As always it’s difficult to predict how a puzzle will be received by others, particularly the newbies, but I’d tentatively suggest that this one might be about as easy as things can get. The vocab is mostly straightforward though I wonder if the 1dn/8ac intersection may prove a sticking point with some, and possibly 12dn. I solved it in 6 minutes which is my fastest Quickie time to date. The number of double definitions helped a lot as it saved time working out wordplay
Definitions are underlined in the clues.
|
Across |
|
|---|---|
| 8 | One who’d break for dance (7) |
| HOEDOWN – Anagram [break] of ONE WHO’D. A dance style or event I associate with musical Westerns such as ‘Oklahoma!’ ,’7 Brides’ etc, along with the barn dance. I’m not sure if there’s any official difference or they amount to much the same thing. | |
| 9 | Swear nothing is taken from path (5) |
|
CURSE – C |
|
| 10 | Singer introducing right section of orchestra (5) |
| BRASS – BASS (singer) with R (right) introduced. Other sections of the standard orchestra are Strings, Woodwind and Percussion, the last of which is often referred to as ‘the kitchen’ and this comes up sometimes in cryptic clues. | |
| 11 | Ghastly house I’d redesigned (7) |
| HIDEOUS – Anagram [redesigned] of HOUSE I’D | |
| 12 | Mimic has to leave the ground (4.3) |
| TAKE OFF – Double definition | |
| 14 | A piece from Salieri sent up (5) |
| RISEN – Hidden in SalieRI SENt | |
| 15 | Purloined item from furrier (5) |
| STOLE – Double definition | |
| 17 | First-class sort of letter (7) |
| CAPITAL – Double definition | |
| 19 | Redcoat arrayed in 20th century style (3,4) |
| ART DECO – Anagram [arrayed] of REDCOAT | |
| 20 | Come back again about dog (5) |
| RECUR – RE (about), CUR (dog) | |
| 22 | Start where filming takes place (5) |
| ONSET – Double definition | |
| 23 | In a perfect world I trade with empty lorry (7) |
|
IDEALLY – I, DEAL (trade), L |
|
|
Down |
|
| 1 | Youngster devouring hot fish (4) |
| CHUB – H (hot) devoured by CUB (youngster) *Edited to clarify point raised in first comment below | |
| 2 | Comment about competitor’s starting place (6) |
| REMARK – RE (about – again), MARK (competitor’s starting point, as in ‘on your marks…’) | |
| 3 | Many conspiracies to depose leader (4) |
|
LOTS – |
|
| 4 | Where clock has hands, apparently (2,3.4.2,2) |
| ON THE FACE OF IT – Two definitions, the first cryptic, the second literal, but the whole clue also works as &lit | |
| 5 | Sweet police found in a ditch (4,4) |
| ACID DROP – CID (police) enclosed [found] in A DROP (ditch) | |
| 6 | Good accommodation for newlyweds? (6) |
| GROOMS – G (good), ROOMS (accommodation) | |
| 7 | Fashion on sale as at certain periods (8) |
| SEASONAL – Anagram [fashion] of ON SALE AS | |
| 12 | Will writer experiment with article on hill? (8) |
| TESTATOR – TEST (experiment). A (article – indefinite), TOR (hill). The legal term for a person making a Will may not be familiar to some though most have surely heard of people dying ‘intestate’ i.e. not having left a Will. With that in mind, the wordplay should help. | |
| 13 | Cast to repeat show (8) |
| OPERETTA – Anagram [cast] of TO REPEAT | |
| 16 | Stupid baronet plunged in river (6) |
| OBTUSE – BT (baronet) plunged into OUSE (river) | |
| 18 | Get to grips with equipment (6) |
| TACKLE – Double definition | |
| 20 | Bambi, for example, turning up in tall grass (4) |
| REED – DEER (Bambi, for example) reversed [turning up] | |
| 21 | Put up sound beams (4) |
| RAYS – Sounds like “raise” (put up) | |
Edited at 2014-08-11 08:23 am (UTC)
I thought the three anagram clues for HOEDOWN, SEASONAL and OPERETTA were excellently concise. They reminded me very much of the type of clue that Rufus in the Guardian is very good at, and in fact the whole puzzle had a Rufusian feel to it.
Is it me, but I rather disliked the grid today. Is there some special term for its type?
Nigel from Surrey
Hannah