Solving time: 8 minutes
Just what a Quick Cryptic should be? I hope you will think so. I hardly dare suggest this was easy, but it gave me no problems and even when writing the blog I found very little to say beyond the basic parsing.
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 | Aid for speaker in traffic jam, reportedly? (7) |
| AUTOCUE | |
| Aural wordplay [reportedly]: “Auto queue” (traffic jam) | |
| 5 | Steal from European’s garment (4) |
| ROBE | |
| ROB (steal from), E (European) | |
| 7 | Twist back of shoulder in country (6) |
| SPRAIN | |
| {shoulde}R [back of…] contained by [in] SPAIN (country) | |
| 8 | After start of great advert, acquire device (6) |
| GADGET | |
| G{reat} [start of…], AD (advert), GET (acquire) | |
| 9 | Transform OK chap into a pirate (7,4) |
| CAPTAIN HOOK | |
| Anagram [transform] OK CHAP INTO A. The villain of the piece in Peter Pan. |
|
| 10 | Trainee — they’re regularly entering pub (6) |
| INTERN | |
| T{h}E{y}R{e} [regularly] contained by [entering] INN (pub) | |
| 12 | Watch horror film — it has its ups and downs (6) |
| SEESAW | |
| SEE (watch), SAW (horror film). A 21-year-old film with a cast of actors I’ve never even heard of. I assume it must be famous. The answer, SEE-SAW, was easy enough to work out but I’d have preferred a reference to Esau sitting on one! | |
| 14 | Photo of hairstyle is the final insult? (7,4) |
| PARTING SHOT | |
| PARTING SHOT (photo of hairstyle). I’m not sure a parting can be described as a hairstyle but it can be a feature in one. | |
| 17 | Shade one doing exercises (6) |
| INDIGO | |
| I (one), anagram [exercises] of DOING | |
| 18 | Charm a fish, half-heartedly (6) |
| AMULET | |
| A, MUL{l}ET (fish) [half-heartedly]. Now a mullet is a hairstyle! | |
| 20 | Relative’s piano missing final piece (4) |
| GRAN | |
| GRAN{d} (piano) [missing final piece] | |
| 21 | Cold drink is a deceit, unfortunately (4,3) |
| ICED TEA | |
| Anagram [unfortunately] of A DECEIT | |
| Down |
|
| 1 | Concert gear is a bit wet without lid (3) |
| AMP | |
| {d}AMP (a bit wet) [without lid]. Amplifier. | |
| 2 | Pair set off for walk, wearily (7) |
| TRAIPSE | |
| Anagram [off] of PAIR SET | |
| 3 | Prisoner picked up silver for dance (5) |
| CONGA | |
| CON (prisoner), then AG (silver) reversed [picked up] | |
| 4 | Some stolen gin especially for motors (7) |
| ENGINES | |
| Hidden in [some] {stol}EN GIN ES{pecially) | |
| 5 | Was transported on duck for Wild West show (5) |
| RODEO | |
| RODE (was transported on), 0 (duck – nil in cricket) | |
| 6 | Pause quickly for meal (9) |
| BREAKFAST | |
| BREAK (pause), FAST (quickly) | |
| 9 | Writer inside boat at first requires kitchen utensil (3,6) |
| CAN OPENER | |
| PEN (writer) contained by [inside] CANOE (boat), R{equires} [at first] | |
| 11 | Broken biro in a city in Africa (7) |
| NAIROBI | |
| Anagram [broken] of BIRO IN A | |
| 13 | Wear out part of car (7) |
| EXHAUST | |
| Two meanings | |
| 15 | Rule part of Tangiers from the south (5) |
| REIGN | |
| Hidden [part of] and reversed [from the south] in {Ta}NGIER{s} | |
| 16 | Shred part of a fireplace (5) |
| GRATE | |
| Two meanings | |
| 19 | Historical period initially eclipsing Roman age (3) |
| ERA | |
| E{clipsing} + R{oman} + A{ge} [intially] | |
Very good, genuine QC. Thank you, Trelawny.
This felt quick, so I checked my time, afterwards: 12min 21sec, with the final two minutes spent, getting AUTOCUE.
Thanks for the blog, Jack.
A record 13:40 and I’m pretty sure either my first or a very rare entry under 15 minutes. A really lovely crossword, I though – many thanks to the setter.
Well done Jonathan