Before looking at the answers, if you would like some additional help, click the label below.
Hints...
Some hints and tips:- In 10A you need to turn "support" into a noun.
- In 18A "built" is an anagram indicator.
- In 24A "perhaps" indicates a definition by example. Other examples include Dundee and Rotherham..
And click on this label to get the solution.
Solution and explanation of the answers...
Definitions underlined in bold italics, (Abc)* indicating anagram of Abc, {deletions} and [] other indicators.
Across
1
Spare
time? Agree in part (6)
MEAGRE – Hidden in tiME AGREe [in part].
4 Like I sit about?
Really? (2,2,2)
AS IT IS – AS (like) (I sit)* [about].
8
Titled
chap returns extremely excited (5)
NAMED – MAN (chap) [returns] -> NAM, and outside letters,
[extremely] of ExciteD.
9
Clothes
and
belt
(7)
CLOBBER – Double definition.
10 Am able to support new
eating place
(7)
CANTEEN – CAN (am able) TEE (golf ball support)
N (new).
11
Beef, perhaps, right by oven (5)
ROAST – R, OAST (oven).
12 Upset tennis team without a
thought
(9)
SENTIMENT – [Upset] (tennis te{a}m)*, [without] the A.
17 Beds, perhaps, reduced to reach
total
(5)
COUNT – COUNT{y} (Bedfordshire) [reduced].
19 A new road built over river in
country
(7)
ANDORRA – A [new] (road)* [about] R (river)
21
Generally
great confusion gripping the French (2,5)
AT LARGE – (Great)* [confusion] outside, [gripping], LA (the in French).
22
Satellites
are low at the Poles (5)
MOONS – MOO (low, as a cow does) N S (poles).
23 Tester prepared by
me? (6)
SETTER – (tester)* [prepared].
24 Edward follows team: Manchester, perhaps? (6)
UNITED – ED (Edward) after UNIT (team).
Down
1
Threat
from people above one (6)
MENACE – MEN (people) [above] ACE (one).
2 Old man's nuts ...
nuts! (7)
ALMONDS – (old man’s)* [nuts].
3
Dickens character
starts to repel us during Great Expectations (5)
RUDGE – [starts to] Repel Us During
Great Expectations.
5 Company in rush to
cause suffering
(7)
SCOURGE – CO (company) on SURGE (rush).
6 Lifted top part revealing
bone
(5)
TIBIA – A1 (top) BIT (part), all [lifted] ->
TIBIA.
7 Street artist starts to think about
layers
(6)
STRATA – ST (street) RA (royal academician; artist),
[starts to] Think About.
9 Frank worried afterwards?
He's up for it
(9)
CANDIDATE – CANDID (frank) ATE (worried).
13 Rent out building? It's
wrong
(3,4)
NOT TRUE – (rent out)* [building].
14
Evict
crowd? (4,3)
TURN OUT – Double definition, although you have to split the
second.
15 Canoes capsize here? (6)
OCEANS – (canoes)* [capsize]. Semi &lit.
16
Produced
second-hand crap now and again at the start (6)
CAUSED – USED (second-hand) after alternate letters of
CrAp [now and again].
18 One thing left concealed in
dark? (5)
UNLIT – UNIT (one thing) outside L (left) [concealed
in].
20
Whizz-kid
made money boxes (5)
DEMON – Hidden in maDE MONey [boces].
Took longest on CAUSED. COUNT was very clever. Also especially enjoyed SCOURGE, TIBIA and CANTEEN. Thanks for a good workout!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the feedback.
DeleteFun puzzle with some lovely clues. I particularly liked COD ALMONDS, TIBIA and TURN OUT. Don’t really understand AS IT IS (not even sure what it means!). Many thanks. Templar
ReplyDeleteGlad you enjoyed it. Collins has 'in the existing state of affairs' for AS IT IS. Like is AS + an anagram (around) of I SIT with 'really' as the definition.
ReplyDeleteQuite difficult but ultimately gave a sense of achievement. Had to look up countries for 19a as failed to see hidden DEMON at first. Also had to look up Rush for 5d, and TURN OUT , so needed CCD to finish. Admittedly a definite DNF as forgot to look again at 13d, NOT TRUE too, as didn’t recognise ‘building’ as an anagrist.
ReplyDeleteLiked SENTIMENT, CLOBBER, MEAGRE, MENACE, COUNT, among others. Could not fully parse MOONS.
Countrywoman.
Forgot to say thank you, Sawbill!
DeleteCountrywoman
Thank you. MOONS is satellites (the definition in that the Moon is a satellite of Earth). Low = MOO (as in cows lowing/mooing) above (positional word) the Poles - North and South.
DeleteOh, thanks, it was the MOO = lowing I missed, tho biffed it correctly.
DeleteThank you for another crossword to keep us amused. I’m struggling with Candidate though. Frank = candid? but not sure about ‘ate’
ReplyDeleteate = worried (as in the past tense of 'to eat/to worry').
DeleteThankyou
DeleteWe found this a slow one but we did finish. Don't understand the parsing of tibia though it had to be.
ReplyDeleteLifted is an instruction to reverse in a down clue. AI = top (as in A1) + BIT (part) which 'reveals' bone.
ReplyDeleteThank you.
ReplyDeleteSolution explanations now added.
ReplyDeleteReally enjoyed this! It seemed spot on for a QC as I have a target of avoiding the SCC and I scraped in at 19:44. Delayed a little by putting "Is it so" at first at 4a until 7d made me see my error!! Thank you so much for providing this weekend entertainment!!! MM
ReplyDeleteFOI 1a
LOI 13d (not sure why!!!)
COD Too many CANDIDATE(S) so perhaps I'll go for that!
Thanks MM.
ReplyDeleteKnowing people are enjoying them makes it all worthwhile.
Late to this as I was away - but another enjoyable puzzle. Liked 2dn for its Private Eye clue resemblance and 10ac “Canteen” for its clever structure and surface.
ReplyDeleteMain struggle was parsing 17ac “Count” (forgot about the county!) and 6dn “Tibia”. Wasn’t sure about 24ac “United”, as I couldn’t see how “uni” was a team, until I saw the shortened “Edward” to “Ed” (rather than Ted).
Great stuff!
JamesEd46
Glad you enjoyed it. ALMONDS and CANTEEN were two clues that were a pleasure to set.
ReplyDelete