My first attempt at a blog, so bear with me if I wax too lyrical or get too patronising; since the solution is available online, I’ll just try to explain how the answers arise, for those new to cryptic solving. Only one slightly obscure word, in 16 dn. Here we go.
Across |
1 |
TOSS – vaguely amusing cryptic definition |
3 |
SPELLING – I assume you only need spelling skills for reading, not for riting or rithmetic. |
8 |
PROSPER – Right = PROPER, insert an ‘S’ being the front letter of STAGE. The def. is ‘get on’. |
10 |
BULLY – A BULL is attracted by a female cow, add a Y for yen (currency) to get BULLY which is a synonym for ‘COW’ meaning intimidate. |
11 |
CAMARADERIE – (DEAR IN AMERICA)* (the * means it’s an anagram) definition friendship. |
13 |
SOLVER – (LOVERS)* the definition is ‘you’ and ‘disturbed’ tells you it’s an anagram. |
15 |
WATSON – Holmes’s friend, made from the first letters of (w)ho (a)dds (t)his (s)ort (o)f (n)ovelty. |
17 |
WATER PISTOL – cryptic definition, hopefully not truly topical. |
20 |
OWING – ‘outstanding’ is the definition, insert ‘WIN’ into OG short for own goal. |
21 |
SINNING – take S the last part of INNINGS (part of a cricket Test Match) and move it to the front, definition is ‘doing wrong’. |
22 |
OVERSEER – a compounded word made from O (love) VERSE (Poetry) ER (monarch), definition is ‘person keeping an eye on’. |
23 |
FLAT – initial letters of (f)or (l)ieutenant (a)s (t)ailored, meaning uniform. |
Down |
1 |
TYPECAST – characters = TYPE, with pitch = CAST, definition ‘showing little variation as players’. |
2 |
STORM – Hidden word, Tempe(st or M)acbeth. |
4 |
PARODY – Wages = PAY, divided by staff = ROD, meaning ‘send up’. |
5 |
LIBERTARIAN – Man on board, a sailor, is often TAR in crosswords; insert him into LIBERIAN for the solution, possibly a person opposed to government. AB and RATING are also common for ‘sailor’. |
6 |
ILLNESS – NESS is a common crossword-speak for ‘head’, add I’LL ignoring the apostrophe, definition is ‘complaint. |
7 |
GUYS – sounds like GUISE and means MEN. |
9 |
PERCENTAGES – (CENTRE PAGES)* meaning relative amounts. |
12 |
IN-FLIGHT – entertaining double definition; ‘running’ and the movie on your long haul flight. Personally I seldom find them ‘highly entertaining’. |
14 |
LOWLIFE – ‘Crooked’ tells you it’s an anagram of FELLOW, with I (one) put inside, the entire clue is the definition. |
16 |
CRUSOE – CRUS(O)E. Even if you’d never heard of a CRUSE (a small earthenware pot) you can guess it, there aren’t many famous fictional shipwrecked sailors. |
18 |
TWILL – T = time added to WILL = determination, TWILL is the fabric. |
19 |
SOHO – SO = thus, HO = abbreviation for house, to arrive at the now almost respectable part of London’s West End. |
I think perhaps you should put the setter’s name in the title rather than your own!
Anyway, nice blog for a Quickie that was slightly harder than usual (as last Friday’s was, so maybe a pattern’s emerging?)
It took me a while to make a start but then I made my own problems by opting for speaking at 3. That made the anti-government clue tricky. Whilst “man on board” gave me the option of a wide choice of chess, nautical and directoral terms I couldn’t find one that would slot nicely into Angolan or Algerian and give me a word.
As I was feeling totally daunted, he gave me gentle hints & nudges for most clues. I did get 17 ac before him, my COD was 3 ac – unsurprising for a retired teacher – and the LOI was 15 ac which had both of us stumped. Talking of stumped – I appreciated the 2 cricket references. 🙂
Pip, that was a lovely blog, with some gentle but telling comments.
Edited at 2014-03-21 01:37 pm (UTC)
Can’t help with the setter’s name, I’m afraid – it hasn’t been in the online version for the last few puzzles.
The setter’s name is Myles.
Also, forgot to say congrats on a spot on maiden blog.
I have to say that I think all the new bloggers have done really well so far.
I did this more quickly than yesterday,about 30 minutes today, but 1 wrong. Could not decide between billy and bully for 10a and finally put in billy.
I am getting better at spotting the setter’s tricks and as soon as I saw initially in 23a I looked at all the first letters.
Was convinced 1a would include the letter p but this was my COD when I spotted the coin was in the air.
Definitely a step up on yesterday but no excuses for spending 10 mins on my LOI (15ac) as my surname is . . .
Edited at 2014-03-21 04:01 pm (UTC)
Nice blog pip, thanks.
I’ve not tackled all the Quick Cryptics but have enjoyed all the ones I have done. Some of the surface readings have been beautiful.
I think the blogs by the new team have all been excellent.
I got there in the end with todays, but couldn’t parse quite a few (e.g. 3a, 21a).
Well done Pip, good blog – nice going.
Does anyone know why there’s no Quick Cryptic on a Saturday? I might get further if I had two whole days to complete one!
Watson was very cunning and LOI. Sinning was complex wordplay (I thought) and I was quite elated when suddenly the penny dropped.
Congrats on first blog pip.