Times Quick Cryptic No 19 by Mara

Posted on Categories Quick Cryptic
Apologies for the lateness, I didn’t realise I was down for blogging duties today.

Time: 10 mins

A very friendly puzzle with some nice things to make me smile. I’m thinking this is someone who’s already had a Quickie and just changed their name, but I could be wrong.

Across
1 TROPIC – R (last letter in seminar) inside TOPIC (subject). Definition is parallel, as in geographical.
5 SHAMAN – SHAM (fake) + AN. Definition is ‘animatic priest’
8 UNDER THE TABLE – Double definition clue: a phrase meaning something is concealed or secret, and an expression meaning you have had a bit too much sauce.
10 SNOWDROP – Another double defintion, but this time the second half is a cryptic definition of the word needed. ‘Blooming thing’ indicates you are looking for a flower and it’s a cryptic way of describing an avalanche.
11 SKATER – Like the previous clue, a double definition with part cryptic (both have a question mark which is usually a way of suggesting something’s a bit odd). Someone who wears footwear that has blade on the base, and someone who slips around.
13 AGENDA – A hidden answer, indicated by ‘to take some’. …”fAG-END Away…” The definition is ‘plan’
15 STREAMER – R (right) inside STEAMER (vessel). Definition is ‘banner’.
17 PICK – Double defintion – a word that means a tool and to choose.
19 WHISTLE-BLOWER – Another double definition clue where one half is cryptic. The name for someone who informs authority secretly is a cryptic description of what a referee is/does.
21 ANTLER – An anagram (about) of LEARNT gives you the pointy part of a stag.
22 BREAST – Odd parts of ‘bird’ = B R and add to this one of the compass bearings to give the white meat of a chicken.

Down
2 RANDY – One of my favourite clues (along with 19 across). BRANDY (alcoholic drink) minus B (its head) gives a word meaning hot (in that sense!)
3 PRESENT – Double definition. A word for ‘the current time’ and also for something given as a gift.
4 CUT – Double definition: a small injury that draws blood and something reduced in size, think Government.
5 STEGOSAUR – more commonly seen with a ‘US’ at the end the name of this dinosaur is an anagram (to destroy) of GOATS SURE.
6 AWARD – A + the name of an electoral district within a borough leads you to a type of prize.
7 ALL GOOD TOLD – This was my last one solved, and I’m not 100% on this one. Think it’s an all-in-one clue where the whole thing is the definition. It’s an expression that is now used quite a lot when everything is complete or there’s nothing to add. Amended answer
10 SCRAMBLER – This is a type of motorboike that’s also a cryptic of way of describing something that mixes things up. Again, a question mark includes this definition is a bit quirky.
12 KITCHEN – Another nice clue with a good surface reading; a fine example of an all-in-one clue. An anagram (stews) of THICKEN is where you could carry this out!
14 EXPLODE – EX- (old, former) + PLOD (tramp) + E (heading for Edinburgh). The definition is set off, as in a bomb.
16 EASEL – EASE (comfort) + L (second letter of ‘blanket’), the remainder is your definition.
18 CHESS – Double definition. The name of a musical (think One Night in Bangkok) is also the game featured in the musical.
20 BOB – A lovely one to finish today. A word meaning to float, that’s also a palindrome.

Thanks to our setter for an enjoyable solve. Mind you, I enjoyed the 15×15 as well today!

Think I’ve edited the typos! Sorry!

14 comments on “Times Quick Cryptic No 19 by Mara”

  1. Another good puzzle. SHAMAN was unknown to me and after thinking for quite few minutes put it in on the wordplay.

    For 7 down I had ALL TOLD.

    Favourite KITCHEN

  2. Nice blog Macavity! A few typos, but you were obviously trying to get it done at high speed.
    20mins today – fastest yet and less Z8 input than yesterday. I did reduce him to giggles when I was trying to complete 19ac -h-s-l-/b-o-e- and came up with ‘ghastly blokes’ which might be said to fit at a far stretch..
    10ac was my COD. 8ac and 7dn were last in & had most Z8b8d8kery.

    P.S. Z8 & I agree on ALL TOLD not ‘all good’ as the latter doesn’t really fit the wordplay.

    Edited at 2014-04-03 02:45 pm (UTC)

    1. Thanks – you are both right guys!

      More haste, less speed. I thought I’d placed a holding message while I went off to hospital, but that went to my (dormant) LJ Blog!

      D’oh!

  3. 15 minutes. On the slow side because nothing at the top of the puzzle leapt out at me on first reading so I started at the bottom and worked upwards. That always a litle more difficult I find. SHAMAN was my last in.
  4. 4 mins for another pleasant QC. For the second straight day 1ac was my LOI.
  5. 45 minutes in two goes. I got held up by the dinosaur, the motorbike and the priest. Also had ALL SAID (as in, all said and done) until the checkers put me right. KITCHEN and BOB were my picks.
  6. Initially picked the wrong drink at 2dn so had HANDY, but sorted out. Enjoyable solve.
  7. Hi – I’m new to this site (and to the joys of the Times crossword – always thought it too difficult after watching my grandfather complete it over breakfast every morning with little apparent effort)
    Many thanks to you all for helping a novice understand the delightfully warped thinking needed, and providing the encouragement to persist. After three weeks I am now managing to complete both puzzles on most days, though still using aids as I learn.

    Got confused with 1ac as I had TOT for 4dn – TO(R)T (injury reduced) giving a minor….which left ARMPIT as the only fill-in for 1ac, and failed to see how on earth that would parse:)

    1. Hi bermudadoc and welcome aboard. We may quibble amongst ourselves but we all know the buzz that comes from the completion of a well thought-out crossword.
      I don’t know whether the ‘doc’ is a give away but on the main cryptic site we have an A&E guy whose comments are always relevant and often disgusting!

      Edited at 2014-04-03 09:23 pm (UTC)

  8. Does anyone know what 9 across was? I thought it might be lyre but no idea why!

Comments are closed.