Don’t know that I can think of a better compiler name than Oink, especially since my 2 1/2 year old is working on a pig puzzle while I write this blog. I didn’t time myself because I am juggling the morning’s activities and am rather preoccupied. This was a nice puzzle I had to think about, though there wasn’t a lot of variety in the clues. Child 2 (of 2) is expected any day now — by the time I write the next blog, I imagine I’ll have another son.
Across
1 | Coped with ice somehow that was attached to hose (8) |
CODPIECE – COPED (“coped”) + (“with”) ICE (“ice”) anagrammed (“somehow”) I was startled by my first interpretation of ‘hose’, before realizing that it just meant ‘bottom-half clothing’, as in ‘hosiery’. Hands up if your mind went to the dirty place. |
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5 | I don’t know / way through mountains (4) |
PASS – double definition, the first in quotation marks, for instance a response on a quiz show | |
9 | Warning from jobcentre lady when coming back (5) |
ALERT – letters inside (“from”) JOBCENTRE LADY (“jobcentre lady”) reversed (“when coming back”) | |
10 | Ugly sight I witnessed, you might say (7) |
EYESORE – I SAW (“I witnessed”) sounds like the answer (“you might say”) | |
11 | Stomach beginning to tighten? I’m not sure (3) |
TUM – first letter of (“beginning to”) TIGHTEN (“tighten”) + UM (“I’m not sure”) | |
12 | Rebuild ancestral city in the north (9) |
LANCASTER – anagram (“rebuild”) ANCESTRAL (“ancestral”) | |
13 | Shrink back in fear on meeting snake (6) |
RECOIL – RE (“on”, as in ‘regarding’) + (“meeting”) COIL (“snake”, the verb) | |
15 | Pictures [of] retreating men obstructing US agents (6) |
CINEMA – reversal of (“retreating”) MEN (“men”) inside (“obstructing”) C.I.A. (“US agents”) | |
17 | Doctor home at ten, worn out (4-5) |
MOTH-EATEN – anagram (“doctor”) HOME AT TEN (“home at ten”) | |
19 | Criticise author after change of heart (3) |
PAN – PEN (“author”) with middle letter changed (“after change of heart”) | |
20 | A jar containing rice for the most part, [or] fruit (7) |
APRICOT – A (“a”) + POT (“jar”) around (“containing”) RICE (“rice”) without its last letter (“for the most part”) | |
21 | Dropout Charlie banned from fast-food joint (5) |
HIPPY – C (“Charlie”, in the phonetic alphabet) removed from (“banned from”) CHIPPY (“fast-food joint”) | |
22 | Estuaries regularly neglected? You bet (4) |
SURE – ESTUARIES (“estuaries”) removing every other letter (“regularly neglected”) | |
23 | Sat very still after lady of the night suggested marriage (8) |
PROPOSED – POSED (“sat very still”) after (“after”) PRO (“lady of the night”, ie a prostitute) |
Down
1 | Gossip about Panama producer? (7) |
CHATTER – C (“about”, as in ‘circa’) + HATTER (“Panama producer?”, Panama being a type of hat) | |
2 | Reverie [produced by] putting E in drop of Scotch? (5) |
DREAM – putting E in (“putting E in”) DRAM (“drop of Scotch?”) | |
3 | Fancy telling niece what MI6 is after! (12) |
INTELLIGENCE – anagram of (“fancy”) TELLING NIECE (“telling niece”) | |
4 | Uncle Andrew partly Polish, maybe (5) |
CLEAN – UNCLE ANDREW (“uncle Andrew”), reduced to some letters inside (“partly”) | |
6 | Advocate[’s] mail found in a pile, half missing (7) |
APOSTLE – POST (“mail”) inside (“found in”) A (“a”) + PILE (“pile”) without the first two letters (“half missing”) | |
7 | Vegetable sister’s eating? [It’s] a bit of broccoli (5) |
SPEAR – PEA (“vegetable”), SR is (“sister’s”) around (“eating”) | |
8 | Amorous affair [of] family member on QE2? (12) |
RELATIONSHIP – RELATION (“family member”) + (“on”) SHIP (“QE2”, Queen Elizabeth 2) | |
14 | Supplier of food [from] rocky terrace (7) |
CATERER – anagram of (“rocky”) TERRACE (“terrace”) | |
16 | Irritated butcher one November day (7) |
ANNOYED – anagram (“butcher”) ONE N. DAY (“one November day”) | |
17 | Money / matters (5) |
MEANS – double definition Someone can perhaps help me with the second definition. Near as I can tell, ‘matter’ means ‘mean something’, but not just ‘mean’. EDIT: Ah, perhaps it’s something like ‘What does it matter/mean to you?’. |
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18 | Teacher [of] Old Testament, stuck in rut, heading north (5) |
TUTOR – OT (“Old Testament”) inside (“stuck in”) RUT (“rut”), reversed (“heading north”) | |
19 | Diarist has a furtive look, they say (5) |
PEPYS – PEEPS (“has a furtive look”) sounds like the answer (“they say”) |
Today’s 15 x 15 can best be described as formidable; beginners be warned.
I did struggle with the Monday puzzle, took 36 minutes, slower than just about eveyone else.
8 and a half minutes for this, with a shout out to 15 across.
Nice blog Jeremy – very well explained for newer solvers! I also hesitated at 17dn, but luckily I didn’t have to worry about a blog so I biffed it in.
MER codpiece until reading the blog.
Last few were annoyed, cinema, and LOI apostle.
Liked proposed, but COD to (c)hippy as I’m looking forward to being able to frequent one when I fly back on Thursday morning.
Good luck with cost centre 2 Jeremy!
Edited at 2018-08-08 06:43 am (UTC)
A few missed today. I’ve Ben doing the QC for a couple of years and reckon 16d is a hard construction. The QC doesn’t usually have anagrists that need to be constructed like this.
Also PRO=prostitute doesn’t sit well. Plenty of other ways to clue PRO.
All the best with no. 2’s introduction to the world, Jeremy. You may find, after this, keeping a lockable codpiece handy is a good idea.
I liked chatter, cinema, apricot and apostle.
Disappointed to take almost 18 mins today. I started quickly but the LHS slowed me down, rather. John M
I did note a number of slightly risque (ooh er missus!) clues as I completed; hose (yes, I thought that too), amorous affairs, ladies of the night, but it was all innocent enough in retrospect.
Thanks Oink and Jeremy. Good luck with the new arrival when he arrives!
I enjoyed the crossword, for one still scrabbling round the foothills, I was pleased that I managed everything, apart from 17d, without help. I had to look for synonyms of “money” as I was as confused as others by the second definition.
Thanks to Oink and Jeremy and best wishes for the happy event.
PS: my favourite invented word – for forecasting the gender of a child – “sprognosis”.
Pleasant run-out.
PlayUpPompey
SR for ‘sister’ is a religious title, see also FR for ‘father’, etc.
I thought I was going to get stuck but each clue unravelled nicely. I also liked the Chippy and the Hippy. David
Thanks for the blog Jeremy and I hope everything goes smoothly.
On 17d Money matters = MEANS my thinking was as jeremy suggested: e.g. it means/matters a lot to me.
And on 7d SPEAR, the intended parsing is again as jeremy has it: SR (sister) containing PEA (vegetable).
My second outing in the Quick Cryptic slot. I suppose I might in time get used to the exalted company I’m keeping.
All good wishes
Oink
Onward and upwards!
Oink
Thanks