Guardian Quiptic 1,261/Anto

67 comments on “Guardian Quiptic 1,261/Anto”

1. Am I the first to say “too hard for a Quiptic”?

2. As Pierre hints, opinions are divided about Anto’s puzzles. I have had my say and will not repeat myself.

3. I like Anto, I enjoyed this, with wry grins at some of the more outrageous twistings of the form, and this had quite a few anagrams to get a foothold, albeit quite long anagrams, but … I remain unconvinced that Anto sets for “beginners and those in a hurry” which is the Guardian’s description of the Quiptic. Bunthorne often used long anagrams, and nobody would have said Bunthorne set for beginners.

   I’m so used to Anto setting twisty clues, MISPRINT was my last in, because I was looking for something more complicated!

   Thank you to Pierre and Anto.

4. I have to say that I thought spotting that ‘foie gras pates’ is an anagram of RITE OF PASSAGE is pretty extraordinary. Perhaps this was a bit too advanced for a Quiptic, but I didn’t think it was outrageously so. Thanks, Anto and Pierre.

5. Enjoyable puzzle.

   I won’t join in the debate on whether this is a Quiptic or not. I have always thought it is up to the Editor to decide if a particular puzzle fits this slot or not. However, I presume that the Guardian no longer has a puzzles editor due to budget restrictions or whatever?

   Favourites: BOOKWORM, OUT OF GEAR (loi).

   New for me: TANNER = sixpence.

   Thanks, both.

6. michelle@5
   That’s an interesting way to join the debate. 🙂

   Liked BOOKWORM, NUDISTS, OUT OF GEAR and BUDGIE.
   BUDGIE
   I took it as a Cryptic Def considering the ‘smuggled’ (rather than smugglers).

7. Thank you Pierre. I bet you’re glad you didn’t have to blog the Paul ‘bird” puzzle from last week.
   I thought Anto was right on message today, except for BUDGIE (which I have the GK for) and NATURAL CAUSES, which I still don’t get. Was so hoping for that to be resolved before my bedtime.
   Agree with Tassie Tim@4. Pretty special anagram for RITE OF PASSAGE.

8. Apart from an unpleasant reminder of a former prime minister who became renowned for his budgie smugglers, this was good fun. I still don’t get 10d. The wordplay, yes, the definition, no. And is “shun”supposed to equal “duck” (9a)? I vaguely rememeber being befuddled by CERN in a puzzle some months ago, and surprised myself by bringing it to mind.

9. Michelle@5. Alan Connor/Everyman is now the cryptic crosswords editor for the Guardian. I think he might be trying to mix it up a bit. For the last couple of weeks there have been curlier Monday puzzles

10. I’m with you GDU@8. No idea of the def for 10d.

11. NATURAL CAUSES
    ‘do for’ in the sense of ‘kill’ I think.

12. Well, I thought this was great – lots of fun, clever and inventive. Thanks, Anto and Pierre.

13. I was a bit slow today and there were several “Oh of course – it’s obvious” moments once the penny finally dropped.

    Haven’t started the cryptic yet. [Maybe have a break and go round to the allotment to see what damage the storm has done.]

    Liked MELODRAMA, MISPRINT, NOISOME

    Thanks Anto and Pierre

14. If that’s the case, KVa @ 11, what an awful clue. (Mind you, I probably couldn’t come up with a better one.)

15. me@11
    One will probably die of NATURAL CAUSES.

16. paddymelon@9
    Thanks for the info that Alan Connor/Everyman is now the cryptic crosswords editor for the Guardian. In future, if I have any complaints or praise I will direct them to him 😉

    I think this Anto is fine as a Quiptic 🙂

17. KVa@6. BUDGIE was the closest to Anto’s trademark reverse clues that I saw today.
    BUDGIE smugglers is a word for male swimmers’ gear, brand name “Speedos”, invented by Aussies, as can be seen in Olympic sports. It’s a visual “joke”. If you can picture it. I think the clue was unfair, not because of the Australian thing necessarily, but also ”singer” was too broad a definition. A budgerigar is not necessarily thought of as a ”singer” as in British crosswords, and there’s no indication for the abbreviation.

18. KVa@15. Thank you. I can go to sleep now and hope that I won’t die of NATURAL CAUSES.

19. paddymelon@17
    BUDGIE
    My point was that I took it as a cryptic def rather than a DD. Had Anto used the word ‘smugglers’ (the clue needs rewording to fit it in) instead of the ‘smuggled’, I would have considered the clue a DD. Also, think of the origin of the name BUDGIE smugglers. The surface makes a single nice cryptic reading.

20. paddymelon@17
    I didn’t know most of the details that you have shared. Thanks for the post.

21. GDU @14 – I thought it was an excellent clue myself. On first reading, I was misled into thinking of the other meaning of “do for you”, ie being sufficient. It works well as a cryptic definition. The wordplay (charade) element of the clue is very neat too.

    PDM @17 – “Singer” meaning a bird is a pretty standard (indeed, timeworn) cryptic crossword convention and doesn’t feel out of place in the Quiptic to me.

22. Found on a site:
    Budgies use a medley of chirrups, whistles, chatter, trills and various other snippets they’ve picked up (including human speech), in a barrage of bubbling, tuneless put (sic) pleasant song. They often sing together, reassuring each other that all is well and everyone is safe.

    Chambers has short forms budge and BUDGIE for budgerigar.

23. I thought this was quite hard and I’m sorry that I recommended Quiptics to Steffen, who struggles with the Cryptics. Although I put in Budgie because it fit the crossers, I failed to parse it. Thanks Paddymelon@17 for your comments. My loi was ASSIGN.
    Thanks Anto and Pierre.

24. Granted Widdersbel @21, but have you ever heard of budgie before today as a singer?

25. I don’t fancy DUCK FAT as an alternative to olive oil on my salad (or ear drops!)

26. [PeterM @25
    You’ve reminded me that when I first started using olive oil for culinary purposes I had to buy it from a pharmacist!]

27. muffin @25

    [My mum used to buy it from the chemist and rub it on her elbows to soften the skin.]

28. Ashamed to say I didn’t remember the “old money” meaning of TANNER, although I must have heard and used it many times growing up in the 50s and 60s. Also, I can’t remember ever wondering why it was called that – does anyone else know?

29. All crossword birds are “singers” and “wingers” even if they are flightless and their voice is an untuneful croak.

30. I should be used to Anto’s middle-letters clues by now, but I still managed to miss NOISOME.

31. gladys@29
    That’s a good explanation. Thanks.

32. I agree that this was toward the harder end of the Quiptic range, but not unfairly so. Other than the difficulty, I don’t see anything to complain about here. Since Anto has received a lot of (in my opinion, mostly justified) criticism about dodgy clues in the past, I like to give him credit where it’s due.

    I wasn’t expecting to see the complaints about 10dn; I liked the definition. The definition I wasn’t sure about was 6dn (END OF): I can’t quite see how to make it work, but I’m quite prepared to believe that’s my fault.

33. Ted@32
    END OF (I think)
    no more=END OF (interjection).
    Stop this nonsense. End of!/No more!

34. gladys@29. LOL
    And no matter what continent the birds come from.

35. Ted@32. I don’t think anyone was complaining about the definition for 10d. Just didn’t get it.

36. To come back to my comment earlier, I found this a steady solve, taking my usual time for a cryptic, which is fine – two similar standard Cryptics on a Monday gives me more entertainment. But as oakvillereader @23 says, if there isn’t a suitable Quiptic for beginners, where do we suggest someone like Steffen starts?

    And having seen Steffen’s struggles, we’ve all recommended s/he tries the Quiptic and Everyman crosswords, only to watch those puzzles level up to pretty much the same level of crossword across the week, with an occasional exception of chewier puzzle.

    So yes, I will continue to point out that today’s Quiptic is at Cryptic level so the newbies don’t despair.

37. Thanks, KVa @33! I didn’t know about this interjection.

38. My first thought on getting BUDGIE was the 70s TV series starring Adam Faith who was also a singer. Seemed a bit indirect for the Quiptic but it is Anto 🙂

    Big chewier than some but none the worse for that

    Cheers P&A

39. I still consider myself somewhere in the beginner category and found this quite pleasant for a Quiptic. But sometimes you’re just in the right mindset and it comes easy!

40. PeterM@25 Duck Fat is delicious on toast and it makes the best roast potatoes.

41. Bodycheetah @38 – Adam Faith came to mind for me too but it would indeed be a bit tenuous, even for Anto! Don’t think I’ve ever seen the TV programme – before my time. There’s also a 70s Welsh heavy metal band called Budgie, and the drummer in Siouxsie and the Banshees was called Budgie too – I don’t think he ever sang on any of their records though.

    So yeah, I presume Anto was thinking of the bird. (If he had defined a budgie as a “songbird”, paddymelon’s complaint might be justified but the more generic “singer” seems fine to me.)

42. Excellent quiptic and pleased to see Anto has almost as many well-deserved comments as Philistine. Surely it’s time to stop trying to find fault rather than enjoy his clever clues. I was another who thought of Adam Faith.

    Ta Anto & Pierre.

43. Widdersbel @41 – heavy metal band Budgie, indeed. And 10a reminded me of their song title Nude Disintegrating Parachutist Woman though I cannot remember a single note of the music or a word of the lyric it surely qualifies as 20a and 23a

44. For what it’s worth – I’m pretty new to quiptics/cryptics and I found this one quite crackable. Only needed to check a couple. Usually takes me a lot longer to get that far, if I get that far at all.

45. Not a bad puzzle. My favourite was RITE OF PASSAGE for the anagram. I must say I am on a different plane to Anto. I really do not get his cryptic clues. But beyond that, smooth sailing

46. I don’t have a general issue with Anto and thought this was fine as usual from him. I’m not convinced NOISOME or NUDISTS fully work, but they weren’t hard to get. I thought NATURAL CAUSES a very decent clue. RITES OF PASSAGE is a terrific anagram spot, and I thought OLD MONEY was very good indeed. I can’t properly judge if this would be too hard for a beginner, but had it been Monday’s cryptic I doubt anyone would have complained it were too easy.

47. In 1a, where does BOOM come from?

    Surprisingly, I did ok with this and managed about half the clues.

    I appreciate when experienced solvers indicate whether something is on the easier side or more difficult.

48. Evening, Steffen. BOOM is from ‘report’, which can mean a loud sound.

    And please keep asking your questions – it reminds us that when you’re an improving solver, not everything is obvious first time round.

49. Thank you Pierre.

50. Another nice one from Anto – I’m getting to like his puzzles more as I get used to his style. No quibbles here; well maybe one tiny quibblet – I don’t equate IDLER with slob. (I am an excellent idler, but I bathe regularly and dress nicely.)

    Favourites were 20a MELODRAMA for the aural wordplay, and 10d NATURAL CAUSES for the deceptive definition and synonyms.

    I found this easier than today’s Cryptic , so by definition it clearly qualifies as a Quiptic. 🙂

    Thanks, Anto and Pierre.

51. 23a – way over my head. How do you know which bits (and of what words!) to use?

    18d – I get the “hidden” part of the clue; is there any hint of looking for a reversal?

52. Steffen
    23 it’s consistently central letters
    18 “lifted” is the reversal indicator

53. Steffen: I’m new at this too. There are a lot of conventions. I’ve improved a fair bit just by reading the solutions here – after a while you start to get a feel for the sorts of things cryptic setters do.

    In 23a’s case it’s “essentially” which means some or all of the middle of each word. Heart often means the same. Outskirts or borders can mean the first and last letters.

54. I managed most of this 🙂 missed “picked up” as a homophone. I find homophone clues hard (as you may guess from my name). What other indicators for homophones are more subtle?

    Thanks for asking about what was the reversal in 18d Steffen, didn’t know that “lifted” was one.

    And also new to me that L can equal Lake!

    Thanks setter and blogger. Loved the anagrams!

55. Cracking crossword! Probably at the harder end of the Quiptic scale but lovely range of devices and some very clever clueing.

    The old money definition of ‘tanners’ was new to me.

56. I came here rather late. I was asleep when it came out.
    Tanners are or were probably nicknamed after their designer, John Sigismund Tanner in the mid 1700s.
    I thought this fine for a Quiptic, Anto always has some eccentric cluing, but if you read the clue you can see the working. The Playtex middle letters are a bit of a trademark now. Thanks both

57. Seems a bit tough for a quiptic. Managed about half of it… DIS and CERNS, really?

58. Left hand side went in fairly easily, though I’ve never heard of NOISOME but thankfully the checking letters and wordplay led me to it. Despite a few in the SE corner it was DNF for me. Completely failed in the NE corner, though I’m kicking myself for missing END OF.

    I do find Anto’s the hardest Quiptics, I think because I never seem to be on their wavelength with the cryptic definitions.

59. I recently started getting into cryptics, with the Quiptic usually just on the verge of doable for me, and I agree that this is quite a bit harder than the others I’ve done. I’m still not sure how “shun = DUCK” and “speak critically = DIS”.

60. Kalobi @59
    “DIS” for “speak critically is “yoofspeak”. I’m not sure what it’s short for, and I’ve more usually seen “diss”.
    DUCK = AVOID = SHUN? A bit loose?

61. disrespect?

62. Kalobi – when you “duck” something or someone you avoid them. Not exactly shunning, but I’ve seen it used in that sense.

63. Ah I see, those make sense. I’ve only ever seen the spelling “diss”, but I guess spelling variations are to be expected with colloquial terms.

64. I live in NZ. I found this Anto for the first time in 3 years well inside my wheelhouse. I even got 20 Ac who knew I could !! And solved almost all of it.

    I posted this in the Gen Discussion earlier. I recently retired at the impressionable age of 72. I discovered the quiptic as the way into crosswords some 3 years ago. Went through all the quiptics. I think Anto gets a bad press. He was in my ‘public enemy list’ and too hard basket for nearly 2 years but I got better at it. I started cryptics about a year ago, found Rufus and then a few more and I’m at 25898. Anto has been replaced by Araucaria on my enemy number one list. But I’ll get past him as well (hopefully before I reach the pearly gates I suspect)

    I’d like thank all of you bloggers and commentators. Without you I would not have stayed the course.I’ll see on the other side when I catch up, or I’m dead.

    Many thanks

65. Budgie was also the name of a band as well as the nickname of Peter Clarke, the drummer with Siouxie and the Banshees. This is the “singer” to whom I thought 1d referred.

66. We normally struggle with Anto’s quiptics but this one was fun. We got Old Money and Yankee without fully understanding the clues, but there were some great clues also.

67. I’m a long way behind the play, but just finished this one now.

    I thought the “singer” was referring to Kylie Minogue, who was known as the “singing budgie” in her early days. It wasn’t a compliment – as various people have noted, budgies don’t sing.

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