Quick Cryptic No 344 by Flamande

Author   piquetPosted on Categories Quick Cryptic
Unable to solve ahead because the URL number was not in sequence from yesterday’s, I tackled this in bed on waking and had hardly begun my tea and toast before finishing it in 5 or 6 minutes. It’s at the shallow nursery slope end of the mountain, with a nice mix of clue types, no obscurities, a good work-out for a novice at cryptics.

Across
3 SHARP – S = small, HARP = musical instrument, def. note.
7 PRIEST – PRIES = asks many questions, T = end of sacrament, def. cleric.
8 AJAR – Double definition; partly open, a container. When is a door not a door?
9 TERRAPIN – Insert P = quietly, into TERRAIN = ground; def. reptile.
10 TASK – T = little time, ASK = demand, def. something to do.
11 NELSON’S COLUMN – Mandela’s = Nelson’s, regular newspaper spot = column, def. a capital feature.
15 SPILL THE BEANS – Double definition, one literal, one meaning ‘own up’.
16 KILT – KIT = set of clothes, insert L for large, def. skirt.
18 BLUEBELL – BLUE = unhappy, BELL(E) = beauty queen maybe, cut; def. flower.
20 HEAR – (HARE)*, anagrind ‘jugged’, def. try, as in court case.
21 RESIST – Hidden word in CHART(RES IS T)ERRIBLE; def. weather, as in bear.
22 YIKES – Alternate letters (odds missing) of mY sIcK pEt’S; def. Gosh!

Down
1 FREEZE-UP – Def. very cold spell, sounds like FREES UP = is liberating.
2 BEAR – BEAR(D) = whiskers being trimmed, def. put up with.
3 STEP ON IT – (IN TOP SET)*, anagind ‘after revision’, def. make quick progress.
4 AMEN – The last word, hidden in L(AMEN)TATIONS.
5 PASTILLE – PAST = sort of tense, ILL = unwell, E = start to eat, def. throat lozenge.
6 DAIS – DA = US Lawyer, IS, def. platform.
12 SOLITARY – (ROYALIST)*, anagrind ‘struggling’, def. lone.
13 CHEQUERS – Double definition, one a board game also called draughts, one a mansion.
14 MINDLESS – Def. ill-considered; if you reduced baby-sitting commitments, you’d MIND LESS.
17 IDEA – (IDEA(L) = perfect, almost; def. concept. A crossword chestnut.
18 BOOK – Obvious double definition.
19 BUST – Another double definition; bust = broken, bust = work by sculptor.

5 comments on “Quick Cryptic No 344 by Flamande”

  1. Very much on the easier side but enjoyable. 11a was a write in but it made me smile. Last in was KILT. Favourite PASTILLE with the sort of tense.
  2. A gentle stroll for me too. Fuuny to see the terrible weather in Chartes and a Freeze Up with the sun beating down here all week. 5d my favourite too.
  3. I agree that this was a good QC for those new to the game – and 14d kept me occupied long enough to spoil my chance of a new PB. A pleasant end to a testing week. Invariant
  4. A nice gentle end to a pretty tough week in QC land. I think I spent as long on my LOI (14d) as I did with the rest of the clues put together. Complete doh moment when I finally got it.
  5. Like others I found this relatively straightforward solving it in one sitting.
    Initially I put in Careless at 14d but I quickly realised my mistake. LOI was 7a as I searched my brain for obscure ranks of cleric. David

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