Quick Cryptic No 3054 by Teazel

Author   DoofenschmirtzPosted on Categories Quick Cryptic

 

I whizzed through this in 7:02, putting this well into my fastest 10 times. I was this close to the never-achieved “perfect solve” (all the acrosses in order, then all the downs in order), but I couldn’t see SURPRISINGLY on my first visit, so that put an end to that hope.

The problems started when I came to write the blog. I had successfully biffed three clues that I then had trouble parsing and/or explaining: MAD HATTER, LABRADOR and VAIN. Looking forward to seeing whether I missed anything.

Definitions underlined, synonyms in round brackets, wordplay in square brackets and deletions in strikethrough. Anagram indicators italicised in the clue, anagram fodder indicated like (this)*.

Across
7 Swap  skilled occupation (5)
TRADE – Double definition
8 Age range for retirement? Exit is arranged before start of summer (7)
SIXTIES – (EXIT IS)* + [start of] Summer
10 Clothes become old, stuff to throw away (7)
GARBAGE – GARB (clothes) + AGE (become old).
11 Let down by large debtor (5)
LOWER – L for large + OWER (debtor)
12 Member of Tea Party’s implied threat? (3,6)
MAD HATTER – Ooh, the lesser-spotted Reverse Cryptic!

MAD HATTER could be a clue for THREAT that would be parsed as MAD being the anagram indicator and HATTER the fodder. I’m not sure what “implied” is doing for us in the clue, I think the clue works just fine without it.
14 One has a blade, decapitating wild pig (3)
OAR – bOAR (wild pig) [decapitated]
15 To some extent ignore conjunction (3)
NOR – Hidden in [to some extent] igNORe.

It took me a moment to remember what a conjunction is.
16 Splits up  unmatched clothing (9)
SEPARATES – Another double definition
18 Offered pound for hammer (5)
GAVEL – GAVE (offered) + L (pound)

I had a slight eyebrow twitch at “gave” = “offered”, but then “he offered no resistance” came to mind.
20 Moving about USSR, Scotsman perhaps used this? (7)
RUSSIAN – (USSR)* + IAN (Scotsman perhaps).

All Scotsmen not called MAC are called IAN in Crosswordland. The answer refers to the Russian language.
22 Doctor, highly talented but not good, failed to settle (7)
DRIFTED – DR (doctor) + gIFTED (highly talented)[without the G for good].
23 Turn round using wide part of foot (5)
WHEEL – W for wide (from cricket and shoe sizes) + HEEL (part of foot).
Down
1 Adjusted damages agent effectively arranged (5-7)
STAGE-MANAGED – (DAMAGES AGENT)*
2 Dog found briefly in experimental area (8)
LABRADOR – I think all that is going on here is that LAB is the common abbreviation for LABRADOR and for LABORATORY.

I’m not 100% convinced of that parsing, but I can’t see any other word play here.
3 Put money on a second-class mark (4)
BETA – BET (put money on) + A (from the clue).

Despite having attended Oxford, I’ve never actually been in a class where Greek letters were used for grades. Perhaps if I hadn’t been doing a science degree…
4 Feature of derelict apse and court (6)
ASPECT – (APSE)* + CT (abbreviation for Court, as in street names)
5 Scout’s former partner given new role in public relations (8)
EXPLORER – EX (former partner) + (ROLE)* in PR (public relations).
6 Compete against women’s opinion (4)
VIEW – VIE (compete), next to [against] W for women’s.

Alternatively, you could construe VIE as “compete against”, but I like my parsing better.
9 Grumpy about power increasing, curiously (12)
SURPRISINGLY – SURLY (grumpy), containing [about] P for power and RISING (increasing).
13 Unqualified, having unchecked power (8)
ABSOLUTE – A double definition, and a good description of … no, I’m not going there.
14 Gave general idea of unpopular policy decision to begin with (8)
OUTLINED – OUT (unpopular) + LINE (policy) + Decision [to begin with].
17 Cut carefully round advertisement for row of shops (6)
PARADE – PARE (cut carefully) containing [round] AD (advertisement).
19 Conceited and idle (4)
VAIN – double definition, the second as in “a vain hope”.

I’m not really happy with the example I’ve given there, but I need to get this blog published!
21 Sons have scattered (4)
SOWN – S for sons, + OWN (have)

77 comments on “Quick Cryptic No 3054 by Teazel”

  1. 2d Labrador. For this to work Lab has to be where experiments happen, and the dog is expanded from Lab IMHO, so I agree with DearHector above.
    3d Beta. I was never graded alpha beta etc at Uni but doing Mech Eng I was told in no uncertain terms to memorise the Greek alphabet or I would get lost. It has stood me in good stead in the taverna and in crosswordland but not anywhere else.
    Thanks to Teazel and Doofenschmirtz

  2. 20:35

    Grrr – LOI ABSOLUTE brought me home to the SCC.
    The grid opened up when taking pen to paper revealed STAGE MANAGED but then slowed again in the South.
    As others, biffed MAD HATTER, knew it had to be LABRADOR but, imho, the clue doesn’t work.

    Thanks to Teazel and Doofenschmirtz

  3. I struggled with this so I’m a bit disappointed that a lot of others found it easy. It took me 26 minutes and there was a fair bit of biffing involved. I couldn’t/didn’t parse MAD HATTER, LABRADOR, SURPRISINGLY or VAIN. I wasn’t sure about ABSOLUTE either – there doesn’t seem to be any word play involved, just a couple of synonyms. I think it’s fair to say that I didn’t really enjoy this very much.

    FOI – 8ac SIXTIES
    LOI – 21dn SOWN
    No COD as nothing stood out for me and I found several of the clues rather unsatisfactory.

    Thanks to Teazel and especially to Doofers for the blog.

  4. From LABRADOR to RUSSIAN in 8:01. didn’t parse RUSSIAN or SURPRISINGLY. Thanks Teazel and Doofers.

  5. 8.53 I found this harder than yesterday’s and I had to come back to all of the NW. I never did parse LABRADOR or MAD HATTER. Thanks Doofers and Teazel.

  6. Completed in about 15 minutes. Didn’t understand 2d but it was obviously LABRADOR and didn’t parse 9d but obvious now!! Spelt VAIN with an E just to keep up my recent record of DNF’s!! Thanks Teazel and Doofers.

  7. 9:40. this was harder than it should have been given others’ times. I didn’t particularly enjoy the style but I don’t think there was anything unfair in there. Maybe just not on the setters wavelength…. Many thanks to both,

  8. A confession – I subscribe to the on-line version of the Telegraph, as I find aspects of it useful.
    Today they have published an elementary guide to cryptic crosswords. Probably too basic for QC solvers.

  9. My fastest Teazel ever I think, but at 13:58, only by three seconds. Liked GAVEL and WHEEL. Thanks Teazel and Doofers.

  10. Another DNF, I’m having a dreadful week. Few clues I got from the checking letters and couldn’t figure out the wordplay. I was quite proud though that I could figure out the wordplay for MAD HATTER though. Thank you for the blog 😁

  11. I found this about average timewise – perhaps I struggle less with Teazel than I used to. I liked MAD HATTER, even if it was an easy spot, and was pleased to realise that it was a reverse anagram, which I often find very difficult to see.
    Like Jack, I always try and parse before I move on to the next clue, try being the operative word! Today I failed because like so many, I couldn’t quite parse LABRADOR; also RUSSIAN, although the answer couldn’t be anything else. VAIN didn’t cause too many problems though.
    It’s been a busy couple of weeks, and no time to post, but I have enjoyed keeping up to date with everyone, even if it was just before bedtime! I am surrounded by stuff for the charity shops, so 10a is especially meaningful 🤣
    10:12 FOI Sixties LOI Absolute COD Garbage
    Thanks Teazel and Doofers

  12. Very pleased to finish a Teazel in just 22 minutes, which is definitely fast for me. However, I had to rely on some slightly educated biffing to keep the pace going. STAGE MANAGED, LABRADOR, VAIN, ABSOLUTE and MAD HATTER all went in with fingers crossed as I wasn’t sure of something or other in each clue.

    My FOI was SIXTIES and my LOI was DRIFTED. Overall, a good day.

    Many thanks to Doofers and Teazel.

  13. 11:20 SURPRISINGLY was my favourite. Like others I was slow to see how the definition worked for RUSSIAN and how to account for the RADOR in LABRADOR.

    1. It is now 12 hours or so since the Doof posted the blog and as far as I can see nobody has yet been able to account for RADOR so you are not alone.

      1. I think the clue has been explained well by both Quadrophenia and DearHector.

        1. Would “Experimental area found briefly in dog” be an acceptable clue for LABORATORY?

  14. Teased by the clues for Absolute, Mad Hatter and Labrador. But this QC seemed quick enough. Thanks all.

  17. Our 10:42 was not nearly as fast as many of you (albeit still faster than our average) though we shared the experience of struggling to parse an unusually large number of clues. MAD HATTER was not one of them but LOI SURPRISINGLY was – we’d given up worrying about it by then and chose to let the blogger explain. Thank you, Doofers! Enjoyed the workout nevertheless so thanks also to Teazel.

  18. 15 mins…

    Still no idea what is going on with 2dn “Labrador” – but it couldn’t be anything else. The rest seemed fairly straightforward.

    FOI – 7ac “Trade”
    LOI – 22ac “Drifted”
    COD – 21dn “Sown”

    Thanks as usual!

  19. 5:43 for me with plenty of biffage so thanks Doofers for taking the time to explain!

  20. Sorry, but I still don’t get the MAD in 12a. Would welcome enlightenment!

    1. It’s a reverse anagram, so an anagram indicator is required and in this case that’s MAD. Think of it the other way round, if the clue were ‘mad hatter’ the answer would be THREAT.

  21. 23 minutes of hell.

    I don’t get on with this setter’s puzzles and today was no exception.

    I still fail to understand MAD HATTER or LABRADOR, but perhaps that’s because I have no talent whatsoever for this. Explanations are not required.

    If that was easy, there’s no point in me doing these infuriating puzzles. There’s no enjoyment to be had being this bad.

  22. 11 minutes after golf.
    LOI TRADE which I had to think about several times.
    Like others wondered about LABRADOR and RUSSIAN.
    Right level for a QC.
    David

  23. 20ish min solve. But feel unhappy with so many unparsed answers. Got Lab but where did rador come from? Why does a Scot speak Russian? And does Absolute = Unqualified?

    Thanks Doof for the brave blog and Teazel for so many great clues as well

    1. Think of the “with a quibble” meaning of “qualified”, as in “a qualified yes”, and then “unqualified” – without a quibble – works as a synonym for “absolute”.

    2. Re RUSSIAN: I got the wordplay easily enough but struggled with the definition at the time! I hesitate to suggest it’s a semi &lit, as these things can be very elastic, but I feel it’s the nearest I could get to understanding the clue.
      USSR is being moved about, ie it’s an anagram, giving you RUSS, plus a Scotsman. The ‘perhaps’ is guiding you towards a definition by example. In this case he’s IAN, but he is quite often Mac 😅 I guess Scotsmen might have spoken RUSSIAN (used this) when visiting the USSR!
      Hope I’m not teaching the proverbial grandmother how to suck eggs!

  24. 13.42 – any time under 15 is a Very Good Time for us. Has been an good crossword week in our small world. Partially biffed -VAIN and RUSSIAN. MAD also in before fully parsed – thank you for explanations in blog and in comments.
    Liked a number of the clues, eg SURPRISINGLY, though now much better informed, COD MAD HATTER
    Thanks to Teazel and Doofenschmirtz

  25. I spent over 90 mins on 15 x 15 and was still 3 short. I am beyond incompetent! Snitch just 82. How anyone can do these puzzles is beyond me.

    2 hours today on cryptic crosswords. Appalling performance. ☹️☹️☹️☹️☹️

  26. Just for the record, 7:25 today. Couldn’t understand the RADOR part of 2dn but now I see today’s blogger must be right.

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