Times Quick Cryptic 1614 by Mara

30 comments on “Times Quick Cryptic 1614 by Mara”

1. Thanks for sorting this jackkt. I thought the top right was particularly tough – just couldn’t get on the wavelength – though I did finally sort it. Heads Off threw me because I wanted to remove a letter – heads of works even if it doesnt read well.
2. I found this tough, especially after the last couple of days. An easy start in the NW corner and then things slowed. I found this an absorbing and enjoyable QC despite ending up a full 10 mins over target. I was slow to see jack (flag) so JACKPOT, TRAVESTY, and AORTA were my last in – the last one being tough, even when I had the crossers…. [I now see that gcook and I shared similar difficulties in the NE. I don’t think we’ll be the only ones feeling ‘off-wavelength’ in this area, at least.] I wasn’t impressed by HOT STUFF I’m afraid but, apart from that, there were too many other neat clues to list. Many thanks to Mara and jackkt. John M.
   I had no problem with 1614 since it came up fine on my iPad. Now to sort out the 1615 issue.

   Edited at 2020-05-15 09:00 am (UTC)

3. Thanks for stepping in jack, it’s greatly appreciated.
   I was merrily whizzing through this in fifth gear thinking that Mara was in a generous mood. Along the way I made a brief detour to TRUMP at 20a, but fortunately I couldn’t parse it so had a rethink. I then stalled with AORTA, ENTERPRISE and TRAVESTY still outstanding. After much crunching, grinding and alphabet trawling for the last 2 I managed to reach the finish line in 15.05, just outside my target, with my favourite being ADONIS.
4. I haven’t seen 1615 as I solve on the Club Site, which only has 1614, so I was surprised to see Curarist’s blog. Thanks for sorting it out Jack. I’ll have a look on the main site later and see if 1615 is there, but I will struggle to forget 1a, so I’ll be off in a mad rush. I didn’t find this one too difficult. FLUTTER went in first, then it was a steady solve until I was left with AORTA and TRAVESTY. I had to write the latter out and stare at it for a while. 9:01. Thanks Mara and Jack.
5. … but quite a lot of fun. Didn’t time myself but it was at least half an hour. I biffed quite a few, including 9 across, AORTA, which, frankly, only came to me as a result of remembering the last time – a year ago? – that this word was the answer to a QC “vessel” clue. Also biffed 10 across, ENTERPRISE. I needed the blog for that – thanks, Jackkt. I must try an remember this computer key reference – it’s come up before. I briefly had TRUMP rather the THUMP, for 20 across but re-thought it once I’d accepted that it didn’t really make sense and that RUMP was definitely not the same as “hunch”. Subliminally, I think I was thinking of “haunch”. My LOI was JACKPOT, 4 across, and even then I only got it from an alphabet trawl. Of course, once it was in, I remembered that a “standard ” could mean a flag. Really liked 4 down, JERSEY. Super misdirection. Also thought that 24 across was a cracker. Thanks, Jackkt, for stepping into the breach today with the blog and thanks, too, to Mara, for a great puzzle.
6. Harder than Tracy. Took me 20 minutes with an error :TRUMP for THUMP -as Louisa above.
   Otherwise last two were TRAVESTY and AORTA.
   Now I need a rest!
   David
7. I did this on my phone when it was the only one available – both are now. It took me thirty minutes, ten over my target, but about half spent in the North East corner. JACKPOT, AORTA and finally TRAVESTRY were the last in, my favourite was DIGIT.
   I got down to the last two in today’s 15×15, the closest I’ve ever been to completing it!

   Brian

8. ….as it took me over 5 minutes to get it wrong, having convinced myself that “hunch” was a typo for “haunch”. You know the rest.

   COD PLASTERED

   I’m leaving 1615 alone in case it appears in Monday’s paper.

9. This is the one that appeared in the iPad version, and the one I completed with some difficulty in 21 minutes (it only took me 10 more minutes to complete the 15 x 15 this morning). My problems mostly stemmed from not seeing 1a and 1d until after a long delay. I missed the well-hidden LITRE, and I’m not keen on the socialist definition of LEFT. A socialist might be described as a LEFTie, but it doesn’t work for me. Thanks for the rushed blog repair Jack.
   1. I wondered about Leftie too but I think maybe ‘left and socialist’ work as adjectives?
   2. Well done on the 15×15, rotter. I managed the QC in a slightly longer time than you but my satisfaction was short-lived when it took me over an hour to complete the biggy. Ah well, at least I enjoyed it and finished it. John M.
10. Another hard, but satisfying, slog for me with LOI ENTERPRISE going in at 56:30 though I failed to parse it. Must remember the computer key thing. Liked 2d but COD to 24a. Took a while to vaguely remember that plastering might have some connection with rendering and a MER that a tray counts as a container. Surely something that is contained doesn’t merely sit on something else. Does a table count as a container? Also was slightly unsure of a peach being hot stuff. I thought at first it might refer to some odd cocktail/hangover cure that I hadn’t heard of. I see how it works now though I would have thought it might be seen as inappropriate in today’s world. Anyway, thanks to Mara and Jack.
    1. I see where you are coming from, and indeed the meanings you allude to do exist, but both expressions can also apply away from that context

       Peach: A person or thing of exceptional worth or quality (Shorter Oxford)

       Hot stuff:A person or thing of outstanding quality or skill (Oxford online)

       With the sad prospect of no Wimbledon this year I am reminded of the late Dan Maskell, the voice of Wimbledon for so many years, who was often heard to remark “Oh I say that’s a peach of shot!” when a player had miraculously won or saved a point. I can’t imagine the words ‘Hot stuff’ ever passing his lips, but his sidekick in the commentary box, the American Jack Kramer, might well have said it.

       Edited at 2020-05-15 10:53 am (UTC)

       1. Crispy – think of Cadbury’s Milk Tray.
11. But thank you for emergency blog. Husband commented Juliette Binoche was a peach when we saw her at a dinner in days of yore! And he was quite a bit younger than Dan Maskell.

    My goodness, lower meaning cow. Will I ever remember that one.

12. … but not by too much, so it has been a good week. Nicely misled by my LOI 9A Aorta: is an aorta really a vessel? More of a conduit methinks.

    Slightly more MERs at 10A Enterprise, where I forgot/DNK that key can mean enter (I tend to think of key in being the synonym, not just key), and 20A Thump – is hunch really the same as hump? But otherwise a very nice puzzle from Mara and COD shared by 4D Jersey and 24A Digit – both raised a chuckle.

    Thank you Jack for the blog and a good weekend to all
    Cedric

    1. Blood vessel?

       SOED has vessel, any of the canals, ducts, or tubes in which the body fluids (esp. blood) are circulated. LME.

       Edited at 2020-05-15 12:38 pm (UTC)

       1. You’re right. Thank you Jack. What a useful word, with three meanings – ship, container, tube. I learn and store away.
13. A technical DNF as I put in Trump for 20ac and didn’t check it properly. Overall, took me about an hour, but half of that was down to the NE corner.

    Some great clues today though – 8ac, 14ac and 11dn all made me smile. Even though I’ve seen “low” relating to cows/cattle numerous times, 4dn still caught me out. It also took me a while to associate “crumb” with particle for 6dn.

    FOI – 1ac “Litre”
    LOI – 9ac “Aorta”
    COD – 10ac “Enterprise” (how could it not be?)

    Thanks as usual

    Edited at 2020-05-15 11:24 am (UTC)

14. As with others, my progress wasn’t too bad until I finally worked my way around to the NE corner, which had remained bare apart from an early Cha. Particle was the first one to crack, which prompted -pot and hence Jackpot/Jersey. I could then see what was going on with 9ac, Aorta, but 7d and 15ac took nearly 10 mins to work out. Talk about pulling teeth. So, 40mins in total for a tricky puzzle, with CoD to 23ac, Refrain. A special thanks to Jackkt for stepping up to the crease. Invariant
15. Like others we flew out of the starting blocks and completed the NW corner as write-ins. Feeling quietly confident of a good time we pressed on and solved a good proportion of what we thought were very clever clues. However, careless biffing (Why, oh why do we do that? Experience tells us that if we can’t parse the answer we’re probably wrong) meant that we were left scratching our heads with several clues to solve. So, we wasted time revisiting 3 or 4 of our answers before completing the puzzle in 27 minutes.

    FOI: litre
    LOI: enterprise
    COD: we liked Adonis but really appreciated many more too

    Thanks to Mara and Jack

    (1615 wasn’t visible in the iPad version of the paper so we’ll hopefully see it on Monday. We learned how to do cryptic crosswords with the QC – starting on day 1 and haven’t missed one since – don’t want to start now)

16. I for one really enjoyed this MARA QC. It was a steady solve with just two clues refusing to yield easily. My POI was TRAVESTY and my LOI was ENTERPRISE. I had to check whether there is an ENTER on my keyboard! Other than biffing both EXTENSION and FANG all was parsed and submitted in less than my target 10 mins.
17. Like most I flew through this until brought up short by the NE corner. I eventually got what I thought was a breakthrough with 10ac but unfortunately it didn’t help much. Finally realised that standard can equal flag, leading quickly to “Jack” after which 6dn and 7dn fell relatively quickly. Never did manage to parse 9ac, my LOI.
    FOI – 1ac Litre
    LOI – 9ac Aorta
    COD – 14ac Adonis
    Thanks to setter and especially to the emergency blogger!
18. 10 mins for everything apart from the NE and then another 10 to get the last five clues.
    Jersey, LOI and not fully parsed, but didn’t care at that point.

    COD digit.

    So with 1615 published today, will there be a new crossword on Monday?

    1. I think you can take it that Tracy’s puzzle will appear as scheduled on Monday as it hasn’t been published in the newspaper yet, only on-line
       1. Thanks Jack, I will have a go tomorrow if its still available.
       2. I would think that the editor might be forced to take action? However, if everyone’s off for the weekend, and they’re relying on automated processes, they might not even hear about this until Monday morning.
19. Found this tough after the last rwo days. A steady slog finishing with the ne corner. We had Trump as well, should have parsed the clue but we were tiring by then. 40m well over our target. However it is good to be stretched.
20. ….it’s much too late to do anything.

    I will send an email to all potentially impacted bloggers.

    Edited at 2020-05-16 01:01 am (UTC)

21. Having the R and E crossers and not getting furled to work my attention turned to cows. Channel Island breeds seemed best for quality, if not quantity, and only Jersey matched the crossers. Only saw the jumper connection some time after my wife had suggested a garment connection.
    It was a long and enjoyable slog. Thanks all, setter, blogger and all other commentators.
    Misocapnic

Comments are closed.