We have a delightful Quick Cryptic from Joker today to end the week’s series of good crosswords. We are treated to a triple definition (my Clue of the Day) a double anagram and four other clues that got approving ticks on my copy because they made me smile : 11A, 17A, 2D and 5D. Very neat. About average difficulty, if my time is anything to go by… but I’ve been wrong on that before! There are one or two trickier clues that might cause a bit of head-scratching for some, I think. How did everyone get on?
Fortnightly Weekend Quick Cryptic. This time it is Phil’s turn to provide the extra weekend entertainment. You can find the latest crossword here. Enjoy! And if anyone is interested in our previous offerings you can find an index to them here.
Definitions underlined in bold italics, (Abc)* indicating anagram of Abc, deletions and “” other indicators.
| Across | |
| 7 | Mostly give comfort to southeast Lancashire? (6) |
|
CHEESE – CHEE |
|
| 8 | Settled a selfish desire (6) |
| AGREED – A GREED (selfish desire) | |
| 9 | Restoration of wild rye after cover is ploughed up (8) |
| RECOVERY – (cover)* “ploughed up” (rye)* “wild”. A double anagram, | |
| 10 | Stick up letters in position (4) |
| POST – Triple definition! I do love these. | |
| 11 | What may contain beer — Courage, perhaps (6) |
| BOTTLE – Double definition with the delightful surface including “perhaps” to indicate the definition by example of Courage as a beer, not just a synonym for BOTTLE. Lovely! | |
| 13 | Stripped, going around grammes lighter (5) |
| BARGE – BARE (stripped) “going round” G (grammes). Lovely misdirection of the surface… the definition is lighter (noun) as opposed to the surface reading of lighter (adjective). | |
| 14 | Short letter rejecting new fiction (3) |
|
LIE – LI |
|
| 15 | Mouthwatering pie, with tons for papa (5) |
|
TASTY – |
|
| 17 | Provide with flexibility (6) |
| SUPPLY – Double definition. Very succinct. | |
| 19 | Walk at a leisurely pace, missing street turn (4) |
|
ROLL – |
|
| 20 | Pennant, perhaps right to be carried by older ship (8) |
| STREAMER – R (right) inside, “to be carried by” STEAMER (older ship). “Perhaps” again denoting a definition by example… other sorts of STREAMER are available. | |
| 22 | Container not motoring group’s to return (6) |
| CARTON – NOT RAC (motoring group) reversed, “to return” -> CARTON. | |
| 23 | Compelled to redo Verdi composition, finally (6) |
| DRIVEN – “redo” (Verdi)*, compositioN, “finally”. | |
| Down | |
| 1 | Small garden implement — what could be about a foot (4) |
| SHOE – S (small) HOE (garden implement). | |
| 2 | Concerned with a measure of potential rising (6) |
| REVOLT – RE (concerned with) VOLT (a measure of (electrical) potential). | |
| 3 | Extremely cut off cathedral city (8) |
| SEVERELY – SEVER (cut off) ELY (cathedral city). | |
| 4 | Song about Zulu that’s work-shy (4) |
| LAZY – LAY (song) “about” Z (Zulu in the NATO phonetic alphabet). | |
| 5 | Right argument in favour for each (6) |
| PROPER – PRO (argument in favour) PER (for each). | |
| 6 | Cockle maybe from south, all she’s flogged (8) |
| SEASHELL – S (South), (all she’s)* “flogged”. [Edit: See comment from eurcon below. Should this have said “from east”?] | |
| 12 | Voluntary mobile platoon capturing island (8) |
| OPTIONAL – “mobile” (platoon)* outside, “capturing”, I (island). | |
| 13 | Most excellent journey on horseback, with one leg on either side (8) |
| BESTRIDE – BEST (most excellent) RIDE (journey on horseback) | |
| 16 | Shawl auntie regularly used for greeting (6) |
| SALUTE – Alternate letters, “regularly used”, of ShAwL aUnTiE. | |
| 18 | Place tart in cool (6) |
| PLACID – PL (place) ACID (tart). | |
| 20 | Become submerged in floods in Kingston (4) |
| SINK – Hidden “in” floodS IN Kingston. | |
| 21 | Young eel abandoning lake at any time (4) |
|
EVER – E |
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