Hi everybody. This felt a bit harder than usual for a Monday; it took me just under my average time for a midweek QC. It was fiddlier to write up than some too. You might expect 8a’s OUNCE to be my COD, and why resist being predictable? I’d expect most of you to pick something else: there are other simple but effective clues to choose from, and some intricate constructions to admire if that’s your thing. Thanks Teazel!
Parental Advisory: there are references to illness, injury and death, plus a gory kiss (even if it is just a PECK) so you may need courage, or NERVE, to tackle the puzzle. The fetish in 5a, however, is of the kind suitable for all.
Definitions are underlined in the clues below. In the explanations, most quoted indicators are in italics, specified [deletions] are in square brackets, and I’ve capitalised and emboldened letters which appear in the ANSWER. For clarity, I omit most link words and some juxtaposition indicators.
| Across | |
| 1a | Briefly, country squire in poverty (8) |
| INDIGENT — Without the last letter (briefly), INDIa (country) + GENT (squire) | |
| 5a | One party line becomes a fetish (4) |
| IDOL — I (one) + DO (party) + L (line) | |
| 8a | Large cat formerly seen round university (5) |
| OUNCE — ONCE (formerly) is found outside (seen round) U (university) | |
| 9a | Upsetting but rewarding service (7) |
| TIPPING — Two definitions: tilting or overturning, or giving a gratuity | |
| 11a | Spirited perhaps but anonymous author (5-6) |
| GHOST-WRITER — Cryptic definition, punning on “spirited”. I enjoyed this recent article by one such anonymous writer, although it is plugging a book | |
| 13a | Puts to rest every agreement? (6) |
| ALLAYS — The agreement here is AY (another spelling of AYE), so ALL AYS = every agreement | |
| 14a | Struggle to get girl back in city (6) |
| VIENNA — VIE (struggle) + ANN (girl) reversed (back) | |
| 17a | Furtive air at reorganised administrative department (11) |
| SECRETARIAT — SECRET (furtive) + AIR AT anagrammed (reorganised) | |
| 20a | So frog went and died (7) |
| CROAKED — Two meanings | |
| 21a | Courage is never wasted (5) |
| NERVE — This is an anagram of (… wasted) NEVER | |
| 22a | Potentially, online agent’s spot (4) |
| ESPY — An E–SPY could potentially mean an online secret agent | |
| 23a | Chap handin’ out instrument (8) |
| MANDOLIN — MAN (chap) + DOLIN’ (handin’ out) | |
| Down | |
| 1d | Press contributing to environment (4) |
| IRON — The answer is part of (contributing to) envIRONment | |
| 2d | County girl finished first (7) |
| DONEGAL — GAL (girl) with DONE (finished) first | |
| 3d | Film star’s good about bloody kiss (7,4) |
| GREGORY PECK — G (good) + RE (about) + GORY (bloody) + PECK (kiss) | |
| 4d | Write down music: number above gallery (6) |
| NOTATE — NO (number) above TATE (gallery) | |
| 6d | The meaning of a pile of snow (5) |
| DRIFT — Double definition | |
| 7d | Cricket ball that would land one in hospital (3,5) |
| LEG BREAK — Definition (as you would find in a dictionary) plus literal meaning (the kind of leg break thesps wish each other because “good luck” is supposed to be bad luck) | |
| 10d | Separated, note, catch up with one single daughter (11) |
| PARTITIONED — TI (note) and TRAP (catch) reversed (up) followed by I (one), ONE (single) and D (daughter) | |
| 12d | Lots of people lying over area of ground, after this? (8) |
| MASSACRE — MASS (lots of people) above (lying over) ACRE (area of ground), semi-&lit | |
| 15d | An ultra revolutionary is unaffected (7) |
| NATURAL — An anagram of (… revolutionary) AN ULTRA | |
| 16d | Beach artist is a woman (6) |
| SANDRA — SAND (beach) + RA (Royal Academician, artist) | |
| 18d | Childish affliction initially resolved in major success (5) |
| CROUP — The first letter of (initially) Resolved in COUP (major success) | |
| 19d | Control power of monarch in speech (4) |
| REIN — REIGN (power of monarch), sound-alike (in speech) | |
As above! I always find it comforting, when I’ve had a struggle and am feeling particularly dim-witted, to come here and find out that it wasn’t just me after all. I got totally breezeblocked on TIPPING and PARTITIONED, so went away, did a load of other things, and came back several hours later to pop them in in less than a minute. By contrast, the biggie fairly flew in!
No definite time, but edging towards the SCC.
FOI Idol LOI Partitioned COD Croaked
Thanks Teazel and Kitty
DNF defeated by Indigent (NHO). And slowed down by failure to spell Partitioned correctly
COD Mandolin
Am I the only one to find the clue for Massacre tasteless?
But otherwise great puzzle. Thanks Teazel and Kitty
I agree.
8.12
Another NEUTRAL but didn’t delay me too long
Thanks Kitty and Teazel
And there’s another week blown.
DNF in 31 mins. Put EXPO for ESPY. Please feel free to laugh at my ignorance here. I still don’t see what ‘potentially’ adds to the clue.
I have been doing these wretched puzzles for 3-and-a-half years and I am absolutely nowhere. I was lost from the start today. I missed so many basic indicators and just panicked. I get in such a stew that I am completely unable to read clues properly or work out what type of clue I’m looking at.
I am inept, incompetent and incapable. I have learned absolutely nothing and am just embarrassing myself with these dreadful performances. If anything, I am going backwards. How could I not get OUNCE, SANDRA or so many other easy clues straight away? Why does my brain go into meltdown the minute I start the QC? After so much time, these puzzles should be relatively simple and enjoyable for me. Instead, I find them hard and confidence-sapping. ☹️
Thanks for the blog.
This was WELLARD.
The Gentleman who I have been training gave up very early on. Hopefully beginners won’t be too discouraged. I have been doing these a while and this took me about an hour.
NHO the LEG BREAK in cricket, but I know all about it IRL.
COD IRON
Onwards and upwards . Wouldn’t be a puzzle if it wasn’t puzzling.