Quiptic 1,149 by Pasquale

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A suitably gentle Monday morning wake-up from Pasquale today.

Nice concise clues with smooth surfaces. I particularly liked 12a for the misdirection of “leads”, 21a for the delightful image of a mime artist and a Trappist monk in a silent conversation, and 8d for a great anagram built into an appropriate surface; but there were several others I could have picked. Thanks Pasquale for the fun.

Definitions are underlined; BOLD UPPERCASE indicates letters used in the wordplay; square brackets [ ] indicate omitted letters. As always, the Quiptic is intended to be accessible for beginners, so please ask if anything isn’t clear in the blog.

ACROSS
1 CHROME
Something shiny in church where the Pope is (6)
CH (short for church) + ROME (where the Pope is).
4 ACCENT
Stress bill will need a bit of money added (6)
AC (short for account = bill) + CENT (small coin = a bit of money).
9 BEAM
Broadcast making one smile (4)
Double definition.
10 CUCKOO PINT
Plant needs crazy amount of liquid (6,4)
CUCKOO (slang for crazy) + PINT (liquid measure).

Common name for flowering plants in the Arum family.
11 SEETHE
Understand article and be furious (6)
SEE (understand, as in “can you see what Pasquale did there?” + THE (definite article).
12 OF COURSE
Old female leads the way, naturally (2,6)
Initial letters (leads) of O[ld] F[emale] + COURSE (the way, as in the course of a river).
13 STOCKHOLM
Talk and smooch freely, when abandoning a city (9)
Anagram (freely) of T[a]LK + SMOOCH, abandoning the letter A.
15 IDEA
Guide always offers this thought (4)
Hidden answer (. . . offers this) in [gu]IDE A[lways].
16 MEET
It’s absolutely right to get together (4)
Double definition; the first is an archaic word for “right” in the sense of correct or appropriate.
17 LANDGRAVE
Come down with sombre nobleman (9)
LAND (come down to earth) + GRAVE (sombre).

Title roughly equivalent to a duke; in the Holy Roman Empire, one who ruled a large area of land and was subject only to the Emperor.
21 TRAPPIST
Strange artist keeping very quiet? I’m even quieter! (8)
Anagram (strange) of ARTIST, containing PP (pp = pianissimo = musical notation for very quiet).

Monk from an order generally thought of as silent; in fact their practice is to speak only when necessary, and to avoid idle or unkind talk.
22 SMARMY
Sergeant major facing soldiers? One’s unlikely to be this! (6)
SM (short for sergeant major) + ARMY (soldiers).

Extended definition: smarmy = excessively polite and flattering, unlike a sergeant major who is traditionally direct (to the point of being aggressively critical).
24 NIGHT NURSE
One may be in the dark when it comes to looking after people (5,5)
Cryptic definition: one who cares for sick patients during the hours of darkness.
25 SAID
Son needs help, it’s stated (4)
S (son) + AID (help).
26 SATIRE
With mockery a rite’s made to look silly (6)
Anagram (made to look silly) of A RITE’S.
27 STEPPE
Plain foot movement needed with gym (6)
STEP (foot movement) + PE (short for physical exercises = gym).

Large flat grassland without trees.
DOWN
1 CLEMENT
Merciful post-war PM (7)
Double definition. Merciful (as in a plea for clemency); or Clement Attlee, British PM 1945 – 1951.
2 REMIT
Set aside area of responsibility (5)
Double definition. To remit a punishment is to set it aside = refrain from imposing it; or as in “that’s beyond my remit” = that’s somebody else’s problem.
3 MACBETH
Arts graduate about to join little woman in play (7)
MA (a master’s degree, which may be in arts subjects as opposed to an MSc in sciences, though some universities use MA for both) + C (about, from Latin circa) + BETH (a short form of the woman’s name Elizabeth, or specifically one of the title characters in Louisa May Alcott’s novel Little Women).
5 CROUCH
Squat in Essex river (6)
Double definition. The second flows eastwards through Essex to the North Sea; I remembered it by first thinking of the town of Burnham-on-Crouch.
6 EXPOUNDER
Preacher no longer one who thumps (9)
EX (prefix meaning “no longer”) + POUNDER (pound, as a verb = thump = beat).
7 TUNISIA
Aunt is rambling around one African country (7)
Anagram (rambling) of AUNT IS around I (one in Roman numerals).
8 SCHOOLMASTERS
Teachers sorting out the classrooms (13)
Anagram (sorting out) of THE CLASSROOMS.
14 CHEAP SHOT
Chap comes out with those unfair comments (5,4)
Anagram (comes out) of CHAP + THOSE.

Cheap shot = an unfairly critical comment or insult, especially one directed at someone not in a position to make a defence.
16 MARGINS
Extremities of planet full of spirit (7)
MARS (a planet) containing (full of) GIN (spirit = strong alcoholic drink).
18 DESCENT
Man climbing trail — before he makes this? (7)
ED (man’s name, short for Edward, Edmund, etc) reversed (climbing = upwards in a down clue), then SCENT (trail, as in a dog following the trail of another animal).

Extended definition: descent = coming down a hill after climbing it.
19 VAMPIRE
Seductress with anger — an evil character (7)
VAMP (a seductive woman) + IRE (anger).
20 SINNER
Second successful person, not the first, is a baddie (6)
S (short for second) + [w]INNER (successful person) without its first letter.
23 AESOP
Old Greek author sees river water rising (5)
PO (the crossword setter’s favourite Italian river) + SEA (water), all reversed (rising = upwards in a down clue).

33 comments on “Quiptic 1,149 by Pasquale”

  2. I suspect that Pasquale, like me, grew up with the old C of E service – “It is very meet, right, and our bounden duty, that we should at all times and in all places give thanks unto Thee…”

    Pasquale does good sound Quiptics, though there’s some UKGK required for CLEMENT, CROUCH and CUCKOO PINT (a plant with more folk names than you can count).

    Favourites TRAPPIST and the neat SEETHE.

  3. Not difficult, but a delight. Quirister, you have left out the C (about) in MACBETH. Thanks to you and to Pasquale.

  4. George@1: yes, THOSE in the clue does suggest a plural, though a CHEAP SHOT can be made up of several unfair comments.

  5. George @1 – I had the same thought, but what else could it be? Also, NHO CUCKOO PINT, but it has to be correct.

  7. This Quiptic was enjoyable to solve. I checked online for some of the GK such as former PM Clement Attlee.

    I solved the NW corner last.

    Favourites: SINNER, AESOP, STEPPE, MARGINS, BEAM, CHROME (loi).

    New for me: River CROUCH in Essex, CUCKOO PINT.

    * I had the same query as some others re 14d CHEAP SHOT which was singular for a plural definition = comments?

    Thanks, both.

  8. Thanks for the blog, Quirister. I agree with all your favourites, for the same reasons.

    I thought CHROME was a nice one to start off with and also liked 26ac SATIRE and 3dn MACBETH. (‘Little woman’ is so often JO). 22dn SMARMY made me smile.

    I had the same thought as gladys re MEET and re CHEAP SHOT, in answer to George @1.

    Thanks to Pasquale for a Quiptic that ticked all the boxes.

  9. A good, enjoyable Quiptic, just at the right level, I thought.

    I thought I knew CROUCH from Crouch End, but apparently that derives from crouch meaning a cross in Middle English; you live and learn. I’ve heard of Burnham-on-Crouch also.

    I liked STOCKHOLM, SCHOOLMASTERS and CHEAP SHOT, despite the slight question of singular/plural; as Gladys @4 says a cheap shot could be made up of several comments, I suppose.

    Thanks Pasquale and Quirister.

  10. An object lesson in how to construct a Quiptic level crossword, while providing enjoyment along the way. CHROME, SMARMY, SCHOOLMASTERS all good among many others.

  13. Thanks Pasquale and Quirister. Can only echo what everyone has said about this being a near perfect Quiptic. Yes, “unfair comment” probably should have been singular but that’s a minor glitch. Lots of good clues but the excellent anagram for SCHOOLMASTERS is my COTD.

    Not familiar with CUCKOO PINT or LANDGRAVE but both are very fairly clued.

    Eileen @8 – with M and H already in the grid, and “about” in the clue, I was distracted for a while trying to construct something around MARCH for 3d…

  14. A nice easy one. CUCKOO PINT was new to me, at first I thought it might be Cuckoo Spit, but it can hardly be anything else.

  16. 4a I parsed as ACT (of Parliament) with CEN[T] in it (a bit of money). I don’t know whether this is better but I struggle with account = bill

  17. Some answers a bit too far outside of general knowledge, however. I’ve never heard of MEET to mean correct, nor of a CUCKOO PINT, nor of a LANDGRAVE; and /usr/share/dict/british-english hasn’t heard of LANDGRAVE either. Nor has my browser’s spellchecker.

    Not unfair cluing, but there’s a limit to the expected knowledge of someone doing the quiptic, I think.

  20. altreus @17 – you need a better dictionary! It’s in the OED, Chambers or Collins – the last of which is accessible online for free. Or, if you’re American, it’s also in Merriam-Webster. A quick Google search also turned up plenty of hits, including a Wikipedia entry. Yes, it is a fairly obscure word, but too obscure for a Quiptic? Arguable, I suppose. The wordplay was clear enough for me to confidently enter the solution without needing to look it up for verification. YMMV. But I for one am glad our setter doesn’t dumb down for the sake of second guessing his audience’s knowledge level.

    gladys @18 – thanks for that, what a fascinating plant. Interesting to learn the meaning of PINT in this context too!

  21. altreus @17 – I think being new to cryptics and having a particular level of GK are independent variables. No need for a Quiptic setter to assume a low level of the latter.

  22. Enjoyable…..but…Oh golly, oh gosh…where is EB? Asleep on the couch?
    Thanks very much for the puzzle and blog Pasquale and Quirister.

  23. Taffy @22 – no, asleep on the CROUCH (well, close enough) 😉

    I wonder if Pasquale had the opening scene of Little Women on his mind, where the girls are rehearsing ‘The Witches’ Curse, an Operatic Tragedy’, and Jo says she’s always wanted to try MACBETH. ‘Is this a dagger which I see before me?’ ‘No, it’s SMARMY’s slipper on a toasting fork’ (well, close enough)

    Nice puzzle; thanks Pasquale and Quirister, and Taffy for his concern.

  24. Thank you Pasquale and Quirister for a most enjoyable crossword and blog. I found it not easy but just right – pretty near perfect, in fact.

  26. [EB @23…. I knew of the place from Billericay Dickie…. hence wondered if you were somewhat distracted.
    “Oh golly, oh gosh
    Come and lie on the couch
    With a nice bit of posh
    From Burnham-on-Crouch”]

  28. [Taffy/muffin – I’m obviously not au fait enough with the Dury œuvre, so Taffy’s reference went straight over my head. Apologies.

    Paul did an Essex-themed puzzle a few yonks ago. I can’t remember if Burnham or Billericay featured in it, but the clue which sticks in my memory is ‘Nesting cups?’ (9) (Bear in mind it’s a Paul clue!)]

  29. Done! Caught up. Now what to do?

    Couple of weeks ago the intro called Pasquale “The Don”. Was wondering if he is Don Putnam. But looks like they are different.

  30. @altreus #17

    I sympathize. I am not a native English speaker, grew up in South India and moved to USA. Very poor in UKGK. Compared to others Pasquale is better. The worst is Anto. Example:GQ 1129 “Eric and Ernie” as the definition. Some comedy show, and it is not even its real title some nick name given to locals who watch that sort of thing. When setters use first name link to last name of B List celebrities of 1960s, it is extremely hard for people like us.

  31. @widdersbel #20 Obscure words are unavoidable while filling up the grid. There are not many words that would match ?a?d?r?v? pattern. Adjusting difficulty level of the clue, taking into account the obscurity of the word is a good thing, in quiptic. It should not be called dumbing it down.

    Quiptic should create the next generation of fans who would go on to solve regular cryptics.

  32. I found this enjoyable but harder than a typical mid-week cryptic, definitely not Quiptic material.

    I disagree with Ravilyn @31 – it’s entirely possible to fill a grid without using obscure words. If you can’t, then save it for a different day instead and try with a new grid. Otherwise, it completely fails in your stated objective for Quiptics!

  33. @PH #32
    You all have more exposure and experience, so you could be right about filling a grid with known words.

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