Quick Cryptic 594 by Joker

Author   emu66Posted on Categories Quick Cryptic
Well, I have to admit, this one defeated me! Didn’t know the fish at 5a, and couldn’t figure out the cryptic, so honours to the setter. After comments from others, see below, it’s clear I didn’t even really understand the cryptic either, which explains why I couldn’t get the answer….Other than that, nice anagram at 15a.
Thank you Joker.

Across
1 Topical changes made to assist vision: OPTICAL
Anagram (changes) of TOPICAL
5 Fish needing shelter from direct sunlight mainly: SHAD
Shelter from direct sunlight = SHADOW, so mainly = SHAD. On edit, see below, shelter from sunlight mainly = SHAD(e)
8 Millions working early in rainy season: MONSOON
Millions = M, working ON, early = SOON
9 Search in picturesque street: QUEST
Hidden word
11 Going bad, place needs referee before fighting: PUTREFACTION
Place = PUT, referee = REF, fighting = ACTION
12 Pooch in distress about new waterproof cape: PONCHO
Anagram (in distress) of POOCH around new = N
14 At home with legal document of ownership, to be sure: INDEED
At home = IN, legal document of ownership = DEED
15 Addition to house is a controversy, unfortunately: CONSERVATORY
Anagram (unfortunately) of A CONTROVERSY
17 Call on six to be seated: VISIT
Six = VI, to be seated = SIT
18 Drunken manner in the road: HIGHWAY
Drunken = HIGH, manner = WAY
20 Close to endless darkness: NIGH
Endless darkness = NIGH(t)
21 Guards not opening ways in: ENTRIES
Unopened guards = (s)ENTRIES

Down
2 In favour of a short nudge: PRO
Short nudge = PRO(d)
3 Smaller diagram I sent out: INSET
Anagram (out) of I SENT
4 Where the CEO is honest and legitimate: ABOVE BOARD
Double definition, one cryptic
6 He had to embrace relative that’s worried and obsessed: HAUNTED
He had = HE D, embracing relative = AUNT
7 Dance club – extremely recent find?: DISCOVERY
Dance club = DISCO, extremely = VERY
10 Article I found in military base sewage disposal perhaps: SANITATION
Article = AN, I = I, inside army base = STATION
11 Professional proposal put to committee for preferment: PROMOTION
Professional = PRO, proposal put to committee = MOTION
13 Giving out parts for mould: CASTING
Double definition
16 Different female parent, not married: OTHER
Female parent = MOTHER, not married = remove M
19 Large primate but not quite top: APE
Not quite top = APE(x)

25 comments on “Quick Cryptic 594 by Joker”

  1. All going swimmingly having biffed SHAD, until 18a, took another 5 mins on this, was convinced it ended in HEAD but only 7 letters, nice clue once I had seen the light. COD 11a. I think 5a is better if “shelter from direct sunlight” is SHADE rather than SHADOW. Nice blog and a good and fair test Joker.
  2. I completed all but two clues in 7 minutes but then my mind went blank and I needed another 9 to come up with HIGHWAY and SANITATION. I solved 8ac from wordplay but cannot be sure I ever met SHAD before.

    So at 16 minutes this was the first time I have exceeded 15 since Joker’s offering on 3rd May which took me 17 minutes.

    I think the definition at 1ac needs to include “made to” so, for example, an optical aid is one that’s made to assist vision.

    Edited at 2016-06-17 06:16 am (UTC)

  3. DNF, but not with the troublesome SHAD, but the more pedestrian VISIT, where I was convinced the ‘VI’ was in the middle, and eventually plumped for CIVIL I think the CEO is not above the board, the board appoints CEOs and can also fire them.
    1. CEO is above the board, who cannot fire him. Only Chairman or vote of shareholders can fire CEO
  4. Fortunately I knew SHAD (I think only from shad roe). And Tyrotim’s right that it’s SHAD(e) not SHAD(ow); if ‘mainly’ could indicate more than one (i.e. the final) letter missing, it would make for unsatisfying clues. Like Merlin, I wanted VI in the middle, but gave up on that idea finally. 3:46.
    1. Agree with your comment about ‘mainly’; I wasn’t happy with the clue when I thought it was that so I’m happier now!
  5. SHAD took a while. Does a DISCOVERY have to be recent? Definitely an oldies puzzle – my students laughed when I used the word DISCO, and HIGH for drunken must be more than fifty years out of date, or did Ringo mean they went to the pub together? Challenge for a Friday, good, thanks setter and blogger. 5’55” today.
  6. Finished in just over 10 mins after a series of DNF’s in the last week – must be an oldie’s crossword!

    Rita

  7. I used to dread Joker’s puzzles as I could never finish them. When I discovered this blog I could see the explanations and this put me on his/her wavelength. Now they are my fave QCs and a Friday treat. Thanks to all you bloggers. I charged through this one at pro speed but was held up by HIGHWAY, VISIT and NIGH. I always like it when easy words are hard to figure out.

    Edited at 2016-06-17 10:10 am (UTC)

  8. After a year of doing these crosswords I finally beat the 20 minute barrier with this one. I didn’t know SHAD so that was a guess but the rest went in relatively easily (for me!). I have a go at these most days and it is interesting how much variation there is in how difficult I find them. I got nowhere with Teazel’s on Tuesday which was much too challenging for me but have managed to complete the rest this week in 30-40 minutes.

    For someone who had never done cryptics before it is impossible to overstate the benefit of this blog. Thanks to all for your time in doing this. When I started I was getting one or two answers only per crossword and your blog guides me through some of the slightly ‘left field’ thinking.

    It is a shame there is no ‘quickie’ at the weekend. Can anyone recommend an alternative crossword to entertain for a while on Saturday and Sunday? The main crossword here is too difficult for me.

        1. There’s also the Guardian Quiptic which is published every Monday. I leave it to Saturday with the Everyman on Sunday.
          Brian
      2. Thanks Jack, good tip. Just tried my first Everyman, and yes, just about then same level of difficult as the Times QC. Almost finished my first one in a decent time. Now I have something for the weekend.
    2. Treat yourself and buy The Times Quick Cryptic Crossword book at Amazon published in May that another blogger mentioned. …….
  9. Nice to end the week with another one completed. Agree 4d not strictly correct and 7d not necessarily recent but, hey, good clues. Nice puzzle from Joker and good blog too, so thanks all round
  10. A good end to the week with a nice balance of the straightforward and the tricky. I had to take a break with 10d and 18a remaining as I couldn’t make head or tail of them. Fortunately when I came back to it I saw the light. Solving time approx 30 mins. COD 18a.
  11. 30 minute finish to end the week. LOI was sanitation. Didn’t know ‘shad’ as the fish but got it from the clues. Also not heard of ‘casting’ for mould but I was pre-occupied with the fungus variety anyway. One of those where got a lot of clues quickly but had to really work for the last 3 or 4 clues.

    Edited at 2016-06-17 07:35 pm (UTC)

  12. Been out today but got this tricky puzzle done whilst watching golf and football -so a bit distracted.Quite tricky but I got the fish. Oddly LOI was Ape. David

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