Quick Cryptic 964 by Wurm

Author   CuraristPosted on Categories Quick Cryptic
Sorry this is a bit late. I managed to fat finger my nearly-completed blog into oblivion, and had to do it all again. Interesting puzzle today, providing a few examples of the double definition and &lit forms. Nice surfaces throughout. Managed to get one wrong, but time came in at just over 7 minutes.

Across
7 Capital H for church district (6)
PARISH – PARIS + H
8 World University managed by American (6)
URANUS – U + RAN + US
9 Giant making some progress (4)
OGRE – hidden word: prOGREss
10 Heater that’s cooler for car (8)
RADIATOR – double/cryptic definition
11 Greek character in short time creates shrine (8)
MONUMENT – MU inside MOMENT
13 Pirate shot by cricketer (4)
HOOK – Double definition. Captain Hook is the pirate. A hook shot is played with a horizontal bat to a short-pitched delivery at head height, into the on side where it is usually caught at deep backward square, thus costing the batsman his wicket. On one occasion it cost the batsman his life
15 Somewhat insane Roman? (4)
NERO – hidden word, and an &lit (whole clue is the definition): insaNE ROman
16 Ringo roused worker maybe in the dark (8)
IGNORANT – Anagram (‘roused’) of RINGO + ANT (worker)
18 One may react with surprising malice after church (8)
CHEMICAL – anagram (‘surprising’) of MALICE after CH
20 Culminating point of month in service (4)
ACME – Now, I got this wrong, rushing it. Month is M, service is ACE as in tennis. ACME is the manufacturing company in the Looney Tunes cartoons where Wile E. Coyote was a frequent customer. I saw ‘service’ and had A and M, so I bunged in ARMY. Like an idiot.
21 Mother keeps silver with note in bottle (6)
MAGNUM – MUM with AG (silver) and N inside
22 Whence gold that is associated with scripture? (6)
ORIENT – another &lit. We three kings from orient are, etc. also OR (gold) IE (that is ) NT (New Testament, scripture). Nice

Down
1 Morgan pranged against English tree (8)
MANGROVE – anagram (‘pranged’) of MORGAN + V (against) + E (English)
2 Period hard to recall due to insanity? (4,3,2,4)
TIME OUT OF MIND – cryptic definition
3 Explosive cavalry assault (6)
CHARGE – double definition
4 Expert‘s witticism spoken in French (6)
PUNDIT – PUN (witticism) + DIT (French for ‘spoken’)
5 Soldier on airplane ordered to carry hot gear (13)
PARAPHERNALIA – PARA (soldier) + anagram (‘ordered’) of AIRPLANE + H (hot). Whenever you see an american spelling in the clue you can bet it is an anagram. Paraphernalia used to mean the property of a married woman, derived from the greek for ‘beside dowry’
6 Amount to nothing in Japanese sport (4)
SUMO – SUM (amount to) + O
12 Badger in range occasionally (3)
NAG – Alternate letters of iN rAnGe
14 Oily formulation spilled on mitten (8)
OINTMENT – Anagram (‘spilled’) of ON MITTEN
16 The writer joins cool firm for salary (6)
INCOME – IN (cool) + CO (firm) + ME (the writer)
17 Victorious flag officer in the hold (6)
NELSON – Double definition. Horatio Nelson was Victorious, commanded the flagship HMS Victory, sent a famous flag message to his fleet, and only had one arm so they named a wrestling hold after him.
19 Old banger worth little has top missing (4)
HEAP – CHEAP minus C (top missing)

14 comments on “Quick Cryptic 964 by Wurm”

  1. A relief to finish in 9 minutes today, 1 under my target after three days of failing to achieve this. I had some hold-ups along the way so there was always some doubt that I would. Leaving aside ‘Loony Tunes’ (although I enjoyed the reference) ACME is also: The highest point; the point or period of perfection. [from Greek].

    This is only Wurm’s fourth appearance having previously set for us in June, August and October. All his (?) puzzles have been on the easier side apart from one clue (1dn in puzzle 890), a double definition that baffled me for ages and pushed my solving time to 17 minutes.

    Edited at 2017-11-17 08:44 am (UTC)

  2. “Cold Irons Bound” came up on the playlist just as I came back around to 2d, saving me from another terrible time

    Pretty good puzzle, I thought at the time, and this was after completing today’s 15×15, which was excellent. Uranus and Nero were my favourites

  3. I got very held up trying to find an alternative word for paratrooper before it eventually clicked. That made my answer for 20a, which was Cima, wrong, which was a shame as I thought it was a good answer, even if not an English word. 27 mins.
  4. For the longest time the only 4-letter pirate I could think of was Kidd, which made 5d all the harder to come up with; like Ant45 I could only think of ‘paratrooper’. Never thought of Wiley C., nor, I suspect, did the setter. 7:58.
  5. I thought that was a marvellous puzzle, very witty and inventive. Great fun to solve. Many thanks to Wurm, please set more!

    Too many good clues to list but I thought ORIENT was simply brilliant for the way that the clue makes sense both overall and at the micro level. Superb.

    Once HOOK went in I started writing PARACHUTIST … and then realised it was too short … much head scratching ensued!

    I read ACME as the definition being simply “culmination” (not “culmination point”), with M being “point of month” rather than month.

    Thanks to curarist, especially for the Greek dowry

    Templar

  6. An enjoyable puzzle that almost caught me out like our esteemed blogger. I had ARMY in 20a, but as I did a quick proof read, a nagging doubt that I hadn’t been able to fully parse it made me think again and I saw ACME with a smile as I remembered Wile E and Road Runner. Bee-Beep! Our run of car parts continues. Wonder how they’ll clue synchromesh. FOI was PARISH and LOI TIME OUT OF MIND. 8:35. Thanks Wurm and Curarist.
      1. I don’t remember that one, but I do remember the ACME Rocket Launcher. He was always going to come to grief with that:-)
  7. Paraphernalia, got there I’m the end. The trouble I had trying to remember how to spell my FOI with no checkers was nobody’s business. Otherwise pretty plain sailing but some wonderfully slick clueing, COD has to be 22a with a Mention in Despatches to 1d. Thanks as always B & S.
    6’00”

    Edited at 2017-11-17 11:52 am (UTC)

  8. Just over 38mins, so not quite as difficult as the last few days but still challenging enough. The long down answers held me up the most, having never come across 2d before and, like others, going down the parachutist/paratrooper route with 5d. Thank you Curarist for the tip about the spelling. I wrote 22ac in too quickly to appreciate it fully, but on reflection it gets my cod vote as well. Invariant
  9. I still found this quite difficult, albeit easier than the last few days.
    Despite non-completion, I really enjoyed the clues and relished dipping in and out throughout the day where some immediately clicked.
    FOI Charge & LOI Chemical
    Thanks Curarist & Wurm.
  10. Did this after a rather long lunch so time taken not exact as fell asleep on train.
    However I avoided the pitfalls. FOI was Hook and LOI was Orient.
    COD to 5d for getting such a long and complicated word into the puzzle.
    About 25 minutes. David
  11. 17 minutes today but it felt harder than that time would suggest. I’m another who spent time thinking of paratroopers for 5d before realising that the definition was at the other end of the clue. Enjoyed 20a and 5d. LOI the first word of 2d.
    Thanks for the blog
  12. Haven’t heard of time out of mind.
    Thought acme was difficult clue.
    Couldn’t parse income.

    Bit of a trudge.

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