Times Quick Cryptic 1070 by Joker

Author   jackktPosted on Categories Quick Cryptic

Mostly completed within 10 minutes but I had a mental block over my last one in at 10ac and went off the scale, forgettting to note my actual finishing time.

As usual definitions are underlined in bold italics, {deletions are in curly brackets} and [anagrinds, containment, reversal and other indicators in square ones]

Across
1 Exhibit concern for the world of entertainment (4,8)
SHOW BUSINESS – SHOW (exhibit), BUSINESS (concern)
8 Partner’s after child one hundred per cent (7)
TOTALLY – TOT (child), ALLY (partner)
9 Vehicle run for freight (5)
CARGO – CAR (vehicle), GO (run)
10 Sudden attack of fright is small worry (5)
SCARE – S (small), CARE (worry). There’s no accounting for the mental block I suffered here and when I realised I was stumped I left it far too long before deciding to start the alphabet trawl that led me to the correct answer.
11 Family member has no right to show great happiness (7)
ELATION – {r}ELATION (family member) [has no right]
12 Greek for top of a house? (5)
ATTIC – Two meanings
14 Impossible illusion having to strike artist (7)
CHIMERA – CHIME (strike), RA (artist). In this context the SOED defines the answer as ‘a wild or fanciful conception’.
15 Rage at English being self-restrained (9)
TEMPERATE – TEMPER (rage), AT, E (English)
17 Source of heat regularly delivered by H-bombs (3)
HOB – H{b}O{m}B{s} [regularly delivered]
19 What signals set unapproachable limit? (6,7)
REMOTE CONTROL – REMOTE (unapproachable), CONTROL (limit). I think when ‘set’ for TV (or in the very old days ‘wireless’) came up in the main puzzle it gave rise to puzzlement in some quarters, but in the UK it was standard usage for many a year and may still be so for those of a certain vintage who were around long before TV remote controls became standard issue.
21 American artist’s representation of Harlow (6)
WARHOL – Anagram [representation of] HARLOW. 1928-1987, one of the leading figures in the ‘pop art’ movement’.
22 Bishop having not as much to ask God’s favour for (5)
BLESS – B (bishop), LESS (not as much)
Down
1 As it’s undergoing restructuring, plant is good enough (12)
SATISFACTORY – Anagram [restructuring] of AS IT’S, FACTORY (plant)
2 Reject unfashionable shed (7)
OUTCAST – OUT (unfashionable), CAST (shed)
3 Anger about the start of Germany’s nonsense (5)
BILGE – BILE (anger) containing [about] G{ermany} [start]
4 Some nasty lefty type (5)
STYLE – Hidden in [some] {na}STY LE{fty}
5 Fruit — a number outside broken crate (9)
NECTARINE – NINE (number) containing [outside] anagram [broken] of CRATE
6 What could be mass stampede for an addition to the menu? (7,6)
SERVICE CHARGE – SERVICE (what could be mass – church service), CHARGE (stampede)
7 Cornet finally replaced by a part for an organ (6)
CORNEA – CORNE -t + A [finally replaced by a]. Most definitely a QC clue as in the main puzzle the solver would surely not have been handed ‘cornet’ on a plate.
13 Renowned runner of EC getting involved with Heath (7)
CHEETAH – Anagram [involved] of EC HEATH. The fastest land animal.
14 Part of church left following risk (7)
CHANCEL – CHANCE (risk), L (left). It’s the part near the altar where the choir sits.
16 Snake heads for me and my black Airedale (5)
MAMBA – M{e} A{nd} M{y} B{lack} A{iredale} [heads]
18 Alarms in British measurements that are outdated (5)
BELLS – B (British), ELLS (measurements that are outdated). In England the ell was 45 inches but it varied in other countries, including Scotland where it was only 37.2 inches. You may know the expression ‘give someone an inch an they’ll take a mile’ but in the original version the longer measure of distance was ‘an ell’.
20 Cake rising in central point (3)
NUB – BUN (cake) reversed [rising]

23 comments on “Times Quick Cryptic 1070 by Joker”

  1. Pretty straightforward, although I did start with ‘panic’ at 10ac. It must be hard for the younger generation to imagine actually having to get up and change the channel. One of the great inventions of the 20th century, along with instant replay. 4:37.
  2. Nothing too taxing today although I was held up at the end by 10a (no idea why) and 18d, where I was unfamiliar with the measurement. With 7d I spent some time trying to think of organs beginning with T, before seeing that I was overcomplicating it. Completed in 10.03.
    Thanks for the blog
  3. 18 minutes today. A nice gentle start to the week, but still lots there to challenge me.
  4. Rusty this morning.

    FOI 4dn STYLE
    LOI 19ac REMOTE CONTROL – zapper?
    COD 1dn SATISFACTORY
    WOD 14ac CHIMERA

    Edited at 2018-04-16 07:59 am (UTC)

  5. Easiest qc ever (3 minutes). Isn’t service charge an addition to the bill, not the menu?
    1. I considered that but decided it might be a bit nit-picky. A menu is usually a list of prices and additionally it should state any service charge that will apply.

      Edited at 2018-04-16 08:21 am (UTC)

  6. 26 minutes, held up by scare, cornea, cheetah, nub and LOI remote control.

    I think ell has been clued before as a length of cloth.

    COD temperate.

  7. I also did a double take on 7d, wondering if it could be so simple, but there it was. FOI SHOW BUSINESS, LOI STYLE. 7:02. Thanks Joker and Jack.
  8. 19:30, which is a record for me on my phone, although I biffed 19a and 6d and I have to thank the hours spent struggling with Izzeti for most of my ecclesiastical knowledge!
    Good puzzle and thanks for the excellent blog
    Brian
  9. Slight hold-up on 7dn as on this display ‘cornet’ was almost indistinguishable from ‘comet’ so spent time trying to think of an alternative to Halley (or reindeer).
    BTW, ELL as a measure of cloth was made by spreading hands apart, would that account for Scots being smaller than English?
  10. Gentle start to the week. Pondered over ATTIC as I was unaware of the Greek connection (Attica I gather). I think the CHIMERA also appears in Greek mythology.
    PlayUpPompey
  11. Very fast for me too

    Thanks to jackkt for explaining “set” to me, I didn’t quite get that at the time

    Templar

  12. A big thank you to the Times for the Times contributors.
    This blog is my go-to place for parsing. I started 17 months back with plenty of DNFs and today achieved my first sub 10 minutes solve.

    9:51

    1. You’re welcome, desdeeloeste. Glad you like it around here and hope to hear more from you in the future.
  13. Well under average time for me. LOI the simple CORNEA… for the simple reason I read the clue on my printed out copy of the crossword as “Comet finally replaced…”. I think others have muttered about this problem with the font before! Otherwsie all rather 1d. Thanks Joker and Jackkt.
  14. 13 minutes today, great for me! Ta Jackkt for parsing BELLS – didn’t know ELLS but I do now 🙂

  15. Felt I was on for a PB but came in at a disappointing 14:56.

    COD 6d for elegant surface. Also burnt time at 10a with plenty of words able to satisfy the checkers.

  16. I did not find this that easy but progressed steadily needing 18 minutes to complete this puzzle. LOI was Remote Control and I needed all the checkers to find this. Second last was 6d and perhaps there is a slight misdirection in the clue as service charge is added to the bill. However we all seem to have got there in the end. David
  17. … progress here!
    ATTIC, CHIMERA & ELS slowed me down.
    appropriate for a Monday!
  18. I can’t believe everyone found this easy. This was for me by the hardest of the last couple of weeks. I could not get on the setters wavelength, and did not find the clueing helpful. I am guessing that all those who found it easy are experienced.
  19. First two answers were 1ac and 1d, which doesn’t happen too often, and progress thereafter was steady rather than spectacular. After 20 mins or so only 6d was left, and that’s how it stayed for another 5 mins. Even when I had the answer, I didn’t like parsing service as army. . . Of course, when there were only two channels a remote control wasn’t really required. And don’t get me started on having to wait 5 mins for the valves to warm up. Invariant

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