QC 2663 by Joker

Author   MerlinPosted on Categories Quick Cryptic

 

17:23, some tricky parsings today, but a fair offering, on the hard end of the spectrum in my opinion. I need held with the parsing of 19A.

One clue that appeared yesterday re-appeared in the same place in the grid today. And another clue has a  British Spelling to throw off our International readers.

I’ve been thinking about how setters could use tools to help with clue construction. The hidden clue with the alternate letters of “of yucca hospital” is impressive work by the setter — it’s extremely hard to come up with these long ones. I spent some time trying to train ChatGPT4 on how to create them, it wasn’t able to even understand the problem. Setters are still well ahead.

Definitions underlined in bold , synonyms in (parentheses) (Abc)* indicating anagram of Abc, other wordplay in [square brackets] and deletions in {curly} brackets.

Across
1 He-cat, eh? Possibly (7)
CHEETAH – (HE CAT EH)*, an &lit clue, where the whole clue is the definition, Cheetah=cat.
5 Type of book work embraced by young boxer? (3-2)
POP-UP – PUP (young boxer) contains OP (work)

Boxer being a type of dog, although I imagine a grizzled old pugilist would refer to an up and comer as a “pup” as well.
8 Home game in Congo university takes cunning so as to stand out? (13)
INCONGRUOUSLY – IN (Home) + CONGO contains RU (game) + SLY (cunning)
9 Type of sugar in cola set to change (7)
LACTOSE – (COLA SET)*.

C12H22O11  for those who understand chemical formulæ.
10 Brick for building half done in Lincoln? (5)
ADOBE – ABE (Lincoln) contains DO {ne}

I was sure that Lincoln would be “SEE”.
11 Red-faced state is never-ending (6)
FLORID – FLORID {a}
13 Hate side losing openers before cricket match (6)
DETEST – {si}DE + TEST (cricket match)
15 What’s initially curtailing run after muscle pain? (5)
CRAMP – Initial letters of “curtailing run after muscle pain”
16 Praise article by Conservative right (7)
ACCLAIM – A + C{onservative} + CLAIM (right)
19 Team spilling the beans is hilarious (4-9)
SIDE-SPLITTING – SIDE (team) + SPLITTING (spill the beans)

At first I thought Beans are split ? Is that it? I tried to see if “spilling” could be an anagram indicator, but that doesn’t work either.

After spending time in the OED, I found definition II.13.a. (slang). To turn evidence or informer; to peach; to give information detrimental to others; to betray confidence. There’s a Dickens Reference, but nothing more recent. Maybe the kind of thing Billy Bunter might say.

Thanks curryowen for providing a hint on chasing this down.
20 Area yielded a variety of succulent (5)
AGAVE – A{rea} + GAVE (yielded)

And yes, this appeared in yesterday’s crossword (2662) it pretty much the same place in the grid. It was clued as A +GAVE as well:

Head of acquisitions donated tequila ingredient (5)
21 Other ranks trapped by river in spate (7)
TORRENT – TRENT (River) contains OR (Other Ranks)

Interestingly, according to the OED, SPATE is derived from the same root as Spit.
Down
1 Unwell after cold hotel — could be this (5)
CHILL – C{old} + H{otel} + ILL

The “could be this” refers to “unwell”. This was clued in as C+HILL just last week.
2 Book making new use of cyclopean idea? (13)
ENCYCLOPAEDIA – (CYCLOPEAN IDEA)*

Note the British spelling, at least it doesn’t use the old spelling with the Æ ligature. Although I think setters should experiment with ligatures, it could intersect with Æthelstan, for example.
3 Dance from part of east Angola (5)
TANGO – Hidden in east Angola
4 Queen perhaps ordered throne (6)
HORNET – (HORNET)*

A Hornet wasp could be a queen.
5 Blasphemous university academic article on ecstasy (7)
PROFANE – PROF (University Academic) + AN (article) + E{cstasy}
6 After classical show musical mostly returns, just having left theatre (4-9)
POST-OPERATIVE – POST (after) + OPERA (classical show)  + EVIT{A} (musical) reversed.

Tricky, took me some time to dig out this parsing.

“Theatre”, being operating theatre this time,as it often is. (British English usage only, I believe).
7 Reward any temp might work for? (7)
PAYMENT – (ANY TEMP)* with “work” as anagram indicator.

Smooth surface renders the clue also as a literal.
11 Garden plant type of yucca hospital regularly wanted (7)
FUCHSIA – Alternate letters of “of yucca hospital”

See pre-amble on musings about how these types of clues can be constructed.
12 Deadlock that is broken by politician: fool! (7)
IMPASSE – IE (That is) contains MP (politician) + ASS (fool)
14 Whisky adulterated by the French? With this one may get hammered (6)
MALLET – MALT (whisky) contains LE (The French)
17 Provide food consumed in common room initially (5)
CATER – C{ommon} R{oom} contains ATE (consumed)
18 Power oared boat using mass for energy (5)
MIGHT – EIGHT (oared boat) with the M{ass} swapped for E{nergy}

Clever swapped-letter clue. But swapping a vowel/consonant made it tricky for me to see any words that might fit.

106 comments on “QC 2663 by Joker”

  1. No trouble knowing the meaning of ‘splitting’, commonly in use in my childhood. A slapped wrist because again I forgot ‘theatre’ has a medical meaning, just like I always forget ‘number’ has an alternative meaning.
    Thanks Merlin and Joker

  2. After my dismal effort yesterday, I was delighted to cug steadily through this with no major hold-ups at all. Pleased with this, as I usually find Joker a challenging setter. LOI was MIGHT.

  4. I thought I could spell Fuchsia without looking it up! Silly of me…
    Nice puzzle with some tricky bits
    FOI 1a Cheetah
    LOI 17d Cater – got to it last
    COD 6d Post Operative – misleading!

  5. 16:15

    Another straightforward puzzle. Nearly done in 11 minutes but then stuck for 5 on last 2, POST OPERATIVE (oh, that type of theatre, sure we’ve had that many times before but I always forget) and LOI ADOBE (oh, that Lincoln, sure we’ve had that many times before but too I always forget). And didn’t we have AGAVE yesterday?

  6. A full day of construction in the garden, so a late solve for me. I will read everyone’s comments in a while.

    37 minutes, the last 7-8 of which were all spent on ADOBE. I didn’t see Abe Lincoln and I DNK the definition of the word itself.

    Thanks to Joker and Merlin.

  7. 16:32 for a good day for me, given that others found it reasonably challenging. Thanks Joker and Merlin (always good to scrape under your time – doesn’t happen often).

  8. I needed two sittings for this but never mind.

    I thought many of the surfaces were brilliant today.

    My favourite was 17D – Provide food consumed in common room initially.
    Also an honourable mention for 4D Queen perhaps ordered throne.

    Thanks Joker and Merlin

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