Quick Cryptic No 312 by Rongo

Author   nick_the_novicePosted on Categories Quick Cryptic
A doff of the cap and deep bow to Rongo for an excellent puzzle. I thought this was a great example of everything a Quick Cryptic should be – no obscure vocabulary, no esoteric general knowledge required, a wide variety of clue types (particularly useful for those using the QC as a training ground for the full 15×15 cryptic), and some elegant clues and tricky wordplay to keep the more seasoned campaigners on their toes. Thank you, Rongo.

Particularly enjoyed the sorting out required for 5dn, but personal favourite was the elegant hidden in 23ac.

Definitions underlined, DD = Double Definition, anagrams indicated by *(–)

Across
1 Tee is cut from thin piece of wood, not well (4)
SICK – STICK. Thin piece of wood (STICK) with the T (TEE) cut.
3 Disability assistance I put an upper limit on (8)
HANDICAP – HAND (assistance) + I + CAP (put an upper limit on)
8 Very cruel crime varied not so much (9)
MERCILESS – *(CRIME) with “varied” as the anagrind, + LESS (not so much)
10 Companion shortened floor covering (3)
MAT – MATE (companion shortened – i.e. last letter of MATE removed)
11 West Yorkshire city is ahead according to reports (5)
LEEDS – Homophone (indicated by “according to reports”) – LEEDS sounds like “leads” (is ahead)
12 Sue pops out to think (7)
SUPPOSE – *(SUE POPS) with “out” as the anagrind
13 Fantasist turned scarlet, holding a lot of paper (7)
DREAMER – D[REAM]ER. RED reversed (turned scarlet) “holding” (wrapped around) REAM (lot of paper – 500 sheets to be precise). Research indicates that a ream was previously 480 sheets – now that’s inflation for you. Heaven knows what shady deals and politicking were needed to increase the ream thus… Much further research on “ream” is probably ill-advised
18 Collection of products chimed with English (5)
RANGE – RANG (chimed) + E (English). Straightforward but neat clue, I thought
19 Share portion with baker, having removed crust (7)
PARTAKE – PART (portion) + BAKER (crust – i.e. outside letters – removed)
20 Promised to swallow ecstasy et cetera, or a vegetable (9)
SWEETCORN – SW[E_ETC]ORN. SWORN (Promised) “swallows” E (ecstasy) and ETC (et cetera)
22 Line that is something deceptive (3)
LIE – L (Line) + IE (that is)
23 Solemn promise to Athena? Not entirely (4)
OATH – Answer hidden (indicated by “not entirely”) in tO ATHena. I do enjoy a nice hidden clue type, and I thought this was very good
24 Intellectual having half of bran in oats, say (8)
CEREBRAL – CERE[BR]AL. Half of BRAN is found in CEREAL, of which oats is an example (indicated by “say”)

Down
1 Plenty to follow small specimen (6)
SAMPLE – S (small) is followed by AMPLE (plenty)
2 Vehicle with household animal, maybe 10 (6)
CARPET – CAR (vehicle) + PET (household animal) giving what might be a MAT (answer to 10 ac)
4 What begins as getting elderly? (3)
AGE – First letters of (What begins) As Getting Elderly
5 Evaporation of fluid and ice containing thick juice and fruit (13)
DISAPPEARANCE – DI[SAP_PEAR]ANCE. SAP (thick juice) + PEAR (fruit) inside rearrangement (signalled by “fluid”) of AND ICE. Quite tricky wordplay.
6 Public land lacking refinement (6)
COMMON – DD – very neat
7 Female children’s author means to spend time in aimless activities (6)
POTTER – Another DD, with the first based on Beatrix Potter
9 Mostly provide financial cover for decent chap and rebel (9)
INSURGENT – INSURE (Financial cover minus the last letter – i.e. “mostly”) + GENT (decent chap)
12 Rascal to rip off page (5)
SCAMP – SCAM (to rip off) + P (page). Not a word one hears much these days, other than from those who also have scallywag in their spoken vocabulary
14 Wall covering scattered forces (6)
FRESCO – *(FORCES) with “scattered” as the anagrind
15 Aim under canvas? (6)
INTENT – Definition supported by cryptic IN TENT (under canvas). Very nice
16 Crew member said Lord loses every day (6)
SAILOR – SAId LORd – losing every D (day). Had not seen this trick before – ingenious
17 Show about flesh of calves (6)
REVEAL – RE (about) + VEAL (flesh of calves). A Damien Hirst production, perhaps?
21 Nothing you and I are indebted to (3)
OWE – O (nothing) + WE (you and I)

10 comments on “Quick Cryptic No 312 by Rongo”

  1. It’s all very well, Nick, to say this was an excellent puzzle, but if it was so good, why did I make a stupid error at 13ac? I rest my case. Aside from that, I did like this, especially the ones you mention: 23ac (I’m good at missing hiddens, so I was all the happier to get this one right off), 15d, and my LOI 16d. 6:35. Have we had cross-referenced clues like 2d before? I can’t recall one, but what I can’t recall would fill a book.
    1. Yes, I don’t recall a similar cross-ref type of clue in the QC before, but my recollection capability would appear to be similar to yours!
  2. 12’30”, with the long and clever 5d my last in. Mentions in despatches also for 7d and especially 19a, where I was looking for a noun. As NtN says, a good exercise for an ordinary daily cryptic. That excludes yesterday (a belter/blighter, dependign on if one finished it) and today (from 1973! – very Times Literary Supplementish).

    But, available on the Times Online site today is the second Championship qualifier, which isn’t much more difficult than this quickie. Actually, easier, in my opinion, if folks want to give it a try.

    1. Thanks – I’ll give the qualifier a bash. Found today’s hard but fair. Felt like a bit of a slog but kept at it till the end.
      1. How did you find it ? Based on completion time (the entire evening vs half an evening) I would say todays 15×15 was only half as bad as yesterday’s, but still far from straightforward. Invariant
    2. Yesterday’s 15×15 was a prime example as to why I still feel it entirely appropriate to retain my novitiate status! I can happily nail Dean Mayer’s Sunday offerings without too much trouble (although I’m probably tempting fate there) but 26102 was utterly impenetrable…
  3. Solving with a 3ac today as I retired to bed to solve this and the two 15x15s on offer today, only to find I had omitted the first four Across clues when I copied and pasted for printing. Couldn’t be bothered to get up and check on-line so I persevered without and solved (and guessed) all but 8ac in 14 minutes. Without the clue to guide me I could only think of MARTINETS for that one. Other than that it was reasonably straightforward.

    I didn’t find the second qualifier quite as easy as others have suggested as it had (for me) a couple of unfamiliar words and meanings.

    Edited at 2015-05-20 08:14 am (UTC)

  4. Rongo got this just about right for me. Didn’t fully parse 5d (I got the middle bit), but the rest was a good combination of challenges and write ins. Particularly enjoyed 3a, 20a, 24a and 16d.
  5. Took quite a long time to solve this, mostly because I couldn’t work out what some of the clues were aiming at, if that makes any sense. Still, a bit of variety does no harm. 19ac and 16d were my favourites today. Invariant
  6. Enjoyable solve and quite quick with no real hold ups. Spotted the definition in 1a early on but the wordplay beat me, thanks Nick for the parsing. Last in and clear favourite SAILOR.

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