Times Quick Crossword No 3048 by Izetti

Author   Mike HarperPosted on Categories Quick Cryptic

Solving time: 5:20

Either I was in the groove for this 14d QC, or else it was pretty gentle. With only one mildly unusual word (9a) to contend with, answers generally came quickly to mind.

Let me know how it was for you.

Definitions are underlined in bold italics, {deletions and substitutions are in curly brackets} and [directions in square ones].

Across
1 Church work must be repeated — hurry up! (4-4)
CHOP-CHOP – CH (Church) OP (work) repeated
6 Drug in complicated operation (4)
DOPE – Hidden [in] in complicated operation
8 Fellow backing old sultanate (4)
OMAN –  MAN behind [backing] O (old)
9 Pessimist needs reversal of gloomy outlook and organised rest (8)
DOOMSTER – MOOD (gloomy outlook) reversed, and anagram [organised] of REST

It’s in Collins, as “a person habitually given to predictions of impending disaster or doom“
10 Hope for religious group keeping quiet (8)
PROSPECT – PRO (for) SECT (religious group) containing [keeping] P (quiet i.e. musical notation for piano)
12 Big meal without starter for one of four at table (4)
EAST – FEAST (Big meal) with first letter removed [without starter]

The definition refers to the game of bridge, where the four players are named North, South, EAST and West
13 Hate endless study before exam? (6)
DETEST – DE{n} (study) without its last letter [endless], before TEST (exam)
16 Document left by engineers (6)
REPORT – PORT (left) by RE (engineers i.e. abbreviation for Royal Engineers)
17 Wife set off in a particular direction (4)
WEST – W (abbreviation for Wife) then anagram [off] of SET
18 “Parental” could possibly be “relating to father” (8)
PATERNAL – Anagram [could possibly be] of PARENTAL
21 Container held by African is terrific (8)
CANISTER – Hidden [held by] in African is terrific
22 Some money trick taking one in (4)
COIN – CON (trick) taking in I (one)
23 Male animal phase when tail drops off (4)
STAG – STAGE (phase) with last letter removed [when tail drops off]
24 Artist with platters for root vegetables (8)
RADISHES – RA (Artist i.e. abbreviation for Royal Academician) with DISHES (platters)
Down
2 Poet’s dwelling on river (5)
HOMER – HOME (dwelling) on R (river)
3 Love to escape from unfastened enclosure (3)
PEN – O (Love) removed [to escape] from OPEN (unfastened)

The origins of ‘love’ as a zero score in tennis lie in the figure zero’s resemblance to an egg. In sport, it’s common to refer to a nil or nought score as a duck or goose egg, and the French word for egg is l’oeuf – the pronunciation of which isn’t too far removed from the English ‘love’.

There is another more tenuous theory. In Dutch and Flemish, the word lof means honour, so in the most sporting context, anyone struggling to score is still playing for honour.
4 Hard border that could separate neighbours’ gardens (5)
HEDGE – H (Hard) EDGE (border)

This clue is a ‘semi &lit’ where the whole of the clue is the definition, but only part of the clue forms the wordplay.

Check out the Glossary under Useful Links on the TfTT pages for a pretty chunky list of crossword jargon used in these blogs.
5 Conspirator left, being hugged by Harry? (7)
PLOTTER – L (left) surrounded by [being hugged by] POTTER (Harry?)
6 Paint — something making dog ill? (9)
DISTEMPER – Double definition

1. A kind of paint using glue and water instead of an oil base, for use on walls or for scene-painting.

2. In young dogs particularly, a viral disease causing fever, coughing and catarrh.
7 Public relations securing housing contract is source of gratification (7)
PLEASER – PR (Public relations – abbreviation) containing [securing] LEASE (housing contract)
11 Protective cover from some treeless heath in Grasmere (9)
SHEATHING – Hidden [from some] in treeless heath in Grasmere
14 Smart English member presented with a set of holy books (7)
ELEGANT – E (English) LEG (member) A NT (set of holy books i.e. New Testament abbreviation)
15 Awful spitter who may offer advice at Ascot? (7)
TIPSTER – Anagram [Awful] of SPITTER

Ascot is a racecourse in Berkshire covering 179 acres (72 ha) leased from the Crown Estate. It was founded in 1711 by Queen Anne and is about 6 miles (10km) from Windsor Castle.
19 Weary Italian getting up, looking embarrassed? (5)
TIRED – IT (Italian) reversed [getting up], then RED (looking embarrassed?)

‘getting up’ as a reversal indicator is apposite as this is a down clue.
20 Active American serviceman having beer outside (5)
AGILE – GI (American serviceman) with ALE (beer) containing it [outside]

I was interested to learn where G.I. as an informal term referring to “a soldier in the United States army” came from.

It was originally [1906/7] an initialism on U.S. Army paperwork for items made from galvanised iron. During WWI, U.S. soldiers took to referring to heavy German artillery shells as “G.I. cans”.

During the same war, “G.I.”, reinterpreted as “government issue” or “general issue”, began to be used to refer to any item associated with the U.S. Army, e.g., “G.I. soap”. Other reinterpretations of “G.I.” include “garrison issue” and “general infantry”.
22 Lettuce, cold and very large (3)
COS – C (Cold) and OS (very large)

76 comments on “Times Quick Crossword No 3048 by Izetti”

  1. I turned to Mrs RH with great satisfaction at our 14.45 finish and said “Let’s go read that this is the easiest Izetti”. Yup!!!

    But very enjoyable. Thanks

    1. 14.45 snap today. Have no idea why, however your and our (myself and himself) times are very often very similar.
      Perhaps my posting this will end this parallel experience – however, strange it has been. : )

      1. An element is probably something to do with solving as a couple. I’m sure we could be quicker without the reading out loud and chat in between, but that of course is the fun of it! There’s never a day when Mrs RH doesn’t spot/biff something that I wasn’t going to see for a long time – and vice versa 🙂

  3. Not a PB, but probably my fastest ever Izetti at 14-15 minutes. Still very fast for me.

    My first few in, CHOP-CHOP, PEN and HEDGE, provided a great launch pad and I was able to work my way from NW to SE without missing too many clues. I finished with COIN and parsed everything as I went along, except DISTEMPER, where I DNK it had anything to do with paint.

    Many thanks to Mike and Izetti.

  4. About as straightforward as it gets as far as I am concerned finishing in a speedy 5.32. In fact the answers went in so quickly I’m disappointed I didn’t break the five minute barrier, it seemed faster in solving. SHEATHING was the only one that held me up to any great extent.

  5. At 12mins, very probably my fastest ever Izetti. If I had gone straight to Potter, rather than Hal, it would have been even closer to a sub-10, because the other hold-out, Prospect, suddenly became a write-in. A good crossword for newbies, but I hope this was not a sign of things to come from one of our usually more challenging setters. Invariant

  6. Given I am outside the top hundred on the leaderboard with a time of 6:30 I gather most solvers found this straightforward. I was a little delayed in the SW corner with my LOsI STAG and ELEGANT. Thanks Mike.

  7. Definitely a Quick Crossowrd from Izetti today taking just over 15m.
    For once no clues caused a delay, although CANISTER was well hidden.
    Thanks Mike.

  8. Couldn’t quite believe how quickly I was racing through an Izetti. Finished with DISTEMPER (NHO the paint) at 9:03 for my 9th fastest ever. Curiously, there is a big gap of 55 seconds before my 10th fastest. Going through a QC this fast, when it seems like I’m barely stopping to think, makes me all the more amazed at those of you who polish these off in under 5 minutes. How your brains and fingers work that fast is beyond me. Anyway, COD to RADISHES and thanks to Izetti and Mike.

  9. 5:00

    Didn’t know the paint, so waited for checkers before entering the known illness. Had to return to PROSPECT having missed the ‘for’ element.

    Still, jolly quick for me and good fun.

    Thanks all.

  10. 8.39 Held up at the end by PROSPECT and two hiddens, SHEATHING and CANISTER. I agree that moods aren’t necessarily gloomy, but if someone’s “in a mood” they definitely aren’t cheerful. Thanks Mike and Izetti.

  11. Only half way through my coffee so must have been gentle. Only slight pause was LOI CANISTER where I failed to spot the hidden straight away. I prefer Izetti’s trickier QC offerings, purely because I get a longer coffee break, but I am doubtless in the minority! I thought the surfaces for DOOMSTER and TIPSTER were very good. Many thanks Izetti and Mike.

  14. Hadn’t heard of the paint sort of DISTEMPER, but otherwise no major problems and all done in 12:30. As others have said, very approachable indeed for an Izetti.

    Thank you for the blog!

  15. Took off at a pace and kept going. To my surprise it turned out to be an Izetti, which had I known from the outset I might have been less confident to tackle top to bottom. I finished in 15:20 which by my standard is blisteringly fast! LOI DOOMSTER which I took to be a very American term but couldn’t see anything else.
    Thanks Mike and Izetti for a nice puzzle which followed the rules.

  17. Couldn’t tell you whether we have done an Izetti faster but 8:46 is pretty quick for us. PROSPECT tok a bit of seeing and, like Templar above, I spent too long trying to squeeze ‘tin’ into 21a. On the other hand DISTEMPER went straight in and I think I recall DOOMSTER coming up previously.
    Thanks, Mike and Izetti.

  18. After being 1 letter out on 15 x 15 yesterday, I was out by 2 letters today. Somebody up there doesn’t like me!

  19. Dnf…

    Pretty much done and dusted after 13 mins, but just couldn’t see 10ac “Propsect” – even with the checkers and an alphabet trawl. Too obsessed with trying to fit a “sh” into it. Frustrating to be honest, as it was probably one of the easiest Izetti’s in a while.

    Nice to see a Grasmere reference in there. Plenty of treeless heath up on Loughrigg Fell or Helm Crag.

    FOI – 1ac “Chop Chop”
    LOI – Dnf
    COD – 9ac “Doomster” – a fairly common bunch nowadays.

    Thanks as usual!

  20. Need to check my stats for possible PB; 4:55 today, LOI PROSPECT.
    Started at the bottom. No hold-ups and immediately thought of distemper which used to be a very big deal for dogs. But I haven’t heard it mentioned for years.
    COD to RADISHES.
    David

  21. DNF with DISTEMPER stumping me at the end. A very good puzzle which got the brain going. Thanks for the blog 😁

  23. 8:12 to go from CHOP CHOP to REPORT. Three hiddens today, perhaps my favourite type of clue – definitely the type I find easiest, at least.

    Thanks to Izetti and Mike.

  24. A terrific QC from one of my favourite setters – very accessible but also great fun.

  27. Much enjoyed. 11:19. Could 16a be an &Lit? As the son of an engineer, I’m aware they often leave reports on buildings. Any thoughts?

  28. An online 12:48 and feeling pretty chuffed until the blog revealed, it was an easy one. Perhaps could have shaved a min off if I had seen Distemper and prospect quicker. Lots of hidden but they were well signposted. Thanks Izetti and Mike

  29. A lovely QC.
    After EAST and WEST I started looking for a theme, but couldn’t find one.
    COD DISTEMPER.

    Thanks Izetti and Mike

  30. 8:14, one of my fastest. Was looking at a PB but DISTEMPER slowed me down a bit. Never heard of the paint.

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