Times Quick Cryptic Crossword No 338 by Mara

Author   macavity123Posted on Categories Quick Cryptic
Solving time: Reasonably straightforward

A nice puzzle with clues to make you smile, the mark of a good puzzle, so that solving it doesn’t feel a chore.

I didn’t find anything too taxing, although the last Down clue made me think a little.

Thanks to our setter. Sorry about the gap in the middle. Am not posting from home so don’t have the basic template. Had to cope an old one which seems to reformat itself in Wordpad.

Across
1 SLIP-UP – We start with a reversal clue. The definition is a mistake. Reverse (rejection) of PUPILS (students).
5 PEDALO – A hidden answer. Hidden inside “moPED A LOvely” is a mode of travel.
8 SPINE-CHILLING – Scary is the definition. SCHILLING (old Austrian coin) around PINE (to waste away).
9 DELI – Another reversal. Shop is the definition. Reverse (turned over) of I LED (I ran)
10 CRACKPOT – Madman is the definition. Two slang words for drugs. CRACK + POT.
11 BALSAM – Oily substance is the definition. BALSA (wood) with M (male) at the end.
13 ERRAND – Chore is the definition. ERR (Go wrong) + AND (with).
15 MAHOGANY Wood is the definition. An anagram (shenanigans) of HOGMANAY
17 AIRY – When you see unusual words starting with apostrophes, as appears to be spoken by a Cockney, it’s usually a sign of a double definition where one of the answers is the definition starting with an H, which is removed. A word meaning light and delicate is the same as a word meaning hirsute, i.e. HAIRY but minus its first letter.
19 CONTRADICTION – The definition here is denial. CON (Tory) + an anagram (indicated by corrupt) of DICTATOR IN.
21 DEACON – Junior clergyman is the definition. CO (company) inside (welcomed by) DEAN (senior clergyman)
22 NORWAY – Country is the definition. R (first letter, capital of RUSSIAN) inside NO WAY (absolutely).

Down
2 LAPSE – Pass by is the definition. LAP (circuit) + SE (first and last letters, borders of SILVERSTONE).
3 PANTIES – Underwear is your definition) PAN (an eternal youth in Greek mythology) + TIES (fastens)
4 PIC – Image is the definition. A homophone (indicated by do you say)of PICK (choose).
5 PHILATELY – Collecting stamps is your definition. PHI (Greek character) + LATELY (in recent times).
6 DALEK – The definition is soulless thing. DALE (valley) + K (last letter, ultimately of DARK).
7 LINCOLN – A double definition. A shade of green is also the name of an American President
10 COME AGAIN – Another double definition with one part cryptic. A further invitation (to visit) also means something you would say if you couldn’t hear someone talking to you.
12 A LA MODE – Fashionable is the definition. ALAMO (Besieged religious outpost) + DE (first and last letters, outskirts of DELAWARE).
14 ROASTER A double definition. A word for a hot day is the same for a description of a chicken suitable for cooking.
16 OPTIC – A wordsum. Of the eye is the definition. OP (work) + TIC (minor spasm).
18 RIOJA – A type of wine is the definition. RIO (port) + JA (certainly, affirmative in German).
20 INN – We finish with a subtractive clue. Tavern is the definition. FINN (A european) minus its first letter (roofless).

12 comments on “Times Quick Cryptic Crossword No 338 by Mara”

  2. Fairly smooth sailing, although I put in 9ac from checkers and def, at the time not seeing how I ran= I led. Didn’t know that deacons were junior. It’s taken me several cryptics to learn about the Tardis and the Daleks, having never seen a ‘Dr Who’ episode (well, 17 seconds and that was quite enough). So I now know the Daleks are unpleasant; are they literally soulless? Liked 22ac. 4:45.
    1. Interesting question – so I had a look and now know more about daleks than I ever wanted to! In summary – they were built to destroy all life apart from Dalek life (so not the life and soul of the party then) and have a supplementary brain in order to keep them ‘pure’ (so the machine itself can be considered soulless) – on the other hand a creature of sorts is inside which may or not be soulful. On balance I think we can agree with the setter’s definition (and move on with our lives! 😊).
    2. The Daleks are not soulless as such (do aliens even have souls?). The Daleks were genetically engineered by their creator to have no emotion. I’m really not sure that’s the same thing.

      This must be the first time that several (at least 5) people have emailed me about a crossword clue. I was in Brussels attending a conference so couldn’t actually do the puzzle till just now. Very enjoyable anyway.

  4. Another good puzzle, on the easier side for me. Initially thought 19a was going to be contradictory but soon saw that did not work and got the right answer.

    Last in ERRAND with COD to COME AGAIN.

  5. A relatively straightforward and enjoyable puzzle done in one sitting. My LOI was 18d and went in unparsed. Particularly liked 12d, especially as I didn’t know until now that the Alamao was a religious outpost, I’d always assumed it was military.
  6. 11 minutes, so not quite a doddle for me, and once again time was lost trying several clues before an answer jumped out at me. I liked HOGMANAY/MAHOGANY which I don’t recall seeing before.

    Edited at 2015-06-25 09:24 am (UTC)

  7. Quite straightforward for me too – 5:36. 12d and 11a my last ones in. 22a my favourite.

    Edited at 2015-06-25 02:20 pm (UTC)

  8. Something of whiz through in 9 minutes for me. I agree – lots of pleasant clues – I’d go for 8ac as my COD for the way the answer developed – getting schilling then finding that it expanded around pine and ended up as scary.
  9. A minor point, I believe the “Pan” referred to in 3d is of the ‘Peter & Wendy’ variety rather than mythological, as from memory I do not recall any particular association of the God with eternal youth, other than the usual divine longevity. Enjoy the blog! A
  10. “Pan” (3d) I believe refers to Peter Pan, as the Pan of Greek mythology is a half-man/half-goat chap, who is the god of the woods and the flocks, and is not eternally young (or as young as Peter Pan at any rate)

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