Quick Cryptic 1234 by Flamande

Author   CuraristPosted on Categories Quick Cryptic
NIce and fair, very straightforward. I biffed quite a few. Given the number of this puzzle I was on the lookout for a nina, but I can’t spot one. 5 and a half minutes.

(BIFFED: from BIFD, Bunged In From Definition. Writing in the clue based on the assumed definition without considering the wordplay)
(NINA: a code, message or theme hidden in the completed grid.The term ‘Nina’ comes from the work of the American caricaturist Al Hirschfeld, who would hide the word ‘Nina’ (his daughter’s name) in his illustrations.)

Across
1 Tough nut playing charades (4,4)
HARD CASE – anagram (‘playing’) of  CHARADES
5 Support Lincoln Town at the outset (4)
ABET – Lincoln is ABE, add T for the ‘outset’ of TOWN
8 People in the wrong to entrap first of poisonous spiders? (8)
SPINNERS – People in the wrong are SINNERS, with P inside
9 Raised money, some might have said (4)
BRED – Sounds like ‘bread’ (money)
11 One day in southern French region to make fortune (10)
PROVIDENCE – I + D (one day) inside PROVENCE
14 I make move to keep holy books undamaged (6)
INTACT – I ACT  with NT (holy books) inside
15 Small room near rear of apartment (6)
CLOSET – near is CLOSE, rear of apartment is T
17 Adapted wall heater suitable for any climate (3-7)
ALL-WEATHER –  anagram (‘adapted’) of  WALL HEATER
20 Bird, black, is spotted on island (4)
IBIS – Black is B, plus IS, stuck on I for island
21 Lab rebuilt round ruined manor? That’s strange (8)
ABNORMAL – compound anagrams: LAB (‘rebuilt’)  around MANOR (‘ruined’)
22 To New York for an award (4)
TONY – TO + NY
23 Having lots of free time, I certainly will get taken round about (8)
LEISURED – I certainly is I SURE. Taken is LED. Assemble

Down
1 Army entertainer (4)
HOST – double definition
2 Water settling in drainpipe (4)
RAIN – hidden word: dRAINpipe
3 Tory pamphlet editor shortened (10)
CONTRACTED – Toey is CON, pamplet is TRACT, editor is ED
4 Work hard to loosen rivets (6)
STRIVE – anagram (‘loosed’) of  RIVETS
6 Titled lady one’s seen in watering holes (8)
BARONESS – ONES inside BARS
7 Revolutionary hated the former PM (3,5)
TED HEATH – anagram (‘revolutionary’) of  HATED THE
10 Lad sure out to get thrashed, playing away (10)
ADULTEROUS – anagram (‘thrashed’) of  LAD SURE OUT
12 Epic film about a twice-married person (8)
BIGAMIST – epic is BIG, film is MIST, with A in the middle
13 Horse to follow tailless wild cat (8)
STALLION – to follow ia STALK, remove the K, add LION for wild cat
16 Place to find 13? Sure (6)
STABLE –  OK, we don’t often see this type of clue in the QC. It’s a cross reference, meaning that part of the clue is the answer to a different clue, in this case 13ac. It’s a fairly gentle introduction to this device though. It’s also a double definition.
18 Sharif, say, taking leads in old movies and romcoms (4)
OMAR – first letters of Old Movies And Romcoms
19 Cold, boy dressed (4)
CLAD – C+ LAD

22 comments on “Quick Cryptic 1234 by Flamande”

  2. Couldn’t get going on top left corner for a minute or two until strive came along. Then proceeded to finish in just under 15 mins. Can’t see myself getting to curarist’s 5 mins any time soon. I liked Ted Heath (the clue, not necessarily the man).
  3. Curarist, you’re missing the puzzle reference in your headline. 9 minutes. I had a query over 16dn as I didn’t spot the second definition until you pointed it out.

    Edited at 2018-11-30 09:24 am (UTC)

  4. 7:48 – so another quick one for me. Took time over 10dn as I thought it might be an anagram (out) of LAD SURE then another (thrashed) of GET until I saw the proper anagram. That then led to loi leisured. All in all some good clues which needed a bit of thought post-biff to make sure I was on the straight and narrow. Not quite as easy as 1234.
  5. My experience mirrored that of Chrisw – including a lot of biffing then checking and with the same last two in. I was rather slower, though, at 14 mins. Thanks to Flamande for a well balanced QT and to curarist for confirming my wilder parsings. John M.
  6. 7:48 – so another quick one for me. Took time over 10dn as I thought it might be an anagram (out) of LAD SURE then another (thrashed) of GET until I saw the proper anagram. That then led to loi leisured. All in all some good clues which needed a bit of thought post-biff to make sure I was on the straight and narrow. Not quite as easy as 1234.
  8. Until recently my target was 20 minutes but all the practice is paying off.
    15:43 for me today with the NE last to fall and I had to spend some time on all those clues. LOI was Abet, unparsed at the time. Also was slow to see Ted Heath and Bred.
    An enjoyable puzzle from the pool left by this setter.
    David
  9. Ted Heath, a Baroness and an adulterous bigamist (possibly called Tony) – where is all this leading? How much will Wiltshire plod spend on the investigation?

    Seriously, a nice gentle one today but not a complete push over.

    Thanks as always to setter and blogger.
    4’30”

  10. A bit of a false start, where I was using tough nut to make charades rather than the other way round, and a similar wrong end of the clue issue with 12d, Bigamist, but apart from those two this was a straightforward solve for me that took just over 15mins. I suspect I am never going to be sub 10 unless we get a very easy puzzle and I give up parsing on the go, but then that’s half the enjoyment as far as I’m concerned. Invariant
  11. This Flamande QC took 13 mins to complete but would have been 8 mins had I read the clue to 6d correctly. I read tilted instead of titled which caused me no end of problems trying to make a word that meant tilted with a B…N.S. that I could also parse. After my penultimate solve, 9a BRED, I finally read the clue as written. The only other hold up was 3d, I dithered as DNK TRACT = pamphlet.

    Thank you curarist for the blog.

  12. 26:34… usually better than that, but hey ho. Nice puzzle, found it enjoyable. Been part of crosswordland for a measly 6 months, thought I’d finally contribute.

    Thanks to setter and blogger.

  15. My only minor hold up today was LOI 23a where I nearly chucked an unparsed MEASURED in after staring at it blankly for a minute or so. Fortunately I saw the error of my ways. Completed in 10.37
    Thanks for the blog
  16. But all solved. Bigamist was late in – should have got quickly and didn’t get ABET until the B showed the way.
    Very pleased to get Providence and Closet.
    Must remember tract/pamphlet.
    Was acutely aware of setter and felt it important to do it justice.
    Thanks all,
    John George
  17. Sorry but despite all the explanations I still can’t see the connection between ‘army’ and ‘host’. Much too obscure for a quick cryptic.

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