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1a Support NHS organisation finally taking a step back (5), 15d What warranted punishment and what carries charge? (9) and 17d Lack of confidence in record embarrassed Congress (9). I think the answers are Truss, Desertion and Discredit, but can't parse them fully?

1 Trust would be the NHS organisation. It takes a 'step' back in that the T becomes S, back one (in the alphabet)?

17 Discredit, lack of confidence. Disc, record, Red, embarrassed and It, Congress, sex (the hoary old crossword standby!)

Thanks, malone.

I’m not wild about 15d. I think it’s meant to be an &lit, where the whole clue reads as the definition. I get that “what carries charge” is “ion”, but am less happy that “what warranted punishment” is “desert”. A desert is something that’s warranted, it's true, but it could equally be a reward. A stretch for me, and I can see why it has a question mark.

Thanks, Quisling. Your thoughts on Desertion pretty much matched mine. I had a little browse, check in Chambers and didn't find anything that would have improved the clue for me!

I didn't enjoy this at all. Never felt that I was on the setter's wavelength. Without wishing to sound pretentious it was, for want of a better description, a "je ne sais quoi" kind of feeling.

Agreed! Could have found a better use of the afternoon..

I agree that there seem to be some 'iffy' clues in this one. The two that bug me the most are:

1D Player who gives the crowd nothing to celebrate? (9)

T _ A _ E _ _

My feeling is that this is TRAGEDIAN, ie a (not very good) straight forward clue. Does anyone have anything better?

19A Ordered to go cycling around secluded place. (4)

N _ S _ *

(*Assuming 1D is TRAGEDIAN)

All I think of for this is NEST - a sort of secluded place - but the rest of the clue I don't get at all.

Any suggestions please?

I agree with both. SENT is “ordered to go”, and it’s reversed, TNES, and then cycled, ie letters moved from front to back, giving NEST (or ESTN, or STNE)

Unusual clue for the Times, and not a great one