This seems to be Kite’s first foray into Quiptics, after setting a few puzzles at the harder end of the spectrum.
I thought this was about the right level for a Quiptic. I’m afraid it raised more than one 4d for my personal taste: a not-very-cryptic definition (unless I’m missing something), and a couple of double definitions that don’t really have two distinct meanings. But that’s probably just me: as a former writer of 20ds for computer software I’m what a friend once described as a “professional pedant”. Still an enjoyable puzzle, anyway; thanks Kite.
Definitions are underlined; BOLD UPPERCASE indicates letters used in the wordplay; square brackets [ ] indicate omitted letters.
| ACROSS | ||
| 1 | ROADWORKS |
Way to factory for maintenance (9)
|
| ROAD (way) + WORKS (factory, as in “steelworks”). | ||
| 6 | AGED |
Old unfinished Degas rejected (4)
|
| DEGA[s] without the last letter (unfinished), reversed (rejected). | ||
| 10 | LIE-IN |
Tell fibs at home and stay in bed (3-2)
|
| LIE (tell fibs) + IN (at home).
To have a lie-in is to stay in bed in the morning beyond the usual time for getting up. I think we need the noun sense of “stay” here, because strictly the verb should be “lie in” without the hyphen; though the distinction seems to be getting blurred in some modern writing. |
||
| 11 | DEPLETING |
Director-general’s boxing record — admit it’s exhausting (9)
|
| DG (abbreviation for Director-General) containing (boxing) EP (extended-play record) + LET IN (admit). | ||
| 12 | COAXIAL |
Sort of cable company with a cricket team that’s always lazy to begin with (7)
|
| CO (abbreviation for company) + A + XI (eleven, in Roman numerals = cricket team) + first letters (to begin with) of A[lways] L[azy].
Coaxial cable = an electrical cable that has one conductor wrapped in a cylinder around the other with an insulating layer between them, rather than two parallel conductors; typically used to carry high-frequency electrical signals for radio, telephone, internet etc. (As an engineering student a long time ago, I spent some time working in a cable factory . . .) |
||
| 13 | INSISTS |
Trendy son sits uneasily to make demands (7)
|
| IN (trendy = fashionable) + S (son) + anagram (uneasily) of SITS. | ||
| 14 | NEARSIGHTEDLY |
Strangely hide criminal in a way that shows lack of proper vision? (13)
|
| Anagram (criminal) of STRANGELY HIDE.
Another word for shortsightedly = with poor vision at a distance. |
||
| 17 | ERRAND OF MERCY |
Make mistakes with many forced unfortunately to provide charity trip (6,2,5)
|
| ERR (make mistakes) + anagram (unfortunately) of MANY FORCED. | ||
| 21 | ALARMED |
Backing made Mr Aladdin somewhat distressed (7)
|
| Hidden answer (. . . somewhat), reversed (backing), in [ma]DE MR ALA[ddin]. | ||
| 22 | LONG AGO |
Design adopted no good — accepted initially in the distant past (4,3)
|
| LOGO (a design representing an organisation), containing (adopting) the first letters (initially) of N[o] G[ood] A[ccepted]. Or you could just have NG as an abbreviation for “no good” and the initial letter of A[ccepted]. | ||
| 24 | UNION FLAG |
What English, Scots, Welsh & Loyalists have in common? (5,4)
|
| Cryptic definition – but a rather weak one, unless I’m missing something. As a straight definition it works, describing the flag of the United Kingdom of Great Britan and Northern Ireland (to give it its full title). The flag itself combines English and Scottish flags with one originally intended to represent Ireland, but now used for Northern Ireland, not all of whose inhabitants are Loyalists. It doesn’t have any specific representation of Wales, because it was designed at a time when the English kings thought they owned Wales and didn’t acknowledge it as a separate nation. And before you ask – yes, I was born in Wales. | ||
| 25 | EDITS |
Starts to emend details in the Sun (5)
|
| Initial letters (starts) of E[mend] D[etails] I[n] T[he] S[un].
Clue-as-definition: emend = edit, as a newspaper editor might do. |
||
| 26 | LENT |
Regularly alternate fast (4)
|
| Every other letter (regularly) from [a]L[t]E[r]N[a]T[e].
Fast = a period of abstinence, such as Lent before Easter. |
||
| 27 | REDESIGNS |
Navy flags without new fashions again (9)
|
| RED E[n]SIGNS (Red Ensign = Navy flag = the flag used by British merchant or passenger ships, red with a Union Flag in the top corner) without the N (new). | ||
| DOWN | ||
| 1 | RELACING |
Rushing about, the Spanish are tying up loose ends once more (8)
|
| An example of the ignore-the-punctuation rule in cryptics. RACING (rushing) around (about) EL (a form of “the” in Spanish). | ||
| 2 | ARENA |
An age taken ascending stadium (5)
|
| AN + ERA (age = period of time), all reversed (ascending = upwards in a down clue). | ||
| 3 | WIND INSTRUMENT |
Twist formal legal document for recorder, maybe (4,10)
|
| WIND (as a verb = twist = turn in a spiral) + INSTRUMENT (formal legal document). | ||
| 4 | RED FLAG |
Warning of danger shown by revolutionaries (3,4)
|
| Double definition. Metaphorically, something that should be considered a warning sign requiring action; or a flag associated with left-wing politics, dating back to the French Revolution. | ||
| 5 | SOPHIST |
Old philosophy teacher‘s a pathetic person confusing this (7)
|
| SOP (slang for a weak or foolish person) + anagram (confusing) of THIS. | ||
| 7 | GAINSAYER |
Challenger‘s profit given to teller (9)
|
| GAIN (profit) + SAYER (one who says / tells).
Old word for someone who disagrees / challenges; the “gain” bit is from “against”. |
||
| 8 | DIGEST |
Summary process (6)
|
| Double definition, though I think the two words derive from the same meaning. A collection of short summaries of longer pieces of writing, such as the magazine Reader’s Digest); or to process food in the digestive system. | ||
| 9 | BEDSIDE MANNERS |
Man’s ribs needed treatment, which is shown by doctors to patients (7,7)
|
| Anagram (treatment) of MANS RIBS NEEDED.
The usual phrase is “bedside manner”, in the singular, not “manners”; but I suppose we could compare and contrast two or more doctors’ bedside manners. |
||
| 15 | AMERASIAN |
Treat marine as a person of mixed parentage (9)
|
| Anagram (treat) of MARINE AS A.
Someone with mixed American-Asian heritage, especially one descended from a member of the US military serving in Asia. |
||
| 16 | SYNOPSIS |
Abstract work with relative fault reported at the beginning (8)
|
| OP (short for Latin opus = a work of music, literature etc) + SIS (short for sister = relative), with a homophone (reported) of SIN (fault) at the beginning.
Abstract = synopsis = a summary of a longer piece of writing. |
||
| 18 | NODULAR |
Our land broken and lumpy (7)
|
| Anagram (broken) of OUR LAND. | ||
| 19 | OBLIGED |
Mad dog with bile is bound (7)
|
| Anagram (mad) of DOG + BILE. | ||
| 20 | MANUAL |
Handy instruction book? (6)
|
| Double definition, though both are derived from the same original meaning of “hand”. Adjective describing physical work done “with the hands” = handy; or a “handbook” = instruction book small enough to be picked up in the hand. | ||
| 23 | APING |
Copying a high-pitched sound (5)
|
| A + PING (high-pitched sound). |
Thanks Kite and Quirister
Yes, a new compiler for me. Mostly OK – I liked REDSESIGNS in particular.
I was held up by entering UPPER CASE for 24a (as each word starts with one such letter). At least the solution was the correct “flag” rather than the usually misapplied “jack”.
BEDSIDE MANNERS as a plural is a bit odd, but even odder is that the clue should thus surely have “are” rather than “is?
Thanks Quirister, agree on a few awkward moments, BEDSIDE MANNERS is such a good anagram spot that the slightly clumsy definition is a real shame – maybe the “which is” was needed as a signal for the Quiptic? Anyway this was entertaining and i really liked SYNOPSIS too, thanks Kite and look forward to more.
Thanks, Quirister & Kite. I thought this was pretty good on the whole and agree with muffin on REDESIGNS. Also thought the anagram for NEARSIGHTEDLY was also a great find.
Interesting to see a setter known for tougher fare turn their hand to the Quiptic. Writing “easy” is not easy to do well.
I’m not happy with 13a. The grammar of the clue leads to ‘insist’ not ‘insists’.. Rather sloppy in my opinion..
Paul @4: I think the definition is “demands” as a verb, which isn’t exactly the same as “insists” but quite close. I could demand / insist that you should agree with me, but I won’t . . .
Do three flags make a theme? or just a very small pavement? Other than that muffin sums up my reaction.
while i enjoyed the genius puzzle by kite i attempted (but DNF i think!), this one didn’t do it for me. the UNION FLAG clue i don’t understand at all to be honest – if there’s no wordplay element to it then couldn’t UNION JACK apply equally well? “man’s ribs needed treatment” is a nice find, though “man’s rib needed treatment” would arrive at the more familiar phrase
Thanks for the comments. I have an electronic version of Chambers, which includes BEDSIDE MANNERS, so I think it’s OK. The clue should have read … they are … instead of … which is…
Enjoyed that. As is now traditional, it took me marginally longer than the cryptic to complete, so it really feels like we get two quiptics on a Monday.
Liked: RELACING, SYNOPSIS, NEARSIGHTEDLY. I hadn’t come across AMERASIAN before but deduced it as logical and fitting.
I spent too long looking for clever wordplay in the UNION FLAG clue. If it’s there, it’s still eluding me. If it’s not, then that’s an oddly straightforward clue, I thought.
Thanks both!
Liked DEPLETING.
Thanks, both.
Great Quiptic and blog. Thanks Kite and Quirister.
Thank you for this writeup! I’m relatively new to cryptic crosswords and it’s really helpful to get explicit explanations of the answers.
In the introductory section, what do “4d” and “20d” mean? (“I’m afraid it raised more than one 4d for my personal taste” and, “as a former writer of 20ds for computer software…”)
95chins @12: welcome to Fifteensquared, and I’m glad you found the blog useful.
The “4d” and “20d” are references to the answers at 4 down and 20 down; I’m saying that the puzzle raised a “RED FLAG” (4 down) by including things I don’t like, and that I used to write “MANUALs” (20 down).
They are just clue numbers. 4d is red flag and 20d is manual