This week’s 11 x 11 crossword from the Guardian intended to teach cryptic crosswords, found here
This puzzle for this week is the 3rd Quick Cryptic by Pasquale (although last week started with a repeat of Quick Cryptic 65, also set by Pasquale), who sets regular Cryptic, Quiptic and other puzzles in the Guardian. Today we have anagrams with all the letters given, the other clue types are charades, double definitions and insertions, that all require finding all the letters to fit the 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”
- charades – the description below only gives the example of words being added together, but charades can be more complicated, adding abbreviations or single letters to another word. Examples previously used in this series are: Son ridicules loose overgarments (6) S (son) + MOCKS (ridicules), Get rid of dead pine (5) D(dead) + ITCH (pine) – D ITCH, and early on DR (doctor) + IVE (I have) to give DRIVE.
- 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 - Charade(s) Combination of synonyms/abbrevs
‘Qualify to get drink for ID (8)’ gives PASSPORT (pass + port) – (see more above) - Double definition Both halves are definitions!
‘Search scrub (5)’ gives SCOUR - Insertion One thing inside another makes answer
‘In favour of republican entering Post Office (3)’ gives PRO – (R – republican in PO Post Office)
| ACROSS | Click on “Answer” to see the solutions | |
| 1 |
Box with spring beginning to rust (4)
|
AnswerSPAR |
ParsingCharade of SPA (spring) + R (beginning of Rust) for the verb, to box or spar. |
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| 4 |
Heap of things I left in gym (4)
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AnswerPILE |
Parsinginsertion (in) of I (from the clue) + L (L for left) inserted into (in) PE (gym). |
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| 7 |
Editing – something done by Socialist? (9)
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AnswerREDACTION |
Parsingcharade of RED (Socialist) + ACTION (something done) – with a question mark to suggest a cryptic answer, and a switch to the word order. |
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| 8 |
Sea-girt land is left half-abandoned (4)
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AnswerISLE |
Parsingcharade of IS (from the clue) + LE (LEft half abandoned) |
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| 9 |
Lives with dean by cathedral city (6)
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AnswerDWELLS |
Parsingcharade of D (dean – abbreviation) + (by) WELLS (cathedral city). D for Dean is new to these crosswords. I know it from Church of England abbreviations, but checking, I couldn’t find it in Chambers on its own, but it is in as RD (Rural Dean) and also searchable as D&C (Dean & Chapter). |
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| 10 |
Witty remarks in breaks (6)
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AnswerCRACKS |
Parsingdouble definition both meanings are nouns, and both are in the main definitions for CRACK in Chambers |
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| 13 |
Boundary for cricket team? (4)
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AnswerSIDE |
Parsingdouble definition where the SIDE of a square is boundary and a SIDE is a team, with a question mark to indicate a definition by example (a cricket team is just one example, football, baseball and ice hockey SIDEs also exist). |
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| 14 |
Not knowing bliss? (9)
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AnswerIGNORANCE |
Parsingdouble definition the second referring to the saying IGNORANCE is bliss – with a question mark to indicate an allusive definition (I’d almost describe this as a cryptic definition). |
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| 15 |
A good editor no longer young (4)
|
AnswerAGED |
Parsingcharade of A (from the clue) + G (Good – as in a quality indicator for coins and books) + ED (editor – regular abbreviation). |
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| 16 |
Dull doctor meeting a bishop (4)
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AnswerDRAB |
Parsingcharade of DR (abbreviation for Doctor) + A (from the clue) + B (bishop – not a church abbreviation this time, this one comes from chess notation) |
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|
DOWN
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| 2 | Minister – the old man beginning to direct Religious Education (5) |
AnswerPADRE |
Parsingcharade of PA (the old man) + D (beginning to Direct) + RE (Religious Education – abbreviation from school timetables) for army or service ministers. |
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| 3 |
Celebrity in middle of little road went quickly (5)
|
AnswerRACED |
Parsinginsertion (in middle of) ACE (celebrity) inserted into (in middle of) RD (little road – abbreviation from maps and addresses). I cannot find an equivalence of ACE and celebrity directly in either Chambers dictionary (crossword and the BRB). |
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| 4 |
Lions asleep finally before journey (5)
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AnswerPRIDE |
Parsingcharade of P (asleeP finally) + RIDE (journey) with the “before” giving the word order and the solution being the collective noun for a group of lions. |
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| 5 |
Lad’s denial set out in letters (10)
|
AnswerLANDLADIES |
Parsinganagram of (LAD’S DENIAL)* with an anagrind of “set out” and the definition referring to people who let – and that’s a regular crosswordese trick -misleading by the use of words. |
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| 6 |
Keeping quiet, holding back (10)
|
AnswerPRESERVING |
Parsingcharade of P (quiet – piano) + RESERVING (holding back) P for piano means quiet in musical notation. |
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| 11 |
Beaten, getting dance wrong (5)
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AnswerCANED |
Parsinganagram of (DANCE)* with an anagrind of “wrong” |
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| 12 |
Rag right in the middle of hut (5)
|
AnswerSHRED |
Parsinginsertion (in the middle of) of R <right – as in right versus left) into (in the middle of) SHED (hut) |
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| 13 |
Social worker in South Africa who makes seasonal visits? (5)
|
AnswerSANTA |
Parsinginsertion (in) ANT (social insect) inserted into (in) SA (South Africa – one of the recognised abbrevations for the country – RSA sometimes turns up in puzzles too). |
“letters” as in “people who let” – ha!
Thank you Shanne and Pasquale
Completely flummoxed by all but 5 clues. This seems pretty difficult for a QC!
Thanks for the explanations.
I have come to think Pasquale and I are on different wavelengths. I seem to struggle with his puzzles.
So saying I ticked three clues: SPAR, ISLE, REDACTION
I agree with the quibbles you raised. And I am not a fan of dodgy definitions followed by a question mark.
Thanks Pasquale and Shanne
5D and 6D took a little while to parse.Though I parsed 3D in a jiffy,I’ve never come across the word ace used for celebrity, or maybe its just me?As always many thanks to Shanne and Pasquale.
Why is rag shred?
Geoff Down Under @5 – I did check that one. I thought rag/shred of cloth as I was solving it, and was backed up by the Chambers Crossword Dictionary making rag and shreds equivalent. You can also rag or shred cloth into strips (for ragging – rag rugs are made by plaiting or weaving unwanted strips of fabric).
Loved the ‘letters’. That’s why I love crosswords as they make me think laterally and get off the usual rut.
I was misled by the comma in 6d and spent far too long assuming it was a double definition and trying to find a word that meant both ‘keeping quiet’ and ‘holding back’. A good reminder that punctuation can often (usually? always?) be ignored. Not the easiest Quick Cryptic we’ve had but helpful practice in recognising clue types.
Thank you, Shanne. I would never argue with Chambers. Life’s too precious. 😉
I think 7 has to be a rather playful double definition. There is no piecing together of different elements.
I think 8 is worthy of a special comment. We sometimes get unannounced tricks within a trick in Quick Crosswords, but these usually just involve an initial letter, such as 1A and 2D. In this puzzle we also have an end letter in 4D, which I am not sure we have seen before, but the trick within a trick in 8 is a percentage (to use the name given in QC 59), something I think we’ve only seen as a main trick in Quick Crosswords once before, and I am pretty sure it has never appeared unannounced like it is here.
You’ve got the wrong answer in for 13a I think. Thank you for the explanation on “letters” – made me smile!
Love pasquale !!
Sumit Rahman @11 – sorry – corrected. Was doing this in a hurry this morning before online training.
Remus @10 – I don’t agree on 7A: RED ACTION is something done by a socialist, two words pieced together to get REDACTION, meaning edit. That makes it a charade in my book, but we’ve had a few double definition/charade crossovers in these puzzles.
We’ve had end letters before: words made up of end letters (#53, #70 & #75) and middle letters (#61) in the clue types before, so I didn’t worry about that one, and I’m sure there have been other clues using the final letter as part of a charade. We also had percentages in ~ #59. And ISLE was gentle – the definition was clear enough, so it was just working out the parsing.
Thanks Pasquale and Shanne! Not an easy one; only a few clues were straightforward. I agree with Remus @10 that 8 doesn’t meet the brief; I’m not sure 7 does, either (but otherwise it’s a great clue).
Challenging from Pasquale but also good grounding for those who aspire to do harder puzzles – precise wordplay and many of the regular abbreviations we’ll see.
My talkthrough solve is available from … https://youtu.be/suxGV-d14x0 … hopefully provides some tips and tactics on how to solve. And showing that sometimes you have to pencil things in and be prepared to rethink what you’ve got.
Tricky today, but I did finish it. I saw PRESERVING as a double definition. Was held up by 9A as I was convinced I was looking for a three-lettered word to add to Ely, not knowing D is an abbreviation for dean. I didn’t like RACED, but a thoroughly good puzzle nonetheless. Many thanks for today’s explanations.
Another who read 6d as a double definition. Resorted to an alphabet trawl before finally seeing it. Also took 7a to be a double definition, but I can see it also works as a charade. D for deacon was a new abbreviation to me. And now I know what girt means! Many thanks Shanne and Pasquale
Many thanks for the explanation, Shanne!
“Letters” as in “people who let” is funny. And I wasn’t sure about equivalence of ACE and celebrity.
The abbreviation D for “dean” was new to me. I saw the word first, then understood how it matched the clue.
Amma @8, HumbleTim @17
I also read 6D as a double definition, but it didn’t work. It took me a long while to see the wordplay.
I like Pasquale’s misdirections. It’s funny to fall for them and then see what it really was.
And I learned a new word, “girt.” Looked it up in the dictionary, and then the clue became clear.
Thanks Pasquale for the fun and new knowledge.
That was tough! LOI was “preserved” and I’m kicking myself for not parsing “landladies”!
Many thanks Pasquale and Shanne
First time with a QC in ages I’ve got completely stuck and resorted to a reveal (preserving) to make some progress. So, I would class this as quite a tricky one.
A tip for newbies when encountering Pasquale. He was the crossword editor of The Church Times and often clues “churchy” vocabulary. He has also been a prolific setter in various newspapers under pseudonyms derived from his first name: Don Manley authored the Chambers Crossword Manual.
I felt this was more tricky than usual and needed help from my wife for solving my last few clues. Possibly elements were in Quiptic territory rather than QC. But all in all it was nicely clued in my opinion. I think I’ve seen ACE = celebrity in a Quiptic so no issue on that score from me. Thanks Pasquale for a good workout and Shanne for the explanations.
Wow. A Pasquale double this weekend! The Quiptic too.
And the Quiptic tomorrow is way easier than the Quick (to my mind!)
REDACTION is obviously a charade, but I also thought there was a hint of a somewhat scathing DD in there too.
Favourite: ignorance IS bliss. The phrase says they’re equivalent (“is”) so quite suitable for a definition…
During the War (Great I think rather than Second) an Ace pilot was a celebrity.
That was the hardest quiptic I’ve ever done! Think I only got about half before I started to cheat can usually get complete this one.
Oh well. Learning experience and all that
Like the curate’s egg, tricky in parts? I liked landladies but it’s hard to see the longer clues in my version of the app; why does the Guardian persist in claiming that the app gives a better solving experience?
I agree with the quibbles about ‘ace’ and wondered why ‘isle’ wasn’t more straightforwardly a hidden solution rather than a reduction plus something taken from the fodder? Shanne, perhaps you could explain that device/ convention sometime, if you haven’t already.
Thanks to Shanne, as always, and to the smooth setting Pasquale
Pretty hard today but definitely enjoyable, thank you Shanne for the ‘letters’ explanation – I could not see the reasoning at all until I read that and it’s a very good lesson for the future.
arib @26 – I suspect because hidden clues aren’t in the 4 categories of clue this week. We have slightly stretched versions of the 4 clue types fairly often. I suspect because the constraint of only 4 clue types is tough on the setters.
Sorry those who didn’t know GIRT in sea-girt land. I obviously read/hear more poetry and folk song than I realise, because I read it and thought that’s an island, no, 4 letters, it’s an ISLE.
Hardest of all of them I think. Still fun, though.
I’ve done about fifty of these and this felt like the hardest one so far, and by a good margin too. Very glad that it wasn’t the first one that I tried.
James @24
Thank you. Ace pilots is a good explanation.
Shanne @28
Those who didn’t learn from books will learn from crosswords. 🙂
Could someone explain to me why the abbreviation for spring is SPA rather than SPR or simply SP (1a)? Thanks to the setter and Shane btw.
Alison B @32 – it’s not an abbreviation, it’s a synonym. We’ve got some Spa towns around, built on springs, once thought of as health giving – Royal Leamington Spa still has the Spa in its name: Bath, Buxton, Harrogate, off the top of my head, have lost theirs.
Just when I thought i was getting the hang of these QC crosswords, this one has me stumped for a while 😀 It seemed the hardest one I’ve tried so far.
I eventually got some clues after a ‘Doh!’ moment when I realised I’d gone down the wrong path and assumed i knew the definition to use. Unfortunately, I had to come on here to get help with 14A, 5D & 6D.
Thanks to Shanne and Pasquale.
Really difficult but having read Shanne’s explanations, have definitely learnt more – although I eventually guessed 5d from the anagram, It literally didn’t occur that they were ‘letters’ – brilliant!
Really difficult but having read Shanne’s explanations, have definitely learnt more – although I eventually guessed 5d from the anagram, It literally didn’t occur that they were ‘letters’ – brilliant! Thanks to both Pasquale and Shanne
Ah, the penny drops. Thank you Shane @33
Previously, I’ve been doing quite well with these quick cryptic puzzles, especially as my aspiration is to be able to do cryptic puzzles properly. However, I had to look up virtually all these clues I simply could not get on the wavelength of the setter.
The charade clues are my nadir.
But thank you anyway, as the whole concept is brilliant