Good morning, and today we have a puzzle by Hurley. He was the very first setter that I blogged, and I have always enjoyed his puzzles, but I found this one more chewy than his usual fare, with a number of the clues needing considerable thought and some of the GK stretching the “G” element a bit as far as I was concerned. Fortunately there were enough slightly simpler clues for me to get a foothold, and after that, perseverance eventually paid off. But the clock showed 14:27 when I entered the last answer.
So in the end quite a work-out. But the clues are all fair, and I enjoyed the struggle, so thank you Hurley! How did everyone else get on?
Definitions underlined in bold italics, (abc)* indicates an anagram of abc, ~ marks insertion points and strike-through-text shows deletions.
| Across | |
|---|---|
| 1 | Dull walker (10) |
| PEDESTRIAN – A straightforward DD to start us off, and always a great boost to one’s morale to get 1A straight away. And most helpful too when it is a 10-letter word! | |
| 7 | Religious group in command (5) |
| ORDER – A second DD, with the religious group being, for example, an order of monks or nuns. | |
| 8 | Notices about religious instruction TV programmes of a kind (6) |
| SERIES – SE~ES (notices) surrounding RI (religious instruction), with the surround indicator being “about”.
I rationalised the definition here to myself by thinking of TV programmes “all of the same kind” forming a TV series when shown together, but it is a little clunky perhaps, and I suspect it is driven by the need to make the surface make grammatical sense. |
|
| 10 | The Spanish female — mischievous one (3) |
| ELF – EL (“the” in Spanish) + F (female). Did anyone else see female and think that the form of the definite article we needed was LA? | |
| 12 | Sweetbrier, say, worker put in row (9) |
| EGLANTINE – EG (say) + L~INE (row) containing ANT (worker), the inclusion indicator being “put in”.
Tough if you don’t have the GK to know Eglantine. Doubly so for me as I didn’t have the GK to know Sweetbriar either. I got it eventually from all the checkers, but I had my fingers crossed that it was a real word when I put the answer in. |
|
| 13 | Item of clothing a rocker initially features in number (6) |
| SARONG – A (from the clue) + R (Rocker “initially”, ie first letter) included in S~ONG (number).
I got the AR quite quickly, but then soon realised that none of the 4-letter numbers (FOUR, FIVE, NINE or even ZERO – question for the mathematicians, is zero a number?) was going to help me, so I had to think more laterally what number was required. Luckily SARONG was known to me, indeed I even possess a few from my time living in the Far East, so the search was not too long, but I wonder whether it is actually that general a piece of GK. |
|
| 14 | Talk next after thoughtful teacher explains reasoning at the outset (6) |
| NATTER – Formed from the first letters (ie “at the outset”) of Next After Thoughtful Teacher Explains Reasoning. | |
| 17 | Worker in finance more confident after rate adjusted (9) |
| TREASURER – (rate)*, the anagram indicator being “adjusted”, + SURER (more confident). | |
| 19 | Mat for you — pleasing finally (3) |
| RUG – Formed from the last letters (ie “finally”) of foR yoU pleasinG. | |
| 20 | Appearance of wise person after six (6) |
| VISAGE – VI (six in Roman numerals) + SAGE (wise person). | |
| 21 | Copper starts to pour pensioner a drink (5) |
| CUPPA – CU (chemical symbol for copper) + PP (first letters or “starts” of Pour Pensioner) + A (from the clue). | |
| 23 | Reporter I confused with English collection of pieces (10) |
| REPERTOIRE – (reporter I)*, the anagram indicator being “confused”, + E (English).
Pieces here could for example refer to musical items a musician can play. |
|
| Down | |
|---|---|
| 1 | Pity about sides of radio writer’s disposition (10) |
| PROPENSITY – P~ITY (from the clue) containing RO (sides of, ie first and last letter of, RadiO) + PENS (writer’s).
I found this a difficult clue, not least because (a) I was looking for a synonym of Pity, whereas it was staring me in the face and to be used unchanged, and (b) I am never sure when a clue has, for example, “writer’s”, whether one should include the S in the wordplay or not. But the checkers were helpful on this at least! |
|
| 2 | Failure just the same after revolution (3) |
| DUD – “Just the same after revolution” implies we are looking for a palindrome, and DUD fits the bill nicely! | |
| 3 | Theatre expert’s sudden rise — one not finished (7) |
| SURGEON – SURGE (sudden rise) + ON (one “not finished”, ie with the last letter deleted).
Once again, as is so often the case in Crosswordland (see for example clue 23A in the very last QC I blogged, two weeks ago – QC 3279 by Alex), the theatre required is a hospital operating theatre. |
|
| 4 | Favourable outcome in Ulster ground (6) |
| RESULT – (ulster)*, the anagram indicator being “ground”.
Technically of course, a 0-5 thrashing is still a “result”, but in colloquial usage, “to get a result” always implies a positive one. |
|
| 5 | Media pronouncement containing something offering protection (5) |
| APRON – A hidden, in mediA PRONouncement, with the hidden indicator being “containing”. | |
| 6 | Adroit, me? Making changes, I may achieve agreement (8) |
| MEDIATOR – (adroit me)*, the anagram indicator being “making changes”. | |
| 9 | Regret road works — making progress? No! (10) |
| RETROGRADE -(regret road)*, the anagram indicator being “works”.
This is the meaning of Retrograde that indicates a return to a worse state, a reversal of progress or a backward-looking approach. Note though that in astronomy, Retrograde describes planetary motion that looks reversed or contrary to the normal forward path round the Sun: it arises when the combination of the orbits of the planet in question and our own on the Earth makes the planet appear to move backwards in the sky. They are however still “making progress” in their celestial journey round the Sun. |
|
| 11 | Blacksmith’s place beginning to test computers etc? Out of the question! (6,2) |
| FORGET IT – FORGE (blacksmith’s place) + T (beginning to, ie first letter of, Test) + IT (computers etc). | |
| 15 | Chop up endless tropical fruit (7) |
| APRICOT – (tropica)*, with the anagram indicator being “chop up”, and the anagram material being Tropical with the last letter deleted (ie “endless”).
A nice lift-and-separate as we have to divorce tropical from fruit – apricots are not tropical fruits. |
|
| 16 | Novelist concerned about the environment, we hear (6) |
| GREENE – Sounds like GREEN (concerned about the environment), with the homophone indicator being the standard “we hear”.
Graham Greene (1904-1991) was an English writer and journalist regarded by many as one of the leading novelists of the 20th century. Many of his novels explored the conflicting moral and political issues of the modern world, though I’m not aware that he was particularly an environmentalist per se in his approach to life. |
|
| 18 | Put on for period (5) |
| STAGE – A DD, though it took me time to see period = stage. But one can say of someone’s situation at a given time that it is “at that stage/period in his life”. | |
| 22 | Character from Athens visible from steep hill (3) |
| PHI – A hidden, in steeP HIll, with the hidden indicator being “visible from”.
Very definitely a biff-then-parse once I had the initial P; there are only three Greek letters (ie “characters from Athens”) starting with P, being pi, psi and phi, and pi is too short and psi does not parse at all. |
|
I’m glad someone else found this harder than usual for Hurley as I certainly did. I’ve no idea why though, as I happened to know the most difficult word in the grid, EGLANTINE – not as “sweetbriar”, but when the word started to emerge from wordplay and checkers I recognised it.
20 minutes.
Snookered by sweatbriar although I should have probably been more patient otherwise a complete solve in about 40 minutes. Ant was there to be deduced from the xNx…
Did people find Friday’s QC particularly hard or was that just me? Blog was down but I’ll go back to look…
Yes a real toughie. SNITCH oscillated around 150-160 for most of the day.
Thank you.
Zero is a digit, whether or not its a number probably depends on which dictionary you are reading. What is more its invention about 4000 years ago is absolutely essential to our current numbering system. If you say 123 what that actually means is one one hundred. two tens and three. The numbers that we use today just wouldnt work without the 0, to say e.g. 103 is one hendred, no tens and three.
Well done for the (almost) finish.
Thank you
As our blogger points out, I think there’s a problem with ‘writer’s’ in the clue for PROPENSITY as if it’s supposed to be taken as ‘pens’, then the apostrophe isn’t needed. But, I’ll be interested to hear others views.
Only unknown for me was EGLANTINE but the wordplay was helpful. I mangled to see the four long ones straight away which helped and everything else was pretty much a write-in, which doesn’t happen often, so I was quite pleased.
Thanks Cedric and setter.
I think the wordplay for PROPENSITY leads to PEN’S not PENS, but of course you don’t show apostophes in the grid.
Yes, I was looking at writer as author, but I suppose you could have something like ‘the pen’s on the table’. Thanks
The apostrophe is silent, as so often it is!
From DUD to REPERTOIRE in 8:25. Brain seemed foggy today as I had to write down the anagrist for several clues before solving them. Thanks Hurley and Cedric.
I found this fairly easy at first then slowed down considerably with the last few. After seeing APRON, I changed Columbine to EGLANTINE which I had VHO. PDMs with SURGEON and SARONG. LOI RETROGRADE – belatedly realised it was an anagram.
Solved 1a and 2d quickly. Also liked NATTER. CNP APRICOT.
Graham GREENE is one of my favourite writers despite his PROPENSITY to belittle his female characters.
Thanks vm, Cedric.
4:34. LOI SARONG. I couldn’t have told you what a sweetbrier looked like or what it might also be called, but I knew EGLANTINE and the wordplay helped. Thanks ever-reliable-Hurley and Cedric.
I studied Maths at university, I can confirm that zero is definitely a number, though, as you said Cedric, not useful in this crossword!
I also found this tough, it took me over 16 minutes. I managed to put EGLANTINE in, thinking I had constructed that word previously in a crossword but not knowing what it, or sweetbriar, were. I just thought, “one of those flowers / shrubs / trees / plants that I never remember that come up from time to time in crosswords to annoy me”.
I, like our blogger, overcomplicated a few clues, including 1d. Unlike our blogger I didn’t see the obvious DD at 1ac (it was my LOI), which probably held the solve up a lot.
Thanks Hurley and Cedric.
I know a bank where the wild thyme blows,
Where oxlips and the nodding violet grows,
Quite over-canopied with luscious woodbine,
With sweet musk-roses and with eglantine:
There sleeps Titania sometime of the night,
Lull’d in these flowers with dances and delight;
Midsummernight’s Dream
Thank you, I was wondering how I knew the word and this may well be where I first encountered it.
Me too
Well done CW, glad it’s not just me who has a mind full of bits of the Bard!
I often wish my ageing brain would concentrate on the essential rather than the random!
I knew I’d heard it, somewhere. Sixth form drama club. Thank you, CW1.
I found this a real struggle, although not as tough as yesterday.
Things would have been easier if either of the 1s had gone in early but both required most of their checkers before I saw what was going on. I’m another Sweetbriar/ELGANTINE novice so that was also a challenge.
Started with SARONG and finished with APRON in 10.22.
Thanks to Cedric for the blog and Hurley for the workout.
Just inside target at 14:15 and much enjoyed.
The 1s took a while which made the NW the last area to be completed but for once I remembered the theatre/surgeon link and everything fell into place.
No idea how I knew EGLANTINE but I did and I really liked NUTTER.
Thanks both.
A tough QC. I was slow to gain any momentum but it all took shape over time and I liked quite a few of the clues. I guessed my LOI EGLANTINE on the basis of checkers.
Overall, I rather enjoyed it and was greatly relieved to avoid the SCC (19.28) after a largely horrible week.
Thanks to Hurley and Cedric.
Despite again missing out on 1ac/d, I ended up making good progress around the grid and eventually a few checkers allowed Pedestrian (of course!) and Propensity to slip into place. I can only say that, after yesterday’s Tilt Saga, an unexpected sub-20 for a Saurday Hurley was more than welcome.
Eglantine was a vho at best, but the cryptic was pretty clear, as was the parsing in general across the grid, so I don’t entirely share Cedric’s ‘chewy’ rating for this one.
CoD to Apricot for the bluff. Invariant
Well, I did find this easy, as I biffed eglantine after reading the first word of the clue…well, I did have the initial E from the chestnut surgeon. I got retrograde from astronomy, and I actually am the duly elected treasurer of my village tax district. The only delay was having to write down the letters for repertoire, but then I saw it at once.
Time: 6:28
Some good examples of misdirection today which led me astray:
– the ‘number’ in SARONG is not a digit (or an anaesthetic)
– the ‘say’ in EGLANTINE is part of the answer not a type indicator
– most frustratingly the ‘pity’ in 1d is not a synonym but is in the answer after all.
Fun to work out though and added to the pleasure of completing this quite tricky puzzle which took around 30 minutes.
Thanks Hurley and Cedric
9.37 RETROGRADE and REPERTOIRE were tricky anagrams. I’d vaguely heard of LOI EGLANTINE and needed the wordplay to nail the spelling. Thanks Cedric and Hurley.
16 mins…
A good end to the week. Only issue was 12ac “Eglantine” – it rang a bell, hence the completion, but I’m still none the wiser what it, or Sweetbrier, actually are. I’m guessing a plant of some kind.
FOI – 4dn “Result”
LOI – 13ac “Sarong”
COD – 15dn “Apricot”
Thanks as usual!
Well finally go to throw in the towel after about 18 months. I have to accept that crosswords and me don’t mix. Really thought I was getting somewhere after a year but over the last few months they seem to just be getting harder. Some days it feels like 2 15*15.
The blogs have been great as an aid, so thanks to the bloggers.
Sorry to see you go. I sympathise with your views. I have done the QCs since no. 1 and have seen my solving times increase substantially in recent months (and years, to be honest).
I don’t think it is entirely down to brain atrophy – the QC simply ain’t quite what it used to be.
Setters take justifiable pride in their ingenuity and imagination but it seems to me that, consciously or not, they are competing one with another to too great an extent. Unfortunately, some of our more expert solvers are not satisfied with the challenges of the 15×15 but are often happy to get their (additional?) daily ‘fix’ from super-fast times here as well. I don’t think they all find it easy to balance the needs of the community as a whole. It is not good enough to simply point slower solvers to the Concise Crossword or to the exit.
I am not sure where relative beginners (and solvers who are not members of MENSA) are supposed to find their feet any more. I, and others, have said this on many occasions on this blog but to little effect. The last few weeks have been getting gradually tougher apart from honourable setters like Trelawney who understand what a Quick Cryptic is.
I have felt like you from time to time but have always soldiered on for the pleasure of the better QCs and for the comradeship and support on this excellent blog. Unfortunately, quite a few former contributors to the blog have dropped off the radar and this is a pity. Of course, you could always stay and join us lone voices in calling out to the setters who consistently overstep reasonable limits.
Sorry for the long post but I am sincere in what I say.
Good post (as usual), but to be honest I think the setters are on a hiding to nothing when it comes to the QC. It has to be both an introduction to this game for newbies and a stepping stone for those who want to move onto the 15×15. It’s hard to see how both groups can be accommodated.
PS There is of course a (large) third group: those who just want an enjoyable challenge, a touch easier than the 15×15 🙂
Perhaps have a three tier system? The standard 15×15, the 13×13 (rather than the Quick Crossword) which acts as the stepping stone and a new, introductory one.
Appreciate that finding that level is not easy and, whilst some people just don’t take to cryptics, a lot of it is down to patience and learning over time the rules, tricks and common usages.
Completely agree – I quite like toughies like this one, they are like salt. Small amounts are nice but an all salt diet isnt.
Well put!
Thanks for the encouragement. I have never been interested in a race but just wanted something I could do in about 30 or less. That has become increasing impossible and more frequently I have a DNF. I appreciate the setters have a hard time, but it seems to me the serious solvers are just interested in speed so they don’t mind the hard ones.
I think the editors should realise that the whole purpose of a QC is to get new blood, instead it is increasingly becoming a turn off.
Still I might dip in and out occasionally just to add another lone voice.
Once again, I agree with what you say.
You might try Oink today (QC 3292, Monday). Not exactly a doddle but a fair workout with some satisfying PDMs.
DNF. Didn’t get the double def at 1ac, so after too long staring at my last 4 gave in and used aids to get a synomym for dull. After which 1d, 2d and 7ac dropped in. I caved in after 45 mins. Which is nearly twice as long as yesterday.
FOI Elf
LOI Dnf
COD Apricot
Thanks Hurley and Cedric
Another really nice chewey one
You mentioned the new Times game of word hunt which is just a guessing game, I programmed my computer to play it every morning, not bad, 2 diamonds 10 golds and 3 silvers. There is another new game called picle which I think is more interesting https://www.thetimes.com/puzzles/quizzes-and-teasers/picle.
Thanks Hurley and Cedric.
I have a 100% diamond history in Word Hunt, having played it exactly once and been lucky.
So has Cedric. I got another diamond today, but, as you say, it is just a guessing game. I assumed that there would be some skill in that it would always be a reasonably common word, but they had Targe a couple of weeks ago that put paid to that!
Well, going by some of the other comments, that was an auspicious first crossword in our new house (we’ve just moved). 8:55, which is a good deal faster than our average. It was fingers crossed for APRICOT, which we hadn’t properly parsed, though there seemed little other option given all the checkers. Thanks, Cedric and Hurley.
9:03 for the solve for the Quitch. It seems my experience was somewhat different to that of others as I felt like this was the first ‘proper’ QC I’ve faced in a while. Bolted through most of it in seven mins and then held up by PROPENSITY. My time was somewhat slowed by writing out the anagrams for REPERTOIRE, RETROGRADE, APRICOT and horizontalling the propensity checkers.
NHO sweetbrier but eglatine has come up at some stage before so I was able to get it from the checkers. Maybe I lucked into the right frame of mind and being accustomed to Hurley being one of the longterm setters.
Anyway a decent result to go along with my first sub-22 parkrun in three years – putting me in for 31:01 parksolve.
Thanks to Cedric for his extensive blog (as always) and to Hurley
An enjoyable workout in 20.25 with all parsed en route except for STAGE, where I didn’t spot the DD, so just biffed it. Top hat and sarong Cedric? Quite a look!
Indeed. But not at the same time …
David Beckham famously wore a SARONG during the 1998 World Cup so yes, I’d say that that’s very G GK!
I thought that that was an immaculately judged QC (as one might expect from such an experienced setter) and finished it a little below average in 06:52. LOI by a distance was APRON, at which point I firmly kicked myself because missing a hidden is criminal!
Many thanks Hurley and Cedric (and John and the tech crew).
@JamesEd46, a sad day at Holker Street …
Just under half an hour. Moderately tricky, but nowhere near Friday’s offering. I had to write out the letters of the long anagrams, and needed most of the checkers too. Good fun.
Done in three stages, the last of which was a day late and, astonishingly, I bucked the trend above by finished in a faster than average time (for me) – 26 minutes.
EGLANTINE was a NHO, so it went in with fingers crossed. NATTER was my LOI, but I toyed with bAnTER and pATTER for a minute or two before spotting how the clue worked.
Thanks to Cedric and Hurley.
11:03, with EGLANTINE fished suspiciously out of the stagnant backwater that passes for my memory. Having had a couple of pints I was perhaps a bit biff-happier than usual.
Thank you for the blog!
Eglantine is ridiculous knowledge for a quick cryptic, how would anybody who isn’t a horticulturist know that?