Quick Cryptic 1934 by Teazel

Author   CuraristPosted on Categories Quick Cryptic
I reckon some will find this a bit of a challenge. The NW corner is the hardest part, which makes it difficult to get going and tends to put you on the back foot for the rest of it. Still, thoroughly enjoyable with some excellent surfaces, favourite probably 21ac.

Across

1 City’s soft light, gas circulating in the centre (7)
GLASGOW – anagram (‘circulating’) of GAS, placed inside GLOW
5 Place American on mountain pass, returning (5)
LOCUS – COL backwards on US
8 Continue a poem in translation, the start of a tale (4,4,1,4)
ONCE UPON A TIME – anagram (‘in translation’) of CONTINUE A POEM
9 Order the Scots find prickly? (7)
THISTLE – double definition, I guess. The Order of the Thistle is a chivalric order associated with Scotland
10 Conflict interrupting commercial payment (5)
AWARD – WAR inside AD
11 With cooking utensil, check out food store (6)
PANTRY – PAN + TRY
13 One dazzling but short-lived and strangely remote (6)
METEOR – anagram (‘strangely’) of REMOTE, and the whole clue is the definition, so we can call it an &lit
15 Format of cartoon is to take off (5)
STRIP – double definition
16 Under the blankets, hiding evidence of smoking, looking embarrassed (7)
ABASHED – ABED with ASH inside
19 Doctor’s approach, reminded beans are cooked (7,6)
BEDSIDE MANNER – anagram (‘cooked’) of REMINDED BEANS
20 Partially agree to welcome (5)
GREET – hidden word aGREE To
21 Wrong: Charlie before Frank (7)
SINCERE – SIN + C + ERE
Down
1 Exult as farm animal eats pounds (5)
GLOAT – GOAT with L inside
2 Sell off the Humber crossing? Just a game (7,6)
AUCTION BRIDGE – self explanatory. Auction bridge is a predecessor to the more familiar contract bridge. It appeared in th 15 x 15 a few days ago.
3 Grand relative, haggard (5)
GAUNT – G + AUNT
4 Expressionless, now turning to take in poem (6)
WOODEN – NOW backwards with ODE inside
5 Lake’s troubled period: why it is losing water? (7)
LEAKAGE – anagram (‘is troubled’) of LAKE, with AGE
6 Chemical agent to alter this worrying trend? (7,6)
CLIMATE CHANGE – anagram (‘to alter’) of CHEMICAL AGENT
7 Spare shillings taken by pawnbroker (7)
SLENDER – S for shillings + LENDER
11 After capture, letters received (7)
POSTBAG – POST (after) + BAG (capture)
12 Corded cloth isn’t commonly to change colour (7)
REPAINT – REP + AINT. Rep is a kind of upholstery fabric
14 Worries over small stroke (6)
CARESS – CARES + S
17 A profit, not for the first time (5)
AGAIN – A + GAIN
18 Raised grating voice finally in lament (5)
DIRGE – GRID backwards + E (last letter of ‘voice’)

44 comments on “Quick Cryptic 1934 by Teazel”

  2. Thought this had some tricky bits but for a change the long ones yielded reasonably quickly

    Impressive anagrams for CLIMATE CHANGE and ONCE UPON A TIME

    Thanks Teazel and Curarist

  3. 12:18. FOI LOCUS followed by a very good run of across clues. The four 13 letter clues went in early, although I think I’ll be like many In typing CONTRACT at 2 down before running out of squares and backtracking. ONCE UPON A TIME particularly simple.

    COD CLIMATE CHANGE, great anagram. So smooth it was hard to spot in the clue.

    NHO REP. I was convinced that the whole clue was an unknown fabric, well-disguised clue.

    LOI LEAKAGE

    if you wish to see Verlaine completing this QC on video take a look at todays entry in the blog for 28049 (posted yesterday). I’ve never seen a crossword video before, and seeing a maestro complete the puzzle I just did in just two minutes is fascinating.

    Edited at 2021-08-06 07:08 am (UTC)

    1. Thanks for the link — fascinating! All impressive but I particularly liked how quickly GREET was spotted!

      And the 15×15 is stunning. I’ll keep practising.

      Edited at 2021-08-06 07:36 am (UTC)

    2. There’s a Youtube channel called Cracking the Cryptic. It mainly does Sudokus these days but if you go back to their early videos they did a lot of Times crossword solves, which helped me hugely with my solving ‘skills’ a few years ago.
    3. Thanks very much for alerting us to that video – he really is amazing!

      PS I got STRIP faster than he did … just saying …

    4. Thanks for the heads up on the video link. Blimey. Perhaps I should try speaking out loud when I’m solving!
    5. Wow — that was amazing! Simultaneous solving and touch typing…..kudos to Verlaine.
  4. Finished all green in 12 to end a good crosswording week. Five on the first pass of acrosses with sizeable gaps at the top and was worried for a while before the wavelength suddenly arrived and I was left with the unknown AUCTION BRIDGE where it took me a lengthy alphabet trawl to see I could use U to fill the grid’s last remaining gap. I didn’t understand THISTLE — thanks for clearing that up curarist — took an age to spot that GREET was hidden but enjoyed solving WOODEN a lot. I’m sure I must have not known ‘rep’ before as it seemed vaguely familiar as I put it in and tried in vain to remember ‘uncle’ for ‘pawnbroker’ (thanks Google) but as it turns out I didn’t need to! See you all on Monday.

    Edited at 2021-08-06 07:10 am (UTC)

  5. Olympic distractions again, but found this trickier than I can explain in retrospect. Just didn’t find the component parts easily, from GLASGOW onwards, but it was all fairly clued. Liked ABASHED. Back to the cycling…
  6. I quasi-biffed the two long acrosses, assuming that the anagrist was in fact all there in each case. Knew REP was a fabric of some sort, no idea whether it’s corded; if the setter had just said ‘cloth’ it probably would have been easier for me. 4:32.
  7. A very enjoyable puzzle with enough testing clues to make it challenging in places. Never heard of the type of bridge and failed to remember REP for fabric. Many fine clues but the standouts for me were POSTBAG, SINCERE and SLENDER (for the PDM). Finished in an estimated 9 minutes – 12.51 on the clock but forgot to hit pause to answer the phone.
    Thanks to curarist
  8. Chalk and cheese compared to yesterday …
    … as this one fairly flew in in just over 8 minutes. Only unknown for me was the corded cloth in 12D Repaint but it could not be anything else.

    Unlike our blogger I found the NW corner very addressable and it was the first part of the puzzle to be filled in. But the whole puzzle was most enjoyable with good variety in the cluing methods. I agree with dvynys that the long anagrams are impressive!

    Many thanks to Curarist for the blog and a good weekend to all
    Cedric

    1. Just inside 10 minutes – so I found this harder than yesterday’s and am now (almost reassuringly) back above 2K. Finished with AUCTION BRIDGE as I’d not heard of it – tried squeezing contract bridge in but it wouldn’t go! Had a slight puzzle over SLENDER as I’d convinced myself that shilling was going to the L as in Lsd (for the first time, I’ve realised how strange those initials now sound in reference to money) and was wondering why pawnbroker was sender. All cleared up with the blog so thanks!
  9. Another who DNK the corded cloth. I liked 5D too, but COD to CLIMATE CHANGE for the surface allusion to the cause. 4:49.
  10. I didn’t see it as an &lit as the wordplay is only “strangely remote” not the whole clue, with the definition being just “One dazzling but short-lived”.
  11. FOI: 8a. ONCE UPON A TIME
    LOI: 14d. CARESS
    Time to Complete: 44 minutes
    Clues Answered Correctly without aids: 20
    Clues Answered with Aids: 4
    Clues Unanswered: Nil
    Wrong Answers: Nil
    Total Correctly Answered (incl. aids): 24/24
    Aids Used: Chambers

    Tricky in places causing me to reach for Chambers several times. But once I got going it was not too bad at all. Never heard of the game AUCTION BRIDGE, but I now understand it to be an obsolete form of bridge. Off to the candy store!

  12. A good end to a good week for me — close to a PB today at 6:51 . If I hadn’t had a typo at 8a (the perils of typing instead of writing) it might even have been quicker 😉
    Up and about early today as we have friends arriving shortly — maybe I should stir my stumps earlier more often if this is the result! I did find this easy with most of the definitions jumping out at me. In fact, my thoughts going through this were that Teazel is being kind to us today — clearly it’s that wavelength thing again! But as you’ve all said, there was some very classy cluing with great anagrams.
    FOI Locus
    LOI Wooden (thanks to the typo)
    COD Meteor — the Perseids will be with us soon, fingers crossed for some clear nights
    Many thanks Teazel and Curarist
  13. Twelve minutes, so a quick time for me. FOI locus, then once upon a time which led to some downs capitulating in short order. I had doubts about once upon a time due to its effect on the bridge. I had to leave auction until I had all the contributory letters, then it couldn’t be anything else. Liked all the clues, enjoyed the crossword, and seemed to get on with it instead of savouring it. All parsed, but still found a nuance or two on the blog. Thanks, Curarist, and Teazel. GW.
  14. Not an easy end to the week. As curarist notes, the NW was difficult to start (I couldn’t see GLASGOW until I had filled in a few letters) and I did my usual thing and went round the grid looking mainly at the shorter answers. A slow build-up but plenty of pleasure along the way leading to a near-SCC time, disappointing after yesterday’s smooth solve. I liked LOCUS, SINCERE, ABASHED but I have never heard of rep or auction bridge. Some nice anagrams that fell out given a few crossers. A fine puzzle from Teazel and a good blog. Thank to both. John M.

    Edited at 2021-08-06 09:19 am (UTC)

  15. Mostly motored through this, but needed more of the checkers to get some of the bottom half, so a really rapid solve for me turned into just a very good one at 16:51. Still, that’s my fastest for a while so I’ll take it, and for a Teazel too. Had heard of REP, but only on here (“Fabric salesman’s theatre (3)” would make a good trio of chestnuts for a triple definition). Never heard of AUCTION BRIDGE and wasn’t 100% about SLENDER, but it looked reasonable. Can’t think of a sentence where slender and spare are interchangeable though. I didn’t think of a pawnbroker as a lender exactly either, because they get something in return for their money. Anyway, FOI GLASGOW, LOI REPAINT, COD to STRIP. Thanks Curarist and Teazel
  16. I was a bit slow this morning, taking 16:24 to complete this very good puzzle from Teazel. I’m another who ran out of squares for CONTRACT initially, and I’m not sure I’ve heard of the AUCTION alternative, but what else could it be? And I play bridge! COD ABASHED for me, and LOI GREET. Thanks both.
  17. All except the SW done in 5 mins, then another 3+ to finish off. AUCTION BRIDGE unlocked it all in the end.

    I found yesterday easier. It’s that wavelength thing – I often struggle a bit with Teazel.

    8:38.

  19. Well I don’t know what happened here – I posted earlier, then came back to have a look at the Verlaine video which Merlin told us about, and my post had gone!

    Anyway. I found it pretty straightforward, getting all of the acrosses bar three at first pass. I had a MER at “to change colour” for REPAINT, since it ain’t necessarily so – I had my barn repainted this summer and it’s definitely still black!

    FOI LOCUS, LOI BEDSIDE MANNER, COD PANTRY, time a pleasingly exact 08:00 for 1.75K and a Good day.

    Many thanks Teazel and curarist, and apologies to all if my original post reappears so I’ve posted the same thing twice!

    Templar

    1. Well that is strange, my post appears twice! Apologies to everyone — it was boring enough the first time.
  20. once I got going. Son finished quickly on his phone and offered help which I declined but he then sat watching my hesitations which put me off.
    Anyway FOsI GAUNT, ABASHED, AGAIN
    LOsI REPAINT, PANTRY (don’t know why latter took me so long – was thinking of a shop)
    Thanks all, esp Curarist.

    Edited at 2021-08-06 06:34 pm (UTC)

  21. Well I just crept in under 9 mins to record a complete week of solves within target. FOI was GLOAT quickly followed by GLASGOW. I biffed LEAKING but soon corrected it when AWARD went in. NHO AUCTION BRIDGE or the fabric REP. LOI DIRGE and COD to the amusing ABASHED.

  22. I struggled with the SW rather than the NW as couldn’t work out Auction bridge without the crossers, I’d only heard of contract bridge before. Tricky for me today

  23. ….GLASGOW, but, starting with LOCUS, I completed a smooth clockwise solve. I loved CLIMATE CHANGE, but COD to SINCERE which had me trying to find a word for “wrong” beginning with C.

    LOI GLOAT
    TIME 3:20

  24. ….and finished in 7:35, OK for me. I did biff once upon a time and bedside manner, speeding things up. Glasgow and dirge were the ones that took a bit of thinking, but just a bit.
  25. I was a bit slow this morning, taking 16:24 to complete this very good puzzle from Teazel. I’m another who ran out of squares for CONTRACT initially, and I’m not sure I’ve heard of the AUCTION alternative, but what else could it be? And I play bridge! COD ABASHED for me, and LOI GREET. Thanks both.
  26. 4:37 this afternoon. Didn’t get 1 ac “Glasgow” and 11 d “postbag” first time round (for some reason thought the answer was mailbag) but otherwise no real issues in what was a very good puzzle.
    COD “auction bridge” — does anyone play it out of preference nowadays?
    Thanks to Curarist and Teazel.
  27. Steady solve without any major hold-ups, finishing in 18 mins all parsed (seemed quicker while I was doing it). The two long across anagrams went in more or less straight away, opening up the grid nicely. A great puzzle with some very smooth surfaces amongst the clues.

    FOI – 5ac LOCUS
    LOI – 11dn POSTBAG
    COD – 6dn CLIMATE CHANGE

    Thanks to Teazel and Curarist

  28. Must stop doing these after I’ve done some vigorous exercise — brain just doesn’t seem to function (that’s my excuse anyway)

    As a few have noted above, I also found the SW corner the hardest — just couldn’t see 15ac “Strip” and 12dn “Repaint”. But that aside, everything went in slowly and I still had quite a few clues to complete after my unofficial cut off time of 30 mins.

    Not a great end to the week.

    FOI — 5ac “Locus”
    LOI — dnf
    COD — 21ac “Sincere”

    Thanks as usual!

  29. I was thinking of shed being related to “hiding evidence of smoking “ but ABA not so easy to get from clue.
    Enjoyed this one and blog as well of course. Paul
  30. Finished in the nw, needed crossers to get glasgow. Nice long clues which went in fairly quickly. Pleasant puzzle to end the week.
  31. Did this late after golf, with aching bones and slightly damp. First 2 in GLOAD and GAUNT. LOI, AGAIN. Was ready to submit at 9:57, but delayed for a quick proof read which didn’t reveal any errors. 10:15. Thanks Teazel and Curarist.
  32. I did this puzzle yesterday, but events overtook me and I didn’t post. Also, Mrs Random still hasn’t had her attempt. So, for completeness …

    … 20 answwrs in 25 minutes, but my last four — PANTRY, STRIP, POSTBAG and REPAINT took more than half an hour. I eventually staggered over the line in 56 minutes, which I think is the slowest time of all who posted above.

    I saw ___AINT quickly, but DNK REP was a type of cloth. I also saw ____BAG quickly, but not having PANTRY or STRIP made both alphabet trawls interminable. I had NHO AUCTION BRIDGE, but it had to be.

    In summary, I’ve had a tough week and a half, so I’m hoping for an easier time soon.

    1. I had exactly the same last four but, unlike you, chose to give in and check out the blog! Was looking for a shop for PANTRY, and also NHO ‘rep’ in REPAINT. Very enjoyable but found this rather tricky. Thanks all.
  33. We enjoyed this QC and completed it in 10 minutes. No real issues — we just needed time to cogitate (unlike Verlaine). Must learn to touch type…..

    FOI: LOCUS
    LOI: AUCTION BRIDGE
    COD: AUCTION BRIDGE

    Thanks Teazel and Curarist.

  34. Just finished this after Sunday breakfast. Delayed by CARESS and SINCERE in the SE corner.

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