Times Quick Cryptic 1461 by Breadman

Author   ChrisPosted on Categories Quick Cryptic
Hmph! For me, the ‘Q’ in this one stood for Quite hard and I felt lucky to come in on 14 minutes. The odd tea and haircut I could have lived with, but what was Breadman thinking by crossing a thankfully unknown ailment with a chap who was the life and soul of the party some two and a half thousand years ago?

As usual, if you know the answers it’s all plain sailing but do let me know if you’ve joined me in the grump club.
To make matters worse, I’m also having some problems with the font in the blog – let me know if you can read it.

ACROSS
1. Characteristic of a dog to obstruct kennel’s opening (4)
BARK – to obstruct (BAR), (K)ennel.
2. Sportsperson modified heat around rental property (7)
ATHLETE – anagram (modified) of HEAT around rental property (LET).
8. 1970s novel — what Amazon has in abundance to despatch southwards (9,4)
WATERSHIP DOWN – what (the) Amazon has in abundance (WATER), to dispatch (SHIP), southwards (DOWN).
9. Teacher, on reflection, is right (3)
SIR – reflect is (SI), right (R).
10. Terribly stern European painter (5)
ERNST – anagram (terribly) of STERN, A German (European) painter.
12. Grass, spare, to mix together (7)
ESPARTO – anagram (mix together) of SPARE TO. Not your everyday back garden grass for lawns but ones that yield a fibre used to make ropes/mats.
14. Widely influential person backing business with leading American (7)
OCTOPUS – back business – co (OC), leading (TOP), American (US). Think some James Bond villain.
16. Training in casual shirt, shelter under canvas (5)
TEPEE – training (PE) in casual shirt (TEE).
17. When to expect the arrival of Greek character (3)
ETA – double definition.
20. Barrister in New York borough, no use, sadly, in case of criminal (6,7)
QUEEN’S COUNSEL – New York borough (QUEENS), anagram (sadly) of NO USE inside the case of (C)rimina(L).
21. Digestive ailment: papa is affected, without energy (7)
APEPSIA – anagram (affected) of PAPA IS outside energy (E). I knew dyspepsia so made this up.
22. Recently received information four different ways (4)
NEWS – four different ways/directions (N E W S).
DOWN
1. Become aware of website broadcasting nothing (2,4,2)
BE WISE TO – anagram (broadcasting) of WEBSITE, nothing (O).
2. One who shops primarily examines price (4)
RATE – one who shops in the sense of ‘tells on’ (RAT), (E)xamines.
3. Source of wood and source of metal on land (6)
ASHORE – source of wood (ASH tree), source of metal (ORE).
4. New photomap is up showing large animal (12)
HIPPOPOTAMUS- anagram (new) of PHOTOMAP IS UP.
5. Bill recalled policeman obtaining right haircut (4,4)
ETON CROP – bill (note) recalled (ETON), policeman (COP) obtaining right (R). It’s a short mannish style hairstyle worn by women in the 1920s.
6. Leader of ecologists regularly ringed eagle (4)
ERNE – (E)cologists, (R)i(N)g(E)d.
7. Noble pen has excited old playwright (12)
ARISTOPHANES – not an anagram of noble pen has with old (O) but noble (ARISTO), anagram (excited of) PEN HAS. Old is right – during c 460 – c 380 BCE he was the most famous writer of old comedy plays – I suspect he’d have got on with Ian Hislop.
11. Mark well: wrecked boat in English river (4,4)
NOTA BENE – anagram (wrecked) of BOAT) in English river (NENE).
13. Completed everybody’s workwear (8)
OVERALLS – completed (OVER), everybody’s (ALL’S).
15. Variety of tea somewhat less enchanting (6)
SENCHA – somewhat les(S ENCHA)nting. A green tea made using whole leaves.
18. A landing-place without variable shade (4)
AQUA – a (A), landing-place (QUA)y – without the mathematical variable ‘Y’. Apparently aqua is the same colour/shade as aquamarine.
19. Detached land mass exists outside of Lahore (4)
ISLE – exists (IS), (L)ahor)(E).

43 comments on “Times Quick Cryptic 1461 by Breadman”

  1. Too specialised for a quick cryptic. DNK Sencha, Octopus, Aqua, Apepsia (even underlined in red on Ipad!!), Eta. Did not get Be Wise To or think of Queens. Hey ho. Hope for better tomorrow.
  2. No one has complained about ‘aristo’. Is it really fair to use an abbreviation without signposting it?
    1. ARISTO has its own listing in all the usual dictionaries. But in any case, cryptic crosswords use abbreviations and abbreviated forms all the time. If these had to be indicated it would make the setter’s task impossible and the solver’s too easy.
  4. I only got to this one this evening but know these do get read by the Setters, so – I think this called for more GK than usual in a QC so I understand some of the gripes but even tho I probably spent well over an hour I got a great sense of accomplishment from finishing. Happily aware of Aristophanes once I found the N denied aristocratic. Some 15×15 tricks too I thought. But thoroughly enjoyed this tricky solve. Helpful blog to point out the anagram for 1d. Well done Breadman and Blogger – can sleep better having completed this one!
  5. I only got to this one this evening but know these do get read by the Setters, so – I think this called for more GK than usual in a QC so I understand some of the gripes but even tho I probably spent well over an hour I got a great sense of accomplishment from finishing. Happily aware of Aristophanes once I found the N denied aristocratic. Some 15×15 tricks too I thought. But thoroughly enjoyed this tricky solve. Helpful blog to point out the anagram for 1d. Well done Breadman and Blogger – can sleep better having completed this one!

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