Times Quick Cryptic 1076 by Tracy

Author   ChrisPosted on Categories Quick Cryptic
I can’t remember such a fast start to the week – two 7 minute solves in a row.
Today wasn’t plain sailing though – FOI 6ac and LOI 9ac showing how much I had to jump about the grid. A crucial checking letter here and there kept up the momentum even through the rather trickier bottom half. Some good, devious clues here – for which thank you Tracy – only fully appreciated when analysing for the blog. All comments welcomed especially the fine definition between more humble establishments and 2dn.

ACROSS

1. On the spot – here immediately. ‘Here’ seems to be part of the definition and also the word play – a pink (indeed any non-red) ball at snooker is replaced ‘here’ on its spot if potted after a red.
2. Con – swindle. (C)ompany, working (ON).
8. Chatter – idle talk. About (C – circa), milliner (HATTER).
9. Knave – double definition – jack the playing card and knave=cad.
10. Convalescent – one recuperating. Beers (ALES) and cold (C) inside sister’s house (CONVENT).
12. Armada – fleet of warships. Anagram (unfolding) of A DRAMA. Nice surface.
13. Galaxy – collection of stars. Happy (GAY) entertaining (inside which is) loose (LAX).
16. Hair of the dog – advocated (in the sense of generally recommended) hangover cure. Anagram (restored) of HER GOOD FAITH.
19. Alpha – Greek character. Inside loc(AL PHA)rmacy.
20. One taking class – teacher. Anagram (punished) of CHEATER.
22. Toy – play thing. (T)ouch(Y) about old (O).
23. Easy terms – double definition.

DOWN

1. Once – long ago. Individual (ONE) around (touring) clubs (C).
2. Tearoom – restaurant – Collins has both spellings – tearoom and tea room. How splendid that such establishments still exist (I just looked up to check) despite all the ‘brand’ coffee shops and other eateries these days. Can they be much different from the cafes I gratefully come across when walking in the Peak District? Rent (TEAR), low – cows low=moo – rising (OOM).
3. Eat – have a meal (if in a tearoom would it be cucumber sandwiches and earl grey?). In Chels(EA T)rattoria – which is surely not a tearoom.
4. Parole – prisoners conditional release. The governor (father = PA), a part to play (ROLE).
5. Take shape – fall into place. Appropriate (TAKE), anagram (new) of PHASE.
6. Crate – old car. Constant (C in maths), speed (RATE).
7. No entry – road sign. Attempt (TRY) to follow neon rising (NOEN).
11. Videotape – recording? The question mark shows it’s just one example of a recording. About as dated as tearoom these days. Anagram (remarkable) of VOTE IPAD, simpl(E).
12. At heart – really (despite some tough clues the QC is generally quite gentle at heart). I thought the word play was intriguingly devious – try (HEAR) inside a TT (ATT).
14. Another – alternative. Anagram (alien – quite an anagram indicator – from Collins – You use alien to describe something that seems strange) of ON EARTH.
15. Status – class. Say mostly (STAT)e, American (US). COD amongst some hot contenders.
17. Imply – suggest. Only having taken the lead letter out – s(IMPLY).
18. Eros – Greek god. Resentful sore – rises (EROS).
19. Act – deed. A (A), court (CT).

19 comments on “Times Quick Cryptic 1076 by Tracy”

  1. I had no idea what a potted pink was doing in 1ac, figured it was ON THE SPOT from the def, but waited for some checkers before biffing it. Did not wait to biff HAIR OF THE DOG. 4:02.
  2. Re 13ac GALAXY I had forgotten that GAY was synonymous with happy but Chambers has it.
    Time 10.25
    FOI 1ac ON THE SPOT
    LOI 5dn TAKE SHAPE
    COD None
    WOD HAIR OF THE DOG

    Chris it would help if the solutions were CAPITALISED.

    1. My rationale is that most people come here to find out why the answers are the answers rather than what the answers are – hence highlighting those parts of the word play which make up the answer.
      Further bells and whistles (including colours or copying the clue) are either unavailable or too hard on my trusty iPad (which otherwise is simplicity itself – a reason why I’m still ‘doing the whole blog thing’).
      Happy to hear any further comments from anyone else – let democracy win the day!
      1. Well I wouldn’t have said so since I am eternally grateful to those who make the effort to blog … but I must admit that Horryd has a point.

        Templar

        PS “most people come here to find out why the answers are the answers”? Surely most people come here to find out how fast Kevin Gregg’s time was today??

  3. 15 minutes and a nice puzzle from Tracy.

    Stuck on the last two, crate and knave.
    Only parsing difficulty was PA = governor in 4d.

    Lots of good clues, favourites: tearoom, no entry and take shape.

  4. 9 minutes. Puzzled by PA = ‘the governor’ which I don’t think I have ever seen before. I skipped parsing it during the solve and then forgot to go back and look at it again. I’m not sure I’d ever have worked it out so thanks for the explanation, Chris. At first I thought it was a bit of a stretch, but on refelection, we often have one slang or colloquial word for something clued by another.
    1. You surprise–nay, shock–me. I’ve long associated the term ‘governor’ with Bertie Wooster types, although of course Bertie’s pa disappeared long before.
  5. Woohoo! PB at 6:54.

    I thought it was going to go pear-shaped with LOI 6d but got it with over 20 seconds to spare.

    I’ve only got one videotape left, which has this rather excellent French and Saunders sketch on it https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QeIxJzdPD0A (mine doesn’t have the French subtitles).

    Thanks for the blog.

  6. Having gone to bed after watching a session of the World Snooker Championship, 1a was a write in. The rest of the clues tripped off the ends of my fingers until I was left with 12d and 16a. These succumbed to an additional helping of brain cells and the whole thing was done in 6:56. An enjoyable romp. Thanks Tracy and Chris.
  7. I assumed NCO (head of company in military speak) working being an anagrind hence Con , swindle.
    Tracy. Please advise and thanks for compiling these QCs.
    John
  8. Like Mr Chumley I was heading for what felt like a PB (bit subjective since I do it with pen and paper but still …)

    Like Mr Chumley I only had one to go …

    Like Mr Chumley it was 6d …

    Sadly there the resemblance stops, as I toiled and troubled and chewed my pen over that one clue for as long as it had taken to do the entire rest of the puzzle. Was I looking for an old brand of car? (no) Was CRACE a word? (no) Was “old” signifying “O”? (no) Why couldn’t I get it when only 2 letters were missing out of 5? (I don’t know)

    Eventually I did an alphabet trawl and got there … in my defence I can only say that to me a crate is an old plane, not an old car, but there we are. Grrr.

    Thanks to setter and blogger.

    Templar

  9. Not quite a personal best time, but well inside 9 minutes, so quick for me. 1a and 6a went straight in and then solved from top to bottom.

    I parsed 6a the same as our esteemed blogger, sorry John, whilst yours may work, an NCO isn’t necessarily the head of a company (military). A company is usually 80 – 150 men and usually commanded by a Major or a Captain in the army, both fully commissioned officers, rather than non-commissioned as in NCO.

    1. Ah! I was hoping some fine, strapping chap with knowledge of the military would step in and answer that – thank you, old bean.
    2. Hi Rotter
      Thanks for the gen. not great on military ranks. Know a brigadier commands a brigade but that’s about it 🤣 John
  10. Just over 11 minutes per the clock on my microwave, so another quick one. Had to be as I had a train to catch before lunch at The George and Vulture -memories of the old City.
    LOI was 18 where I nearly biffed Iris knowing it did not fit the clue. Happily I was not a sore loser. COD to 13a. David
  11. I expected worse when I saw Tracy’s name, but this one rattled along nicely untiI I had just 5, 6 and 9 left in the NE corner. And there, like others, my push for another 20 min finish came to a halt. Knave, crate and take shape fell in that order but only after a painfully slow series of alphabet trawls. Knave is bound to be a chestnut, but when it’s the first time. . . 23ac gets my vote for CoD, just ahead of 7d. Invariant
  12. I seem to be copying David’s times so far this week, completing this in 11.25. I was held up by trying to work out how nunnery was going to fit in to 10a and at the end by 23a and LOI 7d. COD to 12d

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