Times Quick Cryptic 1866 by Orpheus

Author   ChrisPosted on Categories Quick Cryptic

Something of a biff-fest today, many answers seemed so straightforward that only a very causal glance at the cryptic was required. This was a good thing as there’s quite a lot of moving and placing and some not quite straightforward terms in the cryptic. That was how it went until my LOI 21ac where I struggled to see what was going on. Still completed in less than 10 minutes so target hit.

Definitions are underlined.

Across
1 Bouquet made from cloth in European country (9)
FRAGRANCE – cloth (RAG) inside European country (FRANCE).
6 Pathetic type’s small circle including a couple of daughters (5)
SADDO – small (S) and circle (O) including a (A) and couple of daughters (DD).
8 Bring up easily portable car part (4,5)
REAR LIGHT – bring up (REAR), easily portable (LIGHT).
9 Beast of burden arrived, then left (5)
CAMEL – arrived (CAME), then left (L).
10 Drive carelessly, running front of taxi into foreman (9)
OVERSTEER – running (putting) (T)axi into foreman (OVERSEER). I had a little hesitation on this definition but I suppose it stands up.
12 Edges of double bed cut down to size (6)
DEBUNK – (D)oubl(E), bed (BUNK).
13 Thus one African country identifies an inhabitant of another (6)
SOMALI – thus (SO), African country (MALI).
16 Workman excited over pieta (9)
OPERATIVE – anagram (excited) of OVER PIETA.
18 Martial art expert in town in Japan (5)
NINJA – in tow(N IN JA)pan.
19 Misguidedly ask Hector for a biscuit (9)
SHORTCAKE – anagram (misguidedly) of ASK HECTOR. I always use shortbread but shortcake is the same thing.
21 Kid taken to court by police at last (5)
SUEDE – taken to court (SUED), beside polic(E). Another hesitation on the definition – suede is usually made from lambskin but can be made from many other animals including a kid/young goat. I was also thrown by the different pronunciation but this isn’t a homophone clue so no problem with that. LOI.
22 Infamous head of occupied port seized by other people? (9)
NOTORIOUS – (O)ccupied and port (RIO) seized by other people (NOT US). Loved the ‘not us’ bit – COD.
Down
1 Miserable with regard to grassy area, so to speak (7)
FORLORN – with regard to (FOR), homophone (so to speak) of grassy area – lawn.
2 Moderated bad temper displayed in commercial (6)
ABATED – bad temper (BATE) inside commercial (AD). Bate is, apparently, British slang for a bad temper or rage.
3 Regrets accepting Liberal regulations (5)
RULES – regrets (RUES) accepting (inside itself) Liberal (L).
4 Horse initially noted at Goodwood (3)
NAG – (N)oted (A)t (G)oodwood.
5 Excessive tax? Not to Eire, surprisingly (12)
EXTORTIONATE – anagram (surprisingly) of TAX NOT TO EIRE.
6 Back company in engaging American relative (6,6)
SECOND COUSIN – back (SECOND), company (CO) and in (IN) engaging (taking in) American (US).
7 Hateful mother with capacity to conceal name (8)
DAMNABLE – mother (DAM) and with capacity (ABLE) concealing name (N).
11 Person who’s tested an explosive device in river (8)
EXAMINEE – an explosive device (A MINE) inside river (EXE).
14 Consistency of old Tyneside head (7)
ONENESS – old (O), Tyneside (NE – in the northeast of England), head (NESS).
15 Star sign giving protection to a shrewish woman (6)
VIRAGO – star sign (VIRGO) protecting a (A).
17 Player on stage removing agent’s head (5)
ACTOR – agent f(ACTOR) without the head/lead letter. A factor is a person who acts on another’s behalf.
20 Old-fashioned books about university (3)
OUT – books (OT – Old Testament) about university (U).

52 comments on “Times Quick Cryptic 1866 by Orpheus”

  1. A good day for me, considering this felt reasonably tricky. FOI was SADDO and I had no bad hold-ups after that until I was left with the 7d and 12a crossers and 2d. I’d already put the DAM bit in for “mother” so it wasn’t too much of a leap to get DAMNABLE, which gave me DEBUNK, and then it was on to 2d. I came up with ABATED probably for the wrong reasons as I think I had the verb “bait” in the back of my mind. I wasn’t at all sure of it, but it kind of sounded like it might be right. I wanted to do an alphabet trawl to check I wasn’t missing anything better, but when I looked at my watch and saw I was still under 16 minutes, I decided a top 10 time (for me) was worth the risk of a DNF. I stopped the clock on 15:43 (in at number 8) and hoped for the best. Now feeling quite pleased with myself. COD to CAMEL for its elegant simplicity. Thanks Chris and Orpheus.
  2. Needed aids for this one…but feeling a bit slow generally so probably not on proper form. This conclusion reinforced by having some clues popping to mind straight-away and others just not. FOI 1a Fragrance, where I immediately suspected bouquet=aroma. LOI14d Oneness. COD probably 8a Rear Light for misdirection. All fair enough, so it was probably just me this evening and not Orpheus. Good job I had the blog to check out at the end! Must try to get an early night…
  3. More than two courses tonight as we foind it difficult
    I do not like saddo as a word
  4. I also believed that 2d should be Araged and couldn’t biff Abated. Bate NHO as bad temper.

    Didn’t know Dam for mother — who uses that? — so didn’t see Damnable.

    Which meant that I didn’t get Debunk — not aware that equalled Cut down to size. I had the De start but couldn’t think of bunk for bed.

    Oh well another Orful one for me.

    25 minutes for the rest.

    Thanks all
    John George

    1. Dam/Ma/Mum are all Crosswordland staples. Worth remembering. Doesn’t mean anyone uses it, of course!

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