irregular therapy disheartened sufferer (8)
CASUALTY : CASUAL (irregular), T{herap}Y [disheartened]
14 Intimate debilitating disease that’s quite shocking (4,2)
DEAR ME : DEAR (intimate – a person dear to one), ME (debilitating disease – myalgic encephalomyelitis (or encephalopathy). Oh for such innocent days! In modern parlance people are more likely to replace ‘dear’ with a profanity of their choice.
16 Woman, following bloke, contracted illness (6)
MALADY : MA{n} (bloke) [contracted], LADY ((woman)
18 Bird nesting in the said overturned bush (8)
HIBISCUS : IBIS (bird) contained by [nesting] SUCH (the said) reversed [overturned]. I gave up on this as my LOI. It’s not really a very fair clue in my view, a random bird – not a very common one at that – and ‘bush’ as the vaguest of definitions that might include hundreds of plants one’s never heard of.
21 Mistakenly order action doll operated remotely (5-10)
RADIO-CONTROLLED : Anagram [mistakenly] of ORDER ACTION DOLL
23 Most fuzzy bats disgust me (9)
SMUDGIEST : Anagram [bats] of DISGUST ME
25 Before service, sailor curses? (5)
ABUSE : AB (sailor), USE (service)
26 Brewing ingredient? It’s put back in still (5)
YEAST : SA (it – sex appeal) reversed [put back] contained by [in] YET (still)
27 Alpha males engaged in welcome correspondence (9)
AGREEMENT : A (alpha), then MEN (males) contained by [engaged in] GREET (welcome)
Down
1 Firm female garment, one with hood (5)
COBRA : CO (firm – company), BRA (female garment). Cobras dilate their necks to form a hood when excited.
2 Ruler’s first-rate son leaves suitably dressed and accompanied (6,5)
CAESAR SALAD : CAESAR’S (ruler’s), A (first-rate), LAD (son). Wiki’s recipe contains: romaine lettuce and croutons dressed with lemon or lime juice, olive oil, egg, Worcestershire sauce, anchovies, garlic, Dijon mustard, Parmesan cheese, and black pepper.
3 Anarchic Senorita disregarding king and country (7)
ESTONIA : Anagram [anarchic] of SENO{r}ITA [disregarding king  – r]
4 Ambassador’s worried about technology delay (8)
HESITATE : HE’S (ambassador’s – His Excellency’s) + ATE (worried) containing [about] IT (technology)
5 Shoddy attempt to grab what remains (6)
TRASHY : TRY (attempt) containing [to grab] ASH (what remains)
6 Traffic controller about to enter continental city (7)
COLOGNE : CONE (traffic controller) containing [about] LOG (enter). Anyone fancy a Kölsch or two or three?
7 Argument with servicemen raised (3)
ROW : W (with) + OR (servicemen – Other Ranks) reversed [raised]
8 Provokes three cardinals admitting sex (9)
ENGENDERS : EN+S (three cardinals – main points of the compass) containing [admitting] GENDER (sex)
12 A harsh, restricted lifestyle in productive industry (11)
AGRICULTURE : A, GRI{m} (harsh) [restricted], CULTURE (lifestyle)
13 Arrived on pitch behind gunners, wary of being shot (6-3)
CAMERA-SHY : CAME (arrived), RA (gunners – Royal Artillery), SHY (pitch – throw at coconuts)
15 Autocrat‘s bizarre act stops journalist dropping leader (8)
DICTATOR : Anagram [bizarre] of ACT is contained by [stops] {e}DITOR (journalist) [dropping leader]
17 Arduous time following drunkard’s last dry spell (7)
DROUGHT : {drunkar}D [last], ROUGH (arduous), T (time)
19 Press agent primarily recalled for one period of change (4,3)
IRON AGE : IRON (press), A{gent} [primarily] then EG (for one) reversed [recalled]
20 Cooker installed in N America gets extended service period (6)
NOVENA : OVEN (cooker) contained by [installed] NA (N America). In the Roman Catholic Church a devotion consisting of special prayers or services on nine successive days. I can seldom remember all these services etc but I’m vaguely aware that they exist and I rely on wordplay to get me to them when they turn up.
22 Border south of duke’s abode (5)
DWELT : D (duke),  WELT (border). ‘Welt’ can be defined as  a strip of ribbed or reinforced material put on the edge of a garment etc. as a border or binding).  This was another one I gave up on. I had considered DWELT but I  didn’t know this meaning of ‘welt’, nor that ‘abode’ exists as the past tense of ‘abide’ as an alternative to ‘abided’, so it didn’t go in.
24 Woman in Verdun assaulted (3)
UNA : Hidden in {Verd}UN A{ssaulted}. Note on edit: Other platforms have ‘Woman in tribUNAl’

51 comments on “Times Cryptic 27848”

  1. Hi all, I’ve been at this for ~3 years now, graduating through the QC to here, and I finally ducked under the 40 minute barrier for the first time today with no errors in a time of 33 minutes! I’ve been quietly reading this blog almost every day on that journey and just wanted to say a massive thank you to every one of the contributors. I have found it incredibly valuable and certainly couldn’t have done it without you. Thank you. A very happy chappy. Henry
    1. Congrats on your first sub-40 minute solve, Henry!

      Welcome as a first-time contributor, and on behalf of the team thank you for your kind words about the blog. I’m pleased you find it so useful and hope you will be contributing regularly to the discussions from now on.

    2. I think I’m in a similar position. My problem is by the time I’ve finished (or got as far as possible) I’m three days behind the conversation!
      Anyway yesterday’s and today’s were knocked off successfully so like you I think I’m moving in the right direction…
  2. Would have loved to get under 20 minutes, but there really were some toughies at the end to sort out. I ended in the upper-left corner, where the SALAD got me good!!

    Wasn’t aware of the meanings of ABUSE/DWELT, but there was really no question.

    Thanks, jackkt, for helping me understand the ENS part of ENGENDERS. I was held up on that one for a long time because in the US at least ‘sex’ and ‘gender’ are being tried to have different meanings.

    Edited at 2020-12-15 04:27 am (UTC)

  3. I’m another QC-er pleased with a 63:23 solve, thanks to jack and other bloggers for the help over the year. Two long, gettable, anagrams opened up the grid. Parsed them all apart from 6d where CONE for traffic controller eluded me. Reminded of John Major’s Cones Hotline when we had simpler things to annoy us.

    This puzzle has SA and IT for sex. There are hundreds of other slang words, but 1950s expressions are the only ones seen in puzzles. Didn’t we have CONGRESS a couple of weeks ago?

    DWELT also was a MER but as LOI not much else could fit.

    COD 11a for a cracking anagram

    Edited at 2020-12-15 03:54 am (UTC)

    1. Leader of House of Congress angry with army regularly (5)
      Or something. A few years ago when Nancy Pelosi, perhaps, was irate with the Pentagon or the joint chiefs? Can’t remember. But it was a brilliant clue.
      MAD + ArMy.
  4. I found this considerably trickier than the SNITCH‘S rating, particularly on the right hand side. I was becalmed for several minutes until I biffed COLOGNE and the rest followed, finishing with DWELT and crossed fingers. COD to CAESAR SALAD which also took me some time even once I had all the crossers in.
  5. Took me bang on 40 minutes with a clear-blue blog from Rudolph. Happy Christmas, Sir!

    FOI 3dn ESTONIA

    LOI 6ac CURVE

    COD 2dn CAESAR SALAD from a Mexican Chef of that name.

    WOD 23ac SMUDGIEST which leads to SMUDGFEST a gathering of photographers.

    I must get a new avatar for Christmas.

    Edited at 2020-12-15 07:04 am (UTC)

  6. Half an hour for all but 22d, then ten minutes more before I gave up. Shame, given that I got HIBISCUS by thinking of the right bird.
  7. It’s a very common bird here! The Australian white ibis, affectionately known as the Bin Chicken for its recycling habits.
    23’35” , with a good three minutes on LOI DWELT. Double alphabet trawl, consideration of D’*E*T, finally deciding ‘abode’ might be past tense of ‘abide’ and bunged it in.
    1. Exactly the same experience for me although took me about 10 seconds longer 😉

      Still chuffed with a sub-25 min solve, particularly after yesterday’s record time. I presume I will be well and truly put back in my box tomorrow!

      Loved the def for CAESARS SALAD – had me totally fooled

  8. I enjoyed this despite my WITCH currently being the worst in the grid, mainly due to COLOGNE where I spent ages trying to think of something ending in light, and HIBISCUS, where I agree with Jack and expect a lurid limerick in due course!

  9. 13:55. No real problems. There used to be a fairly well-known restaurant called HIBISCUS in London so I knew that: a very tough one if you didn’t. The use of ‘abode’ in 22dn caused me some trouble too.
    Defining GENDER as ‘sex’ is liable to cause a row these days. Let’s not go there!
    1. In AGREEMENT, this was no push,
      Did i HESITATE? No I went whoosh
      There was one TRASHY clue
      And I’ll BLEAT, (cos I do)
      DEAR ME, a bird in a bush
  10. Crossed fingers over DWELT. The excellent CAESAR SALAD LOI.

    May I suggest that 1ac COCKED HAT is quite subtle? Such a situation would mean one would sway away if knocked?

    I do hope the setter wasn’t making a point with sex / gender, and that this was indeed 1950s usage.

    17′ 30″, thanks jack and setter.

  11. I get the impression Jack that you did it like this one! I can see why. Took me nearly 50 mins struggling, like others, with the ABUSE/DWELT Crossers. Thanks J for the explanation of that as I would never have got it. SMUDGIEST is a very clumsy word IMHO. NHO NOVENA, but it had to be. Correspondence for AGREEMENT was quite clever, and I liked one with hood for COBRA. I seem to recall going to Hibiscus once, but I can’t remember where it was! Thanks Jack and setter.
  12. 30 mins with yoghurt, granola, banana, left me with D-E-T (abode). I saw Dwelt but still did a couple of alpha-trawls to be sure.
    An excellent crossword I thought.
    Thanks setter and J.
  13. 11:52. LOI HIBISCUS when I finally spotted the bird. I remembered the bush as we had some in the garden when I was a boy. DNK that meaning of WELT but surmised it might exist. MER at surface for 26A. I make beer and put my yeast in my fermenter, not my still. I liked the diversionary “remedy for wind” at 6A. COD to HESITATE.

    Edited at 2020-12-15 09:13 am (UTC)

  14. No, I was okay with it, Rose, except naturally I felt the two I didn’t get were bordering on unfair. Probably sour grapes, as others seem to have managed them.
    1. I only got your two failings more by luck than judgment ! Now that I have looked it up, I would be happy to share a Kölsch or two with you🍺
    2. Dwelt definitely unfair, obscure wordplay clueing obscure definition. Hibiscus not unfair, but the sort of clue I (amongst others) dislike: a definition like BUSH or BIRD where there might be 1000 possibilities. Doubled up! A bird in a bush!! One-in-a-million-chance of solving it from wordplay or definition. I got lucky, trying IBIS in the 2 Is, after first trying DI____AS for said returning, complete with dangling article.
  15. 36 minute. LOI a biffed HIBISCUS, knowing the plant but not parsing the cryptic. I was a bit hesitant about DWELT but I think I’ve seen ABODE meaning that and I thought of it as soon as I saw the D. I’ll give COD to SCALLYWAG, a term in abbreviated form frequently used by or referring to those lovable rascals from Liverpool. IRON AGE or irony age? I only have to hear COLOGNE to think of Sunday lunchtimes and Two-Way Family Favourites. Middle of the road, pleasant puzzle. Thank you Jack and setter.
  16. Tricky over 18.18, and I only parsed COLOGNE after submitting with fingers crossed: “about to enter” was admirably confusing, and I didn’t think of CONE as a traffic controller.
    Curiously, my copies of the clues (both Club and Times Online) have “Woman in tribunal” for 24d: not sure whether that’s an easier or harder version.
    Fortunately HIBISCUS leapt from the grid with a couple of crossers, otherwise I would have struggled.
    I considered RAW for 7, on the grounds that WAR is an argument with servicemen, but then raised has to do double duty,. It could mean raw as a raised welt on the skin might be. Yeah, I thought better of it too.
  17. My copy (printed from the club site) has a different 24dn: “Woman in tribunal.” Yours is better, perhaps .. on edit, Z has nipped in ahead saying the same I see
    Quite liked this crossword

    Edited at 2020-12-15 09:47 am (UTC)

    1. Yes I think the change is an improvement. It always seems to me a bit unsatisfactory when the hidden is in a single word, rather like say COCKSURE being clued by ‘cock’ and ‘sure’ rather than ‘cocks’ and ‘Ure’ or some such.
  18. Off-song today, with a very slow DNF. Failed on ENGENDERS, entering ‘engineers’ in clueless desperation. The only consolation was finally seeing the correct part of speech for ‘abode’ after a couple of alphabet trawls.

    A big tick for CAESAR SALAD. Tastes pretty good too.

  20. Back on the wavelength today, and I’d have been quicker if the wife hadn’t entered the room with two to go. Biffed loads including Hibiscus, which I put in just because it fitted.
  21. 33.48 so at least I finished today but what a palaver in the top lh corner. I had everything else done in 25 minutes but took an age to crack cocked hat- stubbornly refusing to put it in because I couldn’t parse it till eventually the light came on-and caesar salad which was just plain dim.

    Apart from the frustration with myself I actually enjoyed the crossword. FOI curve, LOI caesar salad, COD scallywag. I think I need to ingest more alcohol to sharpen my deductive skills. Off to the pub before it closes again…

  22. Some really nice clues: Caesar salad, “remedy for wind”, scallywag is a great word. DWELT ruined it for me. The only word that fitted after an intense alphabet trawl, but didn’t match either the definition or the cryptic. Not keen on random bushes or birds, either.

    Edited at 2020-12-15 12:22 pm (UTC)

  23. Some biffing going on here.

    Didn’t quite get COCKED HAT nor DWELT but bunged them in anyway.

    SCALLYWAG only came to mind once ENGENDERS had gone in.

    I was fearing that the bush would be something obscure but once the ‘C’ checker had gone in, pleasingly it was one I’d actually heard of.

  24. Put in DWELT as my LOI with no great confidence, thinking that “abode” might be an alternative to “abided” but not knowing that “welt” does indeed mean border. But I’d already messed things up by putting in “engineers” for 8d, not realising that “cardinals” can give you compass points (I really need to remember that) and being unable to think of anything other than “S” or “it” for “sex”.

    I also made things hard for myself by putting in “war” for 7d, which scuppered CURVE and SCALLYWAG until I came back to it and the latter sprang to mind.

    Was pleased to get HIBISCUS, though I couldn’t for the life of me tell you what distinguishes it from other bushes.

  25. I had this solved in a tad over 20 minutes, then spent another 5 trying and failing to parse COLOGNE. In the end I sighed and submitted, and was pleasantly surprised to see all green squares. 25:34. Thanks setter and Jack.
  26. DNF
    Engineers 🙂 Couln’t think why, but that rarely stops me blundering in.
    Dwelt? Considered it but was thinking abode was a noun.
    Thanks jack.
  27. Would have been a rare sub-ten for me but for spending a couple of minutes trying to find alternatives to DWELT. Did’t connect WELT with “border” and could only see “abode” as a noun. Talked myself into it, though. Didn’t know NOVENA but the gentle wordplay gave me confidence. Overall, good fun, particularly the anagrams.
  28. This was heavy going for me though I got there in the end (31 minutes) I almost gave up with 18a. I had all the crossing letters but it still took over 5 minutes to think of any word that would fit. (And having checked post-solve, it seems that HIBISCUS was the only possibility for ?I?I?C?S) Ann
  29. Held up by Dwelt. Having read the first entry today I became uneasily aware, that compared to his or her gracious entry, I blundered in, pulled up a chair, and started blathering without so much as a “by your leave”. I apologize for this and can only say that I too had been a long-time admirer from afar, and that this probably induced a mistaken sense of familiarity. I shall now sit quietly at the back.

  30. No holdups at all for me unusually. LOI HIBISCUS which needed all the checkers. Used to sell hibiscus tea in my shop before I sold it 2 years ago. A bit like rose hip, very red.
  31. No real problems except I took forever to see CASUALTY. No idea why, just that the checkers didn’t bring anything to mind. I knew it ended TY too. But all correct in the end.
  32. ….at 11A, especially as it name checks an album by the late, great Rory Gallagher.

    The first thing I entered was actually HAT at 1A, but I couldn’t identify the required type of headgear straight away.

    FOI COBRA
    LOI HIBISCUS
    COD CAESAR SALAD
    TIME 9:57

  33. On the wavelength today – I knew welt from welted shoes, so Dwelt went right in; was only held up in entering Cologne because the definition (continental city) seemed over-specific. I liked Drought. thanks, jack, and nice puzzle, setter
  34. DNF. I had a complete mare with this, got stuck and needed aids to finish off cocked hat, caesar salad and casualty. Oh well, there’s always tomorrow.
  35. I put this aside last night, again, as sleep overcame me, but I hadn’t found it too difficult up till then. As soon as I got up, I saw my last three: COCKED HAT, CAESAR SALAD and HIBISCUS.
  36. Leaving aside the brilliant 2d (completely wasted in this offering), this was another crossword where it’s a 95% a write-in before being stymied at the end by some very loose clues to say the least, a couple of which border on mephisto standard. On that basis it’s a waste of time for the average solver.

    What is 1a all about? And does restricted really mean knock off the last letter? Why not clue it as: ‘A short depressing lifestyle in productive industry’? Mr Grumpy

      1. A lifestyle that didn’t last very long [and it was grim]. Maybe shortened works better.

        In effect, you’re saying restricted means shortened. It doesn’t. But if you’re having restricted I’m having short(ened).

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