You can find a link to the crossword
here and the answers below. Feel free to leave any comments or questions here as
you would do on
TfTT. You can find an index to the complete series of crosswords here.
Before looking at the answers, if you would like some additional help, click the label below.
Hints and tips...
Some hints and tips:
- In 12A "not left" indicates removing a specific letter
- In 18A think of fails as in dwindles
- 1D is a cryptic definition.
And click on this label to get the solution.
Definitions
underlined in bold italics
, (
Abc
)* indicating anagram of Abc, {deletions} and [] other
indicators.
Across
1 Native is a natural at sea (10)
AUSTRALIAN – (Is a natural)* [at sea].
8 Try to win this game? (5)
RUGBY – Cryptic definition.
9 Woman laid out on carpet (7)
MATILDA – MAT (carpet) (laid)* [out].
10 Mixing tofu and pesto? Not together! (3,2,4)
OUT OF STEP – [Mixing] (tofu pesto)*.
12 Make watertight? Not left in large area of water (3)
SEA – SEA{l} (make watertight) without the L [not left].
13 Row about grandchild's first cat (5)
TIGER – TIER (row) about first letter of Grandchild.
15 State of mind I accept within (5)
INDIA – Hidden within mIND I Accept.
17 Bath, say, at home having left Spain (3)
SPA – SPA{in} without the IN (at home).
18 Fails to take on County? (9)
WILTSHIRE – WILTS (fails as in dwindles) HIRE (take on).
20 Part of international trade in old wines (7)
EXPORTS – EX (old) PORTS (wines).
21 Possesses time, energy ... and speed? (5)
HASTE – HAS (possesses) T (time) E (energy).
22 Stupidly enters camp leading to steep ridge (10)
ESCARPMENT – [Stupidly] (enters camp)*.
1 They serve at a high level? (3,9)
AIR HOSTESSES – Cryptic definition.
2 Sense of place picked up (5)
SIGHT – SIGHT sounds like, [picked up], SITE (place).
3 Artist requiring bit of yellow for sunbeam (3)
RAY – RA (Royal Academician; artist) and first letter, [bit of], Yellow.
4 Controls boundaries (6)
LIMITS – Double definition.
5 Stiff examinations (9)
AUTOPSIES – Cryptic definition.
6 Hot and humid needing door initially to be shut (6)
CLOSED – CLOSE (hot and humid) Door [initially].
7 Surprisingly areas trashed in large part of North Africa (6,6)
SAHARA DESERT – (areas trashed)* [surprisingly].
11 Rockets, perhaps, let go over factory (9)
FIREWORKS – FIRE (let go) WORKS (factory).
14 Gets hold of good tools (6)
GRASPS – G (good) RASPS (tools).
16 Anchorage here, sadly, ends in Black Sea (6)
ALASKA – ALAS (sadly) and last letters, [ends in], of BlacK SeA
19 Problem child (5)
ISSUE – Double definition.
21 Short flight heading home over Portugal (3)
HOP – First letter of [heading] Home O (over) P (ISO designation for Portugal).
12 minutes, so bang on par for another fine puzzle. LOI Autopsies took longer than it should have, but otherwise no real hold-ups and a smooth completion. I did wonder a bit about Australian though - to clue this as "native" seemed a little vague. Any national descriptor, from Afghan to Zimbabwean, is after all a native of the relevant country, and it isn't just countries, as I would claim to be a native Londoner.
ReplyDeleteMany thanks to all three of our Saturday Special setters for another year of excellently crafted puzzles.
Cedric
Thanks Cedric and a Happy New Year to you and all of the solvers
ReplyDeleteMuch enjoyed. LOI and COD AUTOPSIES - made me smile. Zipped through quite fast then slowed a little in NE. I think 1d women prefer to be called Flight Attendants nowadays.🙂.
ReplyDeleteThanks vm, Sawbill, and, yes, all our Saturday specialists, who encourage those of us in the SCC.
Happy New Year, from Countrywoman
Thanks and Happy New Year to you.
DeleteGreat workout- my four favourites were Wiltshire Matilda and Alaska Fireworks.Thanks, Sawbill for the holiday entertainment and thanks, John, for keeping the show running!
ReplyDeleteThanks and Happy New Year (from WILTSHIRE).
DeleteThanks, thoroughly enjoyed that. My LOI and COD was also AUTOPSIES.
ReplyDeleteHappy New Year to all,
Doofenschmirtz
... and a Happy New Year to you.
ReplyDeleteMissed the hidden in India, but put it in from “State” as def thinking it was mind>>idea in some form. Doh… Autopsies made me laugh. Fun puzzle, as ever. thanks to the Saturday setters for all your offerings. Happy New Year all. Plymouthian
ReplyDeleteHappy New Year and thank you for commenting. It is always valuable to know what solvers like/dislike.
Deletegot off to a good start at Costs yesterday but then stalled and had to pick up the threads toady to finish off. I wondered about some form of theme - Australian/rugby/matilda and then tiger/India but nothing materialised. Laughed at Autopsies & Rugby PDM's. Thank for providing light relief this weekend!
ReplyDeleteThanks Andrew. I enjoyed the RUGBY clue. Happy New Year.
ReplyDelete