This week’s 11 x 11 crossword from the Guardian intended to teach cryptic crosswords, found here
The puzzle for this week is the 11th Quick Cryptic by Ludwig. Ludwig sets Quick Cryptic and other puzzles for the Guardian. Today we have anagrams, hidden, acrostic and last letter clues with all the letters given, which should be accessible.
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. haVE ALtered 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”
- soundalike – is indicated by “Wilde” – so in the example, Oscar “Wilde”, the playwright and author, is indicating the soundalike WILD.
- 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 Anagram of answer and hint that there’s an anagram
‘Senator arranged crime (7)’ gives TREASON - Hidden word(s) Answer hidden in clue’s words
‘Some haVE ALtered meat (4)’ gives VEAL - Acrostic First letters of answer
‘Initially get a good joke (3)’ gives GAG - Last letters Final letters give answer
‘Finally pulL thE ruG showing limb (3)’ gives LEG
| ACROSS | Click on “Answer” to see the solutions | |
| 1 |
In conclusion, saga – historical novel – showing everything (3)
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AnswerALL |
Parsinglast letters (in conclusion) of sagA historicaL noveL – the showing is just to make the surface work, but it does also work in the cryptic grammar as sort of saying that first part shows the definition. |
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| 3 |
Hopeless has-been, I’m prone to wail (7)
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AnswerBANSHEE |
Parsinganagram of (HAS-BEEN)* with an anagrind of “hopeless” – to find this mythical wailing character – which is what the definition is alluding to. |
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| 7 |
Some income taxed: it whizzes by (5)
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AnswerCOMET |
Parsinghidden word(s) (some) of inCOME Tax and another allusive definition – this is something some setters do a lot in the full fat cryptic crosswords. |
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| 8 |
Leaders of republics allied; trade is orchestrated in proportion (5)
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AnswerRATIO |
Parsingacrostic (leaders of) Republics Allied Trade Is Orchestrated for a way of describing proportions mathematically. |
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| 9 |
Playing actor’s role that’s primarily … this? (4)
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AnswerPART |
Parsingacrostic (primarily) of Playing Actor’s Role That’s. I’ve underlined the “this” as the definition, but it’s almost a CAD (clue as definition) without the “this”. |
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| 10 |
Composer of Harlem Renaissance? (6)
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AnswerMAHLER |
Parsinganagram of (HARLEM)* with an anagrind of “renaissance” – with a question mark suggesting a slightly offbeat anagrind. |
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| 13 |
Taking finals, skip a class, set to anger one reading lessons? (6)
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AnswerPASTOR |
Parsinglast letters (taking finals) of skiP A clasS seT tO angeR – and this indirect definition I’m quibbling about as it’s inaccurate: a PASTOR doesn’t usually read the lesson, that’s one of those things done by members of the congregation in most churches (through somewhat gritted teeth as I’ve been regularly lumbered with that task since I was a teenager). |
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| 15 |
Partially depict vast tale (4)
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AnswerEPIC |
Parsinghidden word(s) (partially) of dEPICt |
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| 18 |
Wrongdoer – but lifelong? Not entirely (5)
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AnswerFELON |
Parsinghidden word(s) (not entirely) in liFELONg |
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| 19 |
Partly reduced ‘budget items’: that’s a joke (3,2)
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AnswerGET IT |
Parsinghidden word(s) (partly reduced) in budGET ITems – and another indirect definition. |
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| 20 |
Silly magenta label (4,3)
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AnswerNAME TAG |
Parsinganagram of (MAGENTA)* with an anagrind of “silly”. |
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| 21 |
Raptor on wing, lethal principally (3)
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AnswerOWL |
Parsingacrostic (principally) of On Wing Lethal |
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DOWN
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| 1 |
Coppola mixed a drink (7)
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AnswerALCOPOP |
Parsinganagram of (COPPOLA)* with an anagrind of “mixed” for these drinks which are apparently called different things in other countries, and have had several attempts to ban them since their heyday in the mid 90s (25-30 years ago! – I didn’t think they were still around). |
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| 2 |
Cathedral quite grim: au revoir finally, Primate (5)
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AnswerLEMUR |
Parsinglast letters (finally) of cathedraL quitE griM aU revoiR for the Madagascan primates – and a clue surface trying to suggest the clergy primate with the links to the cathedral. |
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| 3 |
Bought up The Times at the outset – or in the end? (4)
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AnswerBUTT |
Parsingacrostic (at the outset) of Bought Up The Times with deliberate confusion between beginnings and endings in the clue surface. |
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| 4 |
Somewhat inhuman (or maniacal) invader (6)
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AnswerNORMAN |
Parsinghidden word(s) (somewhat) in inhumaN OR MANiacal for one of the invaders of the UK, this one in 1066 and all that. |
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| 5 |
At last, rush to resort like hell to find holiday accommodation (5)
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AnswerHOTEL |
Parsinglast letters (at last) rusH tO resorT likE helL |
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| 6 |
Intros in esoteric grandiloquent opera displaying self-importance (3)
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AnswerEGO |
Parsingacrostic (intros in) Esoteric Grandiloquent Opera. |
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| 11 |
Show rewritten article (7)
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AnswerRECITAL |
Parsinganagram of (ARTICLE)* with an anagrind of “rewritten” to give a sort of musical show. |
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| 12 |
Bent on mending headgear (6)
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AnswerBONNET |
Parsinganagram of (BENT ON)* with an anagrind of “mending” some deliberate misdirection here as both “bent on” and “mending” could be anagrinds, but only BENT ON has the required 6 letters. |
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| 14 |
In the end, there’s a moral tale from American city (5)
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AnswerSALEM |
Parsinglast letters (in the end) of there’S A moraL talE froM for the state capital of Oregon with the surface possibly trying to link to the witch trials, which were in what is now Danvers, Massachusetts. |
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| 16 |
Factor in anticipation of garden feature (5)
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AnswerPATIO |
Parsinghidden wor(s) (factor in) in anticiPATIOn. |
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| 17 |
Diva, soloing: so thrilling – ultimately excited (4)
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AnswerAGOG |
Parsinglast letters (ultimately) of divA soloinG sO thrillinG |
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| 18 |
Frolic, ecstatically naked to begin with, in bog (3)
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AnswerFEN |
Parsingacrostic (to begin with) of Frolic Ecstatically Naked – for the boggy areas found in the East of England. |
I enjoyed that – a lot of clever surfaces
Thanks Ludwig and Shanne
Thanks Shanne. I liked BUTT, for the reason you mentioned: “deliberate confusion between beginnings and endings in the clue surface”. I don’t really buy ”hopeless” as an anagrind in BANSHE (or any clue). Maybe mixed-up/crazy, but that’s a modern interpretation of the original banshee.
Agree Martyn#1. Clever surfaces.
This was a lovely start to a QC year. Enjoyable surfaces, gentle wordplay, nothing too obscure. Thanks Ludwig and Shanne. And happy new year everyone.
I loved 10A. Such a neat, condensed, satisfying clue.
I found this one quite easy as when I worked out it was hidden words or first or last letters then they are quite easy to get by process of elimination.
I also found this very gentle. Planned to solve it on the ferry from Arran, but solved it while in the queue. Thanks Ludwig and Shanne and Happy New Year everyone
Yay! The first time I have ever done a cryptic of any size or difficulty without any form of cheating. And all the clues in order! I’m pretty chuffed.
Thanks for your help getting me here, Shanne.
Btw for 4d you show the answer as ROMAN though it is correct in the explanation.
Yes happy new year! This was a nice easy start- but if I hadn’t the knowledge of which tricks used I’m not sure I’d have managed it!! I agree Pam @#4 lovely clue!
What are surfaces?
Just to clarify, the Muffin @5 isn’t me!
Mary @8 – the SURFACE of the clue is what you see when you read it – and the best clues have surfaces that make sense, sometimes a sideways swipe at the solution, sometimes completely different. Some smooth surfaces from recent puzzles are:
Independent 12,240 from Bluth
2D Something offering support under a broken leg – its problems are largely symbolic (7)
Guardian 29,893 by Fed (same person)
16A Awful trauma – so in hospital (10)
FT Sunday News Puzzle 125 by Julius – that whole puzzle is worth checking out
19/24 A. Ideal Mamdani career moves (8,5)
Financial Times 18,255 from Goliath
16A. Sir sent back German dish (7)
25A. Are you saying pen is past its best? (5)
Guardian Prize 29,883 from Philistine (same setter)
19 Voracious in a bestial way (10)
(I would have included Arachne/Rosa Klebb if there’d been a recent puzzle from her).
Paggers @7 – sorry and corrected.
Muffin @9 – I did raise my eyebrows at the comment from you, who I know is experienced, but I can see, different email addresses
Bluth/Fed answers are ALGEBRA and SANATORIUM
Julius is cluing AMERICAN DREAM and Mamdani is the new Mayor of New York City
Goliath/Philistine answers – RISOTTO, RUSTY, INSATIABLE
Easiest Quick Cryptic for a while and no less enjoyable for that. My experience with the last two days’ cryptics has been pretty joyless, especially with yesterday’s Fed. I found the very convoluted parsing of some of the clues infuriating and just couldn’t be bothered with them. I’m in the minority, no doubt.
I enjoyed doing this cryptic,certainly up my alley,it is.I’ve never taken the weekday cryptics seriously as they’re far too difficult! Many thanks Shanne & Ludwig.
Amma @11 – I really like Fed/Bluth and go seek his puzzles out (which is how I ended up solving a crossword in the Independent). I find if I follow the instructions I can build words I don’t know. He sets what are sometimes called Lego clues, built up of little bits, which my brain likes far more than cryptic clues with no wordplay or definition, which I either get immediately, or couldn’t in a month of Sundays (soundalikes and Spoonerisms are in that category too.)
Those clues are:
2D Something offering support (BRA) under A broken leg (LGE) – its problems are largely symbolic (7) so ALGEBRA
16A Awful trauma – so in hospital (10) that’s an anagram of (TRAUMA SO IN)* (awful) = SANATORIUM
One of the classic cryptic clues from Rufus was “Soap Bar (7,7)” – which solves as ROVERS RETURN for the pub in Coronation Street – but unless you have that general knowledge, it’s impossible.
Shanne@13 I never did like Lego. I do like soundalikes, cryptic and double definitions and, sometimes, Spoonerisms. An example of the kind of clue I have no time for is yesterday’s (Fed) POLYGON which involved an envelope, first letters of three words, a reversal of ‘no’ and substituting GP for ‘doctor’. Ditto PRECARIOUSLY which had a double envelope, putting in ‘piously’ for ‘faithfully’ etc. To me these clues are messy and bitty – must be how my brain works.
It was a little odd to have both first-letters and last-letters clues in the same puzzle, which contributed to it being easier than normal for these. It also made it feel like half the clues were essentially the same thing. But on the other hand it made possible the great clue for BUTT, which contains both a first- and last-letter indicator and a well hidden definition.
[Re the comment in the blog: I was wondering whether the setter had in mind the Salem in Oregon or the one in Massachusetts. During the 18th and early 19th centuries, Salem MA was one of our most important seaports, rivaling Boston just to its south. But Boston made harbor improvements and Salem didn’t, so that was that; it’s now just another Boston suburb, although a quite interesting one, with lots of historic sites and one great museum (the Peabody Essex). If you’re done with Boston proper, it’s well worth an excursion, even if you’re not into the witch trials!]
Loved this Ludwig. Thank you.
Thanks to Shanne for fantastic explanations of everything, as usual. Very Happy New Year to you and yours
Thankyou Shanne@10