QC 2065 by Mara

Author   astartedonPosted on Categories Quick Cryptic

I don’t think I was fully on my game here as I seem to remember quite a few blank spaces before getting my FOI which I think was 15A. Once the answers started going in things went fairly smoothly but I found it more difficult to get going than usual. I think my LOI was 10A. COD goes to 13A for a holy trinity of original definition, good wordplay and smooth surface. Many thanks to Mara for a puzzle that I found more than usually challenging for a Monday morning.

It is with great sadness that I announce that my next blog will be my last. I’ll say goodbye properly in two weeks’ time.

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

Across
1 Mean to put in suits for poetry, music, etc (4,4)
FINE ARTS – NEAR (mean) ‘put in’ FITS (suits).
5 Book details initially lost (4)
ACTS – fACTS (details) ‘initially’ lost. The Acts of the Apostles is the fifth book of the New Testament.
9 Exam’s ultimate test, right? (5)
MORAL – M (exaM’s ‘ultimate’) + ORAL (test)
10 List covering old bird (7)
ROOSTER – ROSTER (list) ‘covering’ O (old).
11 Ain’t my checks free? One’s on the house! (7,5)
CHIMNEY STACK – straight anagram (‘free’) of AIN’T MY CHECKS. Cryptic definition.
13 Aim a pistol originally confiscated by father (6)
ASPIRE – A + SIRE (father) ‘confiscating’ P (Pistol ‘originally’).
15 Creative genius tucked into bed, is one? (6)
EDISON – hidden word: ‘tucked into’ bED IS ONe.
17 Noted treatment that might make US mate chirpy (5,7)
MUSIC THERAPY – straight anagram (‘that might make’) of US MATE CHIRPY.
20 Conference remains unusual (7)
SEMINAR – straight anagram (‘unusual’) of REMAINS.
21 Two people behind bishop (5)
BRACE – RACE (people) ‘behind’ B (bishop).
22 Number playing around in nets, cutting 50 per cent (4)
NINE – anagram (‘playing around’) of IN + NEts (nets cut by 50%).
23 A bird shielded by friend, protective (8)
PATERNAL – A + TERN (bird) ‘shielded’ by PAL (friend).
Down
1 Celebrity initially fooling around, musical entertainer (4)
FAME – initial letters of Fooling Around Musical Entertainer.
2 Point in dissertation or theorem (5)
NORTH – hidden word: ‘in’ dissertatioN OR THeorem.
3 Comprehensive recalling MBA fails (3-9)
ALL-EMBRACING – straight anagram (‘fails’) of RECALLING MBA.
4 Shocking film, possibly, that’s served up at Christmas? (6)
TURKEY – double definition.
6 Weapon injured young woman (7)
CUTLASS – CUT (injured) + LASS (young woman).
7 Punching marked (8)
STRIKING – double definition.
8 Great message about legal position, right (12)
CONSIDERABLE – CABLE (message) ‘about’ ONSIDE (legal position) + R (right).
12 Standard beginning to slip in average cheese (8)
PARMESAN – PAR (standard) + S (beginning to Slip) ‘in’ MEAN (average).
14 Crooked stamp on, he delivers (7)
POSTMAN – straight anagram (‘crooked’) of STAMP ON.
16 Nepalese phrase translated (6)
SHERPA – straight anagram (‘translated’) of PHRASE.
18 Simple flier, we hear? (5)
PLAIN – sounds like (we hear) PLANE (flier).
19 Healthy source of water (4)
WELL – double definition.

47 comments on “QC 2065 by Mara”

  1. 5+ minutes elapsed before my FOI (SEMINAR) and another 3+ minutes before my second (NORTH) did not bode well. I then progressed in fits and starts until around the 45-minute mark, at which point I had 5 clues remaining. A further 20+ minutes effort produced nothing at all and I gave up (disheartened) after 66 minutes, with ACTS, STRIKING, CONSIDERABLE, EDISON and BRACE all unsolved. I also never parsed FINE ARTS or TURKEY.

    This felt like it was 20 months ago and I was starting all over again.

    Many thanks to astartedon and Mara.

  2. This took forever. My only excuse is I did it on a small phone on a crowded train. But even so, terrible. The last 2, ACTS and STRIKING must have added 5 minutes alone.
  3. OK, I’ll ask the question – why is “onside” a legal position? Are we talking sport, here?
  5. 2hr20 to get today’s completed DNF. Had a good ten clues in first 10-15 mins then took a break at 25-min. Came back for an hour and added some more which completed the left side. Eventually gave up on ROOSTER, CONSIDERABLE, ACTS, EDISON

    Looking at how much I got correct, fairly pleased with it. Couldn’t parse FINE ARTS (the near bit), ASPIRE, BRACE, ARTS even when I knew they were correct. Some tough ones in there I’d say.

    FOI FAME
    COD CHIMNEY STACK (although TURKEY runs it close)

  6. Yes this was a toughie that took me nearly 30mins, so I only just squeezed onto the coach. Main hold ups were Brace, Acts and Striking (all obvious in hindsight) and Aspire, which I still think was a bit of a stinker. CoD to the surface in 12d, Parmesan. Invariant

    Can I add my best wishes to ‘Don for a happy retirement from blogging duties — your blogs over the years have been very informative and your observations on more general topics are always entertaining.

  7. for blog.I may be dim but should I know your Avatar, is it your name, someone explain. Very good wishes.
    Not ideal today, fell into the Plane trap, casual with parsing, stymied for Paternal, and startled by abstrusity of Acts = knew the answer but didn’t get it, and it must be a special sort of mind to see it from the clue. Failed to finish this one, I’m afraid. Sunny day though.
  8. Slow start but sped up nicely.

    FOI 10ac ROOSTER

    LOI 13ac ASPIRE

    COD 12dn PARMESAN

    WOD ditto

  9. Found this very chewy and eventually came to a halt with just 5a to go. Just couldn’t figure it out as the only words that seemed to fit were ices and aces. The annoying thing is I seem to recall being flummoxed by ACTS once before, again for not thinking of a T going between the C and S. Anyway, gave up after 47 and bunged ICES in. Oh well, tomorrow is another day and at least I learned another meaning of ‘near’. Thanks all.
  10. Tough start to the week. Progressed well until the last few. Never heard of ‘near’ as being another word for mean!

    Chuffed with myself for finally getting acts (that wouldn’t have happened a few months ago) and eventually got aspire as LOI.

    Close to the hour mark but at least I got there.

    Gary A

  11. Sorry to see you are going, Don. Many thanks for your helpful blogs.

    Absolutely hopeless today – could only manage about half. My worst effort for a very long time – just could not find the right wavelength at all.

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