Quick Cryptic 1137 by Flamande

Author   william_j_sPosted on Categories Quick Cryptic
Fairly straightforward fare today. I had to come back for 2dn and 9ac, otherwise it all flowed nicely in order. The highlight for me was the little run of 7, 10, and 11dn which made me chuckle as each penny dropped.

Definitions underlined.

Across
1 Like a cereal plant, perhaps, from south-west England (7)
CORNISH – like corn (cereal plant, perhaps), or CORN-ISH.
5 Knife found among precious tableware (4)
STAB – hidden in (found among) preciouS TABleware.
8 Regular article in newspaper after EU reforms (7)
FEATURE – anagram of (reforms) AFTER EU.
9 Rivers going into cove in Welsh town (5)
BARRY – RR (two rivers) inside (going into) BAY (cove).
11 Endless tune a minstrel composed, music without words (12)
INSTRUMENTAL – anagram of (composed) all but the last letter of (endless) TUNe plus A MINSTREL.
12 Drink with Scotsman over in university grounds (6)
CAMPUS – SUP (drink) and MAC (scotsman) all reversed (over).
14 Briefly hurtful argument causing grief (6)
SORROW – all but the last letter of (briefly) SORe (hurtful) and ROW (argument).
15 Nanny’s youngster means to change, being without friends (5,2-5)
BILLY NO-MATES – BILLY (goat, nanny’s youngster) with an anagram of (change) MEANS TO.
17 Load vehicle before work (5)
CARGO – CAR (vehicle) and GO (work).
18 Childhood at home, far from plain (7)
INFANCY – IN (at home) and FANCY (far from plain).
20 American tug (4)
YANK – double definition.
21 Avoided wearing cloak after first signs of English summer (7)
ESCAPED – CAPED (wearing cloak) after first letters (first signs) of English and Summer.

Down
2 Cry that goes up in Barcelona? (3)
OLE – reverse hidden (goes up in) barcELOna.
3 Records pieces of music (5)
NOTES – double definition.
4 Teacher reportedly using force? That’s unexpected (10)
SURPRISING – sounds like (reportedly) “sir” (teacher) then PRISING (using force).
6 Coach‘s sports shoe (7)
TRAINER – double definition.
7 Uncivilised places to drink round America (9)
BARBAROUS – BAR and BAR (places to drink), then O (round), then US (america).
10 See mum circulating among workers providing diversions (10)
AMUSEMENTS – anagram of (circulating) SEE MUM, inside (among) ANTS (workers).
11 One contrary girl swallowing a drink? It’s not true (9)
IMAGINARY – I (one) and MARY (‘quite contrary’ in the nursery rhyme, contrary girl) surrounding (swallowing) A GIN (a drink).
13 Figure former educational establishment has almost disappeared (7)
POLYGON – POLY (former educational establishment) then all but the last letter of (almost) GONe.
16 Jewelled head dress, one worn by groups of soldiers (5)
TIARA – I (one) inside (worn by) TA (territorial army) and RA (royal artillery) (groups of soldiers).
19 Every so often, accused gives signal (3)
CUE – every other letter from (every so often) aCcUsEd.

34 comments on “Quick Cryptic 1137 by Flamande”

  1. Fairly straightforward and completed in 9 minutes.

    I rarely attempt to solve clues in order, preferring instead to look for easy-pickings such as 3- and 4-letter answers and those with multiple words such as 15ac today. My priority is to get some answers in the grid as quickly as possible and then build on the checkers provided.

    My favourite clue today was my FOI at 1dn.

    Edited at 2018-07-18 04:37 am (UTC)

  2. Didn’t know BARRY, but it seemed pretty safe. Also DNK BILLY-NO-MATES, but checkers led me to the anagram. Unfortunately, I mistyped and failed to notice the NL-MATES. 6:24 but.
  3. Up early and decided to do this online.
    Finished in the NW and LOI was FEATURE.
    I had this all done in about 10 minutes but having to do an alphabet trawl for 8a took me to 13.33. It’s slightly off-putting when the clock is ticking.
    Enjoyable puzzle and not too difficult I thought. COD to 13d. David
  4. Nearly straight through today, and I really liked the ‘teaching’ nature of the clues – a superb QC. Thanks william and Flamande.
  5. 14 mins today and so definitely at the easier end of the spectrum. FEATURE was my last one also – I missed the fact that it was an anagram!

  6. My LOI was Barry- with fingers crossed – but it had to be didn’t it? At the last moment remembered having heard of a place called Barry Island, so hoped there was a town called Barry nearby.

    COD to 11d for having been reminded of that contrary girl.

    Thanks to William and Flamande

  7. Great fun puzzle, thank you Flamande. Some really neat and clever clues. I particularly liked OLE, which has a quite brilliant surface.

    Below 2 on the Kevometer as well, very happy with that!

    On yesterday’s imply/infer controversy, given the organic nature of English, there must come a point when the meaning changes, mustn’t there? Some of the comments reminded me of my Dad insisting that gay meant happy “because that’s just what it means”; he was not prepared to accept the fact that it had acquired a new meaning through usage.

    Thanks for the very clear blog, William

    Templar

    1. I’d argue the comparison with ‘gay’ is not the same. Imply and infer traditionally have quite separate meanings and to make them interchangeable diminishes the language and is therefore to be resisted.
  8. A very nice puzzle with too many clever clues to list. Thanks to Flamande and to William. I had a couple of hiccups but ended up under 2 kevins so that cheered me up a lot. John
  9. Just under average time for me, so in the Goldilocks zone for a QC, I fancy. Only hold up was trying to make 7d BARBARIAN, but SORROW, my SLOI and BILLY NO MATES, my COD, solved that. Nice puzzle and blog. Thanks Flamande and William.

    Edited at 2018-07-18 10:31 am (UTC)

  10. Well, that was fun – and quick – 7:08 which is about as close as I’ve ever come to Kevin. 11dn – LOI – may have been the time difference.
    On solving techniques, I work down until I get an easy answer then use whatever checkers I’ve got to build up around that point, if nothing comes I carry on looking for easy ones and repeat.
  11. Inside 10 minutes this morning, so I’m pleased with that. I liked 1a and 11d and WoD is BILLY NO MATES.

    Thanks Setter and Blogger.

  12. Average time for me, completed in 13:50 with a lot of minutes wasted on 7d BARBAROUS and my LOI 14a SORROW which I just couldn’t get without an alphabet trawl. COD 15a BILLY NO MATES. Biffed 12a as so used to Ian being the Scotsman and also 16d TIARA where I could only see one group of soldiers. Thank you Flamande and William.
  13. 13 minutes so much better than yesterday, maybe the hangover helped.

    I usually start at the top, but follow Jack’s method and head for the 3 letter clues if nothing jumps out, I usually find these easier, especially in the 15×15.

    Last 2 were barbarous and imaginary, where I had to write them horizontally on paper, which I try if the vertical words don’t leap out.

    Cod barbarous.

  14. Average time for me, but lots of unusual clue formulations made this great fun. LOI FEATURE. Took ages to spot the anagram. Think I was thrown by the concept of “EU reform”. No chance!
    Thanks setter, much enjoyed.
    PlayUpPompey
  15. I was given pause at 15a. Although I knew the expression BILLY NO MATES, I always understood that a Billy Goat was the male partner of a Nanny Goat, and Wikki seems to agree with me “Female goats are referred to as “does” or “nannies”, intact males are called “bucks” or “billies” and juveniles of both sexes are called “kids”. Castrated males are called “wethers”. While both the words “hircine” and “caprine” refer to anything having a goat-like quality, the former is used most often to emphasize the distinct smell attributed to domestic goats.” The answer was clear enough though. I found this grid a bit more challenging due to having fewer short words. Started with OLE and finished with ESCAPED. A quick proof read showed I had NNOTS at 3d, so was worth while! Nice puzzle. Thanks Flamande and William.
    On edit:9:41.

    Edited at 2018-07-18 11:14 am (UTC)

    1. Oh yes, good point. I meant to say that. I have always understood a bill-goat as simply being a male goat, not a young goat. That is what my OED says (and, more authoritatively, my copy of the Three Billy Goats Gruff).

      Templar

    2. As William says – it’s the Nanny goat’s youngster – which could be male – a billy goat.
      2. True, but it could be either and a youngster is usually referred to as a kid. By the Wikki definition, a Billy is not neutered, therefore is presumably an adult. Excuse the unusual shift into a pedantic stance 🙂 Of course the Nanny could be a Grand-Nanny too and have a grown up Nanny or Billy.

        Edited at 2018-07-18 05:52 pm (UTC)

  16. Well, that was fun – and quick – 7:08 which is about as close as I’ve ever come to Kevin. 11dn – LOI – may have been the time difference.
    On solving techniques, I work down until I get an easy answer then use whatever checkers I’ve got to build up around that point, if nothing comes I carry on looking for easy ones and repeat.
  17. Pleasingly straightforward after two failures this week, completed in 8.20 with LOI 8a where the answer was obvious but spotting the anagram took me some time. Particularly enjoyed 11d.
    Thanks for the blog
  18. A very nice puzzle with too many clever clues to list. Thanks to Flamande and to William. I had a couple of hiccups but ended up under 2 kevins so that cheered me up a lot. John
  19. Goats have been causing confusion for a long time – at least since 1917 when this song was written
    (kpc)

    Young Paddy McGinty, an Irishman of note,
    Fell into a fortune and bought himself a goat.
    “Goat’s milk!” says Patsy, “I’m sure to have my fill!”
    But when he got the nanny home, he found it was a bill.

  20. One of the first times I have completed the Quick Cryptic, and in 20 minutes this time, so I’m rather pleased. My thanks to this forum for helping me in progressing. Just a few more years probably before a complete 15^2!
  21. Spelt Barri in Welsh. Is there still a steam train scrapyard there? There must be Welsh crosswords but cryptic? Anyone know? There’s only been Welsh Scrabble for a few years. There’s a double L tile. Points must be different I guess. John
  22. After a couple of months of trying this was the first quick xwd I’ve completed (correctly) in its entirety, so wanted to post my thanks to all of the regular contributors on here who have unwittingly coached me there, and of course to Flamande for a terrific puzzle; I had to return to it a couple of times but when I did new answers presented themselves which was great fun.
    LOI for me was 12a CAMPUS, and I mainly checked on here just now to work out the parsing, having had ‘Cam’ as the Scotsman… And I’ve still no idea why ‘go’ = ‘work’!

    Thanks to William for the blog and explaining many of the solutions; to other bloggers, it is always much appreciated by us novices!

    Matt (London)

    1. Very well done, Matt!

      I, too, owe a great deal to the bloggers on this site for teaching me to solve and parse clues properly! When I started tackling these puzzles seriously I was lucky to solve everything in several hours, let alone understand it all. Sometimes it was days! We here have been solving the QC for almost 5 years now, and I feel pretty confident about solving it in 20 minutes or less. So much of it is practice, familiarity, and confidence.

      By the way, doing something unrelated and coming back to it is a good strategy when completely stuck. It might not get you over the line, but will certainly loosen up one or two more answers, which proves you *did* know them after all! Very few answers in the QC (and not that many even in the 15×15) are outside of a normal vocabulary – that’s the fun of it!

      Go = work, as in: I wish this car would just *work*!

      And good luck tomorrow.
      Will

      Edited at 2018-07-19 07:45 pm (UTC)

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