I liked this a lot. It’s a bit on the tough side but there are some very elegant clues, and cracking surfaces. There may be a few too many compound anagrams for some tastes, but it’s all good practice… 7 minutes for me.
| Across |
| 1 |
Put off after page 1 (8) |
|
POSTPONE – POST (after) + P + ONE |
| 5 |
Can Jack feel unwell (4) |
|
JAIL – J (jack) + AIL |
| 8 |
Bird, say, straddling a large egg to begin with (5) |
|
EAGLE – EG (say) ‘straddling’ A, followed by L[arge] E[gg] |
| 9 |
Sportsmen heading off demonstrators? (7) |
|
ARCHERS – [M]ARCHERS |
| 11 |
General strike half-abandoned (3) |
|
IKE – half of STRIKE. Gen Dwight D. Eisenhower obvs. |
| 12 |
Herb’s parents worried about note (9) |
|
SPEARMINT – anagram (‘worried’) of PARENTS around MI (as in do re mi) |
| 13 |
Move about with difficulty, with permit (6) |
|
WALLOW – W (with) + ALLOW |
| 15 |
Dish made of hollowed-out European elm? (6) |
|
ENTREE – EN (EUROPEAN ‘hollowed out’) + TREE |
| 18 |
Pioneer of press corporation introduces book in new genre (9) |
|
GUTENBERG – GUT (corporation) + anagram (‘new’) of GENRE with B for book inserted |
| 19 |
Hit Bill from behind (3) |
|
BAT – TAB backwards |
| 20 |
Temporary termini undergoing refurbishment (7) |
|
INTERIM – anagram (‘undergoing refurbishment’) of TERMINI |
| 21 |
Ottoman chief popular once more (5) |
|
AGAIN – AGA (Ottoman chief) + IN |
| 22 |
Maybe 100m sprint mostly flat (4) |
|
EVEN – EVEN[T] |
| 23 |
Has pyxie briefly withered with a lack of oxygen (8) |
|
ASPHYXIA – anagram (‘withered’) of HAS PYXI[E] + A |
| Down |
| 1 |
Advance showing of pupil’s first report (7) |
|
PREVIEW – P[UPIL] + REVIEW |
| 2 |
Follow on to take legal action about case of embezzling (5) |
|
SEGUE – SUE around E[MBEZZLIN]G |
| 3 |
Porters once worked somewhere in Westminster Abbey (5,6) |
|
POETS CORNER – anagram (‘worked’) of PORTERS ONCE |
| 4 |
Tidy canteen not starting shifts (6) |
|
NEATEN – anagram (‘shifts’) of [C]ANTEEN |
| 6 |
Retailer almost converted studio (7) |
|
ATELIER – anagram (‘converted’) of RETAILE[R] |
| 7 |
Composer’s catalogue delivered (5) |
|
LISZT – ‘delivered’ as in sounds like LIST |
| 10 |
Church beginning to rely on old chart and timer (11) |
|
CHRONOGRAPH – CH (church) + R[ELY] + ON + O + GRAPH |
| 14 |
Song title changed by Elvis originally (3,2,2) |
|
LET IT BE – anagram (‘changed’) of TITLE + B[Y] + E[LVIS]. Overrated Beatles song. |
| 16 |
Rubbish on site initially affecting country (7) |
|
ESTONIA – anagram (‘rubbish’) of ON SITE + A for ‘affecting’ |
| 17 |
Irishman lodging in Portlaoise amused (6) |
|
SEAMUS – hidden word |
| 18 |
Ghastly English music style (5) |
|
GRIME – GRIM + E. Ghastly indeed |
| 19 |
Reportedly what Cupid uses to shoot sweethearts (5) |
|
BEAUX – sounds like BOW |
Great puzzle except I blew it, couldn’t get BEAUX for the life of me and felt like an idiot when it revealed itself. So a DNF in 11.40, I also missed one in the 15×15 so I think that qualifies as being a dollar short each time. Thanks to Cheeko and Curarist.
Ditto re BEAUX. So DNF. Otherwise 31.37. Had to really work at this and slowly filled the left half first. Thanks to Cheeko and Curarist.
Well, after yesterday’s nightmare, that is how to set a tough but fair QC. Many thanks Cheeko, and Wurm and Crossword Editor, please note. 10:56 for the solve, much enjoyed. Could not parse GUTENBERG (great clue), and held up at the end by the BAT/BEAUX pairing, but got there in the end.
Many thanks Curarist for the blog.
Hear, hear, for ‘Tough but fair QC… Editor, please note”.
11 minutes indicating a mid-range level of difficulty puzzle for me. Enjoyable and few frustrations apart from the (not difficult) crossing BAT and BEAUX as my last two in. Favourites were the ‘Pioneer of press’ def for GUTENBERG and the wordplay assembly of CHRONOGRAPH. NHO GRIME as a ‘music style’ and I’m I no rush to sample its delights.
Once the grid was filled I saw Cheeko’s little present; the main points of the compass in their correct positions around the central black square and again peripherally in the middle of the top and bottom rows and the left- and rightmost columns.
Thanks to Curarist and Cheeko
Good spot.
Nice one! A good spot by BR and a good nina by Cheeko 😊
DNF BEAUX, SEGUE and stopped there at 24m
For us, a considerable challenge, though the excellent blog (thank you) shows it to be fair.
Have never thought to WALLOW difficult, especially as often used in context of self-pity.
NHO GRIME as music style. Shame on us.
NHO GUT= corporation…now know ( plus TAB >BAT… American flavour?)
Enjoyed and now better educated (and exhausted, off to get second coffee).
Thank you Cheeko, Curarist.
After my return to form (within 10 minutes) yesterday for the first time in a week I needed 15 for this. Nothing difficult here, I was just a bit slow.
Well spotted, BR!
That was a very impressive sub-10 yesterday.
As others have already said, I thought this was an excellent puzzle.
A steady solve with my biggest headache being having to unravel BEAUs before I could figure out the anagram for ASPHYXIA.
Started with PREVIEW and finished with EVEN in 7.44. COD to GRIME.
Thanks to Curarist and Cheeko
Got off to a quick start, but as so often, ran into a sticky patch in the middle to finish in 31.25 which was a surprise. Thanks Bletch for pointing to the double compass. No problem with BEAUX once obvious that arrow wouldn’t work. My only occasions to meet a self-titled ‘Atelier’ have been in an upmarket car showroom. Thanks Curarist & Cheeko.
I feel Cheeko backed themself into a corner needing to fit in an X and a Y in the SE corner to complete the pangram, leading to a tricky few clues that eventually defeated me. The rest was hard but enjoyable.
Blog assistance very much appreciated today, thanks Curarist.
Is there a D?
No. Maybe if 18D had been “glide”, or maybe Cheeko was deliberately misleading us.
Where’s the Q?
You’re right. I couldn’t find a Z, either.
Great puzzle: interesting range of words and some intricate clueing. GUTENBERG was good and took me longer than any other clue after fooling me into thinking CO or TUM must surely be somewhere in there. 9:44.
An s at the end of BEAUX caused me problems getting the anagrist to spell ASPHYXIA and generally hard but fun throughout. Threw it all away with a casual keystroke – one pink square for LISxT. Not all green in 18.52 to conclude a bruising quick cryptic week.
I started slowly and thought that Cheeko was going to frustrate me (again!). I persevered and things got better as the grid began to fill. I found some very good clues and, having completed the unfinished NE corner, I was left with 19d. This slowed me down but I finished in 17.21 which I am happy to accept because my earlier Cheekos have tipped (or thrown) me into the SCC.
Too many fine clues to list but not an easy QC.
Thanks to Cheeko and Curarist.
Back to a normal QC time, with 10:12. LOI was BEAUX.
COD to GUTENBERG.
Thanks Curarist and Cheeko
Slow but steady got me there in the end. I had to stop the timer and walk away for 30 mins in the middle, then, with fresh eyes, the rest of the puzzle fell into place.
Pi ❤️
Amazing how often that happens!
Indeed. I suspect the subconscious is working away on the answers while we do other things.
5:58. I was a bit slow to see BEAUX and PREVIEW, but otherwise no difficulty once I’d got going. I liked POSTPONE and LET IT BE best. Thanks Cheeko and Curarist.
Bit thick this morning. Should have taken a pause, DNF JAIL, ENTREE, BEAUX (doh!). So pleased with myself for having solved GUTENBERG that I fell apart.
Many thanks, Curarist.
14:42
LOI SEGUE, and didn’t know what an ATELIER was, but had vaguely heard of it. Found it hard going eventually. Never figured out the parsing of EVEN, was trying to add letters to the front.
Not sure about BEAUX, I think beaus is a perfectly decent plural. It’s an English word, we say plateaus and bureaus.
LISZT really is a chestnut.
However, in beaus we would surely sound the s, and the homophone would be lost.
Enjoyable QC today with some really clever clues. Before I got ATELIER , wondered if a JILL was a type of can. LOI BEAUX. Thanks Curarist and Cheeko.
This SCC regular found this very tough going, and I was delighted to finish albeit twice round the SCC to do so. Struggled initially to get any foothold to build on, worked up from the SE corner, and then got more onto the wavelength and able to appreciate some deft clueing. Worth persevering.
Another struggle with three blanks. No problem with BEAUX and ATELIER, but corporation = GUT far beyond my ken, NHO GRIME. Should have got ARCHERS, admittedly. Thank you, Curarist.
Hard with a couple of biffs (ESTONIA and LOI BEAUX) needed to finish in 21:11 – not too bad for such a challenging offering.
13 today. Pleased with asphixia without any crossers and chronograph from just the AxH at the end which gave me graph for chart. Similarly never heard of GUT for corporation. I just took the first three words as a GK clue. Cupid has a lot to answer for.
Thanks C n C
I trust you spelt ASPHYXIA with a Y and not an I as in your post. If it has tripped you up I doubt you’ll be alone.
Yes, because of the Y in the anagrist.
And from other comments, oh that meaning of corporation. I suspect that would be very difficult for non UK solvers.
8:38
Great puzzle with plenty of interesting words. I made reasonable progress throughout, but could be guilty of enjoying the view as there were so many delights along the way. Finally left with the penny drop for BEAUX, and the slightly less exciting BAT. Good spot with the nina BR.
Thanks Curarist and Cheeko
Fortunately I had the GK although I got the locations of Speakers Corner and POETS CORNER transposed so I have learned something. Also surprised myself with SEGUE. While it may be Italian in origin it also means follow in Spanish. FOI was POSTPONE and LOI WALLOW in 7:23. COD to BEAUX. Thanks Curarist
I was a bit foxed by the dish at 15a and left it until the end, but fortunately, once I’d thought beyond specific items to more general parts of a meal, the obvious answer came at the same time as the parsing – I was trying to think of different versions of elm instead of the obvious tree. Liked GUTENBERG and BEAUX. Also briefly considered JILL, but ‘feel’ wouldn’t have been required and Cheeko’s too good to leave a surplus indicator. Great puzzle!
14:32 Even Gutenberg held me up. Nice spot on the double NEWS @BR
Ta CAC
Terrific puzzle, much enjoyed. Particularly liked BEAUX, ATELIER and ENTREE but COD to GRIME.
Alas I made a Horlicks of it by confidently typing GOTENBERG. What a twerp. So 09:19 but WOE.
Many thanks Cheeko and Curarist.
I wonder when ‘making a Horlicks’ of something came to be. It perfectly describes many of my QC attempts (and my three free daily chess puzzle attempts on chess.com).
Euphemism for bollocks: that doesn’t ring true to me. Probably a more acceptable way of saying made a balls up of something. I’ve also heard made a rickets of XYZ, and the enhanced “made a right rickets out of that”.
33 minutes and my first successful completion since Monday. It’s an average sort of time for me but, given the setter, I regard it as an excellent performance.
I can’t remember where I started, but it wasn’t any of the first few Across or Down clues. I know I was beginning to worry. However, once I did get off the mark I made reasonable, if sometimes faltering headway.
ATELIER was a NHO and I had ‘blanx’ written in faintly at 19d before doubt overcame hope. My LOI was GRIME, but it needed an alphabet trawl to get there.
Many thanks to Curarist and Cheeko (who, just maybe, is starting to get the hang of setting a QC for the ordinary solver).
Forgot to stop the clock so no exact time but somewhere north of 20 minutes and south of 30 minutes. In the end defeated by BEAUX – so obvious in hindsight. I was slightly held up by having entered chronometer at 10dn but the straightforward AGAIN at 21ac soon forced a rethink.
FOI – 5ac JAIL (having momentarily toyed with Jill)
LOI – DNF but would have been 19dn BEAUX
COD – 18dn GRIME
Thanks to Cheeko and Curarist
I’ve either got used to Cheeko’s style, or they decided to turn the difficulty level down a notch or two. Either way, a slow but steady 30min solve, with Bat and Beaux also my last pair. I had to write Poets Corner out horizontally before I could see how to assemble the missing letters, and Wallow was a late pdm, but generally this was a testing but fair puzzle. CoD, by a country mile, to Gutenberg. Invariant
I agree with others that this was a very good puzzle that required some unravelling. I missed my target again at 11.48, but bearing in mind the difficulty I would say it was a reasonable time. I got a little bogged down at the finish having initially put in BEAUS, but careful construction of ASPHYXIA meant BEAUX was then straightforward. Brilliant spot of the compass points by BR, I have trouble spotting the hiddens let alone anything as cunning as that.
My total time for the week was 63.05, giving me a daily average of 12.37.
I thought this was a tough QC. 18 minutes with LOI NEATEN.
But I had put BLANX ??? (firing blanks?) at 19d having failed to think of BEAUX. My fault entirely, but I couldn’t think of anything better.
Some excellent clues but often of 15×15 standard. I liked ENTREE and GUTENBERG.
David
Great puzzle and liked the NINO (which I didn’t spot). DNF due to brain fade at the gates of the SCC when walked away, second mug of tea was of no help. Lost time on chronometer for chronograph, hypoxia stuck in the mind also long forgotten atelier.
As with others, I do not understand how you get GUT out of corporation.
Thanks to Cheeko and Curarist.
Corporation is (crossword) slang for beer belly or gut, but, in my long life, I have never heard anyone use it.
Thanks for that, Crosswordland is an interesting place! Only has two schools, for example.
Haha, my mum used to use corporation to mean large tummy
Likewise, very late 1950s or early sixties. Might have been connected to the High Wycombe tradition (probably long since past) of weighing the newly elected mayor at the beginning of their term and then again at the end to see if they had worked hard or eaten too many gala meals.
25:12
Well, it was a lot easier than yesterday but still a bit of a slog. Ike = general? Is that an Eisenhower reference? Beyond me anyway. Gut = corporation? Thankfully that one was biffable from the definition.
Thought it was a pangram and spent ages trying to fit a D into the last few clues, so that didn’t help.
LOI the NHO ATELIER. Had to guess which way round the T and L went and cross my fingers.
8.17
I can’t see ninas even when they’re pointed out so well done BR!
Otherwise, also liked it, LET IT BE and SPEARMINT in particular.
Thanks Curarist and Cheeko
Took exactly an hour, as the washing machine was going off as I put the last letter in. 😆 Really enjoyed this puzzle, lots of fun clues, especially liked POSTPONE and ASPHYXIA. Thanks for the blog 😁
10.09 A reasonable end to a very poor week. I see I wasn’t alone in pondering BLANX but I came up with LOI BEAUX after a couple of minutes. SPEARMINT was good. Thanks Curarist and Cheeko.
DNS let alone DNF
That was me yesterday after the gimme of ragu.
A lovely QC. Held up by BEAUX/ASPHYXIA and took a while before the penny dropped with IKE. Didn’t know GUTENBERG but followed the wordplay. Couldn’t parse NEATEN at the time. Very obvious now I’ve seen the blog 🙄 Many thanks C. Nice one CHEEKO.
34 mins…
I found this a tough slog. Hardly anything on the first pass, but steadily worked my way around the grid from the NE. Main hold up was the 18ac/dn axis of “Gutenberg” and “Grime”, where I initially had “Cotenberg” for the former until I realised it still wouldn’t parse. Even though 8ac “Eagle” was fairly obvious, still took a while to see how it was formed.
FOI – 4dn “Neaten”
LOI – 18ac “Gutenberg”
COD – 1ac “Postpone” – nice and neat.
Thanks as usual!
No real problems with this, although I biffed GUTENBERG and parsed it afterwards.
FOI JAIL
LOI IKE
COD POETS CORNER
TIME 4:47
I was another who put beaus, which made asphyxia difficult. Chronograph and Estonia also gave a lot of trouble. On the other hand, I biffed poets corner and Gutenberg. I never saw the Nina, of course.
Time: 13:20
Congratulations to all the expert solvers on your quick times and extensive knowledge. Unfortunate for those mere mortals like myself this puzzle is not (in my humble opinion) appropriate for a QC. Perhaps the crossword editor is happy for such puzzles to be included as a warm up for the 15×15 boffins ?
As a fellow mere mortal (and a foreigner to boot), I’d like to suggest that time, patience, and perseverance will show you that such a puzzle is within your grasp to solve, or at least as in my case, to enjoy not quite solving.
Maybe change the name to ‘Smaller Cryptic” 😃
Normal service is resumed, thank goodness with LOI SPEARMINT after 11:12. Had to think about IKE for longer than seemed necessary given that the answer was staring us in the face. B_A_X also seemed unpromising and we briefly wondered whether we’d made a blunder with ASPHYXIA but the penny dropped reasonably quickly. Lots to like here. Thanks, Curarist and Cheeko.
I found this very tough going, but much better than yesterday! Lots of excellent clues but not so many easy to resolve.
FOI 3d Post Corner
LOI 19d Beaux
COD 1a Postpone
Argh! Once again I didn’t finish — lacking the patience to figure out BEAUX I gave up after 11 minutes. As a Jane Austen fan I should have seen it. (Of course I thought of “bow” but though he might need more than one string to his bow I don’t usually think of the Cruel One needing more than one bow.) Fun puzzle otherwise and it mostly went in smoothly, with hesitations at WALLOW, GUTENBERG (oh that corporation), ESTONIA (hard to remember “rubbish” as verb), and GRIME (NHO).
Thanks to Cheeko and Curarist.
Found this very enjoyable and worked through in 12 minutes for a nice solve.
15:47 here. Slight delay after thinking 23a could be hypoxemia, and then realising that I didn’t know how to spell it but deciding to leave the first four letters in place anyway. Also had an unparsed ANGLERS instead of ARCHERS for a while.
Thanks to Cheeko and Curarist.
7:57. got rather held up by BEAUX at the end. Convinced I had got ASPHYXIA right it then took a bit of searching and got there in the end. Nice puzzle. thanks!
Another tough one but perseverance paid off taking nearly an hour with a little bit of checking.
I agree that there were some lovely clues with 1a POSTPONE being a good example. Short and sweet.
I understand ‘gut’ now. Haha
Thanks Cheeko and Curarist.
lots to enjoy, but quite chewy. Held up at the end by being determined to spell the composer “Lizst” which made loi 9a quite tricky! And I do have some of his “music”.
Cod 18d
thanks blogger and setter