Guardian Quick Cryptic 110 by Budmo

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

This week’s puzzle is the 8th puzzle by Budmo. Budmo is now setting Quiptic and Cryptic puzzles, having started setting Quick Cryptics in the Guardian in 2025. Budmo has included Ninas in previous puzzles I can’t see on in this puzzle which has anagrams and acrostic words where all the letters are present, plus soundalikes and charades where the solvers have to find the words.

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 – (SENATOR)* arranged
Charade Combination of synonyms/abbrevs
‘Qualify to get drink for ID (8)’ gives PASSPORT (pass + port)
There is more to charades than this, so a more detailed explanation above
Soundalike Something that sounds like answer
‘Excited, Oscar’s announced (4)’ gives WILD – from Oscar “Wilde” (the playwright)
Acrostic First letters of answer
‘Initially Get A Good joke (3)’ gives GAG

	ACROSS	Click on “Answer” to see the solutions
1	Starts to lament obtaining cheap key for security feature (4)	Answer LOCK
	Parsing acrostic (starts to) Lament Obtaining Cheap Key.
3	Balance of finances following shock event tumbled, initially (6)	Answer OFFSET
	Parsing acrostic (initially) from Of Finances Following Shock Event Tumbled. Balance as in finances – I balanced the household finances by offsetting the overspend from the savings account.
7	Studied the colour of blood, reportedly (4)	Answer READ
	Parsing soundalike (reportedly) from “red” (the colour of blood). For the “to study” definition, think of studying a subject at university. The clue says that “studied” means a word that sounds like (reportedly) (the colour of blood).
8	It’s said French cheeses can give one wind (6)	Answer BREEZE
	Parsing soundalike (it’s said) of “bries” (French cheeses). In this clue, the instructions say: soundalike (it’s said) that French cheeses (soundalike word) give one (the solver) wind (definition).
10	Try rubbish approach for medical emergency (5,6)	Answer HEART ATTACK
	Parsing charade of HEAR (try) TAT (rubbish) TACK (approach) – we do see these charades where lots of little bits put together give another word. Adding later, HEAR as in TRY comes up a lot in cryptic crosswords: Judges hear/try cases in the High Court.
12	Time to throw out the German, an enthralling speaker (11)	Answer SPELLBINDER
	Parsing charade of SPELL (time) + BIN (to throw out) + DER (“the” in German). This is a regular trick in cryptics – “the German” meaning translate “the” into German – and use one of the options der, die or das.
14	Leave with a porky footballer (6)	Answer GOALIE
	Parsing charade of GO (leave) + A (from the clue) + LIE (porky). Porky for lie comes from Cockney Rhyming slang – a pork pie/lie becomes a porky. And the full fat cryptics often expect some knowledge of Cockney Rhyming Slang (CRS). (As someone who has worked in a couple of the pockets where CRS still existed, I look at some of the CRS used in puzzles and think those aren’t words I came across, but porky for lie has been absorbed into English).
16	Religious figure in many Arabian mosques, primarily (4)	Answer IMAM
	Parsing acrostic (primarily) from In Many Arabian Mosques. The whole clue is part of the definition, so this is almost a CAD (clue as definition), although the “primarily” prevents that.
17	Refraining from speech, listen out (6)	Answer SILENT
	Parsing anagram of (LISTEN)* with an anagrind of “out”.
18	Announced ‘You idiot!’ in subdivision of army, perhaps (4)	Answer UNIT
	Parsing soundalike (announced) of U (you) + NIT (idiot) – and the perhaps is because this is a definition by example (DBE).

	DOWN
1	Large supporting structure for tree (5)	Answer LARCH
	Parsing charade of L (large) + ARCH (supporting structure) for this tree
2	Had care altered – absurd behaviour (7)	Answer CHARADE
	Parsing anagram of (HAD CARE)* with an anagrind of “altered” and a definition referring to the third definition in Chambers “a piece of ridiculous pretence or absurb behaviour”. I missed this one out this morning, addng now
4	Conifer getting serious treatment for damage (5,3)	Answer FIRST AID
	Parsing charade of FIR (conifer) + STAID (serious).
5	Notice body of water’s sound (3)	Answer SEE
	Parsing soundalike (sound) of “sea” (body of water). Lots of twists here with the “sound” also a body of water.
6	Change the world economy after Kremlin’s overtures (5)	Answer TWEAK
	Parsing acrostic (overtures) of The World Economy After Kremlin’s.
9	Eccentric still on a horse (8)	Answer STALLION
	Parsing anagram of (STILL ON A)* with an anagrind of “eccentric”
11	Appallingly, ban demo in corporation? (7)	Answer ABDOMEN
	Parsing anagram of (BAN DEMO)* with an anagrind of “appallingly”. Corporation meaning stomach, specifically a large rounded belly, comes up in cryptic crosswords regularly. According to AI, referencing Word Web Online: “In informal British and Scottish English, a corporation refers to a large, protruding belly, paunch, or potbelly. Often used humorously, it implies a “well-set up” or rotund stomach, sometimes playfully linked to the, often humorous, notion of local council members having large bellies from “beanfeasts”. Slang Synonyms: Potbelly, beer belly, paunch, gut, bay window. Context: It is a play on the word “corpulence” (fatness). Usage Example: “He has a glorious corporation,” meaning he has a very prominent stomach.”
12	Groans’ magnitude picked up (5)	Answer SIGHS
	Parsing soundalike (picked up) of “size” (magnitude). Similar cryptic grammar to above. The other way of spotting which way round these soundalikes work is looking where the indicator is, next to the soundalike word. The apostrophe is to make sense of the surface, but can be ignored for the cryptic reading.
13	Brief change of timer (5)	Answer REMIT
	Parsing anagram of (TIMER)* with an anagrind of “change of”. Think of the specifications / brief of a role or project for the definition.
15	Become sick from beer in audition (3)	Answer AIL
	Parsing soundalike (in audition) of “ale” (beer).

14 comments on “Guardian Quick Cryptic 110 by Budmo”

Pauly

#1 - Sat 9th May 26, 08:08

Thanks Shanne and Budmo! “Overtures” for the acrostic indicator and “corporation” are new for me. Still, I think Im getting better at seeing what words might fit against the crossers and then reverse engineering, or making an educated guess, rather than relying solely on the clue. Role on the Sunday Quiptic!
Lily

#2 - Sat 9th May 26, 08:10

This was great fun! Can’t quite understand why hear is synonymous for try in 10 across though. Thank you to Shanne and Budmo
Shanne

#3 - Sat 9th May 26, 08:27

Lily @2 – I’ve added that to the blog – judges hear/try cases – it’s a regular cryptic crossword equivalence.
Comment #4
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thecronester

#5 - Sat 9th May 26, 09:37

Quite tricky in parts. Some nice charades going on like 10a, 12a, and even 4d (which I needed wife assistance on). Really liked 2d CHARADE, made me smile, but you haven’t mentioned it Shanne. Thanks Budmo, a good level of QC, and Shanne for your usual comprehensive explanations.
Shanne

#6 - Sat 9th May 26, 09:42

And now apologies as it’s the May Fair today and I may not respond particularly quickly as I’m a stall recruiting.
Tim

#7 - Sat 9th May 26, 10:38

My favourites were GOALIE and UNIT. Struggled with parsing of 10a and 12a, but got with crossers/definition. Good fun. Thanks again Shanne and Budmo.
Judith

#8 - Sat 9th May 26, 11:00

I struggled with 12a SPELLBINDER and came here for the parsing. I had to read it a couple of times! I’m still learning 🙂 It was great fun today! Thank you Shanne and Budmo!
PeterSD42

#9 - Sat 9th May 26, 11:21

Many thanks for this brilliant blog.
I’m still a learner, so I managed to get most of the answers via the clues.
I found 10a, 12a and 14a by association of letters but didn’t understand the clue…now, all is clear!
Have a great day
Kieran

#10 - Sat 9th May 26, 11:44

Figured out HEART ATTACK from checking letters, and staid in FIRST AID was a new one on me, as was corporation for ABDOMEN, but I soon linked it to “corpulence”.

Favourite clue was BREEZE (8a).
LunaLo

#11 - Sat 9th May 26, 12:10

Thank you for the comprehensive explanations, Shanne. I couldn’t parse 10a and 14a, your blog helped with it. Cockney Rhyming Slang is so funny!
Andrea

#12 - Sat 9th May 26, 16:35

12a, Loi. I don’t think I have ever come across that word before.
Corporation was new to me as well.
Rachel

#13 - Sat 9th May 26, 18:31

Thanks Shane. I got ABDOMEN from the anagram and the crossers but had to come here to find out how it related to the definition!! But a nice puzzle at a good QC level, I thought.
thecronester

#14 - Sat 9th May 26, 19:49

Thanks Shanne for adding in the 2d explanation.

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14 comments on “Guardian Quick Cryptic 110 by Budmo”

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