Matilda’s turn in the quiptic slot this week.
Season’s greetings to all quiptic commenters and lurkers, and happy solving in the year ahead.
| Across | ||
| 1 | MIMICS | Notes and odd bits of cash for impressionists (6) |
| MI MI (notes) plus (and) CA (the odd letters of CaSh) | ||
| 4 | MIRACLE | Sign with motorists in the distance (7) |
| RAC (motorists) contained in (in) MILE (the distance) | ||
| 9 | CARNATION | Flower people follow convertible? (9) |
| NATION (people) following (follow) CAR (convertible, an example of a car) | ||
| 10 | LINGO | Particular speech from Dublin gobshite (5) |
| An answer hidden in (from) DubLIN GObshite | ||
| 11 | INEPT | Useless patient not at treatment (5) |
| An anagram (treatment) of PATIENT minus the letters A and T (not at) | ||
| 12 | RAINDROPS | Making inroads with vacant readership — they are wet! (9) |
| An anagram (making) of INROADS and RP (vacant readership = first and last letters of readership) | ||
| 13 | REGARDS | Looks at best wishes (7) |
| Two definitions. Looks at = REGARDS. Best wishes = REGARDS | ||
| 15 | NECTAR | Fruit juice — drink for Diana? (6) |
| The Diana here being the Roman goddess | ||
| 17 | GOLDEN | Brilliant information about antique (6) |
| GEN (information) containing (about) OLD (antique) | ||
| 19 | CHAPTER | One leaves pie chart, creating division (7) |
| An anagram (creating) of PIE CHART minus the letter I (one leaves) | ||
| 22 | PARACHUTE | What brings you down is a car up the duff (9) |
| An anagram (duff) of A CAR UP THE | ||
| 24 | END OF | Final decision — send off unwrapped (3,2) |
| SEND OFF with the first and last letters deleted (unwrapped) | ||
| 26 | RIPEN | Mature lone pirate’s content in retirement (5) |
| An answer hidden in reverse (content in retirement) in loNE PIRate | ||
| 27 | HAPPINESS | Good spirits Spanish people emptied out (9) |
| An anagram (out) of SPANISH and PE (people emptied = first and last letters of people) | ||
| 28 | LOYALTY | Allegiance with kings and queens starting to switch sides (7) |
| ROYALTY (kings and queens) with the first letter changed from R (right) to L (left) (starting to switch sides) | ||
| 29 | CEASED | Bit of advice, as editor gave up (6) |
| An answer hidden in (bit of) adviCE AS EDitor | ||
| Down | ||
| 1 | MUCKIER | UK crime can be more sordid (7) |
| An anagram (can be) of UK CRIME | ||
| 2 | MARGE | Mrs Simpson‘s spread (5) |
| Two definitions. Mrs Simpson = MARGE. Spread = MARGE | ||
| 3 | CHARTERED | Hired and crashed the red car (9) |
| An anagram (crashed) of THE RED CAR | ||
| 4 | MANSION | Guy is back dealing with big house (7) |
| MAN (guy) SI (a reversal = back of IS) ON (dealing with) | ||
| 5 | RULED | Lined and ordered (5) |
| Two definitions. Lined = RULED. Ordered = RULED | ||
| 6 | CONSONANT | B, C or D, for example, in harmony (9) |
| The letters B, C and D being consonants, not vowels | ||
| 7 | EGOIST | Say love first for selfish person (6) |
| EG (say) O (love) IST (first) | ||
| 8 | CITRUS | Alternative script group’s plant (6) |
| I had to cheat on this one. It’s every other letter of sCrIpT gRoUpS. I’m not sure ‘alternative’ is the best way of indicating ‘take the odd or even letters of’ | ||
| 14 | GEOGRAPHY | George grades physio only 50% for science (9) |
| Half the letters of (only 50%) GEOrge GRAdes PHYsio | ||
| 16 | CEASEFIRE | Truce for review of Erica’s fee (9) |
| An anagram (review of) ERICAS FEE | ||
| 18 | NAUGHTY | Any old thing in New York is risqué (7) |
| AUGHT (any old thing) contained in (in) NY (New York) | ||
| 19 | CREEPS | Worms and mushrooms take note (6) |
| CEPS (mushrooms) containing (take) RE (note) | ||
| 20 | REFUSED | Official employed and dismissed (7) |
| REF (official) USED (employed) | ||
| 21 | SPIRAL | Wind giving rise to the French tears (6) |
| A reversal (giving rise to) of LA (the French) RIPS (tears) | ||
| 23 | CANAL | Only heads can actually negotiate a lock on this? (5) |
| The first letters (only heads) of Can Actually Negotiate A Lock | ||
| 25 | DRESS | Costume could be red and small with snazzy top (5) |
| An anagram (could be) of RED plus S (small) and S (first letter = top of snazzy) | ||
Thanks Matilda and nms
I guessed CITRUS from the crossers, but had no idea wht was going on either – would have “alternate” have been better than “alternative”? Otherwise fine, though a bit unfortunate to have CEASED and CEASEFIRE crossing. The latter was my favourite, as “Erica” almost always gives “ling” or somesuch!
Thanks both. I too couldn’t parse CITRUS
Compliments of the season to all bloggers and readers, and particularly Gaufrid who makes this site possible
GEOGRAPHY made me smile, and I liked the economy of LOYALTY and the neat misdirection of SPIRAL. My only quibble is with 4D: I got MANSION from the crossers, but “on” = “dealing with” feels a bit of a stretch. I know some folk might perhaps say “I’m on it”, meaning they’re dealing with it, but even so…. By the same token, would “good” be seen as synonymous with “satisfied”, as in: ‘would you like a cup of coffee?’ ‘No, I’m good thanks’?? But it’s only a small quibble, a quibblet, and it didn’t detract from the pleasure of the rest of the puzzle. Many thanks and happy xmas to Matilda, Newmarketsausage, and all FS regulars xx
Thanks to both. I thought CITRUS was fine, once I had a crosser to work with. A clear and concise puzzle to finish the day with.
Seasons greetings to all from The other side and don’t let anyone tell you Antipodean Christmases are full of sun. Has been raining since about midnight so will be a soggy celebration here.
Wellbeck @4
How about something like “May had meetings with European leaders on details of Brexit”? Looks fine to me.
I’m relieved that others had trouble parsing 8d. I suppose it’s true that “alternative” is a slightly dodgy indicator, but now that I get it, it doesn’t bother me.
I didn’t know the phrase “end of”, so I learned something new today.