Quick Cryptic No 1023 by Pedro

A lovely little QC this morning from Pedro, taking me less than 10 minutes to solve, so my best time for a while, but full of interesting stuff.  Following yesterday’s discussion of first letter abbreviations started by Nick_the_Novice in his blog, there are plenty of examples here – and after the first couple, I coined the term HOLA! to describe them in honour of Nick – see 18a for the first use.

I continue to look for interesting facts about the numbers that I blog, but I fear I am destined not to find much with numbers ending in 3.  The best I can do here is to point out that 1023 is the smallest number made up of four different digits!

There is a potential NINA in the fifth row of the grid, but probably accidental.

My word of the day (WoD) is ABOUT FACE and my clue of the day (CoD) is 20a.  Interesting to see if you all found this easier than usual, and thanks to Pedro for an entertaining but gentle work out.

Across
7  I make assessment, providing cross (5)
IRATE – I (I) and RATE (make assessment) to provide that sort of cross, as in angry
Flattens designs (4,3)
LAYS OUT – Double definition, the first with a number of possible interpretations, such as how a pugilist might lay out (or flatten) his opponent, and the second referring to laying out a design or sketch.
10  Not too bright about location of Taj Mahal? Here’s a plan (7)
DIAGRAM – DIM (not too bright) around (or about) AGRA, the city location of the famous marble mausoleum in India
11  Dismissal involves 50 becoming careless (5)
SLACK – SACK (dismissal) includes L (Roman numeral for 50)
12  Improving electrical safety after new close shave (4,5)
NEAR THING – EARTHING is a way to improve electrical safety, after N{ew}.
14  Agreement, heading off item of legislation (3)
ACT – The agreement is a {p}ACT from which the heading (first letter) has been removed
15 See odd parts of Ghent (3)
GET – Odd letters from G{h}E{n}T.  See and GET are synonymous in expressions such as ‘get / see the joke’ or ‘get / see the point’.
16  A fight expert comes round following reversal (5-4)
ABOUT-FACE – A (a) BOUT (fight) and ACE (expert) come around F{ollowing}.  F is a legitimate abbreviation for following according to my online Chambers, and is another example of the first letter abbreviation controversy that was discussed in yesterday’s blog.  ABOUT-FACE will be familiar to anyone who has drilled on a parade ground, where it is a common drill command ‘inviting’ military personnel to make a 180-degree turn, or a reversal.
18  Rocketry experts taking line regarding nose (5)
NASAL – The rocketry experts are NASA taking L{ine} – another of those pesky first letter abbreviations.  I just did a check, and according to Chambers, every single letter in the alphabet (A through to Z) is a legitimate first letter abbreviation for something, in many cases for several or many things.  In tribute to Nick_the_novice who raised this yesterday, I am going to coin the term HOLA! (Harrumph Opening Letter Abbreviation) to describe these from now on (if I remember)!
20  Lose lustre: rather like small mountain lake? (7)
TARNISH – A TARN is a small mountain lake, and something that is rather like that might be described as being TARN-ISH.
22  Poison distributed in scare (7)
ARSENIC – Our first anagram of the day, indicated by ‘distributed’ of [IN SCARE]
23  Relative giving vague directions, perhaps, losing last two (5)
UNCLE – Giving vague directions might be described as UNCLEAR.  Lose the last two letters as instructed to give the name of a close relative.  The ‘perhaps’ is there because there are other ways of being unclear other than giving vague directions.

Down
1 Meeting might not proceed before locating this ulterior motive (6,6)
HIDDEN AGENDA – A cryptic definition
What may prevent you seeing waterfall? (8)
CATARACT – Double definition, the first posed as a question.
Look equal (4)
PEER – Classic two-word double definition, obeying Rotter’s First Law of Cryptics – two-word clues are nearly always double definitions (there are exceptions that prove this law).
4  Man I arranged to host first of London University’s ex-students (6)
ALUMNI – Anagram (arranged) of [MAN I] containing (hosting) first letters of L{ondon} U{niversity}.
Vision certainly accepted by rowers (8)
EYESIGHT – Certainly is YES and this is accepted by (inside) EIGHT,  An EIGHT is a name given to a team of rowers in an eight-oar boat (as in the annual boat-race between Oxford and Cambridge)
6 Bright star, one seen at Stratford, on the rise (4)
NOVA – The river at Stratford is the AVON (hence Stratford-upon-Avon, birthplace of William Shakespeare), which is reversed to give the name of a transient astronomical effect that causes the sudden appearance of a bright, apparently new star.
Assume command, putting an end to game of roulette? (4,3,5)
TAKE THE WHEEL – Cryptic clue – if one took the wheel being used, any game of roulette could not continue without a replacement
13  Hard splitting dog and Siamese here? (8)
THAILAND – H{ard} (a legitimate HOLA!) splitting TAIL (dog, as in the transitive verb sense of to dog or to tail) and AND (and).  Siam is a formerly used exonym for THAILAND, whose people are still referred to as Siamese in some quarters.
14  A bit of plumbing in church?  If absolutely necessary (2,1,5)
AT A PINCH – A (a) TAP (bit of plumbing) IN (in) CH{urch}.  AT A PINCH is an expression meaning ‘in case of a necessity or emergency’.
17  Sudden movement in operations to make lenses (6)
OPTICS – The sudden movement is a TIC inside OPS (operations).  OPTICS is the science of light, or the plural of OPTIC, an old name for a lens, telescope or microscope
19  Call for help over feeling less than well? (2-2)
SO-SO – Call for help (SOS) followed by O{ver} (yet another HOLA!).  If feeling less than well, one might describe one’s condition as SO-SO.
21  King exiled in decisive battle (4)
ROUT – R (king, another HOLA! this time from the Latin R{ex}) and OUT (exiled).
 

26 comments on “Quick Cryptic No 1023 by Pedro”

  1. I learned TARN from Poe’s “Fall of the House of Usher”, and I doubt that I’ve ever come across it since, other than in a cryptic or two. But TARNISH was rather nice.
    On HOLAs: Surely we want to distinguish between legitimate abbreviations (R for king or queen, say, or L for line) from dubious Chambersisms (like T for town); it’s only the latter that should provoke a harrumph. 4:36.
    1. When I researched ‘T’ for ‘Town’ the other day it wasn’t to be found in Chambers, but I tracked it down eventually in COED and ODE/ODO which say that it’s restricted to use in the names of sports teams and give the example ‘Mansfield T’. Of course I know virtually nothing about sport, but nobody who does has come forward so far to say they are aware of this abbreviation, hence the justifiable (in my view) ‘harrumph’ on that one.

      Edited at 2018-02-08 05:46 am (UTC)

      1. After doing today’s 15×15, I Googled the town I’d put in for one clue, and was amused to find on the same page a couple of entries for ‘XXX Town F.C.’; not T.F.C. Harrumph.
        1. Quite! And I hope no-one is going to suggest that what you found sanctions F as an abbreviation for ‘football’ in crossword puzzles.
            1. FA for Football Association is absolutely fine and it’s in all the usual sources. One of its other meanings may be disallowed on grounds of decency unless its referring to the euphamism Fanny Adams.

              The question you asked is also absolutely fine as we’re here to help, but the point at issue that led to this discussion was actually about single-letter abbreviations.

              Edited at 2018-02-08 10:13 am (UTC)

      2. Via Google Images, I found some football results from 1945, possibly from the Daily Telegraph, that show several examples of T=Town (Chelsea fans might want to avoid clicking): https://mohn2.livejournal.com/3659.html Granted, it might be nicer to have some examples from more recent history but at least it does look as though the abbreviation existed at some point.
    2. For me, it was “Ulalume”:

      It was hard by the dim lake of Auber,
      In the misty mid region of Weir—
      It was down by the dank tarn of Auber,
      In the ghoul-haunted woodland of Weir.

  2. 7 minutes for this very enjoyable offering. Fans of ‘I’m Sorry I Haven’t A Clue’ will recognise that TARN-ISH (rather like small mountain lake) has been lifted from the Uxbridge English Dictionary. On the potential Nina, perhaps the setter is paying tribute to the man who drove the fastest milkcart in the West?
  3. 23 minutes so it proves wine the night before does help.

    Dnk cataract is a large powerful waterfall, but with all those A’s and the generous first part of the clue it went in with confidence.

    Some very nice clues: near thing, tarnish, nova and COD hidden agenda.

  4. Usually what happens when I get off to a flying start is that I start to get cocky and then come to a crashing halt. It’s called hubris.
    Not today though. Like our illustrious blogger my best time for a long while too – smashing the 5 minute barrier, so definitely on the Pedro wavelength.
  5. Delighted. This is the first QC I have ever completed correctly straight off. 22 minutes. Daily attempts and these excellent blogs have introduced me to the pleasure of that dopamine hit as a clue drops into place.
    1. Congratulations Semper, I am sure the first of many. Keep going and improving and you can change your name / handle to ‘sempre finendo’.
  6. In this year, Llywelyn ap Seisyll, King of Gwynedd, departed this mortal coil. Rotter, I’m amazed you didn’t recall this, shame on you! (Big wink!)

    Nothing to scare the horses today. Thanks as always to setter and blogger.

    4’25”

  7. No problems here, with IRATE leading the field and AT A PINCH bringing up the rear in 6:54 with 20 seconds spent looking for typos. I didn’t find any. Liked TARNISH. As a regular visitor to Scotland, I’ve seen a few tarns. Thanks Pedro and Rotter.
  8. A very enjoyable 10 minutes spent on this with 12, 16 and 20a all bringing a smile to my face. My heart sank on reading 10a (LOI) as I have a complete mental block on remembering the location of the Taj Mahal, regardless of how many times I hear it or read it. Fortunately once all the checkers were in place it was hard to get wrong.
    Thanks Rotter and I like your HOLA idea.
  9. After 1d got me off to a flying start, progress became a bit more difficult. 13d and 16ac both required careful consideration of the cryptics to solve, and LOI 3d was a very frustrating 5 mins hold up at the end. Any references to Tarn(s) always remind me of driving along the river of the same name in France – very pleasant providing you don’t mind being stuck behind the inevitable coach or two, as overtaking is very difficult. Around the 30 mins mark, thanks to 3d, with 16ac my favourite, a nose ahead of 12ac. Invariant
  10. but only because 2 and 6 eluded me!
    COD: 12 (& 16), I’m not sure we see this type of clue/answer often in a QC?
    LOI: 6 … my head was stuck in London not the Midlands.
    thanks Pedro & Rotter.
    Carl
  11. Today’s 15×15 is worth a go – the four answers with 10 letters are gettable, and give a very good start. Invariant
  12. To all newbies – I apologise for the brag. I was a newbie once too and if you ever complete in 5:38 you’ll also, probably, feel like letting people know. Got 1dn and the grid just kept filling in – finishing in the SE. Not a harrumph in sight (or hearing?) here!
  13. 10 minutes for me today but I forgot to return to 6d where I had pencilled in Nora with a question mark. She’s a star in my eyes but the wrong answer for this clue. My FOI was 19d so I took a minute or more to get going . After that quick for me. LOI was 2d. Perfectly good puzzle.
    I had time to look at today’s 15×15 which I thought relatively straightforward for any of the experienced QC solvers. David
  14. The QC has been a bit weird recently and far too easy even for beginners. Well done Pedro, that was a model QC in my humble opinion
  15. In binary 1023 = 11111 111111, a repunit. Clearly this isn’t prime as there are factors 11 and 11111, but the largest known prime, written in binary is 77232917 1s

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