Quick Cryptic No 419 by Flamande

Author   piquetPosted on Categories Quick Cryptic
No quibbles with this pleasant puzzle, nothing obscure, and for once I re-entered it into the online grid to check I hadn’t entered any answers wrongly.

Across
8 EXAMINE – AXE reversed, MINE = pit; D investigate.
9 BRACE – Cryptic D, hidden word in ALHAM(BRA CE)ILING.
10 THIEF – THE F(ORCE), insert I, D criminal.
11 DEVOTEE – VOTE (put cross) inside DEE (river); D enthusiast.
12 REGIMEN – REGIMEN(T) = group of soldiers, remove the T for time; D diet.
14 AT SEA – Rather weak cryptic D.
15 ASHEN – AS HEN = like female; D drained of colour.
17 MALTESE – SET reversed inside MALE (man); D from Mediterranean island.
19 SHALLOT – ALL (whole) inside SHOT (attempt); D onion-like bulb.
20 CRASH – C (Conservative), RASH (spots, as in measles); D stock exchange disaster. Well, stock market disaster, would be more accurate.
22 DREGS – DR (doctor) EG (for example) S (beginning to sip); D last of the wine.
23 ESTONIA – An anagram at last; (IS AT ONE)*. D Republic.

Down
1 LEFT – Cryptic DD.
2 RATING – Cryptic DD.
3 TIFF – TI = it turned, FF = very loud; D argument.
4 READING MATTER – READING university in Berkshire, MATTER = duller, less glossy; D stuff in library.
5 ABOVE ALL – Anagram (A LOVABLE)* indicated by ‘rogue’; D chiefly.
6 MANTIS – MAN = fellow, TIS = sit, up; D insect.
7 GENERATE – (GREEN TEA)*; D produce, [A] fresh.
12 ROADSIDE – Not very cryptic D.
13 MONA LISA – (SOMALIAN)*; D subject of famous painting.
16 HEALER – HEAR = receive information, around LE = the, French; D doctor.
18 ELAINE – Alternate (regular) letters of rEaL pAtIeNcE; D name of woman.
20 CITE – Sounds like SITE = place; D mention.
21 HEAT – DD.

12 comments on “Quick Cryptic No 419 by Flamande”

  1. Hello Pip – did anyone volunteer for blogging duty? If not, I wouldn’t mind having a go. Could you send me a message with details, please? Thanks Emma
  2. I don’t recall anything puzzling, rather a pleasant change in that respect. a couple of seconds under 4′.
  3. Yes, nice and straightforward and completed in 7 minutes for the second day after a less successful run of solves.
  4. Another straightforward one, I think. Nothing to GENERATE HEAT here (apart from down the right-hand side, of course).
  5. Quite a gentle offering I thought. Didn’t like 12d. “Strip here” = “roadside”? Bah! Rubbish clue.
  7. Normally I look for the odd clue I can solve quickly and then get down to the hard work.
    Today I read a clue and wrote in the answer and kept going until the end.A surreal experience and proof that regular practice helps.
    Thanks to Jackkt for the tip on how not to be rejected a spam. David
  8. Second one finished without aids and this in less than an hour (which is good for me) Very enjoyable. Terry
  9. Just right for me, finished with all parsed in about 45 minutes.
    I got held up by my usual spelling mistake in 10A, last one in was 20D.
    A wecome boost after the last two.

    Brian

  10. A gentle finish to the week which I finished in one sitting with no parsing problems for a change

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