Across
Pole in need of a whiskey quietly stops one with a punch (8)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:
P (quietly) contained by [stops] SOUTH (pole) + A + W (whiskey – NATO alphabet). A left-handed person, especially a boxer or baseball pitcher.
Pan tiny bit short — vegetable eyed? (6)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:
POT (pan), ATO{m} (tiny bit) [short]. A crazy surface and a strange definition with reference to the eyes commonly found in potatoes.
Network: asset accessed by sweetheart once (6)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:
PLUS (asset) contains [accessed by] EX (sweetheart once). In anatomy a plexus is a network of nerve fibres or blood vessels.
Special forces on ship touring an American state (8)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:
ARK (ship) + SAS (Special forces) containing [touring] AN
Exercise heading for disaster after hopes finally dashed (4)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:
{hope}S [finally), PE (exercise), D{isaster} [heading]
Monopoly card tears (10)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:
I had this as a double definition but I’ve had to revise the first to a cryptic hint because the Utility company on the Monopoly board is called ‘Water Works’ (two words). One tends to think of Monopoly cards as being either Chance or Community Chest but of course every purchasable property has a corresponding Title Deed which might also be described as a card. ‘Turning on the waterworks’ as euphemism for ‘crying’ appears to date back to the 17th century.
Drunken repartee in place of game presented at Christmas? (4,4)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:
Anagram [drunken] of REPARTEE. A great definition, the game in question being a partridge.
Team was singing its own praises (4)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:
Two meanings
Skirt, part of uniform I discarded (4)
Open to elements of in part sullenness, gutted (8)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:
OF contained by [in] ROLE (part), S{ullennes}S [gutted]
Spinner, figure remarkably on the money (10)
Desert: relief with river passing through (4)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:
R (river) contained by [passing through] AID (relief). ‘Desert’ needs to be an adjective here.
Remain still, or hit back, breaking leg (8)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:
TAN (hit) reversed [back] contained by [breaking] STAGE (leg)
For example, Princeton or Ivy League's after-show party? (6)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:
HAIR (show), DO (party). It was easy enough to work out what was going on here but the hair-style in question is not listed in any of the usual sources and not widely known in the UK, I imagine, so I wonder what the clue is doing in The Times of London. My AI assistant advises: The Ivy League haircut is a popular choice for students and alumni of Princeton and the Ivy League in general because it is a classic, sophisticated, and versatile haircut that is associated with success and achievement.
Flash deputy (6)
Half of weekend worker has saved is for evil lover? (8)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:
SAT (half of weekend – Sat / Sun), then ANT (worker) containing [has saved] IS
Down
Bloomer adding beef to sauce (5)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:
OX (beef), LIP (sauce – cheek)
One flogging a dead horse, possibly, Rex admits it's wrong (11)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:
Anagram [wrong] of REX ADMITS IT’S. A rather fine cryptic definition. When Roy Rogers’ horse Trigger died in 1965, Rogers had the hide professionally stretched over a foam likeness of the horse and mounted in his signature rearing pose. For many years Trigger was on display at a Roy Rogers museum, but following closure he relocated to a TV station headquarters in Nashville, Tennessee where he remains a popular tourist attraction.
Possible security requirement, weapon owned by parent? (8)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:
PA’S SWORD (weapon owned by parent)
Be dominant or ineffectual, eating dirt, exciting people (4,3,8)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:
WET (ineffectual) containing [eating] EARTH (dirt), ROUSERS (exciting people)
Soldier scoffing knockout Indian dish (6)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:
PARA (soldier) containing [scoffing] KO (knockout). A delicious variation on a bahji, usually containing cauliflower in my experience.
One of each from two and eight, numerically? (3)
Ungrateful leader on horseback entering without armoured fighters? (9)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:
H{orseback} [leader] contained by [entering] TANKLESS (without armoured fighters)
Dancing colonialist's rhythmic movement (11)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:
Anagram [dancing] of COLONIALIST’S
Awesome course briefly in focus (9)
Mates who demolished a trifle (8)
Sensational magician (6)
Try avoiding work in Asian river (5)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:
INDUS{try} (work) [try avoiding]
Excessive sentimentality as thug in the end rubbed out (3)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:
GOO{n} (thug) [in the end rubbed out]. Another Americanism to finish with.
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