Times Quick Cryptic 1921 by Trelawney

Author   ChrisPosted on Categories Quick Cryptic

Reasonably smooth sailing but some sticky spots around the grid which had to be ground out – LOI was 9ac and I came home in a very satisfying 5 seconds under 10 minutes. 7ac seemed very hard but the answer was lurking down a side alley and it didn’t hold me up much.

Definitions are underlined.

Across
1 Bears dreadful weapon (5)
SABRE – anagram (dreadful) of BEARS.
7 Be a touch disturbed following Yankee? Absolutely! (3,6)
YOU BETCHA – anagram (disturbed) of BE A TOUCH following Yankee (Y). So this didn’t start with ‘yes’ as I’d thought for some time.
9 Selection of fruit that’s not been started (5)
RANGE – fruit that’s not started o(RANGE). I hadn’t been thinking of fruit starting with a vowel until I had the chaeckers.
10 Nocturnal creature in tavern, currently with last of cocktail (4,3)
BARN OWL – tavern (BAR), currently (NOW), cocktai(L). This answer flew in!
11 Bad rum drunk around Eastern island group (7)
BERMUDA – anagram (drunk) of BAD RUM around Eastern (E). I didn’t realise Bermuda had over 150 coral island – hence island group.
12 Reportedly understands patient man’s operation (4,3)
NOSE JOB – homophone (reportedly) of knows, patient man (JOB – he went through a lot of suffering and misery – think London commuter).
15 Sack of medicine with a covering of gauze (7)
PILLAGE – medicin (PILL), a (A), (G)auz(E). Popularised by the Vikings.
18 Some liquid surrounds English ship (7)
GALLEON – some liquid (GALLON) surrounding English (E).
20 Regret accepting equal income (7)
REVENUE – regret (RUE) holding equal (EVEN).
22 Dark lake flanked by group of soldiers (5)
UNLIT – lak (L) flanked by group of soldiers (UNIT).
23 Great Dane running around place for outdoor refreshments (3,6)
TEA GARDEN – anagram (running) of GREAT DANE.
24 Actor chooses to conceal lamp (5)
TORCH – concealed inside ac(TOR CH)ooses.
Down
1 Scour the undergrowth (5)
SCRUB – double definition.
2 Fund a couple of aerial manoeuvres (8)
BANKROLL – a couple of aerial manoeuvres (BANK ROLL).
3 A good look at French engineer’s broadcast (6)
EYEFUL – homophone (broadcast) of French engineer (Alexandre Gustave EIFFEL).
4 Brides mistakenly refuse (6)
DEBRIS – anagram (mistakenly) of BRIDES.
5 Trace of some white chocolate (4)
ECHO – some of whit(E CHO)colate.
6 Fool holding a head of balloon animal (7)
WALLABY – fool (WALLY – never could find that guy) holding a (A) and (B)alloon.
8 Belgrade nun spinning modern folktale (5,6)
URBAN LEGEND – anagram (spinning) of BELGRADE NUN. Took me a long time to unspin this one.
13 Taunt about healthy tradesman (8)
JEWELLER – taunt (JEER) around healthy (WELL). I got stuck on seller for some time.
14 Liquor I found in upside-down sports gear (7)
SPIRITS – I (I) inside sports gear (STRIP) upwards. Please see Filbert’s comment below – sports gear must also be a plural = STRIPS.
16 Cancel binding a yearbook (6)
ANNUAL – cancel (ANNUL) holding a (A).
17 Show off extremely faithful relative (6)
FLAUNT – (F)aithfu(L), relative (AUNT).
19 Mark‘s short memo on church (5)
NOTCH – short (NOT)e, church (CH).
21 Bottle for perfume that’s disgusting, we hear (4)
VIAL – homophone of vile.

50 comments on “Times Quick Cryptic 1921 by Trelawney”

  1. Still confused by 14d. It needs another S – STRIP + I – I couldn’t really see that SPORTS GEAR could be STRIPS…

    Edited at 2021-07-20 05:47 pm (UTC)

    1. SPIRITS – I (I) inside sports gear (STRIP) upwards. Ah – yes I see what you mean – sports gear must be STRIPS (with an I inside)- maybe ‘playing in the blue strips for Oxford’ is a thing?
      Great spot – as I, and no one else, had,
        1. I do beg your pardon, Invariant – travelling with phone at the moment hasn’t made this easy – I’m sure you’ll bear with me. Well done both! (And maybe more – but it’s tough to check).
      2. All football teams have at least two STRIPS as it’s necessary to change when playing away to a club whose first choice kit is the same colour as yours. My team, Altrincham, wear red and white stripes, but have an alternative yellow strip with blue facings.

        The Manchester Uniteds of this world will change their STRIPS at frequent intervals to encourage (blackmail) fans to spend silly money on the latest version.

  2. Trickier than the average Trelawney I’d say, though I think I still made heavier weather of this than I should have. Last two in, after 28:12, were BANKROLL and then RANGE, though I think SPIRITS and PILLAGE which I got just before them were more difficult. Can’t remember coming across a TEA GARDEN, but if you can have a beer garden, why not? I certainly prefer drinking tea to beer, so more of them I say. COD goes to BANKROLL. Thanks Trelawney and Chris.
    1. Dear Chris,
      There’s a lovely tea garden in Jevington (near Alfriston) in East Sussex. Do seek it out if you’re in the area.
      Mr R.

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