Times Quick Cryptic No 1259 by Izetti

Author   JohninterredPosted on Categories Quick Cryptic

A typically testing but fair puzzle from Izetti today with admirable surfaces to the clues. A good mix of clue types, we have no less than 3 cryptic definitions and a couple of “rubbish” clues. (No I don’t mean the clues are bad!) I don’t recall anything holding me up too much and I finished in about an average time, but one or two are a little tricky, I think. Lots of candidates for Clue Of the Day, REBUSES for one made me laugh, but I pick SHIPOWNER for the slightly sneaky definition. Thanks Izetti! How did you all get on?


Definitions underlined in italics, (ABC)* indicating anagram of ABC, {} deletions and [] other indicators.

Across
1 One can tell how much wet weather we’ve had (4,5)
RAIN GAUGE – A cryptic definition to start with.
6 At front of entrance there’s a stone (5)
AGATE – Follow the instructions to put A at the fornt of GATE (entrance) to get the gemstone. “Its name comes from the Achetes River in Sicily, where Agates were first found. Usually banded in layers, or stripes, some varieties have “eye” markings, or specks of color, some have fossilized inclusions, and others are solid. Called the earth rainbow, the concentric bands of Agate form in nearly every color the earth can produce, including a colorless form.”
8 Support for library users? (9)
BOOKSHELF – Another cryptic definition.
9 Former province featured in European journal (5)
ANJOU – Hidden in EuropeAN JOUrnal, this historical province of France “straddled the lower Loire River. Its capital was Angers and it was roughly coextensive with the diocese of Angers.” Famour for its rosé wines.
10 Newish pro, unusual person possessing craft (9)
SHIPOWNER – (Newish pro)* [unusual].
12 The first sort of believer (6)
THEIST – THE 1ST.
13 Band’s initially sentimental rubbish (6)
STRIPE – [initially] S{entimental} TRIPE (rubbish).
16 Receive guests, showing delight (9)
ENTERTAIN – Double definition.
18 Ghastly game’s ending in mire (5)
GRIME – GRIM (ghastly) {gam}E [‘s ending]. Oddly this answer is also an anagram of mire and game’s starting.
19 Involved in libel, liar is intolerant (9)
ILLIBERAL – (libel liar)* [involved].
21 Number having influence removing leader (5)
EIGHT – Influence is {w}EIGHT. Remove the leading letter to get the number.
22 Guides a leader of Taoists visiting places of worship (9)
TEMPLATES – A and leader of T{aoists} inside TEMPLES (places of worship). A bit of lateral thinking needed here to see that the guide isn’t a person.

Down
1 Puzzles related to vehicles people have to wait for? (7)
REBUSES – RE (related to) BUSES (vehicles people have to wait for). Ho ho.
2 Like image presented by one company, not entirely pleasant (6)
ICONIC – I (one) CO (company) [not entirely] NIC{e} (pleasant).
3 Energy is zero after violent outburst (5)
GUSTO – GUST (violent outburst) with O (zero) after it.
4 Exercise introduced by famous educationist (3)
USE – Our second hidden word… in famoUS Educationalist.
5 Bobbly effect, Severn gushing (12)
EFFERVESCENT – (effect Severn)* [bobbly]. I’ve not seen “bobbly” as an anagrind before. Very inventive.
6 Number of people being operated on (12)
ANAESTHETIST – Our third cryptic definition. Not the same sort of “number” as 21A, but a person who numbs people.
7 Nasty second half of that Dec — Jan next (8)
ADJACENT – This is a little tricky… It’s an anagram [Nasty] of the [second half of] ({th}AT DEC JAN)*.
11 Half the folks next door have drunk gin, making beastly noise (8)
NEIGHING – Another word bisection… [Half] NEIGH{bours} (the folk next door) with (gin)* [drunk].
14 New singlet itches (7)
TINGLES – (singlet)*.
15 Imitator of what you expect — rubbish (6)
PARROT – PAR (what you expect) ROT (rubbish).
17 Nonconformist putting bishop into spin (5)
REBEL – Take REEL (spin) and put B (bishop) inside it.
20 Left in the morning, making quick escape (3)
LAM – L (left) AM (in the morning). As used in the phrase “On the lam” Oh look. It’s time I was out of here!

50 comments on “Times Quick Cryptic No 1259 by Izetti”

  1. I’m feeling a bit slow today – which part of the def is cryptic?

    Edited at 2019-01-04 02:03 am (UTC)

    1. I think that the cryptic element is that “one can tell” makes you think we’re talking about someone doing something whereas the answer is an inanimate object. Well that’s how I interpreted it, anyway. I always find cryptic definition clues slippery customers.
  2. 14 minutes with time lost at the end stuck on TEMPLATES, LAM, ENTERTAIN nd ANAESTHETIST. I don’t usually spend long thinking too much about parsing QCs unless I’m on blogging duty, so today I just read 5dn as anagram [gushing] of EFFECT SEVERN with the definition as ‘bobbly’ – clearly another Times misprint (for ‘bubbly’). I’d like to think I would have worked it out eventually if I’d been writing the blog!

    I never heard of LAM as ‘make a quick escape’, nor in anything other than the expression ‘on the lam’ which I thought referred the state of having escaped from custody rather than the actual process of doing so, or even playing hookey from school.

    Edited at 2019-01-04 02:13 am (UTC)

    1. Interesting. It never occurred to me that we might have a misprint, but I can see how replacing bobbly with bubbly works quite well.
  3. I was wondering about ‘bobbly’, but ready to accept it as an Anglicism I didn’t know; of course one reason I didn’t know it might be that it’s just a typo. ODE has LAM as a verb, but nothing about quickness; I’m sure I’ve seen it, although maybe in NY Times crosswords rather than 15x15s. RAIN GAUGE (Lou’s question is to the point) and BOOKSHELF struck me as weak. 6:19.
  4. I cannot understand 6 down. Could someone explain how that clue provides the answer. I agree than on the lam means on the run but it really could not have been anything else.

    Thanks

    Tim

      1. What is it? I can’t see how to work it out. Can’t see an anagram and anaesthetists do not operate.
          1. Sorry. I should have explained more explicitly in the blog. Amending it now.

            Edited at 2019-01-04 08:50 am (UTC)

  5. Slow going to day at 22:47, so surprised to see some fast times and very few incorrects on the leaderboard. NE went in fast, the SE a bit slower but the whole left side was a struggle. Kicked myself for not spotting 6d much sooner – “number in theatre” was a clue that defeated me very early in my crossword career and has been one of my all-time favourites. Bunged in ENTERTAIN because it fitted and match the first half of the clue, needed the blog to see what “showing” was doing. I think this is a fourth tough puzzle for 2019 – hope my brain finds its feet next week.

    Edited at 2019-01-04 06:50 am (UTC)

    1. Ditto. 30.07. Sub-10s well in the past. Hadn’t seen 6dn before but loved it when it finally clicked.
  6. 16:24 today with LOI USE as I just did not see the hidden and otherwise found it very difficult to parse.
    My New Year’s resolution must be Look for Hiddens if stuck. That’s the second time this year.
    I was wondering if too much bubbly had been consumed as, to my mind, 5d does not quite work. It did not hold me up for long.
    And I fell for the Number again but got there in the end. Good fun.
    David
  7. Wow! More like the usual tough Izetti offering (for me, at least). 29.09 so firmly in the SCC. My LTI were THEIST and ANAESTHETIST – both very neat. Good blog from johninterred. John M.
  8. I found this quite challenging but fair. Had seen number in context of putting to sleep before but it still took a long time for the penny to drop and it was my LOI. 20:10.
  9. A good challenge today. I was held up by the 6d and 6a junction and cross with myself that I did not spot the second meaning of number more quickly, having failed to spot it many times in the past and hence being on the lookout for it. I also failed to spot the hidden in 4d so thanks for the heads up. 25 mins in all so not too bad considering.
  10. 18 minutes for me today, obviously still a little anaesthetised after Hogmanay. I always enjoy the challenge of a puzzle from the Don, and today was no exception. PARROT was LOI for no other reason than it was the last one I looked at, but I also made it my CoD by a narrow margin. Thanks Izetti and John.
  11. ….and let’s all drink to less misprints ! The second this week – I hope we’re not turning into the Grauniad. I immediately treated “bobbly” as an error and wasn’t delayed by it.

    Didn’t know LAM in this sense, but it was obviously correct.

    FOI RAIN GAUGE
    LOI EIGHT
    COD ADJACENT
    TIME 5:14

  12. This one was tough. Over my target at a sluggish 12:47. Needed the blog for a few parsings. Missed the typo at 5d as I biffed it. Thanks to Izetti for the workout and John for the blog.

    Adrian

  14. Having had a slowish week, I had a bit of a heart sink moment when I saw that today’s setter was Izetti. His puzzles are always fair but nearly always too hard for me. Well blow me down with a feather! I don’t know why but I raced through this one! I ignored the difficulties of “bobbly”, knowing that the answer simply had to be an anagram of “effect Severn” and only “effervescent” came out of that. Loved 6 down – made me giggle. LOI was 13 across. I knew it had to be “stripe” or “strife” but it was a while before I saw the parsing and was able to complete. Thanks so much, blogger and setter for a super end to the week
  15. Enjoyed the play on number. First saw it as back number in the Torygraph years ago when the answer was epidural. have seen lam before but only in crosswords – never heard anyone actually use it.
  16. This one made me use as many brain cells as I could muster, before I clambered wearily into bed at 1:45am. I think I’ve had a delayed reaction to the festivities. I didn’t wake up until midday today! Anyway, ANAESTHETIST held out until the end and I managed to get inside my 10 minute target. I guessed bobbly might in fact mean bubbly, but there wasn’t really any doubt as to the answer. 9:12. Thanks Izetti and John.
  17. I really enjoy Izetti puzzles but I struggled with this one. I just couldn’t get 6d ANAESTHETIST (too clever for my numbed brain) and needed aids to cross the line….it was my LOI. With so many first letter checkers dependent on the solve the time reflects my struggles. 17:04 Thanks John for the blog.
  18. I thought I was in trouble with quite a few in the SW which had reached that ‘staring at for ages’ stage but one by one they fell. I wondered why I’d been slow, at a fraction under 12 minutes, so it’s heartening that others found this tricky too. Thanks everyone!
    1. Vinyl hinted earlier that you might have some connection to the profession. At least it wasn’t LOI!
  20. Re 5D… Am I the only one who didn’t think this was a misprint? Maybe our setter can enlighten us.
    1. I think this was sorted some time ago – check the early posts (starting with post number 3).
  21. Is not bobbly the anagrind and gushing the definition?
    Anyway, finished an Izetti! Took forever, but finished an Izetti! On the point of abandoning after taking about 20 minutes to put in five clues, but ground on (and on).
    1. Yes. That’s how I parsed it. I’m glad someone agrees!
      P.S. Congratulations on completing it.

      Edited at 2019-01-04 04:39 pm (UTC)

      1. It would be good if Izetti popped in to confirm what his original intention was. Unfortunately his most recent visit here was to advise that the editor had screwed up one of his clues (not quite how he phrased it, of course, being a gentleman) so he may not be keen to point another finger.

        Wanting to give the benefit of the doubt I had to trawl deep into the usual sources to find a definition of ‘bobbly’ that didn’t refer to unwanted balls of fabric and might therefore serve as an anagrind and I eventually found one in the ODO, but only under ‘bobble’: Move with a feeble or irregular bouncing motion.

        Edited at 2019-01-04 05:18 pm (UTC)

  22. RHS went in quickly enough, but took ages to get 6d, despite having seen the number/numb-er trick several times before. One of these days it will stick. I thought setters were only allowed one straight hidden? Having already had Anjou, I was very surprised to come across Use for 4d, though it was perhaps a marginally better fit than the famous Swedish educationist, Upe. Lam was today’s other tricky three letter word – it comes to something when the two shortest words in the puzzle give the most difficulty. 22ac, Templates, was CoD for me. Invariant

    Edited at 2019-01-04 05:22 pm (UTC)

    1. You are right that in the 15×15 you will never get more than 1 hidden, but we quite often get 2 in the QC.
      1. Yes, but isn’t one of them reversed when there are two? – these were both straight, which I don’t recall seeing before. No excuses, I should have seen it sooner, but just curious.
        1. I am fairly confident that I have blogged QCs with more than one straight hidden in the past. I don’t give too much credence to the perceived wisdom regarding the rules for setters. In the QC I think these are guidelines rather than strict rules.
  23. Frustrating to be defeated by a 3 letter word, 4d when we had 2 of the letters. Searched hard for an educationist (couldn’t be that famous) so finally looked for hidden word and there it was ‘uce’. Couldn’t pars it of course so now have new rule to check for TWO hidden words in a clue! Many thanks Izetti and blogger. L&I
  24. I made very heavy weather of this, after 10 minutes I’d only solved 5 clues and eventually completed it in 29.22. Like a few others I could have kicked myself when I finally got 6d. How many times do I have to see the same ‘trick’ before it sticks in my mind?
    As usual it was all fairly clued but I clearly had an off day, but I particularly enjoyed 11d.
    Thanks for the blog
  25. Surprised no one mentioned agate, dnk and wordplay unhelpful. Wcod.

    In Moscow now.

    1. You say unhelpful, I say tricksy. I rather liked that clue. Worthy of the 15×15, I think. In Moscow? Wow. We have a truly international community here. Say hello to our blog hosts and enjoy the vodka.

      Edited at 2019-01-04 08:32 pm (UTC)

      1. Im only holidaying at the in laws, back to uk tomorrow and back to work in the desert in a few days
  26. Not too keen on this one, finished in about 25, but I agree bobbly is a misprint, I cant see how you can possibly use bobbly as an Anagrind, there is no connotation of changing or mixing. Also according to my references gushing means sycophantic, over-enthusiastic, gauche, whereas bubbly is almost synonymous both literally and metaphorically, and gushing is a tolerable anagrind, gushing water is thoroughly mixed.
    Search as imight I cannot find any reference electronic or paper to lam as an escape quick or slow. Rainguage and bookshelf belong in the times2 quite apart from wondering if books are actually library users

    Edited at 2019-01-04 08:13 pm (UTC)

    1. My take on those cryptic clues you have highlighted as belonging in the times2 is that they are at the mild end of the spectrum of cryptic clues and thus an excellent introduction to the clue type. Just what the QC is for, and well done Izetti, I say!
    2. Collins has Lam (US/Canadian slang) as ‘a sudden flight or escape, especially to avoid arrest’ – new to me as well.
  27. Izetti. Could you please rule. I had spent an our in the opticians so read it bUbbly anyhow!
    Number was brilliant. Didn’t get it so DNF
    Thx to all. Johnny
  29. Couldn’t do any of the LHS – far too hard for me. Might as well have wasted two hours looking at the 15×15
    Nick
  30. Still didn’t understand ANAESTHETIST after I’d biffed it! Very nice though, guess it crops up from time to time?
    The cryptics were perfectly fine to my mind – towards the gentle end but tbh as a relative beginner I need them to be.
    All in all a enjoyable 20 (or so) minutes, thanks Izetti & thanks for the blog. Off to bed!

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