Times Quick Cryptic 1800 by Hurley

Posted on Categories Quick Cryptic

Solving time: 10 minutes, but only just! There are a few clues that may be a bit tricky for newer solvers but there’s easy stuff too, hopefully sufficient to get some early answers in the grid on which to build.

Puzzle 1800 marks another milestone in the history of The Times Quick Cryptic and as we enter the next ‘century’ the audience for the puzzle as reflected by the number of commenters at TfTT has never been greater, and that is very satisfying. Many thanks to all who contribute to that success and to the setters and staff at The Times for giving us high quality puzzles to write about.

Last Thursday’s special topic with reports of individual solving experiences was extremely interesting and I look forward to reading more of these in the daily blogs.

And following on from that,  this might be a good moment to emphasise that TfTT is a forum open to all solvers whatever their current standard, including newcomers who are trying their hand at cryptic crosswords for the very first time, and our aim is to be supportive and constructive at all times. Comments that attempt to diminish the efforts of other solvers or disrupt the prevailing atmosphere of friendly discussion will be removed.

And now to the business of the day…

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]. I usually omit all reference to positional indicators unless there is a specific point that requires clarification.

Across
1 International initiative to get trial on the move? (4,5)
TEST DRIVE : TEST (international – cricket, rugby etc), DRIVE (initiative). The definition is cryptic.
6 Dorothy‘s brief point (3)
DOT : Two meanings. ‘Dot’ being short for Dorothy, famously ‘Dot Cotton’ a character in Eastenders, every crossword compilers’ s favourite soap as it  gives them a way of cluing the dropped ‘h’.
8 Opposed to once more going to street (7)
AGAINST : AGAIN (once more), ST (street)
9 Previous    religious head (5)
PRIOR : Two meanings. Head of a Priory.
10 Darn green kit needing repair for school (12)
KINDERGARTEN : Anagram [repair] of DARN GREEN KIT. These days it can mean any nursery school but originally it involved tuition according to enlightened methods devised by the German, Friedrich Fröbel. I had the good fortune to attend one such Kindergarten in the early 1950’s in leafy Stanmore, Middlesex, and it was a wonderful beginning to my education. I was less fortunate with my next school where I started at the age of 7; this was also run according to principles devised in a previous era, but they were those of Wackford Squeers at Dickens’s Dotheboys Hall.
12 By the sound of it, worked in education, far from relaxed (4)
TAUT : Homophone [by the sound of it] of “taught” (worked in education)
13 Mountains are lovely places, scenic first of all (4)
ALPS : A{re} L{ovely} P{laces} S{cenic} [first of all]
17 Get decent air for a change after disposing of this? (9,3)
CIGARETTE END : Anagram [for a change] of GET DECENT AIR. A brilliant &lit.
20 Fruit, round, as it happens (5)
OLIVE : O (round), LIVE (as it happens)
21 Reverse taxi into printer’s sign? Disaster! (7)
DEBACLE : CAB (taxi) backwards [reverse] contained by [into] DELE (printer’s sign indicating a deletion]. I didn’t know ‘dele’.
23 Extract from southern article (3)
THE : Hidden in [extract from] {sou}THE{rn}. The definite article.
24 Nth sortie amazingly and the most difficult? (9)
THORNIEST : Anagram [amazingly] of NTH SORTIE
Down
1 Vehicle in trading centre heading north (4)
TRAM : MART (trading centre) reversed [heading north]. ‘Mart’ came up here very recently and some contributors claimed that it was obscure, but here it is again!
2 Am captivated by newly-made Saint’s endurance (7)
STAMINA : AM contained [captivated] by anagram [newly-made] of SAINT
3 Daughter in from France finds secluded room (3)
DEN : D (daughter), EN (in,  from France)
4 Following sequence from popular performance (2,4)
IN TURN : IN (popular), TURN (performance – a speciality act, for example)
5 In Cowes, plan a delightful walk (9)
ESPLANADE : Hidden [in] {Cow}ES PLAN A DE{lightful}
6 Move gradually away — ultimately sad breach (5)
DRIFT : {sa}D [ultimately], RIFT (breach). I have a slight issue with ‘away’ as part of the definition here as drifting doesn’t involve movement in any particular direction unless specified.
7 Seat flung in the air, we hear (6)
THRONE : Sounds like [we hear] “thrown” (flung in the air)
11 Discourage fellow cleaner (9)
DETERGENT : DETER (discourage), GENT (fellow)
14 Glass accommodating a church’s style (7)
PANACHE : PANE (glass) containing [accommodating] A + CH (church)
15 Challenge air conditioning price (6)
ACCOST : AC (air conditioning), COST (price)
16 Boss overseeing ten in workshop (6)
STUDIO : STUD (boss of a shield) , 10 (ten). Stud, boss and umbo, meaning the nobbly bit in the middle of a shield are all standard crossword fare and worth remembering for the future.
18 Dirt, unpleasant, at bottom of scuttle (5)
GRIME : GRIM (unpleasant), {scuttl}E [bottom]
19 Those remaining   take it easy (4)
REST : Two meanings
22 Prohibition of financial institution? Not entirely (3)
BAN : BAN{k} (financial institution) [not entirely]

73 comments on “Times Quick Cryptic 1800 by Hurley”

  1. Celebrating 1800 with my first sub-4 time — and, perhaps more importantly, a tie with Kevin.

    Amen to what Jack said, but I should echo what Richard Rogan said on the blog (paraphrased): the Quick Cryptic is meant to be a cryptic puzzle that doesn’t take as long as the 15×15 puzzle. That is why it’s smaller, that’s why the clues are shorter and more straightforward, etc. This makes the Quick Cryptic *somewhat* easier for new solvers, but not always: The straightforwardness of the clues is surely the biggest advantage for newer solvers. But even the smaller size of the grid can be a curse, rather than a blessing: there are more shorter words which have shorter clues and are less easy to guess from the definition, and fewer places in the puzzle to gain footholds. The 15×15 puzzle is surely harder to complete, but it may allow newer solvers to answer more clues successfully. And finally, we will surely continue to see abbreviations and short bits from the main puzzle like SA, IT, etc, in the Quick Cryptic because these devices are *quick*. Yes, they provide barriers to entry for beginners, but I can’t see them leaving anytime soon for the reason I mentioned.

    Anyway, this is something for newer solvers to consider. I started on the Times puzzle 10 years ago, and surely struggled with it. But with the help of this blog, I was able to start completing them within a year. Sometimes it would be an on-and-off solve that could take the whole day, but more often than not, I could do it. I stagnated for many years, until last July, when I decided I would solve and time myself every day. Since then, I’ve improved considerably, again with the help of this blog. I still don’t complete the main puzzle every day (I only finished 2 out of 5 last week), but these days it’s usual for me to finish in somewhere around 20 minutes.

    I also do the Quick Cryptic every day, and usually finish in somewhere around 7-8 minutes. But I will say, I do feel the Quick Cryptic is “harder” to finish in many ways. I rely much more on instinct and experience than I do with the main puzzle.

    So, far be it from me to rain on anyone’s parade, but if you’ve been doing the Quick Cryptic for a year or more and feel stagnant, you might want to consider changing up your practice regime. You might actually develop more skill and get more satisfaction out of the main puzzle.

    1. My experience is also that bigger grids can be easier. i I again completed the Jumbo Cryptic in a couple of hours over the weekend. My completion rate for the Jumbo is much higher than the 15×15.
  2. Mazel tov, Jeremy, although I’d think getting in under 4′ is a lot more important than tying me, or anyone else.
    I’d also take issue with Jeremy on the relative difficulty of the Quickies and main puzzles. The QCs are intended to be easier, and they are. Jeremy’s average time on the 15x15s is, according to SNITCH, about 34′; on the QCs, 7-8. I’m at about 21′ and maybe 7. That sort of difference is not accounted for by the number of squares.
    I do agree with Jeremy that you should have a go at the 15×15, and read the TftT blog on it.
    Anyway, today was a straightforward solve for me; I biffed STAMINA only, and parsed afterwards.
    1. Of course in the most basic sense you have to be right: the Quick Cryptic (QC) is easier than the main.

      I’m only reporting what Richard Rogan himself said when he was asked directly: “What is the QC about?”. His answer on the blog (and also during a Q&A session when I asked him directly) was clear: it’s a cryptic meant to be done more quickly. As he explained, this is the reason the puzzle is smaller, the wordplay easier to untangle, the definitions less obscure. Undoubtedly some of these factors will make the puzzle easier for newcomers, but not all — and some cut both ways, as I laid out in my original post.

      Incidentally, my average may be 34 minutes on the SNITCH but this is due to the fact that on super hard puzzles, rather than giving up I may persist for an hour or more. My average over the last month is about 20 minutes. It’s true, number of squares alone doesn’t account for this difference, but the difference is closer.

      I was speaking more to the objective experience of the solve. I think that QCs are much easier for people with lots of experience. I don’t know that they’re that much easier for people without that experience. I definitely have the sensation of being stuck much more with the QC than the main. Or, it’s a different kind of stuck that I don’t find enjoyable on the QC. For what it’s worth, my leaderboard scores are almost always higher on the main puzzle than the QC.

      I think a lot of newer solvers might have a positive experience solving half of the main puzzle vs spending hours on the QC. There’s more clues to try, more ways to work your way around the grid, and you definitely sharpen your wits. I imagine someone spending a month trying the main would come back to the QC and find it a breeze. As you say, it’s worth a try.

      To end where I began, I can’t truly argue that the main puzzle is easier (because it isn’t), but I do feel there’s something to what I’m saying!

      Edited at 2021-02-01 04:10 am (UTC)

      1. Most interesting! Here’s my experience to date:

        I started attempting the QC eight months ago and, looking back at my records, I managed to solve about 85% of the clues, but only 25% of the puzzles as a whole in my early weeks. Winding forward to now; I have successfully solved 98% of the clues and two-thirds of the puzzles set since Christmas. Clearly an improvement, which I put down to a combination of practice/experience, expert tuition from this forum (and, of course, from Mrs R) and greater patience on my part when doing the puzzles.

        I don’t often try the 15×15, as I invariably really struggle to get started. The depth of ‘crypticness’ floors me, I think. However, I do have a go at the Cryptic Jumbo (23×23) from time to time, and I’m often pleasantly surprised at how far through it I can get with relatively little use of aids. The longer clues and longer solutions seem to provide more ‘handholds’ or ways to crack different areas of the puzzle.

        I don’t time my attempts at the Cryptic Jumbo, and I tackle it in several stints spread over 3-4 days, so I probably sub-consciously feel less pressure than when the clock’s running on the QC.

        Many thanks to all of the regular bloggers, and to everyone else who posts helpful advice here. It’s working for somerandomchap.

    2. Following this interesting exchange, I had one of my occasional outings to the 15×15 and enjoyed it immensely. The last few clues took my time to over an hour but even the tough ones led to a sigh of satisfaction when I finally worked them out. Thanks. John.
      And, as Jeremy says, it is not necessary to complete the whole puzzle every time to gain pleasure and hone one’s cryptic skills.
  3. Nice to be back to 10m, slightly soured by two typos — but I’d parsed properly and I’d never have put ‘deterdent’ or ‘tee’ on paper so I’m letting me off. NW was were time was lost, TEST DRIVE just wouldn’t come until the other two hold outs: IN TURN — not sure why — and TRAM yielded. We’ve had TRAM recently, so it was disappointing not to get that much quicker. I must have taken nearly as long on TEST DRIVE as Jeremy and Kevin did on the whole puzzle.

    Thanks for the encouragement, I’ll be tackling the 15×15 in earnest from April when my Telegraph puzzles subscription expires. I moved to the Times when a new job took me past a Waitrose every day and it turned out a Times voucher counted as a purchase so I got a free coffee — now I’m working from home all the time I’ve had to choose.

    Edited at 2021-02-01 07:41 am (UTC)

  4. gaveth me a sudden attack of ‘the scrolls’ – “It’s just the way your walking” – Eric Morecambe: SPQR.

    Moving swiftly on:

    FOI 6ac DOT

    LOI 18dn GRIME – ’tis GRIM upt’north!

    COD 5dn ESPLANADE

    WOD 27ac BLETHER

    Time 9 minutes

    Edited at 2021-02-01 07:53 am (UTC)

    1. No need to give away the answer to one of today’s 15×15 clues, Horrid. Take more care?
  5. A gentle start to the week with TEST DRIVE, KINDERGARTEN and IN TURN putting up most resistance. I thought CIGARETTE END was very good. Finished in 8.09.
    Thanks to Jack
  6. Held up by reading the first word of 10A as “Dam”. Like our blogger, I didn’t know “dele” either. Definitely not THE THORNIEST of QCs. 4:41.
  7. Friendly start to the week …
    … and finished in just over 9 minutes. SW corner was the hold-up for me — I took a long time to get 17A Cigarette end (what a super surface, definitely my COD) which then unlocked the rest of the corner.

    LOI 23A The — I needed both checkers as until the T appeared I was convinced that the “southern” meant there was an S in the answer. Odd how once I have “seen” something like this, it becomes very hard to persuade myself I am wrong and rethink — does anyone else suffer from this?

    Many thanks to Jack for the blog and the lengthy discussions from all on these crosswords. I have been doing the QC for 18 months, now completing 9 out of 10, and the 15×15 intermittently for around 9 months, completing about 1 in 5. Does this “prove” that the QC is easier? One assumes so, but part of it could also be that I am now much more familiar with its style.

    Cedric

    Edited at 2021-02-01 08:53 am (UTC)

  8. Quick solve for me at 12 minutes. No real hold ups but needed nearly all the checkers before I got the anagram at 17 ac which is a very good clue.

    I have been doing the Quickie since puzzle number 3 and still remember being completely bamboozled by one of Hurley’s first puzzles.

    FOI Dot
    LOI Grime
    COD Cigarette End

  9. Quick for me too – just squeaked inside 8 minutes. Had to return to the NW to complete when checkers were available.
  10. A relaxed start to the week with most answers coming to mind quickly. A couple of gaps needed filling in at the end — DRIFT and PRIOR. Lots of nice clues including some straightforward (given the odd crosser) longish anagrams and some good wordplay. I finished almost 2 mins under target (all parsed) which makes a pleasant change. Didn’t know ‘dele’ but it had to be. I liked PANACHE but my COD was CIGARETTE END. Thanks to both. John M.

    Edited at 2021-02-01 09:32 am (UTC)

  11. outside 4 minutes at 4:08.

    CIGARETTE END then GRIME were the last two in. NHO DELE, but easy enough to assume DEBACLE couldn’t be anything else.

    Edited at 2021-02-01 09:42 am (UTC)

  12. Much better, a steady solve of 13:56, just what was needed after the longest January ever. And that time includes an interruption from my dentist about an upcoming root canal.

    COD: ESPLANADE. A clever hidden clue across 4 words

  13. A good start to the week. I found ACCOST difficult to parse, I can’t think why.

    COD 17a.

    An interesting conversation earlier on, I might dare to try the main puzzle later on today, I’ve always avoided it as I feel very stupid when I’ve attempted it in the past and not managed a single clue. However that was several years ago now and I’m definitely better at the QC than I was then.

    I started doing this one after a bad skiing accident and found it was the only thing my mind would take on board when convalescing. Now I’m hooked of course.

    Thank you very much, all setters and bloggers!

    Diana

  14. Nice puzzle which took me just over 10 minutes. I rarely post but have a contribution. When I do the 15×15 I invariably apply more difficulty to the clues than the QC; the same clue would appear harder to me in the 15×15! I think my approach to improving may be to analyse clues more. Still, I am generally completing 50% of 15×15 these days with much help from bloggers.

    1. Very interesting you should say that. On Friday I printed off the puzzles, worked through the quickie and was disappointed to find that I still had three unanswered after 20 minutes. I then realised that I’d been tackling the 15×15 — I hadn’t checked the title! Suddenly, 20 minutes for the biggie seemed great 😅 So, yes, my perception of the clues was undoubtedly influenced by the fact that I thought I was doing the quickie! TBH I think it was quite an easy puzzle — I might not have been fooled on other days.
  15. My FOI was TRAM and LOI GRIME. A straightforward solve with no particular holdups. 7:02. Thanks Hurley and Jack.
  16. FOI: 6a DOT
    LOI: 17a CIGARETTE END

    Time to Complete: DNF

    Clues Answered Correctly (Without Aids): 20

    Clues Answered with Aids (3 lives): 10a, 21a, 16d

    Clues Unanswered: 2 (12a, 11d)

    Aids Used: Chambers

    Wrong Answers: 1 (19d)

    Total Answered: 20/26

    I found this puzzle to be a little frustrating. Not because it was hard, because it wasn’t particularly hard, but because I just couldn’t get the last two. Then to further my disappointment, I got one wrong answer.

    My wrong answer was 19d – REST. I put “Left”. No idea what I was thinking here. I guess I saw the “those remaining”, and put down left without giving it proper consideration.

    I needed to come here for 12a TAUT. Kicked myself when I saw the answer. I gave myself another kick after seeing the answer to 11d DETERGENT too.

    1. The good news is that you are not likely to get caught out again by similar cluing for TAUT and DETERGENT. It is just part of the learning curve.
  17. I’m back on target with a solve of just over 8 minutes. Still I had to biff DEBACLE as like Jack I didn’t know the printer’s sign. I also biffed ESPLANADE from seeing PLAN but not the hidden. The SW corner gave me the most trouble with a hesitation over THE (another hidden!) and finally GRIME and my LOI and COD CIGARETTE END.
  18. To add to the discussion, 2 years ago cryptic crosswords were alien to me and I started the QC and with much appreciated help from the Blog I can usually complete it ok, During lockdown I have been attempting the 15×15 and managing to complete the more straight forward ones. I find the clues more complex and more words I’ve never encountered previously, a leave and come back approach seems to help, whereas the QC is usually a 30 min stretch after breakfast with a cup of tea
    Many thanks to the Bloggers
  19. FOI DOT and that NE corner
    LOI GRIME

    Held up by working out CIGARETTE END.
    Liked DETERGENT, PANACHE, ACCOST

    There is a squiggly Printer’s Mark for Delete, of course. (A bit like a 9 with extra circle at the top) Despite working in publications half my life I didn’t know it was called Dele.

    A good start to the week. Thanks vm, Jack.

    1. Printers terms are beloved by setters, look out for em, en, pilcrow, octothorpe (“hashtag” now) and obelus (caught me out in the 15×15 some time back)
    2. Same here re the delete mark. Not entirely sure how you pronounce DELE — just ‘delete’ without the TE?
  20. 11 minutes and no problems, no rush. I thought of TEST DRIVE a long time before I could convince myself it was correct, trying to make international initiative the definition rather than the word play — stupid boy! Didn’t know dele, but correctly assumed it was from the same root is ‘delible’ and ‘indelible’, as in can / can’t be deleted.

    Nice to be back to something more like normality after the trials and tribulations of last week. I had to smile at Horryd’s WOD, although I do enjoy most of the loquacious banter that can happen here.

    Thanks Jackkt and Hurley, and all commenters. Incidentally, is it a coincidence that a big H appears in the middle of Hurley’s chosen grid?

  21. To me this was the easiest QC for some time as most clues were clear after one look. Nothing wrong with that and I enjoyed it, taking 07:52.
    FOI DOT; LOI THORNIEST for which I had to write out the anagrist. COD to ESPLANADE; not difficult to solve but a nice image from a good hidden.
    Big thanks to Jackkt and all who contribute to this site. I have improved hugely thanks to this resource and the helpful comments. You will improve if you solve regularly and come here for enlightenment.
    David
  22. Nice puzzle which caused no major problems but produced a few new tricks for me to remember; hadn’t seen i-o clued as “ten” before but I guess I will again; neat. DELE was also new. On the other hand, TEST now goes straight in. Liked both the long anagrams and the hidden ESPLANADE.
    On the 15×15, my difficulty is that although I know that the definition is (usually) at either end, they are often significantly more opaque than the QC, where I rarely now struggle too much to get the gist of what I am looking for. My GK is ok, and also my vocabulary so I usually know the word if I can get to it. However, if you can’t separate the definition from the clue readily, applying the parsing is hard! I think that is something that must just come with practice and familiarity, and once acquired to a reasonable degree makes it harder to see where newer or just less competent solvers will struggle. But all part of the fun, and I will take the advice to try the 15×15 more, even if I may end up with a lot of spare squares.
  23. All very jolly. My beginner son, who took up the QC in lockdown 1.0, messaged me to say he’d done it in 12 mins so I was expecting an easier one – I then promptly got completely stuck on 1ac! In fact I still didn’t understand it even after (once I’d got all the checkers) entering it – “test” for “international” never occurred to me. Thanks for clearing that up for me, Jack.

    Otherwise pretty plain sailing over some very smooth and elegant surfaces.

    FOI TRAM, LOI GRIME, COD DETERGENT, time 1.9K which was sub-8 so I’m still going to give this a Very Good Day.

    Many thanks Hurley and Jack.

    Templar

    1. I however really liked “10” because it plays on appearance rather than just what’s in the dictionary: I certainly won’t forget it. It’s a nice twist on all the Roman numerals that are often used.
    2. Algol60 was the first programming language I encountered as a 14 year old, when our 3rd year chemistry teacher introduced us to the computer at Sunderland Poly! Paper tape in/out, and a hand punch in the classroom to prepare our input:-)
  24. This was the first QC I’ve done this year (haven’t done all of them) that actually felt like one to me, rather than a shrunken version of the daily cryptic.
    It was noticeblay more straightforward and imo could well act as a model for the appropriate QC difficulty level..
  25. Thanks to Jackkt and Hurley for an enjoyable blog and puzzle. I’ve been doing cryptic crosswords for forty-odd years. I worked in a research lab in my youth where the two senior technicians did the Telegraph crossword until 11 am every morning, and yes, eventually one of them was made redundant. Listening to them figuring out the clues, and trying to involve me in their deliberations, got me started. We at home moved from Telegraph to Times years ago, and I find the QC an enjoyable daily challenge. Quite often it doesn’t feel like “me” solving it — my brain does it without me. “I” get involved when it comes to parsing the efforts of the brain. I often look at it and think I can’t solve it, and then ten to twenty minutes later, well, I never. Sometimes on first attempt there are intransigents, which will come to me later, and occasionally there’s a DNF, usually because I didn’t see through the given signs. I suppose I must enjoy the process hugely since I have been addicted for so long. Always curious to see the blog, and find it especially valuable on days where I DNF. I have a go at the 15×15 occasionally and sometimes complete it, but it does take longer, and sometimes I decide life’s too short. My husband isn’t remotely interested in crosswords but can be inveigled into making the odd suggestion about something I’m completely stuck on, and even sometimes shines a light in that dark place. I’d encourage new recruits to keep going and enjoy the endless ingenuity of the setters.
    GW
    1. I love these comments! Yes, back in the day as a student, the ‘in crowd’ ( not me ) endeavoured to finish the Telegraph cryptic by the end of our first lecture. I was intrigued and several years later became hooked. I didn’t come to the 15×15 via the QC. However I now look on the QC as a challenge, but if you have been attempting cryptics for years, it feels comforting. Look on any new endeavour as a challenge, OH and I have been grappling with Spanish verbs for 5 years and probably no foreseeable prospect of visiting the country again.what I’m saying is just keep having a go !
      About 9mins today but actually, sometimes finishing either genre has a downside… now it’s housework rather than an excuse!
      Appreciation to blogger and setter.
  26. A pleasant start to the week, all completed in 14 mins.

    This was definitely more straightforward than of late — although some time was spent on 17ac “Cigarette End” and trying not to include an “X” in 16dn. DNK “dele” either but as often it couldn’t be anything else.

    FOI — 1dn “Tram”
    LOI — 18dn “Grime”
    COD — 1ac “Test Drive”

    Thanks as usual.

  27. Well, I can only hope that the next hundred go as well as this one. A straightforward 16min solve despite a short excursion with Test Match at 1ac — Den quickly put paid to that idea. Down the other end of the grid, I was another who was initially fooled by Southern in 23ac, and the unknown Dele in 21ac. CoD to 11d, Detergent, a clear winner on a smile per word basis. My thanks to Jackkt and all the other bloggers for their help over the years, and to Hurley for a well pitched QC. Invariant
  28. Unlike my football team suffering their first defeat of 2021, this was a pleasurable experience with all known and correctly parsed (dnk dele def). I like the mix of difficulty in a QC, so no complaints but would prefer avoidance of very archaic GK that crops up from time to time.

    Keep up the good work to all the contributors.

    Graham

  29. … but not quite. I found this just as jackkt states in his blog above – some tricky clues, but also some relatively easy stuff to build on.

    Held up at the end by 18d: GRIME (I had GUNGE to start with) and 20a: OLIVE (I was vainly trying to find a fruit to fit O_N_E), but I eventually realised my error in 18d and OLIVE followed soon afterwards. Also, I would have registered a DNF had I not persevered in trying to parse 11d: DETERGENT fully, as I initially entered DETERRENT.

    N.B. Mrs Random finished in 16 minutes today – her best time since October – and all is calm in the Random household.

    Many thanks to Hurley and to jackkt (whose comments, above, about the TfTT forum I wholeheartedly support).

  30. 15 minutes, so about average for me. It felt easier than that; KINDERGARTEN was my LOI — I knew it was an anagram but I still needed every checker. I like doing crosswords with my sons — I say ‘It’s an anagram of…..’ and they say ‘so it’s…..’. Anyone else combine strengths like this? And anyone else tackling crosswords collaboratively using Zoom or Facetime as we do in lockdown?
  31. A fairly straightforward puzzle for me today, a relative novice, and this is the level of QC I can handle without help from the blog. Undoubtedly will have more challenging ones in the days ahead….

    I didn’t understand the ‘International’ cryptic reference in 1A until reading explanation here, nor the ‘stud’ of a shield in 16D.

    Thanks for the fun crossword.

  32. I do the QC two or three times a week and, having seen Jack’s opening comments decided to join in. 11mins which is about average for me. I take about 45 for the 15 x 15. I am Never going to be a « speedmeister » and nor do I want to be! Very much enjoyed this one. Loved 1ac and some nice anags too. Totally agree with your comments, Jack, we all started somewhere. Thanks J and setter.
  33. After my comment last week that I’ve only completed three of these previously I can now add four and the first in under 30 minutes as I started after the news at 12.30 on 6 music and finished before retuning to The world at One.

    Was really pleased to get the long anagrams which is a weakness of mine and my COD is Cigarette End

    Struggled with 15 down which I couldn’t see for ages and even though I am a fellow Spurs Fan didn’t know Dele either but it was obvious from the checkers and the reversed CAB

    Thanks all

  34. The only thing I had to look up today was whether DELE was actually a word and was able to solve all the anagrams on paper rather than an anagram solver. I think the QC is about the right level for me although have completed an occasional 15×15 when pointed to easy ones by this blog. Onwards and upwards.
  35. 13:44 which is a good time for me. A steady solve. I think the long anagrams held me up a bit, having to wait for some checkers. WOD the pleasing ESPLANADE and COD the tricky TEST DRIVE

    I’m always grateful to the bloggers for the blogs, even if I don’t routinely say so. But I will today. Thanks Jackkt for a particularly good one.

    I’m tackling the 15×15 more and more, and I have no doubt that is more difficult. But we are allowed more time. Sometimes (certainly not always) sometimes I think the 15×15 is easier to finish in the hour than the QC in 20 minutes

    1. Many thanks, kapietro, your support is much appreciated. Long may you continue to enjoy coming here.
  36. An enjoyable puzzle today and an encouraging start to the week. I took just over a quarter of an hour. Thank you Hurley and Jack
    FOI den
    LOI grime — I took ages to spot cigarette end
    COD throne- nice surface.
    Long ago I used to enjoy doing Jumbo crosswords or 15x15s with other people — in the staff room when teachers had time for such frivolities or when my mother came to visit. On my own I could seldom get far. I was therefore delighted when the QCs began and I found I could do them by myself. I find they are just the right size to complete in a tea or coffee break. Long may they continue!
    Blue Stocking
  37. That it took me ages to get CIGARETTE END? You don’t see them as often you used to these days…

    Little to get upset about with this nicely pitched QC. NHO “dele” but with the crossers it was fairly straightforward to get to DEBACLE with the reversed taxi in the middle. OLIVE took me longer than it should have, which slowed me down in the SW corner, but all done before the coffee got cold.

    Good start to the week – thanks Hurley and Jackkt

  38. Happily we’ve come a long way since the early days when we were frequently bamboozled by cleverness of the clues. We still look forward to doing the QC and always enjoy the challenge. Interestingly, we had a go at the 15×15 today before doing the QC so it is achieving its goal of helping us become better solvers. Oops, almost forgot – we took 11 minutes to solve today’s puzzle.

    FOI: dot
    LOI: olive
    COD: detergent (lol!)

    Thanks to Hurley and Jackkt.

    Edited at 2021-02-01 05:39 pm (UTC)

  39. I completed this in under 8 minutes (approx 7:45) much to my astonishment.
    Everything that I considered was pretty well spot on and so in it all went. FOI Tram was known from before as was Detergent. Had a wobble on Olive thinking of Orange and like others dnk Dele but decided quickly that it had to be.
    I’ve just completed dry January so things will only go downhill from now.
    Thanks to all the regular bloggers and contributors for making this so great with an extra tip of the hat to Jackkt.
    And thanks to the setters too of course! Even Orpheus!
    John George
  40. I was looking for a nina today, but apart from THE THORNIEST across the bottom row, I couldn’t see anything. The giant H was certainly hiding in plain sight 😅 This certainly wasn’t the thorniest puzzle we’ve had recently, which is a blessed relief, but definitely most enjoyable.

    FOI Dot
    LOI Detergent
    COD Esplanade — what a great surface (in more ways than one perhaps?)
    Time 12 minutes

    Thanks Hurley, and thanks as ever to Jackkt for your enlightening and supportive blogs 😊

  41. ….and well worth the extra time spent reading it through.

    I had the opposite experience to Templar — I saw TEST immediately, but not DRIVE — hence my unusual FOI as a down clue. Thereafter there was nothing to delay me (or even DELE me !) I promise many of the less experienced solvers that once you’ve been at it 10 years it becomes easier — by that time you’ll have seen chestnuts like DETERGENT and DOT so often that they’ll have become ingrained !

    FOI TRAM
    LOI KINDERGARTEN
    COD CIGARETTE END (no ifs or butts)
    TIME 3:39

  42. Finally, a relatively straightforward QC, which I completed in bang on 22 minutes (perhaps a 2 then on Louisa’s scale). Nearly went for LEFT like Poison Wyvern, but thankfully the correct answer presented itself. LTI were 1a and 1d. COD to 16d. Thanks Hurley and Jack.
  43. Seemed a quick solve today and I was surprised to find it had taken 19 minutes. I suppose 1ac and the long anagrams took a while and I was also trying to make 23ac begin with s. Enjoyable puzzle and blog so thank you Hurley and Jack.

    FOI – 6ac DOT
    LOI – 11dn DETERGENT
    COD – 17ac CIGARETTE END for the surface

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