Quick Cryptic 1794 by Tracy

Author   CuraristPosted on Categories Quick Cryptic
Hmm, a bit chewy I thought. Some of the wordplay is a little stiff for the QC, and some of the answers seemed somewhat unsatisfying, lacking the thunderbolt of certainty that a good clue gives. 5dn probably my favourite. 8 and a bit minutes.

Across

1 Mail written copy as an afterthought (10)
POSTSCRIPT – POST (mail) + SCRIPT (written copy)
7 Start assault (5)
ONSET – double definition
8 Huge insect on mother, beginning to move (7)
MAMMOTH – MA (mother) + M (beginning of ‘move’) + MOTH (insect)
10 Character cutting could be a gambler who cheats (9)
CARDSHARP – CARD (character) + SHARP (cutting). Not necessarily a cheat – interesting discussion of the etymology here
12 Friend knocking drink back (3)
PAL – PAL backwards
13 Keep check, receiving thanks (6)
RETAIN – REIN (check) with TA inside
15 Lid for jars, ornate (6)
FLORID – anagram (‘jars’) of LID FOR
16 Reserve needed by Celtic eleven (3)
ICE – hidden word: CeltIC Eleven
17 I’d recalled minister’s residence in catalogue (9)
DIRECTORY – DI (I’d backwards) + RECTORY
20 Fruit, mostly tropical, canned (7)
APRICOT – anagram (‘canned’) of TROPICAL minus the L. This stumped me for a bit. Never seen ‘canned’ as an anagrind before. (‘Anagrind’ = the word that tells you its an anagram. The words being mixed up are the ‘Anagrist’)
22 Fielder from Durham, ultimately, I assume (3-2)
MID-ON – M (last letter of Durham) + I + DON (assume). Jimmy Anderson, who is currently taking wickets for fun in Sri Lanka, often (mis)fields at mid-on. He’s from Burnely, not Durham, though.
23 Presumption about Republican’s indiscretion (10)
IMPRUDENCE – IMPUDENCE (presumption) with R for republican inside.
Down
1 Difficult question from model, right? (5)
POSER – POSE (model) + R
2 Rested on side, if abnormally happy (9)
SATISFIED – SAT (rested) + anagram (‘abnormally’) of SIDE IF
3 Dance salsas and mambos — big ask, initially (5)
SAMBA – first letters of Salsas And Mambos Big Ask
4 Drink drop of malt after game (3)
RUM – RU (game – rugby union) + M (first letter of Malt). Clues in the style of ‘a little bit of [word]’ are seen occasionally, and usually mean the first letter. Not sure I’ve seen it in the QC
5 Right about source of sonic boom (7)
PROSPER – PROPER with S inside
6 Fold up show in area (10)
CONCERTINA – CONCERT + IN + A
9 Leave, on bar, picture (7,3)
HOLIDAY INN – Fairly self-explanatory. ‘Picture’ means the 1942 film with Messrs Crosby and Astaire.
11 Cop — male cop in complex (9)
POLICEMAN – anagram (‘complex’) of MALE COP IN
14 Proposition made by Greek boy concerning end of term? (7)
THEOREM – THEO (greek boy) + RE + M (last letter of ‘term’)
18 Fee daughter considered (5)
RATED – RATE + D
19 Song from the past, covered by Scaffold, I enjoyed (5)
OLDIE – Hidden word ScaffOLD I Enjoyed
21 Caution one finally leaving vehicle (3)
CAR – CARE minus E (‘one finally’)

80 comments on “Quick Cryptic 1794 by Tracy”

  1. I solved on paper in fits and starts as had many interruptions this morning. This seemed tough but, in the end, solvable.
    FOI was ICE then RETAIN. I liked MID ON and I liked the cleverness of the challenge.
    MY LOI was HOLIDAY INN with a long time spent on the second word. It’s a very famous film and I think was on at Christmas so fair enough. Not easy for beginners.
    15 -20 minutes I guess.
    David
  2. 21 min, so a bit of a challenge, but easier than some recently. Very enjoyable; thanks.
  3. Well this one really challenged us. After our first pass the grid was looking pretty bare. However, after 24 minutes of sheer grit and determination we finally solved the last clue. Thanks Tracy – really enjoyed meeting your challenge!

    FOI: poser
    LOI: concertina
    COD: concertina

    Thanks for the blog Curarist.

  4. Enjoyed this puzzler.
    It was tricky but fair although I personally dislike RU for game, but once learnt….
    …..but I didn’t like 9d as many others. Was my LOI and didn’t see the inn = bar connection (nice disguise maybe), didn’t see the picture = cinema film connection, and didn’t think that a popular hotel chain would be the answer. But after 4 minutes decided it had to be.
    Fortunately cricket positions are good for me although I only came across Cow Corner for the first time this year and profess to having never heard of it – and then heard it mentioned at least half a dozen times in the two hours of commentary that followed!
    COD Concertina
    Thanks all
    John George
  5. Although I can sort of see a relationship between RESERVE and ICE, I am struggling to think of a sentence where the two words are interchangeable.
  6. I’ve had a bad week with several DNF and relying heavily on aids so it was a relief to do this steadily on my own in about half an hour. I thought jars, canned and complex were strange indicators of anagrams and I biffed quite a few but I got there. I know enough about cricket to get MID-ON but even though I’m an oldie I can’t say I’ve heard of the film Holiday Inn. ( I’m more into Cliff Richard and Summer Holiday)
    FOI mammoth
    COD prosper (when I had just the O and P I wondered if it would relate to oompah!)
    LOI cardsharp
    Thank you Tracy for some encouragement at the end of the week and to Curarist for explaining the words I biffed.
    Blue Stocking
  7. Well. What do you know. 10:15. I dared to wonder about a possible PB at one stage.

    I liked APRICOT. I thought it could not possibly start with A (since that would then have to be the final letter of the long 6dn) then realised yes it could.

    Pretty much the same MERs as everyone else, especially ONSET=assault, but just sailed through them. Thanks Curarist for the blog. 5dn PROSPER was my favourite too.

  8. For the only time this week I managed to finish inside my target range of 15-20 mins. I had it all done and parsed in 16 minutes so, for me at any rate, it was considerably easier than the past 4 days. I don’t have too many complaints about the clueing, but although I have heard of the film, 9dn still held me up the longest. Thanks to Tracy and Curarist.

    FOI – 1ac POSTSCRIPT
    LOI – 9dn HOLIDAY INN
    COD – 5dn PROSPER

  9. I actually managed to finish this one in under an hour, which is very good for me. 43 minutes in total, though I needed aides to help with both 7A Onset and 14D Theorem. It felt tough all the way however and I was certain I would have to give in with a DNF after a promising start with 1A Postscript. LOI was Holiday Inn which I came to the blog to double check before submitting having never heard of the film. I am among those that wish there was a little less in the way of references to old films, books and so on, and more modern references!

    Now to tackle the last two which I missed. The comments suggest they were not easy!

    Thanks to Curarist and Tracy.

    Edited at 2021-01-22 03:48 pm (UTC)

  10. ….but I had to sit through “HOLIDAY INN” yet again over Christmas because my partner finds the irritating Danny Kaye extremely funny – and it still took me a while at the end to spot it.

    Wasn’t overly enamoured of this puzzle generally.

    FOI ONSET (with a MER)
    LOI HOLIDAY INN (with a groan)
    COD MID-ON (with a knowing smile for the non-cricketers)
    TIME 4:56 (only just within target)

  11. GK, like wavelength (see above) is clearly also a very personal thing! No complaints about HOLIDAY INN – like ‘It’s a Wonderful World’, it makes a regular appearance in the Christmas tv schedules. However, CONCERTINA took a long time to fall and I never parsed it properly! I did like the canned APRICOT – in fact, I prefer them to fresh😅

    FOI Postscript
    LOI Concertina
    COD Prosper
    Time 12 m

    Thanks Tracy and Curarist

    1. >’It’s a Wonderful World’, it makes a regular appearance in the Christmas tv schedules

      Almost as regular as It’s a Wonderful Life. 😉

  13. I hoped this would prove easy as 1a Postscript and then 2d 3d 4d 5d all dropped in but failed with 7A Onset and although I picked up again with 8a Mammoth I had lost my stride and was floundering to get much done elsewhere. Some breaks and lots of perseverence saw me through, eventually. I was not impressed with 7a Onset, 9d Holiday Inn (had forgotten the film but what else could it be) or 16a Ice where I feel the use the word ‘needed’ very unhelpful but plumped for Ice as we’ve seen that here before = ‘reserve’, and it was a hidden too. FOI 1a Postscript. LOI 9d Inn, on a hope. COD 6d Concertina – like the inventiveness of it. Took 22a as m – I – don (as, I dress/donned my coat…). Thanks Curarist for explaining some of the parsing and to Tracy for a (just about) achievable puzzle for the end of the week.
  15. A bit of a tricky one today, so the blog is a great help in learning how these clues work. The only one I still don’t understand is where Theo comes from to make THEOREM. Any help gratefully received.
  16. I read it as THEO being a common Greek masculine name, or part of one, at any rate! I guess one we’re all familiar with is Theodore, meaning gift of God. The classicists will be able to tell us much more 😉
  17. Inns have bars as do bars. Anyone know the etymology? I suspect in days gone by it was an unenclosed lump of wood or metal that you lent on and put your tankard on. Over time a roof and walls were added. It’s a term more commonly used in Europe in my experience. Thinking about it, I haven’t walked up to a bar since last March 😡 Johnny
    1. “Origins”, Eric Partridge, Routledge, 1990 traces BAR to Old French – French BARRE, a usually flat, long piece of wood or metal, serving as support, leverage or especially obstruction; from late Latin BARRA, of obscure origin but perhaps of Celtic origin.

      The same source says an INN comes from old English INN, a place within, I.e. a room, a house, akin to old Norse INNI, a house and also to the old English INN (INNE) within, especially indoors. This has a derivative INNUNG, a taking in, a gathering, an enclosing, hence the modern games sense.

      I hope that helps.

  18. All the woes of Crossword land are gathered here, today.

    Mr. Starstruck – anyone – a QC SNITCH please!

    FOI 1dn POSER

    LOI 17ac DIRECTORY

    COD 15ac FLORID

    WOD 9dn HOLIDAY INN

    Time 11.30

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