You always know you will get a sound, fair and no-bells-and-whistles Quiptic from Pasquale. I’d be specially recommending this one to those who really are newish to the art of cryptic solving.
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 Ray, hugging daughter, left in state of great confusion
BEDLAM
An insertion of D and L in BEAM. The insertion indicator is ‘hugging’.
4 Suit with things that get left in garden sheds
SPADES
A dd.
9 Some Paris luminaries in poor part of city
SLUM
Hidden in PariS LUMinaries.
10 Professional meeting reported in March
PROCESSION
A charade of PRO and a homophone of SESSION. The homophone indicator is ‘reported’.
11 Repartee from British worker meeting royal lady
BANTER
A charade of B, ANT and ER for Elizabeth Regina, the current monarch.
12 Eve’s ruin wrecked absolutely everything
UNIVERSE
(EVES RUIN)* with ‘wrecked’ as the anagrind.
13 One who deals with a hive of activity
BEEKEEPER
A cd.
15 Loud tune in entertainment event
FAIR
A charade of F and AIR.
16 Support the old man — it’s right to get stuck in
PROP
An insertion of R in POP. The insertion indicator is ‘to get stuck in’.
17 Excellent group of directors? Right!
STARBOARD
A charade of STAR and BOARD. STARBOARD is the right-hand side of a ship, looking forwards.
21 Bishop, say — private individual needing more experience
BEGINNER
A charade of B, EG and INNER, and the target audience for this excellent and long-standing series of crosswords. All of which are available in the archive, if you want some more practice before next week.
22 Plant with sticky substance placed in shelter
LEGUME
An insertion of GUM in LEE. The insertion indicator is ‘placed in’.
24 Leave fellows needing time in division of company
DEPARTMENT
A charade of DEPART, MEN and T.
25 Excellent railway, well ventilated
AIRY
A charade of AI (representing A1 for ‘excellent’) and RY.
26 South Africa has boys making healthy dishes
SALADS
A charade of SA and LADS.
27 Stick notice on front of present
ADHERE
A charade of AD and HERE.
Down
1 Male animal given fabulous fruit
BULLACE
Pasquale often likes to sprinkle some less common words into a puzzle, and this is the offering here. It’s very clearly clued, though: a charade of BULL and ACE. You needed all the crossing letters to get it? Don’t beat yourself up. So did I.
2 Defeated finally over issue? Resign
DEMIT
A charade of D for the final letter of ‘defeated’ and EMIT. ‘Over’ works because it’s a down clue.
3 Slander from venomous creature, Irish
ASPERSE
A charade of ASP and ERSE for ‘Irish’. More common, I guess, in its nounal form as ASPERSIONS.
5 US author twitching, using words rhythmically?
POETIC
A charade of [Edgar Allan] POE and TIC.
6 Criminal with ridiculous speed on dodgy road
DESPERADO
A charade of (SPEED)* and (ROAD)* The two anagrinds are ‘ridiculous’ and ‘dodgy’.
7 Supporter of poor sons losing love, abandoned
SPONSOR
(POOR S[O]NS)* The removal indicator is ‘losing’ and the anagrind is ‘abandoned’.
8 True comedians performing in factual TV programmes
DOCUMENTARIES
(TRUE COMEDIANS)*
14 King at this time, one unbelievable person not really so clever?
KNOW-IT-ALL
A charade of K, NOW, I and TALL. ‘That’s a tall story.’
16 Lady journalists covering extreme parts of empire
PEERESS
An insertion of EE for the outside letters of ’empire’ in PRESS.
18 Told to be independent? No
RELATED
A dd.
19 Regret that could make me sorer
REMORSE
(ME SORER)* The anagrind is ‘that could make’.
20 Combined fighting force starts to experience difficulties
UNITED
A charade of UNIT and ED for the initial letters of the last two words of the clue.
23 Solemn girl’s first to have wild party!
GRAVE
A charade of G for the initial letter of ‘girl’ and RAVE.
Many thanks to Pasquale for this morning’s puzzle and a congratulatory note to self for not having called him Quixote, as has happened more than once in the past. Too many avatars …
Thanks Pasquale: that was nice, and I enjoyed DESPERADO, UNIVERSE and STARBOARD. I had DETACHMENT instead of DEPARTMENT (thinking of company in the military sense) until crossers proved otherwise. DEMIT was a new one, but this is Pasquale, even if it is a Quiptic.
Very good puzzle for beginners, just as a Quiptic should be. I solved it in less than 20 minutes which is fast for me.
My favourites were: DOCUMENTARIES, KNOW-IT-ALL.
New word: BULLACE.
Thanks, both.
6d gives a great earworm: thanks, Eagles. BULLACE was also new to me but (as you say, Pierre) eminently gettable. Some really lovely touches (King at this time…; Right! as the definition for 17a). Thanks, Pasquale and Pierre.
Thanks Pasquale and Pierre. Agree entirely that this is “sound, no bells and whistles” – exactly what the Quiptic should be, really. Only slight disappointment was that both this and the Cryptic were done in barely 30 minutes between them – what on Earth am I going to do with the rest of my day?
Dragged BULLACE from the back of the memory bank somehow – and with it being clued so precisely, I was confident that I didn’t even need to look it up for confirmation. (That’s a compliment to Pasquale!)
Thanks Pasquale and Pierre
As with Gladys, I didn’t know DEMIT, but is Pasquale. I didn’t understand RELATED, and couldn’t parse UNITED as I took the initials to be To Experience Difficulties.
Nice to see STARBOARD make an appearance when we so often see PORT.
Like others BULLACE and DEMIT were new. A must for beginners, as you say Pierre. Thanks both.
Yes that was enjoyable but can someone please explain why private = INNER. inner thoughts are private maybe?
Yes, generally a good Quiptic, although the first three down answers might stretch a beginner’s (and some others’) vocabulary somewhat.
Fiona @8; yes, I think that’s the meaning, see ODE: ‘2.Mental or spiritual: a test of inner strength.
• (of thoughts or feelings) private and not expressed or discernible: inner feelings | a speaker’s inner thoughts’.
I liked PROCESSION, PROP, DESPERADO and DOCUMENTARIES (good anagram).
Thanks Pasquale and Pierre.
On the Guardian comments I think someone first had DETACHMENT for 24ac.
Leave = Detach, perhaps not quite such a strong synonym as Depart but you could still detach from something to leave it. Randomly this fits all of the crossers except for the T in united.
Ahh sorry just read @1 here fully…
A very good Quiptic – thanks Pasquale.
My only quiblet is 1 & 2d. They are unfamiliar words and to have them side by side makes the whole exercise appear harder than it is. But, they are very well clued so eminently gettable.
Thanks for the explanations Pierre.
Bullaces are common in many hedgerows in the autumn!
Did this today (Tuesday), Sunday night left my brain too fuzzy to attempt anything more demanding than the quick yesterday. Apart from a break to get dressed and make a cup of coffee, done in one sitting, with only a little help from the check button and Google. More to confirm unfamiliar answers than anything else. I had the correct answers from the word play but didn’t quite believe they were real words. Pasquale has pitched this perfectly for those who struggle with the more cryptic clues.