Quick Cryptic No 374 by Hurley

Author   piquetPosted on Categories Quick Cryptic
Hurley usually gives us a nice balanced puzzle with some good anagrams and this one is no exception. I ran through it in five or six minutes ending with 12d; should have been an easy clue but I was hung up on famous Sorchas before the PDM. We’d already had two hidden words and I wasn’t expecting another one.

Across
1 LIMERICKS – LIME = tree, RICKS = haystacks, def. sources of humour?
6 DUE – DUE(L) = contest, shortened; def. proper, as in ‘due consideration’.
8 MONSTER – M = male, (NOTES)*, R; def. one who’s cruel.
9 ABATE – Def. become less intense; sounds like A BAIT = a temptation.
10 LONSDALE BELT – (A BLONDE TELLS)*, def. fighter’s award.
12 CONVOY – CO = company, then initial letters of Not Very Organisd You, def. escort in transit.
13 DESIGN – DE = Ed(itor) reversed; SIGN = write one’s name; def. plan.
16 ABBREVIATION – (BAR IN BOAT I’VE)*, anagrind ‘adapted’, def. UK, say.
19 SHORE – SH = quiet; ORE(BRO) = brother leaves; def. coast.
20 PASSAGE – ASS = fool inside PAGE = messenger; def. journey.
22 SLY – Alternate letters (intermittent) of SuLkY; def. deceitful.
23 SCRAPHEAP – SCRAP = fight, HE = fellow, AP = Dad (Pa) rebuffed; def. tip.

Down
1 LAMB – LA = the in French, MB = doctor; def. innocent (person).
2 MONSOON – M(ay), ON SOON = shortly, def. rainy season.
3 ROT – Hidden word in O(ROT)UND, def. nonsense.
4 CORRAL – Insert R and R (Republican and right) into COAL = fuel; def. enclosure.
5 STATEMENT – STATE = California perhaps, MENT sounds like MEANT = intended; def. account.
6 DRAKE – D = daughter, RAKE = garden tool, def. old navigator.
7 EVERTON – EVER = always, TON = 100, def. team, not the same since Mr Moyes departed but still capable of causing us a problem.
11 SMOKELESS – SM = sergeant major, OK = fine, E = english, LESS = lower in rank, def. in such a zone.
12 CHASSIS – Hidden word in SOR(CHA’S SIS)TER, def. frame. I was thinking Cusack and missed it at first.
14 IRON AGE – Insert O NAG = old horse into IRE = anger; def. period.
15 KIPPER – (S)KIPPER = captain decapitated, def. fish. Manx kippers, yum.
17 BOOTY – Another hidden word, reversed this time, in LORR(Y TOO B)RAZEN; def. stolen goods.
18 PEEP – Palindrome, def. look.
21 SUP – Initial letters (‘leads to’) Some Unexpected Problems; def. drink.

16 comments on “Quick Cryptic No 374 by Hurley”

  1. I think–I’ve already forgotten–that I ran through the acrosses without a solve, but the downs yielded quickly. I was lucky not to know the name Sorcha, which called my attention to the hidden, a kind of clue I can be quite slow to pick up on. My LOI was 10ac: I knew that a boxer is awarded a belt, but had never heard of LONSDALE. 7:30.
    1. 8 minutes. Count me as another whose last in was CHASSIS having been distracted by the Irish name in the clue. As someone with very little in interest in sport (other than tennis) and none whatsoever in boxing I was mighty proud of myself for biffing LONSDALE BELT on the strength of the ‘O’ checker and the enumeration (8,4). I don’t know how I ever became aware of such a trophy but I suspect it was long ago in the days of “Our ‘Enery”.
  2. I normally find Hurley’s puzzles quite chewy but found this one on the easier side. First in was LONSDALE BELT and for once spotted all the hiddens quite quickly. Last in SKIPPER/PASSAGE.

    Favourite CHASSIS.

  4. I too found the downs easier, but maybe because I had some crossers in from acrosses first. I liked 16a and 2d. 6:28
  5. Just to add to discussion elsewhere: since the new format of this blog the icon linking to comments page now only works if you hold on to it long enough to display the drop-down menu which includes Open or Open in New Page, either of which will resolve.

    Philip

  6. I finished all of this excluding 1d in one sitting. I find the number of abbreviations for doctors absolutely infuriating as I seem incapable of keeping track of them all. Eventually chucked ‘lame’ in for 1d, which I sort of knew was wrong. Could someone please remind me what MB stands for. Many thanks.
    1. Apologies for the rant! – I assume it’s Bachelor of Medicine or something like that.
  7. I know it’s been said before but please don’t feel the need to make the Quick any harder. I suspect there are plenty of newbies out there, like me, who take substantially longer than 5 minutes but enjoy the process just the same.
    Thanks
    1. Fully concur: I take much longer than single digit minutes and, as I have said before, whilst I truly (really) admire those who can solve the QC in single digit times, PLEASE do not make the QCs harder. Once I can get my times regularly under 20-30 mins I might move to the 15×15 but the time I spend on the QC each day is fine for now. Thanks again for all the bloggers who produce the blog without fail and sometimes (from their comments) in quite difficult circumstances. The vast pool of us QC newbies really appreciate your efforts.
  8. I solved this steadily and my sports GK is much better than rivers and plants (see yesterday’s river cruise with flora).Lonsdale Belt first in.
    I was having trouble with a couple of clues having written in (rather hastily with hindsight) Smokefree. Once that was corrected I completed it.LOI was Kipper. Not good on fish.
    I am now going to look up Sorcha;have never heard of her.
    David
  9. I solved this steadily and my sports GK is much better than rivers and plants (see yesterday’s river cruise with flora).Lonsdale Belt first in.
    I was having trouble with a couple of clues having written in (rather hastily with hindsight) Smokefree. Once that was corrected I completed it.LOI was Kipper. Not good on fish.
    I am now going to look up Sorcha;have never heard of her.
    David
  10. The way this is blogged how does one account for ‘possible’? I think it’s soon [= shortly] after M [start of May] on [= possible]. At least I think so.
  11. Seem to be getting worse at QCs…
    Would have given up ages ago if it wasn’t for the lovely bloggers.
    Thank you.

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