Times Quick Cryptic No. 30 by Orpheus

Author   piquetPosted on Categories Quick Cryptic
To me this seemed a lot easier than some of the other recent QCs, to the point where some answers are hardly cryptic at all. Nevertheless there is a good mixture of clueing methods for beginners to appreciate.

Apologies, I haven’t yet sussed out how to make the original clues appear on mouse-over, perhaps someone can send me the template for this.

Across
7 GOVERNOR – Def. is ‘boss’, the word is hidden in the clue, Lookin(g over Nor)wich.
8 OPEN – O for old, PEN for writer, definition is ‘frank’.
9 STABLE – double definition (dd); where you keep a horse, and firmly fixed.
10 NOVEL – Well, novel means new and I can see that Jane Austen novels are hardly new, but a rather weak clue I think, if vaguely amusing.
11 SIC – SIC means ‘thus’ (in Latin and in prose usage) and ‘regularly’ tells you to pick letters regularly from the word S(w)I(t)C)h.
12 COGENT – CO=company, GENT=bloke, join together to make a word meaning ‘convincing’, as in ‘a cogent argument’.
14 HARASS – RA is crossword-ese for ‘artist’, insert into HAS and S (for son) to arrive at the answer, def. torment persistently’.
16 LEGION – Possibly the hardest clue in the puzzle. LEG is a member, an ION is a small charged particle, join together to make a word which means ‘a lot’.
18 SKEWER – If there was a word which meant ‘more skewed’ it would be SKEWER, which also means a pin for sticking through meat.
19 ONE – Def. is ‘individual’, ON=addicted, E=ecstasy.
20 CARER – Vehicle=CAR, Queen=ER, join together for the def. ‘one looking after sick relative’. The word relative seems redundant to me.
21 THRILL – H for husband is placed into TRILL (bird’s song) and the def. is ‘excitement’.
23 PORT – dd. Port means left, nautically speaking, and Southampton is a prime example of a port.
24 ABETTING – (A big tent)*. ‘Misused’ here means it’s an anagram, the def. is ‘giving criminal assistance’. (Sorry this clue was omitted earlier, I was in a hurry and running late for a free lunch!).

Down
1 POSTPONE – Mail=post, P=initial letter of perplexing, ONE=answer to 19 ac., def. is ‘delay’.
2 HERB – Initial letters of Hotel and Bought, H and B, ‘without’ i.e. around ER=hesitation, answer is a food flavouring.
3 INGEST – def. ‘consume food’, sounds like IN JEST.
4 WRENCH – The tool is created by inserting R (right) into WENCH (young woman).
5 CONVERSE – ‘CON’ is crossword-speak for ‘study’, VERSE=poetry, put together to make the def. ‘the opposite’.
6 WELL – dd. A WELL supplies water and ‘done well’ means done efficiently.
13 EMIGRATE – An Emirate is an Arab territory. Insert the last letter of ‘settling’ i.e. G, to get the def. move abroad’.
15 STERLING – (GIRL SENT)*. Another anagram!
17 NORMAN – I would have thought one of our later invaders, but admittedly some time ago. NOR=and not, MAN=male.
18 SETTEE – Established=SET, golfer’s support=TEE, together make something on which to sit. I can never remember whether Settee or Sofa is the non-U word these days.
20 CHOW – dd. A chow is a Chinese dog and also a slang word for food.
22 RATS – Celebrity=STAR, rising means read from bottom up, to give RATS, which as a verb can mean ‘abandons ship’ I suppose.

17 comments on “Times Quick Cryptic No. 30 by Orpheus”

  1. About 5 mins. This was another puzzle I solved mostly clockwise, and POSTPONE was my LOI after GOVERNOR, which wasn’t a bad hidden.
  2. Today’s setter is Orpheus.

    I agree this was on the easy side. So far I’m only managing one solve each week in 10 minutes or under and I was worried I wouldn’t even achieve that this week, however #30 was my salvation as I completed the grid in exactly 10 minutes.

    We seem to be have more bloggers showing clues rather than using the reveal option, so you might like to consider that as an alternative, Pip. Not that there’s any obligation to do either of course, as there’s nothing at all wrong with the way it’s blogged today.

    Edited at 2014-04-18 09:29 am (UTC)

    1. Unspammed. This link gives access to the puzzle whilst the usual route is broken (yet again!)
  4. Well pip, as no-one else is saying it, thank you for a nice blog. Hovering is of no use to me as I solve on an iPad so it is good to see alterntive blog techniques. Happy Easter all.
    1. I use an ipad on the online (not app) version. For some time now the letters to the right of Y, G and V on the keyboard don’t enter into the grid. Whilst causing some extra mental gymnastics which I suppose I should enjoy, it’s rather annoying. Do you use the app version? If so could you try the online version to see if you have the same problem?
      1. Chris, I will try once I work out how to do it. My iPad is in a Zagg case which also has a bluetooth keyboard so I never usually have to use my Walls pork sausage fingers poking the on-screen keyboard.
  5. Thanks Pip for a lovely clear blog.
    Took 17 1/2 mins with only 2 comments from Z8. I know it was generally classified as easy but my confidence is still growing..
    Some lovely dd’s that I got fast: stable, skewer,well and port.
    My COD is 5dn – converse, beautifully constructed IMHO.
    Wishing you all a very happy Easter 🙂

    Edited at 2014-04-18 01:35 pm (UTC)

  6. Thanks Pip. Solved this with my wife who’s dipping her toes into these murky water now, thanks to the QC and this blog, so not timed. LEGION was our LOI, kind of enjoyed NOVEL and RATS.

    Upon reading “meat pin” I began a lecture on the frequent need to lift and separate, before realising that in fact we were after a synonym for meat pin!

    Is 24ac a deliberate omission from the blog?

  7. By best by far – all but 5 clues solved. Irritated I didn’t get 7a! Thanks for the help again. I wouldn’t still be trying without this blog.
  8. Thanks to everyone who posts on here. Beginner here slowly learning. I buy the paper so do not do on-line so can only access blog and am very pleased to read it. I would definitely give up without this blog. The mystery of the construction of the solutions is fascinating.
    Three cheers for all contributors.
    Ange
    1. Congratulations, Ange. We have all been through where you are and it does get easier and in fact more pleasurable. Good luck, Tony
  9. Was travelling during Friday, so bit of a late submission…

    Must admit did not find this quite as straightforward as others suggest. Legion kept me at basy for a few minutes (I tend to think of other anatomical features rather than the leg when member is used), and also took a while to spot NORWICH.

    May I join the chorus of welcome to Ange – you’ve started a most enjoyable journey.

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