Quick Cryptic Number 367 by Pedro

Author   william_j_sPosted on Categories Quick Cryptic
This detained me slightly longer than normal on account of the SW corner mostly. All of the wordplay is very precisely indicated, as usual, with just a tiny amount of sporting general knowledge required (not my specialist subject, so if I knew it..). There are a few seemingly superfluous words and letters in some clues, which threw me off a bit at times, but they all get wrapped up nicely on second glance. Interestingly, all of the answers are single words, which might make it more difficult to get started.

Definitions underlined.

Across
7 Opera-singer keen to make comeback (4)
DIVA – reversal (comeback) of AVID (keen).
8 Obvious two friends will have adopted British English (8)
PALPABLE – PAL and PAL (two friends) taking in B (British), followed by E (English).
9 A pretentious person backed one sort of miniature gardening (6)
BONSAI – reversal (backed) of A SNOB (a pretentious person) followed by I (one).
10 Small computer ready for work in motorcycle racing (6)
TABLET – ABLE (ready for work) inside TT (Isle of Man motorcycle race).
11 French bread is a nuisance (4)
PAIN – double definition.
12 A rum time, fooling around like a child (8)
IMMATURE – anagram of (fooling around) A RUM TIME.
15 Tore round in pursuit of concert impresario (8)
PROMOTER – anagram of (round) TORE after (in pursuit of) PROM (concert).
17 Long to take in very shady joint (4)
DIVE – DIE (long, as in would die for) surrounding V (very).
18 Glamorous person at head of church shows formality (6)
STARCH – STAR (glamorous person) and start (head) of CHurch.
21 Crowd mostly drawn to European ruler’s position (6)
THRONE – most of THRONg (crowd) and E (European).
22 Representation of space is start of much fantasy (8)
ESCAPISM – anagram (representation) of SPACE plus IS and start of Much.
23 Pointless seeing reduction in common sense (4)
NOUS – NO USe (pointless) with last letter removed (reduction).
Down
1 Person wedded to the past is around, unfortunately (8)
DINOSAUR – anagram of (unfortunately) IS AROUND.
2 Golf score ascribed to young fellow, a clergyman (6)
PARSON – PAR (golf score) and SON (young fellow).
3 Sunny type to settle on one sort of gloomy weather? (8)
OPTIMIST – OPT (to settle on) with I (one) and MIST (gloomy weather).
4 Apartment with little excitement (4)
FLAT – double definition
5 Chess move took effect after most of match (6)
GAMBIT – BIT (took effect) after most of GAMe match).
6 Good area offering shelter leads to joy (4)
GLEE – G (good) with LEE (area offering shelter).
13 One engaged in skill in theatrical performance beside the sea (8)
MARITIME – I (one) in ART (skill), all inside MIME (theatrical performance).
14 Our nave’s rebuilt, consuming a great deal (8)
RAVENOUS – anagram of (rebuilt) OUR NAVE’S.
16 Legendary swimmer, in former manner (6)
MERMAN – hidden in forMER MANner.
17 Bravery has beloved losing heart (6)
DARING – DARlING (beloved) without its central letter (losing heart).
19 Up-to-the-minute news excluding the French sporting event (4)
TEST – laTEST (up-to-the-minute news) excluding ‘la’ (‘the’ in French).
20 Bad weather is welcome! (4)
HAIL – double definition.

8 comments on “Quick Cryptic Number 367 by Pedro”

  1. As a newbie, 13a as a “double container” clue was a new one to me. Is there a crosswordland name for this? If not, how about a “Churchill” after his famous phrase: “It is a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma” (talking about Russia)? Keep up the good work bloggers; it’s much appreciated.
    2. Good one! I always think of these clues as being like a Russian doll. What is it about Russia on this subject, I wonder?
  3. A good test today. I was held up mostly by the four 8 letter words around the centre – not helped by thinking there were 3 Ms in the anagram at 12a and didn’t parse 13d (thanks for that William). I tried very hard to make 19d TOUR, but alas we have another cricket reference instead of cycling. 10:16.
  4. Thought I was in for a quick finish until I was also bogged down in the SW. Last in ESCAPISM and MARITIME.Favourite DINOSAUR which I put in from definition and only saw the anagram later. I did not parse 19d.
  5. Done in by the SW corner. Can’t believe I missed the anagram in 22a and was very dozy to miss 19d
  6. Not a quick solve, but got there in the end with a full house so quite pleased. My favourite was 8ac, with its echoes of ‘he is palpably innocent…’ Invariant

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