Times Quick Cryptic 1881 by Orpheus

Author   ChrisPosted on Categories Quick Cryptic

If Orpheus was on AM then I was on DAB. A rare dnf for me as I couldn’t solve the long 4dn without all the checkers and I felt I had no chance of 9ac (I hadn’t heard of either of the definitions) and I couldn’t get the clever 23ac without the first letter. So somewhat dissatisfying but that’s down to me. If I’d approached this with the patience I reserve for the 15x15s then maybe I could have done better. I approach the QC more as a romp so was probably too impatient. Please let me know how you got on as I can then judge the difficulty of the puzzle or (highly likely) my sluggishness.

I’ve enjoyed the clever and concise clueing but I’m not as keen on the two names which cropped up in the parsing – although I think Mr. S may enjoy the references.

Definitions are underlined.

Across
1 Twilight start to drive by Welsh river (4)
DUSK – (D)rive by Welsh river (USK).
3 Enchanting girl entering Italian island from east (8)
ADORABLE – a random girl (DORA) inside Italian island – Elba – from the east (ABLE).
9 Title of head of household once — Benny, possibly? (7)
GOODMAN – double definition. The first is archaic for husband/master of household. The second was a US jazz clarinetist and band leader.
10 Modest abode originally, and not a landed estate (5)
MANOR – (M)odest, (A)bode, and not (NOR).
11 Old US president protected by British motorcyclist (5)
BIKER – old US president (IKE) surrounded by British (BR).
12 Line on map observed at first in island pub (6)
ISOBAR – (O)bserved inside island (IS) and pub (BAR).
14 Duplicitous lookalike distributing cards at table (6-7)
DOUBLE-DEALING – lookalike (DOUBLE), distributing cards at table (DEALING).
17 Tree planted in April in Denmark (6)
LINDEN – inside Apri(L IN DEN)mark.
19 Relax about initiation of important exam (5)
RESIT – relax (REST) about (I)mportant.
22 Bouquet given by a painter accepting high honour (5)
AROMA – a (A), painter (RA) including high honour (OM).
23 Bizarre situation of constable doing desk job (7)
OFFBEAT – a constable doing a desk job would be off the beat. I quite liked that one.
24 Castigate young creature breaking seat (8)
LAMBASTE – young creature (LAMB), anagram (breaking) of SEAT.
25 Nail leader of rowdies in criminal environment (4)
BRAD – (R)owdies inside (in the environment of)  criminal (BAD).
Down
1 Factotum one sort of boxer would have (8)
DOGSBODY – one sort of boxer is a dog so would have a (DOG’S BODY).
2 Loose garment some initially laugh at (5)
SMOCK – (S)ome, laugh at (MOCK).
4 New inn dominated by duke’s small terrier (6,7)
DANDIE DINMONT – anagram (new) of INN DOMINATED by (beside/next to/underneath) duke (D). Collins has a trend of word usage graph which shows this dog first being talked about in about 1800, never used very much, and pretty well petering out in recent times. I suppose this puzzle will increase it’s ‘hits’.
5 Shakespearean hero with capital O (5)
ROMEO – capital (ROME), O (O). Concise and clever.
6 Asian girl visiting W African state endlessly (7)
BENGALI – girl (GAL) inside W African state endlessly (BENI)n.
7 Peer demanding attention last of all (4)
EARL – attention (EAR – as in ‘lend me your’), al(L). ‘Demanding’ seems to be a surface filler.
8 American chap pinches gold, having no principles (6)
AMORAL – American (AM), random chap (AL).
13 Uneasy, having stirred up trouble (8)
AGITATED – double definition.
15 College class’s prescribed clothing (7)
UNIFORM – college (UNI), class (FORM).
16 Daughter interrupting a break at sea? (6)
ADRIFT – daughter (D) inside a (A) and break (RIFT). Another clever clue.
18 Theatrical piece by doctor, an arts graduate (5)
DRAMA – doctor (DR), an arts graduate (A MA).
20 Scorn prophet welcoming knight on board (5)
SNEER – prophet (SEER) welcoming on board knight on a chess board (N).
21 Post a person of masculine gender talked of (4)
MAIL – homophone (talked of) of ‘of masculine gender’ – male. Don’t often get 3 ‘of”s lined up in a sentence.

100 comments on “Times Quick Cryptic 1881 by Orpheus”

  1. Dandie Dinmont? Anyone who has read Gerald Durrell’s early years autobiography “My family and other animals” might recall that his mother owned one in the 1930s, when they were living in Corfu. 
  2. After a slow start things started to pick up, and I dredged up DANDIE DINMONT from the recesses of my memory but NHO BRAD and just couldn’t work it out, so another DNF.
  3. A brad-awl is so-called because it’s an awl (a handtool with a wooden handle holding a short sharp-pointed metal spike) used to make holes in wood, to “start” a brad – used, as someone else has commented, to hold a pane of glass in place while the putty is applied. Also used by shoe-repairers, saddlers etc to pierce holes in leather to make it easier to sew – hence the phrase “What a load of cobblers” – an abbreviation of “cobblers’ awls” = balls.   
    1. A bradawl can indeed be used to make small holes in leather to allow needles to be pushed through more easily but neat holes in belts would, of course, be made with a hole punch. However, bradawls should not be confused with brads — these are little nails that are used by cobblers to fix leather or rubber heels to men’s or women’s shoes in addition to adhesive. I think I mentioned this this morning. John.

      Edited at 2021-05-26 07:28 am (UTC)

  4. Needed aids for this! NHO Dandie Dinmont. Goodman was a write in. Didn’t know the alternative spelling to get the e for lambaste. Bifd Earl. No problem with linden. I have several bradawls so brad was ok by reduction – people have mentioned the UK uses but I am more familiar with it as a US term rather than as common UK usage. FOI 1a Dusk. LOI 16d Adrift. COD 23a Offbeat. Lots of nice clues but tested my GK, eventually beyond breaking point with the small terrier. So thx for a very helpful blog from Chris, and a fair but too testing puzzle from Orpheus.

    Edited at 2021-05-25 07:05 pm (UTC)

  5. As a gesture to the Dandie Dinmont I shall change my avatar to a picture of our Bedlington terrier which may be similarly unrecognised in the South of England and a subject of some ridicule, but a creature with a lamblike appearance and matching temperament.

    I was doing well until I put in OFFICER for constable doing desk job, and then crammed in JACOB for the prophet (OB On Board) accompanied by a sinking feeling of failure. Managed to put in MA twice (18D and 22A) until parsed 22A as OM.
    Difficult (8 on my scale) and all in all around 50 minutes in 3 goes due to too many simultaneous events.

    After my recent unfortunate bout of ill health I needed a follow up blood test. I duly presented myself to the GP surgery ready to bare an arm only to be told “We don’t do blood tests here any more, you have to drive to the Park and Ride where you wind your window down, stick your arm out and they will do it there”. Duly done. Bizarre.
    Our GP surgery don’t see patients anymore (Zoom) and now don’t take bloods either. Makes me wonder.
    Also wonder what other examinations they do in the Park and Ride via the driver’s window. Mind boggles!

    Thanks Orpheus and Chris

    Edited at 2021-05-25 07:11 pm (UTC)

    1. I went to a drive in blood test and was surprised by the queue of cars and that I had to open the door, swivel out and meet the ‘blood letter’ face to face. No problem though.
  6. I came late to the blog, as is often the case, as I didn’t get to the QC until after dinner. Expected a few complaints about dandie dinmont but was rather taken aback by the amount of vitriol! Didn’t think it was that obscure… Surely, a word one doesn’t know is just a hole in one’s vocabulary, just because I don’t know it, doesn’t mean it’s obscure. Oh well… And it was an anagram, so that should have helped. Over 90 comments! Looking back at 2017 (as I’ve been working through QC Book 4) they were around 30 or less.

    Anyway,this must be a Good Day as I finished without needing aids, knowing almost all the vocabulary, even BRAD and (Benny) GOODMAN – but not the old title for head of household – but it was a clear enough possibility for it to go straight in. Couldn’t parse OFFBEAT but it’s clear enough after the explanation, thanks Chris.

    Edited at 2021-05-25 08:10 pm (UTC)

    1. Not sure there’s vitriol. Some frustration, perhaps that a quick solve wasn’t on the cards. There’s also a fair bit to say. Personally, I wished I’d had more patience. GK is an interesting thing – if you have it then you’re on wavelength, if not, well. Pleased you had a Good Day. I’m completely with you on the QC comments. When this started there was little interest – as a blogger, it’s gratifying to know that people find it useful – especially the inexperienced.
  7. Ridiculously hard
    After 5 minutes and no answers I had to check I wasn’t doing the 15×15
    Ridiculous dog. Didn’t get adorable or Bangali. Brad? Bad criminal environment- I had that as den. Offbeat
    I don’t get Orpheus. Too much for me. Random girl’s names and very tenuous definitions.
    Ugh
    Nick
  8. Another DNF. Completely blind in the top half bar AMORAL. Yet reading the blog, it wasn’t impossible. Sometimes it’s just not your day….
    1. Going through the blog for answers you didn’t get, which you’ve done, is the best way of improving how you then approach the next ones. When you know that a clue you can’t see CAN be broken down, it gives that bit of confidence to keep ‘dismantling’ it.
  9. Why are people being so horrid about Dandie Dinmonts? They are lovely little dogs. Used I believe to breed with Dachshunds to create the wire haired dachshunds. The loss of these old breeds like the Sealyham terrier also is very sad as the modern fancy is. more for ‘oodles’ of various natures. GK is a varied beast. I know nothing of nails and cricket but I don’t worry when the clues relate to these or say that silly offleg or whatever is ridiculous!!
    1. Not horrid about our 4 legged chums – I love ’em – just at the clue being so tricky – some would say unfair – to unravel.

Comments are closed.