Times Quick Cryptic No 2028 by Hurley

Author   rolytolyPosted on Categories Quick Cryptic
Two minutes at the end spent staring at 13d took me to 11 minutes, and there were a few trickier bits along the way after what initially seemed like a gentle enough puzzle. I had to write out the nicely ravelled anagram at 14ac; I suppose I didn’t have to spend a few seconds admiring the surface, but I did. 22ac was also nice and neat, and the homonym 24ac was oddly satisfying. Enough to like elsewhere as well, so very good fun – many thanks to Hurley!

Across
1 Labour leader welcomed by social class in eg Leeds (6)
CASTLE – L (Labour “leader”) welcomed by CASTE (social class)
4 Prominently publicise cut restricting parking (6)
SPLASH – SLASH (cut) restricting P(arking). I don’t recall seeing this as a verb.
8 Unusual garnets recollected (7)
STRANGE – anagram (recollected) of GARNETS. I doubt I was the only person to wonder what on earth arrangement of “garnets” could give a word for recollected.
10 Exhortation to continue at crease getting stick? (5)
BATON – or “bat on!” = exhortation to continue at crease. A timely clue! The problem is it’s not often a matter of choice… (although some shot selections can certainly give the opposite impression)
11 Orderly scene a teacher takes in (4)
NEAT – sceNE A Teacher “takes in”
12 Pie demolished with greed? It runs in the family! (8)
PEDIGREE – anagram (demolished) of PIE with GREED.
14 Untax beer? That could make you full of vitality! (9)
EXUBERANT – anagram (that could make you) of UNTAX BEER
18 Old Boy, by himself, note, unfashionable (8)
OBSOLETE – OB (Old Boy), SOLE (alone = by himself) TE (note: do re me, etc.)
20 Hire purchase securing a rookie’s first musical instrument (4)
HARP – HP (Hire Purchase) securing A R (Rookie’s “first“)
22 Give up supporting attempt (5)
FORGO – FOR (pro/supporting) GO (attempt)
23 English musical work cornered by fat cat (7)
LEOPARD – E(nglish) OP (musical work) cornered by LARD (fat)
24 Heard songbird in French city (6)
RENNES – heard the same as WREN (songbird)
25 Rage about heel, ultimately scheming type (6)
ANGLER – ANGER (rage) about L (heeL “ultimately”). A heel being an untrustworthy sort; an angler being a figurative fisher.

Down
1 Firm about an offence where bets are placed (6)
CASINO – CO. (firm) about A SIN (an offence)
2 It gives information about family certain to go round Vietnam briefly (7)
SURNAME – SURE (certain) to go round NAM (Vietnam briefly)
3 Policy of alliance oddly abandoned (4)
LINE – a L L I a N c E with odd letters abandoned
5 Host anti-monarchy guy abandoning Religious Education (8)
PUBLICAN – rePUBLICAN (anti-monarchy guy) abandoning RE (Religious Education)
6 Performer in plant ignoring outsiders (5)
ACTOR – fACTORy (plant) ignoring outside letters
7 One offered to help with the Spanish for composer (6)
HANDEL – HAND (one offered to help) with EL (the, Spanish)
9 Basic telex with edges missing occupying the mind (9)
ELEMENTAL – tELEx “with edges missing”, MENTAL (occupying the mind)
13 Using force, get rid of nonsense over female deer, reportedly (8)
BULLDOZE – BULL (nonsense) over a homonym (reportedly) of DOES (female deer). That dratted, er, “hidden” plural!
15 Track crossing Virginia, hard work (7)
TRAVAIL – TRAIL (track) crossing VA (Virginia)
16 Runner of errands accommodating learner — one on course? (6)
GOLFER – GOFER (runner of errands) accommodating L(earner). Ah, I see GOFER derives from “to go for”, which is rather obvious now I think about it – I just assumed it was something gopher related. And a gaffer is a contraction of godfather, while we’re vaguely on the subject.
17 Aid for snooker player as pride’s shattered (6)
SPIDER – anagram (shattered) of PRIDES
19 Alarm mechanism in premises I rented (5)
SIREN – “in” premeseS I RENted
21 Initially missed out, angry newbies complain (4)
MOAN – “initially) Missed Out, Angry Newbies

53 comments on “Times Quick Cryptic No 2028 by Hurley”

  1. Tough but interesting. FOI baton, fifteen on first pass, and then … is there a French city called Rennes, I wondered, and sure enough there was. Two others gave me more than pause for thought. On about the third read through with interruptions for soup-making and curtain-making I realised 1ac was Castle, and wondered if she ever led the Labour Party – will have to check. She certainly was A leader if not THE leader. LOI surname, knew it was sure around something, but was it to do with family or Vietnam? Didn’t think I’d see it, but my husband asked if Vietnam was ever known as Surinam, which of course it wasn’t, but his kite-flying cracked my mental block. Did not parse leopard or angler. Thanks, Rolytoly, and Hurley.
  2. Couldn’t recall RENNES but it fit once I’d figured out BULLDOZE. Just inside 20 minute target.
  3. Flew through most of this, getting the majority of the clues first time round, at which point I had about 12 minutes on the watch. The last five (BULLDOZE, FORGO, GOLFER, RENNES and SPLASH in that order) were somewhat harder work, but I finished in 21:46, which I see from the blog is reasonably respectable, and far more satisfactory than yesterday’s effort which saw a similarly flying start grind to a complete halt and an eventual DNF due to not knowing anything about New York Opera Houses. Anyway, COD to GOLFER, and my thanks to Hurley and Roly.
  5. Fun fun fun. Really enjoyed that one.

    FOI CASINO, LOI BULLDOZE (that sneaky plural …), COD GOLFER, time 12:44 for an estimated 2.1K and a Decent Day.

    Many thanks Hurley and Roly.

    Templar

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