Quick Cryptic 2948 by Orpheus

Author   CuraristPosted on Categories Quick Cryptic

A clear and straightforward puzzle that comes as a bit of relief from recent blogging challenges and which I polished off in a tad under 5 minutes.

Across
8 Uncle Sam, a graduate touring Morecambe, perhaps (7)
AMERICA – A + MA (graduate) outside ERIC (Morecambe)
9 Rascal, the last to back church body (5)
KNAVE – [BAC]K + NAVE, the main section of a church
10 Young female horse sick in outskirts of Fowey (5)
FILLY – ILL inside F[OWE]Y
11 The last word about the Italian teacher’s first complaint (7)
AILMENT – AMEN (last word) outside IL (‘the’ in Italian) with T for teacher on the end.
12 Residence containing old cylindrical rods (9)
DOWELLING – DWELLING with O inserted
14 Your and my period of time on radio (3)
OUR – sounds like HOUR
16 Supporter of Liverpool primarily, say (3)
LEG – L for Liverpool + E.G. (say)
18 Frightening bird crossing entrance to track (9)
STARTLING – STARLING with T for track inserted
21 Bright red mark from very minor injury? (7)
SCARLET – a ‘scarlet’ is a small scar
22 Exemplary learner follows fashion (5)
MODEL – L for learner on MODE
23 Heading off, tiny child initially sees spectacular chasm (5)
ABYSS – [B]ABY + S[EES] + S[PECTACULAR] +
24 Serious alteration to sneer at (7)
EARNEST – anagram (‘alteration to’) of SNEER AT
Down
1 Plant sadly laid off dozens to begin with (8)
DAFFODIL – anagram (‘sadly’) of LAID OFF + D for DOZEN
2 Cowardly, to cry out in pain (6)
YELLOW – YELL ‘OW’
3 Well-ventilated eagle’s nest, as some would say (4)
AIRY – sounds like EYRIE. Or does it? I always pronounce it like the lake.
4 Setter’s regrettably served up highly seasoned sausage (6)
SALAMI -I’M ALAS backwards. Chestnutty chesty chest nut.
5 Window of no great significance seen around Kentucky (8)
SKYLIGHT – SLIGHT outside KY
6 Look fixedly on old boy going round summerhouse (6)
GAZEBO – GAZE + OB backwards
7 Reportedly transmitted small sum of money (4)
CENT – sounds like SENT
13 Lacking energy and ill-prepared for shopping? (8)
LISTLESS – A prepared shopper always has a list
15 Get a rule prepared to adjust (8)
REGULATE – anagram (‘prepared’) of GET A RULE
17 Name of titled woman in Gilbert and Sullivan originally (6)
GLADYS – LADY inside G&S
19 Choral composition put worker possibly on edge (6)
ANTHEM – ANT (worker) + HEM
20 Popular act? Absolutely (6)
INDEED – IN (popular) + DEED (act)
21 Break cooking vessels when climbing (4)
SNAP – PANS backwards
22 No more than a lake (4)
MERE – double definition. Reminds me of the trick question: how many lakes are there in the Lake District? Answer: one. (All the rest are ‘meres’ or ‘waters’ or ‘tarns’).

83 comments on “Quick Cryptic 2948 by Orpheus”

  1. A gentle treat today. Just right for my Costa!
    FOI 8a America
    LOI 17d Gladys
    COD 19d Anthem

  2. Medium hard I would say as a…hang on, when am I no longer a newbie? I thought RED for a Liverpool supporter initially but GLADYS put paid to that! Liked DAFFODIL (ours are out in their thousands now). GAZEBO had to be and kindly clued. I took ages over STARTLING, so obvious when it finally clicked. Into the SCC, but not by much. Thanks Orpheus and Curarist

  3. 10:12. Enjoyed DOWELLING and SCARLET most. I’m a little puzzled by the discussion of the pronunciation of eyrie. Who among us actually uses this word in everyday life? How often do people chance upon an eagle’s nest or feel the need to refer to one? If necessary I imagine I would say it like AIRY but doubt I’ll ever have to!

    1. You say that now but the day you’re stuck up a mountain and the Rescue services ask you for directions …

  4. An ok day to end a poor week. Given the Snitch scores, I should have done far better, but Wednesday’s disaster and yesterday’s slog mean my figures are very poor compared to most.

    Thanks for the blog.

  5. A brisk walk when compared with our usual plod.
    Much fun had.
    LOI – LEG … thought log a possible support… the obvious eluded us for way too long.
    COD GLADYS – name always reminds us of Barry Humphries and gladioli..we know this requires a leap, however, it is jump we happily make. And we liked the surface.
    Thank you Orpheus, thank you Curarist.

  6. I don’t believe it! I thought I had completed the 15 x 15, only to find one stupid error (not a typo) means a DNF. Extremely frustrating to see victory turn into defeat like this.

    1. Surely it’s a ‘victory’ to be able to solve all bar one of the clues in any 15×15..? 😉

Comments are closed.