Always a spring in my step on Monday blogging mornings when I see that it’s Hectence bringing us the Quiptic. Another tractable and enjoyable puzzle with a good range of devices that I’ll be recommending to those new to cryptics.
Abbreviations
cd cryptic definition
dd double definition
cad clue as definition
(xxxx)* anagram
anagrind = anagram indicator
[x] letter(s) removed
definitions are underlined
Across
9 Pale ale’s drunk after master’s supper, perhaps
LIGHT MEAL
A charade of LIGHT for ‘pale’ and (ALE)* following M for ‘master’. The anagrind is ‘drunk’ – can’t argue with that.
10 Reith broadcast for them
THEIR
(REITH)* with ‘broadcast’ as the anagrind.
11 Interpret a French composer
UNRAVEL
A charade of UN for one of the French words for ‘a’ and RAVEL for the composer (and pianist and conductor).
12 Setback regarding good university cutting languages
TONGUES
Here’s how this works. It’s what some people (me, for example, although I didn’t invent the term) call a ‘lift and separate’ clue. So you need to separate ‘setback’ into ‘set’ and ‘back’. The latter part becomes a reversal indicator, giving you TES. Hectence is then cluing ON, G and U with ‘regarding’, ‘good’ and ‘university’. The ‘cutting’ bit is telling you that those elements are ‘cutting’, or being inserted into, TES. Do all that and you end up with TONGUES, which is defined by ‘languages’.
13 Wreck briefly compromised ship’s company
CREW
(WREC[K])* with ‘compromised’ as the anagrind.
14 Analytical exercise incites bathroom cleaner to be recalled
SCIENTIFIC
A charade of (INCITES)* and CIF reversed. The Grauniad allows trade names in crossies; many other papers don’t. The anagrind is ‘exercise’ and the reversal indicator is ‘to be recalled’.
16 Forced company’s short order to be returned
COERCED
A charade of CO and DECRE[E] reversed. The removal indicator is ‘short’ and the reversal indicator is ‘to be recalled’.
17 Question family getting Halloween decoration
PUMPKIN
A charade of PUMP and KIN.
19 Outside broadcast, with beavers active around lake that can been seen
OBSERVABLE
A charade of OB for ‘outside broadcast’ and L inserted into (BEAVERS)* The anagrind is ‘active’ and the insertion indicator is ‘around’.
22 Leaving Leeds not entirely in high spirits
GLEE
Hidden in leavinG LEEds.
24 Botch getting bug out of bed
LOUSE UP
My synonym of choice has a different first word, but fair enough – it’s a charade of LOUSE and UP.
25 Good man’s modest, giving up leadership for trip
STUMBLE
A charade of ST for saint or ‘good man’ and [H]UMBLE.
26 Look after athletes running, some in retirement
NURSE
Hidden reversed in athletES RUNning.
27 In Greece, perhaps, describing Thessaly’s capital as lively
ENERGETIC
An insertion of T for the first letter of ‘Thessaly’ in (IN GREECE)* The anagrind is ‘perhaps’ and the insertion indicator is ‘describing’.
Down
1 Could fantastic bird come to rest in a dream world?
CLOUD CUCKOO LAND
A charade of (COULD)* CUCKOO and LAND.
2 Cause sadness by putting ricotta topping into a veggie dish …
AGGRIEVE
An insertion of R for the first letter of ‘ricotta’ in (A VEGGIE)* The anagrind is ‘dish’ and the insertion indicator is ‘putting into’. Before those in Tunbridge Wells start reaching for the green ink, here’s what Chambers has to say:
dish² (printing) vt to distribute (type)
3 … to find cooker covered in pesto verde
STOVE
Hidden in peSTO VErde. Beginners often ask what the ellipses are doing in clues like these two. The answer is usually nowt: they are just there to link the clues’ surface reading, as here.
4 Substituted agent left, having delivered great service
REPLACED
A charade of REP, L and ACED, with the last element referencing tennis.
5 Untroubled when article on British life’s half missing
BLITHE
A charade of B, LI[FE] and THE.
6 Make amends for issue arising previously
AT ONE TIME
A charade of ATONE and EMIT reversed. The reversal indicator (because it’s a down clue) is ‘arising’.
7 Again rub cold shoulder
REBUFF
A dd. The first one is slightly whimsical.
8 Urge church to follow debate, taking in points for meeting with journalists
PRESS CONFERENCE
A charade of PRESS, CONFER, EN for two ‘points’ of the compass, and CE.
15 Second vehicle went over river and got away
SCARPERED
A charade of S, CAR and R inserted into PEED for ‘went’. The insertion indicator is ‘over’.
17 New Delhi’s sub-post office is elegant
POLISHED
Great surface. A charade of PO and (DELHIS)* The anagrind is ‘new’ and because it’s a down clue, ‘sub’ is telling you to put the LISHED under the PO.
18 Quantity of information in flyer disheartened lobby blocking it
KILOBYTE
An insertion (‘blocking it’) of LO[B]BY in KITE for the bird or ‘flyer’. You know I can’t, because the bird is not the answer. If only Hectence were in love with birds as much as she’s in love with guinea pigs …
20 Old fashioned quadrangle
SQUARE
A dd.
21 Fruit beers containing emptied-out pulp
APPLES
An insertion of PP for the outside letters of ‘pulp’ in ALES.
23 Try getting 500 aboard vessel before last of tide
JUDGE
A charade of D in JUG followed by E for the last letter of ‘tide’. The insertion indicator is ‘aboard’.
Many thanks to Hectence for this morning’s Quiptic. If you want to try some more of this setter’s puzzles, she’s recently got the gig setting for the Financial Times, under the pseudonym Zamorca, and is in fact in the paper today (the blog by my colleagues Teacow is just under this one). A source close to the setter tells me that Zamorca is the Serbian word for guinea pig. She loves them that much she’ll be setting up CCTV in their cage next …
No bird link for 1d?
An excellent Quiptic! My favourites were PUMPKIN, STUMBLE, JUDGE, LOUSE UP, SCARPERED.
Thank you Hectence and Pierre.
Sadly not, Shirl. The answer has to be the bird, the whole bird and nothing but the bird.
Thanks Hectence and Pierre
Near perfect Quiptic – easy but entertaining.
I did raise an eyebrow at 14a, not just for the product placement, but also for the redundant “bathroom” – we use it in the kitchen.
Good Quiptic, although I don’t think ‘on’ should be used (in 5D) to mean after in a down clue. It would have been a good Across clue (maybe someone will say it’s OK as written left to right but I don’t think that’s kosher, especially in a beginner’s crossword.) As muffin @4, I thought the CIF was a bit lazy/unnecessary.
Thanks Hectence and Pierre. Yes, bird is the word.
A very good Quiptic with really nice surfaces as usual from Hectence. I particularly liked “question family” giving “pump kin” in 17a, and New Delhi’s sub-post office in 17d.
Robi @5 – we’ve had this discussion before. I think “on” can mean attached to or in contact with any surface of something. On a previous occasion someone gave the example “There’s a spider on the ceiling”.
Many thanks Hectence and Pierre.
I sailed through almost all of this in a near personal best time before stumbling on SCARPERED, a word I’d never encountered (and I forgot about that use of ‘went’). I agree with Robi @5 regarding the clue for 5d, but it was clear enough. Overall up to Hectence’s usual standards, so thanks to her and to Pierre for his usual thorough explanations.
That’s great news for Hectence re the new gig, hope that does not mean we’ll be losing her from the Monday slot where puzzles are invariably excellent as was the case today. I enjoyed CLOUD CUCKOO LAND very much as I did many of the clues.
Thanks Pierre for the blog and good luck to Zamorca!
Overall I quite agree that this was a fun puzzle, well-pitched for the Quiptic slot. I had noticed the same eyebrow-raises as others, though for me the complaint about the cleaning product is that it’s not sold over here, so I’d never heard of it. But the answer was sufficiently obvious from the rest of the clue that that didn’t matter.
A double dose of WL was most welcome today.
Thanks to her and the two bloggers