Times Quick Cryptic No 433 by Grumpy – Quote Unquote….

Thanks to jacktt for stepping last week in at the last minute when I was longer at the hospital than I should have been. Back today with Grumpy and a thoroughly enjoyable puzzle that I think will please most people. Lots of different devices but everything was accessible and no obscurities. The mark of a good setter for me is when there is no padding in the clues, and that is certainly the case today. For me, probably the most enjoyable quickie for a while.

As I was solving it, two quotations came to mind. I’ll share them as we go….

ACROSS
8 ORATION – O (first letter, i.e. Leader of Opposition) + RATION (helping of food). Speech is the definition.
9 ON CUE – When expected is the definition. ONCE (formerly) around U (university).
10 SALAD – Healthy meal is the definition. SA (AS rejected, i.e. reversed) + LAD (young fellow).
11 EXCERPT – The definition is selected passage. EXCEPT (bar, other than) around R (right).
12 NEWGATE – The name of an old London prison is the definition. A wordsum. NEW (modern) + GATE (entrance).
14 KNELL – Sad sound is the main definition, and it’s a homophone of the name of Dickens’ creation in The Old Curiosity Shop about whom Oscar Wilde observed: “One must have a heart of stone to read the death of little Nell without laughing.”
15 TIMES – A double definition. The results used to determine the winner of a race is the name of the newspaper we all love. Well, most of us.
17 MASONRY – One of my favourites today. Beautifully crafted, like the clue.
MARY (Madonna) with SON (child) inside (in) and the stonework is the name of the craft. Very nice.
19 CANTEEN – Another double definition. Where people eat at work is where the posh people keep their cutlery.
20 BASIC – An anagram (somehow) of ABC IS gives a word meaning fundamental.
22 NIECE – The name of the (Southern) French resort goes around (overwhelming) E (English) to give the name of a relative.
23 TANGIER – A double definition. A word meaning with more piquancy is also the name of an African city, and not as some would have it with an ‘S’ on the end.

DOWN
1 TOPS – A double definition. A word for spinning objects is a slang word for excellent or the best.
2 CALLOW – A word meaning immature, often used in a phrase to describe young men, can women be callow? COW (beast) with ALL (everything) inside (eating).
3 KIND – Another double definition. A word meaning benevolent is also one that means sort or type.
4 INDETERMINATE – Being uncertain is the definition. An anagram (out) of DINE plus TERMINATE (stop).
5 HOT CAKES – A way of describing something that sells well is the definition. An anagram (jumbled in) of OAK CHEST.
6 ACCRUE – A word that means build up (esp in accountancy) sounds like the name of a team or gang.
7 MENTALLY – A wordsum. MEN (people) + TALLY (correspond) = by telepathy.
12 NOTICING – An anagram (being ordered) of GIN, TONIC is a word that means aware of.
13 ANSWERED – Hidden in ‘HISTORIANS WERE DULY” isa word that means acknowledged.
16 MONKEY – Primate is the definition. M (mass) + ON + KEY (small island, think Florida).
18 NESSIE – An affectionate name for a certain famous master is the definition. An anagram of IS SEEN.
20 BUNK – A double definition. A word meaning rubbish is also somewhere to sleep. The other famous quotation was by Henry Ford when he described history as this.
21 CURS A word that means to swear minus its last letter is the name for scoundrels.

I’ll see you next week!