Quick Cryptic no 42 by Tracy

Author   ChrisPosted on Categories Quick Cryptic
The link isn’t working so I found it here: http://feeds.thetimes.co.uk/timescrossword/20140506/148/
Cracking crossword, Gromit (thank-you Tracy) which I feel can be enjoyed by both oldie and newbie. It’s not the easiest (17 minutes) but it’s not as hard as yesterday’s. I really enjoyed some of the surfaces – especially 20 and 23 across. Even if (like me) you didn’t know 1dn or 22ac, I think they are ‘gettable’ from the clue and/or checkers and makes the puzzle that bit more interesting.
Definitions are underlined.

Across
1 Recovery – Picking up on insurance policy, finally (8)
On (RE), insurance (COVER) polic(Y).
5 Itch – Long letter initially ignored (4)
Aitch – without the A.
8 Franc – Is missing founder of order’s Swiss currency (5)
Founder of order – St. Francis of Assissi – (FRANCis)  ‘is’ missing.
9 Atheism – Has time abroad bringing on lack of belief (7)
Abroad is a very good indicator to make an anagram of HAS TIME.
11 Lie – Be prone to tell fibs (3)
Double definition
12 Look After – Guard to see later (4,5)
See (LOOK) later (AFTER) – possibly a double definition.
13 So What – Does it matter who naughtily took a seat outside? (2,4)
Naughtily is the anagram indicator of WHO surrounded by (outside) took a seat (SAT).
15 Stormy – Passionate tale involving maidens (6)
Tale (STORY) involving maidens (M) inside.
18 Barrister – Advocate putting obstacle across street (9)
Obstacle (BARRIER) across (around) street (ST).
19 Mar – Cause harm to planet, endlessly (3)
Planet (MARS) without the last letter.
20 Crooner – Singer, making love in corner, collapsed (7)
Love (0 as in tennis) inside an anagram of CORNER – collapsed is the anagram indicator.
21 Kenya – Important area around North African country (5)
Imortant (KEY) area (A) around North (N).
22 Nike – Greek goddess shown in lexicon I kept (4)
In lexico(N I KE)pt – winged goddess of victory – not a bad brand for a sports company.
23 Wetnurse – Nanny sure went mad (3,5)
Mad indicates an anagram of SURE WENT.

Down
1 Raffles – Draws founder of Singapore (7)
Double definition. Raffles also founded the London Zoo. As for Singapore – anyone tried a Singapore Sling?
2 Cease – Finish last in race in trial (5)
Last in rac(E) inside trial (CASE).
3 Vacillation – Trouble during holiday causes indecision (11)
Trouble (ILL) during (inside) holiday (VACATION).
4 Reason – Head of serious crime discounted motive (6)
Serious crime (TREASON) with the head discounted (removed).
6 Twister – Dicky writes about onset of terrible tornado (7)
Dicky indicates an anagram of WRITES about the onset (first letter of) (T)errible.
7 Homer – Greek poet in centre of Paris (5)
In (HOME) centre (middle letter of) Pa(R)is.
10 Heartbroken – Core smashed, crushed (11)
What a sad clue – I hope all is well in Tracy’s emotional life! Core (HEART) smashed (BROKEN).
14 Warlock – Magician in conflict over door fastening (7)
Conflict (WAR) over (before) door fastening (LOCK).
16 Yardage – For example, a cart overturned – something a caddy should know about (7)
For example (EG) a (A) cart (DRAY) overturned (all backwards). Maybe the trickiest clue today.
A golf caddy should be able to tell the golfer how far it is to the hole.
17 Starve – Staff, embracing start of Ramadan, go without food (6)
Staff (STAVE) embracing start of (R)amadan.
18 Bacon – Meat company breaking embargo (5)
Company (CO) breaking (inside) embargo (BAN).
19 Minor – Subordinate elected to interrupt more briefly (5)
Elected (IN) to interrupt (inside) MORe briefly (without the last E).

6 comments on “Quick Cryptic no 42 by Tracy”

  1. This is Tracy’s fourth Quickie, the first two of which were very easy indeed, but her third and fourth proved to be considerably more meaty. Nevertheless on this occasion I completed the grid in 13 minutes. My only unknowns today were the additional responsibility of the golf caddie and the alternative spelling of his job-title as used in the clue.
  2. 4 mins, but there were some good clues here and it was an enjoyable puzzle. STARVE was my LOI after CROONER.
  3. Thanks, Chris, for very clear blog. Have to say I really struggled with this one – not sure if I was suffering aftermath of a particularly tough day at the factory, or if I just lost the wave length.

    With benefit of the blog, all very clear. But suspect this will be quite challenging for many in the QC constituency (nothing wrong with that – just an indication of “degree of difficulty” from personal perspective).

    Great clues, good puzzle – just got me on an off day!

  4. Very good blog, Chris. Very clear. I thought this was on the easy side of medium but it still took me 12 minutes. I thought this was a good puzzle for testing the ability of new solvers to look beyond the (very good) surface readings. 15ac and 21ac were, I thought, good examples. Raffles is the name of our first Burmese cat and, yes, I have drunk the odd Singapore Sling but I found it a bit too sweet.
  5. Completed in about 20 minutes. Initially put in CHASE for 2d but felt uneasy with it and the correction to CEASE was my LOI. I liked the construction of 16d.

    Pretty sure that had I been asked to spell 3d before completing the puzzle I would have got it wrong.

    If this had been the first quick cryptic do not think I would have been able to complete it.

  6. Another excellent puzzle from Tracey for a new solver. I also got chase as 2d but otherwise managed it within a lunch hour.

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