9 minutes. My times for the last 4 puzzles suggest the level of QC difficulty has eased a little after a couple of weeks of more challenging offerings. 1ac was a bit tricky and there were another couple of unknown bits of wordplay but the cluing was mostly generous and quite straightforward.
As usual definitions are underlined in bold italics, {deletions and substitutions are in curly brackets} and [anagrinds, containment, reversal and other indicators in square ones]. “Aural wordplay” is in quotation marks. I usually omit all reference to juxtaposition indicators unless there is a specific point that requires clarification.
 Across |
|
| 1 | Language includes Hindu mantra for DIY drink (4-4) |
| HOME-BREW | |
| HEBREW (language) contains [includes] OM (Hindu mantra). Unknown to me but in Hinduism and Tibetan Buddhism ‘om’is used as a mantra or auspicious formula at the beginning of prayers etc. | |
| 5 | Nick and Jack facing trouble (4) |
| JAIL | |
| J (Jack – cards), AIL (trouble) | |
| 8 | Japanese food, some makes us hiccup (5) |
| SUSHI | |
| Hidden in [some] {make}S US HI{ccup} | |
| 9 | Agent with fine material for substitute (7) |
| REPLACE | |
| REP (agent), LACE (fine material) | |
| 11 | Young lady ignoring large fool (3) |
| ASS | |
| {l}ASS (young lady) [ignoring large] | |
| 12 | Modify and enrich obstacle (9) |
| HINDRANCE | |
| Anagram [modify] AND ENRICH | |
| 13 | Reveal former model (6) |
| EXPOSE | |
| EX (former), POSE (model) | |
| 15 | Ceramicist to tinker about unhurriedly (6) |
| POTTER | |
| Two meanings | |
| 18 | Alienated teens drag racing (9) |
| ESTRANGED | |
| Anagram [racing] of TEENS DRAG. The anagram indicator is not listed by Chambers but in the sense of running about it seems fair enough to me. | |
| 19 | Manage to lose tail — police officer (3) |
| COP | |
| COP{e} (manage) [to lose tail] | |
| 20 | Burglary falling apart, mostly (5-2) |
| BREAK-IN | |
| BREAKIN{g} (falling apart) [mostly] | |
| 21 | Advertisement about conflict medal, say (5) |
| AWARD | |
| AD (advertisement) containing [about] WAR (conflict) | |
| 22 | Split monthly expense, perhaps (4) |
| RENT | |
| Two meanings | |
| 23 | New army leak is nonsense (8) |
| MALARKEY | |
| Anagram [new] of ARMY LEAK. The earliest known use of ‘malarkey’ dates back to 1920s USA. The origin is unknown but there’s thought to be an Irish connection. |
|
| Down |
|
| 1 | She-goat, unfortunately, is captive (7) |
| HOSTAGE | |
| Anagram [unfortunately] of SHE GOAT | |
| 2 | Prophet dances wildly after leaving hospital (5) |
| MOSES | |
| MOS{h}ES (dances wildly) [after leaving hospital]. Unknown to me, but ‘moshing’ is dancing to rock music in a violent manner involving jumping up and down and deliberately colliding with other dancers. | |
| 3 | Genius celeb finally remedies green area (6,5) |
| BRIGHT SPARK | |
| {cele}B [finally], RIGHTS (remedies), PARK (green area) | |
| 4 | Task is blunder also (6) |
| ERRAND | |
| ERR (blunder), AND (also) | |
| 6 | Opposed to cooker in street (7) |
| AGAINST | |
| AGA (cooker), IN, ST (street) | |
| 7 | Feudal lord’s city in Belgium (5) |
| LIEGE | |
| Two meanings | |
| 10 | Madrid opera arranged historical show (6,5) |
| PERIOD DRAMA | |
| Anagram [arranged] of MADRID OPERA | |
| 14 | Design spiel before start of negotiations (7) |
| PATTERN | |
| PATTER (spiel), N{egotiations} [start of…] | |
| 16 | Quickly knock for no particular reason (7) |
| RAPIDLY | |
| RAP (knock), IDLY (for no particular reason) | |
| 17 | Revolutionary part of download negated programme (6) |
| AGENDA | |
| Reversed [revolutionary] and hidden in [part of] {downlo}AD NEGA{ted} | |
| 18 | Piece of burning coal used for three months (5) |
| EMBER | |
| In support of the main definition (by example) we have a cryptic hint with reference to {Sept}EMBER, {Nov}EMBER and {Dec}EMBER (three months) | |
| 19 | Solve crosswords — right answers create knowledge primarily (5) |
| CRACK | |
| C{rosswords} + R{ight} + A{nswers} + C{reate} + K{nowledge} [primarily] | |
A nice friendly way to start the week.
I have a somewhat erratic process to solving – on paper I usually try a few acrosses first, but if they don’t appear, I’ll move to the downs. Other times I veer towards the quadrant method – it’s all a bit random (sorry SRC)! But if I’m doing it online, I tend to just go in order because it’s not possible to scan the grid in the same way. I’m not sure either makes much difference!
Anyway, lots of fun today and congratulations to everyone who has done so well 🎉👏🏆
7:48 FOI Sushi LOI Rent COD Period drama
Thanks Trelawney and Jack
Took me 70 minutes to get today’s done. Looking at the snitch I seem to struggle with the easier ones more! Thank you for explaining the clues, especially 1A and 2D, which I only got from the checking letters.
When I started out my times didn’t seem to have a lot to do with what others experienced. There was so much I didn’t know that “easy” clues were just as hard as “hard” ones. This is happening to me now as I occasionally attempt the 15×15.
Totally agree with Steel City – when more experienced players are reporting a toughie and coming in between 5-15mins, I’ve managed just over 20mins (a good day for me).
But when they’ve reported an easier QC coming in at 4-12mins, I’ve had a 53min attempt.
For me the important thing is you’re not giving up and eventually getting the solve – well done for that!
Keep plugging away, as reported above, I often used to take over an hour three years ago. In fact, the Trelawney puzzle of March 2022 took me 1hr20 to complete.
As good as the Quitch is, I’ve always felt it’s not very representative of difficulty for people just getting into cryptics. Even now when I occasionally do the 15×15, I find myself in the same boat – last Monday’s SNITCHed at 64, I had to give up at 45 with four left because I just didn’t the advanced solving knowledge which is second nature to the better solvers.
Thank you all for the kind comments. I seem to be learning new words, abbreviations, symbols for everything! It’s a lot of fun, and always wanted to get into doing them since watching the Inside No 9 episode centered around them.
D’oh – everything went in in what for me is a very quick time of 14:24 – only to discover I cannot spell “hindrance” (I put an “e” for the “a”, for those interested)!
This would obviously be much more embarrassing if the clue gave me all the relevant letters required….
Many thanks Trelawney.
I found this easier than some recent ones, finishing in 12:02, a relatively fast time for me. CRACK was too cute! The well-bred young lady at 11a and dancing MOSES were my favorites.
Thanks to Trelawney and jackkt.
6:11, knocking 48 seconds off my previous PB! Might I one day manage a sub-five-minute finish? Probably not, but I’m pleased to still be improving and sub-six seems plausibly within reach on a good Trelawney day.
Thank you for the blog!
Edit: I see that aphis99 (Andy Fisher, whom Cracking the Cryptic assures me is a real person) finished this one in 92 seconds, which is about 3.54 seconds per clue. That’s just mind-blowing – I can only imagine that he just sees the answers immediately without bothering to have to think about them. Extraordinary.
14 mins…
Trelawney is probably one of the easy setters based on completion rate and times, and today was no exception helping me to bring down my much flagging average.
Had a chuckle at Moses in the “Mosh Pit” which made me think of Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure. Is there ever a Japanese food that isn’t “Sushi” in crossword land?
FOI – 7dn “Liege”
LOI – 3dn “Bright Spark”
COD – 18dn “Ember” – probably a chestnut, but still made me smile.
Thanks as usual!
I always look in open mouthed astonishment at the solving times achieved by the experts. Even if I knew all the answers & I was
just filling them in I doubt I could do it in such times. But I love the QC & look forward to it every day. I’m so cheered by LindsayO’s kind comment today. I’m not very competitive so I care very little about the “speedsters” but a kind & encouraging word does make me very happy in my 86th year & on my 63rd Wedding Anniversary. Thank you Lindsay.
Happy anniversary! and here’s a toast to a lot more happy solving.
Congratulations!
Many congratulations Anna! Here’s to you and your other half, and to more fun in Crosswordland 🥂
When Moses came down with the Commandments the first time he was quite upset by the revelry and homage to gold statues being displayed by his wayward followers. Was this wild dancing Moses put a stop to the first Moshpit?
I like it! See also Schoenberg’s opera Moses and Aaron, where that scene was for me the only listenable part. I think Schoenberg considered Stravinsky to be the devil.
I don’t know about that, but I do know which one is better remembered, and it’s not the one beginning Sch
Agree! More people now would consider Schoenberg the devil rather than Stravinsky.
5.45
No real delays though nowhere near a pb. Congrats to all who did get one.
I have never done all the acrosses and downs but instead work from the first one I get. Checkers make a huge difference to my being able to see/work out the answer.
I like to compare my times to folks I am often near, but I don’t really think of it as being competitive – more an indication of how tired the brain is feeling!
Don’t mind some of the trickier puzzles we’ve been having as they help me develop but need variety so this was a delight. A comparatively straightforward solve in approx 35 mins. Happy with that 😁
Grr! Just back from train from Edinburgh on which I thought to have finished it, but LOI rAIL (“facing” = liar reversed??), so out by one letter. Trouble = AIL, Jack = J, Nick = JAIL – all passed me by. Misery. NHO moshing.
Very enjoyable, perfectly pitched for a QC in my humble opinion.
Being fairly new to the Times QC I was rather pleased with myself to have completed the puzzle in less than an hour. However, for 5ac I put ‘fall’ thinking of Nick as Old Nick the devil and Jack of ‘Jack and Jill’ – both of them facing a fall… I’m still ‘work in progress’!
I like your lateral thinking!
11:02
Catching up on puzzles this week. Nice as usual from Trelawney.
COD among many ember.