I’m blogging my last for Fifteen Squared today, so I was glad it was an old favourite, Orense, to see me off into the sunset.
Nothing especially groundbreaking here, but an enjoyable, varied, just-tough-enough puzzle. I enjoyed the cryptic definitions, and there was some inventive use of vocab too. Thank-you, Orense.
And thank-you, too, to all the FT setters, and to everyone who’s stopped by the site to read, comment or correct my stupid mistakes. So long.
| Across | ||
| 1 | SIDESTEP |
Parties before returning favourite skirt (8)
Sides [parties] reversal of pet [favourite] |
| 5 | DES RES |
Wishes to dispose of one house that’s much admired (3,3)
Desires [wishes] minus I [one] |
| 10 | LUNCH |
Meal set up without no end of hoo-ha (5)
Launch [set up] minus (hoo-h)a – but why the double negative? |
| 11 | APPLE TART |
Java programme pictures something to eat (5,4)
Applet [Java programme] art [pictures] |
| 12 | CARGO CULT |
Limo work with student in snub for religion? (5,4)
Car [limo] go [work] L [learner, student] within cut [snub] |
| 13 | TIMES |
Occasions for millions breaking links (5)
M [millions] within ties [links] |
| 14 | GALORE |
Aluminium found in blood, in abundance (6)
Al [aluminium] within gore [blood] |
| 15 | STIPEND |
Dispatch, incorporating list for salary (7)
Tip [list] within send [dispatch] |
| 18 | LADETTE |
Party girl dunking digestive vacantly in coffee (7)
D(igestiv)e within latte [coffee] |
| 20 | SUBWAY |
Where the road is always up? (6)
Cryptic definition |
| 22 | GUSTO |
Blow last of pimento making relish (5)
Gust [blow] (piment)o |
| 24 | ADORATION |
A speech about Germany and love (9)
A D [Deutschland, Germany] oration [speech] |
| 25 | ANALGESIA |
The lack of feeling of alcoholics accepting leasing arrangement (9)
Anagram of leasing within AA [Alcoholics (Anonymous)] |
| 26 | KETCH |
Don’t start drawing this sailing vessel (5)
(S)ketch [drawing] |
| 27 | TREATY |
Scoff in effort to get peace agreement (6)
Eat [scoff] within try [effort] |
| 28 | PEPTIDES |
Change, despite including phosphorus molecules (8)
P [phosphorus] within anagram of despite |
| Down | ||
| 1 | SPLICE |
Join up at last, cutting share (6)
(U)p within slice [share] |
| 2 | DONOR CARD |
London or Cardiff must hold record of this vital medical authorisation (5,4)
Hidden in lonDON OR CARDiff |
| 3 | SCHOOL OF THOUGHT |
Philosophy classes held here? (6,2,7)
Double-ish, cryptic-ish definition |
| 4 | ERASURE |
A part that’s rubbed out by age, of course (7)
Era [age] sure [of course] |
| 6 | ELECTRIC BLANKET |
Current employer confined to bed (8,7)
Cryptic definition |
| 7 | REALM |
Paper encompassing student’s sphere of knowledge (5)
L [learner, student] within ream [paper] |
| 8 | SET ASIDE |
Reserve hotel centrally located in coast (3,5)
(Ho)t(el) within seaside [coast] |
| 9 | SPATES |
Sudden rushes of spring tides missing one day (6)
Spa [spring] tides minus I [one] d [day] |
| 16 | EMACIATED |
Too thin after a diet came out? (9)
Anagram of a diet came |
| 17 | FLAGRANT |
Obvious harangue in support of female prisoner (8)
F [female] lag [prisoner] rant [harangue] |
| 19 | ELAPSE |
Electronic circuits with energy run out (6)
E [electronic] laps [circuits] e [energy] |
| 20 | STORAGE |
Charge for accommodating men in theatre (7)
OR [Other Ranks, men] within stage [theatre] |
| 21 | INCHES |
Makes slow progress at home, with game unfinished (6)
In [at home] ches(s) [game] |
| 23 | STALE |
Tired nation has left for the second time (5)
State [nation] with t [time] replaced by l [left] |
An enjoyable puzzle this and not very taxing. Thanks Ringo and Orense.
Ringo – Thanks a ton for all your blogs. It always made for an enjoyable read. I hope your departure is not permanent. All the best wherever you are at.
Cheers
TL
Thanks Ringo and Orense. A rare one for me in that I both finished and needed no help with parsing.
As a relative newcomer to this site, may I also echo Turbolegs’s sentiments and wish you the very best. Thank you for helping me on numerous other occasions!
Thanks both. Sorry to see you go Ringo – I’ve enjoyed and valued your blogs while remaining a lurker. I sincerely hope you’ll be back. All the best.
Go well, Ringo. And as you say, a fine puzzle to bow out with.
Thanks to both, and all the best, Ringo. An enjoyable puzzle and good blog!
Many thanks Ringo for all your excellent analyses and generous comments over the years (the double negative is an error of mine missed in test solve)
So long Ringo, as loonapick shows there’s no such thing as last…
Good luck Ringo with whatever will be filling your spare time with next.
Thanks, Ringo, for all your contributions in the past and best wishes for the future.
Thanks Orense and Ringo
Found this pretty straightforward and completed on the train on the way into work. Only a slight hold up with DES RES which I had not previously heard of. Lots of single letter insertions / extractions.
All of the best Ringo … and thanks for your blogs in the short time that I’ve started to do the FT puzzles.
Aw, thanks, all. Orense – the pleasure was all mine. And thanks for tying up that last loose end!
See you all in the Comments section…