It took me a little while to get into Beale’s style of clue, but once I got used to it, things went quickly.
On writing up the blog, I noted a generous supply of envelope clues, but it did not seem excessive while solving. While the answer to 13A was obvious from the crossing letters, it took some mental gymnastics to come up with any connection to the clue.
| Across | |||
| 1. | Warning her afresh to put rubbish outside (6) | ||
| THREAT | An envelope (‘outside’) of HRE, an anagram (‘afresh’) of ‘her’ in TAT (‘rubbish’). | ||
| 4. | Left-winger replaced railcard that had run out (7) | ||
| RADICAL | An anagram (‘replaced’) of ‘[r]ailcard’, with the r (‘run’) out. | ||
| 9. | I am clear about one being very keen (9) | ||
| IMPATIENT | An envelope (‘about’) of I (‘one’) in I’M PATENT (‘I am clear’). | ||
| 10. | Fear of being in charge after sleepover (5) | ||
| PANIC | A charade of IC ( ‘in charge’) ‘after’ PAN, a reversal (‘over’) of NAP (‘sleep’). | ||
| 11. | Seed showing sign of life (5) | ||
| PULSE | Double definition: peas and the like (‘seed’) and heartbeat (‘sign of life’). | ||
| 12. | Awkward for one getting completely overcome by joke (3,2,4) | ||
| ILL AT EASE | A charade of I (‘one’) + LLA, a reversal (‘overcome’) of ALL (‘completely’; all is more commonly an adjective, but it can be an adverb) + |
||
| 13. | London mug (7) | ||
| REGATTA | Unless I am missing something, this is a stretch: REGATTA – boat race – (Cockney) rhyming slang face – ‘mug’ | ||
| 15. | Returned genetic material by medical request (6) | ||
| DEMAND | A reversal (‘returned’) of DNA (‘genetic material’) + MEW (‘medical’). | ||
| 17. | Sensitive youth, shivers, catching cold (6) | ||
| TOUCHY | An envelope (‘catching’) of C (‘cold’) in TOUHY, an anagram (‘shivers’) of ‘youth’. I like the smooth surface | ||
| 19. | Security measure involving peacekeepers in hot spot (7) | ||
| SUNTRAP | An envelope (‘involving’) of UN (‘peacekeepers’) in STRAP (‘security measure’). I was held up for a bit looking at ‘security measure’ as the definition. | ||
| 22. | Altering tone, turn with anger to hangers-on (9) | ||
| ENTOURAGE | A charade of ENTO, an anagram (‘altering’) of ‘tone’ + U (‘turn’) + RAGE (‘anger’). | ||
| 24. | Smelling suspicious? (5) | ||
| FISHY | Double definition. | ||
| 26. | Select gathering suitable to be held outside (5) | ||
| ADOPT | An envelope (‘to be held outside’) of DO (‘gathering’) in APT (‘suitable’). Definition: select as a verb. | ||
| 27. | Senseless to have audible row with the idiot (9) | ||
| NUMBSKULL | A charade of NUMB (‘senseless’) + SKULL, a homophone (‘audible’) of scull (ply the oars, ‘row’). | ||
| 28. | Being generous embarrassed one’s family (7) | ||
| KINDRED | A charade of KIND (‘generous’) + RED (’embarrassed’). ‘Being’ is justifiable as setting out the charade. | ||
| 29. | Hide depression at university (4,2) | ||
| HOLE UP | A charade of HOLE (‘depression’) + UP (‘at university’). | ||
| Down | |||
| 1. | Lap dancer removes headscarf for tourist (7) | ||
| TRIPPER | [s]TRIPPER (‘lapdancer’) with ‘headScarf’ removed. |
||
| 2. | Disgust at rejection of someone with skin disease (5) | ||
| REPEL | A reversal (‘rejection’) of LEPER (‘someone with skin disease’). | ||
| 3. | With a tweak, the tunic appears historically accurate (9) | ||
| AUTHENTIC | A charade of ‘a’ + UTHENTIC, an anagram (‘tweak’) of ‘the tunic’. | ||
| 4. | Informed about student becoming nervous (7) | ||
| RATTLED | An envelope (‘about’) of L (learner driver, ‘student’) in RATTED (‘informed’). | ||
| 5. | Kitty followed man back to station (5) | ||
| DEPOT | A charade of POT (‘kitty’) after (‘followed’) DE, a reversal (‘back’) of ED (‘man’). | ||
| 6. | Unusually, not in race for cup (9) | ||
| CONTAINER | An anagram (‘unusually’) of ‘not in race’. | ||
| 7. | Philosopher confronts Blair’s last cabinet (6) | ||
| LOCKER | A charade of LOCKE (John Locke, ‘philosopher’) + R (‘BlaiRs last’). | ||
| 8. | Mounting hesitation expressed by woman with eyeliner (6) | ||
| RETINA | A charade of RE, a reversal (‘mounting’) of ER (‘hesitation expressed’) + TINA (‘woman’), with the cryptic but accurate definition of ‘eyeliner’. | ||
| 14. | Spirited — yet dispiriting — place (5,4) | ||
| GHOST TOWN | Cryptic definition. | ||
| 16. | Fame is not perhaps one’s stated intention (9) | ||
| MANIFESTO | An anagram (‘perhaps’) of ‘fame is not’. | ||
| 18. | Really wanted confusion to end after twelve months (7) | ||
| YEARNED | A charade of NED, an anagram (‘confusion’) of ‘end’ ‘after’ YEAR (‘twelve months’). | ||
| 19. | Set off with girl when it’s sweltering (6) | ||
| STEAMY | A charade of STE, an anagram (‘off’) of ‘set’ + AMY (‘girl’). | ||
| 20. | Evidence of employment a spy disposed of at the border (7) | ||
| PAYSLIP | A charade of PAYS, an anagram (‘disposed of’) of ‘a spy’ + (‘at the’) LIP (‘border’). | ||
| 21. | Comment made about boy (6) | ||
| REMARK | A charade of RE (‘about’) + MARK (‘boy’). This is the fourth personal name indicated in this way, which I do not find the happiest of devices. | ||
| 23. | Total quiet having left club (5) | ||
| UTTER | [p]UTTER (‘club’) with the P removed (piano, ‘quiet having left’). | ||
| 25. | Relish one’s impudence (5) | ||
| SAUCE | Double definition. | ||
1d. Headscarf refers to the head of scarf, I.e. S specifically
Agree that London Mug is an indirection too far when working forward.
Thanks for the blog & the crossword
Morning PeterO
12a is OK. There is no unindicated article, it’s simply I + LLA + TEASE.
Agree about 13a, really couldn’t see the connection between answer and clue which is why I came here! Thanks for the explanation.
Thanks Peter.
I did enjoy this Beale puzzle, with clues like THREAT and IMPATIENT being excellent examples of what’s required for a Quiptic. A few more difficult ones, but that’s what crossing letters are for.
If Araucaria had offered the ‘London mug’ clue, then folk would no doubt have been drooling, but I think a question mark might have helped, or maybe you’re right in thinking that it’s a step too far for an entry-level crossword.
Any road up, good stuff from Beale in my opinion.
If the clue to regatta’s not a misprint then it’s a very poor thing.
Oh! Dear! “Entry-level”. I’m fairly new to the Quiptic, but not to the Cryptics.
I found this far more difficult than today’s Rufus.
I “rufused” to enter “Regatta” for 13a!!
A bit tricky for a Quiptic methinks.
As noted, 13 is much too hard for this. I too had to come here for an explanation.
Not sure that a left winger is necessarily a radical, for example “an old school left winger” would not be so called. Also, is the right wing devoid of radicals? I think not.
In similar vein, I wouldn’t have thought a stripper was a lap-dancer or vica versa. Obviously there is nothing to stop a stripper from lap-dancing, nor a lap-dancer from stripping, but I thought the two were quite distinct “art” forms. Perhaps someone with direct experience could enlighten us?
Struggled with this, found Rufus much easier.
Looked at this today and really struggled. Much harder than a typical Rufus with all the envelope clues and reversals etc.
I confess I still do not understand 13a. Also I have never heard of John Locke for 7d. Both seem much too hard for a Quiptic.
One small point – the second half of 15a should read ‘MED’ rather than ‘MEW’
Thank you for the blog.