Times Quick Cryptic No 288 by Hurley

Author   macavity123Posted on Categories Quick Cryptic
Hello everyone and thanks to the guest blogger for covering last week when I was flung off to hospital. I am still going each day and have written this one at silly o’clock!

Hurley is here today with a relatively straightforward puzzle that was plain sailing until my last three to go in (1 across, 3 down and 10 across) which took me almost as long as the remainder of the puzzle to work out.

Thanks to our setter for an enjoyable solve. See you next week!

Across
1 PYRAMID – We start with almost the toughest clue today. PYR(E) – pile of combustible material, trimmed, i.e. minus its last letter. Add to this AMID in centre of, and you get a type of old building.
5 STAND – Definition is tolerate. TAN (effect of sun) inside SD (South Dakota).
8 TALENT SPOTTER – The definition is “one seeking the best?”It’s an anagram (broadcast) of LET PROTESTANT.
9 OPEN AIR – Outdoors is the definition. O (old) + PEN (writer) + AIR (to broadcast).
10 SWEET – Course (as in a meal) is the definition. WE inside (must participate in) SET (prescribed).
11 RECESS – A break is the definition. Answer is hidden backwards (on, return, some….) in FINESSE CERTAINLY.
13 TREATY – Agreement is the definition. T R E (alternate letters of TARGET) + AT + y (beginning of year).
15 STAIR – Series of steps is the definition. STIR (excitement) around A (introduction, first letter of adventurous).
16 EASIEST – Trouble-free as much as possible is the definition. Hidden inside LIKE A SIESTA.
19 MATHEMATICIAN – Calculating type? is the cryptic definition. An anagram (playing) of CAN HAM IMITATE.
20 SURLY – Rude is the definition. SURELY (definitely) minus (lacking) E (first letter of elegance) (
21 LOTTERY – Means of raising money selling tickets is the definition. LOT (group) + TE (musical note) + RY (railway).

Down
1 PATIO – Paved area, perhaps is the definition. PA (Dad) + T (time) + IO (10).
2 ROLLER COASTER – One seen in amusement park is the definition. ROLL (list) + ER (hesitation) + CO (firm) + ASTER (flower).
3 MANIA – Great enthusiasm is the definition. MANILA (Asian capital) minus L (50).
4 DESERT – Double definiton – to abandon and a barren part of the world.
5 SPONSOR – Godparent is the definition. An anagram (scattering) of SNOOPERS minus E (not the first letter of expectedly).
6 AT THE SAME TIME – Simultaneously is the definition. An anagram (amazing) of MET AIM, SEE THAT.
7 DOROTHY – A bit complicated, this one. Girl is the definition. The last letter of DOOR (R) rises up the word and add THY (yours, as they used to say).
11 RESUMES – Starts again is the definition. PRESUMES (Takes for granted) minus P (power).
12 SURGERY – Dentist’s place is the definition. S (son) + URGER (one who presses you) + Y (first letter of YOU).
14 RECALL – Ability to remember things is the definition. RE (about) + CAL (California)+ L last letter, ultimately, of useful.
17 SKINT – No money is the definition. KIN (family) inside ST (street)
18 TUNNY – Fish is the definition. TUN (container) + NY (neatly, minus its inside letters, i.e. gutted).

10 comments on “Times Quick Cryptic No 288 by Hurley”

  1. I found this definitely on the tough, at least time-consuming, side. I think SURLY was my LOI, but I also needed time on 19ac, where I finally had to write down the anagrist. Fortunately, I learned SKINT a while back from a regular cryptic–it’s not a word in my dialect. COD to PYRAMID; I’d been thinking of ‘kindling’, which got me nowhere, then biffed and parsed almost simultaneously. 10′ even.
  2. A good puzzle. Held up by the top right with DOROTHY, SPONSOR, SWEET & TREATY my last 4. Liked the surface reading of TUNNY.

    Thanks to Macavity and Hurley.

  3. Finished in 30 mins a record for me, found it challenging and enjoyable. Lottery held me up
    Many thanks to the bloggers for the solutions a real help to beginners such as myself
  4. At 8 minutes my run of good Quickies continues which is just as well because the 15x15s are a disaster area for me at the moment.
  5. Just spent a very frustrating 30 minutes on this. I felt I should have completed it but managed it to mess it up.

    I missed the anagram in 8a, so ended up putting in ‘talent scouter’, which even to me didn’t sound quite right. I put ‘assumes’ in 11d and as a result couldn’t get 11a.

    I lobbed in Dorothy for 7d as it seemed to fit but it was completely unparsed so thanks for the clarification.

    A little more care and attention needed methinks!

  6. A nice steady solve around the hour mark for me, so about average difficulty. Having spotted the reverse hidden answer in 11ac 😊, I completely missed the more straightforward one in 16ac ☹ Such is life. Invariant
  7. 14 minutes so in my average time bracket. Enjoyable clues – notably COD 2dn – where the flower wasn’t a river.
  8. An enjoyable crossword which I managed to finish.
    Was held up by putting in Helter Skelter early and rather quickly for 2d which fitted pretty well. It had “keel” and “er” so seemed to fit initially.
  9. I had TINNY – TIN as the container, NY as above, and TINNY is an aluminium hull boat – from which you can fish presumably
    1. I initially went down the Tin + Ny route as well, but then changed to Tunny to pick up the fish connection. I admire your lateral re boats – perhaps the 15×15 would be a more tempting option? Invariant

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