The Times 26948 (January 2018)

[TioMateo]

1) What one would give to be involved in the group matches! (5,5) ?L?O? D???? I can see why this clue could be used to give the answer BLOOD, but how can it produce BLOOD DONOR, or is it something else entirely?
2) Japanese school: one that's raised girl (4) ???Z (I'm not 100% sure about the Z)
3) Writer lowering one's spirit (4) ???I (I'm not 100% sure about the I) but, if it's SAKI, why "lowering one's"?

[douglas9401]

1. Blood Donor

Groups checked for compatibility

[cashier]

3 Biro lower the I to make brio

[vetuste_ennemi]

The girls looks like I+neZ[rev]

[Mamyalynne]

2 Inez - Zen 1 (i) raised

[Neveracrossword]

3 Raki becomes Saki, one letter along.?

[Mamyalynne]

I's go with Biro to Brio

[TioMateo]

Thank you to cashier & vetuste-ennemi for BRIO & INEZ respectively, which are clearly the right answers and I'm disappointed with myself for not getting there unaided.

I am sorry, douglas9401, if I'm being dim, but I don't understand why your "Groups checked for compatibility" actually answers the precise question I asked.

[Mamyalynne]

Blood is categorised by group matches before it can be given to patients.

[TioMateo]

I'm obviously not making my question clear. If the answer is BLOOD DONOR (and it doesn't seem possible for it to be anything else), then that refers to the person WHO gives the blood, not to the thing WHAT (that which) is given. I do not see how the wording of the clue fairly refers to the WHO (that gives) rather than the WHAT (that is given) - i.e. the blood itself.

[Mamyalynne]

I see your point, it is a little clumsily worded.

[TioMateo]

Thanks Mammyalynne - I am beginning to lose faith in other people's concern about the accuracy of clues. Of all the daily national crosswords, I would have classified The Times as being probably the most Ximenean rather than Libertarian, in that they adhere scrupulously to the dictum "You don't need to mean what you say, but you must say what you mean". I find this clue breaks that observance, but nobody - apart from yourself - seems to think that is the case, or to be bothered about it, if it is the case. That is a shame.

[Mamyalynne]

I wouldn't say puzzlers on here aren't bothered as such, we may not get as excited as they do on some blogs where it can be rather overdone - don't forget some of us are still weighted down with pud.

Standards do slip now and then but I always have my BP in mind :-)

Happy New Year when it lands.