Times Quick Cryptic No 29 by Myles

Hello everyone.

Time: 14 minutes

Another enjoyable solve today. I probably took a little longer than I should have done. Nicely written clues with a couple of genuinely classy ones, for example 3 and 5 down.

Across
1 HARD SHOULDER – As I have previously mentioned, a question mark in a clue usually means that you have to do a little thinking outside the box, and that’s the case here. If you take responsibility for something in a forceful manner you could cryptically be said to do this Forceful = HARD and this is added to SHOULDER – to take responsibility , put together it’s an expression for an emergency parking area by the side of a road for drivers.
9 HOTEL – HO (small house) + LET (rented) reversed with ‘..as temporary accommodation’ = definition.
10 BRISTOL – This held me up longer than it should have done, i guess. BR + I (Brother and I) + LOTS (in great quantity) reversed (sent back).
11 CLOBBER – Two definitions. To belt or sock someone has the same meaning as a slang word for things to wear.
12 PODIA – AID (relief) + OP (work) reversed (backing) – definition is ‘positions taken by speakers’.
13 PASTRY – PA’S (old man’s) + TRY (attempt) = definition of ‘dough’.
14 CACHET – ACHE (to long) inside CT (court). Definition is ‘mark of distinction;.
17 TIBET – Definition is ‘land in East’. T (time) + I BET (I’m sure).
19 ATHEIST – Definition is “person of no faith’ – T (trust, initially) inside A + HEIST (a robbery).
21 TABLOID – An anagram (oddly) of A BIT OLD gives you a word defined by ‘like most dailies today’.
22 BLOOM – The definition is ‘flourish’ – A word meaning report, as in gunshot (BOOM) with L (learner) inside.
24 PRESS RELEASE – ‘Statement to media’ is your definition PRESS (be insistent) + RE (about) + LEASE (property contract).

Down
2 AUTHORS – A + U (a university) + an anagram (changed) of SHORT.
3 DELIBERATIONS – Definition is ‘careful discussions’ – this is a word meaning ‘share’ inside the name of the composer of ‘Lakme’ and ‘Coppelia’, DELIBES. This is indicated by the use of ‘holder’ tacked onto ‘share’. Some crossword purists may not like it. But it works for me.
4 HOBART – BAR (watering-hole) goes inside HOT (sweltering) with the deifnition being ‘Australian city’.
5 UNIMPEACHABLE – Probably my favourite clue in the puzzle. This is a double definition clue with one of the definitions cryptic. A way of describing what Nixon was, uniquely, among US Presidents, but the opposite (‘as opposed to’). The opposite of how Richard Nixon was, compared to all the other Presidents, with respect to his treatment after Watergate. This is a word meaning totally untrustworthy.
6 DATED – Another double definition clue. Something that is old hat means the same as being taken out by someone in a romantic fashion.
7 RELIANT – An anagram (corrupt) of I LEARNT gives a meaning of the word ‘banking’.
8 CHIC – the first letters (starts off) of ‘cutting hair in classic’ gives a word meaning style, fashion.
13 PIT STOP – Definition is ‘opportunity to refuel car’. PITS (mine’s) + TOP (first).
15 HEINOUS – ‘Extremely bad’ is the definition and it’s an anagram (changes) of IN-HOUSE.
16 HANDLE – The definition is ‘manage’. HAND (width) + LE (length, not all of it).
18 BIBLE – A type of humour, as in fluid, BILE has B (bishop) inside to give a collection of religious books.
20 TOME – A (literary) work of some weight and size is, when split a phrase, TO ME, meaning ‘from my perspective’.

Thanks to our setter for an enjoyable challenge today and I’ll see you next week.

EDIT: A couple of changes – that will teach me to try and dash off the blog.

14 comments on “Times Quick Cryptic No 29 by Myles”

  1. I don’t quite follow your discussion of UNIMPEACHABLE, macavity. All presidents are impeachable in that they can be impeached–and Andrew Johnson and Bill Clinton actually were. Nixon wasn’t, although he may have been uniquely deserving of being impeached (although one can think of others). And I think you mean ‘totally trustworthy’, no? But I liked the clue, and I also liked DELIBERATIONS. DNK HARD SHOULDER (US highways often have signs warning against soft ones).

    Edited at 2014-04-17 02:40 am (UTC)

  2. Thanks, Macavity, for the comprehensive blog. You may want to add RATION at 3 and delete two letters from the meaning of unimpeachable! 7 and a half minutes for me, so on the easier side.
    1. Thanks guys

      Have made a couple of changes.

      My solving this week has been a bit off beam, and I was pleased to get back on track with this puzzle.

      However, it look like my analysis skills have now gone wonky!

      Edited at 2014-04-17 07:53 am (UTC)

  3. Working through the Across clues in order, 13 was my first in so I realised this would be no easy ride for me. I eventually finished it in 18 minutes.

    Myles has only set for us once previously and on that occasion I recorded my slowest Quickie time of 28 minutes (excepting the very first day when the enumerations were up the spout).

    At 1ac I think it helps to consider the wordplay elements separately, so ‘forcefully’ = HARD and ‘take responsibility for’ = SHOULDER.

    Kevin, I’ve seen ‘Soft Verges’ signs in the UK too.

  4. I’ve only come across CHIC as an adjective before, so that was something new for me.
  5. No time because I was disturbed by a phone call mid-solve, but I don’t think it took me any longer than usual. Another enjoyable QC, and I continue to be impressed by how the setters consistently meet their remit. The QC puzzles remind me very much of the Everyman puzzles in the Observer from that perspective. AUTHORS was my LOI after HOTEL for no reason other than I seemed to go clockwise around the grid today.
  6. Another good, clear, blog, Macavity and I agree with you about 3d and 5d, especially the use of ‘shareholder’ in 3d. And another good Quickie to introduce solvers to the charms of cryptic puzzles. 7d, particularly, is a good example of words having different meanings, in this case, banking. As with jackkt I took 18mins, one of my longer solving times.
  7. A bit longer than usual for the quick for me today. Another good puzzle for the novice.
  8. Saved this for my Easter holiday journey. Good puzzle but no stand out clues.. LOI atheist but was not able to parse Bristol.
  9. Thanks for these explanations. I am fascinated by these cryptic puzzles but find the clues almost impossible to answer. My maximum number of clues solved is four but before the Quick puzzles appeared I could get none.
    Please would someone say what the answer to 16 down was – it is listed above but the answer is 15 down. Even with alternate letters given, I have no idea of the answer.
    Many thanks, Ange
  10. 15 down is HEINOUS, not 16 down.

    You’ve missed 16 down off your solution.

    You’re welcome.

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