Times Quick Cryptic 2938 by Trelawney – Happy Monday

Author   KittyPosted on Categories Quick Cryptic

Hi all. I liked this.  It took me less time than usual, but there are some creative touches which I really enjoyed.  My COD is 16d, SCRAWL.  Thanks Trelawney!

Definitions are underlined in the clues below.  In the explanations, most quoted indicators are in italics, specified [deletions] are in square brackets, and I’ve capitalised and emboldened letters which appear in the ANSWER.  For clarity, I omit most link words and some juxtaposition indicators.

Across
1a Two companies beginning to advertise drink (5)
COCOA — CO CO (two companies) + the first letter of (beginning to) Advertise
7a Certain about one insect’s identifying mark (9)
SIGNATURE — SURE (certain) around (about) I (one) and GNAT (insect)
9a A condiment knocked over reference book (5)
ATLAS — A and SALT (condiment) reversed (knocked over)
10a After taxes, party game! (7)
NETBALL — NET (after taxes) + BALL (party)
11a Leave with first aid device for young bird (7)
GOSLING — GO (leave) with SLING (first aid device)
12a Unorthodox thinker’s quote recalled by that woman (7)
HERETIC — CITE (quote) reversed (recalled) by HER (that woman)
15a Sense I’m developing deadly foe (7)
NEMESIS — An anagram of (… developing) SENSE I’M
18a Sort wine for relatives (7)
KINDRED — KIND (sort) + RED (wine)
20a Ruler’s parade carrying on (7)
MONARCH — MARCH (parade) containing (carrying) ON
22a Safe place to eat starter of nigiri (5)
HAVEN — HAVE (to eat) + the first letter of (starter of) Nigiri
23a Rough wood taken for martial art (9)
TAEKWONDO — An anagram of (rough) WOOD TAKEN
24a Most of forest worker’s stove (5)
RANGE — All but the last letter of (most of) RANGEr (forest worker)
Down
1d Family close to deafening loud noise (5)
CLANG — CLAN (family) + the last letter of (close to) deafeninG
2d I’m so confused with clue for amphitheatre (8)
COLISEUM — An anagram of (… confused …) I’M SO with CLUE
3d Attack, alas, is going wrong (6)
ASSAIL — ALAS, IS anagrammed (going wrong)
4d Pummel baseball player, perhaps (6)
BATTER — A double definition
5d Piano technician caught fish (4)
TUNA — Sounds like (… caught) TUNER (piano technician)
6d Substitute with extremely rare position (7)
REPLACE — The outermost letters of (extremely) RarE + PLACE (position)
8d Old conqueror — he hangs king, unfortunately (7,4)
GENGHIS KHAN — An anagram of (… unfortunately) HE HANGS KING
13d Poem subsequently receives enthusiastic praise (3,5)
THE RAVEN — THEN (subsequently) takes in (receives) RAVE (enthusiastic praise)
14d Enliven an initially incapacitated pal (7)
ANIMATE — AN + the first letter of (initially) Incapacitated + MATE (pal)
16d Quickly write introduction of symphony’s slow movement (6)
SCRAWL — The first letter of (introduction of) Symphony’s + CRAWL (slow movement)
17d Secure inside ranch, ordinarily (6)
ANCHOR — The answer is hidden inside rANCH, ORdinarily
19d Fool covered at first in pile of sand (5)
DUNCE — The initial letter of (… at first) Covered in DUNE (pile of sand)
21d Require some gene editing (4)
NEED — Some geNE EDiting

96 comments on “Times Quick Cryptic 2938 by Trelawney – Happy Monday”

  1. If I can finish in 17:32 there are going to be some fast times today.
    Nice puzzle.
    NET for ‘after taxes’ had me confused until the penny dropped – COD.
    Thanks Trelawney and Kitty.

  2. A record for me at 16:11, not as good as many here but certainly my best ever! NE corner was in very quickly, with a small delay over ATLAS which I initially thought might be sauce, but had to think again when I couldn’t find a homophone indicator.

    LOI was THE RAVEN which I guessed from the checkers but had to check the blog to parse it! The rest was fairly straightforward. I was obviously on Trelawney’s wave length this morning.

    Thanks to Trelawney and Kitty for a very pleasing and smug start to the week!

  3. 8 minutes. My only hesitation was over the spelling at 23ac where left to my own devices I would have put ‘taekwando’. But at least I realised I wasn’t quite sure so I checked the anagrist carefully before committing myself.

    I have seen the ‘two companies’ COCOA clue somewhere within the past fortnight but can’t find it in the archive so it may have been in The Guardian.

      1. That must be it. Thanks. It’s frightening how quickly the weeks fly by, as I thought it was more recent than that.

  4. Looks like a good day to sweep the floor of the SCC. Another debenture member here finishing in a great time 13.15, and much enjoyed.

    Raven also our LOI once we realised ode or verse were not going to feature!.

    Liked tuna best, reminded me of a choir master who was really annoyed when we sang chune instead of tune😮

    Thanks Squire and Kitty

  5. Slowed down at the end by LOI COLISEUM; wasn’t sure about the spelling (I’d write ‘Colosseum’). 7:15.
    Today’s 15×15 is definitely one you should try; the SNITCH doesn’t get lower than this (well, it has, but only twice in the last few years).

    1. Thanks Kevin – having failed on the QC I just PB’d Big Puzzle in under 10 and feel much better!

      1. Under 10 for the 15×15? Wow, well done!

        I gave it a go and managed a complete solve thanks to Kevin’s recommendation. Nowhere near PB territory though.

    2. Thanks for the heads-up; I’ve got the day off so will venture into 15×15 territory!

      Edit: you weren’t kidding, must be the first time I’ve ever polished off the big one in under half an hour. Thank you again!

  6. I’d have been under 6 if I’d known how to spell colOseum and taekwAndo, but I didn’t so I wasn’t. That poem is getting quite a run today in Times puzzles. And speaking of which, the 15×15 is particularly approachable today. Thanks Kitty and Trelawny.

    1. We just came back to say the same. With time on our hands tried the big one and finished in just over 30, chuffed!

      I wonder if the same setter or just one of those coincidences where the answer here is used in a clue there (The Raven)

  7. A rare sub 15 minute solve for me (14.10) with mixed feelings of joy and disappointment that I now have to find something else to fill my allotted 30 min crossword indulgence!
    Didn’t know ‘caught’ indicated homophone but it didn’t matter.
    After last week’s challenges this should provide encouragement for newbies.
    May even venture into the grown-ups 15×15 territory for a peek.
    Thanks Trelawney and Kitty

  8. Aaagh, a double pink square day.
    Like LindsayO, it turns out that I don’t know how to spell the amphitheatre or the martial art, but thinking that I did I didn’t bother to look too closely at the anagrist. That’ll teach me (again).
    Thanks to Kitty and Trelawney

    1. At 7.25 this is one of my fastest ever. Including pauses to check the anagrist off for both COLISEUM AND TAWKWONDO. SCRAWL was LOI, briefly feared I’d need music knowledge to finish.

  9. Checking the anagram letters helped me with the spelling of both COLISEUM and TAEKWONDO; not confident I’d have got either unaided. Those two apart, only THE RAVEN held me up as I’m not familiar with it, but the checkers were helpful.

    7:11 for the solve. Many thanks Kitty for the blog.

  10. Spelling check delays aside, a gentle start to the week, only NETBALL had me thinking more than the rest. Cue complaints about the QC being insufficiently challenging?!
    However, as several have suggested that the 15×15 is also less scary today, I’m off there to use some of my spare time.
    P.S. I did, I finished it. A few new words but kindly clued. Well worth a go.

  11. Oh rats. Not taekwando then. Won’t do that again.

    Lots of fun, many thanks Kitty and the Squire. COD NETBALL.

    1. “Won’t do that again”… You could have quoted 13D – “Nevermore”.

  12. 15.05
    A ‘QC’ indeed! Bounded through NW corner. Full of glee and chortles, moved south and east. Took young Cedric S’s path and avoided pinks by ticking off letters (TAEKWONDO, COLISEUM). Anagrams, literature are my territory – Himself leaps in with science, maths, geography – yet today he moved with THE RAVEN. A midstream GORGON’S KNOT (a bizarre compound) in lieu of Mr Khan delayed us a little.
    Thank you setter and blogger.

    1. The Gorgon’s Knot! sounds like a title for a fantasy novel. Can’t wait to read it.

  13. 4:34. A gentle introduction to the week, I thought. I paused only to check the spellings from the anagrist of COLISEUM and TAEKWONDO. LOI THE RAVEN. Thanks Trelawney and Kitty. P.S. I can endorse Kevin’s recommendation of today’s 15×15 for folk here – it’s as easy as they come.

  14. After a sub 20 on the 15×15 I was still on the afterburners, and shooting for a PB, stopped the clock at 6:21, but with one pink square on COLOSEUM. Since I always spelt it colosseum, seemed the only way it would fit. A bit miffed.

  15. Pretty much a start to finish solve with a very rare sub 10 minute 9.47. Very good start to the week after some horrors last week

  16. Another one with a fast time compared to my norm, all done in 14 mins. Not my fastest but not far off. TUNA was my LOI as I had forgotten caught as a homophone. I often catch up on old QCs that I keep in a stack by my chair and just last night did one with BATTER as a solution. It’s really strange how frequently words are repeated when you think about how many words there are to chose from. Perhaps setters check each others work?

  18. Finished today at 24 minutes, quickest I’ve been able to do one, but more impressively, I understood all the clues before having to check the blog for answers! Will take a tentative look at the 15×15 after seeing other comments on here. Thank you for the blog 🙂

      1. Thanks! Got lucky with my knowledge, especially as THE RAVEN is one of my favourite poems. Slowed down by NW corner, but oddly I think I like being stumped a while by the clues, makes it more enjoyable

  19. 6:47 for the solve! That was messy – as the clocked ticked past five mins, the grid was still half empty and the last five Down clues waiting to be read. So it came together very quickly finishing with NETBALL/REPLACE.

    I’m reminded of the old Eric Morecambe line about “I’m playing all the right notes, but not necessarily in the right order” – had CITE-HER, SALT-A, thought of RANGE but was trying to fit “ants” in somehow, and misspelling GENGHIS-KHAN among others slowed me.

    Noting the difference between today’s BATTER clue which went straight in without any checkers and Joker’s from last Wed’s (“Forcefully hit one in”) which took 27mins and needed -A-T-R.

    Thanks to Kitty and Trelawney

    1. Yes, good observation about BATTER. I expected to see some comments along the lines of “thank goodness we don’t have that newfangled abomination, ‘batter’ for ‘batsman’ this time!”

      1. Thank-you. It’s uncontroversial to say Trelawney supplies puzzles which provide quick times. But I also find I’m very in tune with their setting more so than others

  20. 11:34 (death of Urban, 1st Bishop of Llandaff)

    Required careful counting of the letters in the anagrist to spell COLISEUM correctly. Spent a while wondering if ETICSHE was a word before seeing HERETIC.

    Thanks Kitty and Trelawney

  21. A gentle start to the week, apart from some spelling issues (shared with many earlier posters). I worked out COLISEUM OK but, like Kevin, I prefer COLOSSEUM. I really should have checked the anagrist more carefully for 23A because I joined the ‘-ANDO’ spellers. So, 15 mins but with a pinkie.
    Thanks to Trelawney and Kitty.

    P.s. Thanks to those who recommended today’s 15×15. I finished it in 31 mins – a personal best. It must be an easy one. Give it a go!

  22. Great puzzle. A true QC. Much enjoyed. Smiled at GOSLING and TUNA.
    But failed on Wando spelling.
    Thanks so much, Kitty.
    I had thought I would not have to waste too much time on puzzles today but I see above that the 15×15 is allegedly easy!

  23. 4:53

    A rare sub 5’ with paper and pen. Only COD SCRAWL needed a second look. COCOA to NETBALL.

    Thanks Kitty and Trelawney.

  24. 14 in about 20 minutes

    The easy ones were simple 🙂

    The concise was tough today, for me anyway.

  25. Lovely friendly puzzle, thank you, Trelawney. NHO THE RAVEN (sorry, am blind to all poetry) but fortunately it had to be. Liked LOI TUNA. Thanks, Kitty.

  26. 20:16 to do this entertaining puzzle. No major problems, but needed to check spellings of TAEKWONDO and COLISEUM and to see that THE RAVEN is a poem: must confess that I haven’t heard of it.

  27. 5:34 and what should have been a top 5 effort for me but lazily failed to check the letters in the Roman stadium and got the spelling wrong so it goes down as a DNF with one pink square. SO annoying.

  28. I found this one a touch on the easy side, timewise, even though I had a lot of gaps on the first pass of the across clues. I was also doubtful about one or two spellings so was pleasantly surprised to be all green after 6:28, which is better than my normal solving time. Nice clues today, I thought, with no obviously awkward surfaces. COD for me was THE RAVEN, having recently listened to an edition of In Our Time about E A Poe.

  31. I checked the anagrist for the spellings of taekwondo and Genghis Khan but failed to do so for coliseum. Woe! Otherwise a straightforward 16 minute solve.

    FOI – 1ac COCOA
    LOI and COD – 5dn TUNA

    Thanks to Trelawney and Kitty.

  32. Nice to have a gentle one for a change to ease us into the week. I finished in a relatively speedy 6.15, and would have been under six if I hadn’t bothered to carefully check the anagrams for both COLISEUM and TAEKWONDO. It was certainly worth the extra time spent, as I would have definitely spelt the former with an O and not an I.

  33. Very friendly offering to start the week. Cuppa barely had time to cool down.

    Liked TUNA and THE RAVEN

    Thanks Kitty and Trelawney!

  34. I would have been quicker if I hadn’t dithered over enemies rather than NEMESIS. It wouldn’t fit in with COLISEUM so I went back and checked the anagram fodder for both before my PDM. I also checked the fodder for TAEKWONDO and still crossed the line in 6:00. FOI COCOA, LOI SCRAWL. Thanks Kitty.

  35. Apparently, the Colosseum in Rome is named after the colossal statue of Nero that stood outside it, while “coliseum” is the generic English word for an amphitheatre or stadium. There are also quite a few “Coliseum” theatres around the world, but Caesars Palace in Las Vegas has a Colosseum. (I wasted time on this so you don’t have to. ) To save you even more time, according to Forbes, Caesars Palace doesn’t have an apostrophe because its founder, Jay Sarno, wanted everyone staying there to feel like they were royalty. Caesars Palace has an Apostrophe Bar to celebrate this.

    Now to work!

  36. Finished correctly in 45 minutes. Hooray.
    First one for a while.
    A fair QC – though far from easy.

    Will there be further doable (i.e. doable for me) puzzles this week ?
    Quoth the Raven “Nevermore.”

  37. 6:36

    Not a great bunch of acrosses to start with, but the downs were very kind. I too, thought twice over the spellings of TAWKWONDO and COLISEUM, checking the letters off for both. I liked the Piano TUNA.

    Thanks Kitty and Trelawney

  38. Well, certainly very different to Saturday’s QC! This one was over rather too quickly for me (I like a few head scratchers to get my brain working) proving that you can’t please all of the people all of the time 😁 Some nice clues though and COD to TUNA. COLISEUM looked very odd to me so thank you to The Scribbler for the extra information above. Many thanks to Trelawney and Kitty.

  39. 6.01

    No problems here. Liked the KHAN and the poem clues.

    Thanks Kitty and Trelawney.

  40. Chalk on Saturday, cheese today!

    I set off at PB pace, but I clipped some of the hurdles on the RHS (e.g. REPLACE, HERETIC and KINDRED). Not enough to make me fall, but sufficiently to send me out to 15 minutes. This is still a fantastic time for me, so I’m not complaining.

    FOI: COCOA
    LOI: THE RAVEN (NHO)
    COD: HERETIC

    Many thanks to Kitty and Trelawney

  41. 9 mins…

    This is probably what people think of when they imagine a standard, robust QC. Although it was fairly straightforward, I enjoyed it and thought there were some good and amusing clues.

    Poetry not being my strong point – I’d never heard of The Raven for 13dn.

    FOI – 1ac “Cocoa”
    LOI – 14dn “Animate”
    COD – 10ac “Netball” – although I did like 2dn “Coliseum”

    Thanks as usual!

  42. An enjoyable start to the week. Took me some time to work out spelling of TAEKWONDO and 13D held me up. But satisfying when I worked it out. 16 minutes, which is quite good for me.

  43. Well at least I now know the difference between a COLISEUM and The COLOSSEUM. 7,28 WOE. Thanks Trelawney and Kitty.

  44. Good puzzle, not too taxing.
    I was another 23a taekwAndo until I checked the anagrist. And 2d Coliseum is a less familiar spelling. 10d “just a bit to the right of” Genghis Khan isn’t a doddle to spell either.
    There was a ref to 13d The Raven in the 15*15 today, which as others have said is easier than usual and worth a go if you are an occasional user.
    Thanks Kitty & Trelawney.

  45. Missed out on a sub-15 when I ran out of space writing in loi Colosseum, and had to pause and have a think about the spelling. For that matter, Genghis and Taekwondo also needed a few confirming crossers. However, spelling tests aside, this was a very friendly QC from the reliable Trelawney, with Signature knocking 😉 The Raven into second place for CoD. . . Invariant

  46. If the setter wanted to do more on the poetry theme he should have concentrated on the grandson – of Ghengis – Kublai Khan (who conquered China), as in the poem Kubla Khan by Coleridge :

    ‘In Xanadu did Kubla Khan
    A stately pleasure-dome decree:
    Where Alph, the sacred river, ran
    Through caverns measureless to man
    Down to a sunless sea.’

    1. A weird and wonderful little bit of verse! That person from Porlock’s has a lot to answer for.

  47. I found that on the tricky side for a Trelawney, needing more than 50% longer than the last one at 9:38, with most of the difficulty coming in the SE corner. Glad I stopped to check the anagram fodder for a couple of them. A very nice start to the week.

    Thank you for the blog!

  48. I had a slow start today – no idea why, just feeling a bit Monday-ish I supppose, but things improved as I went along. Perhaps I needed a cup of COCOA to warm me up – I was somewhat embarrassed when I realised that I couldn’t even get that as FOI! As others have mentioned, today’s biggie is very Quickie-friendly – in fact, I did it in less time than this – so if you haven’t been over there yet, have a go. Perhaps I should have gone there first, as it might have helped with one of my slower answers – the poem. Ticks next to TUNA, GENGHIS KHAN and SCRAWL.
    12:56 FOI Atlas LOI Netball COD Coliseum, because I was so confused (with the spelling) but the clue made me smile.
    Thanks Trelawney and Kitty

    I read all the comments on Saturday but didn’t post. As Fabian says above, you can’t please all the people all the time, but I must have been out of step, because I enjoyed it, there were ticks and smiles all over the place, my time was similar to today’s, and the only unknown was Hoy!

  49. 6:44 but one pink square as I too misspelled COLISEUM. Annoying as this was my third fastest solve out of almost 900. I also completed today’s 15×15 in 42:01 which is my tenth best time so probably worth a go for those who normally dismiss it as too difficult. FOI- COCOA, LOI – REPLACE, COD – TUNA because I’m a big fan of American rockers REO Speedwagon and their 1978 album is titled “You Can Tune a Piano But You Can’t Tuna Fish”. Thanks Trelawney for an enjoyable puzzle (despite my silly typo) and Kitty for the blog.

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