Quick Cryptic 1147 by Izetti

Author   william_j_sPosted on Categories Quick Cryptic
Exactly what you’d expect from the Don. Slightly trickier vocabulary, but very clear and fair wordplay. There are a number of common crossword abbreviations and conventions, but solving it did not feel stuffy as the clues all read elegantly. Lots of anagrams today, including the rather excellent 4dn.

Thanks Izetti.

Definitions underlined.

Across
8 Spy facing time in servitude (7)
BONDAGE – BOND (spy) and AGE (time).
9 Beautiful woman, one appearing after 60 minutes (5)
HOURI – I (one) at the end of (appearing after) HOUR (60 minutes).
10 Flowing water I have discovered in middle of burrow (5)
RIVER – I’VE (I have) inside the middle letters of buRRow.
11 Flowering plants Doris arranged around church (7)
ORCHIDS – anagram of (arranged) DORIS around CH (church).
12 Formal account worker’s written about artists retrospectively (7)
HANSARD – HAND (worker) around R.A.S (Royal Academicians, artists) backwards (retrospectively).
14 Sudden movement in bar — nothing spilt! (5)
LUNGE – LoUNGE (bar) missing (spilt) the ‘o’ (nothing).
15 Drink tea sitting beside Maureen (5)
MOCHA – MO (Maureen) next to CHA (tea).
17 Fish dad cooked in white wine (7)
HADDOCK – anagram of (cooked) DAD inside HOCK (white wine).
19 Dispute about vessel used for church service? (7)
WORSHIP – ROW (dispute) reversed (about), then SHIP (vessel).
20 Female in ascendant movement up to now (2,3)
SO FAR – F (female) in SOAR (ascendant movement).
22 Rinse out something sticky (5)
RESIN – anagram of (out) RINSE.
23 I cry, all stirred up and emotional (7)
LYRICAL – anagram of (stirred up) I CRY ALL.

Down
1 Brat wrecked bit of ski resort’s equipment (1-3)
T-BAR – anagram of (wrecked) BRAT. Part of a ski lift.
2 Odd United Nations part of programme cut short (6)
UNEVEN – UN (united nations) and EVENt (part of programme) mising final letter (cut short).
3 Just a travelling show (4)
FAIR – double definition.
4 A boy, ten, helped out? That’s totally unacceptable (6,3,4)
BEYOND THE PALE – anagram of (out) A BOY TEN HELPED.
5 Restricted in hut, needing source of light (8)
SHACKLED – SHACK (hut) and L.E.D. (light emmiting diode, source of light).
6 Second-rate group of workers? That can be painful (6)
BUNION – the ‘B’ UNION, could be described thus.
7 Fail to find top of mountain: give false impression? (8)
MISSPEAK – MISS (fail to find) and PEAK (top of mountain).
12 Going back to base, we do harm, becoming drunk (8)
HOMEWARD – anagram of (becoming drunk). WE DO HARM.
13 A party in German’s capital can be embarrassing (8)
ABASHING – A BASH (a party), IN and first letter (capital) of Germany.
16 Hug little son weighed down by worries (6)
CARESS – S (abbreviation for (little) son) underneath (weighed down by) CARES (worries).
18 Not on, having diamonds in the workplace? (6)
OFFICE – OFF (not on) and ICE (diamonds).
20 Twenty, about to be dismissed, becoming resentful (4)
SORE – ScORE (twenty) missing (to be dismissed) the ‘c’ (circa, about).
21 Part to go round audibly (4)
ROLE – sounds like (audibly) “roll” (to go round).

21 comments on “Quick Cryptic 1147 by Izetti”

  1. 11 minutes missing my target (just) because of problems with 5dn. I thought of SHACKLED but looked for an alternative as I was unable to parse it having thought of SHED for ‘hut’ and then being left wondering what ACKL had to do with ‘light’. Needless to say I sorted in the end. Have I imagined that 7dn has taken on a new lease of life since the arrival on the scene of the current POTUS?

    Edited at 2018-08-01 06:21 am (UTC)

    1. I would imagine you’re right about MISSPEAK, along with various other words and phrases that seem to have Trumpian connotations. Unfortunately Google Ngram Viewer only includes entries up to 2008 for this particular construction. It does show that the word has appeared more and more frequently since c1960, though.

  2. I took me exactly 6 minutes to complete the LHS including 4d, with the RHS still blank. It then took me another 2:58 to complete the puzzle, but a quick proof read failed to spot that I’d typed OFFFCE at 18d. So 8:58 with 1 typo. Like Jack, I briefly wondered what an ACKL had to do with light, but soon saw the SHACK. Nice puzzle. Thanks Izetti and William.
  3. Slowed down, as I recall, by MOCHA–I spent some time trying to come up with a famous Maureen. Biffed 4d, rather casually checking the anagrist. I was a bit surprised by HANSARD, wondering if it might not be a bit much for a QC, not to mention for non-UK solvers. MISSPEAK, Jack, is the sort of word that (US) politicians like to use when they’re caught lying; Trump lies without ever acknowledging that he has lied. He’d never say he misspoke. 5:41.

    Edited at 2018-08-01 08:15 am (UTC)

  4. 20 min. Actually double my target despite a quick start. The SE really slowed me (e.g. Hansard, worship, abashing). Some ingenious clues and an enjoyable challenge. John M
  5. I couldn’t believe that HOURI was a word but put it in as it seemed to be what the clue demanded. Otherwise, a steady and enjoyable solve for me and sub 20 mins again with an 18:05 finish.
  6. 20 minutes, which I’m pleased with considering it was an Izetti puzzle.

    Stumped half way through, thankfully beyond the pale went in and I was able to finish.

    LOI worship, had warship initially, but saw the ecumenical light.

    COD BUNION.

  7. 13 minutes for me, but I think about 3 of those were accounted by solar glare reflecting from my ipad screen whilst standing at the station.

    Like others, SHED threw me for a while until I saw SHACK. CoD 19a, WoD HOURI.

  8. 20:03 I had JUNIOR for 6d, for Second Rate Workers, then had to back track. HOURI was a new word, COD 7d.

  9. A slow solve for me today although I normally find that an Izetti QC challenges me. DNK HOURI or HANSARD so biffed correctly from the wordplay. Also biffed 5d Shackled being fixated on shed as the hut. Spent a little time trying to come up with a white wine from fish and dad before the PDM. LOI 6d BUNION after biffing Houri. 20:20
  10. Stuck for a while on BUNION/LUNGE (do lounge bars still exist?), but apart from that very straightforward. Always helps to spot a 13 letter anagram straightaway. COD and LOI BUNION.
    PlayUpPompey
  11. This has not been a good week. Nearly 40 mins again today, with scant consolation that it was an Izetti puzzle. Loi, 13d Abashing, took ages to see, as did 8ac Bondage. Invariant
  12. As always with Izetti, one or two trickier clues left me taking a little over average time. Count me as another looking for SHED in 5d. LUNGE my LOI. HADDOCK my COD – I’ve not tried cooking it in wine before. Neat puzzle. Thanks William and Izetti.
    1. I baked my haddock fillets with finely chopped leeks pan-fried in extra virgin olive oil, and drizzled with a nice NZ Sauvignon Blanc last night.
  13. Thoroughly enjoyable, and the first Izetti I’ve completed without resorting to the thesaurus (or online aids). Must be improving! Some great clues: HANSARD, HADDOCK, LUNGE, CARESS particularly. My only query is why the “little” in 16D? That held me up for ages. I know S is the abb. for son, so isn’t the little superfluous? I was trying to fit LS in there somewhere!

    1. You’re absolutely right, it is strictly superfluous. I suppose we could take it as a friendly extra pointer! I know that ‘little’ has appeared before, but couldn’t tell you which puzzle, as an indicator that an abbreviation is required. A helping hand that we would probably not receive in the biggie?

  14. In holiday mode. Solved a few clues before going to Hurst Castle. Their café had Mocha on the menu.
    On my return struggled a bit to finish this. Was not sure about Lunge but managed to parse it on review. And was not sure about Worship. Was there a case for Warship? Decided not.
    Weather lovely now. Sparkling sea and view of The Needles.
    David
  15. Held up by the crossing clues bunion/lunge then lois fair/bondage. Very happy to creep inside the 10 on 9:44. Having worked out the constituent parts of Hansard the whole then rang a faint bell. Cod to mocha which was only possible after homeward went in – I’d convinced myself that cha came first.
  16. Izetti is the Mozart of the QC. Everything is just as it should be. What I love about Sir Don is the fact that the LOI always takes me ages ( and when one gets it) one feels stupid for not seeing it straight away. A very good blog too.
  17. Warming down after the Club Monthly, took a little longer than usual, and never did see the SHACK.
  18. I guess anything goes in Crosswordland.

    Super puzzle, echo all compliments above to Izetti. Thanks for the blog too. Two Kevins again.

    Templar

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