Pan can always be relied on to give us a Quiptic that will provide a sound but enjoyable challenge to an improving solver. This is one of those.
Abbreviations
cd cryptic definition
dd double definition
cad clue as definition
(xxxx)* anagram
anagrind = anagram indicator
[x] letter(s) removed
definitions are underlined
Across
1 Draw deceased PM without husband
DEAD HEAT
A charade of DEAD and HEAT[H] You need to remove the H for ‘husband’ from Grocer Ted.
5 Insect swallowed by black American bird
BANTAM
An insertion of ANT in B and AM. The insertion indicator is ‘swallowed by’. After a long absence, a chance for the obligatory Pierre bird link. A small variety rather than a species of bird, and a bit boring, but mustn’t grumble.
9 Bench for sport to exercise bust
BANKRUPT
A charade of BANK, RU for Rugby Union or ‘sport’ and PT for Physical Training or ‘exercise’.
10 Artist returning without painting finally dropped
SAGGED
An insertion of G for the last letter of ‘painting’ in the French artist Edgar DEGAS reversed. The reversal indicator is ‘returning’ and the insertion indicator is ‘without’ in the sense of ‘outside of’.
12 Setter’s wood for making model
IDEAL
A charade of I and DEAL.
13 Mysterious Houdini finally caught in strange magic net
ENIGMATIC
An insertion of I for the last letter of ‘Houdini’ in (MAGIC NET)* The insertion indicator is ‘caught’ and the anagrind is ‘strange’.
14 Popular Canadian dip is red-hot
INCANDESCENT
A charade of IN, CAN and DESCENT.
18 Sort of sour-tasting liquid ruined diving career
CIDER VINEGAR
(DIVING CAREER)*
21 Office holder, one new to money, secures university degree
INCUMBENT
A charade of I, N and U and MB for the Doctor’s ‘degree’ in CENT. The insertion indicator is ‘secures’.
23,2 Sane people worried by a snoring problem
SLEEP APNOEA
(SANE PEOPLE)* followed by A.
24 Surviving son leaves navigational instrument
EXTANT
[S]EXTANT
25 Chaplain boarding earlier ship
SCHOONER
An insertion of CH for ‘chaplain’ in SOONER. The insertion indicator is ‘boarding’.
26 Fish, unusual British trout?
TURBOT
(B TROUT)* Some folk object that since you have to convert ‘British’ to B it’s an indirect anagram, but I personally think this particular clue is fine.
27 A boss set out to produce heat-resistant material
ASBESTOS
(A BOSS SET)*
Down
1 Endlessly creating names for waterproofing product
DUBBIN
DUBBIN[G] Aah, the smell of freshly Dubbined school football boots (ca 1965, in my case). The working class equivalent of the madeleine in A la Recherche du Temps Perdu.
3 Difficult ship for one reluctant to compromise?
HARDLINER
A charade of HARD and LINER.
4 Meet a ship with man excited by drugs
AMPHETAMINES
(MEET A SHIP MAN)*
6 Fear evident in the manner of soldier at sea
ALARM
A charade of A LA for the French phrase and RM for Royal Marine or ‘soldier at sea’.
7 Turn up, wearing tie, having a common plan
TOGETHER
An insertion of GO for ‘turn’ reversed in TETHER. The reversal indicator, since it’s a down clue, is ‘up’; the insertion indicator is ‘wearing’.
8 Treat with pills a doctor swallowed
MEDICATE
A charade of MEDIC and ATE.
11 Cheats accepting punishment for nonsense
FIDDLESTICKS
An insertion of STICK in FIDDLES. The insertion indicator is ‘accepting’.
15 Paste soon turns to mineral
SOAPSTONE
(PASTE SOON)*
16 Cause of casualties in account given by police to hospital department?
ACCIDENT
A charade of AC, CID and ENT for Ear, Nose and Throat, the setters’ fave ‘hospital department’.
17 Teacher of English taking old coin (gold)
EDUCATOR
A charade of E, DUCAT and OR for ‘gold’.
19 Ante up change for a kind of butter
PEANUT
(ANTE UP)*
20 Seeds coming from small openings in the skin
SPORES
A charade of S and PORES.
22 Man goes gathering fruit
MANGO
A slightly clunky hidden to finish. It’s hidden (barely) in MANGOes, and ‘gathering’ gives the impression that it’s wrapped up on both sides.
Many thanks to Pan for this week’s Quiptic.
Thanks Pan and Pierre
Yes, a good Quiptic. I had forgotten about Grocer Ted, so I was trying to work out why the “husband” was inserted in 1a.
I thought the clue for MEDICATE was rather weak, as the “medic” means the same in wordplay and definition.
Very enjoyable puzzle, but not “quick and easy for beginners” in my opinion.
My favourites were 9a, 1a, 19d, 6a.
New word for me was DUBBIN.
Thanks Pan and Pierre
9a – how does bank = bench?
Thanks both. BANK = bench? I’m not sure
sorry lin @ 3 – we crossed!
The bank was an actual bench that traders (money-lenders, etc.) exchanged money over. If a trader went bust his bench was actually broken – he was bankrupt. See here
Thanks muffin!
Is this your first comment, Lin? If so, welcome. BANK for ‘bench’ is indeed a synonym in that context. Modern French has le banc for a (park) bench, and we sometimes call an upholstered bench (in, say, a restaurant) a banquette.
Thanks Muffin and Pierre. Yes, my first time commenting but not my first visit – usually I can follow the explanations but this one had me puzzled. Before posting I checked dictionary entries for both words and found no overlap.
The word banquette is used in English too.
It’s amazing what one learns from crosswords!
I agree that the clues for both MEDICATE and MANGO were a bit weak, but otherwise as Pierre says, “a sound but enjoyable challenge.” I wasn’t familiar with DUBBIN or the ‘wood’ meaning of ‘deal,’ but both were gettable without too much trouble. Thanks to both setter and blogger. Thanks also to Muffin for the history of BANKRUPT.
Thanks to Pan and Pierre.
I enjoyed this. Favourites were CIDER VINEGAR and SLEEP APNOEA (I’ve often lain awake wondering how to spell it) – I do love a good anagram – and SAGGED which took far too long.
Thanks to Pierre and Pan
Pretty much perfect for a Quiptic apart from the FOR in 9a which I can’t account for in the cryptic reading, and the very odd 22d. I wonder if NORMAN was intended and there was a typesetting error.
I also thought the clue to 22d should be something like “Fireman goes gathering fruit” or “Postman goes gathering fruit” (though Norman would work too; I didn’t think of that). On 9a, the German for “bench” is “Bank”; is that allowed? “German bench with sport exercises bust.”
I rather enjoyed this one and thought it pitched at the right level with a good scattering of laughs/groans. I’d forgotten that soapstone is a thing: this was unhelpful! Thanks, memory.
Thanks also to Pan and Pierre. Good job all round.
6d how does “evident in the manner of” link to “A LA for the French phrase”
Tom @15. “A LA” as in “A la mode”, in the fashion. Many other words can be, and are used in place of “mode” to mean in the manner of ****.
Thank you Christopher. I was going to have a go along similar lines … for some reason it’s triggered in me a reminiscence of the phrase “mushrooms [or whatever] à la Grecque” which sounds like it’s probably delicious. In fact I should check.
Many thanks, Pierre and Pan, a good puzzle for me. Liked the explanation of Bank/Bench. 7 Down was a challenge for me. Didn’t quite finish it, however, enjoyed the challenge.
Misspelled 2 down which didn’t help me on 9 and 12. 7 escaped me too. A heavy defeat for me on the quiptic