A gentle (for me at least) lead in to the weekend from Jalna today. Of course, as always, your mileage may differ. But I almost had a “clean sweep” (answering each clue in turn at a first reading) missing only 19A which I couldn’t see immediately, and came back to it at the end. I finished in 3:52 which is pretty fast for me. COD to LENGTH. Thank-you Jalna. How did you all get on?
Fortnightly Weekend Quick Cryptic. This time it is my turn to provide the extra weekend entertainment. You can find the crossword, entitled “Where There’s Muck”, here. If you are interested in trying our previous offerings you can find an index to all 124 here.
Definitions underlined in bold italics, (Abc)* indicating anagram of Abc, {deletions} and [] other indicators.
| Across | |
| 1 | Funds invested in Canberra, say (7) |
| CAPITAL – Double definition. | |
| 5 | Journey across grand sierra (5) |
| RIDGE – G (grand) in RIDE (journey). | |
| 8 | The trend was so crazily, pleasantly brief (5,3,5) |
| SHORT AND SWEET – (the trend was so)* [crazily]. | |
| 9 | Noticeable wind periodically interrupting pole vault, for example (7) |
| EVIDENT – Alternate letters of wInD [periodically] in EVENT (pole vault, for example). | |
| 10 | Catalogue featuring unknown composer (5) |
| LISZT – Z (unknown in an algebraic equation) in LIST (catalogue). | |
| 11 | Tense individual, regularly dogged (2,4) |
| ON EDGE – ONE (individual) and alternate letters, [regularly], DoGgEd. | |
| 13 | Rough edges covering old rocks (6) |
| GEODES – O (old) in [rough] (edges)*. | |
| 15 | Defects in fine pieces of legislation (5) |
| FLAWS – F (fine) LAWS (pieces of legislation). | |
| 16 | First bits of ripstop inserted carefully inside ragged hat (7) |
| TRICORN – Initial letters of Ripstop Inserted Carefully, inside TORN (ragged). A three-cornered hat. | |
| 19 | One rejecting issues relating to global warming and, later, medicine, possibly (7,6) |
| CLIMATE DENIER – (later medicine)* [possibly]. | |
| 20 | Selection of peeled fruit (5) |
| RANGE – {o}RANGE{s} (fruit) without the outside letters, [peeled]. | |
| 21 | In all respects, it’s a reason you might use a scorecard (7) |
| TOTALLY – Double definition, the second a cryptic hint based on TO TALLY (reason you might use a scorecard). | |
| Down | |
| 1 | Class group of performers in audiobook (5) |
| CASTE – CASTE sound like CAST (group of performers) [in audiobook]. | |
| 2 | Expert with vitality helping to create sudden growth (13) |
| PROLIFERATION – PRO (expert) LIFE (vitality) RATION (helping). Nice one. | |
| 3 | It is incorporated by not just any old tax (5) |
| TITHE – IT in THE (not just any old) | |
| 4 | Stretch of lane narrowing, though only at the edges (6) |
| LENGTH – Outside letters of [only at the edges] LanE NarrowinG ThougH. Very clever. | |
| 5 | Break down will (7) |
| RESOLVE – Double definition. | |
| 6 | Snazzily-attired toddler likes dancing around middle of nursery (7,2,4) |
| DRESSED TO KILL – Middle letter of nurSery in (toddler likes)* [dancing]. AN entertaining surface. | |
| 7 | Cars from European countries (7) |
| ESTATES – E (European) STATES (countries). | |
| 11 | PC in charge enters bid (7) |
| OFFICER – I/C (in charge) in OFFER (bid). | |
| 12 | Become enraged and attempt to fight everyone in the end (2,5) |
| GO SPARE – GO (attempt) SPAR (fight) and last letter of everyonE. | |
| 14 | In an ideal world, a trial nets billions (2,4) |
| AT BEST – B (billions) in A TEST (trial). | |
| 17 | Awkward characters held up in Beaumont penitentiary (5) |
| INEPT – Reverse hidden [held up in] in BeaumonT PENITentiary. | |
| 18 | Initially, no-one around really knows you’re irritable (5) |
| NARKY – Initial letters of No-one Around Really Knows You’re. | |
As a recent reader of this blog I need help with some of the terms and acronyms used.
E.g surface ? Parsing ? Biffed ? As well as SCC, PDM’s – the rest I can work out !
Thank you
Hi Brian,
Go onto the Menu and then select Help. You will find a glossary there that explains everything. 😊
Hi Brian,
SCC = Slowcoach club (for those of us who don’t finish in less than 20 minutes)
PDM = Penny drop moment (when the answer to a clue suddenly dawns on you)
Parsing = Working out how the clue works and why the answer is what it is
Biffed (or Bif’d) = Bunged in from the definition (without trying to parse the clue)
Surface = How the clue reads/flows (e.g. as a plausible phrase or sentence in its own right)
Hi Brian. Welcome! As Gary says the Glossary under out Help menu explains a lot. But if there is anything else you don’t get just ask. To elaborate on SRC’s explanation of “surface”. A cryptic clue has two ways of being read – a surface reading, which is reading the clue as a normal English sentence.. and a decent clue will have a surface that makes sense, and cryptic reading which (generally – there are exceptions) consists of a definition, possible linkword/phrase, and wordplay (or wordplay link and then definition). “Parsing” is the analysis of the cryptic reading to identify the definition and elements of the wordplay. HTH.
Thank you so much for the blog. This was my first total disaster since I started trying to do cryptic crosswords a few weeks ago. Only got 1 confidently (18 D), with a few bits of pencil where I thought the answer seemed likely but didn’t know why. (For example, climate denier fitted but I didn’t understand where medicine came into it – an anagram with something else? Never heard of geodes. Maybe I should give it a break for a while!
Don’t give up. Getting started is the hardest part. As for GEODES, well lots of others didn’t know it either, but one of beauties of a cryptic crossword is that you can sometimes find an answer from the wordplay even if it’s a word you’ve never heard of. I run a U3A cryptic crossword group and have a collection of tutorial material. If you would like access to it, drop me an email to [email protected].