I started this one at breakneck pace: the first four went in at first glance and I thought I might be on for a very fast time. Then things slowed down to a more normal pace, and I finished in 11:11 which I’m happy with both as a time and aesthetically. This is below my average time.
As I wrote the explanations, I became conscious that there were no extraneous words in any of the clues. Not one. Well played Hurley, that can’t have been easy.
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 | |
| 1 | Argument against transit changing is limiting factor (10) |
| CONSTRAINT – CON (argument against), plus (TRANSIT)*. | |
| 8 | UK phase revamped in major change (5-2) |
| SHAKE UP – (UK PHASE)* | |
| 9 | Extremely clear fool is grossly insensitive (5) |
| CRASS – First and last letters of C |
|
| 10 | Place to hide, leafier, regularly visited (4) |
| LAIR – every other letter [regularly visited] of L |
|
| 11 | Trust nice earl abroad (8) |
| RELIANCE – (NICE EARL)* | |
| 13 | Is able to broadcast in French film festival resort (6) |
| CANNES – Sounds like [broadcast] “can” (is able to).
“French film festival resort” only brought one thing to mind for me, and it was the right answer. |
|
| 14 | Again peruse repeated Religious Education promotion (6) |
| REREAD – RE (Religious Education) twice [repeated], then AD (promotion). | |
| 17 | Duck nurses English child not drinking? (8) |
| TEETOTAL – TEAL (duck) contains [nurses] E for English and TOT (child). | |
| 19 | Young deer to show slavish devotion (4) |
| FAWN – A double definition. | |
| 21 | With tips on decor, copy curtain (5) |
| DRAPE – Outer letters [tips] of D |
|
| 22 | Three attempt to embrace home computing (7) |
| TRINITY – TRY (attempt) containing [to embrace] IN (home) and IT (information technology: computing). | |
| 23 | Decisive play at Wimbledon? Secure Cup? About right (3-7) |
| TIE BREAKER – TIE (secure), plus BEAKER (cup) containing [about] R (right). | |
| Down | |
| 2 | Acclaim some innovations (7) |
| OVATION – hidden in [some] |
|
| 3 | Appear to notice Mike (4) |
| SEEM – SEE (to notice), M (Mike, in the NATO phonetic alphabet). | |
| 4 | Sword originally received as present is excellently rated (6) |
| RAPIER – first letters [originally] of all the words after “originally” in the clue. | |
| 5 | Willing daughter supporting popular Conservative policy (8) |
| INCLINED – D for daughter below [supporting] IN (popular), C for Conservative and LINE (policy). | |
| 6 | Prepare series (5) |
| TRAIN – Another double definition, the second as in a “train of events”. | |
| 7 | Dominance can end, say campaigners at first, animatedly (10) |
| ASCENDANCY – (CAN END SAY C I didn’t parse this one while doing the puzzle: just worked it out now as I’m writing the blog. |
|
| 8 | Worry, being alone, sick at heart to be put inside (10) |
| SOLICITUDE – SOLITUDE (being alone), with the middle two letters [at heart] of I had to do some research to convince myself that “solicitude” can work as a synonym for “worry”. The first online definition is “care or concern for someone or something”, and it isn’t that big of a step from “care or concern” to “worry”. But my first reaction was “hold on, can that be right?” |
|
| 12 | Fuel reek, one’s frantic (8) |
| KEROSENE – (REEK ONES)* | |
| 15 | Not straightforward, bringing up the visa vexatiously to some extent (7) |
| EVASIVE – Hidden [to some extent] backwards [bringing up, as this is a down clue] in |
|
| 16 | Preview kitchen item, missing nothing (6) |
| TASTER – T With _A_T_R as the crossers, I needed an alphabet trawl for this. Fortunately, when I got to C the word “coaster” came to mind, and from there I was able to jump over D-S and get to “toaster”. |
|
| 18 | Praise former partner, a little tentatively initially (5) |
| EXALT – EX (former partner), then the first letters [initially] of A L |
|
| 20 | Support first-class Verdi opera (4) |
| AIDA – AID (support), A (first-class). | |
5:22
I biffed CANNES, TEETOTAL, TIE-BREAKER, & SOLICITUDE. ‘Verdi’ was hardly necessary in 20d; ‘opera’ (4) is going to be Aida ((5)=Norma).
I started slowly but sped up. Some of the answers aroused suspicion by their simplicity – Cannes, really? I was a little annoyed I could not see constraint at once, but it was easy enough when I had the checkers. I finished by biffing rapier, only to discover post-solve that it had a very simple cryptic.
Time: 8:00
4:13. Agree that this was an exemplar of a Quick Cryptic.
I also hesitated over 8dn, but for me it was “ah, so that’s what SOLICITUDE means”.
Thanks Hurley and good blog Doof. You should put your feet up after an 11:11.*
* (obscure cricket reference warning).
Really obscure! Something to do with a Nelson?
10 minutes. Very enjoyable. Another here who didn’t know what SOLICITUDE meant.
Couldn’t nut out TASTER for preview so a DNF in 11.21. Nice QC, thanks to Hurley and the Doof.
Two main hold ups, I has AI for first class so I was torn between AIDA and ‘dias’ – both fitted the definition but I couldn’t parse either. TIEBREAKER made the choice for me and thanks for Doofers for the parsing. Also couldn’t think of any kitchen items once none of the cutlery fitted I froze, even thinking of whacking in ‘raster’ didn’t help me make the leap from ‘roaster’ to ‘toaster’. Got there in the end with a groan. All done in a not quite sub-10 but with a wierd R in the middle of both shRke up and ovRtion. That’s a three key typo – probably not my record but impressive.
Agree, just right for a Quick Cryptic. No quarrel with any of the clues and rolled in at 14.48 (well below average for me). Thanks Doof and Hurley
Like our blogger I started at a gallop and then slowed, especially on the right hand side. For some reason RELIANCE took an age to emerge, and I needed the N from it to unlock TRAIN (very slow to see series = train). But my LOI, and biggest hold-up, was TASTER; that took a long letter search and pushed my time out to 13:57. But all done and a fine puzzle.
Many thanks Doofers for the blog.
I felt as though I made hard work of a fairly gentle offering and I’m another who had no idea what SOLICITUDE meant, but fortunately the wordplay was clear.
Started with SHAKE UP and finished with TRINITY in 6.58.
Thanks to Doofers and Hurley
Another person burnt in the Toaster as I couldn’t get Saucer, which I knew was wrong, out of my head.
Lots to like and more than a smidgeon of Bif and Parse.
COD INCLINED. 22 min for par solve.
Thanks Doofers and Hurley
Add me to the “quick then slow” roster. Double triple check the number of As in ASCENDANCY; is it faun or FAWN; finally see RELIANCE/TRAIN; and then stare at -A-T-R for a bit. In the end I cracked it by mentally walking round my kitchen naming the objects, ah there’s the toaster, highly skilled methodology.
Lovely puzzle, COD to TRINITY for using “home computing” instead of “sex”, all done in 06:43 for a Good Day. Many thanks Doofers and Hurley.
Had to enter the kitchen mind palace myself. Roaster? Coaster? Toaster.
A really satisfying QC, without overly obscure vocabulary or GK. The way others instantly twig clues that I struggle with, and vice-versa is a constant source of fascination. How similar and different we all are ! Many thanks setter and blogger.
9:13
I was slow to see CONSTRAINT, despite the fact that I used to give lectures on optimisation techniques, including the distinction between objectives and constraints.
LOI was SOLICITUDE.
Thanks Doofers and Hurley
Perfect level of challenge, methinks. Just shy of 18mins.
Echo everyone else’s comments. All green in 7:43 for me.
Thanks all
I agree with many previous comments, too. A fine puzzle, well-pitched but with chewy and satisfying bits. 13 minutes for me with TASTER my LOI. One it two were bifd but having looked at them more carefully post-completion, the parsings all dropped out for me. Thanks to Doofers for the authoritative answers.
My CsOD were SOLICITUDE and TRINITY.
Many thanks to both. I wish more QC setters could hit the spot like this.
09:37
Loi SOLICITUDE, I just know that 1. It’s a word, 2. I dont know its meaning 3. Its different from the more common Solitude