Times Quick Cryptic No 908 by Tracy

Author   rolytolyPosted on Categories Quick Cryptic
I found this very good. Started off slowly with a first sweep of the acrosses, but it all opened up nicely and I would have finished just within my target 10 minutes had I not been left to 11ac for a bit at 10ac. Some very imaginative clues, such as the surface readings of 19ac, 11d and 21d, the concision of 16ac, and the solving fun of 2d. Hard to pick a favourite out of those, which is a long way of saying a this was a very enjoyable solve, so many thanks to Tracy!

Across
1 Box free? Not quite (4)
SPAR – SPARE (free), not quite = almost = dock the last letter.
4 Hide vase, cracked — glue provided (8)
ADHESIVE – Anagram (cracked) of HIDE VASE.
8 Offensive involved Nelson aboard it (8)
INSOLENT – Anagram (involved) of NELSON, inside/aboard IT
9 Male unwell in factory (4)
MILL – M(ale) ILL (unwell)
10 Begrudge diplomat short of nothing (4)
ENVY – ENVOY (diplomat), short of/lacking O (nothing). My LOI, because envoy for diplomat didn’t spring to mind, and I only really use “begrudge” in the reluctant/resentful sense, rather than what is listed as the primary definition: “to envy (someone) the enjoyment of (something).”
11 Sink full of large fish (8)
FLOUNDER – FOUNDER (sink) filled with L(arge)
12 One employed to entertain man in charge is hand-picked (6)
GEISHA – “in” the letters of charGE IS HAnd-picked
14 Discord in street, widespread (6)
STRIFE – ST(reet) RIFE (widespread)
16 Recording device in jet pack (5,3)
BLACK BOX – BLACK (jet: as in the shade) PACK (box)
18 Travel free heading East (4)
RIDE – RID (free) heading/coming before E(ast)
19 Orchestra’s leader invested in gong? Blow me! (4)
OBOE – O (orchestra’s leader) invested in OBE (gong)
20 Source of fruit provided by old park keeper, Yosemite, primarily (8)
ORANGERY – O(ld) RANGER (park keeper) Y (Yosemite, primarily)
22 Food source for so long (8)
FAREWELL – FARE (food) WELL (source: as in a well of information)
23 Story’s end read aloud (4)
TALE – TAIL (end) read aloud.

Down
2 Last character to be driven out of Cornish town as punishment (7)
PENANCE – Z (last character) driven out of PENZANCE (Cornish town)
3 Heath brought up on foremost of yachts, very spacious (5)
ROOMY – MOOR (heath) brought up/raised; Y (foremost of yachts)
4 Mimic‘s short top (3)
APE – APEX (top), short = remove the last letter.
5 Taken by surprise as bowler was? (3,3,3)
HIT FOR SIX – cryptic definition, the accuracy of which varies in direct proportion to the accuracy of the bowler, hence the accuracy of the question mark.
6 Group studying remains in ruin (7)
SEMINAR – anagram (in ruin) of REMAINS.
7 Put a price on uranium discovered in glen (5)
VALUE – U(ranium) discovered in VALE (glen)
11 Snapped after apartment cleaned out (4,5)
FLAT BROKE – BROKE (snapped) after FLAT (apartment)
13 Hide and seek? Not half, on Greek island (7)
SECRETE – SE = SEEK missing half on CRETE.
15 Wild about editor describing US government? (7)
FEDERAL – FERAL (wild) about ED(itor)
17 Sign made by one supporter following Liverpool’s first (5)
LIBRA – I (one) BRA (“supporter”) following L (Liverpool’s first)
18 Shock that head is leaving? I’ll say! (5)
RIGHT – FRIGHT (shock) with head/first letter leaving
21 Quite a couple of lines (3)
ALL – A (a) LL (couple of lines). As adverbs, quite = completely = all: “Safe to say, Jimmy was by now ___ alone on the nudist beach.”

15 comments on “Times Quick Cryptic No 908 by Tracy”

  1. A straightforward solve taking 7 minutes with only one query, at 21dn where I couldn’t quite square ‘quite’ with ‘all’, so thanks to Roly for the helpful example of a substitution.
  2. Done and dusted in 16 minutes, so a fairly straightforward one today. Like the above poster, I couldn’t see how ALL worked, so thanks to the blogger for explaining. LOI was STRIFE, COD was 11dn. Gribb.
  3. A fast 24 mins for a Tracy puzzle.

    Held up by the well hidden geisha, picked being clever, and farewell.

    Liked oboe and libra.


  4. For our American friends 5dn HIT FOR SIX is a HOME RUN!

    COD 12ac GEISHA

    WOD 20ac ORANGERY

    LOI 10ac ENVY

    Time 8.25

    Edited at 2017-08-31 08:14 am (UTC)

  5. I found this quite testing today. It took me a while to spot the anagram in 8a, but I was particularly held up by my last 2 in – 12a and 13d. The lightbulb moment when I saw what was going on at 12 was the highlight of my solve and for that reason gets my vote for COD, although there were many contenders. Eventually got over the line in 23 minutes.
  6. My brain obviously not working this morning, and I needed the wrong side of 20 minutes to solve this for no very good reason, as nothing unknown or unfairly clued.

    GEISHA was the answer to the very first anagram clue I ever solved (“Dancing girl about his age”) back in the early 70’s when I was a thrusting young defence executive, so that brought back memories.

    Thanks Roly and Tracy

      1. I refer you to Sun Tzu, Machiavelli, George Washington and Mao Zedong amongst others! “the best defence…”
  7. I was proceeding quite smoothly to a reasonable time but then spent about 10 minutes getting Geusha, having completely missed the hidden. Ended up on 29mins.
  8. Was taken over the 10 minutes by my LOI, the very well hidden GEISHA, finishing on 10:47. FOI was SPAR, and I then worked my way from top to bottom, apart from 12a where I 11-acrossed. An enjoyable puzzle. Thanks Roly and Tracy.
  9. I don’t think this offering from Tracy is going to be too popular with beginners, but at least the answers were well known words, which is more than can be said for some of those in the 15×15 (Obi for sorcery, anyone ?). 35 mins, with the last 5 of those on 13d. Invariant
    1. Please try not to reference answers in other puzzles quite so soon. Life’s pleasures, such as completing a tricky crossword unaided, are few and far between.
      5’30” today after much head scratching followed by ‘Doh!’ At 12a.

      Edited at 2017-08-31 10:15 pm (UTC)

  10. On the wavelength today needing just 12 minutes to finish; the last two of those were trying to get 12a. As so often I failed to detect a very well hidden answer.
    Lots of good clues and too hard to pick a winner. David
  11. I found this far, far harder than yesterday’s, needing about twice the time—18:07—to finish. I didn’t help that sport-averse me managed to put HAD FOR SIX in instead of HIT FOR SIX; it was only after a long time staring at 8a that I went back to check my earlier answers.

    FOI 4a ADHESIVE LOI the well-hidden GEISHA. Glad to see some other regulars found it well-hidden too!

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