Times Quick Cryptic No 608 by Hawthorn

Author   rolytolyPosted on Categories Quick Cryptic
A pleasant solve this, towards the easier end – I was 15 mins yesterday, and about half that time today. A little bit 8ac, even, if you’ve been doing cryptics for a while, as a fair number were write-ins that will have been seen before in a similar vein. Nothing wrong with that, of course, when clued nicely, as they generally were here (although I think I’ve neared saturation point with “Liszt” and “rifle”). I would say it’s a very good puzzle to start someone off on: not especially easy, but with few obscure words or abbreviations or other bits of crosswordese, giving an accessible entry to a wide range of clue types. (And a dash of bonus cricketing jargon for the memory banks.) Many thanks to Hawthorn.

Across
1 River barrier to grow old and break?
DAMAGE: DAM (river barrier), AGE (grow old).
4 Private to suffer defeat in court
CLOSET: LOSE (suffer defeat) in CT (court).
8 Holiday accommodation containing an orchid
VANILLA: VILLA (holiday accommodation) contains AN.
10 A department becomes highly competent
ADEPT: A Dept.
11 Illicitly search for gun
RIFLE: double definition.
12 Awkwardly confine leg in climbing gear
CRAMPON: CRAMP (Awkwardly confine), ON (leg, in cricket – leg-side is the same as on-side (as opposed to offside)).
13 Hot and cold drink: friendly gesture
HANDSHAKE: H (hot), AND (and), SHAKE (cold drink). It took me a while to see why shake was a cold drink, despite buying my young niece a “two-scoop ice-cream milkshake” the other day. Turkish delight and fruit salad, she decided on, to scepticism from the person serving (parma violet and fruit salad was her even more revolting sounding first choice). I’ve a feeling she’ll be sticking to ice-cream next time.
17 Walker runs alongside another
RAMBLER: R (runs, in cricket), goes alongside AMBLER (another – i.e. another walker).
19 Yellow-orange part of brooch replaced
OCHRE: hidden in (part of) broOCH REplaced
20 Subject of study is awful hat in M&S
MATHS: anagram (awful) of HAT goes in M and S.
21 Alison and I are involved in affair
LIAISON: anagram (involved) of ALISON, I.
22 Every second counts for attaché in this Pacific island
TAHITI: every second [letter] counts in “a T t A c H é I n T h I s”.
23 Nag sounded grating
HOARSE: sounds the same as horse (nag)

Down
1 Frogman tried at first to change course
DIVERT: DIVER (frogman), T (Tried at first)
2 Top footballer — chap associated with hot-headed striker?
MAN OF THE MATCH: MAN (chap), OF THE (associated with) MATCH (hot-headed striker, cryptically speaking – very nice, this).
3 Ship’s gone all wobbly
GALLEON: anagram (wobbly) of GONE ALL.
5 Pack animal left Tibetan priest
LLAMA: L (left) LAMA (Tibetan priest)
6 Teacherless PE is terrible for runner
STEEPLECHASER: anagram (is terrible) of Teacherless PE.
7 Carrying baby in centre of buggy
TOTING: TOT (baby), IN (in), G (centre of buGgy).
9 Lancaster wrong concerning line of descent
ANCESTRAL: anagram (wrong) of LANCASTER.
14 Green Party following a vocation? Not half!
AVOCADO (as in the colour): DO (party) follows A VOCA (VOCAtion, without the second half). Excellent clue – COD.
15 Punctual reminder
PROMPT: double definition, and a very nice one at that.
16 Can see troubled spirits invoked here?
SEANCE: anagram (troubled) of CAN SEE. Last one in – another lovely clue.
18 Celebrated pianist’s vocal register
LISZT: is vocal(ly the same as) LIST (register).

21 comments on “Times Quick Cryptic No 608 by Hawthorn”

  1. On the easier side no doubt but nice surfaces. Slightly held up by 23a.
    Roly I think you have a typo shouldn’t 12a be CRAMPON.
  2. 20 mins. Nothing too taxing today, although I had CLOSED for CLOSET which held me up a bit. LOI was PROMPT.
  3. Straightforward at 7 minutes, greatly helped by STEEPLECHASER (or one of its derivatives) having come up elsewhere only a few days ago. A long anagram that goes straight in is always handy early in the proceedings.
  4. 12ac is surely CRAMPON, ‘clampon’ is not a word. Also CRAMP means to confine awkwardly. Nice puzzle, thanks Hawthorn and roly, 4’09” today.
  5. Awkwardly confine. Cramp + leg on = crampon goes under climbing boots on snow
  7. I think it’s Thursday isn’t it?
    20 mins for me today. Held up in SW corner by not spotting every second to mean alternate letters. I liked 17a particularly.
    1. Ah, so it is (another senior moment) – that would explain why it was so easy. 😊 Invariant
  8. I spent 35 minutes on this one, but I’m taking a bit longer as I’m trying to solve the puzzles entirely on my phone without the help of pencil and paper. It makes 12 letter anagrams challenging! I would add ‘Llama’ to ‘Rifle’ and ‘Liszt’ as old chestnuts ready for retirement.

    Brian

    2. As someone new to cryptics, these weren’t old chestnuts to me although I have come across register/list before. I found this crossword easier than usual although I struggled with 7d.
  11. A very easy QC for a Friday. 14d was my COD as well. I still shudder at the thought of 70s bathrooms every time I see the word. Invariant
  12. Thanks people for pointing out the ‘typo’ in 12ac – clampon was the word in my head at the time, clampon got written down on the grid, and clampon got written out unquestioningly on the blog, twice, despite not even parsing, as Rob points out. That’s a plain old mistake, isn’t it? It’s been mangled in my head somewhere along the line. Oops! Oh well, I do love Sawbill’s idea that it’s to distinguish the correct feet for novice climbers. Will correct it now.

    The closest clampon gets to being a word, by the way, is an obsolete word for a horse: Clamponnier, “a long jointed horse, one whose pasterns are long, slender, and over-pliant”. A bendy-legged horse… now that would make for an interesting trek up an icy mountainside.

  13. Them’s were the Beverley Hillbillies – Jed Clampet et al.

    A breezy 6.32 with 8ac COD VANILLA

    LOI 15dn PROMPT

    Today I notice 14 comments on the QC and just 19 on the 15×15 what is occuring?

    horryd Shanghai

  14. Enjoyed MAN OF THE MATCH and AVOCADO particularly. Last in was TOTING
  15. Took me a while to remember that avocado is a shade of green. Apart from that I found this pretty straightforward. I would add galleon to the list of solutions nearing their sell by date. Enjoyed “hot headed striker” in 2dn. Lovely piece of cluing.
    PlayupPompey
  16. OK, so it was ‘at the easier end’…still took me most of a gentle hour at Costa! Never mind – all the more enjoyable to have something that lasts. COD 13a handshake. Thx Hawthorn and rolytoly too.
  17. I solved this fairly quickly, about 15 minutes. Enjoyable I thought; no obscurities. LOI was PROMPT and favourite clue 2d. David

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