Time Quick Cryptic 876 by Tracy

Author   ChrisPosted on Categories Quick Cryptic
Working through the word play of some clues it seemed that easier ways to get there had been missed in favour of rather more devious ones. Having said this I’m sure biffers will have biffed and moved on without noticing. I found the crossing clues at 17 difficult as I missed the obvious ‘pursuit’ which would have eased 17ac. Some others had fair but slightly unusual vocabulary. I expect ‘the pros’ to romp home but will be interested in how everyone else fares.

An extra clue from the article in today’s paper:
Those who would like to keep their minds ticking over in the second half of their lives might consider things that are a’changing ahead of an angry term (3,5,9).

ACROSS

1. Stalling – using delaying tactics. Stand (STALL – as in market stall – a table/stand for displaying goods), in (IN), gan(G)way.
5. Mail – letters. Homophone (read out) of male.
9. Llama – pack animal. Monk (LAMA) astride large (L).
10. Tipster – cryptic definition – someone who gives advice to people who bet.
11. Inn – pub. Popular (IN), name (N).
12. Hey Presto – as if by magic. Anagram (in motion) of HES POETRY.
13. Empire – realm. Politician (MP) in Ireland (EIRE).
15. Scream – card. Present (S), best (CREAM).
17. Harmonica – one (instrument) that is blown. Girl (there could be thousands – this one is MONICA), on instrument (again there are lots – this one is HARp – having foresaken piano – no ‘P’).
19. Pin – double definition. Hold down – pin to to floor, flagstick is the pin on a golf green.
20. Baronet – titled man. Right (R) and individual (ONE) to be accepted by club (BAT).
21. Idler – one avoiding work. Anagram (eccentric) of RILED.
22. Yo-yo – toy. Boy twice (bOY bOY – losing face – without the first letter, knocked back – backwards).
23. Top-notch – excellent. Highest (TOP), score (NOTCH). Hands up all those who biffed top marks.

DOWN

1. Saltire – cross. Sailor (SALT) over anger (IRE).
2. Again – one more time. A (A), profit (GAIN).
3. Leatherbound – like some books. Anagram (ordered) of the man (HE) plus ROUND TABLE.
4. Natty – smart. At (AT) and (T)heatre in New York (NY).
6. Artiste – entertainer. Cunning (ART), is (IS), the heartless ThE.
7. Largo – slow. Learner (L), Jason’s ship (ARGO).
8. Appreciation – double definition.
14. Portray – paint a picture of. Beam (RAY of sunshine) supporting left hand side of ship (PORT).
16. Monarch – head of state. Working (ON) to stop demonstration (MARCH).
17. Hobby – double definition. Any of several small Old World falcons, esp the European Falco subbuteo, formerly used in falconry. An activity pursued in spare time for pleasure or relaxation.
18. Intro – prelude. Keen in – INTO covering (R)ousing.
19. Pilot – guide. The Italian (IL) aboard vessel (POT).

26 comments on “Time Quick Cryptic 876 by Tracy”

  1. Strolled home in 10.42 so not too bad, but certainly no romp.

    Jack do not read this section as it will not be fascinating for you!

    17 dn HOBBY. The name ‘Subbuteo’a table-top football game whose name is derived from the Latin name falco subbuteo – a bird of prey commonly known as the Eurasian hobby – after a trademark was not granted (more than once) to its creator Peter Adolph (1916–1994) – to call the game ‘The Hobby’ c. 1949.

    Thus my COD and WOD!

    Edited at 2017-07-18 02:49 am (UTC)

  2. Somehow I knew HOBBY, though I needed all the checkers to remind me. Liked TOP-NOTCH (never thought of ‘top marks’). 5:46.
  3. I’m still slowly getting my brain back in crossword mode, and the jet lag seems to take longer to go the older I get. So an hour for Tracy is ok.

    Interesting choice to move Tracy from Fridays.

    The four that took longest were 17a harmonica, 3d leatherbound, 19a pin and 19d pilot.

    Dnk hobby = falcon or saltire.
    COD 12a hey presto

    Edited at 2017-07-18 05:28 am (UTC)

    1. I’ve never been aware of a setter being associated with one particular day of the week so, following your comment about Tracy (and being the sad person I am), I did a little research. It turns out Tracy has appeared most often on Tuesdays in every year since the QC started in March 2014, although Monday was equal in the first two years.

      Tracy has set 80 puzzles and the breakdown of days on which they appeared is as follows:

      Mon 19 (24%) – 6, 7, 4, 2 (2014, 2015, 2015, 2017)
      Tue 26 (32%) – 6, 7, 9, 4
      Wed 12 (15%) – 2, 4, 4, 2
      Thu 09 (11%) – 2, 3, 2, 2
      Fri 14 (18%) – 3, 3, 5, 3

        1. No need to strike it out, flashman, as observations that start pleasant conversations and diversions are always welcome here.

          Edited at 2017-07-18 12:41 pm (UTC)

  4. 9 minutes, and I felt I was quite lucky to come home within my target 10 as things looked very dodgy for me for the first 2 or 3 of those.
  5. I found this a little less than straightforward. It was 11:53 before I completed, with FOI INN and LOI STALLING. It took me far too long to see SALT for Sailor, even though I had the IRE bit. Some well crafted clues kept me thinking hard, and I had to leave the NW and return to it after completing the rest. Nice puzzle. Thanks Tracy and Chris.
  6. Quite a meaty one today. A few unknowns as well, HOBBY and SALTIRE. It didn’t help that I put LENTO initially for 7dn (my musical knowledge is limited) so was stuck scratching my head at 19ac. 19dn was my LOI. Just couldn’t see what I was supposed to be doing here. Was convinced Italian was “IT” and was to be placed after P_L. Done and dusted in 40. Gribb.
  7. I seem to be on a different wavelength this week as I found yesterday’s puzzle very hard and today’s a bit of a breeze, completing it in 12 minutes. Fortunately the two unknown words (7 & 17d) were kindly clued. COD 9a, LOI 17d.
  8. I found this on the harder side, 40mins or so. Never did parse 17ac, being convinced that the girl’s name should precede the instrument. Strangely TOP NOTCH came easily, a notch being the original term for a cricket score. The score was kept by making notches on a stick. Hence “notched up” a good score.
    Good challenge
    PlayUpPompey
  9. No particular problems today as I remembered Hobby, knew Saltire and got 3d early to open up the puzzle.
    However, a careless Nifty at 4d held me up later.
    Last two were 18d and finally 17a where I was looking for a girl’s name starting Har …
    COD to excellent 12a. 18 minutes. David
  10. Didn’t get 3D, had the A/H/R so was trying to get something from Arthur, given the Round Table ref…durrrr.
    And I’m ashamed to say I actually tried to parse HIROSHIMA to fit the “one that’s blown” at 17A. I thought it was a rather tasteless clue – laughing at myself now 🙂
  11. Outside my target of 15 minutes this morning, by 90 seconds, so not on the wavelength today. I liked the puzzle though.

    SCREAM was something of a biff until I looked at it later, as I didn’t see the connection between that and card initially.

    I’m still working on the ‘extra clue’!

      1. Thanks Chris, I got the obvious answer just after I posted my comment. To say I was still working on it was probably a bit of an exaggeration. I was only starting to think about it when I read the blog and saw your comment.
  12. He was a real scream – what a card! Card = a witty, entertaining, or eccentric person

    Edited at 2017-07-18 02:54 pm (UTC)

    1. Thank you. Bit tenuous, but then it’s probably it’s probably familiar in crossword land!
  14. I didn’t find this easy and took around 20m, delayed by the Natty / Tipster combo (couldn’t get Nifty out of my head). I liked the surface of 16d. Into = Keen is a useful thing to remember. Thanks all
  16. Feeling a bit under the weather with a cold today, but might still have been a pb had I not nodded off in the middle. Still managed 49:54 though. Being a biology teacher, I was familiar with the hobby (I enjoyed the subbuteo fact) and dredged up saltire from somewhere. Didn’t know largo meant slow, but got the word play and guessed it might have something to do with largesse.
  17. Thanks so much for sharing the logic!
    I’m new to cryptic crosswords and had to concede defeat before tearing my hair out ! Enough time wasted pondering ! I solved just 17 clues before resorting to your help, so slowly I am improving. Interestingly 17a was one I managed which helped me solve all in the bottom half of the grid.
    My main problem was convincing myself that 1a was stagnant (even though I felt it was the wrong tense) .The domino effect of taking an incorrect tack is so frustrating !!! But the S,A and N for Natty all worked ! If it feels a tad incorrect next time, I will rub it out!
    Hey hoy….I will endeavour to improve.
    1. Welcome, and – you’re welcome! Do feel free to ask any questions, anytime.

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