Times Quick Cryptic 1150 by Flamande

Author   jackktPosted on Categories Quick Cryptic

This one took me 9 minutes, a welcome return to form after three tricky puzzles in a row towards the end of last week.  I think most of it is straightforward but that may depend on having all the relevant pieces of general knowledge

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

Across
1 Superior group of pupils on drugs? (4-5)
HIGH-CLASS – HIGH (on drugs), CLASS (group of pupils)
6 Regular payment for newspaper employee (3)
SUB – Two meanings, both abbreviations – subscription and sub-editor
8 Hiker taking walk between two rivers (7)
RAMBLER – AMBLE (walk) contained by [between] R+R (two rivers)
9 Free article given away by relative (5)
UNTIE – {a}UNTIE (relative) [article {a} given away]
10 Coins Thelma’s squandered … in these? (4,8)
SLOT MACHINES – Anagram [squandered] of COINS THELMAS
12 Choice evening meal half-heartedly offered by British (6)
SUPERB – SUP{p}ER (evening meal) [half-heartedly], B (British). The 15×15 would not have given us ‘evening meal’.
13 Accommodated duo she displaced (6)
HOUSED – Anagram [displaced] of DUO SHE
16 Knowing where film stars can be seen? (2,3,7)
IN THE PICTURE – A straight definition and a vaguely cryptic one
19 Savagely criticise most of top Christmas show (5)
PANTO – PAN (savagely criticise), TO{p} [most]
20 Clothes become dated? Rubbish (7)
GARBAGE – GARB (clothes), AGE (become dated)
22 Artist, unknown fellow (3)
RAY – RA (artist), Y (unknown). Older hands at the QC will be familar with RA for ‘artist’ by now but newcomers may not know that in this sense it stands for Royal Academician. RA is also Royal Academy of Arts, the institution the Academicians are affiliated to, and the building in London at the centre of its operations that’s called Burlington House. In more difficult puzzles one might even seen ‘Burlington House’ clueing the letters RA.
23 Mountain guide, one causing irritation (9)
TORMENTOR – TOR (mountain), MENTOR (guide)
Down
1 Group of animals that woman ultimately tamed (4)
HERD – HER (that woman), {tame}D [ultimately]
2 Pinafore dress James picked up by mistake (7)
GYMSLIP – GYM sounds like [picked up] “Jim” (James),  SLIP (mistake)
3 Commanding officer left mountain pass (3)
COL – CO (Commanding Officer), L (left). A crossword favourite that’s worth remembering along with ‘tarn’, a mountain lake.
4 Sailor taking route overseas (6)
ABROAD – AB (sailor), ROAD (route)
5 Posh tour organised, beginning in this NW resort (9)
SOUTHPORT – Anagram [organised] of POSH TOUR, T{his} [beginning]
6 Shiny material presumably didn’t stand out (5)
SATIN – A straight definition and a cryptic one that relies on the alternatively spaced SAT IN
7 Consecrated part of garden with not so much in it (7)
BLESSED – BED (part of garden) containing [with…] LESS (not so much) […in it]
11 Ended up being dismissed (6,3)
TURNED OUT – Two meanings
12 Ship’s captain initially served fish for breakfast? (7)
SKIPPER – S{erved} [initially], KIPPER (fish for breakfast?)
14 Employee in refurbished taverns (7)
SERVANT – Anagram [refurbished] of TAVERNS
15 Remain in appealing ermine (6)
LINGER – Hidden [in] {appea}LING ER{mine}
17 Fish from barrel, nearly empty (5)
TUNNY – TUN (barrel), N{earl}Y [empty]. Another word for ‘tuna’.
18 Ale better avoided by teetotaller (4)
BEER – BE{tt}ER [avoided by teetotaller]
21 For starters restaurant offers exotic caviare (3)
ROE – First letters [for starters] of R{estaurant} O{ffers} E{xotic}

26 comments on “Times Quick Cryptic 1150 by Flamande”

  1. I needed the checkers to complete GYM…, as I don’t think I knew GYMSLIP. Also needed checkers for 10ac, as the anagrist was not forthcoming. Didn’t care much for 8ac. 5:08.
  2. Less than 5 minutes too…why don’t the typos happen on the 10-minute+ solves?

    And why is Southport in the North?

    Liked 18dn

    Edited at 2018-08-06 03:05 am (UTC)

  3. 21 minutes but a lot of time spent on turned out. Looked at turfed out for a while but couldn’t convince myself.

    Dnk tunny.

    Really liked high class, skipper, and satin, but COD to Southport as it’s near where I’m from originally.

  4. Nearly a sub-five. Have been to SOUTHPORT. It is not obvious why it is called that as it is north of Liverpool.
  5. Nothing too tricky today but I was held up at the end by TURNED OUT, for no obvious reason. My favourite today was 23a. Completed in 16 minutes exactly.
  6. Just 5 seconds over my target of 10 mins. LOI the unknown fish 17d TUNNY. I had to revisit 6a SUB and 7d BLESSED a few times before the penny dropped. DNK col as a mountain pass but here in Mallorca col is short for colina, the spanish word for hill.

    Edited at 2018-08-06 09:29 am (UTC)

  7. Not sure why this took me longer than average, although only just. Just the time to get my brain into gear perhaps. SLOT MACHINES my LOI as I needed all the checkers. GARBAGE my favourite. Having warmed up with this, the 15×15 took me less than 2 minutes more, so today’s should be a good one for QCers who are looking to trade up to have a go at.
    1. Thank you for the tip on the 15×15. We tried it and did it – our first ever finish! Very happy.
      2. Thanks for the encouragement to have a go at the 15×15. 50 mins which is not bad for an amateur.
        17 mins for the QC – too many Kevins but there you go….
        John M
      3. Thanks for the encouragement to have a go at the 15×15. 50 mins which is not bad for an amateur.
        17 mins for the QC – too many Kevins but there you go….
        John M
  8. Very grateful that this week has started with a straightforward QC – 20mins with just a slight delay in the NE, where I had to biff a couple before I could see what was going on. Fortunately I only live about 30 mins away from Southport, so that was a useful write-in, and slot machines was a gentle enough anagram, or I might have struggled a bit more. Invariant
  9. Very straightforward, helped by the long anagram coming quickly into focus. Quite enjoyed SATIN, my COD. LOI RAMBLER where I needed the checkers.
    PlayUpPompey
  10. No problems for me today. Started with HIGH- and HERD and finished with SLOT MACHINES, which I spotted just before resorting to pen and paper. Liked SUPERB. 6:51. Thanks Flamande and Jack.
  12. 07:08 with loi gymslip – wasn’t quite sure what a pinafore dress would be and didn’t know a gymslip was one. Rather liked tormentor cod to skipper.
  13. Everything was going smoothly but (I almost always find a but) 23A and 11D held me up. I liked 8A unlike others.

    I tried the biggie and was rattling along but sadly there was one word I did not know and could not decipher the wordplay. The QC is my level.

  14. Agree this was straightforward, particularly after the diet of weekend puzzles which I tried. I finished in just over 11 minutes with 15d LOI.
    Paused a bit over Tunny and was pleased to see Southport, a place I know well.
    Some nice clues I thought. David
    PS I am now going to check my 15×15 solve where I have a few unparsed. As noted, it’s a good one for improvers to try.
  15. I enjoyed this one. Unlike most days, I could (eventually) see the parsing of all the answers.

    Except, maybe, gym for Jim as I didn’t realise ‘picked up’ could stand in for sounds like.

    Thanks to Flamande and Jack

    Edited at 2018-08-07 07:07 am (UTC)

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