Times Quick Cryptic 2171 by Breadman

Author   ChrisPosted on Categories Quick Cryptic

 

Taken over target to 11 minutes by Breadman today. Holes all over the grid needed filling in. LOI 7dn.

There’s an interesting intersection/crossing in the centre of the grid.

Definitions are underlined in bold italics.

Across
1 Suspect‘s name associated with signs of debt (7)
DUBIOUS – name (DUB), signs of debt (IOUS). The debt was obvious the ‘dub’ less so.
5 Around middle of town, salesperson reflected authority (5)
POWER – around t(OW)n, put salesperson (REP) backwards.
8 Man maybe hoping to include papa, touring archipelago? (6-7)
ISLAND-HOPPING – Man maybe (ISLAND – IOM which came up a little differently last week), hoping (HOPING) including papa (P).
9 Right to probe neckwear teacher wore experimentally (5,2)
TRIED ON – right (R) probing neckwear (TIE), teacher (DON).
10 See one on European river (5)
LOIRE – see (LO), one (I), on (RE).
11 Some cavort, executing whirling motion (6)
VORTEX – some of ca(VORT EX)ecuting.
13 Unknown scoundrel and newsman like raunchy film? (1-5)
X-RATED – unknown (X), scoundrel (RAT), newsman (ED).
15 Soapy foam husband removed subsequently (5)
LATER – soapy foam (LAT)h(ER) – husband (H) removed.
16 Helps when relative outwardly tires (7)
ASSISTS – when (AS), relative (SIS), (T)ire(S).
19 Learn about Lee, new scholarly prize-winner (5,8)
NOBEL LAUREATE – anagram (new) of LEARN ABOUT LEE.
20 Ogle looker perhaps at university (3,2)
EYE UP – looker (EYE the organ), at university (UP).
21 A French gentleman obtains high-class ointment (7)
UNGUENT – ‘a’ in French (UN), gentleman (GENT) about high-class (U). I think I’d have struggled to spell this without the parsing.
Down
1 Tendency of Democrat to crack (5)
DRIFT – Democrat (D), crack (RIFT).
2 Police raid damaged most of drug and sports equipment (8,5)
BILLIARD TABLE – Police (BILL), anagram (damaged) of RAID, most of drug (TABLE)t.
3 Possessed old women’s refuge to the north (5)
OWNED – old (O), women’s (W – possibly related to initials on ‘restrooms’ W/M – or, less lavatorial, as in WI), refuge – den – upwards (NED).
4 Offence outside public house by mysterious person (6)
SPHINX – offence (SIN) outside public house (PH), by (X – times by).
5 Well-liked surgery, regularly full, in standard environment (7)
POPULAR – surgery (OP – operation) and f(U)l(L) inside standard (PAR).
6 Forcibly mould creamy confection in fancy teashop (4,4,5)
WHIP INTO SHAPE – creamy confection (WHIP), in (IN), anagram (fancy) of TEASHOP.
7 Invasive plant a gardener withdraws firstly in tall grass (7)
RAGWEED – a (A), (G)ardener (W)ithdraws inside tall grass (REED).
11 Virginia sits on remarkably clean item of bedding (7)
VALANCE – Virginia (VA) on top of an anagram (remarkably) of CLEAN.
12 Organ loud — friend set up aural covering (7)
EARFLAP – organ (EAR), loud (F), friend – pal – upwards (LAP).
14 Times article on centre of Padua, an idyllic place (6)
XANADU – times (X), article (AN), P(ADU)a.
17 Expert during square-bashing disheartened military recruit (5)
SPROG – expert (PRO) inside (S)quare-bashin(G).
18 In street, sheltered from wind, rain and snow combined (5)
SLEET – inside street (ST) put sheltered from wind (LEE).

 

70 comments on “Times Quick Cryptic 2171 by Breadman”

  1. About 15 mins on phone.
    LOI unguent. Only know valence from chemistry/physics.

    Didn’t spot the 4x but the whip into shape/x rated stood out.
    Cod sleet.

  2. This was one of those surprising crosswords where the real and perceived times taken don’t quite match – unfortunately, it was in the negative today! I thought I’d been quicker than I was, so was a bit disappointed to discover that it took over 11 minutes.
    I did notice there were a few extra Xs today, but still didn’t notice the pattern in the middle 🙄 Some entertaining surfaces here today though.
    I’m always sure that SPHINX is spelt with a Y, so that slowed me down a bit as I couldn’t parse it, and I semi-biffed three of the long ones. Put me on the naughty chair too – even though I saw how the clue worked, I biffed VALENCE. Not My Best Day!
    FOI Power LOI Billiard table COD Island hopping
    Thanks to Breadman and Chris – onto the biggie now.

  4. Much better today, but still in the SCC (just). Wasn’t aware of that meaning of SPROG and took ages to get BILLIARD TABLE. I tend to agree that it’s not really sports equipment, but in Crosswordland definitions seem quite wide.

  5. Fairly quick over most of the puzzle but held up by 1a dubious and 14d xanadu. Forgot Times can mean X. Missed the nine as 4d a d 14d were the last ones in.

  6. Only a single answer in the top half after my first pass of the across clues. Had much better success in the bottom half and ended up solving from bottom to top. Finished in 16 minutes but didn’t fully parse a couple of the long answers. Noticed all the x’s but not that they were clustered in the centre, so that didn’t really help much. No problem with any of the GK.

    FOI – 5ac POWER
    LOI – 9ac TRIED ON
    COD – liked both 21ac UNGUENT and 4dn SPHINX

    Thanks to Breadman for an enjoyable puzzle and to Chris for unravelling those that I didn’t parse.

  7. SSC was shut by the time I arrived… Spotted the 4x but none the wiser on WHY?
    FOI 5a Power
    LOI 21a Unguent – just because I looked at it last
    COD 2d Billiard Table – despite a MER on sport v game.
    I always find Breadman tougher than most and today was no exception, but all fair. Useful Blog help with parsing where I was sufficiently sure, but not 100% there.

  8. I’m hoping for a QC one of these days, one suitable for newbies (or sprigs??)

  9. Tough by Breadman’s standards but hugely enjoyable. A lot of chestnuts that I am beginning to spot (and some that I am still missing).

    Great blog as ever.

  11. 30:13

    Slow work today, held up for some reason by ISLAND HOPPING and never did parse DUBIOUS.

  12. Another DNF. NE corner defeated me. NHO SPROG in this context, or RAGWEED at all. Can we please have a QC that is quick to do for us non experts after all these really hard ones?

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