Today we have a Quick Crossword from the occasional setter Kenny, his second of the year. On the tricky side of average it took me 6:33 finishing with 4D, which was my COD, although I liked 8A and 21D too.
We know Kenny is one of our crossword editor’s pseudonyms and have come to expect a Nina. Can you spot today’s?
Thank-you Kenny! How did you all get on?
Fortnightly Weekend Quick Cryptic. This time it is Sawbill’s turn to provide the extra weekend entertainment. You can find the crossword (and news of a London get later this month) here. If anyone is interested in our previous offerings you can find an index to all 78 here.
Definitions underlined in bold italics , ( Abc )* indicating anagram of Abc, {deletions} and [] other indicators.
| Across | |
| 1 | Appellation created by President Lincoln in the fifties (5) |
| LABEL – ABE (President Lincoln) in L L (fifties). | |
| 4 | Poultry cage Edward brought on board (7) |
| COOPTED – COOP (Poultry cage) TED (Edward). | |
| 8 | Weapons treaty , shaky at best, close to completion (4,3) |
| TEST BAN – ( at best )* [shaky], [close to] completioN. | |
| 9 | Puts in order that requires instant mug shot first of all (5) |
| TRIMS – Initial letters of That Requires Instant Mug Shot, [first of all]. | |
| 10 | Fix a fizzy drink: DA gets a cocktail (4,6) |
| PINA COLADA – PIN (fix) A COLA (fizzy drink) DA | |
| 14 | Men’s publication from convict — about a Deutschmark (3,3) |
| LAD MAG – LAG (convict) about A DM (Deutschmark) | |
| 15 | Messenger detained hugging artist (6) |
| HERALD – HELD (detained) about, [hugging], RA (artist). | |
| 17 | Verbals duo exchanged in the streets of Paris ? (10) |
| BOULEVARDS – ( verbals duo )* [exchanged]. | |
| 20 | Encountered Oscar repeatedly making movement (2,3) |
| ME TOO – MET (encountered) O O (Oscar in the NATO phonetic alphabet) [repeatedly]. | |
| 22 | Yours truly has a cosy place, most humble (7) |
| MEANEST – ME (yours truly) A NEST (cosy place). | |
| 23 | Our land is ploughed as a small lump appears (7) |
| NODULAR – ( our land is )* [ploughed]. | |
| 24 | Born, then days and years in poverty (5) |
| NEEDY – NEE (born) D (days) Y (years). | |
| Down | |
| 1 | Two notes that follow so delayed (4) |
| LATE – LA a note to follow SO, TE a drink with jam and bread. | |
| 2 | Optimal to live above street (4) |
| BEST – BE (live) ST (street). Above as this is a down clue. | |
| 3 | Oil that’s but a relic, sadly (9) |
| LUBRICATE – ( but a relic )* [sadly]. | |
| 4 | Racket smashing causes talk (6) |
| CONFAB – CON (racket) FAB (fabulous; smashing). Nice surface. | |
| 5 | Grass where go-carts oddly going missing (3) |
| OAT – Every other letter of gO-cArTs [oddly going missing]. | |
| 6 | Sailor crossing border on an unusually shaped boa t (8) |
| TRIMARAN – TAR (sailor) [crossing] RIM (border), AN. | |
| 7 | Breaks up gangs descended on by CID officers (8) |
| DISBANDS – DIS (Detective Inspectors; CID officers) BANDS (gangs). | |
| 11 | In the red pullover draw Nicholas, but not fully (9) |
| OVERDRAWN – Hidden in pullOVER DRAW Nicholas [not fully] | |
| 12 | A workshop in the morning with a North American (8) |
| ALABAMAN – A LAB (workshop) AM (in the morning) A N (North). | |
| 13 | Unusual jade stud, fixed as required (8) |
| ADJUSTED – ( jade stud )* [unusual]. | |
| 16 | A maker of horror films needing someone to overact? (6) |
| HAMMER – Double definition, the second a cryptic hint. | |
| 18 | Hesitation when opening man’s present (4) |
| HERE – ER (hesitation) in, [opening], HE (man). | |
| 19 | Hang around small Scottish river (4) |
| STAY – S (small) TAY (Scottish river). | |
| 21 | Duck with large hooter (3) |
| OWL – O (0; duck in cricket) W (with) L (large). | |
No idea if anyone will see this… I’m always a few days behind.
The note in the sol-fa scale is TI, isn’t it, not TE?! So 1D doesn’t work. Or am I missing something?
Good point. But it is an alternative spelling… Collins Dictionary Entry
Thank you! I didn’t come across that anywhere.