One of Crosswordland’s best-known setters (under various names) provides our Quiptic today.
A fun Quiptic-level puzzle with nothing too obscure and everything clearly clued. The definition and wordplay seemed a bit too close in a couple of clues, as noted, but this sort of thing is more common in the Quiptic than in other cryptics. I liked the straightforward construction of 10a, the misdirection of “false alarm” in 21a, and the clever anagram in 8d. Thanks Pasquale as always.
Definitions are underlined; BOLD UPPERCASE indicates letters used in the wordplay; square brackets [ ] indicate omitted letters.
| ACROSS | ||
| 1 | BRANCH |
Part of a big organisation that is wooden (6)
|
| Double definition – though I’m sure the first one (a regional office of a big organisation, or a part of it concerned with a specific function) is derived from the second (a limb of a tree). | ||
| 4 | SPIGOT |
Try to block drop of rain with plug (6)
|
| GO (as in “have a go” = try) inserted into SPIT (a drop of light rain).
A movable plug inserted into a hole or tap, which blocks or allows the flow of liquid – though the word is also used to mean the tap as a whole. |
||
| 9 | CLUB |
Card for social organisation (4)
|
| Double definition. A card from one of the suits in playing cards; or a group of people meeting for social activities. | ||
| 10 | NEW ZEALAND |
Fresh enthusiasm comes with an introduction to delightful country (3,7)
|
| NEW (fresh) + ZEAL (enthusiasm) + AN + first letter (introduction) of D[elightful]. | ||
| 11 | CASTRO |
Socialist leader, a sort disturbed by Conservative (6)
|
| Anagram (disturbed) of A SORT after C (abbreviation for Conservative).
Fidel Castro, former leader of Cuba – or his younger brother Raul who succeeded him. |
||
| 12 | EARL GREY |
Tea? Good, about to come in before expected time! (4,4)
|
| G (abbreviation for good) + RE (about = on the subject of), coming into EARLY (before expected time).
A blend of tea flavoured with bergamot. |
||
| 13 | PENITENCE |
Remorse of English fool interrupting Trump’s no.2 (9)
|
| E (abbreviation for English) + NIT (fool = stupid person), inserted into (interrupting) PENCE (Mike Pence, US vice-president to Donald Trump). | ||
| 15 | TINY |
Very small container by end of alleyway (4)
|
| TIN (metal container) + end letter of [alleywa]Y. | ||
| 16 | GOLD |
Metal left inside idol (4)
|
| L (abbreviation for left) inside GOD (god, with a small g = idol = object of worship). | ||
| 17 | DRAGGED ON |
Worn out fellow going round kept going for ages (7,2)
|
| RAGGED (worn out) with DON (fellow = university academic) going around it. | ||
| 21 | MARGINAL |
False alarm – drinking spirit insignificant (8)
|
| Anagram (false) of ALARM, containing (drinking) GIN (spirit = alcoholic drink).
As in “I have a marginal preference for . . .” = slight and not really important. |
||
| 22 | INCITE |
Move home location, from what we hear (6)
|
| IN (as in “I’ll be in this evening” = home = at home) + homophone (from what we hear) of SITE (location).
Move = incite = provoke someone to do something. |
||
| 24 | WELL-EARNED |
We p-picked up some information – rest may be this (4-6)
|
| WE + LEARNED (picked up some information), with the L doubled to match the stammer suggested in the wordplay.
A well-earned rest = a break after hard work. |
||
| 25 | VEAL |
Have a look – find hidden meat (4)
|
| Hidden answer (as it says) in [ha]VE A L[ook].
Meat from a young cow or bull. |
||
| 26 | DRYADS |
Dull commercials showing nymphs (6)
|
| DRY (dull = uninteresting) + ADS (short for advertisements = commercials).
Woodland nymphs in classical mythology. |
||
| 27 | BEIRUT |
City brute running wild – one to be caught (6)
|
| Anagram (running wild) of BRUTE, containing (to be caught) I (one in Roman numerals).
Capital city of Lebanon. |
||
| DOWN | ||
| 1 | BALLADE |
Able lad composed poetic work (7)
|
| Anagram (composed) of ABLE LAD.
A poem usually consisting of three long stanzas and one shorter one, each stanza ending with the same line. |
||
| 2 | ABBOT |
Monk and a couple of bishops with holy books (5)
|
| A + B B (abbreviation for Bishop, twice) + OT (abbreviation for Old Testament = holy books). | ||
| 3 | CONDONE |
Pardon prisoner that has cheated (7)
|
| CON (short for convict = prisoner) + DONE (as in “you’ve been done” = cheated = swindled). | ||
| 5 | POETRY |
Teller of horror stories to attempt verse (6)
|
| POE (Edgar Allan Poe, writer of Gothic horror short stories) + TRY (to attempt). | ||
| 6 | GELIGNITE |
Set to spark off explosive material (9)
|
| GEL (set, as a verb = to change from a liquid to a semi-solid) + IGNITE (to spark off). Not a very cryptic clue because the wordplay pretty much gives us the derivation of the name. | ||
| 7 | TANNERY |
Hide in this processing plant (7)
|
| Cryptic definition: a tannery is a processing plant (factory) where animal hide is turned into leather. | ||
| 8 | SWEET CAROLINE |
Fantastic Leicester won – a song for the spectators? (5,8)
|
| Anagram (fantastic = strange) of LEICESTER WON A.
Song by Neil Diamond, often sung by crowds at sporting events. |
||
| 14 | ILLEGALLY |
Not well, say, with friend going against the law (9)
|
| ILL (not well) + EG (e.g. = say = for example) + ALLY (friend). | ||
| 16 | GOATEED |
Somehow hairy dog ate end of the stew (7)
|
| Anagram (stew) of DOG ATE + end letter of [th]E.
Goateed = with a goatee, a small pointed beard = a bit hairy. |
||
| 18 | GRIDDLE |
Cook’s device beginning to give problem? (7)
|
| Beginning letter of G[ive] + RIDDLE (a problem). | ||
| 19 | OUTLAST |
Survive as final batter to get dismissed (7)
|
| In cricket, the final batter in a side to be dismissed is the one who is OUT LAST. | ||
| 20 | INHAND |
Like the proverbial bird you want being dealt with (2,4)
|
| Double definition. As in the proverb “a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush”; or as in “the task in hand” = the one you’re dealing with at the moment. | ||
| 23 | COVER |
Cold maiden? Provide blanket maybe (5)
|
| C (abbreviation for cold, as in H and C on water taps) + OVER (a sequence of balls bowled in cricket; a “maiden” is an over in which no runs are scored, and the question mark indicates this definition by example). |
Thank you Quirister. I felt for our North American friends having to get more cricket references in OUTLAST and COVER.
I take it that the question mark after maiden in the wordplay for COVER works both in the surface and as an example of a kind of over. At least COVER wasn’t clued as a cricket fielding position, that might have been more difficult.
GOATEED got my goat. Totally misdirected, thinking there was an anagram (somehow) of hairy dog.
And I did like the delightful clue for NEW ZEALAND
paddymelon @1: yes, I should have said that the question mark indicates a definition by example. I’ve updated the blog. And at least DRAGGED ON wasn’t defined by its cricketing meaning (when a batter has hit the ball in such a way that it then goes on to hit the stumps). Yes, I enjoy the game, but I understand that the terminology can be somewhat arcane.
Almost hit reveal trying to think of a goat meat based stew until the penny finally dropped.
Thanks both.
Quirister@3 it’s played on. I had a terrible hangover this morning which seriously impeded my solving ability. Just as well it was Monday.
Thanks both.
[nicbach @5: I think either term can be used.]
Nicbach @5. It’s also referred to as dragged on, particularly if the batter has played an almighty swipe.
[Pete HA3@4. I love goat meat based stew. But for the life of me I can’t remember what it’s called.]
Enjoyable challenge. Failed 1ac BRANCH.
Favourite: OUTLAST, WELL-EARNED.
Thanks, both.
Good crossword, more-or-less Quipticish.
Like some others, I got stuck on GOATEED with the 3 possible anagrinds: somehow, hairy and stew. I liked the wordplays in EARL GREY and DRAGGED ON, and the great anagram for SWEET CAROLINE.
Thanks Pasquale and Quirister.
One of the earliest jokes I can remember (I must have been about 8 at the time) was a cartoon of a lorry bearing the proud announcement “ACME Tree Surgeons / Branches all over the country”
[Re cricket references, the terms PLAYED ON and DRAGGED ON are no longer used, officials simply say BOWLED these days.]
A fun crossword, though I also disliked GOATEED! Thanks both.
[Sincam @12. PLAYED / DRAGGED ON never were terms used by officials. They were, and stil are, used by commentators and pundits]
I found this slower going than the usual Quiptic, but looking back over it I can’t see why, so I think I was probably just more than usually slow-witted today.
GOATEED is one of those words that, if you tried it in Countdown or Scrabble, might or might not turn out to exist… I looked for the hairy dog, tried to make it be GOULASH, and ended up revealing it.
The rest was fun.
Pasquale always delivers. GOATEED got me, but otherwise a good gentle solve to start the week.
Gladys @15, I was also trying to make goulash work, so was stumped here. Solved most of the rest and enjoyed EARL GREY, amongst others.
AuSteve @17. I was looking for the name of my favourite Indian dish of goat stew. I don’t enjoy EARL GREY tea (clue was ok.) Each to their own taste.
Great Quiptic and blog, thanks both.
People who enjoy Earl Grey test, or don’t, should visit the Earl Grey tearoom at Howick Hall Gardens in Northumberland. It’s in a beautiful ex-ballroom at the former home of the said Earl. Their teas are great but there are other options …
Test > tea, sorry. Renders the sentence a bit enigmatic …
I do feel there was a definite cricketing theme to this. Used in OUTLAST and COVER and thematically for DRAGGED ON, NEW ZEALAND and CLUB. But I also feel “Cook’s device” was definitely a choice too.
Pretty outrageously difficult for a quiptic IMO but each to their own