This is the eighteenth Guardian Quick Cryptic, a series of 11 x 11 crosswords designed to support beginners learning cryptic crosswords. The whole point of these crosswords is support and encouragement of new solvers, so special rules for these crosswords apply – see here. The puzzle can be found here.
There’s a new clue introduced this week, the cryptic definition, which aren’t my favourite clues. They are more like double definitions or Spoonerisms, because you either get the allusions or you don’t, unlike the anagrams, hidden, acrostic, reverse clues and charades, where there’s usually enough information in the clue to start building something, especially with the crossers. One of the most loved setters, often seen as a good starting point for beginners, Rufus, was a master of these clues – a couple of his much quoted clues were:
Two girls, one on each knee (7)
A bar of soap (6, 6)
But I didn’t find him or them easy. When do you get these clues the penny drop moment (pdm) is very satisfying. Answers at the bottom of the blog.
After suggestions made on the blog a couple of weeks ago, where the request was to not see the answer immediately, I’ve kept the presentation from last week so that readers have to scroll down and across to see the answers. The completed crossword is now at the end, rather than the beginning.
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
- CAPITALS to indicate which bits are part of the answer, e.g. PASS (qualify) to get PORT (drink), see below
- anagram *(SENATOR) shows letters in clue being used, see clue below.
- anagrind the anagram indicator (arranged)
- 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 – which can be found at www.theguardian.com/crosswords/quick-cryptic/18
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 A combination of synonyms
‘Qualify to get drink for ID (8)’ gives PASSPORT (pass + port) - Double definition Both halves are definitions!
‘Search scrub (5)’ gives SCOUR - Cryptic definition Whole clue is playful definition
‘Die of cold (3,4)’ gives ICE CUBE
| ACROSS | ||
| 1 |
A Scot travelling in seaside area (5)
anagram of (A SCOT)* with anagrind of travelling
|
COAST
|
| 4 |
French writer never changes (5)
anagram of (NEVER)* with anagrind of changes
For Jules Verne, author of 20000 Leagues Under the Sea, Journey to the Centre of the Earth and 80 Days around the World
|
VERNE |
| 7 |
Explosive device in depot, or moved around (7)
anagram of (DEPOT OR)* with anagrind of moved around
|
TORPEDO
|
| 8 |
Starter of pork that is in pastry (3)
charade of P (starter of pork) and I.E. (id est, that is)
|
PIE
|
| 9 |
Swindle man used in chess (4)
double definition to ROOK someone is to swindle someone and a ROOK is a chess piece,
man for chess pieces is a common misdirection.
Lots of definitions of swindle – rook, con – turn up in crosswords
|
ROOK
|
| 10 |
Worst Detective Inspector needs break from work (6)
charade of D I (Detective Inspector) + (needs) REST (break from work)
|
DIREST
|
| 13 |
Where campers may be, showing determination (6)
cryptic definition / double definition – campers can be found IN TENT – which also means determination
|
INTENT
|
| 14 |
Antipodean fruit(4)
double definition – A New Zealander (antipodean) is known as a KIWI, and a KIWI is a fruit – also known as the Chinese gooseberry
|
KIWI
|
| 16 |
Dog in place for experiments (3)
double definition – a LAB is a Labrador retriever – a type of large friendly dog, and a LAB is also how a laboratory (place of experiments) is often said.
LAB in both forms turns up in both forms in crosswords, usually to as parts of other words being built.
|
LAB
|
| 18 |
Foolish, like 1 and 9 (7)
charade of AS (like) I (1) + (and) NINE (9) to give AS I NINE
Numbers get played with like this – regularly – some of the setters are well known for this trick.
|
ASININE
|
| 19 |
Puzzle for fictional detective (5)
double definition– a REBUS is a words and pictures puzzle and John Rebus is the main detective character in a series of books by Ian Rankin – I have read some of the books but haven’t seen the later TV series, but that’s normal for me.
I’ve seen REBUS turn up fairly regularly in the standard Cryptic Crosswords
|
REBUS |
| 20 |
Depart twice with large Russian writer (5)
charade of GO + GO (depart twice) with L (large) to give GO GO L – this novelist, short story writer and poet.
|
GOGOL |
| DOWN | ||
| 1 |
A future admiral or emperor? (11)
cryptic definition – referring to the Red Admiral and or Purple Emperor butterflies – to name the most common.
It’s worth knowing the common butterfly names as they can often be used to mislead – others I’ve seen used this way are the Comma and Copper.
|
CATERPILLAR
|
| 2 |
Show fortified wine in transport hub (7)
charade of AIR (show) and PORT (fortified wine)
|
AIRPORT
|
| 3, 15 |
Might this reveal Hazel or Holly’s age? (4,4)
cryptic definition – hazel and holly are trees – and the way to tell their age is by counting their TREE RINGs
Again, it’s worth knowing tree names because they can be used like this or in other ways to mislead in crosswords. The capitals are allowed – the convention is that something that should be capitalised is presented with a capital letter, often hidden at the beginning of the clue, but words that don’t need a capital can use them in clues to mislead, and another form of punctuation that can be ignored.
|
TREE RING
|
| 4 | Playing this, the performer ought to take a bow? (6)
cryptic definition – a violinist uses a bow to play their instrument (as does a cellist) Bow is another word that has many meanings, this particular trick using both the part of the instrument and the bow at the end of a performance to mislead turns up occasionally. |
VIOLIN
|
| 5 |
Knock what Jay-Z and Kanye West do (3)
double definition – to knock something is to RAP it and Jay-Z and Kanye West are RAP artists.
|
RAP
|
| 6 |
A shocking swimmer? (8,3)
cryptic definition – an ELECTRIC (shocking) EEL (swimmer) – but it’s not a charade as the clue is the definition too.
|
ELECTRIC EEL |
| 11 |
Changing diet, gin’s drunk (7)
anagram of (DIET GIN)* with anagrind of is (‘s) drunk
|
EDITING
|
| 12 |
Trendy rules for relatives by marriage (2-4)
charade of IN (trendy) LAWS (rules)
IN for trendy, cool, in fashion is a regular in crosswords
|
IN-LAWS
|
| 15 |
See 3
|
RING
|
| 17 |
Hope, perhaps, for a shilling (3)
double definition Hope, perhaps refers to BOB Hope the comedian, the other definition refers to slang for old British currency – a shilling was a BOB.
The old pre-decimal currency slang is also worth knowing, even if we went decimal in 1970 – just giving coins here, and slightly mixing up pre- and post-decimal coins:
pennies, half-pennies and two penny bits 1d or 1p, ½d or ½p & 2p – coppers (from the colour)
sixpenny piece – tanner
shilling (became the 5p piece) bob
2 shilling piece (became the 10p piece) – florin
half-a-crown – two shillings and six pence
|
BOB
|
Answers from above:
patella (pat + ella) – the knee cap in medical terms,
Rover’s Return – the pub in Coronation Street, the soap
Excellent, and perfect for my new pupil. Thanks, Picaroon. And Shanne, for a thorough blog.
Fun puzzle.
New for me: the fictional Inspector Rebus (for 19ac).
I imagine that a reference to Bob Hope (1903-2003) is difficult for younger solvers.
Thanks, both.
The introduction of Cryptic Definitions to the QC series – those can be sticky but I thought today’s were gettable albeit I did come back to CATERPILLAR when I had the checkers. Never heard of ROOK to mean swindle. On ASININE, I got misled by the 1 & 9 thinking they were referring to other clues – I’m sure we will eventually see it in the QC series but it will confuse when it happens.
Overall I thought that was better judged for the beginners – thanks to Picaroon
Live solve with all my trips, misses, fluffs and mistarts over here … https://youtu.be/1JtzivWjrg8 for those wishing to see how to approach these, not just understand how the answers breakdown
@2 Michelle … agree about Bob Hope especially as the other half of the clue shilling went out with decimalisation which occurred before I was born. Of course it’s still in circulation in Crosswordland and beginners need to know this stuff.
A bit more difficult again today, I felt.
REBUS and CATERPILLAR were both closer to general knowledge tests, which I failed and needed most of the crossers to see the answers. That aside there were some nice clues, with ASININE and GOGOL my favourites.
Thanks Picaroon and Shanne
Thanks for the explanations.
I initially had PAWN instead of ROOK, but checked it immediately and found it was wrong.
ASININE (impossible for me. I was trying to incorporate COAST AND ROOK and became very frustrated; numbers in clues confuse me)
GOGOL – nho
TREE-RING too tough for me.
11d – these always confuse me. The anagram answer is 7 letters but the ‘s’ would suggest 8 letters.
I don’t know how and when to ignore them.
Steffen @ 6 & 7, numbers in clues are to confuse you, because there are so many ways they can be interpreted. It’s a game where the setter is setting a puzzle using every bit of deviousness they can use, but leaving crumbs so the solver has a chance of solving the answer, so part of the fun is decoding where the information is hidden.
I find cryptic definitions hard too, one of the much loved “easy” setters, Rufus, used them a lot and I didn’t find them or him easy.
Using apostrophes to mislead is just another trick you have to judge clue by clue.
Enjoyed this one especially 1d when I eventually spotted it. 19a was last in for me but guessed due to the crossers and had no idea that REBUS was a type of puzzle until read it here. Agree with others that 17d was a bit anachronistic 😄
Thanks Picaroon for the nicely pitched quick cryptic and Shanne for the explanations here.
Shanne, there were no twopenny bits; the threepenny bits were a yellowish brassy colour, though they may well have been considered “coppers” – I don’t remember, though I do remember the exciting day when the new coins came into circulation.
There was also the two shilling “florin”. The five shilling piece, or “crown”, wasn’t in general circulation, but commemorative versions were minted, such as the Churchill crown.
I found this quite hard for a quick cryptic, mainly because of the types of clues, though I should have seen COAST before I finally got CATERPILLAR last but one.
Oh, and I just remember the farthing, half a ha’penny.
Thanks for the explanation for 17D – got it from the schilling part of the clue but was all at sea with the other half of it.
Other than that all relatively straightforward – 1D being the last in and a nice clue once the answer had been arrived at. Took a while for that to happen though. Also liked 3D , 15D – nice bit of distraction there.
Monkey @10 and 11 – I dithered about how complicated to make the coppers – I don’t remember using a farthing, but they were around, pretty things with a wren on the back. The lady serving the sweet counter in the village shop where my grandparents lived counted out the penny sweets in farthings when we were given a thruppeny bit (3d) to buy sweets, as they were often 4 a penny back in the day.
Coppers as slang for the old LSD covered farthings, ha’pennies, pennies, although the farthing was withdrawn in 1960, which is why I don’t remember using it, and yes, I do remember the thruppenny bit. For decimal currency coppers covered halfpence, penny and twopence pieces – although the half-pence was withdrawn in 1984. The 2p bit came in as roughly equivalent of the tanner 6d, the half-pence as 1d and the 1p as 2d/3d – a certain amount of inflation happened and there wasn’t a true equivalence – we were converting 20s to the £1, 12d to the shilling, so 240d to the £ to the new system of 100p to the £1 – so a 5p piece should have been the equivalent of 1s, and 10p for a florin (2s), 50p replaced the old 10 bob note (which is where we get bent as a nine bob note from) when it came in at the time of decimalisation.
I had to think twice before remembering Bob Hope, and I’m in my 70s and can tell a bob from a tanner. Good example of a common crossword phenomenon: a fairly out of date person still used because he’s so useful to clue a couple of common words.
Pre-decimal currency was based on multiples of 12 pence=1 shilling, hence the need for 3d and 6d coins. We do still say that someone is “not short of a bob or two” (or at least I do).
Thrown by 18a as I was looking at the answers to 1d and 9a. Also the apostrophe in gin’s stopped me at first from finding the anagram from 7 not 8 letters. But the blog here has been very useful for explaining these tricks. I’ll try to remember them for future puzzles.
Still very much enjoying these quick cryptics though so thanks for all the help from Picaroon, Shanne and the rest of you .
For the first time, and very satisfyingly, I understood the reasons for every single answer when I did the crossword but it was still just as interesting to read your excellent blog – I’m really loving these quick cryptics and just wish they were more than weekly! Thank you Shanne. : )
Wow I’m on time for once! Off to a bad start with this, read 1a and immediately thought it was COSTA, and it took a while for me to go back and fix my mistake.
Very nearly a finish for me, couldn’t get 1d or 19 (since I’d never heard of either definition of REBUS before). The only one I got without understanding was 17, I completely forgot about Bob Hope.
Thanks Picaroon and Shanne.
Great blog and puzzle, good to see so many new names. onwards and upwards. We have all been there, I used to carry the Everyman crossword around with me and take a whole week to solve it.
Very slight correction – Two girls, one on each knee (8) .
I will add my favourite cryptic definition from the wonderful Bunthorne.
Amundsen’s forwarding address (4) .
Congratulations to Katyotter @16.
The Quiptic and sometimes the Everyman are worth looking at to try another crossword. If you got on with this one, Vulcan sets alternate Mondays and the thing solvers can find hard are his cryptic definitions, which were what was introduced this week.
This one took about 45 mins, but I was helped by the missus, who chipped in with 1d after looking at it for 5 seconds. Never heard of GOGOL, but that had to be the answer; likewise the “swindle” meaning of ROOK.
I found today’s crossword easier – or perhaps I am getting more clued-in to how the minds of these devious crossword setters work? Anyway, today I had it done within an hour where I’ve still been scratching my head several days later. And I’ve even got my partner interested too. I particularly liked 18A today – some clever wordplay.
I found today’s about the easiest so far – I’m a newbie. Just the luck of the draw, or a similar mindset to the setter. Last week’s was the most difficult! And being old myself, I love the old language clues.
Thanks Picaroon and Shanne
I haven’t done all of these, but, in sharp contrast to Florrie above, I found this the hardest one so far. ASININE would have been a tricky clue in a normal cryptic. CATERPILLAR and DIREST wren’t the easiest either.
I’m another that doesn’t much care for cryptic-definition clues. I have the following additional reason for that: in American cryptics, this clue type is not used–it’s against the rules since it only has one half. So when I started doing British cryptics, I was terribly annoyed to find them. (Not sure why–the standard American-style “plain” (non-cryptic) crosswords use them all the time! They’re staples on Friday and Saturday in the New York Times; in today’s NYT puzzle alone, I count six clues that I’d categorize that way. I won’t quote one, since there are a few other people who read this site who also solve the NYT, and in the interest of avoiding spoilers…) But they’re fairer in a plain American crossword, for two reasons: (1) you know to look for them, and (2) since every letter is crossed, you have a lot more help in getting there.
The ELECTRIC EEL clue reminds me of this line from Cole Porter’s “Let’s Do It”:
Electric eels, I might add, do it
Though it shocks ’em, I know.
Why ask if shad do it–
“Waiter, bring me shad roe.”
Lastly, I’d say there’s nothing unfair (yet) about using Bob Hope. He kept performing into the 1990s, and was a dedicated supporter of the USO, famed for performing at overseas bases, for free, as often as he could. And his movies still make the rounds on TV every now and then. He’s as much a part of Hollywood history as any other actor from that era. And yet–yes, crosswords do have a way of prolonging the spotlight on the formerly famous, a topic often discussed in the crossie community over here as a barrier to entry for the young.
Contrary to other commenters, found that probably the hardest so far with multiple reveals needed. Too young to think of Bob Hope, never heard of Mr Gogol or Rebus, and couldn’t get the penny to drop on Caterpillar either. Definitely developing a preference for “letter faffing” clues like anagrams and hidden words over things like double definitions and cryptic definitions.
Excellent crossword, asinine was a particular favourite. I’ve read most of the Rebus novels which helped (he was named for the puzzle then later he became of Polish descent when Rankin discovered it’s also a Polish name).
Verne took longer than it should as I was fixated on Victor Hugo.
Thank you so much Shanne, yet another wonderfully precise blog for what was a brilliant Quickie. This time it felt much like a proper Cryptic in that I went through each clue, no wild guesses, and filled in what I could and then used the crossers to help wheedle out the remainder, leaving the superb 1D until the last, but COTD for me.
Your two examples…nope, didn’t get either although the knees would have ‘dropped’ with crossers I expect.
Coins….Guineas are still in vogue, posh and pretentious pricing and the first two classics of the flat season in Newmarket. Nickels, dimes, quarters, cents and general foreign currency of a similar ilk.
[Arthur @27: Re nickels, dimes, and quarters: the smallest bit of US currency that’s still a meaningful amount of money is the quarter, and the US Treasury loses tons of money each year minting the smaller ones. Yet the movement to abolish small change has gotten more or less nowhere. Nostalgia, maybe?]
[@mrpenny@28…. Definitely nostalgia, but also politics too. When the 1/2p of decimal form was ditched there was an acceptance that it was an irritation, but also outrage that all the prices were rounded up, never down, so a bit of inflation crept in with resentment. I was 11 in 1970 and remember many folks asking ‘how much is it in old money’. I’m still a feet and inches and pounds and ounces boy, simply because they are the yardsticks I learned by rote at school. Ironically the old 1D which the new 1/2P was the replacement thereof was the size of a drain cover. So folks felt, quite literally, the shrinking of their coin which never goes down well.]
Changing to decimal currency down here meant that you could no longer put the coins in the plum pudding at Christmas due to their different chemical make-up, unless you kept the old ones, or wrapped the new ones in foil. Kept them for a few years, but long gone now. Does anyone still put coins in their plum puddings? Does anyone still have traditional plum puddings at Christmas? We Aussies are a crazy bunch, hanging on to old traditions, like British winter plum puddings, while also having a barbecue. It’s too hot to have a roast dinner.
Managed this one although puzzled by PIE. It is really really helpful to have all the solution methods explained. Also like the ramble first, solutions later. Thankyou.
Yes @paddymelon I saved some original silver three penny bits and use them at Christmas
Oh, good, Mary@32. Your place for Christmas. 🙂
PDM/Mary I have had silver threepenny bits passed on to me , they are much smaller than the later ones . George Orwell called them a Joey in Keep The Aspidistra Flying. . Like Mary I only use them at Christmas , I just call it Christmas pudding. PDM I think that Christmas pudding is still fairly traditional in the UK , always a lot in the shops.
Hazel and Holly confused me for long time as they are rabbits from Watership Down in my book. Caterpillar came easily which was most helpful. Very enjoyable puzzle for me and my quickest yet.
When I saw “cryptic definition” in the preamble my hear sank a little (although it didn’t sink as low as the other week for “spoonerism”). But I needn’t have worried because in the end, with a bit of extra thought, I managed to get nearly all the “cryptic” ones, and they were satisfying. I was stumped by CATERPILLAR.
Also stumped by VERNE (thinking too hard to notice the anagrind?)
As a 70s child both meanings of Bob were known to me, although they had passed their best.
Some more GK required this week? – what with the Scottish detective, the writers and the old slang for a defunct coin and the dead old comedian (or is it old dead? I think dead old means very old. It’s not long dead either).
Felix at 35 – I also went down a rabbit hole (heh) for a bit with that clue!
I didn’t get to this until today (busy weekend) but enjoyed it once I did. Cryptic definition clues seem to be not unlike the punny clues in non-cryptic crosswords (which always end in ?, at least in the Washington Post crossword which is the one I sometimes do).
I didn’t understand the rationale behind 18a (thrown off by the numbers) and misidentified the anagrind in 11d: I thought ‘changing’ was signaling the anagram and ‘drunk’ would be the definition. But I played with the anagram helper for a bit, found EDITING, and realized I had the anagrind/definition switched.
Thanks for the blog, Shanne!
I’ve been keen to get into cryptic crosswords but have always found them too hard. I came across the quick cryptic a couple of weeks ago, and I’m hooked! But unfortunately that means I’ve already done all the ones that exist. Any suggestions of where to go next? I’m finding the Quiptic very hit or miss as to whether I can get much on the grid, and it’s a bit demoralising feeling like you’re rubbish at it!
Thanks also Shanne for the blog – it’s helped tremendously.
Amelia @38 – I’d agree the Quiptic is hit and miss as a step up, but it’s worth trying and see how far you get, because half-solved and working through the answers will build your skills.
Carpathian sets Quiptic Crosswords as does Picaroon, and they are good at fitting to slots. I find Pasquale also does a good job of setting to the Quiptic slot, with a clear setting style. Hectence, another regular setter, has a different style, but will teach different skills. Matilda’s Quiptics are lovely, but she hasn’t set one for ages.
The Everyman, which gives you a week to solve it, is also a bit hit and miss, someone suggested trying the setter before the current setter in one of these blogs, the one to the second in the series, with links to where to go back.
Vulcan appears every other Monday and is consistent, uses cryptic clues, but is worth trying as a step up.
I’m keeping records, and I’ll talk to kenmac about a review blog summarising a lot of this information.
Hi Shanne, That’s such a good tip about looking for setters whose style I’m already familiar with – thank you!
Steffen @6 I also had PAWN in, which helped me get caterpillar, which didn’t fit so helped me correct PAWN to ROOK
In hindsight, pawn doesn’t quite work, but it seemed good enough at the time (although I’d be using a pencil if it wasn’t online)