Times Quick Cryptic 2081 by Izetti (Izippi!)

Author   ChrisPosted on Categories Quick Cryptic

Very zippy indeed today, charging home in 5:43. Didn’t get 1ac at first go so started with 4ac 6ac and worked quickly down the left and up the right finishing with 1ac and then 5dn. Even with this unusual speed, I did find a lot to enjoy on the way – and am now looking forward to examining the clues at leisure as we go through the blog – for which, please click on ‘Read more’ below.

Definitions are underlined.

Across
1 Those who mimic sport said to be funny? (9)
PARODISTS – anagram (to be funny) of SPORT SAID.
6 Car — nothing right after its test? (5)
MOTOR – nothing (O) and right (R) after its test – the test of a car – (MOT).
8 Dear lover no longer philosophical? (9)
EXPENSIVE – lover no longer (EX), philosophical (PENSIVE).
9 Poet takes off (5)
KEATS – anagram (off) of TAKES.
10 International experiment with something in a box? (4,5)
TEST MATCH – experiment (TEST), something in a box (MATCH).
12 Homeless girl gets home in Rugby maybe (6)
GAMINE – home (IN) inside Rugby maybe (GAME). I knew gamine to be the English definition – a girl who’s attractive in a boyish/elvish way. I wasn’t aware that ‘homeless girl’ is the American definition but it wasn’t a stretch too far given the straightforward word play.
13 Former statesman seen in China’s serious (6)
NASSER – seen in Chi(NA’S SER)ious. Another unknown definition which ‘had to be’ as a hidden. It turns out that our statesman was Gabel Nasser – Egyptian soldier and statesman who was part of a coup to depose King Farouk (whom I had heard of) in 1952.
16 Withdrew soldiers given medical attention? (9)
RETREATED – soldiers (RE), given medical attention (TREATED).
18 Approach continuous period at university (3-2)
RUN-UP – continuous period (RUN – as in of dnf’s), at university (UP).
19 Conservative member has chosen to become a monk (9)
CARMELITE – Conservative (C), member (ARM), chosen (ELITE). Chosen as in a top/choice pick. I don’t suppose I know that many monks but this one popped out after the obvious C and ARM (once I’d discounted leg).
21 Criticise material used for roofing (5)
SLATE – double definition.
22 A wee pest’s destroyed pretty plants (5,4)
SWEET PEAS – anagram (destroyed) of A WEE PEST’S.
Down
1 Very quick train’s ending in northern city (7)
PRESTON – very quick (PRESTO – as in hey), trai(N).
2 Model again to get rest? (6)
REPOSE – model again (RE-POSE).
3 Material in study I am sunk beneath (5)
DENIM – study (DEN), I am (IM) sunk underneath.
4 Slide and jump not quite to the end (3)
SKI – jump not quite to the end (SKI)p.
5 Her dish — Peep’s — potentially? (9,3)
SHEPHERDS PIE – partial &lit anagram (potentially) of HER DISH PEEP’S.
6 Leaving the job for rail builders to do (6,6)
MAKING TRACKS – double definition.
7 Broadcast across American university (8)
TRANSMIT – across (TRANS), American University (MIT – Massachusetts Instutute of Technology). If you didn’t know MIT – then I’m sorry but it just is.
11 It’s a man wandering over a part of Australia (8)
TASMANIA – anagram (wandering) of IT’S A MAN, over a (A).
14 Sermon maybe in specific location (7)
ADDRESS – double definition.
15 Small child’s wheeled toy making impact (6)
STRIKE – small (S), child’s wheeled toy (TRIKE). Generously clued.
17 Outcome is not odd when looked at over time (5)
EVENT – not odd (EVEN) when looked at (in the answer) over time (T).
20 Regret being impolite, putting daughter out (3)
RUE – being impolite (RU)d(E) putting daughter (D) out.

61 comments on “Times Quick Cryptic 2081 by Izetti (Izippi!)”

  1. Finished in 30m, needed help to get parodists having missed the anagram. Gamine got from word play. Good puzzle as usual from Izetti.
  2. makes the parsing go wrong. I put in Gamine because I mixed it up with ‘Fantine’ from Les Miserables. Oddly enough I did remember the French word Gamine and did not think it meant homeless, but I bunged it in, seemed good enough to me! [A point, wiki reckons gamine/homeless is ‘dated’, it doesn’t mention American.] Time by certified subtraction 23 min a creeping ahead GN5.
  3. I found this relatively easy for an Izetti, and if it hadn’t been for getting in a twist over PARODISTS, I would have finished in under 10 minutes. As it was, it took another minute or so to see that it was an anagram and not a sound-alike! All the same, I thought it was a very good clue. I also liked MAKING TRACKS and SWEET PEAS. I knew GAMINE as a French word, but thought it just meant youthful – I wasn’t aware of the mischievous element, and certainly didn’t know the US version.
    FOI Motor
    LOI Parodists
    COD Shepherds pie
    Thanks Izetti and Chris
  5. Mostly straightforward but had to lake a leap of faith with the last 2 PARODISTS and GAMINE. Mightily relieved to see all green on pressing the button.
  6. For an Izetti this was a gentle puzzle
    Gamine makes sense if you look at the clue imho
  7. …of 7’29” – perhaps I should make more of a habit of a late-in-the-day quickie.

    Really enjoyed the puzzle throughout.

    Dragged GAMINE from the recesses of memory, not a word I’ve ever used. MAKING TRACKS my favourite today.

    Thanks setter n blogger

  8. Slowed by the GAMINE PARODISTS, but completely undone by those wretched CARMELITE monks. I had all but these three in a speedy (for me) 12 minutes, but eventually stopped my watch on 27:50 after bunging in CARMELINE. I suppose I should have thought of the elite as being chosen, but to my mind, while elite means the best or the top people, they haven’t been chosen. No doubt it is in the dictionary though. NHO GAMINE but the wordplay was clear and I missed the anagram for PARODISTS, which is also new on me. Scrolling down to Verlaine’s blog of the Club Monthly puzzle makes me realise that there are some things I am never going to achieve – only heard of PELVIC. Thanks Chris and Izetti.
    1. Language does always seem to have latitude – e.g. best/top/chosen. Also – rather than focus on the things we won’t achieve (and it applies to everyone), I try to revel in those things which we can do, and which can cause awe and wonder – appreciating a sunset, a choir singing, being faster than Kevin by a few seconds today (now that IS awe – well, it is for me!).
    2. I’ve just looked at Verlaine’s blog – after I’d made my previous comment, and, yes, I completely see what you mean. Huge respect to those that can from those who can’t. Special crosswords, ballet, classical music (well, any music), say – each to their own though!
  9. Struggled to get started but things began to click when I got a few of the down clues. Still very much in the SCC but there was a time when this would have defeated me, so progress!

    GaryA

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