Times Quick Cryptic 2017 by Hurley

Author   william_j_sPosted on Categories Quick Cryptic
This was quite tricky, and I was well over my target time before I got to my last unfilled entry (7dn, NHO). That one was not the only clue that went in under pressure without taking the time to fully understand what was going on – I think I started to feel the clock ticking and bunged in a few good guesses.

A good challenge.

Definitions underlined.

Across
1 Feel a spa boss is spinning old tales from Greece (6,6)
AESOPS FABLES – anagram of (… is spinning) FEEL A SPA BOSS.
8 Physical Training incorporating popular drink (4)
PINT – PT (Physical Training) containing (incorperating) IN (popular).
9 Having brought Yankee in, locate exotic follower (7)
ACOLYTE – anagram of (exotic) LOCATE, containing (having brought in) Y (yankee).
11 Learned one ultimately insulting about Information Technology (7)
ERUDITE – last letter of (ultimately) onE, then RUDE (insulting) containing (about) IT (Information Technology).
12 Be captivated by songbird in this region (5)
TIBET – BE contained by (captivated by) TIT (songbird).
14 Maybe describing line, done by Dorothy and Edward? (6)
DOTTED – DOT (Dorothy) and TED (Edward).
15 One visiting California, the French Republican (6)
CALLER – CAL (California), LE (‘the’ in French), and R (Republican).
18 Silly person that would expect real profits initially! (5)
TWERP – first letters of (initially) That Would Expect Real Profits.
20 Publicize policy for carrier (7)
AIRLINE – AIR (publicize) and LINE (policy).
21 Love street full of comic potential? It won’t fly! (7)
OSTRICH – O (love), ST (street) and RICH (full of comic potential?).
23 Marker at sea young lad picked up (4)
BUOY – sounds like (picked up) “boy” (young lad). Surely this is a totally uncontroversial homophone 🙂
24 Flush, no end, wager disreputable guy is one who travels a lot (12)
GLOBETROTTER – all-but-the-last letter of (no end) GLOw (flush), BET (wager), and ROTTER (disreputable guy).

Down
2 Correct manner needing rewrite of tweet? Quite — not woke at first (9)
ETIQUETTE – anagram of (needing rewrite) TwEET QUITE, missing the (not) ‘w’ (woke at first).
3 Blooming team! Not yet in! (7)
OUTSIDE – OUT (blooming) and SIDE (team).
4 One on rink maybe, sister, hugging Catherine (6)
SKATER – SR (sister) containing (hugging) KATE (Catherine).
5 Happening to use an imperial measure of length (5)
AFOOT – A FOOT (an imperial measure of length).
6 Bet against unprofessional song (3)
LAY – triple definition.
7 Rose writes beer off (10)
SWEETBRIER – anagram of (off) WRITES BEER. A wild rose species.
10 Self-willed boss, wrong to see wife as saint? (10)
HEADSTRONG – HEAD (boss) and wRONG with the ‘w’ (wife) replaced with ‘ST’ (saint).
13 Ready to fight call that is about function (9)
BELLICOSE – BELL (call), then IE (that is) containing (about) COS (cosine, function).
16 Entertainer’s routine including leading pairs from Rome ballet (7)
ACROBAT – ACT (routine) containing (including) the first two leters from (leading pairs from) ROme and BAllet.
17 At the outset friendly and tactful with girl’s Dad (6)
FATHER – first letters from (at the outset) Friendly And Tactful, then HER (girl’s).
19 Composure of model touring India (5)
POISE – POSE (model) containing (touring) I (India, phonetic alphabet).
22 Couple seen in Fort Worth (3)
TWO – hidden in (seen in) forT WOrth.

52 comments on “Times Quick Cryptic 2017 by Hurley”

  2. Back in the slow lane today. I convinced myself that 15a was a French Republican called Latour (LA tour — one visiting California). Overthinking it perhaps? Failed miserably on afoot, went for adopt with v little confidence.

  3. Struggled today with the longer answers. Over 20 mins and then DNF with CALLER which I didn’t enter as I couldn’t parse it. Is CAL really an abbreviation for California? I thought it was CA.

    COD to HEADSTRONG which I could not get but Mrs Prof did instantly. No comment.

    Thanks Hurley and William for blog which must take ages and much appreciated as always

  4. Some hard clues here so DNF. Kicking ourselves over some we failed on, but if there is a NHO for the blogger, what hope do newbies have? Dave and Sal
  5. FOI AESOPS FABLES. The setter enjoyed BUOY knowing full well that the American and English pronunciations are so very different. What fun! Indeed ostriches cannot fly but then neither can we, both use a 20ac! COD 7dn SWEETBRIER.
  6. What a super puzzle — great fun! Took us 15 minutes to complete.

    FOI: AESOPS FABLES
    LOI: OUTSIDE
    COD: too many to choose from

    Thanks William and Hurley.

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