Times Quick Cryptic No 848 by Juno

Posted on Categories Quick Cryptic
A quick, and possibly unreliable, search shows this to be only Juno’s fourth puzzle – the previous one being QC 430, all the way back in November 2015. On that occasion, blogged by Jack, there was a nina (a hidden theme), revealing part of a poem by Thomas Hood lamenting November, “no flowers, no leaves, no birds! – November!”. (On the plus side, a year-and-a-half down the line, no 2016 yet either.) I’m much too unobservant to look out for ninas, and wouldn’t even have done so today unless prompted by this. So, in contrast to the main puzzle, there’s clearly something of an election theme going on: we have a 1d 1ac, even a “1d 1ac 10ac – 9ac!” A clear bid to offset voter fatigue, I’d say, as it will have you scurrying off to the polls in joy or dread in equal measure. We certainly have various mentions of parties and things electoral, and if Mrs May’s middle name began with a “T”, we could 6d 19d 23ac 24ac – which would work as a neutral double definition, as “put down” can mean either to select for office or depose from office. As you can see, I’m quite hopeless at this, so I think I’ll leave it there. As for the puzzle itself: an excellent offering, with lots of witty, inventive, concise cluing that flowed together very nicely courtesy of the six anagrams, taking me a notch over the 10 min mark as a result – very many thanks to Juno, and I hope we don’t have to wait as long for another!

Across
1 Dangerous movement in which Linda’s led astray (9)
LANDSLIDE: anagram (astray) of LINDAS LED
6 Girl father married (3)
PAM: PA (father) M(arries)
8 Very good fish! (5)
BRILL: double definition
9 Female lieutenant going to monarch for protection (7)
SHELTER: SHE (female) Lt. (lieutenant) ER (monarch)
10 Progressing beneath street (5,3)
UNDER WAY: UNDER (beneath) WAY (street)
11 Politician spinning 50 percent of tommyrot (4)
TORY: spinning 50% = half reversing of tommYROT.
13 Her ten giant blunders constituting a menace (11)
THREATENING: anagram (blunders) of HER TEN GIANT.
17 Canvassing part of tent as one speaks (4)
POLL: or POLE (part of tent), when spoken.
18 Witty remarks from salesman, skill and energy doubled (8)
REPARTEE: REP (salesman) ART (skill) and E(nergy), doubled.
21 Generous interpretation of braille (7)
LIBERAL: anagram (interpretation) of BRAILLE.
22 Raw part of course (5)
GREEN: double definition, relating to naivety and golf respectively.
23 Rested part of the weekend (3)
SAT: double definition.
24 A month in addition? Why not, I suppose (3,2,4)
MAY AS WELL: MAY (a month) AS WELL (in addition)

Down
1 Herculean task reducing flab ourselves (6)
LABOUR: hidden in the reduced letters of fLAB OURselves.
2 Diana unusually displaying natural spirit (5)
NAIAD: anagram (unusually) of DIANA. A naiad is a water nymph.
3 Female group of stars getting regular payments (8)
SALARIES: SAL (female) ARIES (group of stars)
4 After coffee, perhaps, respond about a film repeat (7,6)
INSTANT REPLAY: after INSTANT (coffee, perhaps) goes REPLY (respond), going about A.
5 Old PM’s paradise (4)
EDEN: double definition.
6 Insult: what you can’t do to a good book! (7)
PUTDOWN: cryptic definition, when you separate “putdown” into two words.
7 Try arm wrestling victim (6)
MARTYR: anagram (wrestling) of TRY ARM.
12 Lee’s gran, confused, blows up (8)
ENLARGES: anagram (confused) of LEES GRAN.
14 Article 21 in shed, an alternative to 8? (7)
HALIBUT: HUT (shed), with a (article) LIB (21ac) going in.
15 Indicates terms (6)
SPELLS: double definition.
16 Marshy ground, not exactly level at first, for plant (6)
FENNEL: FEN (marshy ground) NEL (not exactly level, at first)
19 Sappers in attendance (5)
THERE: THE R(oyal) E(ngineers) are Sappers.
20 Collector of folk tales, mostly unpleasant (4)
GRIM: GRIMm (collector of folk tales, mostly = dock the last letter).

21 comments on “Times Quick Cryptic No 848 by Juno”

  1. I didn’t count, but at the time it felt like Anagrams on Parade, which is fine by me–better than hiddens, anyway, which I’m pretty dim on. BRILL(iant) might be unfamiliar to some US solvers; it was to me, until recently. I don’t care much for cross-referential clues, especially in Quickies–have we had them before?–and 14d is almost incoherent on the surface. But there were some good ‘uns, like 24ac. 4:53.
  2. 9 minutes. Yes, there’s lots of election appropriate stuff going on here as apart from the answers themselves some of the surface readings merit attention e.g. 11ac and 13ac. I feel a bit 20dn about it all at the moment.
    1. I forgot to confirm that this is indeed only Juno’s fourth QC, assuming he/she doesn’t also set under another name as some QC setters are known to. First outing was 6 Jun 2014, then 29 Oct 2014, then 2 Nov 2015 and today, nearly a year-and-a-half later.
  3. with LOI 15dn SPILLS causing an anxious moment.

    Cross referencing is not enjoyed here either, especially as the HALIBUT clue at 14dn was somewhat over egged. Both brill and halibut are however the perfect table fish.

    As I have been outside the UK for over 20 years and own no UK property – I am disenfranchised apparently! So if you wish to help me out and were not thinking of voting, pop along to your polling station and spoil your ballot paper on my behalf! What a kerfuffle!

    And for what? I think we (you) need far better candidates.

    Edited at 2017-06-08 08:04 am (UTC)

  4. Absolutely raced through this and thought I was on for a PB when I came to a grinding halt in the SE and SW corners. My last two in were 15dn and 17ac. I thought I was looking for “terms and conditions” in 15dn, and the penny finally dropped when I realised it related to time. I also wasn’t expecting the definition of canvassing we have here, more the “cover” meaning. Nice to see a new (to me) setter. Probably done and dusted in 35 in total. Gribb.
    1. I was the same. Top half very quick, bottom half very much slower and 15d causing a particular hold up at the end. I somehow managed to spot Tory on the way through and think that it was topical and then missed all the other election references!
  5. A great crossword, completed in I think record time (I don’t usually note times). Spotted the theme early with Labour and Liberal in the grid. Needed the blog to parse 3 down.
  6. 8:50 for me with the top going in more quickly than the bottom. I noticed the political theme. FOI LABOUR, LOI SPELLS. I’m all for plenty of anagrams, but less keen on cross references. Thanks Juno and Roly.

    Edited at 2017-06-08 09:13 am (UTC)

  7. 8a – for sometime, until I had some checkers, I was hoping there might be a fish called a PIOUS. Well why not as we’ve had PRIEST as a club used in fishing!

    An enjoyable xword for election day – the only fun to be had on this rather GRIM day. Wonder who will be the MARTYR. Thanks Juno and Roly

  8. As usual I completely missed the theme. I initially put Dam in for 6a which made my LOI 6d a bit tricky. I also struggled with 15d. Add me to the list of those who don’t like cross-referencing clues.
    Other than that an enjoyable solve which I completed in 18 minutes
  9. I got the election link with almost the first clue – liberal, which gave a huge hint to the rest. Thanks, Juno, I thoroughly enjoyed this one. What a week for me – I finished three in a row for the first time ever. I’m not into posting my times yet though …

    I’d never realized that naiad is an anagram of my name (you’d have thought, in over 70 years, I’d have picked it up by now). The dictionary definition makes me feel forty years younger.

    Diana.

  10. Fun election foray – I wonder is 13ac is part of the election.

    Is UKIP being clued by 20 down?

    I’m having trouble printing out the crossword from my Chrome browser. It works perfectly well on Internet Explorer but on Chrome, it doesn’t let me click on the three lines that give you the option of printing. Has anyone else experienced this?

  11. I noted the theme from FOI, LABOUR, thinking that this couldn’t be a coincidence. Finished with a good time for me of 23:42. I parsed 4d differently (wrongly) with “about a film” being “RE: play”. I thought “a film” = “play” was a bit tenuous, but considering it all fitted with the definition simply being “repeat” I didn’t spend too much time thinking about it. I am still not that sure about “film repeat” meaning “instant replay”, though…
  12. Like others, I found the top half to be a lot easier than the bottom, with loi 15d being particularly troublesome. 4d and 13ac took a long time as well, but all will be forgiven if Juno’s prediction turns out correct. Invariant
  13. I caught a lovely brill in the channel last year, out at the Goodwin Sands. It was delicious.

    Quite fun this one, liked the election theme, don’t mind linked clues, found it very easy (started at Deptford, finished at Charing Cross). Only hold up was SALARIED, never think of “Sal” as a female name.

    Templar

  14. I enjoyed this. Nobody seems to have mentioned 22ac as part of the theme, but then nobody ever talks about them. I think most people’s feelings on the election are summed up by 16d, if you separate the first letter from the rest!
  15. I believe this is the day when I completed almost as quickly as the pros. Started it at 1.20 and was still on the first tee for 1.45 having got out my clubs, put on my shoes and gone up to the golf club, which is admittedly not far away! I do hope other relative newcomers will believe what becomes possible. I trotted off the (usually ignored) 15 x 15 for the first time the other day. DM
  16. Loved the theme! All sorts of (s)tories can be made here… e.g. LABOUR SPELLS SALARIES GRIM (for those paid rather more than me). LANDSLIDE UNDER WAY… Even 5d is on message. Can’t quite see how FENNEL fits, though! Thanks Juno. I look forward to your next outing. And spot on my target time of 6:00.

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