Quick Cryptic 1634 by Rodney

Author   CuraristPosted on Categories Quick Cryptic
I quite liked this, though having overslept and overdone it last night, I could have done with an easier one. Lots of good clues, 23a is my favourite. Not sure about 18dn which seems to belong in a GK crossword.

Across

1 East of Cork, perhaps, a mean house (8)
BUNGALOW – Cork is BUNG, east of it we have A + LOW
5 Bachelor unwell, finding invoice (4)
BILL – B + ILL
8 Part of song Cyril botched (5)
LYRIC – anagram (‘botched’) of CYRIL
9 Snarer of wildlife returning in salesman role (7)
TRAPPER – REP PART backwards
11 She’s back in the USSR (3)
SUE – reversed hidden word: thE USsr
12 Very unpromising offer to accept right winger (9)
BLACKBIRD – BLACK + BID with R inside
13 Becomes strained when speaking a few words (6)
PHRASE – sounds like FRAYS
15 Thursday in March: a girl appears (6)
MARTHA – Thursday is TH, put it inside MAR A
18 Drunks are so smooth? (4-5)
WELL-OILED – double definition
19 They are for promoting a CID officer (3)
ADS – a detective sergeant
20 Firmly established moped is for repair (7)
IMPOSED –  anagram (‘for repair’) of MOPED IS
21 Dying remains end in three months (5)
EMBER – sepEMBER, novEMBER, decEMBER
22 E Sussex town, heading off Suffolk females? (4)
EWES – East Sussex town is LEWES minus its head. Suffolk being a type of sheep
23 Iron Maiden pursued by an employee of The Times? (8)
PRESSMAN – PRESS (iron) M (maiden) + AN

Down
1 Does sensible thing as driver and stops talking (5,2)
BELTS UP – double definition
2 Ultimately son, you fear, is like sister? (5)
NURSE – last letters of soN yoU feaR iS likE
3 Churchmen bow twice, awfully posh (11)
ARCHBISHOPS – ARCH (bow) BIS (twice) + anagram (‘awfully’) of POSH
4 Oxford University sent up Disney’s Robin Hood? (6)
OUTLAW – OU + WALT backwards
6 Popular books about voting system — one still being published? (2,5)
IN PRINT – IN (popular) NT (books) about PR (voting system) + I
7 Dreary, ugly? Oddly, on reflection, was attractive (5)
LURED – alternate letters of DrEaRy UgLy reversed
10 Awfully dark news was embarrassment (11)
AWKWARDNESS – anagram (‘awfully’) of DARK NEWS WAS
14 Fall back on large recess in church (7)
RELAPSE – RE (on) + L (large) + APSE
16 Too hurried, this unsuccessful contestant? (4-3)
ALSO-RAN – double definition of sorts
17 Girl Ed harassed in aircraft without a sound? (6)
GLIDER – anagram (‘harassed’) of GIRL ED
18 Billiard ball that’s not spotted? (5)
WHITE – one of the cue balls in billiards has a spot. Am I missing something else?
19 Binder, I hesitate to say, under a pound (5)
ALBUM – UM (I hesitate to say) underneath A + LB

50 comments on “Quick Cryptic 1634 by Rodney”

  1. Eventually completed in three sessions due to interruptions (to say nothing of grinding to a halt a couple of times). I found it a strange mixture of the straightforward and the tricky, but enjoyable for all that. Never managed to parse Pressman or Ember and wasn’t sure about Imposed for firmly established. The nina passed me by as well but they always do.

    FOI – 5ac Bill
    LOI – 12ac Blackbird
    COD – 18ac Well Oiled

    Thanks to setter and blogger

  2. Technically a DNF as I had 1a PENTAGON (unparsed), 1d PULLS UP and 13a POROSE = strained? Not on Rodney’s wavelength at all I’m afraid. Thanks for the explanatory blog.
  3. I am pretty new to this but I am getting better I think! Not in your ten min league though- takes me much longer!!! I enjoyed this one. I love the White Album so that was fun. I liked ‘ember’ best as a clue.
    Where do you people who do the crossword online put up your time scores? Out of interest. I do the printed version
    1. As no one has responded, I will – but not totally sure, I’m afraid. I gather it’s the ‘crossword club’. However, you need a subscription for it.
      I’m still nowhere near that league, often having to resort to aids to get finished – still learning..

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