ParkSolve time 35:28 (slow run, quick solve)
We’ve had a few tough ones in recent weeks but Mara has provided us today with a Quickie that’s set at just the right level for the aspiring cruciverbalist.
It’s a perfect example of something I keep banging on about, the importance of spotting the definition in a cryptic crossword clue. And the place to look, almost without exception, is at either end of the clue. In today’s puzzle all 26 clues have a one or two-word definition at the start or the end of the clue. Just a matter of working out which end to look at!
Makes you wonder how solvable this puzzle would be as a non-cryptic, using just those one or two word definitions. Maybe it could be set up so that the solver could “phone a friend” or in this case reveal the wordplay if they were stuck? That’d be a fun way to introduce someone to the cryptic-solving caper.
We also have three homophone clues today. That’s more than usual but they all seem to be non-controversial. Shame really as I always enjoy the “they don’t sound the same round these parts” comments.
Anyway, let’s get on with it. Please let us know how you went with this one, and let me know if I’ve missed something obvious.
(In the clues, definitions are underlined and anagram indicators are in bold italics.
In the explanations (ABC)* indicates an anagram of abc. Deletions and other devices are indicated accordingly, I hope).
| Across | |
| 8 | Tearier drunk in African country (7) |
| ERITREA – (TEARIER)* | |
| 9 | Arabian lady’s heading off with yours truly (5) |
| OMANI – |
|
| 10 | Implant I sent for adjustment (5) |
| INSET – (I SENT)* | |
| 11 | Small can with label stuck round it for sampling (7) |
| TASTING – S (small) + TIN (can) with TAG (label) “stuck round it” | |
| 12 | Inverted, comprehensively (6,3) |
| INSIDE OUT – Double definition
For the second definition, think of someone having an inside out knowledge of their specialist field. Oh and for the first definition the usual references give it a tick, even though “inverted” would probably have you thinking “upside down” before “inside out”. |
|
| 14 | Polish off some creation (3) |
| EAT – Hidden in (some) crEATion | |
| 16 | Crack: cloth filling hole (3) |
| GAG – Double definition
Slightly strange second definition, but I guess that’s what happens when you’re bound and gagged. Can’t speak from experience, I haven’t even read Fifty Shades of Grey. |
|
| 18 | Youth in series nursing bust lip (9) |
| STRIPLING – STRING (series) “nursing” (LIP)*
I only know the word from The Man From Snowy River*. “And one was there, a stripling on a small and weedy beast”. *The longest poem that I can recite off the cuff. Let me know if you need me for your next social function or kids’ party. |
|
| 21 | Trick inconsequential, by the sound of it? (7) |
| SLEIGHT – Homophone (by the sound of it) of SLIGHT (inconsequential) | |
| 22 | Judge takes that object for repair (5) |
| REFIT – REF (judge) + IT (that object) | |
| 23 | Cash draw netting chips, originally (5) |
| LUCRE – LURE (draw) “netting” C (Chips, originally)
A word you only ever see preceded by “filthy”. Cash may seem a fairly loose definition but it’s becoming associated more and more with illicit activities. |
|
| 24 | Amplify in general, all over the place (7) |
| ENLARGE – (GENERAL)* | |
| Down | |
| 1 | Shy going to bed (8) |
| RETIRING – Double definition | |
| 2 | Married, is son with American wife? (6) |
| MISSUS – M (married) + IS + S (son) + US (American)
Two possible reasons for the question mark. One is that “missus” might also refer to a girlfriend or non-spousal partner, the other is that some may see “the missus” as a slightly problematic term these days. (On edit: Of course another reason for the question mark is that it’s required by the surface reading). |
|
| 3 | Pace that’s rather ordinary then, initially (4) |
| TROT – First letters (initially) of That’s Rather Ordinary Then
Think it goes walk, jog, trot, canter, gallop, is that correct? |
|
| 4 | Drumming performance rubbish as well (6) |
| TATTOO – TAT (rubbish) + TOO (as well)
Why can I hear a grating voice shouting “the plane! the plane!”? |
|
| 5 | Needing reconstruction, use photo for roof (8) |
| HOUSETOP – (USE PHOTO)* | |
| 6 | Literary genre modelled fury (6) |
| SATIRE – SAT (modelled) + IRE (fury) | |
| 7 | Ruler found in desk in gallery (4) |
| KING – Hidden (found in) in desK IN Gallery | |
| 13 | Rage dies having resolved conflict (8) |
| DISAGREE – (RAGE DIES)*
Verb form of conflict required here. |
|
| 15 | Calm in partnership (8) |
| TOGETHER – Double definition
It would seem that Brook H.C. and Root J.E. remained “together” in both senses of the word in Multan on Thursday. |
|
| 17 | Reportedly, what may keep the wheels turning in European country (6) |
| GREECE – Homophone (reportedly) of GREASE (what may keep the wheels turning) | |
| 19 | Cad with that woman sooner (6) |
| RATHER – RAT (cad) + HER (that woman)
As in “I’d sooner stick pins in my eyes than attend a (bleep) rally”. |
|
| 20 | Tell where pupil found? (6) |
| INFORM – A pupil might be found IN FORM
Or in class. |
|
| 21 | Only spirit mentioned? (4) |
| SOLE – Homophone (mentioned) of SOUL (spirit) | |
| 22 | Bread list (4) |
| ROLL – Double definition
The second def refers to such as an electoral roll. I also thought of the movements of a ship, where the terms list and roll are near-synonymous, depending on how detailed you want to get. See also pitch, yaw, surge, sway, heave etc. We can discuss at greater length when I finish reciting my poem. |
|
Pretty tricky in places today. Great intro and I think your parsing and explanations should help those starting off in cryptics. COD to LUCRE. Let me know when you’re doing your party trick and I’ll follow with Clancy of the Overflow… and I somehow RATHER fancy that I’d like to change with Clancy.
Thanks G and Mara
Then back to me for The Man From Ironbark? Pretty sure we’ll have cleared the room by that point.
8 minutes with DISAGREE and SLEIGHT as my last two in. Also delaying things a bit in that segment was 19dn where having seen the first checker as R and ‘cad’ in the clue I found it hard to think past ROTTER even though I knew immediately that it was wrong.
I was thinking ROTTER so hard I started to type it when I was trying to type RATHER!
RIP.
I usually head straight to the Telegraph prize puzzle on a Saturday. Trying and failing to win a free pen is a hard habit to break. Found that pretty hard today so came to the QC to lick my wounds and ended up with a rare sub-9 despite only getting three on the first pass of acrosses. Never heard of HOUSETOP – sounds like the sort of thing they’d call a roof in German translated to English but it definitely fitted the checkers and definition. All green in 8.24.
Bit of a calf problem, so no ParkSolve for me today.
I had the same vibe about HOUSETOP but when I saw a reference to “the view across the housetops” it seemed more familiar.
And… ********? (removed on edit)
Ha, wrong puzzle – comment edited to remove the Telegraph spoiler. Must have been a good clue if I was still mulling it over a whole puzzle later.
HOUSETOP – now you’ve made it plural I feel a bit of chump!
Wouldn’t it normally be rooftops? Which is ironic because rooftop is really tautologous, and housetop isn’t.
An unusually gentle Mara but, for the second time this week, carelessness and not going back to double check the parsing cost me a pink square for TeSTING – I really should learn to listen to that voice that tells me things like ‘how does get mean label. A self-imposed trip to the naughty step seems in order.
COD to INSIDE OUT.
Thanks to Galspray and Mara.
I did exactly the same … misery loves company!
TESTING as well for me.
I’m thrilled to see so many top solvers falling into the same trap. I feel so much better now.
So if it was set at the right level, why didn’t I come in under 6′? I didn’t think anything of INSIDE OUT, although now you bring it up I would have said that’s ‘evert’, a word I’ve never used (nor, evidently, would the auto-annoy function). 7:12.
12 minutes, so right on my average, but that hides a very fast top half and a much slower bottom half. Needed the blog to understand the definitions of TOGETHER (couldn’t immediately how it means calm), RATHER (ditto sooner) and GAG (groan …); and like some others, not familiar with the word HOUSETOP. COD to INFORM, where I was convinced that the clue referred to eyes until the penny dropped.
Many thanks Galspray for the blog and a good weekend to all
Cedric
12:17 (Treaty of Kingston/Lambeth signed by Prince Louis of France, after defeats at Lincoln and Sandwich, leading to the end of the first Barons’ War)
I assumed the lady in 9a would be another random female name, and wasted time looking for names such as *SAUD and *IRAQ, before the O from 5d steered me towards OMANI.
Thanks Galspray and Mara
9.38, so a bit of a struggle for me. I did it a while ago and can’t remember what held me up, but I recall being delighted at pulling the right homophone rein on GREECE and SOLE. Thanks Mara and Galspray. I wonder how I’d go using a thumbnail dipped in tar…
Echoing Plett, as so often, this was a brisk 05:46 DNF, with the DPS at TeSTING. What a wally. COD to STRIPLING.
Many thanks gallers and Hurley.
Nice to have some good company!
Slow, and another pink square for TESTING.
Top half flew in but then ground to a halt. Took a break and motored through second half. DISAGREE took a ridiculous amount of time to solve what was a straight anagram, I even had the initial letter.
Also had GAP for GAG (=crack) which gave a plausible POLISH for “ what may keep the wheels turning”, and using the “in” for “in European country”.
COD MISSUS
Made unnecessarily heavy weather of this and took a while to get going. LOsI GAG, GREECE, RATHER.
I didn’t find it as easy as Galspray did, but thanks, Mr G, for blog. Liked STRIPLING, MISSUS, TATTOO, SLEIGHT, LUCRE. DNF careless Testing, as others.
Have a good weekend, all.
13 but I ignored the bit of lip from that ‘strapling’youngster ho hum… pink square
Thanks galspray and mara
When I was 12 my teacher asked me to run back to his desk and grab the roll.
I grabbed the class attendance list – ie the student roll and be laughed at me so hard because it was lunchtime and his ham and salad sandwich roll was what he was after.
I thought it was an honest mistake, and I’m still embarrassed about it now decades later!
Oh those dark nights of the soul!
He’s the one who should be embarrassed though.
It was an honest mistake and it seems that you had an immature teacher.
Dnf…
30 mins and 21ac “Sleight” wouldn’t appear, which is a shame as I enjoyed the rest of the puzzle. However, NHO of 18ac “Stripling”.
FOI – 8ac “Eritrea”
LOI – Dnf
COD – 23ac “Lucre”
Thanks as usual!
From ooh-er MISSUS to RATHER rather than rotter, via a changed TESTING to TASTING in 7:22. Thanks Mara and Galspray.
Left hand in for us first rather than top half.
Challenging 23 minutes solve.
Some nice clues especially homophones.
30mins but used aids to find sleight. Surprisingly I was not tripped up by tasting.
Enjoyed this.
Thanks for the really helpful blog galspray.
9:39 for a steady solve. Not sure about HOUSETOP – the view, to my mind, would be across the rooftops – but it didn’t hold me up
A very poor first pass left me hopping around for footholds, before the crossers started to help out. A nod, in passing, to the (freshly painted) 30min post while working out how to spell ‘sleight’, with a ‘c’ nowhere in sight. And to cap it off, loi Retiring needed an alpha-trawl, so all in all not a good day. Invariant
DNF
One of those hugely frustrating puzzles that are almost too easy that I get careless. All done in 12 minutes but biffed TESTING instead of TASTING.
The only one I paused to think over was LOI GAG.
Parksolve? Well at least I finished the parkrun. Combined time 43 mins.
9:50. SATIRE, RATHER, STRIPLING favourites.
Struggled in the bottom half, but narrowly swerved the TESTING trap (thank you to my inner pedant) and finished in 15:08.
Thank you for the blog!
8.42 Luckily, I double-checked the wordplay having put TeSTING. Like Cedric I found the bottom half more difficult. SOLE was LOI. Thanks galspray and Mara.
I wondered if the term “cruciverbalist” might have been selected because crossword setters enjoy crucifying verbs, but sadly it turns out to be boring old Latin.
Very different experience to yesterday. Lower QSnitch but we were over 4 minutes slower at 14:53. Slow to see that a couple of the anagrams were in fact anagrams but just generally below par. Having started the construction with ‘tag’ at least we weren’t tripped up by TASTING. COD LUCRE.
5:22
Enjoyed this quickie where only 5d really made me think twice. Mara and I haven’t always got on well (too often I’ve made an error), so perhaps this is the first day of a beautiful friendship – thanks Mara. Also, completed my second parkrun this morning, partly inspired by you Galspray, so thanks for both that and your excellent blog.
Nice one Mike, hope you’re enjoying it. Think today was my 173rd, but the first time I’ve run with my arm in a cast!
I tripped merrily through the solve, finishing in 12:05, though I tripped over more than one clue that should have been simple. I had to wait for the crossers to see ERITREA. The clue for GAG made me do so. COD STRIPLING, great surface, and one of those moments where I move on after first reading and get the solution while reading the next clue.
Thanks Mara and galspray!
Solving time = 22 minutes (approx.), after several interruptions. I tried not to get bogged down and kept moving on to another unsolved clue after 10-15 seconds or so. Not sure if it worked, as I felt under pressure the whole time and I thought I’d taken a lot longer than I actually did.
ERITREA came straight away, but I didn’t do too well during my first pass. Somehow saw STRIPLING quickly, but GAG, GREECE and LUCRE combined to hold me up for a while near the end. TOGETHER was my LOI.
Many thanks to Mara and Galspray.
Solved steadily, although had to think about HOUSETOP and LUCRE.
9.49 for me. Thought I was going to be on for a very quick time but like others held up by lower half.
LOI: TOGETHER
COD: GAG
10:23 here, no real problems. The downs seemed much easier than the acrosses for me. LOI GAG, after finally dismissing GAP.
Thanks to Mara and Galspray.
Since my student has returned from his travels, I used this one for a tutorial. It was pretty much ideal, very straightforward. If I had speed-solved it, I probably would have taken 6 or 7 minutes. Thorough analysis of each clue for the benefit of a beginner does help avoid errors! The only thing I couldn’t see was Greece, which, or course, my student saw right away. We had thought 16 might be gap, but since it didn’t parse, we didn’t put it in – gag was much better.