Times Quick Cryptic 1606 by Tracy

Author   ChrisPosted on Categories Quick Cryptic
I got nowhere in the top half of this puzzle so dropped down and built it back up again. Finally, I was left with three clues – 4ac, 4dn and 8ac which eventually fell in that order. Just over 10 minutes for what, in places, felt a little tricky. Apart from those three, solving this in a reasonable time seems to depend on getting the two long downs and the long across.
COD to both 4dn and 15dn which were the best of some clever, intriguing clueing. Thanks for the fun, Tracy.

With a question over the passing of 18 down, here’s how I worked it out.

ACROSS

1. Voice of inferior quality? Sounds like it (4)
BASS – homophone (sounds like it) of inferior quality – base.
4. Perfect print to order (8)
COPYBOOK – print (COPY) order (BOOK). I’m more familiar with the term textbook – Collins has copybook as an action which is done perfectly.
8. Protective garment needed by chap in a forest (8)
PINAFORE – it took me a long time to find the hidden (needed by) in cha(P IN A FORE)st.
9. Helpful hint about river excursion (4)
TRIP – helpful hint (TIP) about river (R).
10. Travel with the French writer almost direct (6)
GOVERN – travel (GO) with almost a French writer Jules (VERN)e.
11. Radio broadcast my English band crewmember (6)
ROADIE – anagram (broadcast) of RADIO, English (E).
12. Free snifters later – willpower’s required! (4-9)
SELF-RESTRAINT – anagram (free) of SNIFTERS LATER.
16. Test that woman, one who’s given birth (6)
MOTHER – test (MOT), that woman (HER).
17. A Royal son finally put in charge (6)
PRINCE –  so(N) put inside charge (PRICE).
19. Operatic star eager to return (4)
DIVA – eager – avid backwards (DIVA).
20. Principle involving guys in the flat (8)
TENEMENT – principle (TENET) including guys (MEN).
21. A nettle blown about court arm (8)
TENTACLE – anagram (blown) about court (C).
22. Pull bovine animal across rear of barn (4)
YANK – bovine animal (YAK) around bar(N).

DOWN

2. In the morning I depart leaving friend (5)
AMIGO – in the morning (AM), I (I), depart (GO).
3. Modern gallery in the quiet centre (5,2,3,3)
STATE OF THE ART – Gallery (TATE) inside quiet (SOFT), centre (HE ART).
4. Top title (5)
CROWN – double definition. The top of the head is the crown of the head. Title is maybe referring to the noun – the Crown but might be referring to the title of the TV show The Crown. This could also be a cryptic definition with top title in the country being the crown.
5. I make mistake filling cup for clown (7)
PIERROT – I make mistake (I ERR) filling cup (POT).
6. A bit hasty, mate shot nevertheless (2,4,2,2,3)
BE THAT AS IT MAY – anagram (shot) of A BIT HASTY MATE.
7. Work at home on island, on view (7)
OPINION – work (OP), at home (IN) on top of island (I), on (ON).
10. Mostly wise over fossil fuel (3)
GAS – most of wise – sage upside down e(GAS).
13. Causing strong feelings in European grounds (7)
EMOTIVE – European (E), grounds (MOTIVE).
14. Unreliable boy holding sailor up (7)
ERRATIC – boy (ERIC) holding sailor – tar upwards (RAT).
15. Be all square in match (3)
TIE – double definition and also the cryptic definition of the whole thing. Be all square is to tie, a match is a tie, be all square in match is to tie.
17. Change pound before church (5)
PENCE – (sheep) pound (PEN) before church (CE).
18. Member of the clergy caught on immediately (5)
CANON – caught (C), ah – I’ve only just seen this as I come to write it up – immediately/quite soon (ANON). He’ll be along anon. I was trying to use on as (ON) and got tied up whereas ‘on’ is actually ‘on top of’.

48 comments on “Times Quick Cryptic 1606 by Tracy”

  1. This took 3 sittings during rests from mowing the lawn. Tough challenge I thought and still do not understand the parsing of CROWN. Could not get my mind off TEXTBOOK for a long while, and spotting PINAFORE took an age (LOI).
    Good challenge and much enjoyed
    PlayUpPompey
  2. I only know copybook from the expression ‘blot one’s copybook’, but assume it’s an older term for exercise book. One would not ‘blot’ a textbook unless one were being very careless/naughty. I’ve never heard it used as an alternative to textbook in the term ‘a textbook answer’.
    1. No, it’s a book where there was a space under a specimen line of writing for you to write out (copy) the same text. I seem to remember they included faint lines, so you could get the right proportions between capital and lower case letters. Happy days!
  3. I see I neglected to comment this morning. LOI PINAFORE, a rather good hidden, I thought and SELF-RESTRAINT was a good anagram. As for PIERROT, I was reminded that I knew the word from Schoenberg’s fascinating sprechstimme piece Pierrot Lunaire…. I’ll get my coat. An average 5:12.

    Edited at 2020-05-05 06:31 pm (UTC)

Comments are closed.