I enjoyed this Quiptic from Moley. One or two double definitions that didn’t quite hit the spot for me, but otherwise an excellent puzzle for those just getting used to the world of cryptic crosswords. Except for a further clue that reminds you of why The Guardian is called The Grauniad.
Abbreviations
cd cryptic definition
dd double definition
(xxxx)* anagram
anagrind=anagram indicator
[x] letter(s) removed
definitions are underlined
Across
1 Reproduce broadcast operation
PROCEDURE
(REPRODUCE)* with ‘broadcast’ as the anagrind.
6 Firstly, settle in good home and express relief
SIGH
The first letters of ‘settle in good home’.
8 Poem from Irish city
LIMERICK
A dd.
9 Concerning one boy’s motive
REASON
A charade of RE for ‘concerning’ and A SON.
10 Finally my tea’s different, it’s sexy!
STEAMY
(MY TEAS)* The clue works, but would work just as well with the ‘finally’ left out.
11 Short-lived things for which I’m safely treated
MAYFLIES
(IM SAFELY)* Question from male mayfly to female mayfly: What the hell do you mean, ‘not tonight, darling, I’ve got a headache.’
12 Wind something that’s child’s play
BREEZE
A dd.
15 Fiddlers’ corkscrews
TWISTERS
Another dd, or perhaps a dd cum cd, since I’d never use TWISTER for ‘corkscrew’.
16 Worried, insisted on order
TIDINESS
(INSISTED)*
19 Take away, when allowed in river
DELETE
An insertion of LET in the river DEE.
21 Married prisoner goes to jail with Capone
CONJUGAL
The adjectival sense of CONJUGAL, as in CONJUGAL RIGHTS, which is what the male mayfly was aiming for. A charade of CON, JUG and AL.
22 Runs in to dry gardening tool
TROWEL
An insertion of R in TOWEL.
24 Oriental trips (by arrangement) undertaken with brio
ESPRIT
A charade of E for Eastern or ‘oriental’ and (TRIPS)*
25 Handy treatment for groom
MANICURE
A (not very convincing) dd.
26 Said to have declined and changed colour
DYED
A homophone (‘said’) of DIED.
27 Bobby, the artist
CONSTABLE
Another dd, referring to John CONSTABLE, most famous perhaps for The Hay Wain.
Down
1 Indicate the stage
POINT
And another dd. ‘At which point/stage did you realise that Mrs Mayfly wasn’t going to give it up for you tonight?’
2 Musical entertainment: Laurence to conduct
OPERATE
A charade of OPERA and TE for Laurence of Arabia. Except of course it’s another Grauniad editing cock-up, because he was TE LAWRENCE, and not LAURENCE.
3 Instruct to improve journalist in future years, primarily
EDIFY
A charade of ED and IFY for the first letters of ‘in future years’.
4 Untidy punk met
UNKEMPT
(PUNK MET)* with ‘untidy’ as both the definition and the anagrind. One of those words which can only be used in the negative: you can be UNKEMPT, but you can’t be KEMPT.
5 First flier gets the breakfast?
EARLY BIRD
Another cd cum dd, I guess, referring to the fact that the EARLY BIRD gets the worm, which would be its breakfast.
6 Will Robin’s man become bright red?
SCARLET
Will SCARLET would be one of Robin Hood’s right-hand men, and in the films and pantomimes, he’s always dressed in red.
7 Go everywhere — run after the ball
GLOBETROT
A charade of GLOBE and TROT.
13 Spoil lousy arrangement to a seriously damaging degree
RUINOUSLY
A charade of RUIN and (LOUSY)*
14 Forceful queen involved in genetic development
ENERGETIC
An insertion of ER for our dear monarch in (GENETIC)*
17 Accustomed to judge interfering, but hurt
INJURED
An insertion of J in INURED.
18 Wise king alone with Scottish man
SOLOMON
A charade of SOLO and MON for the Scottish dialect version of ‘man’.
20 Uncoil naughty black young feline
LION CUB
A charade of (UNCOIL)* and B. I always well up when Simba loses his father in The Lion King.
22 Principle rule
TENET
Another not very convincing dd. The two definitions are pretty much identical.
23 Strange eagle’s nest, so-called
EERIE
A homophone of EYRIE.
Many thanks to Moley for sticking her snout above the ground and giving us this Quiptic.
Thanks Pierre, I too wondered briefly about the superfluous “finally” and also the twister=corkscrew, but only briefly because the clueing was easy enough. Overall I thought this was at the easy end of the quiptic spectrum – a variety of clue types and enough footholds and gimmes to inspire confidence.
Thanks Moley and Pierre
Not one of Moley’s best, for a variety of reasons. I think the “Finally” doesn’t work in 10a, and assumed it was an editing error. You’ve pointed out my other reservations, Pierre.
TE Lawrence reminded me of this: a friend colletcs “overhearings”, and his (and my) favourite was of two ladies, one elderly, one middle-aged, in a department store.
“Look” says the elderly lady “it’s Lawrence!”
“No mother, that’s not Lawrence, it’s Keith.”
“Oh, I knew it was something of Arabia.”
I agree on 10A – it looks like a mistake.
10a, “finally my” after “tea’s different”, seems OK?
Indeed, Cookie, which is what I said in the blog. Works either way, but the ‘finally’ seems a bit superfluous, and I’m all for concision in cluing.
Pierre 05, I disagree, the “my” is not changed, much prefer Moley’s intended definition.
Thanks Moley and Pierre.
An enjoyable puzzle, a pleasant start to the week.
re @6, I see what you mean now Pierre, leaving the “Finally” out would make the clue shorter, but I still prefer Moley’s precision – it would have been clearer if you had written MY after (TEAS)*, as Moley intended, and not (MY TEAS)*.
Just the right level for me to start my crosswording week. For 10a, I take Cookie’s point about MY not being changed, but STEAMY is still an anagram of “my tea’s” so I also agree with Pierre that “finally” is unnecessary, and I think the surface reads better without it. Unlike Pierre, I liked the clue for MANICURE. My favourite was SCARLET, for the way “Will” is included but disguised.
Thanks, Moley and Pierre.
jennyk @8, guess I have to give in, but Pierre should have first parsed the clue as Moley intended, then made his comment…
would just like to point out that you certainly can be kempt…
should also really add my thanks for your work here, after many years of quick crosswording, I’m finally determined to learn cryptics and these explanations are invaluable!