Another delightful Quiptic from Pan, doing just what it says on the tin.
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 Pet’s way in via Spooner’s headgear
CAT FLAP
A Spoonerism of FLAT CAP.
5 Priest surprised about pope’s second quick reply
RIPOSTE
An insertion of O for the second letter of ‘pope’ in (PRIEST)* The insertion indicator is ‘about’ and the anagrind is ‘surprised’.
9 Woman embracing director in front of old firedog
ANDIRON
An insertion (’embracing’) of DIR and O in ANN.
10 Assume setter’s getting something to drink in A&E
IMAGINE
A charade of I’M and GIN inserted into A and E. The insertion indicator is ‘in’.
11 Work with barrel-maker, brewing tea
COOPERATE
A charade of COOPER and (TEA)*
12 Degas’ heart captured by naked elbow
NUDGE
An insertion of D G for the central letter of ‘Degas’ in NUDE. The insertion indicator is ‘captured by’.
13 One defeated when swapping roles
LOSER
(ROLES)* The anagrind is ‘when swapping’.
15 Offering to conceal identity of person in charge
PRESIDENT
An insertion of ID in PRESENT. The insertion indicator is ‘to conceal’.
17 Crush pie ruined by extremely destructive animal
MILLIPEDE
A charade of (CRUSH PIE)* and DE for the outside letters of ‘destructive’.
Edit: in fact, as Ram points out, it’s MILL, (PIE)* and DE. I knew that, but what passes for my brain stopped me writing it in the blog first time round.
19 Offer a large home to savage
FERAL
Hidden in ofFER A Large.
22 Fish king out of ditch
TENCH
T[R]ENCH
23 Convict taking circuitous route to welcome large young man, violent when drunk
LAGER LOUT
A charade of LAG and L inserted into (ROUTE)* The anagrind is ‘circuitous’ and the insertion indicator is ‘to welcome’.
25 End of spoon with riddle about a little drink
SNIFTER
An insertion of N for the last letter of ‘spoon’ in SIFTER for ‘riddle’ in its sense of seive. The insertion indicator is ‘about’.
26 Judge gets a rare snack next to river
ARBITER
A charade of A, R, BITE and another R.
27 Busy wearing a ring?
ENGAGED
A cd cum dd. Or maybe just a dd, depending on how cryptic you find the second half.
28 Tree by vacant lavatory is getting old
ELDERLY
A charade of ELDER and LY for the outside letters of ‘lavatory’.
Down
1 Fortune left to part of church
CHANCEL
A charade of CHANCE and L.
2 Tiresome foreign diet followed by ordinary American
TEDIOUS
A charade of (DIET)*, O and US. The anagrind is ‘tiresome’.
3 Extensive extract from popular genealogy
LARGE
Hidden in popuLAR GEnealogy.
4 Long drink containing peel from plump fruit
PINEAPPLE
A charade of PINE and PP for the outside letters of ‘plump’ inserted into ALE. The insertion indicator is ‘containing’.
5 Nefertiti’s fifth husband at home by English river
RHINE
A charade of R for the fifth letter of ‘Nefertiti’, H, IN and E.
6 One seeking legal redress for everyday quarrel
PLAINTIFF
A charade of PLAIN and TIFF.
7 Pen lids recycled to make pin for twisting yarn
SPINDLE
(PEN LIDS)*
8 Source of heat for situation in which you’re most effective
ELEMENT
A cd cum dd. Pan is in her element doing these cryptics, isn’t she?
14 Earl with his seat in wealthy, men-only parliament
REICHSTAG
An insertion of E in RICH STAG. The insertion indicator is ‘in’. I am surmising that ‘with his seat’ is there to tell us that we need only the first letter of ‘Earl’, which is slightly confusing because E for ‘Earl’ is stand-alone.
16 Always pleased to get close to large swampy area
EVERGLADE
A charade of EVER, GLAD and E for the last letter of ‘large’.
17 Artist taking degree at various sites
MATISSE
A charade of MA and (SITES)*
18 Space between flights?
LANDING
A cd. Think stairs.
20 Cook or store chicken
ROOSTER
(OR STORE)*
21 Christian sacrament for Italian succumbing to undiagnosed illness
LITURGY
An insertion of IT in LURGY. The insertion indicator is ‘succumbing to’.
23 Shockingly vivid sources of light under grid no good
LURID
A charade of L and U for the first letters of ‘light’ and ‘under’, and [G]RID.
24 Fanatical bishop taking part in attack
RABID
An insertion of B in RAID. The insertion indicator is ‘taking part in’.
Many thanks to Pan for this morning’s Quiptic.
I parsed 17A as MILL (crush) + PIE* + D-E
I did mean to write that, Ram. Thanks for the spot – I’ll amend the blog.
All very straightforward – perhaps too much so. I was also unseated by the earl and his seat. Many thanks Pierre, and Pan for the gentle Monday wake up.
You can’t have too much straightforward in this slot, TheZed. It’s a Quiptic.
My favourite was MILLIPEDE.
New for me was LAGER LOUT.
Thank you Pierre and Pan.
I loved the blog (especially Pierre’s note on the parsing of millipede).
Thanks Pan (et Pierre aussi), just as a Quiptic should be: nothing too taxing, but not insultingly simple either.
Thanks Pan and Pierre
Yes, a lovely Quiptic. My favourite was COOPERATE, as it took me too long to see that COOPER could be CO-OPER!
I’ve never come across a singular EVERGLADE before, but I assume that it does occur?
I was held up for a while by writing BARGE into 12a, as to elbow your way in. But soon corrected by the crossers. Thanks, Pan and Pierre.
Easiest quiptic in a while, but that’s not a complaint. I’m another who needed crossers to show me that BARGE was wrong, and I also wondered about the purpose of the earl’s seat. I had not run across either LAGER LOUT or lag = convict, but it was a reasonable enough guess.
Thanks to Pan and Pierre.
A very pleasant Quiptic. I thought 18d was a double definition, as the landing of a plane is between two of its flights. I’m not sure if that’s what you meant Pierre.
Thanks both.
A little typo in the explanation for 12ac: the central letter of DEGAS is G, not D.
I agree with the consensus that this was fairly easy, even by Quiptic standards, but that’s not a complaint. I did learn a new word (TENCH).
I’m having that occasional cryptic-definition experience with 18dn: I can’t see what’s cryptic about it. That is, I don’t know what misleading surface reading we’re supposed to be led astray by.
Ted and Lord Jim, I can see how 18dn could be open to different interpretations. I guess the two elements are the definition (a LANDING is a space between flights of stairs) and an aviation one (planes stacking around Heathrow, for example, maintaining a safe distance; or maybe as Lord Jim suggests). Whether you want to consider it a dd, a cd, or a dd cum cd is up to you, really.
I took “with his seat in” to mean “positioned or installed in”.
I found this puzzle nice and straightforward as well though I couldn’t understand why anyone would wear a FAT CLAP on his/her head.
That explanation for 14dn makes sense, BlueDot.
I was flummoxed by lag as a synonym for convict, but now I know better. Lovely Quiptic. Thanks to Pan, Pierre and all the regular contributors from whom I have learned so much.
Muffin @7 – – I’ve been to Florida many times, but have never heard of The Everglades referred to in the singular. The only reference I could find to the singular only gave examples in the plural. Couldn’t find any reference to glade other than a wc spray, so “continual air fresheners” is not a likely etymology..
Had fun with this one – raced through it, unusually for me, until MILLIPEDE stumped me for an annoyingly long time.
Pierre, thanks for the explanations, as always. I’m getting better at these thanks to you and your 15S colleagues. I think you have a typo for 2d – the anagrind is ‘foreign’, not ‘tiresome’.
And I think I agree with Bluedot @13 re the earl with his seat in.