Solving time: 30’
Quite a few whimsical and cryptic allusions. I didn’t really enjoy this puzzle but probably because I’m a bit burnt out having just done The Times as well (“it’s not you, it’s me!”). I found myself being lazy on decoding all the wordplay – we’ll see if I manage while writing this up. Upon rereading, there are some good clues here – so it really is me after all.
Across
| 1 | SADDLE,RY – I assume that a “groom’s gear” can be described as SADDLERY. |
| 5 | S(CR)EEN – CR must be an acceptable abbrev of “crown”. |
| 9 | UN,STEADY – Dicky isn’t a name (certainly not French!), just the definition: UN is “a [in] French”. |
| 10 | A,RREST=”rest” – a “spider” is a Brit for a snooker “rest” or bridge (wordplay decoded as we speak). |
| 12 | EARTHENWARE – (near the Wear)* — I wonder if this is an &lit: are “clay pots” produced in particular near the River Wear? |
| 15 | FLATS – two definitions: both of which seem cryptic. The second (“not natural”) must refer to stage scenery. No, Barbara notes below that it’s musical: ref. sharps and FLATS. |
| 17 | SPECTACLE[s] – double/cryptic def: spectacles come in pairs usually thus “Well, one of them!” to cryptically make singular – likewise, “A sight for sore eyes?” defines a singular SPECTACLE. |
| 18 | LIGHTSHIP – cryptic def of what is the marine equivalent of a lighthouse (thus “offshore” and “heavy weather”). |
| 20 | SHOPLIFTING – groan: cryptic def: “Is a crane needed for this theft?” |
| 24 | LARKIN[g] – Ref. Philip LARKIN the poet – almost invariably when a dropped “g” is encountered in a clue it indicates a dropped “g” in the wordplay (here, “foolin[g]” around and LARKIN[g] around). |
| 25 | BACTRIAN – not sure if this isn’t just a straight definition: because a BACTRIAN camel is in fact from Afghanistan and has (two) humps (yes, a BACTRIAN also describes part of Afghanistan). Anything else going on? |
| 26 | BOARDS – elegant double definition: “Stage directors”. |
Down
| 1 | SAUCERFULS – “Cats love these results of unexpectedly severe storms”. The definition is clear (what cats love) but what about the wordplay? Noted below that it’s ref. “a storm in a teacup” which must overflow and fill the saucer. |
| 2 | DIS(ARRAN)GE – ARRAN (our Scottish island) in (Gide’s)*. Nice clue since the definition “reorganise” is almost always an anagrind. Too bad Andre Gide didn’t write about Scotland… |
| 3 | LEE,CH – Ref. Laurie LEE the writer. I’m betting that once upon a time, when leeching was considered a good thing medically, doctors were referred to as leeches (?). |
| 4 | RIDING SCHOOL – nice clue: “get on up” refers to mounting a horse to go RIDING. And of course ref. West and East RIDING in Yorkshire. |
| 6 | CARPENTER – Ref. The (worst group ever in the history of pop music) CARPENTERs and what a CARPENTER does: namely, joining furniture. |
| 11 | CATERPILLARS – can be interpreted as a clever &lit: CATERPILLARS don’t do your vegetables (“greens”) much good nor do the Greens like them much (since they tear up the landscape). |
| 14 | NEWSAGENTS – cryptic def for which I would have expected some acknowledgement by the setter (e.g. a question-mark): the surface “rag trade” misleads towards the garment industry. |
| 21 | FAT,SO – “Podge: very good word for obese fellow”. Def is “obese fellow”. I think the wordplay is FAT for “podge” and SO for “very good word”, i.e. a word that is used to indicate superior quality (as in, “this clue is SO clever”). |
re: 1D Is the reference to ‘storm in a teacup’? ie. An unexpectedly severe storm would fill a saucer????
Jon
15. Flats. This is a double def. The second one is flats as musical notes,as opposed to sharps or naturals.
Thanks for the explanation of flats, Barbara. It was one of too many clues that I got, but couldn’t quite explain. Saucerfuls was another, and I hope there’s a better explanation than the ‘storm in a teacup’ one (no offence, Jon!)
As for Bactrian, I agree that it seems to be a straight def.
Actually I rather like the overflowing saucerful explanation… unless there are better offers I’m going to canonize it.
I think for 21d, the definition is “good word for obese fellow” and SO is indicated simply by “very”.
I could swear that ” raining saucerfuls” is a slang expression akin to “raining cats and dogs” but I can’t for the life of me find any verification of this online.
Not very cryptic in terms of word split though. In Chambers PODGE has two meanings, one a name for a fat person (and therefore a synonym for FATSO) or thing, and the other a noun for excess body fat – i.e. what makes a fatso fat.
Rover apears to be going with the former, and with SO defined (in one Chambers entry) as ‘very good’, the clue almost seems to say FATSO + SO = FATSO.