Quick Cryptic 3116 by Wurm

Author   CuraristPosted on Categories Quick Cryptic

A medium-stiff offering from the Wurmmeister today, generally fun but with one major clunker.  I’ll be interested to see if it trips anyone up. 6½ minutes for me.

UPDATE: It appears that the offending clue has been corrected, same wordplay

Across
1 Prisoner cracking jaw (6)
CONFAB – CON (prisoner) + FAB (cracking)
5 Streetcar crossing close to you a shock (6)
TRAUMA – TRAM outside [YO]U + A
8 Top-level clearance? (8)
HEADROOM – cryptic definition
9 Dope touring large Scots valley (4)
GLEN – GEN (dope, information) with L inside
10 Put up with English filling pub (4)
BEAR – BAR with E inserted
11 Attempt to secure an undergarment for burlesque (8)
TRAVESTY – TRY including A VEST
12 Somehow resolve to disregard very menacing words (2,4)
OR ELSE –  Anagram (‘somehow’) of RESOLVE minus the V
14 Colour likely to run? (6)
YELLOW – double definition
16 Game with belligerent Yanks? (3-2-3)
TUG-OF-WAR – cryptic definition
18 Magistrate miserable releasing 50 (4)
BEAK -BLEAK mins L for 50. ‘Up before the beak’ means appearing in the magistrate’s court.
20 Clue wraith in Tolkien hides (4)
HINT – hidden word
21 Element in strange ringtone (8)
NITROGEN – Anagram (‘strange’) of RINGTONE
23 Hot dog Dorothy loved entirely (2,4)
IN TOTO – IN (hot, popular) + TOTO (the dog in Wizard of Oz)
24 Decent band to split (3,3)
NOT BAD – Anagram (‘split’) of BAND TO
Down
2 Morbidly fat old boy feasted regularly (5)
OBESE – OB + alternate letters of fEaStEd
3 Wild about editor describing US governance? (7)
FEDERAL – FERAL outside ED
4 Voice criticism of short novel? (3)
BOO – short for BOOK
5 Steamy row troubled Huck’s friend (3,6)
TOM SAWYER – Anagram (‘troubled’) of STEAMY ROW
6 Perspective of Germanic invader (5)
ANGLE – double definition
7 Most are dancing for great musician (7)
 MAESTRO – Anagram (‘dancing’) of MOST ARE. Some solvers saw a different clue for a while which contained an error, but this has now been corrected. [Edit 11:40 by jackkt]
11 Take-down spoiled old Olympic event (9)
TAEKWONDO – Anagram (‘spoiled’) of TAKE DOWN + O
13 Meeting of old friends in French island (7)
REUNION – double definition
15 Hair of the dog? Scientist may need it (3,4)
LAB COAT – LAB(rador) COAT (hair)
17 Expose cheat — that’s best (5)
OUTDO – OUT (expose) + DO (cheat). Best as a verb, obvs
19 A long time taken over stadium (5)
ARENA – AN ERA backwards
22 End of sunbathing in Punta Negra (3)
TAN – hidden word. ‘End’ meaning ‘objective’, obvs.

78 comments on “Quick Cryptic 3116 by Wurm”

  1. Held up by going back to swap a second O for a second A in TAEKWONDO and by not being able to see NITROGEN but otherwise fast progress. All green in 6.23 despite the screen going blank for a few moments as I typed my LOI TRAVESTY. Comfortably a top 10 fastest solve.

    Ashamed to say the solo muscian didn’t occur to me just solved the anagram and whacked it in.

  2. Another more or less top to bottom solve. Between us we were right on the wriggly one’s wavelength for a speedy 13.13. DNK that meaning of burlesque but it had to be with the word play. Liked yellow and tug of war.

    Thanks Wurm and Curarist

      1. Oh NVM, I somehow missed the note in the solutions above.

        It was already changed to the correct plural when I did it.

  4. 14 minutes. One letter wrong.

    Not that I have ever used either word, but my first thought for 1ac was CONFLAB, so I had to think again when that wouldn’t fit the grid or wordplay. The Oxfords recognise CONFLAB as a humorous variation of CONFAB. Chambers ignores the existence of both.

    I lost time checking the Olympic event carefully but still managed write TAEKWANDO.

  5. 6:33
    When I did this online, maybe 2am, the clue read ‘Most are dancing for great musician’. I think I thought TAEKWONDO was 3 words; ODE has it as such. It took me a while to recall BEAK.

  6. I would have been on for a very quick time if not held up by my last two in – LAB COAT and BEAK (where I was desperately trying to find a way to make ‘doge’ work).

    Lots to enjoy along the way but the surfaces for TUG OF WAR and BEAR were particular stand outs for me.
    Crossed the line in 6.21.

    Thanks to Wurm and Curarist

  7. Amazingly, I managed this in 12.24, albeit not all fully parsed (eg TRAVESTY, my LOI). When I saw Wurm’s name, I confess I did hunker down for a long siege, but it was not to be.

    Pi ❤️

  8. 5:08. I was held up in the NW corner by confidently entering POWWOW for 1A which fits the wordplay but , it turned out, not the checkers. BOO set me looking for another answer. I liked BEAR and LAB COAT best. Thanks Wurm and Curarist.

    3. That’s really unlucky. Not often that a clue that has three parts works with three completely different elements.

  9. 10.38 but with one pink square for TAEKWANDO, spotted straightaway – it might have been better if I’d had to work at it. I liked the dogs: LAB COAT and IN TOTO

  10. 7:09, with only my LOI LAB COAT holding me up and preventing a really sparkling time. I got the LAB part and then faced -O-T and resigned myself to a letter search. Fortunately the answer beginning with C meant I got there relatively quickly.

    Many thanks Curarist for the blog.

  11. No problems, and the paper version has musician not musicians.

    Confab, Jaw, both acceptable as verbs I suppose. I would never use either, and for some reason I find that clue irritating! Note to self, don’t be so cranky!

  12. 27:40 (average: 35, target: 30)

    I really enjoyed this QC. Some brilliant wordplay. Came with the trickiness of Wurm but a little gentler than usual I thought.

    Fortunately I got the correct version of MAESTRO. I think the incorrect version of the clue would have spoiled the tone a bit. I did have most of the checkers by the time I got to it so I think it would have gone in but it is a shame that came out in some editions.

    Thanks Curarist and Wurm

  13. Apologies for the error in the clue for MAESTRO in some versions of the puzzle. The error was picked up some days ago and changed, we thought in all versions.

    It would be useful to know which version of the puzzle contained the erroneous clue, so that we can identify what went wrong. Please drop me a line at [email protected] if you had the incorrect version.

    Also, could the blog be amended to show the correct version: Most are dancing for great musician.

    It is rare for us to let errors of this nature through – the main problem, given the number of ways in which the puzzle made available, is ensuring that every possible version of the puzzle is updated to correct the error. So could I make a plea to bloggers: if you have a copy of the puzzle that contains an obvious error, please check another version of the puzzle to see whether the error has been corrected.

  14. 5.57

    I thought this was a superb puzzle with three cracking cryptics (YELLOW TUG OF WAR and HEADROOM) and plenty of smooth surfaces. Decent times from folks as well.

    REUNION biffable but I knew the island from The Mauritius Command. Patrick O’Brian coming in handy again.

    Thanks Wurm and Curarist.

  15. Just about managed that despite not understanding the hot dog, the Germanic invader (were they? I’d forgotten that) or the N of ARENA – thanks, Curarist.

    2. I think the Jutes are thought to have come from what is now Denmark? Most of Jutland is in modern Denmark.

  17. Clue for MAESTRO was correct on the club site via my laptop. Was held up by having POWWOW as FOI. Crashed and burned with TAEKWANDO. 8,44 WOE. Thanks Wurm and Curarist.

  18. A very good puzzle which I solved steadily – I avoid rushing and risking typos. 11.50 all parsed (which is good for me these days).
    Last one in was CONFAB – it had to be but, like jackkt, I had immediately thought of confLab. TRAVESTY emerged from the clue and not the definition – neat!
    There were too many fine clues to pick out favourites. A great QC from Wurm and a very good blog, as ever, from curarist.

  19. 12:52

    A bit of guesswork needed in the bottom half. Wasn’t entirely sure about BEAK and failed to parse ARENA. But it was LOI IN TOTO that required the biggest leap of faith. I know Dorothy’s dog but didn’t see where the IN came from.

  20. Enjoyable puzzle, though I wasn’t that quick. Had to hop about a bit. Liked COD ANGLE, NOT BAD, IN TOTO, and, of course, come to think of it, joint-COD LAB COAT. Oh, and TUG OF WAR.
    Struggled with TRAVESTY as I thought Burlesque was kind of risqué dancing.
    Among LOsI were the witty HEADROOM, CONFAB. No problem with REUNION.
    Many thanks, Curarist.

    1. From Wiktionary (which I like): Burlesque
      “1) A derisive art form that mocks by imitation; a parody.
      Synonyms: lampoon, travesty
      2) A variety adult entertainment show, usually including titillation such as striptease, most common from the 1880s to the 1930s.
      3) A ludicrous imitation; a caricature; a travesty; a gross perversion.
      Synonyms: imitation, caricature”

      1. Yes, thank you. I have been looking it up too. But I wouldn’t use Burlesque as a synonym for Travesty myself. Whatever it says in Wiki! I think they have different meanings nowadays.

        1. OK I am surprised by the def there. The revealing dancing meaning survives even if the dictionary doesn’t think so. The other meanings are outside my experience in real life, so we agree.

  21. Always find Wurm a challenge so happy to finish in 13:46 to end a very satisfying week of solves.

  22. I thought I might be in for a struggle when I didn’t get any of the first three across clues initially. Luckily I rattled through the rest to come up with my best time of the week of 12 minutes, all parsed. Definitely a good day.

    FOI – 9ac GLEN
    LOI – 17dn OUTDO
    CODs – as yesterday, spoilt for choice. Liked TUG OF WAR, IN TOTO and LAB COAT

    Thanks to Wurm and Curarist.

  23. All green in 6:03 having barely paused for thought – I was particularly fat-thumbed typing on phone today otherwise would have been comfortably a top 5 of all time effort. Enjoyed some of the clever cryptic definitions.

    Thanks all

  24. 6:25

    Fast solve until the final two – LAB COAT and BEAK, which took a minute between them to fill in. Thought TAEKWONDO was at least two words – carefully followed the anagrist to ensure no spelling errors.

    As for CONFAB, I’ve never been quite comfortable with using this, rather than CONFLAB, but on reading up on its etymology, I see that it comes from Latin confabulari (con “with, together” fabulari “to talk, chat” from fabula “a tale”). Its mocking variant CONFLAB, has been around since at least the 1850s.

    Thanks Curarist and Wurm

  25. I was on for a sub ten minute target solve before the wheels fell off in the north west corner. I couldn’t get HEADBEAM out of my head for 8ac which didn’t help the solving of BOO. Eventually HEADROOM came to me quickly followed by BOO and finally CONFAB. Over three minutes expended on these three meant a finish in a tardy 12.38. MAESTRO was inserted for 7dn without me even noticing the clue didn’t work. The printed version of the paper contained the anomaly.
    My total time for the week was 47.22, giving me a daily average of 9.28.

  26. Apart from a 10 second brain freeze on SLOI NOT BAD, I didn’t have any problems here.

    FOI TRAUMA
    LOI TAN
    COD LAB COAT
    TIME 4:34

  27. 3:08 which I’m happy with for a Friday. CONFAB went in on a wing and a prayer though – I could only see the faintest of connections between ‘jaw’ as in ‘chat/gossip’ and ‘confabulate’ as in ‘make up a story’. Really liked the ‘hair of the dog’ surface.

    Finally, three great songs came to mind during the puzzle – Tom Sawyer (of course), Hold the Line, and Rosanna. Superb drumming in all three!

    Thanks Curarist and Wurm!

    1. 31 steady minutes for me. 3:08 – I can’t read the clues that quickly let alone write them in!! An enjoyable crossword with quite a long time working out ANGLE and GLEN.
      Thank you Curarist and Wurm

    2. Yes indeed dr shred. I have the Rosanna shuffle written out right in front of the practice kit. It hasn’t made it any easier for some reason.

      Thanks to JC for coming in re the clunk. Happy weekend to all.

      Cheers
      Ringoe Bringloe

  28. Felt tricky but I finished in less than my average, at 13:26, so it must have been easier than it seemed at the time. Apparently I can’t spell TAEKWONDO properly, so there’s a good lesson to check the letters.

    Thank you for the blog!

  29. 17 today. Couldn’t think of the island and missed the meeting old friends definition. Didn’t get travesty despite having all the crossers. North West was blank apart for m obese.

    Thanks C and W

  30. Lots of great clues including TUG-OF-WAR, LAB COAT and HEADROOM. Caught out by misspelling TAEKWONDO. Didn’t know CONFAB, only conflab, and wasn’t aware burlesque meant TRAVESTY. Always pleased to learn some new stuff. Really enjoyable QC that made me think and smile. Thanks Wurm and C.

  31. 16 minutes and a second successive SCC escape for me. What’s going on? Wurm has never been so kind.

    TRAUMA, BEAR and OBESE got me started and each time I feared the wheels were coming off I conjured up another solution.

    I bounced around the grid to utilise the available checkers and initially biffed ‘tug of war’ at 11d when I only had T___W____. Fortunately, I soon realised my error and found TAEKWONDO shortly afterwards. Imagine my surprise then when TUG OF WAR appeared as the solution to my very next clue (16a). Weird!

    Many thanks to Curarist and Wurm.

  32. 15 mins…

    I enjoyed this and thought it was of medium difficulty. Took me ages to see 16ac “Tug of War” and how it related to our American friends 🤦‍♂️ – only other hesitations were on the “Travesty” definition for 11ac and trying to remember Dorothy’s dog. Everything else went in steadily.

    FOI – 3dn “Federal”
    LOI – 1ac “Confab” (like many -I’d heard of Conflab)
    COD – 15dn “Lab Coat”

    Thanks as usual!

  33. 7.58 DNF. Mostly very quick. Held up at the end by IN TOTO, OR ELSE and REUNION. Scuppered by TAEKWANDO. Thanks Curarist and Wurm.

  34. I eventually finished this. I do find Wurm can be tricky so was pleased. Looking back am not sure why it took me longer than usual.

    Some good clues with COD: LAB COAT

    Thanks Wurm and Curarist

  36. A reasonably straightforward 10:12. TAEKWONDO went straight in with only a minor hesitation about whether it ought to be more than one word but if I were only to see it spelt with a second A, as many seem to have done I’m not sure that I’d recognise it as a spelling error. Thanks, Wurm and Curarist.

  37. All done in 06:07. Can’t believe it’s a Wurm, he’s usually so tough! Held up by putting in LAB TEST at first. COD to IN TOTO.

    Many thanks Wurm and curarist.

  38. This must be one of the quickest of Wurm’s puzzles I’ve ever done! All green and fully parsed in 6:52. Funnily enough, I again did this on my tablet (like yesterday) and typing (even on a touch screen) does seem to be a bit faster. Unless, of course, you’re really stuck on an anagram – only paper will do then! All the same, I still prefer using pen and paper, and ultimately am not that fussed about time – it’s just a measure for myself.
    I also got a bit stuck wondering what word needed an L to be extracted in order to get DOGE, so gave that one a miss until I got some crossers 😅 I’m not sure if we’ve met TRAVESTY for burlesque before, but it seemed unusual to me.
    There was so much to enjoy – I especially liked HEADROOM, OR ELSE, REUNION and NOT BAD, and LAB COAT came close to COD, but 16a got it for the lols.
    FOI Trauma LOI Beak COD Tug-of-war
    Thanks to the (not so) Wiggly Woo and to Curarist

  39. I think one of the best QCs ever. I wasn’t quick by any means but really enjoyed it. No write-ins but no huge holdups, and no “Collins only” stuff. I am a particular fan of one word anagrams, For senator and treason the clue practically writes itself but who would have thought nitrogen (dull boring) and ringtone (promise and excitement).
    Thanks to Wurm and Curarist.

    Afterthoughts from reading the other comments Confab? I would have said Conflab.

  40. DNF due to GLEN (didn’t know “dope” could mean information — realizing now I never wondered why “The Straight Dope” website was called that!) and BEAK (never heard that slang). I very rarely finish so this was a good day for me! *grin*

    I got the correct clue for MAESTRO but for some reason thought the “great musician” must be a specific person so spent way too long making anagrams like TOM SEAR and SAM EROT

  41. Smooth going at 22:58.

    I penciled in TOM as Huck’s friend, thinking the rest of the clue would give me a phrase starting with TOM. Took embarassingly long to spot the anagram.

    Loved COD LAB COAT

  42. 11:01 here, with BEAK my LOI by a good minute or two. P.G. Wodehouse eventually came to my rescue. COD to LAB COAT today.

    Thanks to Wurm and Curarist.

  44. Most enjoyable QC. No problem with identifying Réunion as the missus comes from there. 🏝️

  45. Wurm was good today, enjoyed LAB COAT a lot especially knowing a few of our four-leg friends, but I really did think the scientist needed a Lab Book for a while. I got it eventually.

  47. I had fun with this, enjoyed Beak, lab coat and trauma… as a beginner (10 months in), 30 to 40 minutes are achievable times. I can only look on in wide eyed fascination reading your times sub 7 minutes. I managed 37 minutes and enjoyed 2 large coffees whilst stretching my brain.

    2. Best not to take the times cited here personally — these are superhumans. Under 40 is terrific

  48. This resident of the SCC also came unstuck on CONFAB. I’m sure I’ve never come across this word IRL and it only exists these days in Crosswordland. Cue someone telling me it’s in a Taylor Swift song??

    1. I didn’t recognise IRL either. The great thing is that if you highlight any word/phrase on the Times website and hit ‘look up’ it either tells you what the word means or gives you the chance to ‘search web’ and you get your answer.
      I did this and got the answer right away.
      The wonders of modern technology!

  49. 16 minute DNF.

    Four minutes for LOI – BEAK – only to find I had TAEKWANDO. Idiot, idiot, idiot!

    Appalling week again. 2 DNFs! Worse than ever.

    About half on 15 x 15 in what seemed like hours. Awful. Out of my league. 😱

    1. I felt well out of my league on the 15 x 15 too! Lots of learning though, and much appreciation of the setter’s art. It’s a slow old process getting this brain of mine to tune in, but I love it!

  50. …TUG OF WAR.???..belligerent Yanks..????
    Oh! FINALLY – NOW I get it…duh, duh, PDM big time…
    I feel so stupid, yet so relieved and happy that I worked it out without having to ask…
    (but now I’ve confessed to having yet another GIS (gosh I’m silly) moment).
    Happily rely upon me to make you feel quick and astute.
    Good puzzle in our book. Out of SCC by some minutes. Slow for some, not overly for us.
    Thank you Wurm and Curarist

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