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This week’s 11 x 11 crossword from the Guardian, intended to teach cryptic crosswords, found here
This week we have the 2nd Quick Cryptic by Pangakupu, who sets regular Cryptic puzzles in the Guardian. Today we have anagrams, acrostic and hidden clues with all the letters given, the other clue is the second time we’ve seen a dropped letter (although there have been more decapitations and losing the middle clues).
The whole point of these crosswords is support and encouragement of new solvers, so special rules for these crosswords apply – see here – those rules include not posting solving times.
This blog continues to develop in response to suggestions. We hide the answers and the wordplay descriptions (parsing) too. To find the solution click on “Answer” and to find how the word play works, click on “Parsing” which will reveal the hidden information. You can choose to reveal everything using the “Expand All” button. If you have partially revealed the page, refreshing it will clear that, and allow you to expand all. The definition is in bold and underlined, the indicator is in red.
For additional help click here
There is a summary of the tricks used in the first six months here and a Guardian Crossword blog called the ultimate beginner’s guide has tips which may be useful for some solvers
For abbreviations and clue tips click here
Fifteen Squared uses several abbreviations and jargon tricks, there’s a full list here, of which I’ve used the following in this blog:
- underlining the definition in the clue – this is either at the beginning or end of the clue
- indicators are in red.
- CAPITALS to indicate which bits are part of the answer, e.g. Get A Good joke for the example.
- anagram – letters being used shown in brackets (SENATOR)* for the clue below to give TREASON.
- anagrind – anagram indicator – in the case below it is “arranged”
- soundalikes – from the clue Oscar “Wilde” sounds like WILD.
- CAD or clue as definition– where the whole clue gives the definition, sometimes called an &lit. These are rare.
- DBE or definition by example – e.g. where a dog might be clued as a setter – often using a question mark, maybe, possibly or e.g. to show that this is an example rather than a definition.
- surface – the meaning from reading the clue – so often cryptic clues use an English that could only be found in a cryptic crossword, but a smooth surface is a clue that has a meaning in English, which can be pointed or misleading.
TODAY’S TRICKS – from the crossword site – because the clues have moved on from the clue descriptions below, I am now adding more to the descriptions hidden above. Clues begin or end with a definition of the answer. The rest is one of these:
- Anagram An anagram of the answer and a hint that there’s an anagram
‘Senator arranged crime (7)’ gives TREASON - Hidden word Answer is hidden in the clue’s words
‘Some haVE ALtered meat (4)’ gives VEAL - Acrostic First letters of answer
‘Initially Get A Good joke (3)’ gives GAG - Dropped letter Remove a letter from another word
‘Time away from coach in wet weather (4)’ gives RAIN (from tRAIN)
| ACROSS | Click on “Answer” to see the solutions | |
| 1 |
Thinks a lot of redesigned sidearm (7)
|
AnswerADMIRES |
ParsingAnagram of (SIDEARM)* with anagrind of “redesigned” |
||
| 5 |
Fool heads for absolutely stupid situation (3)
|
AnswerASS |
Parsingacrostic (heads) of Absolutely Stupid Situation. |
||
| 7 |
Person in authority, not old, primarily upright? (5)
|
AnswerPIANO |
Parsingacrostic (primarily) of Person In Authority Not Old – with a question mark as “upright” is a definition by example (DBE) – and a well-disguised acrostic here |
||
| 8 |
Shadow concealed within aluminium bracket (5)
|
AnswerUMBRA |
Parsinghidden word (concealed within) aluminiUM BRAcket. |
||
| 9 |
Look embarrassed disposing of large shrub (4)
|
AnswerBUSH |
Parsingdropped letter (disposing of large) BLUSH (look embarrassed) losing (disposing of) L (large) to give BlUSH (shrub). L for large from clothing sizes – a regular crossword abbreviation. |
||
| 10 |
Televise swinging censer (6)
|
AnswerSCREEN |
Parsinganagram of (CENSER)* with an anagrind of “swinging” with a great surface: it conjures up this image |
||
| 12 |
Reflecting some perverse choices (6)
|
AnswerECHOIC |
Parsinghidden (some) of perversE CHOICes |
||
| 14 |
Benefactor overlooking new opening (4)
|
AnswerDOOR |
Parsingdropped letter (overlooking new) DONOR (benefactor) losing (overlooking) N (new) to give DOnOR (opening). N for new as in the New Testament, another regular abbreviation in crosswordland. |
||
| 17 |
Non-mainstream component of vitamin diet (5)
|
AnswerINDIE |
Parsinghidden word (component of) in vitamIN DIEt |
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| 18 |
Stenches from small streams emitting carbon (5)
|
AnswerREEKS |
Parsingdropped letter (emitting C) from CREEKS (small streams) losing (emitting) C (carbon). C for carbon comes from chemical symbols and is used regularly. |
||
| 20 |
Chap’s seen heading up heavy industry sector (3)
|
AnswerHIS |
Parsingacrostic (seen heading up) of Heavy Industry Sector – and I dithered about how much to include in the indicator here – “heading up” would indicate an acrostic, but leaves the “seen” unaccounted for as that’s not part of the definition. The definition means the apostrophe s is indicating the possessive – so male possessive. |
||
| 21 |
Took exercise under stress, wasting seconds (7)
|
AnswerTRAINED |
Parsingdropped letter (wasting seconds) from STRAINED (under stress) losing (wasting) S (seconds – from the SI scientific unit for time). |
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|
DOWN
|
||
| 1 |
Venomous flying creature not with venomous crawling creature (3)
|
AnswerASP |
Parsingdropped letter (not with) from WASP (venomous flying creature) losing (not) W (with) – W for with occurs in w/chips on menus or w.r.t – with respect to. It’s come up before to objections, but, when I looked, I found examples going back centuries in my book on reading manuscript abbreviations. |
||
| 2 |
Quantity of time also required for breakfast and lunch? (5)
|
AnswerMEALS |
Parsinghidden in (quantity of) tiME ALSo |
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| 3 |
Disturbance initiated by rebellious idiots or thugs (4)
|
AnswerRIOT |
Parsingacrostic (initiated by) Rebellious Idiots Or Thugs. |
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| 4 |
Original point in changing course (6)
|
AnswerSOURCE |
Parsinganagram of (COURSE)* with an anagrind of “changing” |
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| 5 |
Risk missing good stroll (5)
|
AnswerAMBLE |
Parsingdropped letter (missing good) from GAMBLE (risk) losing (missing) G (good) – G for good comes from coin / second-hand book condition abbreviations |
||
| 6 |
Dye worker upset retsina (7)
|
AnswerSTAINER |
Parsinganagram of (RETSINA)* with an anagrind of “upset” |
||
| 9 |
Mark of damage in emblem is horrible (7)
|
AnswerBLEMISH |
Parsinghidden (in) emBLEM IS Horrible |
||
| 11 |
Tinsel fluttering without sound (6)
|
AnswerSILENT |
Parsinganagram of (TINSEL)* with an anagrind of “fluttering” |
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| 13 |
Underworld leaders in Houston are discussing extra sabotage (5)
|
AnswerHADES |
Parsingacrostic (leaders in) of Houston Are Discussing Extra Sabotage |
||
| 15 |
Canoe capsized in body of water (5)
|
AnswerOCEAN |
Parsinganagram of (CANOE)* with an anagrind of “capsized” |
16 |
Region in Near East (4)
|
AnswerAREA |
Parsinghidden (in) neAR EAst |
||
| 19 |
Blue skies are due at the outset (3)
|
AnswerSAD |
Parsingacrostic (at the outset) of Skies Are Due |
Very interesting and enjoyable quick cryptic.Seldom come across this setter,is he/she of Indian ancestry?Anyway back to the blog,I’ve always wondered the significance of the addition of a question mark symbol at the end of clues,especially 2D.Isn’t *required for* a hidden indicator?
Dr Menard Zombi 2 @1 – this setter is from New Zealand – his Guardian cryptic puzzles usually contain a Nina in Māori.
The question mark in 2D is for a DBE (definition by example).
The ECHOIC and MEALS hiddens were tough to find and I reckon there’s lots for the beginners to learn here with the abbreviations of C=carbon, L=large, W=with, N=new, S=seconds, G=good being allowed. The experienced hands will hopefully know them. Thanks to Pangukupu for an interesting puzzle and to Shanne for the blog.
My talkthrough solve of the puzzle is available at … https://youtu.be/7dm9QIy6DDQ … with tips and tactics on how to approach solving.
Thank you Shanne.
Nice puzzle, not much room for a Nina! A couple of quiblets: is “echoing” really a word? I guess it’s in some dictionary or other, but I’m struggling to think of an example of its use. And “creek”, is it a small stream? A small river perhaps? In Britain, a creek is usually a small tidal inlet but I remember that, long ago when I lived in Australia, creek was a generic term for a watercourse, often dry in summer. Perhaps, they are small streams in New Zealand?
I did enjoy this and got all the answers though unsure of the reason for 9A. Surprisingly I guessed correctly the abbreviations HG@3 so I am very pleased that I am beginning to think the right way to tackle cryptics. Thankyou Shanne and Pangakupu.
This was a good QC. The dropped letter clues had to be thought about so a little extra chewiness here and there. Thanks Pangakupu and Shanne.
@1
Take a look at Menu->Info->Setters, you can see this setter’s other pseudonyms.
https://www.fifteensquared.net/setters/
I completely missed the hidden in 2d, I got it from the crossers and by spotting the definition but I thought I was removing T from something that meant quantity (metals?). That was the only one I needed help from here with.
Enjoyed this, lots of practise with the dropped letters, which I need.
Thanks Shanne and Pangakupu.
Many thanks Shanne, now I know what a censer is! And thanks to Pangakupu for an enjoyable puzzle.
Delighted with this. The dropped letters are the most challenging – but all achievable with a bit of thought ( 14a probably the most difficult for me )
Having ventured into the weekly cryptics ( usually with a lot of reveals and checks on here) I was delighted to find Pangakupu there and discover his Maori Nina’s !
As ever thank you Shanne for all the help you’ve given me
HumbleTim @10 – that’s a particularly big censer, but once seen never forgotten. I’ve usually seen smaller versions in hands (and am very aware that they are being used, because depending on the incense being used, I may have to retreat outside with streaming eyes and coughing – some incenses I’m allergic to.).
An enjoyable puzzle again. Thank you Shanne for the explanations. Dropped letters were definitely the trickiest. 2D was my last one in.
I’m surprised no-one has queried whether snakes can crawl. I know that a pit might be said to be “crawling with snakes”, but the snakes themselves wouldn’t be crawling. Just a thought.
Ok, after a quick Google I’ll have to concede that snakes may crawl. My wife has pointed out that cars can crawl too…
12a I originally parsed as perversE CHOicES. 11d soon showed me my error.
I notice one comment BTL doubting that “echoic” is a real word. The opposite, “anechoic” is probably rather better known. An anechoic chamber is a room with sound absorbing walls used, among other things, for testing loudspeakers and microphones.
Great fun today – and easier than the so-called Quick!
Oh, and 12A’s answer is suitably obscure for even a starter Cryptic but definitely real. I still have ringing in my ears from reading it!
I can’t see the nina from this lovely quick cryptic. Can anyone enlighten me?
Hi TaichiSue @17 – no Nina on this Quick Cryptic – what we were chatting about was either the one on last week’s from Dice or another Nina found on Pangakupu’s Cryptic on Friday. Pangakupu tends to have a Nina in his Guardian Cryptic puzzles (but not in his Phi puzzles for the Independent).
I read 7a as a dropped letter, and couldn’t work out which word the O had been dropped from!
That sort of left “primarily” unaccounted for, but I meet many more upright pianos than I do grands.
Shanne @2 Oh cool! And google just told me that his handle is Māori for ‘crossword’.
Long time reader, first time poster. Thanks Shanne for this excellent blog and to Pangakupu for the Quick Cryptic. My sister-in-law and I have long been intrigued by Cryptic crosswords but this Guardian series has been such an excellent gentle introduction to them, which has been pitched just right. I can usually get through them – if not quickly – but this blog really helps with the subtle nuances that I may have missed.
I got the anagram but didn’t know what a censer was, however, I’m lucky enough to have seen the Botafumeiro swinging in the Santiago de Compostela cathedral and it was an unforgettable experience.
Loved this one – some great surfaces. Having done all of these I’m feeling ready to progress to the next level of difficulty, so they’ve done their job well. Daunting.