Monday was Rufus in the Guardian and it was pretty straightforward. I had a few obstacles but it's down to my lack of knowledge about England. I can be forgiven that. Several people commented at the puzzle link that this was far too easy - well to me that's helpful. I need a few easy puzzles to practice on and let's not ignore the handy boost to confidence, too. Although it was depressing the complaints began 20 minutes after the puzzle was published. It took me nearly three hours, off and on between errands. Here's the pic: (I'll load up later. For some reason my phone doesn't want to talk to my laptop and I'm uploading something and can't restart just now) (You're not missing much)
7A - Floating at sea, for the most part? (2,3,4)
"For the most part" is our definition and I got this from cross letters and the definition. I'm not sure how the "floating at sea" part relates but the answer is IN THE MAIN.
8A - Make a correction to starboard (5)
Double definition: RIGHT, to right an error and the right side of a ship. I remember the days in Summer camp playing boat scramble when the councillor would shout "Port!" "Bow" "All hands on deck!" and we'd scramble around the beached boats to show we knew the correct positions before being given paddles and trusted to the lake.
9A - Dieting so mistakenly could adversely affect this (9)
This is a great clue. "Dieting so mistakenly" is fodder and anagrind to give us DIGESTION which is "adversely affected" due to "dieting mistakenly" or eating bad foods.
10A - Strictly speaking, the tail of a dog (5)
Double definition and I got this with cross letters. After having a couple of nautical type questions I wondered if this was another one and it seems to be: STERN, which is speacking in a firm, strict manner and the rear of a boat - could boat and dog be synonyms or is it that the "Bow-wow" is at the front and the tail is the back/stern?
12A - Almost ready to include me in the cure (6)
"The cure" is our definition and "almost ready" means we will lose one letter in "ready" and "include ME" is literal, We will replace the dropped letter with ME. We need to drop the -A to get RE(ME)DY. Put an earworm in my head for the rest of the puzzle.
13A - Secret American organisation (2,6)
"Secret" is our definition and "American organisation" is fodder and anagrind to give us IN CAMERA. A phrase I've not heard of before but one person in the comments complained they see it all the time. Her "In Camera" is my "Red-letter day," I know her frustration.
14A - Tabby is prepared to look after another's young (7)
"To look after another's young" is our long definition which leaves very little clue to work with "Tabby is prepared" is fodder and anagrind to give us BABYSIT.
17A - An abstract point, to be exact (7)
"To be exact" is our definition and I'm not sure how we get this. I had cross letters to help me out. Answer is PRECISE. I'd wager it relates to an article's abstract that's been quoted or referenced. Fifteen Squared said "PRECISE – PRECIS (an abstract) E (point)"
and I did google "precis" too and it never clicked for me. Bugger.
20A - Uncommitted affection? (4,4)
Cryptic definition: FREE LOVE. I did wander about the house talking to myself about "If one is uncommitted they're not bound or tied and are free to leave..." Never thought about Hippies.
22A - It is said to aid meditation (6)
I did mull about homophones but nothing seems to work. Then I realised the clue was being more literal - what is said during mediation? OM, or some other common repetitive phrase or MANTRA.
24A - Enter the office uninvited? (5)
Here we need to not think about business offices but official heads of government offices, and "enter" is far more polite than what usually happens when rebels USURP political power.
25A - Destroy bacteria, that is with Lister's treatment (9)
"Destroy bacteria" is our definition and "that is" = IE used with "lister's treatment" which is partial fodder and anagrind to give us: STERILISE.
26A - One hears word of it (5)
You can think grapevines and gossip, it's all "word of MOUTH"
27A - Lincoln is such a city — see around it (9)
My first thought was Nebraska since Friday's Paul, which I'd just finished, had another obscure state capital. I had to cheat to get this answer because I couldn't understand what was going on. Answer is CATHEDRAL. I googled "Lincoln Cathedral" and yes there is a cathedral in Lincoln UK, not Nebraska. I think the "see around it" may refer to the Holy See in/of Vatican City making the the cathedral there the Vatican. Maybe?
1D - Small number elevated to job connected with computers (6)
"Connected with computers," is our definition and I got this, but I got it in a way different from Fifteen Squared and I'm sure their's is better. I thought "small number, elevated" = NIL because what smaller number is there, reversed to LIN? Then "nil, elevated" is ONE and I thought maybe "connected" was a container signpost so I went ON(LIN)E. My solution is messed up because it makes "elevated" and "connected" do double duty which is naughty.
2D - One caught in the very act of stealing (8)
"Act of stealing," is our definition and "one" = I as it usually does, and it will be "caught in" THE VERY to make TH(I)EVERY. Very considerate of Rufus to give us most of the letters.
3D - Workshop occupied by strikers (6)
Cryptic definition - what workshop has people striking things? SMITHY. My first thought was union scabs or something along that line.
4D - Delay decision on what to do with a chair (3,2,2)
Double definition: SIT ON IT.
5D - Some contradict umpire's ruling (6)
"Ruling" is our definition and "some" is a hidden word signpost and within
"contraDICT UMpire's" is DICTUM.
6D - Cathedral plans to include religious education (8)
"Cathedral" is our definition and I had to dink about with the thesaurus and dictionary to get this as it's not a word I've encountered before. "Plans," = CHARTS which will "include" a word for "religious education" = RE for CHART(RE)S. Why "cathedral = Chartres" I'm not sure, even after looking at the dictionary. A city that has a cathedral? Lots of cities have cathedrals. I lack a knowledge connection from definition to wordplay.
11D - A better mark (4)
I guess this is a cryptic definition and it requires a bit of waffling to explain. Imagine that person who talks way too much about something you don't want to elaborate explanation about "Well you know, Steve? He had this cut and it was really nasty so he had to get stitches, which were itchy and annoying and he kept picking at them until it went a bit red and angry and the doctor yelled at him about germs and fingernails and covered that thing with Neosporin and a thick bandage....you know Neosporin? It kills germs and stuff and it's got "sport" in the name, sort of, so guys will use it. Well Steve left it alone and it finally healed and now the cut is gone, although he had to pull the stitches out himself because those dissolvable stitches never dissolve, and it's "better" but he's been left with a SCAR.
15D - An undergarment one's upset about, showing wear (8)
I had to cheat for this one. "Wear" is our definition and "an undergarment" = A BRA and from there I got a bit lost. Fifteen squared offered this solution: "ABRASION – A BRA (an undergarment) I’S (one’s) reversed (upset) ON (about)" I would never have thought "I's" since we never say or write "I's." I was trying to figure out how we could remove the E in "one's" and replace it with an I but couldn't see how.
16D - Press for an element essential to life (4)
Double definition for a "press" and an "essential life element" = IRON.
18D - Decide to terminate (8)
Double definition: CONCLUDE.
19D - The perfect chap to be a match official (4,3)
Cryptic definition for a BEST MAN, one who's part of a wedding's "match," in an official capacity. He holds rings and gives embarrassing speeches.
21D - Such mistakes are holding a sailing man up (6)
"Such mistakes," is our definition and "ARE holding, a sailing man up," where "holding" is a container signpost and "a sailing man" = TAR all going "up" or in reverse = ER(RAT)A
22D - She shows skill in carving ham (6)
Again I struggle to make the connection between answer and definition. The definition here is "She," which could be any female on the planet, living, fictional or dead. "She" is insanely vague. Unfairly vague. "shows skill" = ART to be placed "in" "carving ham" which is anagrind and partial fodder to give us M(ART)HA. Is there a famous Martha known for carving ham? Which Martha? Washington? Plimpton? Stewart? I'd lean towards Stewart only because she has a recipe book.
23D - Car's crashed with a learner — a culpable character (6)
"A culpable character" is our definition and "car's crashed" is partial fodder and anagrind and we are two letters short, "with A Learner" = A L (for L-plater) to give us" RASC(AL).
Done. Not so bad. Always a nice way to kick off the week. Today it's a Puck and I anticipate a lot of cheating for me. You should just take it as fact that I need to use the cheat button a lot and often I'm just reverse engineering the clue to figure out how it got solved. It's why I don't bother with the usual red pen. You can judge me if you want to, but do remember I'm a newbie solver who is trying their best to learn the whys and how-tos of this whole cryptic crossword thing. I'm not happy with just guessing from the definition and cross-letters and not understanding the clue part. I need to know why, I need the history behind and I need to know...everything. I'm a bit tenacious. "Just because" doesn't float for me.
Right, onto Puck...
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