Times Quick Cryptic 906 by Alconiere

Author   ChrisPosted on Categories Quick Cryptic
A lot of clever clues here which have been a pleasure to blog. I seemed to be taking quite a time completing the grid but the two long ones and the programming language went straight in and I took a fraction over 10 minutes in the end. COD to 2dn.

ACROSS

1. Sways – persuades. Deviou(S), means (WAYS).
4. Buzzard – bird. Sound of a bee (BUZZ), by a (A), road (RD).
8. Fortran – programming language. I knew of this back in the days of pencils, coding sheets and punched cards – I had no idea it was still going. Something secure (FORT), managed (RAN).
9. Plonk – double definition.
10. Ballpoint pen – writer. Dance (BALL), stage (at some POINT in proceedings), enclosure (PEN).
12. Doomed – condemned. Like a cathedral roof perhaps (DOMED) with nothing (O) inside.
13. Turnip – vegetable. Rotation (TURN), I (P)lanted.
16. Slipped discs – medical conditions. Furtively handed (SLIPPED), records (DISCS).
18. Order – double definition. If you refer to something of a particular order, you mean something of a particular kind. To order/request a drink.
20. Gerbera – plant. Loi. Mana(GER BERA)ted.
21. Flyover – motorway bridge. Insect (FLY), some cricket (OVER=a minimum of 6 bowls).
22. Dodge. Double definition.

DOWN

1. Sofa bed – item of furniture. Anagram (unusual) of DOES FAB.
2. April Fool’s Day is the first day of April (so when March is out/over) when people get duped.
3. Scrap heap – tip. After row (SCRAP), he (HE) needs a (A), quiet (P).
4. Bandit – outlaw. Not allowed we hear (BAND), it (IT).
5. Zip – double definition.
6. Above one’s head – impossible to comprehend. Anagram (replaced) of A BEE NOAH’S DOVE.
7. Duke – noble. Of in French (DUE) to accept our county (UK).
11. Thundered – loudly threatened. Displayed in wi(TH UNDERED)ucated.
14. Postage – a charge for sending. After (POST), a time (AGE).
15. Beggar – mendicant. To carry (BEAR) about a couple of gallons (GG).
17. Woof – animal noise. Court (WOO), fine (F).
19. Rev – double definition. Vicar=reverend, turn=revolution.

17 comments on “Times Quick Cryptic 906 by Alconiere”

  1. 10.04 to be precise but I was not particularly pressed.

    COD 2dn APRIL FOOL’S DAY with 16ac SLIPPED DISCS liked too!

    WOD 20ac GERBERA big orange-red daisies

    Edited at 2017-08-29 12:24 am (UTC)

  2. Very enjoyable 18 minutes, only held up by gerbera, postage and LOI dodge.

    Dnk gerbera.

    Had to think for the parsing of dodge = device, I presume as in a tax dodge/device. And kind = order also held me up.

    COD my clear winner is woof!

    1. SOED has this for ‘device’: An arrangement, a plan, a scheme; an (ingenious) expedient; a stratagem, a trick.

      It doesn’t actually mention ‘dodge’ but I think it’s clear that one could substitute ‘dodge’ for almost all of the above.

      I forgot to mention that this is only Alconiere’s 7th puzzle having set 2 in 2014, 1 in 2015, and 2 each in 2016 and 2017. If past form is anything to go by this is the last we shall hear from him (?) until 2018.

      1. Thanks Jack.
        Its strange there are some very good setters who don’t set very often.
  4. 12 minutes for all but the unknown computer language plus another 2 whilst I did an alphabet trawl to come up with an answer that fitted the wordplay. Might have got there sooner but for stopping to consider if FIRMRAN would fit the bill.

    Edited at 2017-08-29 04:28 am (UTC)

  5. Think DE is the bit of French. Really enjoy doing these now they’ve moved to the club site. Also getting used to doing everything on my ipad now my laptop has been barred. Takes twice as long but gives me time to read what I’ve written.
  6. Spotted that I’d put DISKS instead of DISCS just as I pressed the Submit button. Arrgghh! Otherwise 8:58 with GERBERA unknown. Nice puzzle with a bear trap, ‘cos computer disks have records too. Thanks Alconiere and Chris.
  7. Enjoyable puzzle today and not too difficult in my opinion.
    16 minutes to solve with unknown Gerbera LOI -but clearly gettable with all the checkers. Fortran is one of the few computer languages which I have come across (years ago).
    COD to 2d -looks like it will be a popular choice. A lot of other good clues as well. David
  8. Inside 11 for me, so at the easier end of the spectrum. Fortran was familiar to me from the old days, and SWAYS was my LOI for some unknown reason. I did worry about whether or not DISCS was spelt with a K or a C, but luckily, I plumped for the right one – it usually catches me out!
  9. Had scams instead of sways; otherwise fairly straight forward other than fortran which I knew not but tried firmrun. Joka
  10. I struggled with this one. The unknown plant at 20a held me up for a bit especially as I tried solving it as an anagram of manager for a bit. The other unknown was 8a where it took a long alphabet trawl before I tentatively wrote in the answer. Finally for some reason I drew a complete blank on 1a and had to come back several hours later before the penny dropped. But I got there in the end and was thoroughly entertained along the way. I would be very happy to see Alconiere more often.
  11. 7:48 here, unusually completed electronically rather than on paper, on a whim. FOI 1a, LOI, as with others, the unknown GERBERA (I do like a daisy, but I’m not great at remembering their names…) WOD PLONK.

    Thanks to setter & blogger.

  12. Agreed with the entertainment value. As a relative newcomer I found this an excellent mix of learnt skills, some easy offerings and good fun clues. 4a (buzzards) had me laughing as did 17d (woof). Sadly dnf due to 1a… I panic when I cannot get 1a and this was no exception! It doesn’t matter which sway I looked at it. Thanks all.
  13. Caught out by 20ac Gerbera, which is a bit embarrassing considering I spend hours in the garden. A bit too showy for the front lawn, and since I already had the 11d hidden, I ended up missing the obvious. For me, 16ac was CoD by a country mile. Invariant

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