The Age Cryptic by @LRxword #20,536

I don't get time to do the weekend puzzles so this is two theme puzzles in a row for me. "NB: Starred clues share a word. Wordplay ignores that word" This applies to only  four theme clues and after solving nine clues I had enough letters spread around to get the first word in 1A RICHARD and then it was was easy to get the other three. The rest of the puzzle took me most of the day, off and on, and I was stuck in the NE corner for ages.



1A - *Most of morning with family's 11-across (7,7)

"11-across" is the definition and skip ahead to see it's ATHEIST. "Most of morning" = DAW(-n) with "family's" = KIN'S for RICHARD DAWKINS.

8A - Herb company packs pigmeat with crushed lime (9)

"Herb" is our definition and "company" = CO which "packs pigmeat" where "packs" is a container signpost saying to put "pigmeat" = HAM into CO for C(HAM)O. Then "crushed LIME" is anagrind and fodder to make C(HAM)O(MILE)

9A - Player took a vitamin to get right (5)

"Player" is our definition and this took me some time because "vitamin" is pretty vague and I needed the cross letters to get me going. We need the "A" from the clue and "vitamin" = C and then we need the "TO" from the clue and "right" = R for an ACTOR. This was one of the clues the clues that got me stuck in this corner. I could have the solution wrong, let me know.

11A - Non-believer attending robbery (7)

"Non-believer" is our definition and "attending robbery" is AT HEIST for an ATHEIST. My first in the grid.

12A - Spiritualist's costing breakdown (7)

"Spiritualist" is our definition and "COSTING breakdown" is fodder and anagrind to make GNOSTIC.

13A - It's easy to get welfare while smuggling diamonds (6)

"It's easy" is our definition and "welfare" = DOLE that is "smuggling diamonds" = DD and we need two as "diamonds" is plural, they're snuggled up inside to make DO(DD)LE.

14A - Flower extremely helpless to each bit of saltwater (5,3)

"Saltwater" is the vague definition - very vague! This corner. I got the second word first and struggled on the beginning. First I thought "flower" was a river but it's not, it's an IRIS, "extremely HelplesS" = HS and I think "EA(-ch) bit" all makes IRIS(H-S)(EA)

16A - Targeted artificial intelligence formed badly (5,3)

"Targeted" is our definition and "Artificial Intelligence" = AI and "FORMED badly" is fodder and anagrind to make AIMED FOR.

19A - Packed flush? (6)

Double definition: LOADED. "flush" as in having lots of cash.

23A - Constant energy escapes from neon spinning saucepans (3-4)

"Constant" is our definition and "Energy escapes from N(-e)ON" = NON, "spinning saucepan" = POTS reversed to make NON_STOP.

24A - Charlie has a dislike of gold in nice house (7)

"Nice house" is our definition and "Charlie" = C and "dislike" = HATE and "gold" = AU for a CHATEAU. bing bang boom.

25A - Religious person sees a star exploded (5)

"Religious person" is our definition and "A STAR exploded" is fodder and anagrind to make RASTA. Looks like the word "sees" is here  as a surface smoother, which was distracting because at first I thought this was hidden word.

26A - Search party's tactics when peanut butter is gone? (6,3)

Double definition: SPREAD OUT.

27A - *Cereal's cooking for 19-across man (7,7)

Following theme we know his first name RICHARD then "cereal's coking" = BRAN'S ON for the "LOADED man" RICHARD BRANSON.

1D - *15-down bet involves North (7,6)

Theme start is RICHARD and "bet" = WAGER that "involves North" = N being put into WAGER to make RICHARD WAG(N)ER. He shows up in puzzles a lot. He must have an easy name to work into grids.

2D - Stayed the night, uninvited (7)

Double definition: CRASHED.

3D - Hostile one escaped ASIO and US equivalent with student (7)

"Hostile" is our definition and "one escaped AS(-i)O" = ASO where "one" represents the letter I being dropped or "escaping",  then the "US equivalent" of ASIO = CIA and a "student" = L for learner to make ASO(CIA)(L)

4D - Coasts starting defender really is fairly tall supposedly (6)

"Coasts" is our definition and "starting Defender Is Fairly Tall Supposedly" = DRIFTS

5D - Nemeses 'arbour grand queens...(8)

I honestly don't know how this one is solved. I got the answer from cross letters and a guess. Answer is AVENGERS. Is there a cockney element? I can see "grand" = G and "queens" = ERS but the AVEN is where I'm unsure. Is it HAVEN drop the H and that's the cockney link? Maybe that's it. I spent most of the day thinking up alternate words for drag queens. I'm not sure how "Nemeses" then becomes AVENGERS as aren't the nemeses the bad guys, and the Avengers the good?

6D - King lenient on first symphony with horns (7)

This clue was tough - yes in the NE corner. "Horns" is the definition and "King" = K, "lenient" = LAX, we use the "ON" from the clue and then "first Symphony" = S to make K(LAX)(ON(S)

7D - Writes down refusal to join corrupt state (7)

"Writes down" is our definition and "refusal" = NO which will join "corrupt STATE" to make NO(TATES)

10D - *Rub up against 100 9-across (7,6)

Last theme clue starts with RICHARD and "RUB up" = BUR and "100" = TON for the 9-across ACTOR, RICHARD BURTON.

15D - Writer is firm with politician, then rings queen (8)

"Writer" is our definition and again with the vague. "Firm" = CO like a company, "politician" = MP, "rings" = OS as in multiple letter Os and "queen" = ER to make CO(MP)(OS)(ER)

17D - Parts of knee specimen is cited internally (7)

"Parts of knee" is our definition and "internally" is a hidden word signpost and within "speiMEN IS CIted" to find MENISCI which I'd never heard of and I'd think most people without a medical degree would know it either. The only way to attack a clue like this where it's somewhat obvious what we need to do but we're looking for is unknown, is to look between words and if anything looks like it could be a word, cross-check with a dictionary. That's how I got this.

18D - Dorothy gets a little bit of Morse code (3,4)

"Morse code" is our definition and a nick name for "Dorothy" = DOT and "a little bit" is a dash if we think of mixing ingredients for recipes to make DOT DASH.

20D - Japanese city gives fine to man in Alcoholics Anonymous (7)

"Japanese city" is our definition and "fine" = OKAY (sounds like a passive-aggressive row) and "man" = M to go "in Alcoholics Anonymous" = A(M)A for the city of OKAY(A(M)A)

21D - Supernatural beings made son upset (7)

"Supernatural beings" is our definition and "MADE SON upset" is fodder and anagrind to give us DAEMONS.

22D - Nearly frighten sailor with beetle (6)

"Beetle" is our definition and "nearly frighten" = SCAR(-e) plus a "sailor" = AB short for "able-bodied seaman to create SCAR(AB)


There we go. For me the theme was the easy bit. Several vague bits are better looked at as not not holding our hands through the puzzle today. For all it was frustrating at the start I was able to suss it eventually.

As always if you have better or different solution please share them in the comments. Enjoy the sunshine if you've got it, I know I am.