Quick Cryptic 353 by Joker – Times for The Times

I’m standing in at the last minute for Macavity so I’m afraid we’re missing the full clues today, but I have included all the definitions and words relevant to wordplay so I hope everything is clear. If not, please ask.

This one took me 9 minutes so perhaps it was at the easier end of Joker’s range which often includes quite tricky stuff. I only really struggled for one word but the obvious definition and that the clue was an anagram helped and left little room for doubt about the answer

{deletions} [indicators] Definitions are shown separately today so are not underlined

Across
1	PLEASED – P (piano), LEASED (rented). Def: delighted
5	EAST – {f}EAST (lavish meal) with first letter removed [must start a little late]. Def: direction
7	SPRIG – SPRI{n}G (source of flowing water) with N removed [that’s not new]. Def: stem
8	CHEROOT – CHE (revolutionary – Che Guevara), ROOT (search). Def: Cuban cigar
10	ONE – ON, {manoeuvr}E [finally]. Def: unit
11	ANDROMEDA – Anagram [another way] of DRAMA DONE. Def: group of stars
13	ARTHUR – ART (paintings etc), HUR{t} (very unkind) with last letter removed [mostly]. Def: former king
14	LESSON – LESS (not so much), ON (being supported by). Def: what teacher provides
17	INCLEMENT – I (one), N (northern), CLEMENT (pope). Def: cold and severe
19	ICE – Alternate letters [regularly found] of {k}I{t}C{h}E{n}. Def: contents of freezer – though presumably only when it’s otherwise empty!
20	TRIDENT – I’D (I had) found inside TRENT (river at Nottingham). Def: fishing spear
22	RADAR – Hidden [put in] inside {fo}R A DAR{kroom}. Def: detector system
23	LEFT – Double def: abandoned / position held by socialists
24	DOWAGER – DO WAGER (please place a bet). Def: old woman – rather a loose one (definition that is, not the old woman)

Down
1	PASTORALIST – Anagram [arranging] of A SPIT ROAST + L (fifty). Def: livestock farmer – not a meaning I have met before as I only knew it as a type of poet, but the farming sense originated in the Antipodes apparently.
2	EARNEST – EAR (attention), NEST (where young are raised). Def: very serious
3	SIGNATURE – Anagram [eccentric] of ART GENIUS. Def: autograph
4	DECIDE – DEC (one month – December), IDE{a} (concept) with last letter removed [most of]. Def: settle
5	EVE – {St}EVE with ST (good man – saint) removed [not a good man]. Def: girl
6	STOLE – Double def: walked off with / long scarf
9	TRAIN-BEARER – Anagram [upset] of BAR RETAINER. Def: Queen’s ceremonial attendant
12	OVERTHROW – OVERT (public), H (hospital), ROW (quarrel). Def: forcibly end
15	SHINDIG – SHIN (cut of beef), DIG (mine). Def: lively party
16	BELTED – Double def: ran quickly / with a band
18	CRIME – CRIME{a} (Black Sea peninsula) with last letter removed [cut off]. Def: illegal act
21	EAT – {h}EAT (warm) with H removed [not hot]. Def: take food

4 comments on “Quick Cryptic 353 by Joker”

I thought this was at the easier end of Joker’s puzzles. Having said that 12d and 22a were unparsed and I thought I’d gotten over my hidden word blindspot. LOI was 16d, which took me a while to figure out.

I too thought this was quite straightforward. I originally spotted FEZ as the alternative letter answer to 19a, but I don’t keep my hats in the kitchen. I liked the nicely hidden RADAR at 22, and admirable restraint in not making a cricket reference in 12d. 16d my LOI, for no particular reason.

A full house, albeit with 1d as a previously unknown. A slightly easier version of Joker than experienced of late, but still with a few tricky ones thrown in as well. 12 and 15d were my favourites, and like others 16d my LOI. Invariant

Second finish of the week, which is encouraging as there have been a few tough ones and DNFs lately. Perseverance is all. My LOI also 16d, which is a bit weird as in retrospect it doesn’t seem that tricky! Many thanks to ALL the bloggers for getting me to these dizzy heights – unthinkable 353 crosswords ago! Setters too of course. Pam

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