Time taken: 12:47. It is still New Year’s Day here, so Happy New Year from the Eastern part of the USA.
I got off to a quick start, but a lot of answers, particularly on the left hand side of the grid took a lot more teasing out, and I was a little bit outside of my usual time. The usual gang of early solvers are not yet out in force, but there are not many fast times so far. This is a good puzzle – the wordplay for the unusual entries is difficult but fair, and everything makes sense in the end.
Today is a bumper day – I expect most of you checking in here have done it, in case you have not, I got a lot of enjoyment out of today’s Quick Cryptic. Templar should have a lot of fun writing it up.
How did you get along?
Add your introduction here
Definitions underlined in italics, (ABC)* indicating anagram of ABC, {} deletions and [] other indicators.
| Across | |
| 1 | Impression made by Napoleon in the field? (4-4) |
| HOOF-MARK – cryptic definition referring to Napoleon the pig in Animal Farm | |
| 5 | Plant plants killing time in vacated area (6) |
| ACACIA – CACTI(plants) minus T(time) inside the exterior letters of AreA | |
| 9 | Stevie perhaps bored by nasty mean barbs? (9) |
| NICKNAMES – Stevie NICKS (best known as a singer with Fleetwood Mac) containing an anagram of MEAN | |
| 11 | Brazilian capital essentially dynamises province (5) |
| REALM – REAL(Brazilian currency, pronounced “hay-is”) then the middle letter of dynaMises | |
| 12 | Best flirt organised rescue if all routes blocked? (7) |
| AIRLIFT – AI(best), then an anagram of FLIRT | |
| 13 | Charlie installing electrical unit in satire (7) |
| LAMPOON – LOON(Charlie) containing AMP(electrical unit) | |
| 14 | Queen’s beloved pop icon meets with Italian group (6,7) |
| PRINCE CONSORT – PRINCE(pop icon), CON(“with” in Italian), SORT(group) | |
| 16 | Factories circling island anger small flush person (13) |
| MILLIONAIRESS – MILLS(factories) surrounding the island of IONA and IRE(anger), then S(small) | |
| 20 | Studio had story right (7) |
| ATELIER – ATE(had) LIE(story), R(right) | |
| 21 | Dubious naked maiden by meadow recalled prophet (7) |
| ISHMAEL – FISHY(dubious) minus the external letters, M(maiden), then LEA(meadow) reversed | |
| 23 | Paradise for the large part is swell (5) |
| HEAVE – HEAVEN(paradise) minus the last letter | |
| 24 | Garment left poor Colin hot (9) |
| LOINCLOTH – L(left) and an anagram of COLIN,HOT | |
| 25 | Musical replacing opening with another key line (6) |
| CREASE – the musical GREASE with the C replaced by G(another musical key) | |
| 26 | Most tiny powerless lights put back in case (8) |
| SMALLEST – remove P(power) from LAMPS(lights) and reverse, then LEST(in case) | |
| Down | |
| 1 | Exhibit artist mounted for BA workshop? (6) |
| HANGAR – HANG(exhibit), then RA(artist) reversed. BA referring to British Airways | |
| 2 | Take place of wretch bolstering bare rock (5) |
| OCCUR – CUR(wretch) under the internal letters of rOCk | |
| 3 | American topless in tiny bathing suit (7) |
| MANKINI – YANK(American) minus the first letter inside MINI(tiny) | |
| 4 | After depression it gets you hopping from the chair (6,7) |
| REMOTE CONTROL – cryptic definition referring to pushing a button | |
| 6 | Lug wax from odd space below church (7) |
| CERUMEN – RUM(odd), EN(space) under CE(church). Not sure how well known this medical term for earwax is. | |
| 7 | Noisy fool leaves lesson in love (9) |
| CLAMOROUS – remove ASS(fool) from CLASS(lesson), then AMOROUS(in love) | |
| 8 | Warm Sea periodically laps second egg fossil (8) |
| AMMONITE – alternating letters in wArM sEa surrounding MO(second), NIT(louse egg) | |
| 10 | Circles ‘misfit’ sadly in judgement of one’s worth (4-9) |
| SELF-CRITICISM – anagram of CIRCLES,MISFIT | |
| 14 | Theft of extremely fine cloth hidden by mansion? (9) |
| PILFERAGE – external letters of FinE, RAG(cloth) inside PILE(mansion) | |
| 15 | Sensitive way to stop Mickey’s horde cycling? (8) |
| EMPATHIC – PATH(way) inside MICE(Mickey Mouse’s horde) cycled | |
| 17 | Parisian’s here with head cold that’s severe (7) |
| ICINESS – ICI(“here” in French) then NESS(head) | |
| 18 | Fabric hoisted across tops of the hips isn’t proper (7) |
| ETHICAL – LACE(fabric) reversed surrounding the first letters of The Hips Isn’t. I’d give this the hat tip for COD based on the clever use of isn’t as part of the wordplay | |
| 19 | Most of English town ultimately felt dated (3-3) |
| OLD-HAT – OLDHAM(English town) minus the last letter, then the last letter of felT | |
| 22 | Solitary marine creature abandoned by sailor (5) |
| ALONE – ABALONE(marine creature) minus AB(sailor) | |
28.29 but with one fat finger error on my iPad.
49 mins. Glad to finish with LOI cerumen. A toughie but fair. Unbeaten so far this year!
Enjoyable puzzle, once I got going; and that was only after looking up to correct PRINCE CHARLES! My biggest problem is impatience, I think (bit of SELF-CRITICISM here!). Loved HOOF MARK, once I twigged, and most of the rest – especially OLD HAT, CREASE and EMPATHIC.