Anto provides a slightly tricky Quiptic today.
There are a couple of loose definitions, and some references that may be unfamiliar to non-Brits – I’ve tried to cover these in the notes. I’m still not sure I have understood the wordplay for 19a correctly, and I thought 6d was a bit tenuous. Some lovely clues though; I enjoyed 13a and laughed at the surface of 28a, but my favourite is probably the delightfully succinct 16a. Thanks to Anto.
| ACROSS | ||
| 1 | TORPEDO | Fuss about drunken rep causing wreck (7) |
| TO-DO (fuss) around an anagram (drunken) of REP. Torpedo (as a verb) = metaphorically, to destroy / wreck a plan. |
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| 5 | CLOSE UP | Intimate view of operation’s final act (5,2) |
| Double definition: the second refers to the final stitching at the end of a surgical operation. | ||
| 10 | BEAT | Beeb acts occasionally to create hit (4) |
| Alternate letters (occasionally) of B[e]E[b] A[c]T[s]. For any non-Brits out there who may be wondering, Beeb is short for BBC, which is short for the British Broadcasting Corporation. | ||
| 11 | BRAM STOKER | Dealer acquires woven mats for author (4,6) |
| BROKER (dealer), containing (acquiring) an anagram (woven) of MATS. Author of Dracula. |
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| 12 | EDEN | Where, in the first place, everyone did everything naked! (4) |
| Initial letters (in the first place) of E[veryone] D[id] E[verything] N[aked]. Clue-as-definition, from the end of Genesis chapter 2. |
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| 13 | HERE GOES | Brave types appear outside for one statement before risky venture (4,4) |
| HEROES (brave types) outside EG (e.g. = for example = for one). Something one might say before an attempt that may not succeed. The similar phrase “here goes nothing” suggests that the attempt almost certainly won’t succeed. |
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| 14 | SET ON FIRE | Light film location performing brilliantly (3,2,4) |
| SET (film location, though I think generally a “set” is in a studio and a “location” is somewhere else) + ON FIRE (slang for performing very well, as in “The singer was on fire tonight”). | ||
| 16 | SOUSA | Composer typical of America (5) |
| Something “typical of America” might be SO USA. John Philip Sousa, composer of American military marches; in fact this is a clue-as-definition as well as the standard definition and wordplay. You’d recognise most of the tunes if you heard them – especially Liberty Bell, which is probably best known (in the UK at least) as the theme for Monty Python’s Flying Circus. |
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| 17 | DITTO | Copied it totally, but only a part is the same again (5) |
| Hidden answer (only a part) in [copie]D IT TO[tally]. | ||
| 19 | KNACKERED | Dilapidated facility fell, when river dropped (9) |
| I’m not sure about the wordplay for this one. KNACK = facility = ability to do something well, but the rest is less clear; perhaps ER[r]ED = sinned = fell, with one R (river) dropped)? Any better ideas? | ||
| 23 | CASELOAD | A cold sea ruined what a doctor has on (8) |
| Anagram (ruined) of A COLD SEA. Caseload = the amount of work that a doctor (or other professional such as a lawyer or social worker) has to do, measured by the number of patients or clients. |
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| 24 | REDS | Wines made from the skins of ripe dates (4) |
| Outer letters (skins) of R[ip]E D[ate]S. Short for “different varieties of red wine”. |
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| 25 | COMPARISON | Moronic sap fabricated likeness (10) |
| Anagram (fabricated) of MORONIC SAP. Comparison = saying that one thing is like another in some way. I get the general idea, but I’m not sure I can think of a sentence where you could replace “comparison” with “likeness”. |
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| 26 | NERO | Tyrant reportedly close to opposition leader (4) |
| Homophone (reportedly) of NEAR O: near = close to, then the leading letter of O[pposition]. Roman emperor, who allegedly wasn’t a very nice man. |
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| 27 | CASTLED | Moved on board, spearheaded by players (7) |
| LED (spearheaded) next to CAST (players in a stage performance). Or perhaps it’s CAST-LED: (a performance) controlled by the performers rather than by an external director. A chess move in which the king and rook change places. |
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| 28 | BLENDER | One beats up lecturer during drunken spree (7) |
| L (abbreviation for lecturer; at least the dictionaries say so, though I’ve never seen it used) inserted into (during) BENDER (drunken spree, as in “going on a bender”). Blender = food processor = device used for beating eggs, cake mixtures etc. |
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| DOWN | ||
| 2 | OVERDUE | Outstanding report on fight that’s endless (7) |
| [c]OVER (report on, as a journalist) + DUE[l] (fight), with the end letters removed (endless). | ||
| 3 | PITON | Spike for working below mine (5) |
| ON (working) after (below, in a down clue) PIT (coal mine). A metal spike used in rock-climbing. |
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| 4 | DEBRIEF | Fed up eating cheese? Find out what happened (7) |
| FED reversed (up, in a down clue), containing (eating) BRIE (cheese). Consult with someone after a task (military operation, business meeting etc) to discuss how it went and what further actions might be needed. |
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| 6 | LUSTRE | Brightness perhaps lacking in flat (6) |
| I think the intention here is flat = uninteresting or uninspiring = lacklustre = lacking LUSTRE. | ||
| 7 | SNOW GLOBE | Elbow Song broadcast — it contains a winter scene (4,5) |
| Anagram (broadcast) of ELBOW SONG. The surface is clearer if you know that Elbow is the name of a British rock band, though “Elbow song” (without the uppercase S) would make more sense of that. | ||
| 8 | USELESS | Impractical advice for someone trying to economise (7) |
| Someone trying to economise would be advised to USE LESS. | ||
| 9 | GATHERING DUST | Engineer tightens guard that’s not being used (9,4) |
| Anagram (engineer, as a verb = manipulate) of TIGHTENS GUARD. | ||
| 15 | ON THE SPOT | Immediately under pressure there (2,3,4) |
| Double definition. The first refers to an action taken immediately, for example a fine for fare-dodging or an impulse purchase. The second is as in “to put someone on the spot” = to put them under pressure to justify their position.
UPDATE: As Dansar suggests, it’s a triple; the second is just “under pressure” as above, and the third is “there” = “in the right place” (for example an on-the-spot news reporter). |
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| 18 | ISADORA | Woman adds moral centre to one down (7) |
| Centre letters of [m]ORA[l], added to I (one in Roman numerals) + SAD (down = unhappy). Perhaps not a very common woman’s name these days, but the wordplay is fairly clear. |
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| 20 | COLONEL | Temple no location to hide retreating officer (7) |
| Hidden answer, reversed (to hide, retreating) in [temp]LE NO LOC[ation]. | ||
| 21 | ENDORSE | Back final Derby finisher, say, having squandered lead (7) |
| END (final), then [h]ORSE (a “finisher” in a horse race, for example the Derby, usually a race for three-year-olds) with the leading letter removed. | ||
| 22 | CORRIE | Soap company that is providing cover for Republican right (6) |
| CO (company) + IE (i.e. = id est = that is), containing (providing cover for) R (republican) + R (right). Short for Coronation Street, a UK TV soap opera. |
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| 24 | RUN IN | Gradually introduce argument during preliminaries (3,2) |
| Triple definition. To start something gently (for example avoiding excessive acceleration with a new car engine); run-in = argument or disagreement (especially “a run-in with the law” for being stopped by police); run-in (sports) = the series of matches or other events leading up to a big occasion (for example the last few matches in the season, or league matches just before a cup final). The first of these is definitely RUN IN, though the other two would normally be hyphenated as RUN-IN. | ||
Thanks Anto and Quirister
Not flawless, but more entertaining than the rather dull Cryptic today. Favourite COLONEL. I didn’t like CORRIE – it’s not even the full name of the soap.
I found this quite hard for a Quiptic. But I liked ENDORSE and contrary to muffin, I quite enjoyed CORRIE when the penny finally dropped. I share the doubts about LUSTRE and KNACKERED. Thanks to Quirister and Anto
I disagree with the Guardian editor or whoever it is who placed this puzzle in the Quiptic slot. I was tempted to give up on it halfway through. This puzzle could easily be a turn-off for beginners, rather than encourage them.
Did not parse on the spot, the over bit in OVER/due[l], LUSTRE. Was unsure of RUN IN but now see I was on the right track.
New: Sousa, John Philip (composer).
I parsed KNACKERED in the same way as Quirister.
Thanks to Quirister and Anto.
With both crossers in (_ O _ S _) I was hesitating between hOlSt (Gustav) and rOsSi (with a choice of at least six) for the composer. Both unparsed, and both checks failed… Lovely clue when the penny dropped, though.
A bit on the chewier side for a quiptic, but enjoyable. Parsed KNACKERED as blogged, with fell a (somewhat weak) synonym for erred. Parsed LUSTRE in similar but more literal fashion.. flat/matte as in dull paint… either works.
Cheers for our blogger/setter/commenters!
Certainly challenging with some satisfying solves. &lit SOUSA at 16a stands out, for me. Anto has been in the Cryptic slot at times recently – as others have suggested, this would have been a good place for today’s puzzle.
Thanks to Anto – and especially to Quirister!
It says something about the clues that I’m still not convinced by the parsing for LUSTRE or KNACKERED even with people explaining it…
Thanks for making me feel a bit less stupid though, Quirister – I feel a bit better now!
I parsed LUSTRE as did OddOtter @5, but imo it’s a weak clue either way. However, I’ll join in the praise for SOUSA, and I also liked ENDORSE. Didn’t know the soap or its shortened name CORRIE, but the wordplay was clear enough to let me enter it and confirm with google. Thanks to Anto and to Quirister for clearing up a couple of parsings.
Thanks to Quirister and Anto
I had 15d as a triple def
Dansar @9, I think you’re right – thanks. Blog updated.
That “soap” clue had me racking my brains for who came up with the classic clue: “Bar of soap (6,6)” I’m fairly certain it was Araucaria or Rufus, but can anyone remember which?
Thanks Quirister, I am definitely not ON FIRE today and had no idea how to parse the end of 19A – your explanation is good and surely right (and I now think it is a pretty good clue if quite tough for a quiptic – I like the contrast between the fairly erudite knowledge required for the wordplay and the mildly rude ‘slang’ for the definition). Agree with you re capitalisation of Song in 7D and your guess is as good as mine re LUSTRE (my LOI). But I enjoyed the challenge overall with SOUSA, ENDORSE and HERE GOES standing out. Agree with other commenters who found this more suitable for a regular non-Monday slot! Thanks Anto.
I agree with Michelle @3 – too hard for a Quiptic aimed at beginners and definitely harder than today’s Pan. I did like SOUSA, KNACKERED and ENDORSE. I thought CORRIE was rather unfair and LUSTRE unconvincing although both parsings work. Thanks to Quirister for the blog and to Anto.
9d should have jumped out from just d_s_, but no, the rusty points on the old rail line groinked slowly over, so it was loi. Plus similar ?s to people above, with near o (groan), the [c]over bit of overdue, the lack lacking from lustre (hmmm), and the preliminaries bit of run in, all being improperly parsed. So, yes, definitely trickier than the Pan. All part of the fun though, thanks Q and A.
I found this hard for a Quiptic. In fact, I failed to finish it, because I couldn’t spot KNACKERED, although in hindsight it’s a perfectly fair clue.
I also didn’t know two of the three meanings of RUN IN, so I had RUN __ waiting for me right up until the end, and I couldn’t parse LUSTRE.
But all of these are my problem, not Anto’s. Despite my lacklustre performance, I found this to be a well-constructed and entertaining puzzle. Thanks to Anto and Quirister!
Although I found this trickier than today’s Cryptic, I thoroughly enjoyed it. HERE GOES and DEBRIEF were pleasing, GATHERING DUST was a neat anagram, DITTO and COLONEL were disconcertingly well-hidden – and SOUSA was a delight.
Thanks to Quirister and Anto
Agreed – too difficult for a Quiptic, with some questionable cluing. I struggled, and had to reveal a letter or two just to finish (or DNF, to be accurate).
I couldn’t see how to get knackered either.
But LUSTRE from “brightness” at the start, and “lack lustre” at the back of the clue seems ok?
I really enjoyed this one, thanks to Anto and Q – you found a plausible solution which is more than I did.
I thought there must be a river knack or knacker somewhere in the world :O)
Thanks Quirister – like others I found this a tough but mostly satisfying Quiptic, needed to come here for help parsing LUSTRE, KNACKERED and NERO (I rather like the latter now I’ve got it!)
I will however take issue with the grid – 4d and 20d both have 3 running letters without a crossing word, which is a no-no. Surprised that got through the editor!
Coxy, you’re absolutely right.
Both should have been a no-no for that reason but even more so because they have <50% checking
“Surprised that got through the editor”.
I’m not surprised at all.
[BTW, The Guardian has a grid that is even worse]
Delayed chick in after finally admitting that I had got as far as I was ever going to. Glad I wasn’t the only one to find this more challenging than the usual Quiptic fare!
Been referring to this blog for years and never seen anyone complain about a grid layout until now. So what if there are 3 running letters without a cross-over? The joy of a cryptic crossword is that once you’ve understood the clue you just know that your answer is correct, because it has to be – regardless of how many letters are verified by other words.
Colin F, I am actually not too worried about it either.
In the end it is all about the cluing itself, isn’t it?
However, most editors do not like (or even accept) grids with double ‘unches’ (i.e. two unchecked letters in a row). Let alone triple ‘unches’ – yes, the Guardian has such a grid.
But as long as the entries are, altogether, at least 50% checked then they’re usually OK with it.