Quiptic 1,105 by Pan

by

Thanks to Pan for our entertainment today.

The Quiptic’s brief is “for beginners and those in a hurry”. This one perhaps stretches the definition a little, with a few less familiar words and some slightly loose definitions, but I don’t think any of these are unreasonable. However, feel free to ask if I haven’t given enough explanation.
I thought the surfaces were excellent, though I wouldn’t say “enjoyed” for the images conjured up by 11a and 13d, for example. 15a was a favourite: if you want to rent basic accommodation in Monaco, a tent is probably the only affordable option.

Definitions are underlined; BOLD UPPERCASE indicates letters used in the wordplay; square brackets [ ] indicate omitted letters.

ACROSS
7 RECORDER Stenographer‘s instrument (8)
Double definition: one who records what’s said in court using a shorthand typing system, or a woodwind instrument.
9 ASHORE A runaway horse is on the beach (6)
A + anagram (runaway) of HORSE.
10 LOOM John has master’s weaving equipment (4)
LOO (john = slang for toilet) + M (Master’s degree).
11 COLD TURKEY Unsympathetic country offering unpleasant cure for addiction (4,6)
COLD (uncaring or unsympathetic) + TURKEY (the country).
Slang for attempting to cure a drug addiction by withdrawing the drug abruptly and completely, rather than weaning the user off it gradually; brutal and unpleasant but sometimes effective.
12 LESBOS Mediterranean island the French cry about (6)
LES (plural “the” in French), then SOB (cry) reversed (about).
Greek island.
14 TOLERATE Large kind of bag containing real dancing bear (8)
TOTE (a large bag) containing an anagram (dancing) of REAL.
Bear, as a verb = tolerate = endure.
15 TENANT One renting basic accommodation outside centre of Monaco (6)
TENT (very basic accommodation) outside the middle letters of [mo]NA[co].
17 DANUBE Bad painting taking in north European river (6)
DAUB (to apply paint carelessly, or a poor-quality painting made in this way), taking in N (north), then E (European).
River flowing from Germany to the Black Sea.
20 ENGORGED Swollen bananas go green — close to bad (8)
Anagram (bananas) of GO GREEN, then the closing letter of [ba]D.
22 CLEANS Sponges found by climber heading to slopes (6)
First letter (heading) of C[limber], then LEANS (slopes).
Sponges, as a verb = wipes clean with a sponge.
23 STRIPTEASE Entertainment offered by naughty priest carrying drinks? (10)
Anagram (naughty) of PRIEST, containing (carrying) TEAS (drinks).
24 BATS Try to back clubs (4)
STAB (try = attempt, as in “have a stab at it”), reversed (to back).
Club = bat = striking weapon.
25 LEDGER Account book found by shelf on right (6)
LEDGE (shelf) + R (right).
Book (or computer program) used for financial accounting.
26 DYSLEXIA Daily sex sorted out learning difficulty (8)
Anagram (sorted out) of DAILY SEX.
The definition may raise a few eyebrows, but note the difference between “learning disability” (which suggests intellectual impairment) and “learning difficulty” (a condition that interferes with the ability to learn, without implying any lack of intelligence); dyslexia is an example of the latter.
DOWN
1 REDOLENT Aromatic vein of ore turning up in fissure (8)
LODE (a vein of ore within surrounding rock), reversed (turning up = upwards in a down clue), in RENT (fissure = split).
2 FORM Assembly dismissing University document (4)
FOR[u]M (assembly), dismissing the U (University).
3 EDICTS Bank upset about court orders (6)
SIDE (bank, as in riverside), reversed (upset = upwards in a down clue), containing (about) CT (abbreviation for court).
4 MANTILLA Fellow on farm given a scarf (8)
MAN (fellow) + TILL (to work soil for farming = to farm) + A.
A Spanish veil worn over the head and shoulders = a headscarf.
5 CHARTREUSE Monitor about to resort to drink (10)
CHART (as a verb = record on a chart = monitor) + RE (on the subject of = about) + USE (resort to = make use of).
French liqueur.
6 ARDENT Intense part of standard entertainment (6)
Hidden answer (part of) in [stand]ARD ENT[ertainment].
8 RELATE Retired queen has surprising tale to tell (6)
ER (Elizabeth Regina = Queen), reversed (retired), then an anagram (surprising) of TALE.
13 BINGO WINGS Flaps of skin wobbling in big gowns? (5,5)
Anagram (wobbling) of IN BIG GOWNS.
Extended definition: a rather derogatory term for loose skin on the upper arm.
16 NUGATORY Letter by grand American conservative is worthless (8)
NU (Greek letter N) + G (abbreviation for grand) + A (American) + TORY (member/supporter of the Conservative Party).
18 EINSTEIN Unconventional nineties genius (8)
Anagram (unconventional) of NINETIES.
19 EDWARD English fighting over Germany to get daughter to an old king (6)
E (English) + WAR (fighting), containing (over) D (abbreviation for Deutschland = Germany), then D (daughter).
21 NUTMEG Enthusiast served up perfect example of spice (6)
NUT (slang for an enthusiast, as in “a football nut”), then GEM (perfect example) reversed (served up = upwards in a down clue).
22 CREASE Tuck sides of robe into luggage (6)
Outside letters (sides) of R[ob]E, inserted into CASE (luggage).
Tuck = a fold used to shape fabric in a garment = crease.
24 BRED Raised money for speakers (4)
Homophone (for speakers) of BREAD = slang for money.
As in “born and bred” = brought up = raised.

 

26 comments on “Quiptic 1,105 by Pan”

  2. Thanks Pan and Quirister
    Very nice puzzle. I liked TENANT too, and the image of the naughty priest serving drinks!

  4. I thought this was spot-on for a Quiptic and like tandemist@3 had a good chuckle at BINGO WINGS.

    Thought it was a bit mean making DYSLEXIA and anagram though!

  7. I thought this just right. Got lots of answers from the wordplay alone which was very satisfying.

    Favourites include: EDICTS, REDOLENT, STRIPTEASE, NUGATORY, CHARTREUSE

    Thanks to Pan and Quirister

  8. I read 19d as E[nglish] + WAR above (over) D[eutschland] containing (to get) D[aughter]. I suppose it works either way.

  11. Love that DYSLEXIA is an anagram of “daily sex”. Now to work it into a conversation…..
    Thanks both.

  12. Unlike some others who have done both this and today’s cryptic, I found this a lot easier, with only REDOLENT and CHARTREUSE delaying me for any unreasonable amount of time, whereas the cryptic brought me to a halt two or three times before I cracked it.

    Thanks to Pan for the entertainment and Quirister for the blog, especially for the sensitive note about the definition of DYSLEXIC.

    Petert @6: if a STRIPTEASE is not entertainment, I don’t know what it is!

  13. sheffield hatter @ 12 I guess you have to say that being in the city of The Full Monty, but each to their own, I suppose.

  14. Petert: Even if you don’t find it entertaining yourself, surely the reason people go to watch is to be entertained. So it’s a form of entertainment. And I’m pretty sure it’s not just a Sheffield thing!

  15. Only just getting to the blog, but completed this Quiptic early this morning and much enjoyed it. I doun’t think of a word meaning assembly that was FORM+U though; I thought if must be somehow derived from UNIFORM-UNI, so thank you for FORUM. Duh!

  16. Quite pleasant with a few I found meatier – CHARTREUSE, CLEANS. For 13d I could only come up with the seemingly bizarre phrase BINGO WINGS – only to find out that such things apparently exist. I’m in the ‘easier than the cryptic’ camp, which is as it should be. Thanks, Pan and Quirister. [Is anybody else finding the blogs appearing differently now – more pleasing feel to it?]

  19. Alphalpha@11, be warned that the DYSLEXIA anagram is a well-worn joke that I first saw on a T-shirt years ago!

    I liked the clue for BINGO WINGS, and I was reminded of another clue for it:
    Crosby, indebted to Stills primarily, this pair rarely associated with Young
    (John Pigeon aka ‘Petitjean’)

  21. I find the comments about striptease being entertainment quite upsetting. Old fashioned, misogynistic and patronising. I am surprised this clue was deemed suitable.

  23. Lovely Quiptic and blog, thanks both. On DYSLEXIA, many years ago I worked for a London council which printed a guide to its services. With a horrible inevitability someone accidentally put DYLSEXIA in the index. It was like a bad joke but in real life. No heads rolled and perhaps there’s a further irony there …

  24. Only just got around to this one, three days late.
    Found it tougher than Pan’s last two offerings, one of which was a Monday Cryptic, the other a Saturday Prize. Shome mishtake shurely!
    Mind you, I was held up somewhat by putting in 24a the wrong way round.

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