A great Quick Cryptic from Juji today. Nothing to scare the horses, I think, and some lovely surfaces: 12D was my favourite. It took me a below-target 4:55. Thank-you Juji. How did you all get on?
Fortnightly Weekend Quick Cryptic. This time it is Phil’s turn to provide the extra weekend entertainment. You can find the crossword here.
Definitions underlined in bold italics, (Abc)* indicating anagram of Abc, {deletions} and [] other indicators.
| Across | |
| 1 | Cuckoo grips twig (5) |
| SPRIG – [Cuckoo] (grips)*. | |
| 4 | Puzzled finding flightless birds in garden plot (7) |
| BEMUSED – EMUS (flightless birds) in BED (garden plot) | |
| 8 | Celtic ultimately not winning final (7) |
| CLOSING – Last letter of CeltiC [ultimately] LOSING (not winning). Great surface. | |
| 9 | Regularly seen admiral near woman (5) |
| DIANA – Alternate letters [regularly seen] in aDmIrAl NeAr. | |
| 10 | Fruit transported to new realm (10) |
| WATERMELON – [transported] (to new realm)*. | |
| 14 | I’m unsure backing a relative’s cause (6) |
| REASON – ER (I’m unsure) reversed [backing] -> RE, A SON (a relative). | |
| 15 | With sides leaving, game with netted sticks is over (6) |
| ACROSS – {l}ACROSS{e} (game with netted sticks) without the outside letters [with sides leaving]. | |
| 17 | Wedding helper’s offer to accommodate trips with mother (10) |
| BRIDESMAID – RIDES (trips) MA (mother), in BID (offer). | |
| 20 | Sound from animal left in pound (5) |
| BLEAT – L (left) in BEAT (pound). | |
| 22 | Rouse characters held back by an evil nemesis (7) |
| ENLIVEN – Reverse hidden in [characters held back by] aN EVIL NEmesis. | |
| 23 | Made certain knight reused battered shields (7) |
| ENSURED – (reused)* [battered] containing, [shields], N (knight in chess notation) | |
| 24 | Residing in New York, concerned with turning very anxious (5) |
| NERVY – RE (concerned) reversed [with turning] -> ER, V (very) all in NY (New York). | |
| Down | |
| 1 | Splinter group determined to welcome Conservative (4) |
| SECT – C (conservative) in SET (determined). | |
| 2 | Raised berth space (4) |
| ROOM – MOOR (berth) [raised] -> ROOM. I didn’t know “berth” could be a verb, but I do now. | |
| 3 | With aim to grasp information technology, I work solo (2,2,5) |
| GO IT ALONE – GOAL (aim) containing [to grasp] IT (information technology), ONE (I). | |
| 4 | Book dragged leaving learner irritated (6) |
| BUGGED – B (book) {l}UGGED (dragged) without the L (learner). | |
| 5 | Infuriated when barrier gets erected (3) |
| MAD – DAM (barrier) going upwards [gets erected] -> MAD. | |
| 6 | Horse half ignored by stalking cat (8) |
| STALLION – First four letters [half ignored] of STAL{king} LION (cat). | |
| 7 | Use symptoms to identify disorder in sea dog (8) |
| DIAGNOSE – [disorder] (in sea dog)*. | |
| 11 | Coat guy wrapped around poorly prime minister (9) |
| MACMILLAN – MAC (coat), MAN [wrapped around] ILL (poorly). | |
| 12 | Likely for newborn to consume liquids primarily (8) |
| PROBABLE – PRO (for), BABE (newborn) including [to consume] first letter of Liquids [primarily]. Another great surface. | |
| 13 | Simplicity of some ideas, in essence (8) |
| EASINESS – Hidden in [some] idEAS IN ESSence. | |
| 16 | Threaten mischievous sprite with death (6) |
| IMPEND – IMP (mischievous sprite) END (death). | |
| 18 | Revolution advanced to north state (4) |
| AVER – REV (revolution of an engine) A (advanced level exam) going upwards [to north] -> AVER. | |
| 19 | Begrudge emissary forgetting nothing (4) |
| ENVY – ENV{o}Y (emissary) without the O (looks like 0; nothing). | |
| 21 | Hill degenerate climbs (3) |
| TOR – ROT (degenerate) [climbs] -> TOR. | |
Wot John said. DNK NERVY. 6:24
8.16, and felt like it should have been quicker except I was blind to both hiddens for far too long and was similarly bamboozled by PROBABLE and REASON. Most enjoyable, except by the time I got to NERVY the devices to switch the letters E and R were wearing a bit thin. Thanks to John and Juji.
14 minutes. No problems, a little slow but I was enjoying the scenery.
11:12, no real holdups until I tried to parse my LOI AVER. It had to be that, but I had a brainfreeze over where the A came from. I shall try to remember “advanced” = “advanced level exam” = “A level” = A, not met before.
Slight surprise at the choice of words in the wordplay for STALLION – to get STAL from “half ignored by stalking” seems a bit unnatural.
Many thanks John for the blog and I look forward to the Sunday Special.
Agree, I found that wording very awkward too.
Cedric, you echo my own thoughts exactly!
I thought it was awkward wording, too, Cedric.
Another day out of the SCC, our seat must be getting cold. 19.10 with much enjoyment along the way. Stuck at the end for a bit by probably instead of probable which without the final crosser is just as valid.
Thanks Juji and John
An enjoyable and steady solve.
No major dramas but I’ve been well and truely kippered by some of the hiddens this week and the excellent EASINESS joined the list today. It also took me a while to see what was going on for SPRIG where I initially thought I might be looking for a triple which, unsurprisingly, didn’t get me very far.
Started with BEMUSED and finished with EASINESS in 7.25 with COD to CLOSING.
Thanks to John and Juji
Took a while to get SPRIG and then I couldn’t do BEMUSED so wondered if today was going to be tricky but ended up with seven on the first pass of acrosses followed by all the first seven acrosses. Then went back to fill in BEMUSED with all the checkers and never looked back. Last in was REASON to leave me all green in 6.39. This is the first time I’ve not had a typo (or error) for a full week for absolutely ages – feels good. Car in for MOT next, hope the good vibes continue a bit longer.
A nice puzzle from Juji, which caused me few difficulties (only my LOI remained after two passes through the clues – for some reason I was looking for three synonyms, but it was simpler than that!)
Thanks to John for his blog, and for his editing skills on my Weekend Special puzzle, which I hope many of you will enjoy. My last two have been really quite gentle, but I’ve ratcheted this one up a gear! By a strange coincidence, Celtic feature in one of my clues too…..
FOI BEMUSED
LOI SPRIG
COD BRIDESMAID
TIME 4:37
Thanks for the Weekender Phil – 11:07 for me. It didn’t feel too much harder – so 👍 Think 13 was fave but plaudits to 2, 18 and 25
👍
8:42 for the solve. Some very biffable definitions helping out there and also some lovely surfaces as JohnI states. I noted four of the Down clues were “put things in upwards” and that Juji managed to find four different ways of doing this “raised”, “gets erected”, “to North”, “climbs”. LOI ACROSS.
A clean sweep for the week taking less than 42mins which is easily my fastest ever. Have a good weekend everybody.
Thanks to John and Juji
Indeed, you had quite the week- well done!
Thanking you
Well done #50. You’ve made great progress.
Thank-you #5 – I get the impression you have some days where you are ripping through
Great week, well done 👍
I found this challenging and resorted to a couple of biffs and parsing later, namely REASON, BEMUSED, AVER (LOI). Took 29:11 to struggle home.
Like Jack, I didn’t rush but enjoyed the solve. A good QC from Juji after some earlier tough ones. Finished in 15.40 but with a mad typo (DIAGNOSO – ???).
I thought there was a good range of clue types. I didn’t parse them all as assiduously as I usually try to; I biffed AVER and nearly did the same with BRIDEGROOM but managed to stop myself in time. I will admit to wasting some time trying to get a word involving OCKE for 15a…. (Yes, I know hockey involves a stick not a net.)
Many thanks to both. I’ll now go back to John’s blog to dig a bit deeper.
I started with SECT but had to revisit the cluing for SPRIG several times. Biffed a bunch including STALLION, BRIDESMAID and GO IT ALONE. I failed to parse the latter during the solve. My LOI was BUGGED in 7:38 which is about average for me. COD to BRIDESMAID for the lovely surface. Thanks John.
Nice puzzle, 4:42 technical DNF due to SPROG.
6:39
Most fell easily into place, though did wonder when removing sides from netted stick, whether the L and R should be removed – waited for checkers. As for Cedric, AVER held me up a shade, but because initially I didn’t spot the definition so wasn’t quite sure where I should be heading.
Thanks to John and Juji
Yes thank you, Juji, that was ok. SE corner hardest, LOI MACMILLAN. Stupidly failed to see dragged = lugged (thank you, John) but it had to be BUGGED.
Rather a biff fest with this one. I seem to remember previous puzzles by Juji being a bit more challenging, but the clues were good ones nevertheless, so nothing to complain about.
8.29
Under par here: kept typing things wrongly; kept biffing things incorrectly (ASSURED; VILLAIN (not even close)); then failed to see DIANA vainly trying to squint at the correct deletions. Oh dear, should have gone to Specsavers (other opticians available).
Thanks John/Juji
I had similar issue with DIANA missing that we needed to take letters from “near” too
Very pleasant. Thanks to Juji and John.
No real holdups, but took far too long to spot the hiddens.
From SPRIG to ACROSS in 7:23. Failed to parse AVER. Biffed PROBABLE from crossers. Thanks Juji and John.
Enjoyable, not too challenging.
COD 3d Go it alone.
My thanks to Juji and Johninterred.
12:09
Held up briefly in the SW. Biffed BRIDESMAID which then opened the door for the rest. LOI EASINESS because I failed to spot the hidden word until all the checkers were in.
Another fairly nippy solve in 7.10, my third on the trot. I can feel the wheel nuts unloosening as I speak as it never lasts does it! Only two clues caused me any bother, one being my LOI AVER which I couldn’t parse for a while. STALLION, although obviously the answer, I likewise had trouble parsing as I had LION as the ‘stalking cat’, which thinking about it would not describe its hunting technique.
My total time for the week was 41.55, giving me a daily average of 8.23. Back to form after a pretty poor couple of weeks.
Blimey – I feel honoured to be 7 seconds ahead of you for the week. Not that it’s a competition – only that even when it’s a slower week, you are still under the hour while I’m a good twenty mins or so adrift. I’m sure tougher days are ahead but let’s enjoy this one for now.
An under par 10:10 though didn’t parse AVER. Thanks to John and Juji.
A half-Pinter today (it usually takes as long as having a pint in the pub), but enjoyable.
16:28
A veritable biff fest – I don’t think I’ve ever been confident enough to biff that many clues.
Thought I might be in for a rare fast time but slowed down by the last five clues.
Still, happy to be out of the SCC and a very enjoyable offering from Juji.
Thanks to Juji and Johninterred
Nothing to scare the horses, as John said, even the lion in 6d apparently. Nevertheless, at 14:10, only the third fastest of the week. I’m not sure I’ve ever had a week of avoiding the SCC, but I can’t confirm that. I’m pretty sure a total time of 69:22 must be a record though. Favourite clue today was 1a. I only saw that cuckoo was an anagrind after getting it. Very neat. LOI was the well hidden EASINESS. Thanks John and Juji.
7:28 for me today, which isn’t all that far off my PB. I admit that with a relatively fast time in mind I was less diligent in my parsing than usual, but I think I got most of it.
Thank you for the blog!
14 mins…
Reading some of the times, I probably could have done better – but a sub-15 is better than nothing and a few clues did need thinking about – 3dn “Go It Alone”, 11dn “MacMillan” and 17ac “Bridesmaid” come to mind, even if they were all biffable.
My COD goes to 13dn “Easiness” for sending me initially down an anagram rabbit hole.
FOI – 1dn “Sect”
LOI – 13dn “Easiness”
COD – 13dn “Easiness”
Thanks as usual!
Lovely puzzle which went well until the SE where ENLIVEN, AVER and IMPEND all took a bit of working out.
EASINESS was a very good hidden.
Thanks Juji and John.
Quite slow, alas, as I was stuck in SE and needed CCD for IMPEND.
Lots of biffing today, like BRIDESMAID and DIAGNOSE.
FOI BEMUSED.
Liked ACROSS ( though was hopeless at the game itself, aka Lax) and ENLIVEN, STALLION, CLOSING, BUGGED.
CNP all eg AVER, so thanks vm, John.