Times crossword

[greenrook]

Anyone else find the Saturday Times crossword a right pig, or are my mental processes deteriorating?

[JULIEWOOLIE]

I thought the compiler must have been on drugs!

[kayakamina]

Can we help at all ?

[greenrook]

You're very kind - they are :- W??B???t and the clue is 'direction to arrest a band of lorry drivers heading north in relay'
Next one is ?A?A?N and the clue is 'Capture with a blocked-in knight' and the last one is ??N?T?O , the clue being 'Red Indian bit once on wagon wheel'
Some of the others were a bit obscure too, but I suppose that's what cryptic clues are supposed to be all about?!

[greenrook]

Sorry, W?B???T is what I intended to type.........

[Quizmonster]

WEBCAST...west around 'a CB' read upwards...CB = citizens' band being the 'radio band' used by lorry drivers.
GAWAIN...gain around w = with and 'a'.
ANNATTO...anna is an old Indian coin...TT = teetotal (on the wagon) and 'o' = wheel.

I thought it was a fine puzzle! Sorry.

[greenrook]

Thanks Quizmonster, of course it was a fine puzzle - you don't want them to be easy, do you, it'd be a bit pointless. I'd just got webcast but the others still eluded me. Just by the way, did you you ever see the list of the most 'elegant' clues from past crosswords? Heading the list was 'The cylinder is jammed' 5, 4. The answer was Swiss Roll, I thought that was indeed elegant

[Quizmonster]

I hadn't seen a particular list, Greenrook, but - over the many decades that I have been a crossword fan - I have seen wonderful clues...too many to list. Some are so delightful that one actually laughs out loud at them...unlike the occasions when people nowadays write 'LOL' whilst they are doing no such thing!

[brainiac]

I agree that it was a really good puzzle this Saturday - difficult but do-able, and with the usual Times elegance (not found in the Telegraph). Too many great clues over the years to remember, but here are a couple:
Open space in town centre with stage where balls may be held - SQUARE LEG
Cunning cat jumps up, catches tail of small bird - GUILLEMOT

[greenrook]

Well, thank you all for your help and comments - I certainly know where to come in future

[MCC]

Well, I go with juliewoolie - what is that compiler on? What I really object to is 22 down, where 'regal' is at least as good as, and probably a better answer than, 'renal'. That made 23 across and 17 down particularly difficult to get. Surely this is a cardinal sin? A 'fine' crossword, my foot!

[Quizmonster]

How on earth could 22 down be 'regal'? 'Organ's' means belonging to an organ and the kidney is, of course, an organ...so 'renal' means 'belonging to an organ'. 'N' is the standard abbreviation for 'note' and 'real' means 'not supposed'...ie we know. Put the 'n' into 'real'...ie make 'real' hold the 'n',as the clue says. Renal is the perfect answer, so where do you get the 'g' of 'regal' from?

[Quizmonster]

It occurs to me that 'G' is, indeed, the name of a musical note, giving rise to 'regal', but how on earth does 'regal' mean 'organ's'? Your answer has to fit all the elements.
A perfect clue in a perfectly fine crossword!

[Quizmonster]

I apologise most humbly to you, MCC!
I thought I had better check on the word 'regal' used as a noun and discovered that it does indeed mean 'organ'. In all my decades, I had never heard of such a usage. It's a vastly more obscure usage than the adjectival form meaning 'of the kidney' in my view, so I'm surprised you did not consider that alternative. I sstill think it was a fine clue in a fine crossword, but nevertheless, I apologise unreservedly.

[MCC]

Hi, Quizmonster. Thanks for your handsome apology.
My problem, of course, was that once I got 'regal', it didn't occur to me that it might be wrong, so I was pursuing this impossible A*G*T*O Red Indian, and becoming increasingly frustrated!
I thought there were other 'iffy' clues, too - in a long life of devotion to football, I never heard of a goalie 'keeping net' (1 down), for example.
No, not one of The Times' finest for me, I'm afraid - on the other hand, one up for answerbank for putting me on the track!