Quick Cryptic 821 by Tracy

Author   ChrisPosted on Categories Quick Cryptic
Dodgy wifi here so my 14 minutes probably indicates medium rather than hard. This, however, was no excuse for the time I took to get the anagram at 10ac. A smattering of religious and clever literary clues made this all very enjoyable – thanks Tracy.

ACROSS

1. Solicitor – legal adviser. Very (SO), proper (LICIT), otherwise (OR).
6. Bat – club. Bill (TAB) rejected/backwards.
8. Amateur – layman. A (A), anagram (strange) of TEAM, game (RU) backwards again but this time using recalled.
9. Issue – double definition.
10. All systems go – ready. Anagram (to be thrown) of MY LOT GLASSES.
12. Father – priest. Two articles (A, THE) inside (brought in by) French (FR).
13. Parson – clergyman – continuing the theme. Mean (PAR=average), boy (SON).
16. Consequences – double definition. One is ends=outcomes the other the game in which each player writes down a part of a story, folds over the paper, and passes it on to another player who continues the story. After several stages, the resulting (nonsensical) stories are read out.
19. Lagos – port. Gallons (G) in Asian country (LAOS).
20. Preview – sampler. Vicar and I (REV, I) inside (occupying) church bench (PEW).
22. Yet – still. In Sk(YE T)erriers.
23. Naturally – double definition.

DOWN

1. Shaw – playwright. In Dawli(SH A W)esker. Tracy’s ahead of me on literary knowledge. Sir A (Arnold) Wesker FRSL was a British dramatist known for his contributions to world drama. As I’m in Devon now I can’t get away from Dawlish the town, but assume Dawlish is a writer/or character. COD to a clever clue (too clever for me).
2. Leaflet – circular. Meadow (LEA), anagram (to be worked) of LEFT.
3. Cue – signal. Copper (CU) on (E)minence.
4. Thrash – party – it was a good thrash/bash. Nonsense (TRASH) written around hotel (H).
5. Raise Cain – cause a commotion. List (RAISE), one (I) inside prison (CAN).
6. Basis – first principle. I (I) put into singer (BASS).
7. Tie down – fix. Match (TIE), in advance (DOWN – put £100 down – as an advance payment).
11. Stevenson – novelist. Extreme letter of (S)hor(T), church service (EVENSON)g – without the last letter (curtailed).
12. Faculty – university department. About (C) to enter wrong (FAULTY – as in logic).
14. Special – memorable. Anagram (resort) of IS PLACE.
15. Puppet – dummy. (P)op, up (UP), favourite (PET).
17. Night – darkness. Anagram (confusing) of THING.
18. Away – apart. A (A), street (WAY).
21. Err – sin. English (E), bishop (RR).

36 comments on “Quick Cryptic 821 by Tracy”

  1. This felt hard at the time, although at 7:37 I was a couple of minutes faster than yesterday. 10ac certainly looked like an anagram clue, but I needed most of the checkers to see it. LOI 7d, which I put in from checkers; I never did see how DOWN worked. DNK THRASH, but. I especially liked STEVENSON.
    1. Loved the Stevenson clue. This reminded me of a previous boss who thought he could get staff in early and late for meetings which he called by these church services. Pompous git he was too. I said I would attend Easter service. Excellent puzzle and took about 15m. Thanks Tracy and blogger
  2. Nodded off mid-solve but probably spent most of 10 minutes on the puzzle. Wasn’t sure of the parsing at 7dn but my version tallies with our blogger’s so I feel confident about it now.
  3. Maybe not in the correct mood?

    And 12d. About = C ?
    That is a new one on me.

    Got solicitor but couldn’t see why. Thanks blogger.

  4. Interrupted but the best part of an hour, I am not on Tracy’s wavelength.

    Last few were Father, consequences, Stevenson and faculty.

    Couldn’t see why naturally was artless but clear now. Dnk party = thrash.

    COD faculty

  5. Absolutely raced through this until I was left with only 5dn and 16dn. We’ve had RAISE CAIN before, but I made the mistake then as I did today of not being able to get RAISE HELL out of my mind, so that took an age. A DNF because of 16ac. I was never going to get it. I’ve vaguely heard of the game, but consequences = ends is quite tough for my liking. So, after thinking I was onto a PB, a grinding halt in the end. Learnt that issue = children from these crosswords, had never heard of that before. Gribb.
  6. Grrrr – had literally instead of NATURALLY, so 11D had me utterly flummoxed. I found today hard again. Licit for proper in 1A was a new one for me, and I still can’t see how “in resort” is an anagram indicator (14D). And how is “ru” a game?! Got AMATEUR from anag of “team” but ru? Am I missing something? Hope someone can enlighten me for when it comes up again.
  8. Ah, I see now. I’ll remember those for future reference! Thanks 🙂
  9. Today’s clues include a layman, priest, clergyman, vicar, eminence and bishop, together with church and church service. All rather pious for me! A good test this morning with few write-ins and some very clever clueing. Thanks to setter and blogger.
    GeoffH 5’15”
  10. This was a massive DNF for me – about a third of clues solved and the rest just meant nothing to me. My worst performance since starting the QC. Since no one else has reported particular problems I guess I am just not on the wavelength today. Pexiter.
    1. I agree with you as I only managed about half. Totally off wavelength.
      CSky
    2. Agreed……..found references and word plays closer to 15×15. After an hour had about 2/3rds complete and had to concede. I usually complete in 30-40mins, not fast by others standards, but I rarely DNF.
    3. Have to admit I only got halfway through. Worst performance on the QC for a while, but I’ve struggled on Tracy’s puzzles before.

      Some new ones for me (probably not for experienced solvers):

      RU for game? Why Rugby Union? Why not proper football or snooker or tiddly winks for that matter…

      Issue being a double definition for problem and children. The first one yes, but children? Am I missing something??!!

      Bass for singer?

      RR for bishop?

      I must write some of these down otherwise I will never progress….

      DR31

      2. Bass for singer is among soprano alto tenor baritone etc.
        RR for Bishop is short for Right Reverend.
  11. Took 12:13 for this one with several clues taking longer than usual. Had to write the fodder for 10a down before seeing it. 7d, 16a, 12d and 4d all made me ponder! Thanks Tracy and Chris.
  12. A monumental 24 minutes for me today after a really boozy weekend, and that was after seeing 10a from the definition, before seeing the anagram. Hopefully tomorrow will be better.
  13. You’re not alone! Very disappointed with my (non) performance today, too.
  14. Some toughies today for me e.g. 12a 16a . FOI 1a LOI 7d COD 11d. Had to interrupt my solve but needed to see it afresh to get 13a to biff 7d. I guess nearly in total 120 minutes! – that might allow some people to feel better… I’m just happy to have finished.
  15. Tracy should not be setting qc, puts me off trying to learn as it’s clearly much harder than every other day. I will skip hers in future and find some other paper puzzle to enjoy.
    2. She is a he, by the way, just to add to the confusion. . . Invariant
  16. I found that very hard – I started it at 8.45 this morning and finally completed it at 6.30 this evening over several sittings (no idea of a time, but definitely over the hour mark). The top half was fine but I couldn’t make head or tail of the SW. Finally getting 12a opened things up and my mind blanks over 12d and 19a disappeared. LOI 16a involved an alphabet trawl.
    Time to go and lie down for a bit to recover
    1. Don’t take this the wrong way, but I’m glad to hear you found it so difficult. It took me ages as well, and I only carried on because I was determined not to DNF on a Tracy QC. One of the hardest ones this year imho. Invariant
  17. PB for me at 28:38 had everything apart from 10ac and 11 down after 15 mins.
    must be a wavelength thing
    DaveG
  18. Solved during two shortish rail journeys-about 10 minutes out and the same again or less back.
    LOI was Consequences ; did not know the game but meaning was clear. 4d held me up until Thrash occurred to me; have heard it used to describe a party.
    COD 14d David
  19. Solved during two shortish rail journeys-about 10 minutes out and the same again or less back.
    LOI was Consequences ; did not know the game but meaning was clear. 4d held me up until Thrash occurred to me; have heard it used to describe a party.
    COD 14d David
  20. 9:30 – about 50% longer than average first thing this morning. I must be rather bleary eyed, I thought, but I see I’m not the only one who found it harder than usual. I enjoyed the ecclesiatical theme. A bit of an intermediate level between a standard quickie and the main 15×15, so a good test for those looking to step up, I think. If you had to struggle, then you are not alone so don’t despair. Think of it as enduarnce training – sometimes you have to persevere to get there. Thanks Tracy and Chris.
  21. Trying to teach ourselves crosswords so still getting to grips with some of the definitions. We have managed a few but found this one just over the top trying to hard to be sneaky? I will avoid those from Tracy in future, recently some have been fabulous, we are averaging one in 3 finishers but we are getting better.

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