Quick Crossword 449 by Orpheus

Author   emu66Posted on Categories Quick Cryptic
A mostly straightforward solve this week. I thought 8 across a clever clue, first in its misdirecting surface reading and then in causing me to try think of words meaning accommodate to write backwards. 1 down clearly crampon, but I didn’t know ramp for swindle, so this has to be my crosswordland word of the week. Thank you, Orpheus.

Across
1 CHESS – game; Argentinian revolutionary’s = CHE’S, son = S
4 MARCHER – one taking part in demo; married = M, bowman = ARCHER
8 ANTHILL – cryptic definition
9 MEANS – double definition
10 PRAISEWORTHY – laudable; anagram (sort of) of WISH TO REPAY with final letter of lendeR
12 NORMAN – old conqueror; not = NOR, male = MAN
13 PUT OUT – double definition
16 LIVERPUDLIAN – citizen of Northern town; meat = LIVER, dessert = PUD, anagram (cooked) of IN LA
18 ISAAC – Esau’s father; two accounts = ISA and AC
20 NEMESIS – fate; English blokes knocked back = reversal of E MEN, little sister = SIS
21 PAYMENT – fee; girl = PAM, hospital department = ENT, receiving unknown = Y inserted
22 NANNA – grandmother; bread = NAN, not available initially = NA

Down
1 CRAMPON – climbing aid; caught = C; swindle = RAMP, over = O, new = N
2 EXTRAORDINARY – double definition, as in extraordinary general meeting
3 SHIPSHAPE – double definition
4 MALAWI – part of Africa; hidden in forM A LAW In
5 RAM – double definition
6 HEATH ROBINSON – ingenious cartoonist; moor = HEATH, birds = ROBINS, on = ON
7 ROSE – double definition
11 ROUNDSMAN – person delivering; cartridges = ROUNDS, island = MAN
14 TUNISIA – North African country; is one = IS I, surrounded by fish = inside TUNA
15 SPINET – small harpsichord; anagram (rashly) of I SPENT
17 WIMP – an ineffectual type; Women’s Institute = WI, member = MP
19 CUE – signal; homophone (say) of wait patiently = QUEUE

22 comments on “Quick Crossword 449 by Orpheus”

  1. A very pleasing puzzle, probably at the easier end of the spectrum. 8 minutes.

    I have started a separate topic below for comments about the new Quickie layout when accessed via the Puzzles Page button, and also one in the Crossword Club “General” forum.

  2. My very first sub 10 minute solve! Thank you Orpheus for being gentle with us and for all the bloggers for their wisdom and help.

    Next stop sub 10 hours for the 15×15

    The Briefless Barrister

    1. 1 down. Con is swindle. Ramp is another climbing aid. That’s how this rank amateur saw it.
      1. …that requires “climbing aid” to be doing double duty, and doesn’t account for “caught by”. Emu’s parsing seems correct to me (another rank amateur).
        1. Had another look, and agree with galspray, though con is often the crossword word of choice for swindle.
  3. Average difficulty, I thought, with a couple of pleasing trickier clues among the easy ones. 8a and 10a my favourites. I thought CHE was Cuban – I didn’t know he was born in Argentina, and that SPINET was spelt with a double T, so I learnt a couple of things today. 6 1/2 mins.

    Edited at 2015-11-27 09:34 am (UTC)

  4. Hooray, I finished again, that’s three of out three this week! I must get better at timing them though and not just munch my way through lunch, only realising I’ve reached the end when I sweep away the crumbs. I think that must have been 50 minutes again.

    You all deserve kudos for the help I’ve got from this blog — I’d never have got this far without you. But I need to pick your brains again now, friendly people, and ask when I should be thinking about having a go at the grown-up crossword. Obviously only on days when I have a bit of spare time but are some days of the week easier to start on?

    1. Congrats on your progress and I admire your wish to graduate to the regular puzzle.

      No weekday is immune from a more difficult puzzle but one of Monday or Tuesday is likely to be at the easier end of the spectrum. Occasionally bloggers and contributors to the Quickie discussions will indicate when an easier 15×15 is on offer.

      One tip, don’t get fixated on any one clue to get started; flit about until something takes your fancy. Maybe a 3- or 4-letter answer or a multi-word one (e.g. 1,3,2,4). When you have a couple of answers in it’s usually possible to build from checkers.

    2. Just do as many as you can . I took a long time to finish my first TLS x word and after that was regularly completing ( with references of course ) them. Don’t be afraid to use clue solvers and anagram checkers to help you get confidence. It’s a bit like cricket ; once you score for first 50 it becomes easier.
    3. I sometimes think the clues in the Saturday Jumbo are easier to get going on, but as it’s a prize crossword the solutions aren’t on the blog for a while. I’d agree with the other comments; use this blog and other internet crossword solvers to get the answers and then work backwards to see how the clue works. You soon start to see patterns and little tricks. Though have to add I still don’t finish it every day, or even most days!
    4. Furthermore, you will find you don’t understand how a lot of answers are arrived at. Our esteemed bloggers are wonderful at explaining the ‘parsing’ of the clues, so once you’ve finished come here for enlightenment. Enjoy!
  5. Another satisfying solve in around 30 minutes. Nothing too difficult.Re 6d I think there is a cartoonist called Heath and that got me to the right answer incorrectly. Otheriwse I thoguht I’d be stumped by the samll Harpsichord but easy enough as mt LOI with all checkers. David
  6. 17 minutes for me – could be a PB (despite struggling with the new screen layout)

    PAYMENT was a very weird clue that I couldn’t parse at all.

    Edited at 2015-11-27 05:42 pm (UTC)

  7. The ‘hospital department’ ENT, standing for Ear, Nose and Throat, comes up often – Otorhinolaryngology, the posh name for it, rather less so as it’s too long for the grid.
  8. I thought this was quite a gentle end to the week, but I didn’t even get close to parsing 1d, not having heard of ramp for swindle before.
    COD for me goes jointly to 8a and 20a.
    I always feel a bit sad when finishing Friday’s QC at the thought of a whole weekend without puzzles. The Saturday offerings are still a bit out of my league.

  10. COD 8A

    answer to 4D appeared in the Times2 Concise (17D)-perhaps same setter ??

    feel rather the same as plett11 regarding “The Saturday offerings are still a bit out of my league”

    PS-does anyone do the Latin Xword ??

    Edited at 2015-11-27 08:37 pm (UTC)

    1. yes I do the Latin. Interesting. Quite easy to get parts of words – which give checkers – since there are only a few endings for many nouns and verbs. Katie Rose.
  11. Very upset about 22 down .I was so happy to write “nonna”(Italian for grandmother) which is what my grandchildren and some of their young friends call me. I am Italian and have started your “quick” this month. but i take agwes mind you.

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