Very slow start, took an age before the FOI, things moved on pretty quick for me then. 10:23.
As AI starts to creep up in many professions, I wonder how setters are using it. For example, I asked it for a seven-letter acrostic for SCUFFLE which was self-defined, it came up with sudden conflict usually featuring frenzied live engagement(7). Not enough to produce a final clue, but maybe AI has a place for idea generation. Like most professionals, setters probably keep their usage of it quiet. Maybe Alex is actually AI-ex, you can never tell with these fonts.
AI still struggles with solving cryptic clues, though.
Definitions underlined in bold , synonyms in (parentheses) (Abc)* indicating anagram of Abc, other wordplay in [square brackets] and deletions in {curly} brackets.
| Across | |
| 1 | Surplus vehicle carrying silver by church in excess (12) |
| EXTRAVAGANCE – EXTRA (surplus) + VAN (vehicle) containing AG (sliver) + CE (Church)
Was a bit tricky to put this together, I got the EXTRA first, but plenty of words for excess start extra-. Was stuck trying to get CAR for my vehicle. |
|
| 8 | Two cats with small drums (3-4) |
| TOM-TOMS – TOM (cat) twice +S {small}
Very nice |
|
| 9 | Whip move for dance (5) |
| TANGO – TAN (whip) + GO (move)
“I’ll tan your hide”, as Dennis’s father or other abusive parents/school teachers apparently said. |
|
| 10 | Stir river with another river (5) |
| ROUSE – R{iver} + OUSE (a river) | |
| 11 | Observer of second boy wizard (7) |
| SPOTTER – S{econd} + POTTER (boy wizard) | |
| 12 | Warning of Capone with gun (5) |
| ALARM – AL (Capone) + ARM (gun)
The only famous AL to ever make it in these pages. Perhaps when Mr Pacino is no longer with us we’ll have a bit of variety in our ALs. Or now that the “live persons” rule is relaxed other ALs could be seen. If it is our setter’s nickname, then could be clued as Warning of me briefly with gun (5) |
|
| 14 | U grades changed and sweetened (7) |
| SUGARED – (U GRADES)* [changed] | |
| 15 | Fresh voice involving hot reporter (9) |
| NEWSHOUND – NEW (Fresh) + SOUND (voice) contains H{ot} | |
| 17 | Try removing odd bits of radium (3) |
| AIM – {r}a{d}i{u}m | |
| 19 | Rebel prisoner with criminal record is getting time after French refusal (13) |
| NONCONFORMIST – CON (prisoner) + FORM (record) + IS + T{ime} all after NON (French Refusal)
There’s a moth called the NONCONFORMIST. Over on the 15×15 it would have been clued as such. |
|
| 21 | Thin lake with a bit of greenery within (6) |
| MEAGRE – MERE (lake) contains A + G{reenery} [bit of] | |
| 22 | Girl from French town (5) |
| NANCY – Double Def
Another Chestnut. It’s not a particularly big town, or common girls name. Though with the current craze for weird names it wouldn’t surprise me if there are girls being named after lots of French towns In 2021, Nancy ranked 878th in popularity for girls’ names in the United States. And Paris is at 252. |
|
| Down | |
| 1 | Amusing itinerant travelling in England (12) |
| ENTERTAINING – (ITINERANT)* [travelling] inside ENG{land} | |
| 2 | Dish produced by office worker and posh artist (7) |
| TEMPURA – TEMP (office worker) + U (Posh) + RA (artist) | |
| 3 | Love a bit of Brad or Ethan (5) |
| ADORE – Hidden [a bit of] in Brad or Ethan | |
| 4 | Endlessly evaluate idiots (5) |
| ASSES – ASSES{S} (evaluate)
This is a chestnut. |
|
| 5 | Good facts about natural phenomena (4,2,3) |
| ACTS OF GOD – (GOOD FACTS)* [about]
That’s a fine anagram. |
|
| 6 | Doctor recants notion causing alarm (13) |
| CONSTERNATION – (RECANTS NOTION)* [Doctor]
“Doctor” as an anagram indicator is one of the more confusing of the 603 known species. It comes from the verb “to doctor” which means to change something in order to trick somebody. And of course it can be DR or MB as well. |
|
| 7 | Walked past house to find vehicle (3,3) |
| HOT ROD – HO{use} + TROD (walked)
Yes, HO is the official abbreviation for HOUSE. I have House in the first line of my address, and I have never abbreviated it to HO. It looks too much like What Ho or Tally Ho. Etymology disputed, but appeared in 1930s California, possible from “hotting up” with “rod” for “roadster”. |
|
| 13 | Game mag John distributed (7) |
| MAHJONG – (MAG JOHN)* [distributed] | |
| 14 | Heads of sport come up for final leg ending fight (7) |
| SCUFFLE – Initial letters of “s{port} c{ome} u{p} f{or} f{inal} l{eg} e{nding}
Seven letter acrostic, that’s a good effort, see preamble. |
|
| 16 | Caught getting into booze, flinch (5) |
| WINCE – WINE (booze) contains C{aught} | |
| 18 | Mother still turned up being friendly (5) |
| MATEY – MA (mother) + YET (friendly) backwards [turned up] | |
| 20 | Jog ladder (3) |
| RUN – Double Def
A ladder/run in a stocking. |
|
If I ignore the typo , it is a PB of 20 mins despite a slow start. Things speeded up once I had 1A and 1D.
Thanks to setter and Merlin.
I’m another who wanted to put CANED for TANGO.
I also wanted to put ALERT for ALARM. Not knowing anything about guns I thought an ERT might be one!
Was pleased the long ones went in easily with the checkers as they were off putting at first.
I’ve no idea who Ethan is but I’d love a bit of Brad too.
Thanks Alex and Merlin
6:51
Travelling today so late to the party, completing on phone – would expect to be quicker on laptop. No issues apart from unravelling CONSTERNATION – well done Cedric on your time, like you I measure my time against one or two others, always a good day when one gets the occasional win.
Thanks Alex and Merlin
10 minutes for QC
90 mins for big crossword with probably 2 incorrect answers. Haven’t checked yet.
Chalk and cheese.
PS Checked and 2 doubtful answers were in fact right. My lucky day.
Just wanted to leave a quick comment to say a huge thank you to these daily bloggers! I’ve been attempting the QC for just under 2 months now and learning so much from these blogs. I started absolutely clueless, maybe getting 1 or 2 words in the whole puzzle, if that, and then coming here to enjoy the clever word play. Yesterday I only needed to reveal one word and today I completed it for the first time ever. I did still check some answers which helped correct some mistakes but I’m getting there! Your parsing is the best tool I’ve ever come across to help me learn and I’m enjoying the new hobby so so much. Please keep up the good work!
Welcome and congratulations on a first successful solve😁. This is a great community – I learned everything I know about cryptics here and even stop by to read the discussions on days that I don’t do the crossword itself!
Hope to hear more as you continue to progress MrsB!
9 across could have been caned – ‘move for dance’. The rest was great fun.