Times Cryptic Crossword #28336

Times Cryptic · 29 clues with answers and explanations · 2022-07-07

Explanations sourced from Times for the Times

Solve this puzzle on Times →

Across

1 Old president in uniform following ceremony I perform (8)

Def

Old president

Type

Charade

Expl

U(uniform) after POMP(ceremony), I, DO(perform). Former French president Georges, who I rather embarrassingly spelled with an A in the grid — Times for the Times

Answer

POMPIDOU
6 Preserve item, often mechanical, a source of drama (6)

Def

Preserve item

Type

Double definition

Expl

Double definition

Answer

QUINCE
9 Maybe Swede's boss informally embracing celebrity, mostly (6)

Def

Maybe Swede

Type

Container

Expl

GUV(boss) surrounding STAR(celebrity) minus the last letter — Times for the Times

Answer

GUSTAV
10 Unusual label on jacket accompanying a cloak (8)

Def

cloak

Type

Anagram

Expl

Anagram of LABEL after DJ (dinner jacket), then A — Times for the Times

Answer

DJELLABA
11 Love last traces of jazz age ever so (4)

Def

Love

Type

Deletion

Expl

last letters of "jazz age ever so" = ZERO; definition: "Love"

Answer

ZERO
12 Large amounts of alcohol — old fine — introduced to US domestic market (5,2,3)

Def

Large amounts of alcohol

Type

Container

Expl

O(old), F(fine) inside YARD SALE(US domestic market) — Times for the Times

Answer

YARDS OF ALE
14 Spectator originally keen on following race meets (4,4)

Def

meets

Type

Acrostic

Expl

first letter of Spectator, then INTO(keen on) after RUN(race) — Times for the Times

Answer

RUNS INTO
16 A sign November is turning to December time (4)

Def

December time

Type

Charade, Reversal

Expl

LEO (synonym of "sign") + N (synonym of "November") [reversal: "turning"]; definition: "December time"

Answer

NOEL
18 Mountain republic's more westerly one excavated for uranium (4)

Def

Mountain

Expl

the republic is FIJI. Replace the leftmost (more westerly) I with a U(uranium) — Times for the Times

Answer

FUJI
19 Briefly take old vessel back round a volcanic island (8)

Def

volcanic island

Type

Reversal

Expl

TAKE missing the last letter and ARK(old vessel) all reversed, then O(round), A — Times for the Times

Answer

KRAKATOA
21 Cuckoo with intention of feeding? (3,2,5)

Def

Cuckoo

Type

Double definition

Expl

Double definition

Answer

OUT TO LUNCH
22 Old version of my commercial — as before (4)

Def

Old version of my

Type

Charade

Expl

EG (synonym="as") + AD (synonym="commercial") = EGAD; definition: "Old version of my"

Answer

EGAD
24 What boy working with monk after hours produces? (8)

Def

What boy working with monk after hours produces?

Type

Anagram

Expl

anagram of BOY and MONK after H(hours) — Times for the Times

Answer

HYMNBOOK
26 Grant airworthiness certificate perhaps, and send out (3,3)

Def

Grant airworthiness certificate perhaps

Type

Double definition

Expl

Double definition

Answer

LET FLY
27 World body backed agreement to hold vote without it (6)

Def

without it

Type

Reversal

Expl

UN(world body) then YES(agreement) reversed containing X(vote) — Times for the Times

Answer

UNSEXY
28 Young creature dying after taking lion's head for its tail! (8)

Def

Young creature

Type

Acrostic

Expl

YEARNING(dying) with the first letter of Lion replacing the last letter of lioN — Times for the Times

Answer

YEARLING

Down

2 Bomb may not be if it has this (2,3)

Def

this

Expl

if the bonb has O(zero) FUSE it would not be much of a bomb — Times for the Times

Answer

OF USE
3 The blessed Guardian's not partisan, somehow! (6,5)

Def

The blessed Guardian

Type

Anagram

Expl

anagram of NOTPARTISAN ("not partisan,") [anagram: "somehow!"] = PATRONSAINT; definition: "The blessed Guardian's"

Answer

PATRON SAINT
4 Sharing out reward, ultimately two pairs in contention? (8)

Def

Sharing out

Type

Charade

Expl

last letter in rewarD, then IV(four, two pairs) VYING(in contention) — Times for the Times

Answer

DIVVYING
5 Inside out? Stick with solution (5,4,3,3)

Def

Inside

Expl

UNDER(out, asleep), LOCK(stick), WITH(and), KEY(solution). Nifty clue! — Times for the Times

Answer

UNDER LOCK AND KEY
6 Filling in cheque, as you've not settled? (6)

Def

not settled

Type

Hidden word

Expl

Hidden in "filling in cheQUE, AS You've not settled?"

Answer

QUEASY
7 Maybe poverty's rise in the East End (3)

Def

Maybe poverty

Type

Deletion

Expl

the rise would be a HILL, remove the H — Times for the Times

Answer

ILL
8 Don cape before a dance, leading lady love (9)

Def

Don

Type

Charade

Expl

C(cape) before A BALL(dance) then ER(leading lady), O(love) — Times for the Times

Answer

CABALLERO
13 Pay for courses, with books in principle (11)

Def

principle

Type

Container

Expl

FUND(pay for) then A MEAL(courses) containing NT(books) — Times for the Times

Answer

FUNDAMENTAL
15 S American revolutionary: more than that, a university teacher (9)

Def

S American

Type

Reversal

Expl

reversal of NAY(more than that), A, U(university), GURU(teacher) — Times for the Times

Answer

URUGUAYAN
17 Place to go after ascending, with endless special food? (8)

Def

Place to go after ascending, with endless special food

Type

Reversal

Expl

LAV(place to go) reversed, then HALLAL food missing the last letter — Times for the Times

Answer

VALHALLA
20 Woman's who's fallen — case of fuel leaking? (6)

Def

Woman’s who’s fallen

Type

Charade

Expl

external letters of FueL, then OOZY(leaking) — Times for the Times

Answer

FLOOZY
23 Spent, having nothing else to pay? (3-2)

Def

Spent,

Answer

ALL-IN
25 Called before match not being broadcast (3)

Def

Called before match

Type

Homophone

Expl

sounds like NAY(not)

Answer

NEE