QC 1875 by Mara

Author   astartedonPosted on Categories Quick Cryptic

There were quite a few of the sorts of clues that are often regarded as ‘easier’ in this gentle Monday morning stroll. I counted five double definitions and six clues that were either full anagrams or which used an anagram as a partial device. There were also two hidden words (one reversed). So many thanks to Mara for easing us gently into the week. I didn’t quite manage everything sequentially but wasn’t far off. Did you all have a similar experience?

FOI was 1A and LOI 21D. COD I think was 5D for its original (to me at any rate) wordplay.

Definitions are underlined and everything else is explained just as I see it as simply as I can.

Across
1 Move quickly back for jazz? (4)
TRAD – DART (move quickly) ‘back’ gives TRAD. This is a bit of a chestnut as I am sure I have seen this exact clue several times before and I am by no means a heavy crossword addict.
4 Boxer who sat up, befuddled (8)
SOUTHPAW – straight anagram (‘befuddled’) of WHO SAT UP.
8 Upper-class crystal (3-5)
CUT-GLASS – double definition, the first as an adjective normally applied to a ‘posh’ English accent. 
9 Rook in front of tree is not considered (4)
RASH – R (Rook – from Chess) + ASH (tree).
10 Sharp-tasting dessert (4)
TART – double definition.
11 Fascinating job for metalworkers! (8)
RIVETING – another double definition.
12 A type of bean in another country (6)
ABROAD – A + BROAD (type of bean).
14 Cheerful: shame supercilious (6)
UPPITY – UP (cheerful) + PITY (shame).
16 Anchor adrift in my kingdom (8)
MONARCHY – ONARCH (anagram (‘adrift’) of ANCHOR) ‘in’ MY.
18 Munch chop after chop, initially (4)
CHEW – C (Chop ‘initially’) + HEW (chop).
19 One swamp recalled in desert (4)
GOBI – I BOG (one swamp) ‘recalled’.
20 Nine acts rewritten, for example (8)
INSTANCE – straight anagram (‘rewritten’) of NINE ACTS.
22 Different date I require shortly — one being held (8)
DETAINEE – DETAI (anagram (‘different’) of DATE I) + NEEd (require ‘shortly’).
23 Joint seen kicking, partially pulled back (4)
KNEE – reversed hidden word: sEEN Kicking ‘partially pulled back’.
Down
2 Edible stalks rot (7)
RHUBARB – double definition.
3 A number like it (5)
DIGIT – DIG IT (like it). Groovy man.
4 Ultimately, this deep sea is a source of fresh water (3)
SPA – thiS deeP seA ‘ultimately’.
5 Horrible sweet, is it? (9)
UNSAVOURY – if things can be SWEET or SAVOURY, then if something is UNSAVOURY it could well be SWEET in a cryptic way.
6 Tough, best car (7)
HARDTOP – HARD (tough) + TOP (best).
7 Parish priest’s heading off — it’s a crime (5)
ARSON – pARSON parish priest with ‘heading’ removed.
11 Lessening of dose perhaps cured it, on receiving treatment (9)
REDUCTION – straight anagram (‘on receiving treatment’) of CURED IT ON.
13 Instrument installed in auto, car in Aberystwyth (7)
OCARINA – hidden word: ‘installed in’ autO CAR IN Aberystwyth.
15 Sticky substance in bottom of pot on variety of cereal (7)
TREACLE – T (bottom of poT) ‘on’ (i.e. ‘above’ in this down clue) REACLE (anagram (‘variety’) of CEREAL).
17 Australian figure in fresh air (5)
OZONE – OZ (Australian) + ONE (figure).
18 Expert attempt (5)
CRACK – double definition. As in ‘the CRACK para regiment had a CRACK at eliminating the international terrorist leader’.
21 Recognise character on the radio? (3)
SEE – C is a character and when you pronounce it (as on the radio) it sounds like SEE.

67 comments on “QC 1875 by Mara”

  2. Very fair puzzle and a gentle intro to the week. Finished below target in 4:34 with a little hesitation over LOI 8ac Cut Glass. There is a Scottish variation of describing such accents as in “he talks as if he has bools in his mooth” (marbles in his mouth). Not terribly complimentary I feel.
    Particularly liked 4 ac Southpaw and 18 ac Chew.
  3. Sorry forgot to include my thanks to Astartedon and Mara for blog and puzzle respectively
  4. So apparently I am a SOUTHPAW in the sense that I am left handed but despite seeing the anagram fodder I required 3 of the 4 checkers to work out the answer and this was my POI. The resulting U gave me UNSAVOURY as my LOI. Still no complaints as I came in just under target 8:44.
  5. A pleasant puzzle, we were a bit slow with the se corner for no apparent reason. Do not hear so many 8ac these days, perhaps they are dying out, also ours are tucked away in a cupboard. Missed Mr Random today, he always provides amusement.
    1. … the Random’s are still alive! It’s just that our usual routine was kicked into touch by another commitment, so it was a late solve for us today. It may be another late-ish one again tomorrow, as we’re both visiting my in-laws, who are both rather elderly now. Thank you for reading my posts – that’s more than Mrs R does.
      1. Very pleased to hear that, we are also old, we solve together, amicably mostly!
  6. A fairly smooth solve in 11:54. I got a bit stuck on REDUCTION trying to do something with “dose” (Lessening of dose…) but I guess it’s just there for the surface.
    It was Monty Python who introduced me to the OCARINA. John Cleese was a schoolmaster. He and his wife were giving a sex education demo to a class of boys. They weren’t interested. One was playing with his ocarina.
    I liked MONARCHY and CRACK
  8. My FOI came fairly quickly, but I then suffered a long drought before the next arrived. Eventually got going, then moved quickly until just 1a (TRAD) left. However, I had EIGHT instead of DIGIT for 3d and it took me a full 10 minutes to realise and correct my error. In the end I was relieved to finish all correct in 37 minutes.

    Mrs Random also had EIGHT initially for 3d, but saw her mistake quickly and completed her attempt in 19 minutes. Normal service then here, in spite of it being very late in the day.

    Many thanks to Mara and astartedon.

  9. Some chestnuts and some opaque…pleased to have finished all ok. only 6 across and 6 down on first pass. FOI 10a Tart. LOI 5d Unsavoury COD 18a Chew. Thx both to Mara and Astartedon.
  11. Well, that wasn’t too taxing but it was fun. If we’d known it would only take 8 minutes we would have done it yesterday! We had such a hectic day on Monday and last Friday’s marathon sort of put us off.

    FOI: RHUBARB
    LOI: CRACK
    COD: UNSAVOURY

    Thanks to Mara and Astartedon.

  12. No problems for me here and done in 10 minutes, unlike the 15×15 which remained largely blank!
    1. As an experienced solver of both types I find it amazing that you could do this one in 10 minutes and yet not make some sort of dent in the 15×15! I’d have thought you would get at least half of it done (and they get easier of course the more you fill in!)
      1. I know. I don’t quite understand it myself! It’s like my brain just switched on/ off. So frustrating.

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