53 n.o.

Spoiler

1. SNEER?
2. I can guess, but I can't see why
5. AGIST

6. LAWSON?

Um, never mind my 6. It doesn't actually fit...

#2 has to be a planet's name... but I'm bamboozled as to why!?

You're right JT. And to give you one more nudge, 'workers' in the Times can signify TU (or Trade Union).

Blimey, I still struggle with regulars let alone curly ones.
1. SPEAR?
2. SATURN? Something to do with UR in relaxing ANTS?
3. A tentative alliance/nest link but think NESTLE is surely the answer here.
4. Not needing soldiers, discharge military unit = _E_T_O_

6. Too many letters for LAWSON and out of order with clue, DC. Would a "SA loon" be considered an Australian native? :P Will work on this one a bit longer.

3. Ah drat, missed the first blank. I will run through UN_T_LE words for a while now.

I am now considering _AROON for 6, but MAROON doesn't seem to be it.

And can't see SAN for nursing home either, unless it is short for sanitarium.

NESTLE suffers from a similar problem to LAWSON, Nib :)

Ok... "workers start to relax" is TUR, in SAN = nursing home?? Maybe I should return to these a little later in the a.m., because I'm still stumped.

For a dreadful minute, I feared that the Australian native mantioned in 6 was a nod to ABO. My fears were groundless, thank god.

6. I'm thinking the word relates to 'source' as definition, and a short 'Australian native' will be contained within a short 'report'.

haha, I was just trying that, DA.

I think 3 is ANATOLE: alliance = NATO, the French = LE, and Antole France was a poet.

... or, "source of report" could be a type of gun. Or it could be a dodgy way of clueing the letter R. As could "Australian" be a tenuous way of clueing A.

*** Spoiler warning***

I think #1 might be SWEAR. Blind = def, using = link word, pole = S, with = W, spike = EAR

#2 In Sydney, there's a convalescent hospital known colloquially as The San which I think helps.

#3 - Bit tough this one if you don't know your writers. The alliance bit is easy though and should help inspire the answer.

4. SECTION would fit military unit. Still working on the justification.

At a guess, #6 might be SAMOAN, SAM being a source of report, ON as being written, A for Australian, native = def.

But even then the clue seems jingoistic, so I hope I'm wrong.

A discharge could be an ION. That's all I got.

Nib, I reckon for #4, discharge is secretion.

Good advice, Boniface on #4. As for SAMOAN, you're on the wrong island. The definition element in #1 was unfamiliar to me, as was BLIND = SWEAR. (How is this used?)

I was sooooo tempted to put in SPEAR (being a spike, and perhaps to blind with a spear, but as Nib says - I couldn't find the justification. Like that word.)

#1 was a very good red herring, one of the best I've seen.

Blind (v intr) Brit slang: to curse (esp in the phrase 'effing and blinding' where effing is a euphemism for the obvious and blinding is a euphemism for bloody).

#6 OK, I think this is now MAROON (def native)and where 'man' is 'source of report'... we know the Australian bit.

Not 100% sure about 'of report' though - it seems otiose on my (possibly flawed) analysis. Maybe there's some journo speak in here... DA?

For no. 6, If the australian native was roo, that would suggest maroon but i can't really see how either he definition or "man" are derived. Was there a Maroon report in the UK ?

Correct - to a point, Boniface. The solution to #6 is MAROON, though there's no journo-speak involved. To quote Definition 2 for maroon in the Macquarie:

2. a firework exploding with a loud report, especially one used as a warning or distress signal

The wordplay pivots on 'being' = MAN around ROO. I cracked the nut the moment I asked myself, what is 'being' doing there? And that's despite my firework-ignorance.

Thanks DA - never heard of that def either and should have twigged to the sly use of 'being'.

Did you mean to include a link to the Times puzzles or should we source them ourselves?

6. I thought of asking DC why he thought it wasn't MAROON, since I was familiar with the firework definition, but I got hung up on why he had _AROON in the first place, missing the obvious marsupial native.

4. I think Boniface is right - discharge = SECRETION, soldiers = RE (Royal Engineers); SECRETION not needing RE = SECTION.

Short of subscribing to The Oz online, I understand there is no link to the day's crossword. So to play along - steadily or sporadically - you'll need to hunt down a hard copy on the day.

This Times-tag is an experiment. Thought it could offer an ongoing forum for regulars to coax and clarify and commiserate as the clues roll by, off-site.

#8963 a benign picnic, with no queries, and two jewels:

7. Took photograph and lost it (7)

8. Clergyman is coming in to carry out part of funeral after mass (8)

7. SNAPPED?

8. Hmm, thinking "MINISTER" ... M = "Mass", everything "after" is IN + IS + blehhh...

IS in INTER (carry out part of funeral)

And there I was thinking how clever I was for finishing it so quickly and DA brings me down a peg (pardon the allusion to a past alias).

Just one query:

20D Group of stars begs theatre for a rise (7)

I've got the answer, I just don't know why.

RK - one man's picnic is another's ant plague. I wasn't meaning to boast, but compared to the likes of MAROON and SWEAR etc, I dound no sleeping demons.

Once you grow familiar with theatre as REP [short for repertory], you should see how PERSEUS operates. Last entry for me was DOHS, which I thought was DEAF for a time.

Make that found.

Note to self: use new Preview button. Doh[s].

Got it now. Thanks.

Being a muso, DOHS was one of my first, so you've restored my ego. I'm trying to figure out how you thought it was DEAF. I get the quiet notes bit. Sounds like fade in reverse?

D, E, A, F - four notes... [and the ultimate quiet]

Hmm, never heard that term before.
May I nominate 'intern' as an 'N' deletion clue? :P

Just knocked off #8964 - a tougher nut to crack. No real brio, neither. Don't quite get 4-AC, 12-AC, 4-DN or 5-DN. (Earmarked for a future Huh.)

While I wager that 18-AC will be among your last to enter.

This one is definitely harder than yesterday. About halfway through and just solved 18AC as I was determined to prove you wrong. Great clue. Haven't got any of the others you mentioned yet.

Re 4AC, the last 5 letters are what your clothes are for.

BUFE++ Buffy Summers
++GOOD Big Brother

HE@H¬ Heathcliff

Why yes, that was in completely the wrong page.

4D is a type of fine fabric

Making crosswords a zero sum game? I can see the inversion now, RK, thanks. Just threw in a fine fabric coz it fit (a risky ploy at this stage in the tally).

Still head-scratching on those others though.

I've got a type of dog for 5 down. I'm not sure if it's right, but my reasoning for it is that Eve sprang from Adam's rib. Maybe that's drawing a very long bow...

Do you get 4AC now, DA?

Still trying to figure out why 12AC is what it is.

Got it! Think cricket.

Mother's to wear...there it is. Thanks.

As for that springing theory, I can't think of anything better. Needs a spring clean, you ask me. While how does the bunny belong in 12-AC? Another big leap I'd say.

Clean bowled. Well done, RK. That you done?

Well, kinda. I must confess I've done a bit of a DA and have put an answer in 19D because it fits and sort of makes sense but I'm not 100% sure if it's right.

That one I parsed carefully, since I dreaded putting in the wrong ensemble: SEXTET, SESTET or SEPTET?

The right mob is SEPTET [Physical Training] in a rising TEES.

As for doing a 'DA', meaning to bung in a likely answer, I'm shocked. That's not my usual MO, though the fit felt snug with the fabric. Followed by a brief blindness to the workings. Good going, RK.

Thank you for clearing that up. I was trying to figure out if exercise was EX or PE when all along it was PT. That's one to file away.

I don't know, I think the term 'DA' may have taken on a new meaning now. It used to be the name in our household for the Friday Herald, as in 'Don't forget to buy DA today.' How about we call it even, with your 'muslin' and my 'septet' and we'll never speak of it again.

Well, I got half of yesterday's out, on first attempt. This might be as good as it gets.

But no, I had another go and am now only 3 short. That includes a couple I'm not exactly sure how to derive (is PI an outbuilding?) and a few I saw the answers to above, before I sourced a copy.

This was apparently the easy one, but also better than any Times I've done before (not a huge number).

Whenever I see 'outbuilding' I think SHED. But here it's STABLE. So that makes the breakdown:

HO/S(PI)TABLE

With a little teamwork, no Times is too hard. That's what I hope this tag will prove, as more players join.

Thanks. And there I was thinking House was Host, making HOS(PI)T/ABLE.

My waters tell me that the SW corner of Times 8965 (or number 56 in my century quest) will be your last to complete.

My waters need adjusting - I meant the SE corner.

The last one I got was 26AC. I was stuck on it for ages. Couldn't get 'torment' out of my head. 27AC was no problem as I lived there for a while.

It also took me a while to realise that the 11 in 8D was a reference to 11 Across. I wasted quite a bit of time puzzling over that one!

I don't quite understand 15AC.

Not sure why 15AC needs 'Temporarily' coz it's essentially OFF [unattracted by] + PUTTING [one part of a certain sport, more than sport] = causing cold feet [OFF-PUTTING].

Dull? Correct. The only smiler was 22DN, while 21DN is a new meaning for me.

It was the 'temporarily' that had me confused. Too clunky a clue.

One of my faves was 12AC. I never realised EYESIGHT was YES in EIGHT.

Having solved 56 consecutive puzzles now, are you able to recognise the styles of individual compilers despite the anonymity?

John Halpern (that's Paul in the Guardian) is one regular I recognise, I think. Humour will give him away.

Our good mate Loroso has his own succinct charms - trim, true and terrific.

Seems the unkinder patterns (with fewer unches) and softer letters belong to my least faves, including Don Manley, aka Pasquale in the Guardian, and Bradman in the FT. Though I may being doing a Don a disservice, as I don't know the entire stable.

Times 8966 now complete.

Following my initial moments of panic when I feared I wouldn't be able to solve a single clue, I eventually found a way in and then it was reasonably smooth sailing. The SW corner held me up for a while again at the end.

Favourites were:

17AC Play combination of rock with jazz, initially, on radio (5,3,6)

25D Total is a thousand, equally divided (3)

Hardest for me:

24AC Port that's good? Excellent - must be passed left (5)
Tricky twist on the old A1 for excellent

Just as an aside - fresh from my Times solving success, I thought I would tackle yesterday's Guardian cryptic by Enigmatist. Is he DA's evil twin or what? I'm persevering, but it's like blood out of a stone.

I had less success with the last couple, but have gone through the answers, so as to follow the logic. A lot of (British informal) notes, I see in the dictionary.

Can I ask about these, both from 8965:

16D: Note duke's written in struggle to size up estate? (4-5) TEST-DRIVE

Where does the TE come from?

23A: MP's daughter about to be embraced by agent (6) REDCAP

I see where 'daughter', 'about' and possibly 'agent' might fit, but I can't parse the whole.

TE is a musical note - an alternative to TI in solfa.

The military police in Britain are called Redcaps.

Thanks greatly.

RK, I found that particular Enigmatist a beast as well. As far as twins go, he is the hairy one.

Re 8966, I'm guessing John Halpern. Fun, with a few chewy clues (25AC for me, and maybe 16DN). While PERSEUS seems the hero du jour.

I love that feeling of momentary terror, solving nada before the grid gives way. It's what you pay for.

I usually have that feeling on Fridays for some reason...

Yes, I found 16D tricky as it is not quite the way I would normally use that word.

'Ready for Russian' meaning rouble, was also a highlight for me.

I found this crossword much more enjoyable than the previous one, whose nautical theme stretched my limited knowledge of sailing craft!

Why does SWEET mean FOOL in 12AC?

From the Macq:

FOOL noun a dish made of fruit stewed, made into a puree, and mixed with thick cream or custard: gooseberry fool.

Thanks DA. I've never heard of that before.

No 8967, and all but 17DN to go, which at this stage seems impossible. (Not quite panicking just yet, but I need to go this alone, or my century plans are dashed.)

A fun puzzle too, with 20AC and 21DN my picks.

Um, just got it. I think. Ironically. (Not quite sure why but...)

I agree DA. This puzzle was good fun with references to cricket, cards and musical theatre and a very well hidden container clue. I was also amused by 12AC.

I'm pretty sure I've got 17D and I think it's reasonably clear why, so maybe you haven't got the right answer for it. I don't want to say what it is, in case you haven't.

It's just occured to me why you said 'ironically'. Der Fred (that's me, not you.) I thought you were referring to the meaning of the clue rather than the irony of you having difficulty with it. We've definitely got the same answer and it's definitely correct.

ST DAVIDS: only sensible thing to fit. I'm guessing St David's Day was yesterday? You think I'd know, right? And I also presume it's a town somewhere - again, a stab.

If I have an Achilles heel in this century drive, it's the cryptic definition, where the wordplay is more cultural than structural. I consider my sainted self a bullet dodged.

Bring on #59 -

St Davids is in Wales. I thought the 'Yesterday's Man' bit just referred to the fact that he's a man who's no longer alive, being a saint and all.

Yes, the cultural dimension can be tricky. I was slightly worried when I saw 'county' in 16D, and beside my crossword I have listed 'Surrey', 'Somerset' and 'Sussex' knowing that it started with 's' and then it just turned out to be SHIRE.

Times No.8968 seemed so gentle at first, but turned out to have a sting in the tail.

Stuck on 9AC, 4D and 18AC and not sure of the 'why' of a couple of others.

Weird how solving works. Those clues you mentioned held no demons, though I struggled (and still do) to link my 'nominal' answer to the wordplay. Howsoever - it's solved I s'pose.

I eventually solved two of the three, once I realised it was 'rime' and not 'ice' and once I figured Occam must have been a great thinker. Sometimes you just know it's right by instinct and not because you've actually heard of the word. Still didn't get 18AC.

I liked 18D, and 21AC was clever but obvious given the number of words in the clue.

I meant 8D not 18D.

No spoilers here for today's Times, as I haven't started it yet.

I'm assuming your 'nominal' reference, DA, applies to the answer JOHANNES. Those many years spent tackling Bach's Preludes and Fugues and Brahms' sonatas were not wasted after all. Brahms was a Johannes but Bach just a Johann. Add the tips of exams (es) and you get your answer. The only part of the clue I had an issue with was the 'for'.

Hope this clears it up.