As we approach Quiptic no. 1000, it’s one of its long-standing setters, Hectence, who is on the oche this morning. As always, she has produced a pleasing puzzle for this slot.
Abbreviations
cd cryptic definition
dd double definition
cad clue as definition
(xxxx)* anagram
anagrind = anagram indicator
[x] letter(s) removed
definitions are underlined
Across
4 Little bit of pudding
TRIFLE
A dd to start us off.
6 Fit for Charlton’s team?
ATHLETIC
Another dd. A reference to the beautiful game, and in particular Charlton Athletic. Know naff all about footie? Get the crossers and biff it from the first definition.
9 Agreed it’s strange, entering study when retired
NODDED
An insertion of ODD in DEN reversed.
10 Direct view round painting retrospective
STRAIGHT
A reversal (‘retrospective’) of ART in SIGHT.
11 Poor American threesome busk stripped to get famous
ILLUSTRIOUS
A charade of ILL, US, TRIO and US for the middle letters of ‘busk’. ‘Stripped’ is telling you to remove the outside letters.
15 Learnt about new source of light
LANTERN
A charade of (LEARNT)* and N.
17 Endorse program range
APPROVE
A charade of APP and ROVE.
18 Times contains a very easy cut-out as always to express one’s opinion
HAVE YOUR SAY
One that’s easier to solve than parse. It’s an insertion of A, V and EY in HOURS, followed by AY. EY comes from the outside letters of ‘easy’ and is a kind of reverse instruction to the one that Hectence used in 11ac: ‘cut out as’, or remove the middle letters this time. AY is archaic/poetic for ‘always’, sometimes seen in the sign-off at the end of an informal letter – yours ay (or in the Dear Bill letters, if you know them, yours aye …)
22 Make too much of charge on six deliveries?
OVERRATE
A charade of the cricketing OVER and RATE.
23 Student’s university union holds vote on railway extravagance
LUXURY
A charade of L for ‘student’ or learner, X for ‘vote’ inserted into two Us for ‘university’ and ‘union’ and RY for ‘railway’.
24 Condition of Russian fighter’s low grade after downpour
MIGRAINE
A charade fo MIG for the ‘Russian fighter’ (aircraft), RAIN and E for the ‘low grade’ in an exam.
25 US agent returned to kill guard
DEFEND
A reversal of FED followed by END.
Down
1 Pincers from lobsters primarily found between jetties
PLIERS
An insertion of L for the first letter of ‘lobsters’ in PIERS.
2 Fixed position with upcoming young artist
STATIONARY
A charade of STATION and Y RA reversed. It’s ‘upcoming’ because it’s a down clue.
3 Sorts out certain matter arising
CLEARS UP
A charade of CLEAR and PUS reversed – again, ‘arising’. PUS is ‘matter’, innit?
4 Concrete counter absorbs spilled gin
TANGIBLE
An insertion of (GIN)* in TABLE.
5 Lazy and idle, not working around noon
INDOLENT
An insertion of N for ‘noon’ in (IDLE NOT)* with ‘working’ as the anagrind and ‘around’ as the insertion indicator.
7 Turn up wearing reservists’ old clothing
TOGA
An insertion of GO reversed in TA for Territorial Army or ‘reservists’. ‘It’s Hectence’s go/turn at the Quiptic today.’ The TA haven’t been called the TA for many years now, but in crosswordland they still carry on fighting the good fight for setters.
8 Pretty sharp, heading off
CUTE
[A]CUTE
12 Run on vintage junk for restoration
RENOVATING
A charade of R and (ON VINTAGE)* with ‘junk’ as the anagrind.
13 Wet suit bafflingly punctures again
MOISTURE
An insertion of (SUIT)* in MORE.
14 Naive revolutionary married unknown seer and died
DEWY-EYED
A charade of WED reversed, Y for one of the mathematical ‘unknowns’, EYE for ‘seer’ and D.
16 Insubstantial online article’s true
ETHEREAL
A charade of E for the generic prefix for ‘online’, THE and REAL.
19 New university students given education
UNUSED
A charade of U, NUS and ED. NUS is the National Union of Students, currently in financial trouble.
20 Rush to animal park before the end of term
ZOOM
A charade of ZOO and M for the last letter of ‘term’.
21 Lump of ice in cucumber gin
BERG
Hidden in cucumBER Gin.
Many thanks to Hectence for this morning’s Quiptic.
Thanks Hectence and Pierre
Not one of Hectence’s best, I thought. I didn’t parse 18a or 14d, and having seen the explanations, I’m not surprised – they don’t seem suitable for a Quiptic.
ATHLETIC was another poor clue. My FOI, in fact, but baffling if you don’t know the name of the team (or have access to Google), leaving only your suggested solving method, Pierre. I suppose “Charlton” was supposed to evoke Bobby or Jack of that ilk.
Favourite was RENOVATING.
Thanks both. I found this slightly more tricky than the cryptic in the Guardian
C’mon Everybody! Mighty Charlton Athletic.
This was miles better than the ersatz Rufus on the A side!
Just because you don’t have the general knowledge available to you, muffin, doesn’t make ATHLETIC a ‘poor clue’. It’s a perfectly good clue with a nicely misleading surface. From someone who was bragging on here a couple of weeks ago that you completed the Quiptic in six minutes, I’m surprised you struggled with it, or had difficulty parsing the other two you mention.
If you read my post again, Pierre, you will see that I said it was my first one in, in fact. I had heard of Charlton Athletic; the point I’m making is that it would be obscure for anyone who hadn’t.
Thanks to Pierre and Hectence
“Fit for for far you might say?”
This cryptic (not so “Quiptic”) was fun for the most part. My favourite was LUXURY.
I could not parse 18a (I got very tangled up trying to parse it, and had a feeling it was something like what Pierre says it is but I gave up on trying to parse it – life is too short and this is a busy time of year!); also could not parse 3d and 6a – google showed me it might have something to do with “Bobby Charlton” (a soccer player I have never heard of) but I have never heard of Charlton Athletic.
Thanks Pierre and Hectence.
Thanks Hectence and Pierre. I couldn’t parse 18a and even with Pierre’s assistance it still seems a stretch. It took a long tea break for the penny to drop on 14d but it’s my favourite here along with 24a, partly because in the far past I once made a balsa model of a Mig 15 which burst into flames the moment I fired up its Jetex engine. Happy days.
Cheers to Hectence and Pierre. Found this one much of a muchness with the cryptic, although that may be because as a beginner they’re all equally hard to me.
Like many others I solved 14 and 18 long before parsing them… I would be terrible if crosswords required you to show your working!
@Dansar: “Fit for for far you might say?” is something I can’t help but read in Ronnie Barker’s voice. 🙂
I had a bit of trouble finding this blog, when I did I realised it was numbered 998 not 996. Or am I nitpicking? Great crossword, sufficiently challenging for my experience. Many thanks for the solutions.
Martin @10
Thanks for the heads-up. I have corrected the enumeration.