Times 26391 – first Championship Qualifier published 20 April 2016

Author   piquetPosted on Categories Daily Cryptic
Apparently as the regular Wednesday blogger I am in line to blog this as well as the 1963 retro puzzle 230363 which appeared that day. Now the answers are published I expect there is little call for explanations, and for me this one held no controversy, but I’ll oblige for anyone who is interested. It took me 15 minutes at the time and no doubt there are much tougher tests to come for those trying to qualify.

Across
1 SPOUSE – Small, PO, use = benefit; D other half.
4 EXHIBIT – Ex = previous, insert B I into HIT; D show.
9 OUTER – A router is a network device, without its R it’s outer = perpheral.
10 REFUSENIK – (KNIFE USER)* D someone who refues to cooperate. Unusual to see refuses in the clue and almost in the answer.
11 CRACKDOWN – DOWN = losing, before that is CRACK = try, D getting tough.
12 ENEMY – Reversed hidden in WH(Y MEN E)NTHUSE, D opponent.
13 AVER – SAVER is a cheap fare, delete S, D declare.
14 MALT LIQUOR – MALT(A) = holiday island, LIQUOR sounds like ‘licker’ i.e. one tanning or beating another; D a beer?
18 HATCHET JOB – HATCH = opening, JOB = position, insert E T = extreme letters of expert; D devastating attack.
20 CHIC – US city is CHICAGO, loses AGO = past; D style.
23 CHUFF – CUFF = strike, insert H for short hours, D sound like train.
24 GHOST TOWN – G for good, HOST = crowd, T = theatre’s entrance, OWN = to have, D There’s no-one there.
25 TRICKLING – TRICKING = cheating the cops, insert L = start to leave, D going slowly.
26 BAIZE – insert AI = first class, Z = variable, into BE: D material.
27 PIE-EYED – PIE sounds like PI = awfully good, EYED sounds like I’D; D very drunk.
28 LESSER – LESSON = example, delete ON = working, ER = RE, about, reversed; D inferior.
Down
1 SLOWCOACH – COACH = trainer, after S LOW (second, base); D snail.
2 OATCAKE – BOAT = packet, as in Steam Packet; delete the B = unopened; CAKE = clot; D biscuit.
3 SHRIKE – A SHRIEK is a piercing cry; rearrange the ending, D bird.
4 ELFIN – NILE is a flower (river), reverse and insert F; D small and delicate.
5 HYSTERIA – (SAY REITH)*; D panic.
6 BANDEAU – AND (also) inside BEAU (boyfriend), D what woman might wear.
7 TOKAY – T = time, OKAY = yes, D sweet wine, from Hungary.
8 ARROGANT – GO = attempt, flip = OG, insert into ARRANT a synonym for 15d, D conceited.
15 THOROUGH – THROUGH = due to, insert O = eating a duck; D full.
16 RACONTEUR – Insert N (new) into (EUROCRAT)*; D source of anecdotes.
17 SHIFT KEY – cryptic definition, related to your keyboard.
19 TAURINE – (IN A RUT)*, E = close to cattlE; D like a bull.
21 HOODIES – HOODS are gangsters; insert I E being regular letters of dives; D items of clothing.
22 STABLE – STALE = flat, insert B for bachelor, D well balanced.
23 CUT UP – Double definition.
24 GRIND – N for name inserted into GRID = part of crossword; D chore.

8 comments on “Times 26391 – first Championship Qualifier published 20 April 2016”

  1. Hi Pip
    When I was a Wednesday blogger I found that these extra crosswords somehow seemed to crop up on my watch every year. The view I took was that I should blog the qualifiers, (which are nearly always easy) but blogging (or even solving) some of the antediluvian 50s and 60s efforts was more difficult. I would occasionally ask for help with the earlier ones and Andy would either blog one himself or would ask for a volunteer.
    From the 1970s on they are not too bad but the earlier ones can be a pig. Please do let me know if I can help with any of them.. happy to pitch in
    1. Thanks jerry will do. Have already blogged the 1963 one, was a goodie. Am off duty tomorrow but just remembered I had promised to do this one before departure.
  2. Thanks Pip. I shared the qualifier with a colleague who is a Telegraph solver and I wanted to be able to direct them somewhere that would have the answers and explanations.

    The puzzle got a bad rap on the Crossword Club forum but I thought it was pretty solid with some very nice clues.

  4. Very enjoyable puzzle this, if at the easier end of the spectrum as expected.
    It is a pangram,I notice.
  5. In the Quick Cryptic 567 the clue to 15 down is a mistake!? The beach of Malibu is in California, not in the Caribbean!
  6. Just a small point. I think the definition in 14a is BEER as the A is needed in the wordplay
  7. Rather late in the day, but I think the “cops” in 25a means “takes in” or “includes”. Nothing to do with the police! Thanks for the other explanations.

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