Alia provides the Tuesday puzzle.
I don’t time myself when solving puzzles, but if I did, I think this may have been one of my quickest ever solves. That doesn’t mean the puzzle was a bad one as it takes skill to make a puzzle as accessible as this one, and not every crossword needs be tortuously dfficult to be enjoyable. It may have been better as a Quiptic, though. There were some very obvious anagrams (SELF-EVIDENT, TERMINAL etc), but no CONTROVERSIAL clues.
Thanks Alia.
| ACROSS | ||
| 7 | PLEDGE |
Promise of place with slight advantage (6)
|
| Pl. (place) with EDGE (“slight advantage”) | ||
| 8 | CLARINET |
Recital changed to incorporate new instrument (8)
|
| *(recital) [anag:changed] to incorporate N (new) | ||
| 9 | STALLION |
Stable about to take on one horse (8)
|
| STALL (“stable”) + ON (“about”) to take on I (one) | ||
| 10 | ESTATE |
Group of houses close to off-licence, say (6)
|
| [close to] (off-licenc)E + STATE (“say”) | ||
| 11 | BEWILDER |
Act more recklessly and act in a perplexing manner (8)
|
| BE WILDER (“act more recklessly”) | ||
| 12 | AGREED |
A selfish desire? No argument there! (6)
|
| A + GREED (“selfish desire”) | ||
| 13 | SELF-EVIDENT |
Clear reorganisation of field events (4-7)
|
| *(field events) [anag:reorganisation] | ||
| 18 | TO BOOT |
Little kid suppresses surprising cry as well (2,4)
|
| TOT (“little kid”) suppresses BOO (“surprising cry”) | ||
| 20 | REACTION |
Backlash concerning director’s call? (8)
|
| RE (“concerning”) + ACTION (“director’s call?”) | ||
| 22 | SNATCH |
Weightlifting move is strenuous to begin with, of course! (6)
|
| S(trenuous) [to begin with] + NATCH (“of course”) | ||
| 23 | ICE LOLLY |
Reserve money for summer treat (3,5)
|
| ICE (“reserve”) + LOLLY (“money”) | ||
| 24 | TERMINAL |
Final destination of reconstructed tramline (8)
|
| *(tramline) [anag:reconstructed] | ||
| 25 | STAINS |
On regular occasions, situations lead to sticky spots (6)
|
| [on regular occasions] S(i)T(u)A(t)I(o)N(s) + [lead to] S(ticky) | ||
| DOWN | ||
| 1 | CLUTTER |
Disorderly mess left inside sailing boat (7)
|
| L (left) inside CUTTER (“sailing boat”) | ||
| 2 | ADELAIDE |
British singer accepting help somewhere in Australia (8)
|
| ADELE (“British singer”) accepting AID (“help”) | ||
| 3 | BEHIND |
The chap caught up in tough spot is running late (6)
|
| <=HE (“the chap”, caught up) in BIND (“tough spot”) | ||
| 4 | FACE CARD |
King or queen maybe meet comedian (4,4)
|
| FACE (“meet”) + CARD (“comedian”) | ||
| 5 | WINTER |
Somewhat fallow, interminably cold part of the year (6)
|
| Hidden in [somewhat] “falloW INTERminably” | ||
| 6 | WEATHER |
You and I are mostly bored by the rain and snow, perhaps (7)
|
| WE + AR(e) [mostly] bored by THE | ||
| 8 | CONTROVERSIAL |
Contentious character central to stories in horribly vile cartoons (13)
|
| [character central to] (sto)R(ies) in *(vile cartoons) [anag:horribly] | ||
| 14 | FETCHING |
Pretty fine engraved artwork (8)
|
| F (fine) + ETCHING (“engraved artwork”) | ||
| 15 | NATIONAL |
Citizen of North America – Latino, possibly (8)
|
| NA (North America) + *(latino) [anag:possibly] | ||
| 16 | COUNTER |
Token reply (7)
|
| Double definition | ||
| 17 | GOSLING |
Bird taking off around small lake (7)
|
| GOING (“taking off”) around S (small) + L (lake) | ||
| 19 | ON TIME |
No item needing to be recycled promptly (2,4)
|
| *(no item) [anag:needing to be recycled] | ||
| 21 | AVERSE |
Reluctant amateur poet’s output? (6)
|
| A (amateur) + VERSE (“poet’s output”) |
A lovely little puzzle. Did the editor accidently swap this with the tortuous quiptic this week?
I did not need 255 to parse anything, but had to think about ‘natch’. I think i’ve heard it in comedy with wives of wealthy businessmen saying it.
Thanks Alia and loonapick.
Very plain sailing although two quite obvious answers TO BOOT and BEWILDER were not coming to mind for a slight pause in the answers flying in.
As with the first commenter only sNATCH for ‘of course’ I had to check. Natch is cider here in Bristol.
I don’t think an occasionally straightforward puzzle is bad though and some nice surfaces.
Enjoyed GOSLING and STALLION.
Thanks Alia and Loonapick
Possibly my first ever completely sequential solve. Assisted by what I can only assume was a very helpful grid?
Cheers L&A
Good fun, nothing too taxing. Nice to see a clue for ESTATE that’s not a car for a change (we don’t often use it this way). Haven’t heard of an ICE LOLLY — we’d probably call it an icy pole. And lolly/money is unfamiliar, althought Collins says it’s slang in Britain, Australia and New Zealand.
Bodycheetah @3: I think you’re doing yourself a disservice, I’d have said the opposite about the grid…I was thanking my lucky stars this grid had not been used by one of our less accessible setters.
I’m not as good as Bodycheetah and always find something to hold me up, however briefly. For example, today, I toyed with the wrong definition for UNCONTROVERSIAL and thought the clue for BEWILDERED was a different type.
As a result, I have a threshold time that I can’t remember ever dipping under. Today I was within seconds of it, a couple of minutes quicker than Sunday. I don’t mind the focus switching from completion to completion time. I’m not retired and a chewy weekday Paul can hinder work a little.
I hope newer solvers get satisfaction and confidence from today’s puzzle.
Thanks Alia and loonapick
PS. I don’t time myself. The Guardian app tells you how long you took.
Martin@6, that’s a good reason not to get the app.
Well, I like the rest of The Guardian Geoff so it’s non-negotiable. What I don’t like is The Times’ app where the crossword has a ticking clock. That’s unpleasant.
Thanks loonapick. Concur with your intro, though tbe days of the week don’t seem to matter much any more.
Surfaces telling an interesting and entertaing story, accessible wordplay. BE WILDER my pick.
Comment #10
Thanks Alia and loonapick
Another good puzzle from this newish setter. I’m surprised I haven’t seen the nice “field events” anagram before.