Times Quick Cryptic 1041 by Kenny

Author   ChrisPosted on Categories Quick Cryptic
Following on from yesterday’s discussion of the ‘only one hidden’ rule – today we have one forward and one backwards (10ac, 6dn).
Kenny appears to have an interest in the USA which may please some of our solvers from there who have to put up with UK centric clues (oh, we have some of those too). A quick search seems to indicate this is Kenny’s first but others are better at this than I. Either way this was a good QC IMHO with plenty of interest and not too taxing – coming in at a difficulty score of 10/20 (so about average).

I’m torn between stating times (not liked by newer solvers struggling to finish at all) and a difficultly level (almost always disagreed with by someone) so am trying out a new plan. When I see, for example, kevingregg’s time, I consider it in relation to normal times posted (around the 5-6 minute mark) whereas jacckt more often comes in around a similar (but, to be fair, slightly quicker) time than my own. I can’t remember when I’ve ever taken more than 20 minutes to solve a QC so I’ve used this as a benchmark to indicate relative difficulty.
Comments appreciated.

ACROSS

1. Pastor – minister (the religious sort). Anagram (disturbed) of SPORT about article (A).
4. Kneels – prepares to pray? Ultimate letters of worK oN thE wholE stressfuL lasS.
9. Mayfair – London area. One month (MAY) just (FAIR).
10. Recur – to come round again. Hidden (part of) co(RE CUR)riculum.
11. Ohio – US state. Oscar (O) greeting (saying HI to) another Oscar (O).
12. Islander – resident of Mull maybe. Is (IS) left (L) with (AND) the Queen (ER).
14. Yellow Belly – coward. A quick stroll through the land of research shows that the coward meaning derived from US army slang whereas older U.K. versions don’t have the coward link but refer to fen dwellers and the Wexford hurling team (using a yellow sash to differentiate them from the opposition). To cry in pain (YELL ‘OW’!) and alarm (BELL) (Y)es.
18. Fish farm – sole concern? COD to this witty cryptic definition.
20. Iffy – doubtful. One (I) very loud (FF) Yankee (Y).
22. Eliza – girl. Anagram (fabulous) of ZEAL overwhelming (around) one (I).
23. Hoedown – party. Did some gardening (HOED) have (OWN).
24. Dryden – English poet. Uninteresting (DRY) study (DEN).
25. Useful – handy. American (US) anagram (supply – in a supple/flexible way) of FUEL. Lovely anagram indicator.

DOWN

1. Pompom – ball. An ornamental ball or tuft of silk, wool, feathers, etc., as used on clothing or draperies or the more commonly known – waved in pairs by cheerleaders. The term for a Briton down under (POM) twice.
2. Skyline – New York (NY) is an example of a sky line which may stir one (if you like that sort of thing). This is another great &lit clue where the whole clue is the definition and contains the word play of anagram (stirring) of LIKE NYS.
3. Oval – sports (cricket) ground. On a regular basis – nOt ViAbLe.
5. Narrated – simply told. Hurried (RAN) upwards, harshly told off (RATED).
6. El Cid – Spanish hero. Hidden (in) backwards in Icelan(DIC LE)ague.
7. Sartre – French philosopher. Anagram (arranged) of ARREST.
8. Trustworthy – reliable. Anagram (false) of STORY TRUTH about west (W).
13. Old flame – former lover. Couldn’t get away from ‘ex’ for a long time – of (OF) grasping lord (LD – can’t remember seeing this abbreviation) with a limp (LAME).
15. Lift off – start of (space) mission. Elevator (LIFT) not working (OFF – a day off).
16. Offend – put out. From the far side – not the near end, the off end – in a car we have near side and off side.
17. Hymnal – songbook. Anagram (adapted) of Hamlyn.
19. Shiny – gleaming. Reluctant (SHY) to keep home (IN).
21. Hens – birds. Poles (NS – north and south) placed beneath male (HE).

29 comments on “Times Quick Cryptic 1041 by Kenny”

  1. Didn’t realize that YELLOW-BELLY was an Americanism, although come to think of it, I think I’ve only encountered the word in Western movies. I put in KNEELS, then took it out because I couldn’t justify it, then put it back at the end because I couldn’t think of anything else. I actually figured the S was ‘lass ultimately’. Duh. Liked FISH FARM. 6:16, 10th on the leaderboard (where the amazing Verlaine is 2d at 2:10!).
    1. You don’t need to be transatlantic about this. Lincolnshire folk are known as yellow bellies , more often pronounced yeller belly
  2. I was moving along about as quickly as I could write, until—like Jonathan above—I had to pause to figure out FISH FARM and OFFEND (where I also considered “afield”). I didn’t at first see how to justify KNEELS, either, laboring under the same misapprehension as Kevin.

    Edited at 2018-03-06 04:51 am (UTC)

  3. I’m happy to confirm you are right, Chris, that this is the first QC to appear under the name ‘Kenny’.

    I completed it in 8 minutes. If my QC solving times are being used as a yardstick of some sort I’d remind anyone interested that they include parsing times.

    The appearance of one forward (or ‘straight’) hidden and one reversed is in accordance with the convention associated with the main puzzle, though there is nothing to suggest that we should expect to have one of each every day.

    Like kevingregg I know YELLOW-BELLY from Western movies and as I write this I can just hear Gabby Hayes mumbling the expresssion through his whiskery beard.

    Edited at 2018-03-06 05:07 am (UTC)

    1. It can also be dangerous to get into the habit of stopping looking for hiddens after you’ve found the first one if you ever want to do other popular 15x15s, like the Guardian!
  4. I had everything done in about 10 minutes and then got stuck on fish farm, hoedown, offend and trustworthy. Finishing in over an hour, including work stops.

    COD to fish farm.

  5. About 25 mins, largely due to attempting the single pass (all the across clues in order,and then all the down, also in order) Would have made it but for fish farm

  6. 24 mins, so a bit slow. I liked the &lit clue SKYLINE although I needed all the checkers. My COD was another that need all checkers : HOEDOWN.

    Was not so happy with FISH FARM, clue didn’t really work for me.

    1. With just the two F’s in place my first attempt at 18 across was FLAT FEET, which I still think just about works, but it made 8 down and 19 down tricky.

      Nice puzzle, though.

    2. Well, a concern is a business and a sole is a fish so fish farm worked for me. One may objet on the grounds that salmon, hake and trout are farmed but sole isn’t but I got over that without a problem.
  7. Around my average. Struggled with SKYLINE. Do people really find a skyline of ugly tall buildings stirring? Not happy with that clue at all. 1dn made me chuckle, although I think I may have seen it before. Never seen a single letter “O” used as an abbreviation for OSCAR. Thought that was weak, although obvious enough. Like the blogger, was stuck with former lover = “ex” for a while.
    PlayUpPompey
    2. Thanks to anonymous on Oscar=O. 20ac Yankee =Y is another.
      I now notice that there are 6 Ys in the grid which may be unusual and further strengthens my case on the USA theme.

      Edited at 2018-03-06 03:44 pm (UTC)

  8. Enjoyed this. I wrote in skyline early on without really getting it – some skylines are stirring but…?? I appreciated Fish Farm as it led me down the wrong path – I even had Foot Firm in at one point! And for some incomprehensible reason my LOI was Hens. Thank you Kenny – more please! And thank you blogger.

    This may have already come up in the blog, but – are others enjoying the cryptic Quintagram? I am!

  9. I thought Kenny was new, and so approached this with an open mind . . . if not to say empty. Struggled a bit to start with, but then got into the swing of things. Held up at 13d and then again at 23ac, before coming to a complete halt with just the 16d/18ac combination still left. Couldn’t get either of these and so had to come back for a second visit. Only then did I see Fish Farm (CoD, in more ways than one), but it still took me a long time to get Offend – not exactly the best clue on the grid. All is forgiven though, Kenny, for having El Cid as an answer – one of my favourite films. Invariant
  10. Newspaper readers may have noticed that the setter’s name has been moved in the title next to the QC number. Why, I don’t know, but it does make it slightly more anonymous.
    Anyway I did spot Kenny and thought it was a new name.
    A nice puzzle;not too difficult. I was going rather quickly and for 19a inserted Flat Fish and then Fish Food before finding the correct answer. 13 minutes, so quick for me. David
  11. This one took me over my 10 minute target by 15 seconds, mainly due to FISH FARM, where I took a while to see FARM. Forehead smack time when I did finally see it! YELLOW BELLY from old Westerns. Never did spot the proper parsing of KNEELS. Doh! MER at the thought of the stirring skyline. Nice puzzle. Thanks Kenny and Chris.
  12. Did anyone else get mews for 21d. M (male) followed by E, W and S. My online dictionary has mew as “A migratory gull (Larus canus) that breeds in northern Eurasia and northwest North America”.
    1. I see where you’re coming from here but poles are N and S. Compass points are NESW.
      Thanks for the research on mews though – may well come in useful at some point. At a pub quiz last Sunday night I got ounce for snow leopard because it comes up in crosswords.

      Edited at 2018-03-06 03:52 pm (UTC)

    2. Count me in on the ‘mews’ team. My agreeable 5’00” is now a DNF.

      Edited at 2018-03-06 11:04 pm (UTC)

  13. I started slowly but picked up speed with the seemingly large number of anagrams and then came to a complete halt with the 16d/18a. Finally completed in 18 minutes.
    Thank for the blog
  14. I rattled through most of this in around 5 minutes and thought I might be on for a PB (7:21 to beat) but it all ground to a halt in the SW.

    I eventually pressed submit at 25:18 and DNF due to having AFIELD at 16d. How can offend = off side unless you’re driving a crab???

    Thanks for the blog Chris.

  15. It’s always good to come across a new setter and wonder how you are going to get on. In this case I thought Kenny got it spot on. Yes there were plenty of straightforward clues to offer encouragement, but also a few to make even the experienced solver think twice. 8d my LOI having failed to spot the anagram. The &lit at 2d was my favourite and I liked FISH FARM too – very witty.

    My own take on publishing solving times here has been to adapt the SNITCH to compare my time for the day to my average time over the last 6 months. Sorry if that sounds a bit geeky! But by this reckoning, my personal NITCH for this was 97… which rounds up nicely to your 10/20. Thanks Chris and Kenny!

    Edited at 2018-03-06 10:26 pm (UTC)

Comments are closed.