Congratulations on a double century to Tracy and many thanks for all the entertainment you’ve given us.
The SE proved tricky to break down. I was taken over 10 minutes by 20ac, 15 and 17dn.
Definitions are underlined in bold italics.
| Across | |
| 1 | Icebergs, ultimately, repeatedly melt (6) |
| SOFTEN – iceberg(S), repeatedly (OFTEN). | |
| 4 | Jack, with mates at sea, discarded goods (6) |
| JETSAM – Jack (J), anagram (at sea) of MATES. | |
| 8 | Winning suitable post (7) |
| UPRIGHT – winning (UP), suitable (RIGHT). Football/rugby posts. | |
| 10 | Popular, a couple of lines taken together (2,3) |
| IN ALL – popular (IN), a (A), couple of lines (L L). | |
| 11 | Pick up her article within (4) |
| HEAR – her (HER) with article (A) inside. | |
| 12 | Sloppy fielders keep dropping Lancashire’s opener (8) |
| SLIPSHOD – fielders (SLIPS), keep (HO)l(D – without (L)ancashire. | |
| 14 | One yet to be adopted by the German company making spirits (9) |
| DISTILLER – one (I) and yet (STILL) inside ‘the’ in German (DER), | |
| 18 | With costume, time for equestrian event (8) |
| DRESSAGE – costume (DRESS), time (AGE). | |
| 20 | Employing last of googlies, spinner gets close (4) |
| STOP – googlie(S), spinner (TOP). | |
| 22 | Join military group heading for Edinburgh (5) |
| UNITE – military group (UNIT), (E)dinburgh. | |
| 23 | Exile unconscious in front of shed (7) |
| OUTCAST – unconscious (OUT), in front of shed (CAST). | |
| 24 | Deal with Italy, finally making pact (6) |
| TREATY – deal (TREAT), Ital(Y). | |
| 25 | Quite attractive (6) |
| PRETTY – double def. | |
| Down | |
| 1 | Looked for variety in conversation (6) |
| SOUGHT – homophone (in conversation) of variety=sort. | |
| 2 | Send on attacking player (7) |
| FORWARD – double definition. | |
| 3 | Club losing wickets, and advantage (4) |
| EDGE – club w(EDGE) losing wickets (W). | |
| 5 | Exploit unusually large survey of voters (4,4) |
| EXIT POLL – anagram (unusually) of EXPLOIT, large (L). | |
| 6 | Band grabbing time in store (5) |
| STASH – band (SASH) holding time (T). | |
| 7 | A boy enthralled by my affliction (6) |
| MALADY – a boy (A LAD) inside my (MY). | |
| 9 | Learner inside becoming keen on lecture (7-2) |
| TALKING-TO – learner (L) inside becoming keen on (TAKING TO). | |
| 13 | Easiest swimming round island, in my opinion (2,1,3,2) |
| AS I SEE IT – anagram (swimming) of EASIEST around island (I). | |
| 15 | Withdraw religious education pamphlet (7) |
| RETRACT – religious education (RE), pamphlet (TRACT). | |
| 16 | Modify top of dress during a fitting (6) |
| ADJUST – (D)ress inside a (A) and fitting (JUST). | |
| 17 | Lack of interest in a course beginning in York (6) |
| APATHY – a (A), course (PATH), (Y)ork. | |
| 19 | Best section of thoroughfare, lit extensively (5) |
| ELITE – part of thoroughfar(E LIT E)xtensively. | |
| 21 | Celebrity set off, last out (4) |
| STAR – set off (STAR)t minus the last letter. | |
Thanks to Tracy for his puzzles over the years- I found this tricky but enjoyed many clues- especially 12A, once I cottoned on it wasn’t slapdash!
I started quickly enough with JETSAM, IN ALL and SLIPSHOD, but then managed only one more (FORWARD) during my first pass through all of the clues. Several solutions (e.g. DRESSAGE) were on the tip of my tongue, but I just could not get them onto the page. Eventually, however, AS I SEE IT came to mind and it seemed to unblock my brain. All until my LOI (SOUGHT), that is. My alphabet trawl of S_U_H_ took 6-7 minutes – I’m always very slow at alphabet trawling, so I can’t really blame the heat. Total time = 32 minutes, so not bad in the end.
Very many thanks and congratulations to Tracy – one of my more approachable setters, and thanks also to Chris.
I sense a pattern developing! If I have a day when I get a sub-K, the following day will see at least a doubling in time 😅 So at 13 minutes it was pretty much 3K on the dot and a bit more than twice yesterday’s.
So yes, I found this quite tricky but decided to just enjoy the ride – after all I’m not going anywhere. The knee is much more bendy today but turning a spectacular colour.
I noticed quite a few cricket references today – I wonder whether Tracy is giving us a hint as to how he might spend some of his time now he’s freed up from compiling at least one crossword. SLIPSHOD was a great clue – the more I understand it, the better I realise it is, but there is one that just pipped the post for me.
FOI In all LOI and COD Adjust
Congrats on the 200, thanks and farewell to Tracy, and thanks – as ever – to Chris
DNF and won’t try again. Sick of wasting my time. Will stick to concise and futoshiki from now on. Many thanks to all the bloggers for your advice, but I have to admit defeat.
It depends if you enjoy it or not. If you do, stick at it.
Start a useful word list (although mine is 1359 rows on excel now so not much use, starts at a=per and ends with zealous apostle=simon).
Buy a book of previous QCs and then How to Master The Times Crossword by Tim Moorey.
Just accept you might need to cheat for a while, maybe seeing what part is the definition, or revealing a few answers to get going.
Study the blogs for the ones you didn’t get.
After a while it will click and become more automatic.
I still feel like a relative beginner on the 15×15.
If you can’t get going with these things, read and understand the first part of the blog for the across answers and write them in. Then have a go at doing the downs and see how far you get. With a fair wind, the combination of crossers and a feel for the setters style should then get you home.
What a shame, these puzzles and this site has given us much pleasure over the last few years. Another Ian.
Sorry to see you go Ian. I have felt the same feelings of emotional burnout on these at times but was lucky enough to start seeing an upswing in my success. That said, I looked at my first Cryptic circa 1990 and dabbled over the years. It was only last year I discovered the supposedly Quick Cryptic and committed to giving it a good shot.
The fire may come back for you and the blog will be here if so.
🙂
The blog WILL be here, whenever. As for ‘wasting time’, have you ever had to hang around for a train/bus/someone else shopping/anything? If so, keep a printed cryptic in your pocket (a bit like a mask but vs boredom rather than a disease). It’s not a waste of time if it fills your time. Does anything worthwhile need to be quick and easy to be enjoyable?
To each their own – futoshiki is above my pay grade.
Thanks Tracy. Once again the perfect QC for me. A 20 minute solve.
Never knew your real name till today. Perhaps you can pass on your nom de plume to someone whose name is two of Virgil Gordon John or Jeff.
Happy retirement on your island? J
Many thanks for your comments. Much appreciated.
Well done Tracy!
Beat me today though.
Failed on Upright and Sought as well as Stash (I put in Stock) – so didn’t get Slipshod, In All and Malady.
Oh well here’s to tomorrow for me and a well deserved rest for Allan Scott.
Thanks all
John
When I first started doing these crosswords (about 2 years ago) I thought Tracy’s puzzles were very approachable for a beginner. Then it all went a bit pear-shaped and I really fell out with him! Today’s puzzle was fine though and I managed to get through without resorting to any aids. 20 mins on the dot. Wasn’t sure about UPRIGHT but nothing else seemed to fit. Had TALKING UP for a while but then light dawned. Thanks Tracy. Enjoy your retirement.
Re: UPRIGHT – Tracy is one of those setters where I’m never particularly certain about some of the answers even when it’s the only possible set of letters that will fit. CAST=SHED, DEAL=TREAT being good examples for me today.
We were slow solving the nw corner, but as usual from Tracy a very pleasant puzzle. Enjoy your retirement.
An excellently crafted final puzzle. We will miss you, Tracy! I hope you have a long and busy retirement. Some real crackers in the clues had me starting in the SE and ending in the NW. Once I had seen my way to resolve 1a, then the others in the NW fell easily.
FOI 4a Jetsam.
LOI 3d Edge.
COD shared between 8a Upright and 16d Adjust.
Failed by three on the NW corner
Good luck Tracy and thanks for giving us the brain work outs
DNF
Had TELLING TO and MALEDY. Spelt it correctly at first but then stupidly thought ALED must be the boy. Never did get STASH.
I didn’t enjoy this at all. Never seemed to get going and although I only got one wrong (put telling to instead of talking to), I felt this puzzle was designed for someone with more skill than I possess. I need a few relatively easy write ins to get going and today there were very few. After a reasonably good period, I’m beginning to struggle again.
I savoured this crossword, knowing it to be the last from Tracy. Loved so many of today’s clues with their smooth surfaces, with SLIPSHOD, ADJUST and APATHY highlights for me. Thank you, Tracy, for so much entertainment over the years, and wishing you the very best.
Many thanks to Tracy for a consistent series of well crafted puzzles over the years, the final one being an excellent example, which incidentally encouraged me to feel that I am starting to see the Covid brain fog starting to recede!
I just want to say how sorry I am that Tracy is taking well-earned retirement. He was the setter whose Quick Cryptics I most looked forward to, because of the elegance and wit of so many of the clues. Thank you Mr Tracy, you were F.A.B.
Could someone please explain 1d = SOUGHT. A homophone apparently- what of?
Solved all others, no problem!
I’ve copied this from the blog above. If you’d like further clarification please let me know.
Looked for variety in conversation (6)
Looked for is the definition.
SOUGHT is the answer – a homophone (in conversation) of variety=sort.