Quick Cryptic No 414 by Rongo – pig’s feet, indeed.

Author   piquetPosted on Categories Quick Cryptic
I enjoyed this one, it only took a few minutes but it had wit and a nice mix of clue types. Well done, Mr Rongo.

On edit: It appears the alternative solution to 9a is the correct one, PEEK not PEEP; apologies, I must remember to re-enter the answers from my printout back into the online version and check the solution before I publish the blog, not just assume a ‘right’ answer is right!

D = definition, DD = double definition, ( )* = anagram fodder.

Across
1 BLOG – Insert L into BOG, D journal. Is this the first use in The Times of ‘bog’ as slang for lavatory?
4 TROPICAL – Insert R into TOPICAL. D very hot.
8 MAJORITY – MAJOR = significant, (C)ITY = urban area, delete C for cold; D the most part.
9 PEEK – Keep (maintain) reversed, D secretive look. I had PEEP until ‘anon’ and admiralskp advised it was wrong.
10 DEFEND – DEF(T) = skilful, mostly; END = goal; D what fullbacks should do.
11 PARDON – PAR = equally, DON, D ‘eh?’
12 NO GREAT SHAKES – Nice DD, one cryptic.
16 MENTOR – MEN = soldiers, T = beginning to train, OR = other ranks; D guide.
17 STINGY – STING = sharp pain, Y = last of family; D not wanting to share.
19 CAPE – (PACE)*, D South African region.
20 DURATION – (IT AROUND)*; D length of time.
21 PROSPECT – PRO = in favour of, SPEC, T; D outlook.
22 CAMP – CA = circa, in the region of; MP; D temporary quarters.

Down
2 LEAVE – LEAVE(S) = most of foliage; D go.
3 GLOBETROTTERS – GLOBE is something round, TROTTERS are pig’s feet; D we’ll have international fare. It may be an old one but I hadn’t seen it before and it made the whole puzzle worthwhile.
4 THIRD – T = first of ten, HIR(E)D = employed, excluding E; D fraction.
5 OLYMPUS – (SOY-PLUM)*; D divine home.
6 IMPERIALISTIC – IMPERIAL units are non-metric; I (one) STIC(K) = rod short; D supporting expansion.
7 ANEMONE – D flower, reversed (rising) hidden in PH(ENOMENA)L.
10 DIN – D (duke) IN (involved with), D racket.
13 OPEN AIR – (OPERA IN)*; D the outdoors.
14 ABRIDGE – A (ace), BRIDGE (card game); D shorten.
15 SHY – DD.
17 STRUT – DD.
18 GLOOM – G (grand) LOOM (cloth-maker), D depressed state.

16 comments on “Quick Cryptic No 414 by Rongo – pig’s feet, indeed.”

  1. Enjoyable solve, but not able to get a time. I was solving on tablet, and was given an error for the final ‘P’ in 9ac?
    1. It is peek. It’s not a palindrome. You reverse to get a word meaning maintain (keep)
  2. For the first time since Flamande’s puzzle on 1st October I hit my 10 minute target but it was a very close thing.

    I lost time over my last in which was IMPERIALISTIC and I had been unable to get this because I had biffed a wrong answer at 9ac putting LEER as “secretive look” coming from REEL (turn) reversed [around]. Then when I found myself stuck on 9dn I tried REEL, thinking along the same lines but that didn’t work either. “Maintain” was the key word here suggesting the palindrome but in my haste I managed to overlook it. I took another lesson in the dangers of hasty biffing in today’s main puzzle (at 7dn) which more or less doubled my solving time. I must be more careful and remember to account for every word in a clue.

  3. I can’t remember much of this, but I think I entertained ‘leer’ first at 9ac; and a peek isn’t necessarily a secretive look. But ‘maintain’ straightened me out. Biffed 6d. I liked 22ac (‘in the region of’). 6:40.
  4. Enjoyed this one but sadly I was in the PEEP 22a. Last in STRUT with favourite NO GREAT SHAKES.
  5. I considered PEEP for 9a but decided ‘turned around to maintain’ was a bad way to indicate a palindrome. Some nice clues – I enjoyed 1a for the novelty of seeing slang from my schooldays, and 8a and 10a for the neat surfaces. A little under average time for me.
  6. Must say I enjoyed 1ac. there is a traffic island in Bath with public toilets in the centre and known locally as Bog Island.
  7. Slow to start, but then they fell like the proverbial dominoes to give me only my second ever sub 30m full house (medal not required 😊). A nice end to the week. 6d my favourite today. Invariant
  8. Like others I found this enjoyable and not too difficult. I saw PEEK but took a long time to get IMPERIALISTIC-one of many good clues.
    We had Shy = Fling yesterday so it was much easier today. David
  9. Done over a cup of tea before breakfast. Nothing seemed problematic and a few were almost too easy to be entertaining. Oh dear the weekend without a quick looms. I do wish they’d include one at least on Saturday.
  11. For me this was the hardest of the week and then when I thought I’d finally finished it I found myself in the peep camp.
    Wavelengths are a strange thing.
    Plett11

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