This is the forty-first 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 – those rules include not posting solving times. This puzzle can be found here.
Following a number of comments we now hide the answers and the wordplay descriptions too. To find that hidden information, click on “Details” and it will pop up, or you can choose to reveal everything using the new “Expand All” button. The definition is in bold and underlined, the indicator is in red.
This week we have a return of Picaroon to the Quick Cryptic, one of the two setters who have compiled most of these puzzles. Today we see anagrams and hidden clues with all the letters present, double definitions and charades where the solver works out the words included.
There is a summary of the tricks used in the first six months here and a recent Guardian Crossword blog called the ultimate beginner’s guide has tips which may be useful for some solvers.
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 – adding later and some of these are split.
- CAPITALS to indicate which bits are part of the answer, e.g. some haVE ALtered meat, Get A Good,
- anagram *(SENATOR) shows letters in clue being used, see clue below – in this crossword, there is a subtraction of one of the letters before it is rearranged.
- anagrind the anagram indicator (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.
- DBE or defintion 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 – which can be found at www.theguardian.com/crosswords/quick-cryptic/41 – because the clues have moved on from the clue descriptions below, I am now adding more to the descriptions 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 - Hidden word Answer is hidden in the clue’s words
‘Some have altered meat (4)’ gives VEAL - 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
| ACROSS |
Click on “details” to see the solutions | |
| 1 | Spice Girl requiring card game and biscuit (6,4) |
GINGER SNAP
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charade of GINGER (Spice Girl – nickname of Geri Halliwell when part of the Spice Girls) + SNAP (card game).
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| 7 |
Firefighter suppressing fury (3)
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IRE
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hidden (supressing) in fIREfighter
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| 8 |
Heron from very cold north (7)
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BITTERN
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charade of BITTER (very cold) + N (north) for this bird
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| 9 |
Give an account of Swiss folk hero (4)
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TELL
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double definition – the Swiss folk hero is this gentleman
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| 10 |
Old coin in African country (6)
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GUINEA
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double definition of this coin and this country
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| 13 |
Holiday destination in Chartres or Troyes (6)
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RESORT
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hidden in (in) ChartRES OR Troyes
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| 14 |
Understand it’s part of a tree (4)
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TWIG
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double definition mixing an informal verb for understand and a noun for a very small part of a tree.
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| 16 |
Take home party game (7)
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NETBALL
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charade of NET (take home – as in pay after tax is net pay) + BALL (party)
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| 18 |
Are cooks getting a bit of corn? (3)
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EAR
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anagram of (ARE)* with anagrind of cooks
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| 19 |
Mother hung around and feigned illness (10)
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MALINGERED
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charade of MA (mother) + LINGERED (hung around)
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DOWN
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| 1 |
Shiny bit of wrapping – litter in grass (10)
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GLITTERING
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hidden in (bit of) in wrappinG LITTER IN Grass
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| 2 |
Require French word for the sewing equipment (7)
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NEEDLES
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charade of NEED (require) + LES (French word for “the”)
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| 3 | European river going through Heidelberg (4) |
ELBE
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hidden in (going through) heidELBErg
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| 4 |
Begin a journey from Odense to Utrecht (3,3)
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SET OUT
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hidden in (from) OdenSE TO UTrecht
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| 5 |
Imitate e.g. King Louie (3)
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APE
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double definition the second referring to this character
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| 6 |
Stop rage Edward threatened (10)
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ENDANGERED
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charade of END (stop) + ANGER (rage) + ED (Edward)
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| 11 |
Perhaps we yearn for a festive occasion (3,4)
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NEW YEAR
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anagram of (WE YEARN)* with anagrind of perhaps
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| 12 |
Popular man is dressing fashion designer (6)
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ARMANI
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hidden (dressing) in populAR MAN Is for this fashion designer
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| 15 |
Advert for bathroom or kitchen item (4)
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PLUG
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double definition – bathrooms and kitchens being where sinks are found
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| 17 |
Ate bananas for light meal (3)
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TEA
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anagram of (ATE)* with anagrind of bananas
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Maybe I was tired, but I found this difficult – even by ordinary cryptic standards. Some of the difficulty was its reliance on general knowledge that was on the edge of my knowledge and interests. Then it took me some time to even work out what type of clue I was solving in some cases.
Thanks Picaroon and Shanne
As an experienced solver, I didn’t find this too difficult but I know double defs can be hard and, on reflection, see there was misdirection in some clues. To the extent, I even said MALINGERED but focused on trying to anagram “mother hung” (around).
I’ve done my standard talkthrough video available at … https://youtu.be/aDtcXD6lG8U … where I explain my approach and offering tips/tactics. Hopefully useful to anyone new or returning to these.
Never heard of King Louie. I guess I could have googled, but I didn’t.
Very enjoyable.
New for me: King Louie = cartoon orangutan in Walt Disney’s animated musical film The Jungle Book (1967). I was a child at the time but I don’t think we went to see this movie.
Wow I was doing this on the right day this week, and I found it easier than last week. I think I am beginning to get the hang of Charade clues now. I understood it all except for 17D. How does bananas act as an anagrind??
Thanks Picaroon and Shanne – a very enjoyable crossword
Mary @5 If someone goes bananas they go nuts or crazy – and crazy and nuts are both anagram indicators.
Michelle @4 – there is a link to King Louie in the blog – really. It only needed one click to see everything and another to check the link. I did see Jungle Book, as a child, when it first came out – when the cultural references added to the experience. (Louis Armstrong and the Beatles were in the charts).
Thanks Shanne@6
I had no idea that those were regular anagram indicators!
Took me a little time to get on the right wavelength but then started spotting the hidden words. Had to do a ‘check this’ on a couple of things in the bottom half and 16a was my LOI – I decided that NET just meant ‘take’ and spent ages trying to make something with ‘home’ to give ‘party game’ 😄. Loved BITTERN and very apt for the currently freezing British weather.
Lovely clueing from Picaroon overall, thanks. And thanks Shanne for your blog.
Geoff @3 — he’s the king of the swingers, a jungle VIP
Another very enjoyable QC from Picaroon, a lot of focus on charades this week but all doable I thought. I’m not qualified to advise total beginners, but would just say if you’re struggling, look for a definition for the complete answer at one end of the clue or the other. Thank you for the blog Shanne.
Rattled through the first few clues but then had to work hard at the bottom half. Tripped myself up by not solving anagram in 19A properly which messed up 6 down.
I thought this was clued at a good level.
Thank you Picaroon and Shanne
Is “in” for 10A Old coin… an early introduction to misdirection? It had me stuck for ages. 🙂
AR @12 – I just read the “in” as for the surface – because the clue wouldn’t make any sense without it:
10a: Old coin in African country (6)
The setter wants the clue to sound as if it’s saying something else (the surface), rather than: “Here’s a double definition for you to work out” – it’s “Can you spot and solve this double definition?” and the odd extra word in the clue to make that work is mostly ignored. (There are a few more here – 1A and 19A have an extra “and”, 9A an “of”, from a quick glance through.) But using the “in” that could also be an indicator for hidden or insertion clues is helpful as it just provides that little bit of misdirection.
Thoroughly enjoyable. Thank you again. Took me ages to spot there were three synonyms in 6 down. Can’t remember coming across that before, but I expect we have.
A lovely mix of tricks which were well pitched at beginners. Enjoyed the cultural references and don’t mind a Google search for general knowledge- all part of puzzling. Particularly enjoyed the charades and am a sucker for a hidden word. My only complaint is that is over all too soon and wish that the grid held more clues.
Thank you Picaroon & Shanne.
Easier for me than last week, top 3 clues were New Year, Malingered and (leading the field) Bittern. Armani was the last answer to go in, bit disappointed I didn’t spot it was a hidden word – but it fitted with the general mood of the clue and the crossers.
I found this hard and had to reveal about 5 of them. Couple of things I’d never heard of and a couple more I just couldn’t see.
I never knew William Tell was Swiss.
Thanks Shanne and Picaroon.
Thought I was breezing through until I hit the bottom, then MALINGERED came to me and it was a race between NETBALL (v clever, I thought) and PLUG for LOI.
Picaroon is excellent at pacing the solver, imo. Never a write-in, even with quite a bit of experience of these now – and the misdirections, whilst rightly gentle, offer plenty of interest and a satisfied nod when it TWIGs… Thanks!
Anyone else foolishly (but confidently) put “ICE” in 7 Across?
I read it as a double definition clue;
firefighter (e.g. ice / dry ice to extinguish flame), suppress rage (if you ice something, it can mean to “cool off”).
I’ve reached the top and had to stop and that’s what bothering me …. Love king Louie.
Like 8a a lot too
Thanks P and S