Times Cryptic Crossword #28629

Times Cryptic · 30 clues with answers and explanations · 2023-06-14

Explanations sourced from Times for the Times

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Across

1 Place with newspapers found on university hike (6)

Def

hike

Expl

U (university) PL[ace] I, FT (two newspapers). — Times for the Times

Answer

UPLIFT
4 Where people may be caught abroad with some grass (8)

Def

Where people may be caught

Type

Charade

Expl

OUT (synonym="abroad") + FIELD (synonym="some grass") = OUTFIELD

Answer

OUTFIELD
10 Silk Road city — a spot in desert? (9)

Def

Silk Road city

Type

Charade

Expl

A (abbreviation of "- a") + MARK (synonym of "spot") + SAND (synonym of "desert?"); definition: "Silk Road city"

Answer

SAMARKAND
11 Two rivers in the country (5)

Def

in the country

Expl

R for river, URAL a Russian one. — Times for the Times

Answer

RURAL
12 I want you to understand it may be men got Ted (4,3,2,5)

Def

I want you to understand

Type

Anagram

Expl

anagram of MEN GOT TED is DON’T GET ME, so “wrong”. — Times for the Times

Answer

DONT GET ME WRONG
14 Prevent crime writer dropping The Times (5)

Def

Prevent

Expl

Colin DEXTER, of Morse fame, drops the X = “times”. — Times for the Times

Answer

DETER
16 Pretentious type of word common in Old Norse (9)

Def

Pretentious

Type

Container

Expl

VERB (type of word) LOW (common) inside O N. — Times for the Times

Answer

OVERBLOWN
18 Certainly not Falstaff for Thursday evening perhaps (9)

Def

Thursday evening perhaps

Type

Charade

Expl

WEE (synonym="WEE") + KNIGHT (synonym="KNIGHT") = WEEKNIGHT; definition: "Thursday evening perhaps"

Answer

WEEKNIGHT
20 Girl going short without hot eastern food (5)

Def

eastern food

Type

Container

Expl

SUSI[E] with H inserted. — Times for the Times

Answer

SUSHI
21 Is jazz band mostly rubbish in engagement upset? (14)

Def

upset

Type

Container

Expl

IS COMBO (jazz band) BUL[L] (mostly rubbish) inside DATE = engagement. An excellent word, which I do use occasionally. — Times for the Times

Answer

DISCOMBOBULATE
25 Scent hard work writing out a verse (5)

Def

Scent

Type

Deletion

Expl

TR (synonym="TR") + AIL (synonym="hard work") = TRAIL; definition: "Scent"

Answer

TRAIL
26 Cheeseparer has to strip surface from something hard (9)

Def

Cheeseparer

Type

Charade

Expl

SKIN (synonym="strip…") + FLINT (synonym="something hard") = SKINFLINT; definition: "Cheeseparer"

Answer

SKINFLINT
27 Shortly drunk outside English pub (8)

Def

pub

Type

Container

Expl

E inside (SHORTLY)*. — Times for the Times

Answer

HOSTELRY
28 Prince introducing odd extracts from Yemeni songbook (6)

Def

songbook

Type

Container

Expl

Prince HAL again as in the Bard, has Y e M e N i inserted. — Times for the Times

Answer

HYMNAL

Down

1 Silly wind-up does upset (6,4)

Def

upset

Type

Anagram

Expl

anagram of WINDUPDOES ("wind-up does") [anagram: "Silly"] = UPSIDEDOWN; definition: "upset"

Answer

UPSIDE DOWN
2 Colour of apple shown by Monet? (5)

Def

Colour

Type

Hidden word

Expl

I think this is a hidden word clue with the “indicator” in between, thus APPLE MONET. — Times for the Times

Answer

LEMON
3 Collector of food in aid of increasingly old person (7)

Def

Collector of food

Type

Charade

Expl

FOR (synonym="in aid of") + AGER (synonym="person getting older") = FORAGER; definition: "Collector of food"

Answer

FORAGER
5 Inappropriate French article and a couple from Italy (5)

Def

Inappropriate

Type

Charade

Expl

UN (synonym="UN") + DUE (synonym="DUE") = UNDUE; definition: "Inappropriate"

Answer

UNDUE
6 Cut of beef's fine — or Brie crackers (7)

Def

Cut of beef

Type

Anagram, Charade

Expl

anagram of ORBRIE ("- or Brie") [anagram: "crackers"] + F (abbreviation of "fine") = FORERIB; definition: "Cut of beef's"

Answer

FORERIB
7 Messing about on or close to barge sure is wrong (9)

Def

wrong

Type

Anagram

Expl

anagram of ON OR E SURE = ERRONEOUS; definition: "wrong"

Answer

ERRONEOUS
8 Herb died diseased (4)

Def

Herb

Expl

D for died, ILL for diseased. — Times for the Times

Answer

DILL
9 Chorus splits regarding key (4,4)

Def

Chorus

Type

Charade

Expl

PARTS (synonym of "splits") + ON (synonym of "regarding") + G (abbreviation of "key"); definition: "Chorus"

Answer

PART SONG
13 Expense relating to teeth after incisors half removed (10)

Def

Expense

Type

Charade

Expl

INCI (synonym="INCI") + DENTAL (synonym="DENTAL") = INCIDENTAL; definition: "Expense"

Answer

INCIDENTAL
15 Classic play has to contend with most of these around it (3,6)

Def

Classic play

Type

Container

Expl

RIVAL (synonym="contend with") in THES (synonym="THES") = THE RIVALS; definition: "Classic play"

Answer

THE RIVALS
17 Right work in hospital department in charge of rising disorder? (8)

Def

rising disorder

Type

Charade

Expl

ENT (synonym of "hospital department") + R (synonym of "Right") + OP (synonym of "work") + IC (synonym of "in charge"); definition: "rising disorder?"

Answer

ENTROPIC
19 Streamlined fairing's new, with excellent lines on plane's tail (7)

Def

Streamlined fairing

Expl

N (new) ACE (excellent) LL (lines) E (end of plane.) The cover on a plane’s engine. — Times for the Times

Answer

NACELLE
20 Small lock and key finally oiled? (7)

Def

oiled

Expl

S (small) QUIFF (lock of hair) Y (end of key). — Times for the Times

Answer

SQUIFFY
22 Amplifier initially made a signal very clipped at both ends (5)

Def

Amplifier

Type

Acrostic

Expl

M A S (initial letters of made a signal) ER (vERy, clipped). A MASER (an acronym) is an amplifier of microwaves, as a LASER is one of light; if you didn’t know it, you could deduce it from the wordplay. — Times for the Times

Answer

MASER
23 Strange fiction in article (5)

Def

Strange

Type

Charade

Expl

LIE (synonym of "fiction") + AN (synonym of "article"); definition: "Strange"

Answer

ALIEN
24 Pine resin has the top left off (4)

Def

Pine

Expl

PITCH (plant resin) has its P left off. — Times for the Times

Answer

ITCH