A mixed bag from CRUX this morning in that some clues were very easy and others quite tricky indeed!
Among the easier solves were DUSTIEST, ANTENNA, IRAQI, ODDS. We found PLAGUE, FAINT-HEARTED, DARLING, BIG NAME required a bit more deliberation. A few instances of “Welshman” dotted around. On the whole a good Monday challenge to get the juices flowing. Many thanks to CRUX!
Across
1 Notebook required during Countdown? (9,3)
LAUNCHING PAD
Cryptic definition
10 Where smokers now often must go without (7)
OUTSIDE
Double definition
11 A final word of comfort to No 10 (7)
CHEERIO
CHEER (comfort) to IO (10)
12 Could be present when PR is absent (5)
TENSE
([pr]ESENT)* (*could be, when PR is absent)
& lit “PR is absent” is a sentence in the present tense
13 Leading member of the quadrupeds (8)
FORELIMB
Cryptic definition
15 Restore tax – perversely, I create about it! (10)
REACTIVATE
VAT (tax) + (I CREATE)* (*perversely, about it)
16 Shivering fit is part of deadly disease (4)
AGUE
[pl]AGUE (part of deadly disease)
18 Heads of office departments don’t study probabilities (4)
ODDS
O[ffice] D[epartments] D[on’t] S[tudy] (heads of)
20 At home I can grasp it, being unique (10)
INIMITABLE
IN (at home) + IM ABLE (I can) grasp IT
22 Untidy studies take time being most in need of cleaning (8)
DUSTIEST
(STUDIES + T (time))* (*untidy)
24 It’s said to be a small child’s strength (5)
MIGHT
“Mite” (“said to be”, a small child)
26 River Lea, doubly involved in beer making (4,3)
REAL ALE
(R (river) + LEA + LEA (doubly))* (*involved in making)
27 Hopelessness of the French couple (7)
DESPAIR
DES (of the, French) + PAIR (couple)
28 Like a fair lady’s rejected suitor? (5-7)
FAINT-HEARTED
Cryptic definition
From the phrase “Faint-hearted never won fair lady”
Down
2 Aerial insect joins queen on way up (7)
ANTENNA
ANT (insect) joins (ANNE<) (queen, <on the way up)
3 Nutty sweet I placed inside letter (8)
NOISETTE
I SET (I placed) inside NOTE (letter)
4 Said to be a Welshman’s colours (4)
HUES
“Hugh’s” (“said to be”, a Welshman’s)
5 Prison stretch outside of “the eleventh hour” (4,2,4)
NICK OF TIME
NICK TIME (prison stretch) outside OF
6 Oddly paired crew causing a scrap (5)
PIECE
P[a]I[r]E[d] C[r]E[w] (oddly)
7 Victorian heroine displays courage when disheartened (7)
DARLING
DAR[l]ING (courage) when disheartened
Grace Darling, Victorian heroine
8 Do they command the Medical Corps? (7,6)
DOCTORS ORDERS
Cryptic definition
9 Score that’s ten times more (6,7)
DOUBLE CENTURY
20 (score) that’s ten times more is 200 (DOUBLE CENTURY)
“Score” doing double duty as the straight bit of the clue and part of the cryptic clue
14 Transient Welshman on English trail (10)
EVANESCENT
EVAN (Welshman) on E (English) + SCENT (trail)
17 Spray a blighted rose with it around start of May (8)
ATOMISER
A + (ROSE)* (*blighted) + IT around M[ay] (start of)
19 Commonly insult a Welshman concerning women (7)
DISTAFF
DIS (commonly insult) + TAFF (a Welshman)
21 Famous person like Mrs Sirimavo Bandaranaike (3,4)
BIG NAME
Double definition (first is figurative and second literal)
23 Arab military group starts to question insurgents (5)
IRAQI
IRA (military group) + Q[uestion] I[nsurgents] (starts to)
25 Get upset in fielding, having nothing to do (4)
IDLE
([fi]ELDI[ng])< (<get upset, in)
Thanks, Teacow. You’re right — there were some tough ones, but the easy ones led to an early finish. Nice one, Crux.
A fairly gentle start to the week with some very nice clues. LOI was LAUNCHING PAD which was held up because I had DYES (Dai’s) for 4d, which fitted perfectly well, but gave me the wrong crosser at 1a.
Thanks to Crux and Teacow.
Thanks both.
Another DYES!
Thanks to Crux and Teacow. I did not have trouble with HUES because I got LAUNCHING PAD first, but I struggled with NOISETTE, my LOI.
Dyes /Dai’s did for this Welshman! I kept thinking Launching Pad fits but it must be wrong!
Thanks Crux and Teacow
Agree that there was a mix of easy and not so easy … still managed to finish in about half the time of a normal FT puzzle. Not sure that I liked it as much as I usually do with this setter – found the cd’s at 1a and 8d a bit odd. Originally thought the same with 13a, but the ‘four limb’ / quadruped thing was quite good if it was meant like that. Completely missed the phrase at 28a and was again scratching my head with it. OUTSIDE was another that I struggled to appreciate. I did like DOUBLE CENTURY !
Interesting with the three Welsh names – didn’t realise that HUGH was one though. Finished down the bottom with one of them in DISTAFF and FAINT-HEARTED was last.