Times Quick Cryptic 1857 by Hurley

Author   william_j_sPosted on Categories Quick Cryptic
I had a feeling I’d get hung up at the end, which turned out to be the case, because each clue seemed to hold out until the moment before I moved on to the next. Would have been a good time if not for 17dn (bunged in from wordplay), 25ac, and my LOI 20dn.

Definitions underlined.

Across
3 Talented following religion, not half trustworthy (8)
RELIABLE – ABLE (talented) after (following) half of (not half) RELIgion.
7 Coiffure that’s surprising at Irish party (6)
HAIRDO – HA! (that’s surprising), next to (at) IR (Irish), and DO (party).
8 Strange new Roman lab (8)
ABNORMAL – anagram of (new) ROMAN LAB.
9 Featured in choir, perhaps, part of diocesan group (4)
SANG – hidden in (part of) dioceSAN Group.
10 Skip journey (3)
HOP – double definition.
11 A cent tip? Outrageous! (8)
PITTANCE – anagram of (outrageous) A CENT TIP. In addition to the whole clue being wordplay, the whole clue is also the (somewhat offbeat) definition – it’s an &lit. (and literally) clue.
13 Drink with king in wood (4)
TEAK – TEA (drink) with K (king).
15 Excitement as female friend returning (4)
FLAP – F (female) then PAL (friend) reversed (returning).
17 Certain to accept surprisingly nice, attractive post (8)
SINECURE – SURE (certain) containing (to accept) an anagram of (surprisingly) NICE. A job that requires no work but pays well. There’s probably a reason I didn’t know this word…
19 Era of silver finally gone (3)
AGE – AG (silver, periodic table) and the last letter of (finally) gonE.
22 Colour proposal — is not keen initially (4)
PINK – first letters of (initially) Proposal In Not Keen.
23 No credit unfortunately for set of beliefs (8)
DOCTRINE – anagram of (unfortunately) NO CREDIT.
24 Needleworker brings in cook’s last item used to prepare food (6)
SKEWER – SEWER (needleworker) containing (brings in) the last letter of (…’s last) cooK.
25 Newly independent guy has hesitation about me at first (8)
EMERGENT – GENT (guy), with ER (hesitation) containing (about) ME put at the front (at first).

Down
1 Magnificent leading couples from Paris, lavish times always! (8)
PALATIAL – first two letters from each of (leading couples from) PAris LAvish TImes ALways.
2 Clever bishop? Correct (6)
BRIGHT – B (bishop) and RIGHT (correct).
3 Stick round a thoroughfare (4)
ROAD – ROD (stick) containing (round) A.
4 Coming from South, Noel tours a French church, getting meal (8)
LUNCHEON – reversal of (coming from south) NOEL containing (tours) UN (a, French) and CH (church).
5 Curt, put bar off (6)
ABRUPT – anagram of (off) PUT BAR.
6 Boy welcoming English guide (4)
LEAD – LAD (boy) containing (welcoming) E (English).
12 Reportedly is familiar with disreputable bar — it will get you down fast! (4,4)
NOSE DIVE – sounds like (reportedly) “knows” (is familiar with), then DIVE (disreputable bar).
14 A roadie at outset called Queen’s musician (8)
ARRANGER – A, first letter of (at outset) Roadie, RANG (called), and ER (Queen).
16 Dad’s high point, becoming vicar (6)
PASTOR – PA’s (dad’s) and TOR (rocky hill in the West Country, high point).
18 Coin word for policeman? (6)
COPPER – double definition.
20 Surf for missing Romeo, American (4)
FOAM – FOr without the ‘r’ (missing romeo), and AM (American).
21 Cosy place, extremely nice, on street (4)
NEST – first and last letters from (extremely) NicE, then ST (street).

45 comments on “Times Quick Cryptic 1857 by Hurley”

  1. … after equalling my PB yesterday. I was going well (for me), having reached just two to go within half an hour.

    However, those two wretched clues (FOAM and EMERGENT) held me up for a further 25 minutes. I got the FO bit of 20d straight away, but just could not see AM for American. Why ever not? And with 25a, there were simply too many alternative ways of reading the clue and of combining HE/RE/ER/ME/AT/…/etc for me to make progress without having solved 20d.

    On the plus side: I really liked the clue structure for PALATIAL, I learnt the meaning of SINECURE for the first time, and I finished within an hour (still a plus for me).

    Mrs Random and I started at exactly the same time today and, despite my frustrations with 20d and 25a, we both put our pencils down after 55 minutes. For a few minutes, whilst we discussed the various points of interest, I thought I had tied with her. That was until she went on to say that she had caught up by also solving yesterday’s Breadman at the same time. I know where I stand in this house.

    Many thanks to Hurley and to william_j_s.

  2. Don’t remember any problems. I knew SINECURE. My loi was EMERGENT too, although “newly independent” seems a bit of a stretch for a definition.
  4. 17 minutes but only had 3 left after 10.
    (Foam, emergent and sinecure — NHO)
    All the rest seemed a good workout of many techniques and so it went well.
    Tried too long to fit Fous for Foam — even looking fous up but after seeing gent all fitted into place.
    Sinecure (LOI) couldn’t be much else having settled on sure and trying to mix up nice in different ways.
    Enjoyable
    Thanks all
    John George
  5. I know of the crossword (and avoid it) but I thought a specific technique was being suggested as appropriate for this type of clue.
  6. Loved PALATIAL, couldn’t parse LUNCHEON, very pleased to get PITTANCE.

    I wish I could remember that AM can mean American. It doesn’t seem an obvious shortening, and I always miss it.

    Tks Hurley and William.

    Diana

  7. Was it Peter Simple (Michael Wharton) in the Telegraph who used to mention spurious musical compositions e.g. Mahler’s Twelfth Symphony “The Interminable” (Arr. Rimmer). Rimmer always seemed to be arranging the music of others whether it needed arranging or not.

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