Times Quick Cryptic 1982 by Izetti

Author   plusjeremyPosted on Categories Quick Cryptic

Introduction

My solve is here: https://www.twitch.tv/videos/1175154969

5:35, a nice time for my “birthday” puzzle. I was born in 1982. Cue snarky comments in 3…2…1…

General remarks

A brief summary of cryptic crosswords —feel free to skip— :

  • Each clue has at least one “definition”: an unbroken string of words which more-or-less straightforwardly indicates the answer. A definition can be as simple as a one-word synonym; but it can also be a descriptive phrase like ‘I’m used to wind’ for REEL or SPOOL. A definition by example must be indicated by a phrase like ‘for example’, or, more commonly, a question mark (?). Thus ‘color’ is a definition of RED, while ‘red, for example’ or ‘red?’ are definitions of COLOR. Punctuation is otherwise irrelevant. Proper nouns will appear capitalized, but otherwise capitalization is irrelevant as well.

  • Each clue may also have an unbroken string of words which indicates the answer through wordplay, such as: using abbreviations; reversing the order of letters; indicating particular letters (first, last, outer, middle, every other, etc); placing words inside other words; rearranging letters (anagrams); replacing words by words that sound alike (homophones); and combinations of the above. This is by no means an exhaustive list, but the general theme is to reinterpret ordinary words as referring to letters, so that for example ‘lion’s head’ indicates the first letter of LION: namely, L.

  • Definitions and wordplay cannot overlap. The only other words allowed in clues are linking words or phrases that combine these. Thus we may see, for example: “(definition) gives (wordplay)” or “(definition) and (definition)” or “(wordplay) is (definition)”.

  • The most common clues have either two definitions, or one definition plus wordplay, in either order. But a single, very misleading definition is not uncommon, and very occasionally a definition can also be interpreted as wordplay leading to the same answer. Triple definitions (and more) are also possible.

My conventions in the solutions below are to underline definitions (including a defining phrase); put linking words in [brackets]; and put all wordplay indicators in boldface. I also use a solidus (/) to help break up the clue where necessary, especially for double definitions without linking words.

Here is a Glossary of all the wordplay indicators and abbreviations in this puzzle.

Glossary

Wordplay indicators

abandoning = deletion
about = containment
accommodate = containment
and = linking word
as = linking word
but not = deletion
by = next to
dicky = anagram
(to) drink = containment
exceptionally = anagram
finally = last letter
from what we hear = homophone
gets = linking word
gets round = containment
getting = next to
grabbing = containment
head = first letter
hiding in = hidden word
in = containment, linking word
modified = anagram
occupying = containment
played = anagram
(to) provide = linking word
reportedly = homophone
(to go) round = containment
something of = hidden word
Spanish = in Spanish
stirred = anagram
taking = next to
that is = linking word

Abbreviations and little bits

ace = A
Bible = AV
bishop = RR
companion = CH
dealing with = RE
home = IN
no = NAY
old = O
old boy = OB
old city = UR
one with radical views = RED
prisoner = CON
sort of training = PT
the fellow = HE
the Spanish = EL
times = BY

Solutions

Across

1   Spoke enthusiastically, [as] one with radical views about Bible (5)
RAVED = RED around A.V.

4   A harp being played / by the Spanish artist (7)
RAPHAEL = anagram of A HARP + EL

8   Bill, a noble fellow abroad from what we hear (7)
ACCOUNT = homophone of A COUNT

9   Pulse [in] broth getting stirred (5)
THROB = anagram of BROTH

10   Wine difficult for prisoner to drink? No (10)
CHARDONNAY = HARD in CON + NAY

14   A child finally / gets round labyrinth full of wonder (6)
AMAZED = A + last letter of CHILD around MAZE

15   Dances around [to provide] pickled food (6)
CAPERS = double definition
Sneaky!

17   Country’s abandoning a / Greek island [as] a complete undivided unit (10)
INDISCRETE = INDIA’S without A + CRETE

20   Former PM [in] unproductive territory? (5)
HEATH = double definition
Chambers has “barren open country”.

22   It’s more frightening / needing to be in the barber’s seat for longer? (7)
HAIRIER = double definition

23   Recognise record getting “Merit” but not “Ace” (7)
DISCERN = DISC + EARN without A

24   Furry animal hiding in strange nettles (5)
GENET = hidden in STRANGE NETTLES
Chambers has “a carnivorous animal […] related to the civet”.

Down

1   The way travelled reportedly (4)
ROAD = homophone of RODE

2   Part of workshop [that is] failing (4)
VICE = double definition

3   Dicky guards the family members (9)
DAUGHTERS = anagram of GUARDS THE
This one fooled me.

4   Answer dealing with / wrongful act (6)
RETORT = RE + TORT

5   Head of university occupying sort of training place (3)
PUT = first letter of UNIVERSITY in P.T.

6   Fixed agenda modified / to accommodate bishop (8)
ARRANGED = anagram of AGENDA around R.R.

7   Old boy taking Times / with inclination to go round [as] campaigner (8)
LOBBYIST = OB + BY in LIST

11   Glove puppet isn’t / under control (2,1,6)
ON A STRING = (another) double definition

12   Exceptionally bad sin — he [gets] cast into the wilderness? (8)
BANISHED = anagram of BAD SIN HE
Sneaky past tense there.

13   Difficult nutcases? You see them on building sites! (4,4)
HARD HATS = HARD + HATS
‘Nut’ = ‘head’ so ‘nutcase’ = HAT. That’s two times we had ‘difficult’ = ‘hard’ in this puzzle.

16   Mischievous child [and] companion in old city / home (6)
URCHIN = CH in UR + IN

18   Mark something of one’s ignorance (4)
SIGN = hidden in ONE’S IGNORANCE

19   Courage / that may help motorist on winter drive (4)
GRIT = (yet another) double definition

21   The fellow grabbing old garden tool (3)
HOE = HE around O

76 comments on “Times Quick Cryptic 1982 by Izetti”

  1. Slowed down by DAUGHTERS, where I wasn’t sure what ‘dicky’ meant and thought ‘guards’ was an inclusion indicator. Biffed LOBBYIST, parsed post-sub. URCHINs aren’t particularly mischievous, they’re shabbily dressed. Jeremy, I think you need to include ‘as’ in the definition at 17ac (which was my LOI; never seen it). 6:00.
    1. I considered it (out loud, as I was writing up my blog on stream!).

      But “X is indiscrete” would be synonymous with “X is a complete undivided unit”, no?

  4. I thought I was galloping through this but then ground to a halt. I didn’t know AV= Bible for 1 AC and took me a while to get the very obvious 1D. I also spent a good few minutes on my LOI Capers. So out of SCC at around 17 mins but not the speed record I thought it might be at the start. I also had a typo in 5d

  6. Perhaps I am the only one to have found this very chewy. Slow to start, dealt with some masterly misdirections, speeded up towards the end as more more crossers were in place and more answers became biffable (but all parsed). CAPERS was tough, LOBBYIST and ON A STRING took some thought, INDISCRETE and DISCERN were neat. LOI HARD HATS. Still slow overall, though. Thanks both. John M.
    1. I found this to be the hardest I’ve tackled in ages and am amazed to see how others fared so much better — that’s a second day being out of step having sailed through yesterday’s. I did make things hard for myself by being slow to see DAUGHTERS — especially since I’ve got two of them — those checkers would have been handy earlier. Only three on the first pass of acrosses and then not too many downs either. Biggest hold up was in the NW where I had only one checker for each of RAVED, VICE and ROAD and they all took time to fall — especially as I didn’t know AV for Bible. I was pleased to get Ur from old city and tort from wrong, so I am improving. All green in 25.
  7. Came to a grinding halt with 3 remaining. BANISHED where I initially thought I was looking for a biblical character (it is Izetti) who’d been cast into the wilderness, once I’d spotted the anagrist I forgot to review what the definition might be. Embarrassingly I wasn’t familiar with the definition of INDISCRETE so once I had all the checkers it went in based on the wordplay and LOI and CAPERS where I spent far too long trying to untangle an anagram of dances.
    Finished in 12.49.
    Thanks to Jeremy and to Izetti for a quality puzzle that had me chasing my tail.
  8. ….and found it much easier than some of Izetti’s recent outings.

    Happy birthday to you Jeremy, you young whippersnapper !

    FOI RAVED
    LOI ON A STRING
    COD INDISCRETE
    TIME 3:34

  9. not sure why in retrospect. No complaints though, as I got there in the end.

    Not helped by having fat-fingeredly typed HART HATS, which meant INDISCRETE was my LOI. Had to write out the anagrist for BANISHED as well.

    I liked HAIRIER.

    9:22.

  10. Quite a quick start, and 3/4 done in 15 minutes, then slowed right down. Took a while to twig DAUGHTERS, BANISHED and INDISCRETE. LOI was CAPERS which I think of as an ingredient rather than a pickle.
    Nice puzzle!
    Thanks for the blog
    BW
    Andrew
  11. Back to my usual twenty minutes but at least I finished this. Couldn’t do a straight read through, I kept seeing answers where I had been once I’d solved some clues, so I jumped about all over the grid. FOI throb, LOI vice. I got chardonnay from hard and nay, missed the con. Did not parse discern or urchin, both solved from definitions, though I agree I don’t usually think of an urchin as mischievous, but as poverty-stricken. Ruminated nicely on this one and was left feeling content rather than confused. Happy birthday, Jeremy. Thanks, Jeremy, and Izetti.

    Edited at 2021-10-13 08:45 am (UTC)

  12. Slow time at 12:26 – held up at the end by DAUGHTERS trying to thing of a synonym for ‘dicky’ for too long. Ah well. Thanks to Izetti.

    A neat coincidence blogging the 1982nd crossword. (I’m also celebrating my birthday today, but my 61 years are clearly taking their toll).

    No snarky remarks, young man! Happy birthday and thanks, plusjeremy

    EDIT – Note to self: Must pay more attention to Jeremy’s use of punctuation when referring to his ‘birthday’ puzzle.

    Edited at 2021-10-13 09:27 am (UTC)

  13. I thought this was another hard offering and it took me 30 minutes to complete.

    DNK “AV” for Bible (thought 1ac may be “Rabid”) nor Genet. But the greatest head scratcher for me was 15ac “Capers” with a lot of time spent trying to find an anagram out of dances. Other difficulties included parsing the last part of 23ac “Discern” and 7db “Lobbyist”. What’s the “Times” element got to do with it?

    However, at least I remembered “RR” for bishop!

    FOI — 9ac “Throb”
    LOI — 15ac “Capers”
    COD — 11dn “On a string”

    Thanks as usual!

    PS. Noticed in the printed paper that Izetti was spelt izetti…has it always been thus or a typo?

    1. times = by as in 2 times/by 4=8 Jeremy has it in his explication of the clue, and again in his Glossary.
      1. Apologies to all – misinterpreted the bold bits of the explanation. I was thinking “with” meant “by”.
    4. Having looked at the facsimile newspaper online I see what you mean, but I never usually access the puzzles that way so can’t confirm whether the lower case ‘i’ is a new departure. I suppose there’s a logic to it though as this setter’s various pseudonyms are usually derived from names beginning with Don and we’re left with the remaining letters in lower case.

      Edited at 2021-10-13 01:36 pm (UTC)

  14. Another day, another error. I solved the bottom half pretty quickly but had to spend some time on the top. LOI DAUGHTERS which took me a long time to unravel. I pressed Submit after 17:41.
    I was unhappy about 15a having become convinced it was anagram of Dances; hence CADENS. I could not think of any pickled food bar onions.
    Genet unknown.
    NO complaints; Izetti is always firm but fair.
    David
  15. Like Kevin I was held up by DAUGHTERS and CAPERS as I failed to see the anagram indicator in the first and tried to shoehorn an anagram into the second. NORTH held up BANISHED and HARD HATS, as I thought of the frozen north before the grocer. NHO GENET. Started with RAVED and finished with DAUGHTERS. Well over my target at 16:35. Thanks Izetti and Jeremy, and happy birthday!
  16. Did not see SIGN of CAPERS, however ARRANGED. Forgot RR, a bit thick about Sign.

    Liked RAPHAEL, INDISCRETE, (undivided?), BANISHED. Not held up by DAUGHTERS as met recently in another Xword book. Could not parse LOBBYIST. FOI ACCOUNT.

    Dicky is an old-fashioned word for dodgy or unreliable or e.g. a character in, say, an Agatha Christie might have a dicky heart.
    Thanks and many happy returns, Jeremy.

    Edited at 2021-10-13 12:03 pm (UTC)

  17. Three SCCs in a row for a difficult week so far. Today it was just general dim-wittedness what done it. ACCOUNT was FOI and then DAUGHTERS, LOI was GRIT strangely enough, I just failed to see the synonym for courage, and thought I was looking for a tool that might help in the snow. Ah well, another win for Izetti. I also looked for an anagram of DANCES, and fell for plenty of other traps. There was nothing unfair here, and at least I finished — all parsed — in 22 minutes Thanks both

    Edited at 2021-10-13 09:11 am (UTC)

  18. Several missing after a thrown towel at 25+ mins, mainly in the NW where I made the classic mistake with a homophone, by putting RODE not ROAD, making ACCOUNT impossible, inspite of seeing COUNT. Missed VICE and DAUGHTERS, and also put the unknown pickled CADENS in (anagram of “dances”, no?).

    Spent ages thinking what “dicky” might be (Nixon, a Dinner Jacket) did not see it as an anagram indicator (number 532 on my list)

    Also felt GRIP was a fair answer for GRIT, as in “Get a Grip”

    NHO GENET

    COD CHARDONNAY, though a bolder setter might have clued it
    Wine gives a cold erection, no? (10)

    1. Cyclops, in Private Eye, would have used your excellent alternative clue, I’m sure. Well done!
  19. 15 minutes of fun, which is on target for an Izetti 😊 I thoroughly enjoyed this and a few made me chuckle, inc HEATH (a bit of satire there?) and HARD HATS. I also liked RAPHAEL and BANISHED. Count me in as another who was trying to a make a salsa of dances, before the eponymous P dropped.
    FOI Raved
    LOI Capers
    COD Daughters — brilliant!
    Many thanks Izetti and Jeremy (not the actual day today, I take it?)

    Later: have just had a go at the 15×15 — I didn’t quite finish today (just two to go) but a couple of words from this crossword appeared which did help a bit! Coincidence? Or are the lizards taking over 😉

    Edited at 2021-10-13 01:24 pm (UTC)

  20. 7:10 this morning. Some clever clues from izetti and too often I picked up the wrong inferences — for example 15 ac “capers” and 13 d “hard hats”, where I spent too long trying to solve anagrams of “dances” and “nutcases” respectively. I guess an example today of being off wavelength, although again I note that I am far from alone.
    COD 22 ac “hairier” which raised a smile.
    I wonder if some will comment that this puzzle is pitched at level too high for a QC and while I would sympathise, I also think it’s important for these puzzles to cover a range of difficulty, so that people new to cryptic crosswords can measure their progress towards solving the 15 x 15. And of course this site can be particularly helpful in this regard as well.
    Thanks (and many happy returns) to Jeremy and to Don.
    1. I would agree it’s important for the puzzles to cover a wide range of difficulty and personally I don’t mind them when they’re harder (frustrating or not).

      However, I think there are a few people who think the QC has shifted to being more difficult over the last year. The question is whether the QC equivalent “Overton Window” has moved with it.

      1. Too smart for me with “Overton Window”, just had to google it. That’s a 15×15 clue if ever there was one.

        Six balls for a century, opening range of acceptable policies (7,6)
      2. Interesting point and I would agree there is a body of opinion that supports what you say regarding recent increased difficulty. I’ve just done a quick analysis of my average 2020 times against 2021 for the QC and there hasn’t been much difference in my case but then I’ve been doing Times Crossword puzzles for ages and I don’t think that I’m in the Times Crossword editor’s target market for how he tweaks the QC.
        So is there a conscious decision by the powers that be to gradually increase the difficulty? I think we should be told….
        1. I’d like to add a point I’ve made before: when talking to the editor of the puzzle, he has confirmed on several occasions that the Quick Cryptic is not intended to be easi(er) per se, or a puzzle for beginners, or a gateway into the main puzzle.

          Its raison d’être is that it is “Quick”. It is simply meant to be solved in a fraction of the time of the main puzzle. That is why it is smaller, for example, and that is why some of the wordplay is much more straightforward. Naturally, these elements often contribute to making Quick Cryptics more appropriate for beginners, but that’s not why these puzzles exist. And sometimes these same elements can make Quick Cryptics harder for beginners: a smaller grid means fewer footholds, and a larger percentage of the puzzle depends on answering each clue. Also, there’s a lot of reliance on chestnuts and abbreviations which will allow more experienced solvers to finish quickly.

          I’ve made the point several times (but most people disagree with me on this point) that in many cases the main puzzle might be more satisfying for a beginner, because there are more clues, more places to get a foothold, less chances to be stymied by one difficult clue, more clues that can be solved by “pure” wordplay rather than knowing chestnuts and abbreviations.

          Sure, the main puzzle will be harder to finish completely, but I still stand by my statement that in many cases the main puzzle would be nicer to work on for a beginner. Certainly for me (and I was a beginner until very recently), I got better as a solver through the main puzzle, not the Quickie — which I mainly use to speed solve.

          Edited at 2021-10-13 04:56 pm (UTC)

          1. Totally recognise and understand your points regarding the reason for the QC existing — but I guess the point is whether it is generally getting harder over time.

            Honestly, I have no idea — it feels like it is, but that’s no scientific study and it seems experienced solvers don’t see much difference. However, if there is a slight shift then it’s probably bound to be more felt by those who are less experienced than those that aren’t.

          2. Thanks for your considered reply Jeremy. I think I have picked up my understanding of the raison d’etre of the QC from various comments on the TfT website over a period of time. I did have a concern that some newcomers to cryptic crosswords were getting discouraged by a sequence of puzzles that they perceived as too difficult and occasionally even demoralising.
            Anyway its a fascinating subject and the emphasis on enjoyment is what is key. And a pleasng diversion from supply chains and heaven knows what else!
  21. A solid — if rather slow — solve …
    … saw me home with all parsed in 16 minutes. I was another who tried to find an anagram of dances for 15A Capers — great clue and a real PDM when I worked it out.

    NHO 17A Indiscrete: I am always confusing discreet and discrete so this one was bound to cause me problems. But solved from wordplay and then looked up so Another Thing Learned.

    A good puzzle and a most enjoyable workout. Many thanks to Jeremy for the blog.
    Cedric

  22. … but somehow fully solved without aids in 39 minutes.

    I was fortunate to see DAUGHTERS before realising it was an anagram, and many other clues had tobe written in faintly at first, before fully parsing later in the process. I had NHO GENET, but it had to be, and my LOI was CAPERS, which I found during an alphabet-trawl, having not trusted my initial guess (CADENS).

    Mrs Random has just finished her effort in 38 minutes, thereby blowing my time out of the water by 1 minute (Drat!). Her LOI was also CAPERS, and she also fell into the anagram-of-DANCES trap.

    What a difficult week, so far!

    Many thanks to Izetti and William.

  23. Spotted 1ac straight away, but then couldn’t see any of its offspring, and worse still began to dabble with root/route as the answer for 1d. Moved lower down the grid to a welcoming Chardonnay and then hopped around before returning to the NW with a seat secured in the SCC. Loi Capers eventually came via an alphabet trawl, but only after I gave up trying to use Dances as the anagrist. 26mins in total, which feels about right for a challenging Izetti. CoD to 17ac, Indiscrete, which needed to Greek Island as a spelling aid. Invariant
            1. Cambridge University Press has: The Authorised Version of the English Bible 1611.
              I know we can all find our preferred definition/spelling of words in some reference work or other. I simplify dislike the use of z in place of s. John
              1. I’m glad to see that. I was incredibly confused by the spelling I found in Chambers.

        2. I can only find authorized spelt with a z in my phone Oxford Dictionary. It doesn’t allow the version with s.

          1. I am surprised (see peebee below) that someone has not suggested that we revize the spelling of the Revized Version). 😁
            1. Didn’t even think about the spelling differences there — just cut and pasted the first part 😅
              Mind you, when I was doing my journalism training in the 70s, we were taught always to use an S rather than Z — more modern, and certainly house style in pretty much all UK publications these days, I’d say.
              1. S and Z …
                One language has gone even further — Icelandic has removed Z from the alphabet (quite recently, within the last 60 years) and replaced them all with S. Including in the Icelandic word for Icelandic, which was Íslenzkur and is now officially Íslenskur.

                It caused a real problem when the verb “to zoom” became so common 18 months ago. Technically the Icelandic should be “súma”, but since all Icelanders speak English, it rapidly became “zooma”.

                Cedric

                1. That’s amazing — or should I say ‘amasing’! No, doesn’t look or sound right. Oh English can be so complicated!
  25. DNF because of CAPERS: not aware of them as pickled. Thought answer was an anagram of DANCES. One lives and learns. The rest took quite a while to sort out and had to guess that GENET is an animal – unknown to me.
  26. DNF. Gave up after 20 minutes – just too hard for a ‘QC’.

    So bible = ‘AV’ does it, are setters just making up random abbreviations for bible now ?
    Why not ‘GB’ for Good Book or ‘CM’ Christian’s Manual ?

    Hope that small group fo experts had some fun with this one – God help the rest of us.

    1. The King James Version, also the King James Bible and the Authorized Version, is an English translation of the Christian Bible for the Church of England, which was commissioned in 1604 and published in 1611 (thanks internet) — in effect, the traditional English bible, which many of our most famous Biblical quotes come from, so not exactly new or obscure! Look out for RV too — the Revised Version which was published in the late 19th century.
    2. Pressed the wrong button — I meant that I agree with you about it being too hard for a quick cryptic.

      When I started doing these, it was a satisfying journey to somewhere where I could complete 3/4 of them — now I never do. And whatever others say , the main puzzle I find impossible.

      I don’t see why it should be designed as equal in difficulty to the main puzzle — where can those of us who’ll probably never get that far get satisfaction from finishing one?

      Sorry, this has turned into a rant. But I really miss the earlier ones.

      Diana

      1. So do I, Diana. I used to complete the QC almost every time, usually in about 15 — 20 minutes and if there was a hint on this forum, that the 15×15 was approachable, I would have a go at it, too.
        These days, I will fail to complete the QC, at least once a week and the other days, it’s around the 20-minute mark, for a parsed finish.
        More experience usually = quicker, for most skills, so my take on it is that the QC is becoming more difficult. I’m not enjoying it, as I used to.
  27. “Authorize” is the older form, and it was standard even in British English until the second half of the 20th century. The Oxford English Dictionary, which usually favours (sic) British spellings, still lists “authorize” as the primary spelling.

    Since the AV dates from 1604, Authorized Version looks correct.

    1. I think if we reverted to consistent Medieval spelling of English words, we would have an even more difficult language than we have already! I was just expressing a preference for the systematic use of ‘s’ in this, and related, contexts. I probably should have left the lid on Pandora’s box. 🙄 John.
  28. I’d like to add a point I’ve made before: when talking to the editor of the puzzle, he has confirmed on several occasions that the Quick Cryptic is not intended to be easi(er) per se, or a puzzle for beginners, or a gateway into the main puzzle.

    Its raison d’être is that it is “Quick”. It is simply meant to be solved in a fraction of the time of the main puzzle. That is why it is smaller, for example, and that is why some of the wordplay is much more straightforward. Naturally, these elements often contribute to making Quick Cryptics more appropriate for beginners, but that’s not why these puzzles exist. And sometimes these same elements can make Quick Cryptics harder for beginners: a smaller grid means fewer footholds, and a larger percentage of the puzzle depends on answering each clue. Also, there’s a lot of reliance on chestnuts and abbreviations which will allow more experienced solvers to finish quickly.

    I’ve made the point several times (but most people disagree with me on this point) that in many cases the main puzzle might be more satisfying for a beginner, because there are more clues, more places to get a foothold, less chances to be stymied by one difficult clue, more clues that can be solved by “pure” wordplay rather than knowing chestnuts and abbreviations.

    Sure, the main puzzle will be harder to finish completely, but I still stand by my statement that in many cases the main puzzle would be nicer to work on for a beginner. Certainly for me (and I was a beginner until very recently), I got better as a solver through the main puzzle, not the Quickie — which I mainly use to speed solve.

    1. Very interesting, Jeremy. I wonder which editor you spoke to though, Richard Rogan (Crossword Editor) or David Parfitt (Puzzles Editor) as Richard wrote this in the newspaper when the QC was launched: Appearing Monday to Friday on the puzzles pages of Times2, it will be reduced in size and hopefully in difficulty too, the intention being to introduce new people to cryptic crosswords, and to encourage those solvers who’d like to have a go at the main puzzle but feel daunted by it, or who can perhaps only solve a handful of clues.

      Definitely an intention there to attract beginners and inexperienced solvers with a view to graduating to the main puzzle.

  29. A toss up between retort and return, as in having a bad turn. Guessed wrong. Also caught out by capers. Given all the checkers I fell into the trap of assuming dances around was an anagram of dances. Most annoying.
  30. Happy birthyear plusjeremy, and happy birthday to wordpsmith.
    Usually by this time everything has been said. But not today! Can I offer an alternative take on 8ac ACCOUNT with the definition at the other end of the clue. Bill = AC | a noble fellow abroad = COUNT | [from] what we hear = ACCOUNT.
    That’s all from me. Good night
    1. I like it! Actually it’s how I parsed it when I was solving, I think, but when writing the blog I convinced myself otherwise.
  31. Knew all the words but took a while to get them into the grid from Izetti’s cleverly crafted clues. A joy as ever. COD to DAUGHTERS and a wry smile as I too capered about for a while trying to find an anagram that wasn’t there. About 35 fun filled minutes.
    1. …and the chiming-in comment that came after. Just gratuitous nastiness. Thanks.

      Edited at 2021-10-14 02:34 pm (UTC)

      1. Horryd and pedwardine will hopefully continue to educate me on how my style can be less “intolerably gauche” “to most Anglos”. I will try my hardest to match them in their stylistic excellence!

        Sincerely,
        Little Lord Humblebrag

        1. I admire your tolerance, Jeremy, but I for one would not welcome further discussion or ‘education’ along such lines, use of silly names to put down other bloggers and contributors etc. That’s not the purpose of this forum and I shall delete any future postings in that vein that come to my attention.
  33. We’ve just completed the puzzle in 21 minutes. Like others we were looking for an anagram of DANCES for 15A — took us a while to get CAPERS.

    FOI: THROB
    LOI: CAPERS
    COD: ON A STRING

    Thanks Izetti and Jeremy.

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