Quick Cryptic 1034 by Wurm

Author   CuraristPosted on Categories Quick Cryptic
So, a rare outing from Wurm on the QC so I am told. I was half expecting something befitting a special occasion like a Nina, but I can’t see one. Fairly straightforward, probably the easiest I have blogged for a while. I guess my favourite is the &lit at 2D. Came in at 6 minutes.

Across
1 Playgroup? (4)
CAST – Cryptic definition
3 Two secretaries do cards initially for old dictator (4,3)
PAPA DOC – PA is a secretary (twice) + DO + C. Haitian tyrant.
8 Freud for one confusing calypso with shanty (13)
PSYCHOANALYST – anagram (‘confusing’) of CALYPSO and SHANTY
9 French way to show regret (3)
RUE – French for street.
10 Fabulist initially adopted backward attitude (5)
AESOP – wrote fables therefore was a fabulist. A (adopted, initially) + POSE backwards
12 Touching line from Brown — polite chap (7)
TANGENT – TAN + GENT
14 Duke felt strong desire to be thrown out (7)
DITCHED – D is duke, ITCHED is felt stong desire.
16 Father eating bird finds bone (5)
FEMUR – FR is father, ‘eating’ EMU
17 Priest: the Spanish one (3)
ELI – EL + I. Eli crops up a lot as a word element in the 15 x 15
20 Double success after Latin edict redrafted (9,4)
IDENTICAL TWIN – anagram (‘redrafted’) of LATIN EDICT, with WIN on the end
21 Ruin of the French city of Paris (7)
DESTROY – DES ‘of the’ in French, TROY where Paris’s dad was king.
22 Healthy source of water (4)
WELL – double definition

Down
1 Trophy to get on item of furniture (8)
CUPBOARD – CUP (trophy) + BOARD (get on)
2 Island finally gets link by bridge (4)
SKYE – last letters of getS linK bY bridgE. And I guess it’s an &lit too.
3 Earth, say, in tree found by tribe’s leader (6)
PLANET – PLANE is a tree, T is tribe’s leader
4 Open space in taking on poor Fidel (7,5)
PLAYING FIELD – PLAYING is taking on, plus an anagram (‘poor’) of FIDEL
5 May dread disturbing reverie (8)
DAYDREAM – anagram (‘disturbing’) of MAY DREAD
6 Artist denied curate’s smart (4)
CUTE – Artist is RA. It is denied, i.e. removed from CURATE
7 Marksman’s new photos held by sharer (12)
SHARPSHOOTER – anagram (‘new’) of PHOTOS inside SHARER
11 Immigrants from south with letters for translation (8)
SETTLERS – S + anagram (‘for translation’) of LETTERS
13 Deadly place to get off (8)
TERMINAL – double definition
15 Discover code’s cryptic in part (6)
DESCRY – This was a new one for me, but a fairly clear hidden word: coDES CRYptic
18 Try to accommodate new situation that’s annoying (4)
BIND – try is BID, ‘accommodating’ N (new).
19 Pretentiously sentimental? Time to go! (4)
TWEE – T (time) + WEE (to go)

16 comments on “Quick Cryptic 1034 by Wurm”

  2. 9 minutes without incident although I wasn’t entirely sure of 1ac. Enjoyed 19dn in particular as a touch of humour on which to end.

    Wurm’s first appearance was in June last year and he set one puzzle each in August and October. After a 3-month break he reappeared in January this year and then again today, so I’m wondering if this sets a new pattern for 2018 and we shall be seeing more of him.

    Edited at 2018-02-23 07:48 am (UTC)

  3. I didn’t find this easy in places but still moved steadily along to a 21 minute solve. Playing Field held me up for some reason.

  5. DNF due to 1A and 2d. Single word clues always set me into a spin. I liked the &lit nature of 2d now I see the answer.

  6. I thought this was a high quality puzzle with excellent surfaces. Fairly straightforward for experienced solvers I guess, but a good overall test.
    I finished in under 11 minutes and 1a was LOI. I had a slight doubt about it but once written down it felt right.
    COD to 9a -so smooth; but lots of other candidates. 6d cleverly constructed.
    David
  7. An enjoyable puzzle which didn’t cause too many problems, apart from 1a. It took me ages to see what the setter was getting at, even though I had both crossers. Didn’t know DESCRY as discover and waited until I had the crossers before entering it. Thanks Wurm and Curarist. 8:18.
  9. 1a required a bit of thinking and both checkers before I saw the answer but other than that a relatively gentle solve – ideal for a Friday evening. Lots of good clues with my favourite being 19d. Completed in 13 minutes with LOI 21a
  10. I surprised myself by finishing in 30 mins, as it seemed a lot harder on the way through. Perhaps my unfamiliarity with Descry, and for that matter Reverie, clouded my judgement, because looking back it doesn’t seem that hard now. Mind you, they are all easy once you have the answers. As others have said, some lovely surfaces, and it’s one of these, 12ac, that gets my CoD vote. Thank you Wurm for a nice end to the week. Invariant
  11. I generally expect Friday to be a teaser but this was pretty straightforward. Thx to our blogger for explains the parsing of 6d but the answer seemed clear enough. Good to see Wurm again. Hoping for more. FOI 8a LOI 18d. COD 4d.
  12. Not my turn to blog this week, but I would have enjoyed writing this one up. As sawbill and davidivad1 have noted, there are some lovely surfaces – 8a was a prime example that raised a smile. The enjoyment began right from the start with 1a and I liked the &lit at 2d too. And, like jackt, my final giggle was to 19d. Great quickie so thanks to Wurm, and thanks for the blog curarist. Another sub-average time for me as I had no hold-ups. That makes 9 out of the last 10, so either my form has improved or the editor has noted the discomfort expressed by some of our commenters at the level of difficulty. This one felt just right.

    Edited at 2018-02-23 09:07 pm (UTC)

  13. My first dnf for a while and it was going so well. Unbelievably I just could not work out the answer to 18d. I thought of BIND but dismissed it….. now “that’s annoying”!!
    I tend to start randomly so my FOI, which was very amusing, was 19 (the first that I looked at.) Very much liked 20a but, as you have all said, there were so many excellent clues that it is hard to find a favourite. What a pity I failed!
    Thank you to the setter, but most of all to the support I receive from this site. I would not find doing these cryptic puzzles half as much fun without this blog. MM
  14. I generally expect Friday to be a teaser but this was pretty straightforward. Thx to our blogger for explains the parsing of 6d but the answer seemed clear enough. Good to see Wurm again. Hoping for more. FOI 8a LOI 18d. COD 4d.

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