Quick Crytpic No 202 by Dazzler

Author   ChrisPosted on Categories Quick Cryptic
This wasn’t quick – well, not for me. This doesn’t mean I didn’t enjoy it. It’s clever, has plenty of traps which I leapt into, and allowed me to learn (if only briefly, I fear) a new musical term. A puzzle which stands on its own rather than a ‘nursery slope’. So, roll up the sleeves, put on the coffee and here we go.

Definitions are underlined.

Across
1 New article by European about French ruler (8)
&nbsp &nbspNAPOLEON – A long but steady parse of new (N), article (A), European (POLE), about (ON).
5 Favouritism twice involving head of agency (4)
&nbsp &nbspBIAS – Here’s my new musical,term – twice (BIS) inside which is (involving) the first letter (head of) Agency. I went down the path of twice = bi as in biped but then looked it up.
9 Reject London football team — ultimately northern not southern (5)
&nbsp &nbspSPURN – London football team (SPURs) with the ultimate letter changed from southern (S) to Northern (N). Anyone who tried to fit in a London FC backwards has my sympathies.
10 Somebody leaving out captain? (7)
&nbsp &nbspSKIPPER – Double definition – one of which is someone who leaves out say a class and so skips it.
11 Inoculation required by Jack — a sailor (3)
&nbsp &nbspJAB – Jack (J – not seen this before but Collins tells me it’s the Jack in cards), a sailor (AB – able bodied).
12 Ibsen — so, so different and complex (9)
&nbsp &nbspOBSESSION – Anagram (different) of IBSEN SO SO. Complex as in the noun – a complex or obsession about something (possibly cryptic crosswords).
13 Live and yearn to have a home (6)
&nbsp &nbspBELONG – Live (BE), yearn (LONG).
15 Concealed papers found in study after hour (6)
&nbsp &nbspHIDDEN – Papers (ID) inside study (DEN) after hour (H). Wasn’t sure that the ‘found in’ worked but it’s fine – DEN after H with ID found inside.
17 Experience of music fan wearing black with bully boy (2,7)
&nbsp &nbspGO THROUGH – Music fan wearing black (GOTH) with bully boy (ROUGH).
19 A saving annual meeting of workers rejected (3)
&nbsp &nbspCUT – Trades Union Congress (TUC) backward (rejected).
20 March — time shown in poster all over the place (7)
&nbsp &nbspPROTEST – Time (T) in an anagram (all over the place) of POSTER.
21 Girl having all the plants (5)
&nbsp &nbspFLORA – Double definition. All the plants = Flora = a girl’s name.
22 American to talk continuously about the end of Nixon (4)
&nbsp &nbspYANK – To talk continuously (YAK) around first (or last) letter (end) of Nixon.
23 Extremely healthy or OK (4,4)
&nbsp &nbspVERY, WELL – Not sure about the comma in this clue. Double definition. My first go at this was ‘well, well’ which seemed a decent answer but caused all sorts of problems with the others.

Down
1 Is familiar with, say, patient chap’s cosmetic surgery (4,3)
&nbsp &nbspNOSE JOB – Homophone (say) of is familiar with (NOSE = knows), patient chap (JOB – a patient chap to all accounts).
2 Fruit that’s black underneath? Exactly! (5)
&nbsp &nbspPLUMB – Fruit (PLUM) followed by (underneath) black (B).
3 President, inexperienced, in the shade (7,5)
&nbsp &nbspLINCOLN GREEN – President (LINCOLN), inexperienced (GREEN). A fabric made in Lincoln (UK) in C16 was this colour apparently.
4 In Goa, sister’s place of refuge (5)
&nbsp &nbspOASIS – The answer is in the clue gOA SISter.
6 Made out one politician told stories (7)
&nbsp &nbspIMPLIED – One (I), politician (MP), told stories (LIED).
7 Father having name for femme fatale (5)
&nbsp &nbspSIREN – Father (SIRE), name (N). The secretary of the boss in Love Actually? Interesting use of language by the French – a fatal female – but fair enough, I suppose, if one could wreck your life.
8 Fight simply, possibly without guile at first? That’s most unlikely! (4,5,3)
&nbsp &nbspPIGS MIGHT FLY – Anagram (possibly) of FIGHT SIMPLY around (without) the first letter of guile (G). As I’d messed up 23ac this caused a bit of bother.
14 When upset dwelt on a disappointment (3-4)
&nbsp &nbspLET DOWN – Anagram (when upset) of DWELT ON.
16 Score a goal a game (7)
&nbsp &nbspNETBALL – To score a goal is to put the ball in the net. So net ball = the game.
17 Man catching very quiet fish (5)
&nbsp &nbspGUPPY – Man (GUY) inside which (catching) is very quiet (PP). Never met one in person but through crosswords I’m quite familiar with this fish.
18 Free from the BBC? Not initially (5)
&nbsp &nbspUNTIE – The BBC is AUNTIE. You’ll need to look this up if you haven’t heard it. The first letter (A) goes (not initially) to get ‘free’.
19 Conservative to be defeated? It could be neck and neck (5)
&nbsp &nbspCLOSE – Conservative (C), to be defeated (LOSE).

14 comments on “Quick Crytpic No 202 by Dazzler”

  1. Fairly quick, although I never did parse GO THROUGH–was fixated on ‘tough’, blinding myself to ‘Goth’. Not that I would have thought of Goths; I try not to. I found 6d irritating, as it’s the speaker who implies not the hearer and please stop with the cards and letters about English being a living language yatta yatta. Anyway, Chris, you’ve got INPLIED, and we can all agree that that’s incorrect, no? ‘Bis’, by the way, is what the French cry out when they want an encore; go figure. (I had a recording of ‘Don Giovanni’ with a bilingual libretto; where Don G says “Bravo! Bravo. Arcibravo!”, it’s translated to “Bravo! Bravo! Bravissimo!” But I digress.) 5:50.
    2. Kevin, I can’t see the problem with implied = indicated = made out. The other words in the clue are just there to point to the answer. Perhaps I’m missing something of your intention.

      Also, if the libretto of Dan Giovanni didn’t ‘translate’ Arcibravo as Bravissimo, a number of people would be puzzled, so all good to me.

      Edited at 2014-12-16 12:17 pm (UTC)

  2. On the setter’s wavelength so not much trouble this morning. Having said that, needed the blog to understand BIS – one for the bank. Thanks.

  3. At 9 minutes again I’m having a very good run of Quickies at the moment with nothing over 10 minutes since #197. This is quite rare for me as more often than not there are one or two clues per puzzle that slow me down considerably.

    Even allowing for for kevin g’s strict interpretation of “imply” which I tend to agree with, I can’t see a problem with 6dn as the wording of the clue could be used like this for example: (The BBC reporter) made out one politician told stories – in which context “implied” would be correct.

    Edited at 2014-12-16 07:38 am (UTC)

  4. Not much to add to previous comments. Found this one at the easier end of the Quickie spectrum, but did not know BIS – thanks for clearing that up Chris.

    NOSE JOB raised a titter, and I thought 3 dn was a particularly elegant surface.

    Thanks to Chris and Dazzler for an enjoyable puzzle and blog.

  5. I did know bis but still found this at the harder end of the spectrum. Couldn’t parse untie until I read the blog. COD 9Afor obvious reasons

    Edited at 2014-12-16 08:42 am (UTC)

  6. Bis unknown like some others. Took me a long time to get PIGS MIGHT FLY for some reason but overall less than average solving time. Favourite NOSE JOB.
  7. Like rubeculaw I was pretty slow to twig the pigs clue, wanting it to be ‘will’ – and then something else actually containing 5 letters. I thought GO THROUGH was a terrific clue with the ‘of’ there to divert you noun-ward . 7 minutes after a shaky start.
  8. Completed in 24 minutes which is good for me. Not sure of all the parsing so thanks to blogger for explaining that the patient chap was JOB and the meaning of BIS.I liked 17a which took a bit of working out as I couldn’t see how the rest fitted around TOUGH.
  9. Well, I was pleased to finish this in under my 2 hour target, albeit I plumped for Fiona rather than Flora on the basis of F1 = flowers (very poor choice, I know). Liked 18d, once I saw it. Invariant
  10. I think this was a “wavelength” puzzle. If you were on it, then it probably went very smoothly. Unfortunately, I wasn’t 🙁

    Very few went in on the first tranche. But nearly every one completed after that was not quite a DOH! moment, but rather why didn’t I see it in the first place!

    So Christmas felicitations to Dazzler for the puzzle and chrisw91 for the blog.

  11. I think I must be one of the few that actually knew what ‘bis’ was all about. I’m reminded that the word ‘biscuit’ is derived from the French words meaning ‘twice cooked’. I think I learned that at a pub quiz 20 odd years ago!
  12. Thanks for the blog, Chris.
    I thought this was the most straightforward ‘Dazzler’ to date.

    Re 23 ac
    (4,4) indicates two words of four letters: extremely = VERY and healthy = WELL.
    Definition: OK = VERY WELL (as an expression of consent.)

    Stronon

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