Quick Cryptic No 366 by Joker

Author   ChrisPosted on Categories Quick Cryptic
One or two tricky clues pushed this into my medium difficulty grade – 13 minutes. LOI 19dn – as the synonym of ‘explanations’ didn’t leap out at me.

Definitions underlined, cd=cryptic definition, dd=double definition, deletions CROSSED OUT

Across
1 Top after card game is a strong position in which to be (10)
&nbsp &nbspBRIDGEHEAD – Top (HEAD) after card game (BRIDGE).
8 With sufficient means to settle books (7)
&nbsp &nbspSOLVENT – To settle (SOLVE), books (NT). I would have thought that ‘resolve’ was a closer meaning of to settle than ‘solve’.
9 Victor not initially seen as spiritual (5)
&nbsp &nbspINNER – WINNER.
10 Endure explosion as the front’s abandoned (4)
&nbsp &nbspLAST – BLAST.
11 Put off about tin as a drinks container (8)
&nbsp &nbspDECANTER – Put off (DETER) around tin (CAN).
13 Bind with plaster areas getting knocked about (5)
&nbsp &nbspSTRAP – Areas (PARTS). I’m not entirely sure whether knocked about is an anagram indicator or means backwards – knocked (moved) about (back – as in about face).
14 Time perfect to return and burst (5)
&nbsp &nbspERUPT – Time (T), perfect (PURE) all backwards.
16 A body-builder getting a heavenly body? (8)
&nbsp &nbspASTEROID – A STEROID.
17 One brave seen amongst Cherokees (4)
&nbsp &nbspHERO – C(HERO)kees.
20 Instrument in sextet and a fairly late trio of Nicolai (5)
&nbsp &nbspVIOLA – Sextet (VI), Nic(OLA)i.
21 Good tinsel appearing roughly to do this (7)
&nbsp &nbspGLISTEN – Goood (G), anagram (appearing roughly) of TINSEL. Tinsel is a yarn or fabric interwoven with strands of glittering thread – glitter=glisten.
22 University head’s opportunity, register having returned (10)
&nbsp &nbspCHANCELLOR – Opportunity (CHANCE), register (ROLL) backwards.

Down
1 Herb is a man’s name (5)
&nbsp &nbspBASIL – dd.
2 Fancy welcoming prostitute up to see an etching, perhaps? (12)
&nbsp &nbspILLUSTRATION – Fancy (ILLUSION) inside which is TART backwards (up).
3 Colour — some meagre yellow (4)
&nbsp &nbspGREY – Mea(GRE Y)ellow.
4 Strong dislike of headgear by cardinal? (6)
&nbsp &nbspHATRED – Headgear (HAT), cardinal (RED). Cardinal is also called: cardinal red. A deep vivid red colour.
5 Main date turned out lively and passionate? (8)
&nbsp &nbspANIMATED – Anagram (turned out) of MAIN DATE.
6 Helpful new turnstile man (12)
&nbsp &nbspINSTRUMENTAL – Anagram (new) of TURNSTILE MAN.
7 Noah’s craft almost, twice, located in this place (6)
&nbsp &nbspARARAT – ARK, ARK, located in (AT). An &lit clue, I believe, where the word play forms part of the definition.
12 A very quiet fish is near (8)
&nbsp &nbspAPPROACH – A, PP, ROACH.
13 Staff made to eat rook are very hungry (6)
&nbsp &nbspSTARVE – Staff (STAVE) holding rook (R – chess). I’ve included ‘are’ in the definition as very hungry=’starving’ but they are very hungry=they starve.
15 Weapon in a rug unfurled (3,3)
&nbsp &nbspAIRGUN – Anagram (unfurled) of IN A RUG.
18 Whoever possesses depressant drug should be beheaded (5)
&nbsp &nbspOWNER – DOWNER.
19 Explanations sounded very sensible (4)
&nbsp &nbspWISE – Homophone (sounded) of whys as in whys and wherefores.

8 comments on “Quick Cryptic No 366 by Joker”

  1. Slowed down at a couple of places: 21ac for one, where I put in ‘singlet’, which didn’t seem right–for some very good reasons–but was the only anagrammatizing I could come up with. 6d made me rethink it. Also didn’t know that STRAP meant ‘bind with plaster’, and dithered among STRAP, scrap, strip,… 2d is rather nice, no? 8′.
  2. I found this quite hard too which may have been partly due to solving after the 15×15 and producing the blog. Did a lot of jumping about the grid and needed to visit some clues four or five times as new checkers came into play.

    Edited at 2015-08-04 05:18 am (UTC)

  3. Thought this was pretty straightforward. 1D is of course also a rat’s name…
    1. How many TV shows live so long in the memory? My first experience of anagrams was possibly the sign to the hotel which changed for each episode.
  4. Just over average for. I was slow getting on the wavelength, getting down to 17a before putting one in. 7d my COD.
  5. Another 13 minute solver here – there must be something in the air. I found myself held up by ASTEROID and WISE strangely, which should have each been easy.
  6. I hope it’s not just me, but Joker seems to have changed of late from a pleasant straightforward solve into something a lot harder. Well over the hour mark today. Invariant
  7. A rare finish for me today, with all the answers parsed to boot. On my first run through I didn’t get very far but I put it down for an hour and solved the rest quite quickly. Particularly enjoyed 2d.

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