Times Quick Cryptic 3016 by Pipsqueak

Author   jackktPosted on Categories Quick Cryptic

 

Solving time: 8 minutes

Straightforward for me, but how did you do? [Edit: 08:14: Early comments below suggest this was harder than I had estimated].

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 Check carton isn’t damaged (10)
CONSTRAINT
Anagram [damaged] of CARTON ISN’T
8 Act as a prisoner’s guiding light (6)
BEACON
BE A (act as a), CON (prisoner)
9 Boy at back tackling advanced piece of music (6)
SONATA
SON (boy) + AT reversed [back] containing [tackling] A (advanced, as in A-level exams)
10 Shock fans from the east (4)
STUN
NUTS (fans – buffs) reversed [from the east]
11 Challenge Charlie about appearance (8)
CONFRONT
C (Charlie – NATO alphabet), ON (about), FRONT (appearance)
12 Not all change is hard for hostess (6)
GEISHA
Hidden in [not all] {chan}GE IS HA{rd}
14 Quarrelling when around Fleet Street barber? (2,4)
AT ODDS
AS (when) containing  [around] TODD (Fleet Street barber – Sweeney Todd)
16 Seek Nero out for something to fan the flames? (8)
KEROSENE
Anagram [out] of SEEK NERO. The definition is figurative.
18 Betray group of agents to dictator (4)
SELL
Aural wordplay [to dictator]: SELL / “cell” (group of agents)
20 Decide on  pay (6)
SETTLE
Two meanings
21 Sally regularly holds cup in self-satisfied way (6)
SMUGLY
S{a}L{l}Y [regularly] contains [holds] MUG (cup)
22 Voice telling you what’s wrong with Conservative discipline (10)
CONSCIENCE
CON (Conservative), SCIENCE (discipline)
Down
2 Finished on time, that’s obvious (5)
OVERT
OVER (finished), T (time)
3 Little time for another helping (7)
SECONDS
Two meanings. The second one usually refers to food.
4 Fled wet weather, leaving island (3)
RAN
RA{i}N (wet weather) [leaving island]
5 Sienna set terribly unfeeling (9)
INSENSATE
Anagram [terribly] of SIENNA SET
6 Singer given £10 note, I hear (5)
TENOR
Aural wordplay [I hear]: TENOR / “tenner” (£10 note). Chestnut alert!
7 High as a kite, as Olive might be (6)
STONED
I had this as two definitions but the capital O makes the second one a cryptic hint.
11 Lizard messing up clean home (9)
CHAMELEON
Anagram [messing up] CLEAN HOME
13 Team still holding the French (6)
ELEVEN
EVEN (still) containing [holding] LE (‘the’ in French)
15 Old boy’s remedy is little known (7)
OBSCURE
OB’S (old boy’s), CURE (remedy)
17 Booze supplier contributing to giftshop tickets (5)
OPTIC
Hidden in [contributing to] {giftsh}OP TIC{kets}. This is a device used in bars for dispensing precise measures of bottled spirits etc.
19 Call up about one’s flowering plant (5)
LILAC
CALL reversed [up] containing [about] I (one)
21 So fed up, having lost £1000 (3)
SIC
SIC{k} (fed up) [having lost £1000 – K]. From the Latin.

66 comments on “Times Quick Cryptic 3016 by Pipsqueak”

  1. CONSCIENCE and CONSTRAINT took a while otherwise no particular problems. Liked SIC and STONED. Very nice puzzle. Many thanks Jack and Pipsqueak.

  2. I have just given myself a hard kick because I missed LILAC. One of the most evocative scents of spring reminding me of many childhood walks as everyone seemed to have a lilac bush in those days – I planted a new one last year.
    Thanks jacket and pipsqueak

  5. Strange. There are only 64 comments, but they’re divided into “Older” and “Newer” pages.

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