Quick Cryptic No 132 by Hurley

Author   ChrisPosted on Categories Quick Cryptic
Found this pretty hard. No time for solving as done over a day walking in the Peak District with family. Wonderful views from Mam Tor.

A few clues had quite convoluted word play which, once you’ve got them are very entertaining – of course, if you don’t it’s the opposite.

Definitions underlined.

Across
1 Press car hit unfortunately — police action results (5-6)
STRIP-SEARCH – Anagram (unfortunately) of PRESS CAR HIT.
9 Furnish European with witty remark (5)
EQUIP – European (E) with witty remark (QUIP).
10 Receiver finding worker (enrolled nurse) not available (7)
ANTENNA – Worker (ANT), enrolled nurse (EN) not available (NA).
11 He watches tots caper around (9)
SPECTATOR – Anagram (around) of TOTS CAPER.
13 Bow as Biblical vessel’s mentioned (3)
ARC – Homophone (mentioned) of Boblical vessel (ARK).
14 Add enlivening quality to fall in US, say (6)
SEASON – Our last one in (LOI) – fall in US, say – is an example of one of the four seasons – this one being Autumn (FALL).
16 Hunt expedition from Mombasa far inland (6)
SAFARI – Answer is in the clue (from) MombaSA FAR Inland.
17 Make mistake recalling some quarrel (3)
ERR – This answer is also in the clue (some) but backwards (recalling) quaRREl.
18 Tommy about to persevere (7,2)
SOLDIER ON – Tommy (SOLDIER) about (ON).
21 Warning light on church hall (7)
CHAMBER – Warning light (AMBER) on (after) church (CH).
23 Pleasure trips in French cathedral city (5)
TOURS – Double definition – pleasure trips are TOURS and so is a French cathedral city. The people of the city (according to my sister and brother in law) claim to have the most true French accent.
24 A cheater he’d corrected? (4,7)
HEAD TEACHER – Anagram of A CHEATER HE’D – something of an &lit.
Down
2 Constant in genuine agreement to stop fighting (5)
TRUCE – Constant (C) in genuine (TRUE).
3 Open University participating in force? Rash (9)
IMPETUOUS – Open University (OU) is inside (participating in) force (IMPETUS).
4 Begin small pastry (5)
START – Small (S) pastry (TART).
5 Court after answer? Do something! (3)
ACT – Court (CT) after answer (A).
6 Is able to time Qatar’s core musical work (7)
CANTATA – Is able to (CAN) time (T) middle letters (core) qATAr.
7 Tenacity of sister, last to rise to top, getting in money (11)
PERSISTENCE – Sister – the last letter (R) moved to the front (last to rise) inside (getting in) money (PENCE).
8 Month (number ten) on lake for titled lady (11)
MARCHIONESS – Month (MARCH) number ten (IO) on lake (NESS – although possibly that should be loch – just been been corrected by my sister – ness means lake as in Thorpeness in Suffolk).
12 New article is down-to-earth (9)
REALISTIC – Anagram (new) of ARTICLE IS.
15 Price to go up bearing food? (7)
AIRFARE – Bearing (AIR) food (FARE). My brother in law got this word play – and well done him – bearing – as in attitude ‘when one has an air about oneself’ – one has a bearing – followed by food (FARE).
19 Generous initial contributions from London and region greatly esteemed (5)
LARGE – First letters of (initial contributions from) London And Region Greatly Esteemed.
20 Rake smuggling in good powder (5)
ROUGE – Rake (ROUÉ) in which there is good (G).
22 Education graduate’s place to rest (3)
BED – Education graduate is a Bachelor of EDucation (BED).

11 comments on “Quick Cryptic No 132 by Hurley”

  1. 10 minutes for all but 15dn and 7 minutes for that one alone – I simply couldn’t see it.
  3. Enjoyable puzzle and first one for several days where everything fell nicely into place. 15d was my penultimate with SEASON being the last and also my favourite clue.

    Chris, you have a typo in 6d, should be CANTATA.

  4. Also got stuck on 14A / 15D – found the rest reasonably OK. Took an age to get 14A, and was very disappointed not to be able to get 15D straightaway, so came here.
  5. 5 mins. AIRFARE was also my LOI and it was most definitely a clue worthy of the main puzzle. I’d swallowed the “bearing” inclusion indicator misdirection hook, line and sinker, and it was only after I decided that the definition couldn’t be “price” that I looked at the clue from a different perspective and saw the correct parsing.
  7. Can someone help me (still pretty much a novice) with 24 across. I understand that it’s an anagram but where is the clue for head teacher?
    1. I think it’s one of those &lit/semi&lit clues where the definition is in the reading of the whole clue.
  8. OK I think I see that. Presumably as in a head teacher would correct (punish) a cheater. Thanks Jack.
  9. Enjoyed this one – 8d my favourite and 7d the hardest until I had most of those across sorted. Always helpful to see how others work out the answers, so, again thx to all of you who contribute here.

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