Quick Cryptic 819 by Des

Author   galsprayPosted on Categories Quick Cryptic
I think this was the easiest one of the week but, as usual, your mileage may vary.  My time was 5:05 and to be honest, I can’t find much to comment on.  There’s the usual array of anagrams, hiddens and double defs, and nothing too obscure as far as I can see.  A nice little offering for those that are still finding their way in Crosswordland, which presumably is just what the Quicky is for.

So thanks Des, here’s how I parsed it….

Clues are reproduced in blue, with the definition underlined.  Anagram indicators are bolded and italicised.  Then there’s the answer IN BOLD, followed by the parsing of the wordplay.  (ABC)* means ‘anagram of ABC’.

Across
1 Keep man here temporarily (3,3,7)
FOR THE PRESENT – FORT (keep) + HE (man) + PRESENT (here)
8 Addict: one put on kilo in a month (6)
JUNKIE – I (one) on K (kilo) in JUNE (a month)
9 I’m basking initially in sun, turning to see raincloud (6)
NIMBUS – IM + B (Basking initially) in NUS (sun, turning)
10 Forgot ever holding back reject (4)
VETO – Reverse hidden (holding back) in forgOT EVer
11 Teacher with a cold: he gets this? (8)
HEADACHE – HEAD (teacher) + A + C (cold) + HE
12 Plain clothes fit? Um, badly! (5)
MUFTI – (FIT UM)*
Otherwise known as civvies, or everyday dress as opposed to military or other uniformed attire.
13 The Spanish sextet’s famous singer (5)
ELVIS – EL (“the” in Spanish) + VI’S (sextet’s)
Nice to see Elvis Costello get a mention.  Unless it’s referring to another Elvis?
15 Let rip on corrupt cross-border force (8)
INTERPOL – (LET RIP ON)*
17 Prepare to fire one waking you early? (4)
COCK – Double definition
You can cock your weapon, or you can be woken early by a cock.  Or a rooster, for those of you sniggering down the back.
19 In the course of climb, I bend down (6)
IMBIBE – Hidden in (in the course of) clIMB I BEnd
“Down” as a verb, as in to down a pint.  A nicely disguised definition, one I’ve been fooled by before.
20 Moved quickly, establishing menagerie by the sea (6)
ZOOMED – ZOO (menagerie) + MED (the sea)
21 Money for Seniors left in San Diego Open unexpectedly (3-3,7)
OLD-AGE PENSION – L (left) in (SAN DIEGO OPEN)*
Probably my COD.  A nice anagram, though the enumeration is extremely helpful.
Down
2 Old electrical item handy (2,3)
OF USE – O (old) + FUSE (electrical item)
3 Shed to go up? (4,3)
TAKE OFF – Double def
4 Woolly female the second person to be heard (3)
EWE – Homophone (to be heard) of YOU (the second person)
Easiest one of the day?  Only if you see it I guess.
5 Campanologist may be familiar (4,1,4)
RING A BELL – Double definition
6 Saw endless tailless grouse in Pacific islands (5)
SAMOA – SA (SAw endless) + MOA [tailless MOAn (grouse)]
Probably the greatest rugby nation on earth.  If only they could all play for Samoa.
7 Gunshot scattered ducks (7)
NOUGHTS – (GUNSHOT)*
A duck is a score of nought in cricket, as I well know.
11 Ape Richie, sporting wig (9)
HAIRPIECE – (APE RICHIE)*
Something like this perhaps?
12 Short time: one he cut very short? (7)
MINIMAL – MIN (short time, as in short for “minute”) + I (one) + MAL [MALe (he) cut]
14 Cruel when in France you set about old company (7)
VICIOUS – VOUS (French for “you”) set about ICI (old company)
You’re expected to know a very little amount of French to do these things.  I’m up to about 13 words now.
ICI was a British chemical company that is now defunct, hence “old” company.  Pops up quite a bit in Crosswordland.
16 Show thanks after I have turned up (5)
EVITA – TA (thanks) after EVI [IVE (I have) reversed (turned up)]
A show about the life of Eva Peron and her sometimes fraught relationship with young lovers Arch and Tina.
18 At first cynical concerning party’s beliefs (5)
CREDO – C (at first Cynical) + RE (concerning) + DO (party)
20 Neighbourhood has expelled new girl (3)
ZOE – ZONE (neighbourhood) “has expelled” N (new)

22 comments on “Quick Cryptic 819 by Des”

  1. I also found this straightforward, but still took 10:54 as I tackled it after midnight and spent a lot of time yawning in between looking at the clues. Took me a while to see the parsing for my LOI, FOR THE PRESENT. My FOI was OF USE. I had to write the fodder for NOUGHTS down before I saw it. Nice puzzle. Thanks Des and Galspray.
  2. Definitely not the easiest of the week. Two of my minutes were spent wondering where I’d made a mistake – in fact I’d changed 5dn to RANG A BELL because I’d thought it fitted the clue better. COD 1ac (which was my FOI) or NOUGHTS
  3. A gentle end to the week, and I didn’t get held up anywhere in particular which is unusual. I thought there were some very clever clues today, 11a, 12d and 14d in particular which made me even more pleased that they did not hold me up.
  4. I thought yesterday’s was easier but not by much. Interrupted by postie wanting my autograph so no time.
  5. I found it the easiest of the week. Just plodded my way through it really. For the blogger. it is Army v Navy tomorrow. Otherwise known as Samoa v Royal Marines!!
    PlayupPompey
  6. A good mix of write-ins and clues requiring some careful thought. Couldn’t parse 1ac for ages, even though the answer was obvious with a few checkers in place, and the 20ac/d combination took longer than it should. Then there was the unknown duck species. . . 14d gets my vote for CoD, just ahead of 11ac. Nice puzzle, Des. Invariant
  7. Had to google “campanologist” as it didn’t ring any bells for me. Even with all the checkers in place, did not see the answer for 1ac. Thanks to Des for the puzzle and galspray for the explanations.
  8. A very poor 21 minutes for this although my solving is below par at the moment and I may well have dozed off at least once. I can’t see anything to justify a problem so I’ll say my time includes at least 10 minutes asleep.
  9. I had no problems for 12 minutes by which all was done bar 19a.
    Could not see what answer the clue was looking for-and naturally missed the hidden at first. About 5 minutes later I saw it so I’ll make that COD. Nice puzzle. David
  10. 21:10 for me. Not my PB but not far off. FOI OF USE, LOI VICIOUS. I’ve seen 5d before, quite recently. This is the only crossword I do, so must have been here. Pencilled that one straight in.
  11. I had eve, thinking Adam was the first to be heard, then eve. Doesn’t fit with woolly female though I guess.

    Thanks for the blog I’m a beginner and get around half of the qc before needing help!

    I wish Tracy would calm down though, her clues are significantly harder and less fun.

  12. Thought this was easiest of the week(only one I completed!)
    slow and steady in just under 30mins.
    Liked the famous singer at 14d too!
    Thanks blogger and Des
  13. Definitely not the easiest of the week and I got caught out by some obvious and some not.

    For the obvious, I went through all varieties of ducks before I finally realised it wasn’t water fowl. Should have known this, but the surface is nicely distracting for those not as experienced.

    This may sound ridiculous but for an age I could not think of a famous singer with the first two letters of “El”….maybe I’m from the wrong generation. The “sextet” was an interesting device though.

    For the not obvious, struggled with 19ac and IMBIBE – hadn’t heard of this so it was a guess.

    FOI 8ac, LOI 1ac and COD 12dn

    DR31

  14. I seem to have been on a different wavelength today, as I think this was my slowest solve of the week. I got completely bogged down by the NW corner. Although I was pretty sure of the answer to 1a I couldn’t figure out the parsing for ages, I had a brain freeze for 2d (LOI) and missed the hidden in 10a.
    Staggered over the line in 21 minutes. Lots of good clues today but COD for me was 7d for the misdirection or 20a.
    1. Hi – neighbourhood = zone but missing N from New gives a woman’s name.
  17. 40 minutes, found this tough but enjoyable.
    25 if I factor in the hangover effect.

    Some interesting words menagerie, credo, campanologist.
    And also some cluing I haven’t seen such as ICI for old co, sextet for VI.

    Lots of nice surfaces, and COD to 20a zoomed.

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