Guardian Quick Cryptic 106 by Pangakupu

This week’s 11 x 11 crossword from the Guardian intended to teach cryptic crosswords, found here

This week’s puzzle is the 6th puzzle by Pangakupu, who is a regular setter of Cryptics and the full range of Guardian puzzles. In the Cryptics Pangakupu adds a Maori Nina, but not for the Quick Cryptics. Today we have anagrams, hidden word(s) and acrostics with all the letters present, plus charades where the words come from the solvers general and cryptic knowledge. I am still part way through a summary of the tricks and crosswordese from probably the first two years, but today isn’t quite two years since the first puzzle came out, which was 6 April 2024. So in those two years we have covered 105 puzzles (2 years) (It’s listing out all the crosswordese and indicators!).

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 was developed 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.
reversals – the reversal element of a clue is indicated by < – so in the example clue below, VieTNAm <.
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
Charade Combination of synonyms/abbrevs
‘Qualify to get drink for ID (8)’ gives PASSPORT (pass + port)
– the same explanation from week 1 – see more above
Acrostic First letters of answer
‘Initially Get A Good joke (3)’ gives GAG.

	ACROSS	Click on “Answer” to see the solutions
1	Give money to stop expression of pain (5)	Answer ENDOW
	Parsing charade of END (stop) + OW (expression of pain). Expression of pain is usually OW or possibly ouch.
4	Subject, theme or point in conversation, primarily (5)	Answer TOPIC
	Parsing acrostic (primarily) of Theme Or Point In Conversation.
7	Quantity of tea swallowed by our Nan (3)	Answer URN
	Parsing hidden word(s) (swallowed by) oUR Nan – with an unusual hidden word indicator.
8	Joy in treatment of toenail (7)	Answer ELATION
	Parsing anagram of (TOENAIL)* with an anagrind of “treatment of”.
9	Some hero slavishly presented in London statue (4)	Answer EROS
	Parsing hidden word(s) (some) in hERO Slavishly – “presented in” could also be a hidden word indicator – for what I presume is aiming at this statue and I’ll leave the link here without further comment.
10	Rascal, one providing seafood (6)	Answer SCAMPI
	Parsing charade of SCAMP (rascal) + I (one in Roman numerals) for this seafood.
12	Creative worker in part is technician (6)	Answer ARTIST
	Parsing hidden word(s) (in) pART IS Technician.
14	String running over parcel extensively at the outset (4)	Answer ROPE
	Parsing acrostic (at the outset) of Running Over Parcel Extensively.
17	Earnestly request naughty child to get learning (7)	Answer IMPLORE
	Parsing charade of IMP (naughty child) + (to get) LORE (learning). The “to get” is an instruction that the first word gets this added.
18	Spring asparagus? Just a selection thereof (3)	Answer SPA
	Parsing hidden word(s) (just a selection thereof) in aSPAragus – with quite a long hidden word indicator.
19	Courage boarding commoner vessel (5)	Answer NERVE
	Parsing hidden word(s) (boarding) commoNER VEssel – and another unusual hidden word indicator. It’s indicating something inside the letters following.
20	Discernment: this artistic sensibility takes experience, principally (5)	Answer TASTE
	Parsing acrostic (principally) of This Artistic Sensibility Takes Experience.


	DOWN
1	Reckoning mountaineer is confused (11)	Answer ENUMERATION
	Parsing anagram of (MOUNTAINEER)* with an anagrind of “is confused”. There are a few setters who like these long single word anagrams.
2	Wild dog’s noise and energy (5)	Answer DINGO
	Parsing charade of DIN (noise) + (and) GO (energy) for this wild dog.
3	Bird heads for wood, reviewing every nest-site (4)	Answer WREN
	Parsing acrostic (heads for) of Wood Reviewing Every Nest-site for this bird in the UK.
4	Nectar drunk? Abstracted state (6)	Answer TRANCE
	Parsing anagram of (NECTAR)* with an anagrind of “drunk”.
5	What will originate pretty real iridescent spectrum? Maybe this (5)	Answer PRISM
	Parsing acrostic ((what will) originate) of Pretty Real Iridescent Spectrum Maybe – and this is a problem to disentangle as it’s nearly a clue as definition (CAD) also called an &lit – the clue almost describes the solution – so the definition could be “what will” or “maybe this” – or the whole clue, and the wordplay is included in the clue.
6	Thoughtful, repairing desecration (11)	Answer CONSIDERATE
	Parsing anagram of (DESECRATION)* with an anagram of “repairing”.
11	Remains with rocky material on the beach (6)	Answer ASHORE
	Parsing charade of ASH (remains) + (with) ORE (rocky material)
13	Pig-like animal that Asian people immediately recognise at the outset (5)	Answer TAPIR
	Parsing acrostic (at the outset) of That Asian People Immediately Recognise for this pig-like animal.
15	Desert refuge? Nothing in current form (5)	Answer OASIS
	Parsing charade of O (nothing) + AS IS (current form) – and a question mark as a definition by example, because this is just one example of a desert refuge.
16	Warmth suffusing the atmosphere (4)	Answer HEAT
	Parsing hidden word(s) (suffusing) in tHE ATmosphere – with another hidden indicator that suggests something internal, but works to mislead as it fits the other words in the clue.

5 comments on “Guardian Quick Cryptic 106 by Pangakupu”

Pobulose

#1 - Sat 11th Apr 26, 08:10

I initially took ‘in part’ to be the indicator in 12, which slowed me down until I had crosses.

The notes on 20 above have wrong answer.
Shanne

#2 - Sat 11th Apr 26, 08:42

Thank you – corrected.
Jen

#3 - Sat 11th Apr 26, 09:12

Very enjoyable. Nicely pitched.

Thanks Shanne for your helpful blog & Pangakupu for the crossword.
Andrea

#4 - Sat 11th Apr 26, 09:18

I came here primarily for 17a. I kind of understand it now, but to me that’s an unusual way of using the word knowledge (I suppose, that is the point…)
2d was new to m will bear that in mind.

As usual, thank you for the blog!
thecronester

#5 - Sat 11th Apr 26, 09:30

Very nice QC from the ever reliable Pangakupu, thanks. A couple of trickier charades scattered in but lots of great anagrams, hiddens and acrostics to get traction across the grid. Thanks Shanne for your blog.