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 |
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!
For 7 down I had ALL TOLD.
Favourite KITCHEN
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)
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!
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:)
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)