Quick Cryptic 268 by Izetti

Author   mohn2Posted on Categories Quick Cryptic
It’s 2:30PM UK time so I’m guessing that today’s scheduled blogger is indisposed – hopefully nothing serious. Here’s a quick blog for what wasn’t a difficult puzzle with only maybe 18A not common vocabulary. The usual smooth surfaces from this setter.

Please ask in the comments for any further explanation.

Definitions are underlined.

Across
7 Nick cannot change, not entirely (5)
NOTCH – hidden (not entirely) in canNOT CHange
8 Express dislike of things worn – children’s footwear (7)
BOOTIES – BOO (Express dislike of) + TIES (things worn)
10 Book posing question of doctor’s identity? (4,3)
WHOS WHO – the question being “Who’s Who?”, in reference to Dr Who.
11 Like some unsugared drink in pub (5)
LOCAL – LO-CAL (Like some unsugared drink, i.e. lo-calorie)
12 Maybe star’s most memorable moment (9)
HIGHLIGHT – a star could be described as a HIGH LIGHT
14 Friend knocking drink back (3)
PAL – reversal (knocking … back) of LAP (drink)
15 Throw lacking confidence? (3)
SHY – double definition
16 Uninformed as one suffering power cut? (2,3,4)
IN THE DARK – the definition is figurative, the wordplay literal
18 Love to cast an eye over nymph (5)
OREAD – O (Love) + READ (to cast an eye over). An oread is a mountain nymph – worth remembering along with dryad (tree nymph) and naiad (river nymph).
20 Unreliable man, bad type at heart (7)
ERRATIC – RAT (bad type) inside (at heart) ERIC (man)
22 Paid for the last thing, then was in debt (7)
ENDOWED – END (the last thing) + OWED (was in debt)
23 Put a coat on? (5)
PAINT – cryptic definition
Down
1 People following match will understand the situation (4,3,5)
KNOW THE SCORE – the definition is figurative, the wordplay literal
2 Violent sort, no good, starts to lambast you in forceful manner (8)
STRONGLY – anagram (Violent) of SORT, + NG (no good) + LY (starts to lambast you, i.e. initial letters of Lambast You)
3 Reveal house in South West (4)
SHOW – HO (house) in SW (South West)
4 Shape of old boy, not short (6)
OBLONG – OB (old boy) + LONG (not short)
5 Our disturbed character not finishing gambling game (8)
ROULETTE – anagram (disturbed) of OUR, + LETTEr (character not finishing, i.e. letter without its last, er, letter)
6 Record made by some band is covered (4)
DISC – hidden (some) in banD IS Covered
9 Likely acts at unconventional US location (4,4,4)
SALT LAKE CITY – anagram (unconventional) of LIKELY ACTS AT, for the state capital of Utah.
13 Prescribed in odd law needing reform (4,4)
LAID DOWN – anagram (needing reform) of IN ODD LAW
14 Maybe banana worker in flat territory (8)
PLANTAIN – ANT (worker) in PLAIN (flat territory)
17 Type of clothes that would be quaint on daughter and son (6)
TWEEDS – TWEE (quaint) + D (daughter) + S (son)
19 You once reflected about Doctor of Divinity: a twister (4)
EDDY – YE backwards (You once reflected) around DD (Doctor of Divinity)
21 About to grab work to become secure (4)
ROPE – RE (About) around (to grab) OP (work)

14 comments on “Quick Cryptic 268 by Izetti”

  2. Straight forward ..8 mins….Nereid is another nymph one should try to remember. Cod would be local ..simple , with a smooth surface – much like me!
  4. High quality puzzle. Found it of middling difficulty. Did not know 18a but should have been able to get it from the word play but did not.

    LOCAL also my favourite.

  5. Thanks for stepping in mohn2. Only one I had difficulty with was 18a and eventually resorted to running through the alphabet, which didn’t take as long as I expected, for which I was thankful.
  6. I thought the 18ac 19d combination made the SW corner tricky (at least for me), otherwise a nice QC from Izetti. Invariant
    1. Well done! I’m sure that your completion frequency will only increase from now on.
    1. The dictionaries support both spellings for both items. Whether that’s representative of “real life” is another question, but since everyone has their own version of “real life” then for crosswording purposes we (and the setter) have to rely on what the dictionary says.
      1. I love your elegant tactful but firm way of explaining that. I wonder if we could get Andy to put it somewhere on TftT so we can just refer people to it in future instead of having to come up with our own lesser versions time and again.
  9. Much enjoyed and thanks to Izetti. My easiest so far although I tried to fit in a dryad and and a naiad. I will certainly keep going if there are more like this one.
  10. My best and fastest yet. Didn’t finish but feeling very pleased with self. Thanks for all tips/help/instruction in this blog…

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