Time: 7 minutes. That’s more like it! My best QC solving time for at least a month.
As usual definitions are underlined in bold italics, {deletions and substitutions are in curly brackets} and [anagrinds, containment, reversal and other indicators in square ones]. “Aural wordplay” is in quotation marks. I now use a tilde sign ~ to indicate an insertion point in containment clues. I usually omit all reference to juxtaposition indicators unless there is a specific point that requires clarification.
Definitions underlined in bold italics, (Abc)* indicating anagram of Abc, deletions and [] other indicators.
 Across |
|
|---|---|
| 1 | Renegade count mixed up with rat (8) |
| TURNCOAT – Anagram [mixed up] of COUNT RAT | |
| 5 | Initially dithers — a politician, wet? (4) |
| DAMP – D{ithers} [initially], A, MP (politician) | |
| 8 | Within a moment surprisingly sent into sauna (13) |
| INSTANTANEOUS – Anagram [surprisingly] of SENT INTO SAUNA | |
| 10 | Tolerate viewpoint (5) |
| STAND – Two meanings | |
| 11 | Open as restrictions eased at the outset (7) |
| SINCERE – SINCE (as), R{estrictions} + E{ased} [at the outset] | |
| 12 | Charlie, he’s eating English produce finally, dairy item (6) |
| CHEESE – C (Charlie), then HE~S containing [eating] E (English), then {produc}E [finally] | |
| 13 | Head, one making a case, not quietly at first (6) |
| LEADER – {p}LEADER (one making a case) [not quietly at first] | |
| 16 | Team I’ll fancy, unsurpassed until now (3-4) |
| ALL-TIME – Anagram [fancy] of TEAM I’LL | |
| 18 | Maybe health worker’s vehicle? I’m not sure (5) |
| CARER – CAR (vehicle), ER (I’m not sure) | |
| 20 | One who figures drama thematic? I answer in part (13) |
| MATHEMATICIAN – Hidden [in part] in {dra}MA THEMATIC I AN{swer}. Spectactular! | |
| 21 | Call band (4) |
| RING – Two meanings | |
| 22 | Write label, acceptable, for US Department location (8) |
| PENTAGON – PEN (write), TAG (label), ON (acceptable – e.g. that’s not on!) | |
| Down |
|
|---|---|
| 1 | Attempts more than one rugby score (5) |
| TRIES – Two meanings | |
| 2 | Method of learning about sea over-optimistic (7) |
| ROSEATE – RO~TE (method of learning) containing [about] SEA. The dictionaries are not agreed on whether the optimism is excessive. |
|
| 3 | Underhand clubs ruined tennis deal (11) |
| CLANDESTINE – C (clubs), anagram [ruined] of TENNIS DEAL | |
| 4 | Confirm a non-drinker is in Paris (6) |
| ATTEST – A, TT (non-drinker – tee-totaller), EST (‘is’ in Paris) | |
| 6 | When lunch might be provided to make amends (5) |
| ATONE – AT ONE (when lunch might be provided) | |
| 7 | Famous chemist put up rates wrongly (7) |
| PASTEUR – Anagram [wrongly] of UP RATES | |
| 9 | In France, refusal of screenplay, say, with no outstanding features (11) |
| NONDESCRIPT – NON DE (in France, refusal of), SCRIPT (screenplay, say) | |
| 12 | Church member starts to entertain really engaging individual (7) |
| CHARMER – CH (church), ARM (member), then E{ntertain} + R{eally} [starts to…] | |
| 14 | Showing courage embracing Left’s favourite (7) |
| DARLING – DAR~ING (showing courage) containing [embracing] L (Left) | |
| 15 | Extraordinary, ta! Beer money returned! (6) |
| REBATE – Anagram [extraordinary] of TA BEER | |
| 17 | Means of communication in palatinate? (5) |
| LATIN – Hidden [in] {pa}LATIN{ate} | |
| 19 | Series of matches in a row? (3-2) |
| RUN-IN – Two meanings. The run-in to a sporting event is the period of time or series of matches leading up to it; it can also be an argument or quarrel with someone. | |
6:22
Pretty straightforward, although LOI LEADER took some time. 20ac was impressive, but
‘drama thematic’–on the same line (I enlarge the clues before reading)–gave the game away.
I got the long ones easily enough – in went instantaneous and mathematician. I should have been good with all those crossing letters, but I got a bit bogged down. I just could not see turncoat, which would have been very helpful, and ended up biffing rebate, not seeing the obvious anagram.
Time: 9:27
A straightforward run up to the New Year, it must be Monday. I knew I was somewhat confused when guests did not turn up for drinks last night and we realised we were a day out. A bit of a dry run.
COD MATHEMATICIAN, spectacular, as above.
A 15 min solve with a bit of biffing here and there and a shrug for ROSEATE, topical at the moment in the form of spoonbills.
Thanks Jack and Hurley
Any blog where roseate spoonbills are topical is music to my ears. An unexpected moment of Monday joy.
Ospreys, pelicans, herons, egrets prolific, eagle and roseates regularly. Throw in an alligator or manatee for good measure! Daily changing landscape. No need to adorn the walls when panoramic windows bring constant delight.
Magpies and bloody pigeons – though my neighbours at the back apparently have an owl and a woodpecker.
I get possums! Not as pretty as roseate spoonbills, that’s for sure.
Discovered a possum for the first time in a rented vacation house garage. Was just about to dispatch it with a spade when my wife screamed that it was not a rat. Saved the day. 😂
Yikes! Don’t kill Pogo! 🤣
Unless you’re in New Zealand, where they are officially a pest.
8:16, and a considerably more manageable puzzle than the two toughies at the end of last week. I wasn’t sure about the first definition for RUN-IN (series of matches?) and I’m still not really seeing it, as run-in means more the final part of eg a race or a season to me, but it could not be anything else. And ON = acceptable is one of those odd ones that really only works in the negative, as not on = not acceptable.
Many thanks Jack for the blog.
For the record, my sporting definition of RUN-IN was pasted in from Collins dictionary where it appears as the second definition. It’s specified as ‘British’.
It’s a regular football term for the series of matches ending a season.
12 clues solved in 30 mins. The only way is up with lots of headroom. For the 5-10 minute solvers – let’s say an average of 7.5 minutes – the only way is up or down by a couple of mins! But then 0.001 seconds margin in olympic events can win you gold!
DNF
Breezeblocked by LEADER which I never got. Didn’t see the subtraction, went with F (not quietly) for initial letter.
COD MATHEMATICIAN
I took “run” to be the “series of matches”, which, when followed by “in”, gives “run-in” for a “row”
Yes that makes sense to me.
In football they often talk about the title run-in towards the end of the season to refer to the matches the various contenders still have to play.
For my team (Altrincham, National League) a relegation RUN-IN looks sadly more likely.
Stick with Gibbo – you’ll be fine
I found this fairly straightforward until hitting the buffers with the unknown ROSEATE, where I was also slowed down by thinking that the definition was ‘method of learning’ for some strange reason.
Started with TURNCOAT and finished with ROSEATE in 6.22.
Thanks to Jack and Hurley.
A nice change from the last two alleged QCs. I found this approachable and didn’t have a problem seeing LEADER. The longer clues seemed to slip into place quickly and I worked out ROSEATE without being convinced about the definition (but what else could emerge from the parsing?). I shrugged at RUN-IN but found plenty to enjoy elsewhere.
MATHEMATICIAN was very impressive.
I finished in 16.30 with LOI SINCERE.
Thanks to both.
12:57 Finally had run-in with nondescript all-time charmer.
TaJAH
06:58, nothing to report except taking a long time to realise that LOI REBATE was just an anagram, with no “ale” involved.
Many thanks Jack and Hurley.
Was all going so well until really bogged down in the SE, which probably took around 15 minutes of our 28.05.
Mathematician IS spectacular and also enjoyed Pentagon.
Thanks Hurley and Jack
Very enjoyable and solvable. NHO roseate, but very gettable from the cryptic. It took me a very long time to see the spectacular hidden – mathematician – especially as I consider myself to be one! 27 minutes for me
My typos are out of control. I pledged to take extra double special care today but still managed to type TUnrCOAT, wrecking ROSEATE in the process. Before submitting I’d been pleased to finish in under 13 minutes. Good one! Found both SINCERE and TURNCOAT taxing – which might explain why I rushed entering it. Lots to like here!
DNF. I was on for a good time, but SINCERE somehow stumped me. 😣
Pi ❤️
16 mins…
Have to agree with most of the comments above – a nice QC to start the week. Only problems were 2dn “Roseate”, which I wasn’t sure of, and the parsing of 11ac “Sincere”. 20ac “Mathematician” was cleverly disguised, but I w probably should have got it earlier.
FOI – 5ac “Damp”
LOI – 11ac “Sincere”
COD – 9dn “Nondescript”
Thanks as usual!
8:39 for the solve. Nice start to the week where I was flying through. Reaching the 5min mark I had PENTAGON, DARLING and LEADER to solve plus reservations about ROSEATE (NHO) and RUN-IN (or whether it’s -ON).
The big question for RUN-IN seems to be what to do with the “IN” in the clue – is it literally attached to “series of matches” as Robocot suggests; or part of the second definition as Jackkt blogs and then unsatisfactorily used in the answer in which case I was tempted towards using “ON”. I never saw “row”=argument during the solve but that does clarify that we’re looking for a RUN-IN but I’m somewhat meh about the clue.
COD to NONDESCRIPT which had me sniggering for its Franglais but also impressed by the four-word hidden MATHEMATICIAN. Lots of nice put-them-together clues in here.
Thanks to Jackkt and Hurley.
“In” is just a little link word between the two definitions, I think.
17mins in total, with the last two spent struggling to see (the) Leader from my customary position at the back of the pack, and trying to find an alternative to the nho Roseate – none came to mind, so in it went. My other hold-up was, like Templar, caused by trying to get Ale into rebate. However, the long ones were all friendly today, with CoD to Nondescript. Invariant
PS On edit: I really can’t recommend today’s 15×15, despite the low(ish) Snitch, but I would be interested to see what others make of it.
8:50 with slight delay on my LOI SINCERE, which took a while to parse.
I went for ‘run’ as the series of matches, followed by ‘in’, not being familiar with the Collins second definition of “run-in”.
Thanks Jack and Hurley
Dear oh dear, it had to be RUN IN or RUN oN, NHO either, plumped for the wrong one (partly because “in” is in the clue). NHO ROSEATE either but that had to be. Otherwise a nice friendly Hurley.
COD to MATHEMATICIAN which was a write-in, but delayed me whilst I paused to admire it! A friendly Monday puzzle, an enjoyable start to the next few days after the hurly burly of the past week. Didn’t know ROSEATE other than as a prefix to various birds, but it went in swiftly.
10 minutes. Worth doing for MATHEMATICIAN alone but there were some other good clues eg DAMP and ROSEATE. Held up by 1a as usual, SINCERE and LEADER, not being able to think beyond a more specific term for a lawyer for ‘one making a case’. With a clear second definition, I didn’t worry too much about RUN-IN; probably just as well.
Thanks to Jack (well done on the time) and Hurley
Yes, a much easier, more enjoyable puzzle. LOsI included TURNCOAT, ROSEATE and ATTEST. Fortunately the anagrams solved themselves quickly today. Liked PENTAGON, ALL TIME, COD NONDESCRIPT, and ATONE, among others. Luckily on the wavelength for RUN-IN = row.
Thanks vm, Jack.
Very quick for me, would have been quicker but put in CHESEE for some unknown reaon, wrote out “within a moment” as the anagrist and spent a while trying to make it mean “sent into sauna” unfortunate to have exactly 13 letters either side of the indicator. Nice crossword after the somewhat demanding fare over christmas. Thanks Hurley and jackkt.
Oops – where has my picture gone? And other peoples by the look of it.
A more usual 27:20 today.
Bit of a sting in the tail with ROSEATE where even with rote and sea worked out it took a moment for the pronunciation to fall into place. Fortunately I have heard of, but not yet seen, a Roseate Tern
COD to the hidden MATHEMATICIAN.
Thanks both.
13:31 for a nice start to the week. Took longer than I should have over TURNCOAT and ROSEATE, but no problems with the latter as I’d heard of roseate terns. MATHEMATICIAN was so clever.
Thanks to both.
P.S. with little time over the festive period to tackle any puzzles I dived in yesterday and thought I’d entered an alternate reality! I narrowly avoided the SCC for Cheeko’s offering but Shay? Might as well have been speaking Swahili! It’s a shame these puzzles appeared at such busy time of year it would have been nice to give them the time and concentration they deserved.
From TURNCOAT to NONDESCRIPT in 7:02. Took a while to see LEADER. I took RUN IN as “run” = a series of matches and “in” in plain sight in the clue, with the definition being an argument. Thanks Hurley and Jack.
I made very heavy weather of what should have been a delightful solve. I got completely stuck in the NW with STAND and ROSEATE. 22 minutes in the end.
I didn’t find it quite as straightforward as others, although I did manage to finish under target at 9.20.
It’s nice to get back to normal after a pretty disastrous Christmas, after finding my wife semi conscious, and later unconscious on the bathroom floor on Boxing Day morning. The paramedics were with us in ten minutes and an ambulance in a further ten minutes. Boxing Day was spent in hospital with my wife before she was finally diagnosed with this dreadful strain of flu. Happy to say she is now slowly recovering. I know the health service is much maligned in the present day, but I can only say everyone concerned from the first phone call was brilliant. Well done the NHS!
That does sound a very tricky Christmas indeed. Glad to hear that the NHS did its thing and that your wife is recovering. All good wishes to you.
Golly Andy – that sounds very unfestive. Very best to her (and you) for a good recovery.
How frightening for you all.
Thanks everyone for your good wishes. A couple of days early I know, but I wish everyone a Happy New Year, and most importantly a healthy one!
Terrifying I’m sure, and so glad you got prompt and effective care. Good health to all in the New Year!
I hope the recovery goes well. A horrible experience for you both. I’m glad the NHS came up trumps for you.
Best wishes for a speedy recovery.
Real ‘flu should not be under estimated.
Bless
I thought this was a nicely constructed genuine QC. It was much enjoyed.
FOI DAMP
LOI SINCERE
COD ROSEATE
TIME 4:04
Easier than of late but held up by LOI NONDESCRIPT which required all the checkers. Had ‘non’ but was then looking for an adjective for ‘of screenplay say’ (oh dear). This gets COD from me. I eventually parsed RUN-IN as ‘series of matches’ = RUN, then link word ‘in’, with definition = ‘row’. DNK sporting term ‘run-in’. Lots of write-ins but still enjoyable. Many thanks to Hurley and Jack.
Nice and straightforward for the post-Xmas wind down. I was all done and parsed in 13 minutes.
FOI – 1ac TURNCOAT
LOI – 22ac PENTAGON
COD – 9dn NONDESCRIPT
Thanks to Hurley and Jack
23mins.
This is the sort of QC I like.
Got stuck on LEADER and ROSEATE for a while but they finally came.
Thanks jackkt and Hurley.
11 minutes.
LOI STAND after ROSEATE gave me the last checker. I wasn’t sure about Stand = Viewpoint.
I also paused over RUN but was happy with that eventually.
Enjoyable puzzle.
David
. . .you usually get a good view from a seat in the stand 😀
Thank you Hurley for all the fun and elegance I have come to expect from you! At one (lunch) for ATONE made me smile and the hidden at 20a drew a round of applause! I paused (like others) over ROSEATE but it had to be. Not quite a 19d but 14 minutes, satisfying and much enjoyed.
10:08. Nice to be back to normal. At 19dn I went with RUN (series of matches) IN (from the clue), which did at least avoid the ON possibility. I was held up at the end by NONDESCRIPT but I did like it and I also liked lunch AT ONE.
Thank you jackkt and Hurley
7.41 DNF. A spent a minute at the end unable to choose between RUN IN and RUN ON and guessed wrongly. Thanks Jack and Hurley.
5.54. Certainly one of my faster efforts.
A straightforward work through mostly. Took a while to cycle the letters into turncoat, only gwtting there once I’d got roseate.
FOI Tries
LOI Sincere
COD Turncoat for the tricky anagram
thanks
Felt like we were a bit on the slow side with this but all done and dusted in 11+ (still having problems with the grids resetting when we go back to them).
7:52, don’t you think it was a bit too easy? (kidding!)
I enjoyed this solve very much. The renegade count and the mathematician entertained me, while I had to scratch my head a little to get INSTANTANEOUS and ROSEATE. Bonus is a bit of new vocabulary in RUN-IN in the sports sense. Though now I see that it’s disputed by the commentariat .
Thanks Hurley and jackkt.
Good word – commentariat 🙂
Had to biff SINCERE, unaware that ‘R’ can shorthand ‘restrictions’
Biffed SINCERE, unaware that ‘R’ can shorthand ‘restrictions’
I think ‘at the outset’ meant the first letter of both ‘restrictions’ and ‘ease’
Mathematician is COD for me too. Also, never heard of roseate but there wasn’t any choice but to accept it with that wordplay and the checking letters in place. Lovely word. expecting the solver to know “non de” in French seemed a bit much to me but the clue was solvable enough without it.
24:15, not finding it as easy as many others, needing to biff ROSEATE and SINCERE and taking a while to decipher NONDESCRIPT.
7:07
Bit of a shrug over 9d as I didn’t know that NON DE meant anything – saw NON and SCRIPT and filled in the missing letter. Everything else parsed OK.
Thanks Jack and setter
Another ‘run-on’ here….
Started off going gangbusters, until I wasn’t…
FOI 1a turncoat
LOI 14d Darling
COD 20a Mathematician
Humph…
13:16 here, wasn’t confident about my last two, RUN-IN and SINCERE, but bunged them in with a shrug anyway.
Thanks to Hurley and Jackkt.
But for one clue this would have been, after five and a half years of trying, my first ever sub-10. Unfortunately, NON_E_C_I_T held me up for four minutes at the end and my moment of glory was lost. Time = 13 minutes, which is still super fast for me.
Many thanks to Jack for the blog and to Hurley for remembering his target audience.
Bad luck!
12 minutes but somehow felt much longer. As so often, I then thought I’d done well on a hard puzzle, only to find that the Snitch was relatively low.
I spent 80 mins on 15 x 15 and still had 6 to get when I gave up in disgust (at myself). I will now check the Snitch (no doubt showing it was easy), check the missing answers and then berate myself for being unable to complete it.
PS After checking, had one missed answer but didn’t insert as I could not parse it. Would not have got the others in a month of Sundays! 🤣
I came up short on that “easy” 15×15 too. Wanna go for a drink?
I did try and warn
You and Cassandra
Invariant spot on as usual.
A drink sounds good 😊
Managed in reasonable time (don’t actually time myself) without aids, so a good day. Knew ROSEATE from the tern but would never have linked it with optimism. RUN-IN didn’t make sense to me and I’m still not convinced, despite blog and comments.
The word ROSEATE made me think of rose tinted spectacles, thus immediately making sense, despite not knowing this definition.