This week’s 11 x 11 crossword from the Guardian, intended to teach cryptic crosswords, found here
This week we have the 10th Quick Cryptic from Chandler, someone who sets Quiptic and Quick Cryptic puzzles. Today we only have anagrams with all the letters given, the other clues are charades, double definitions and soundalikes, all of which have been met before, many times.
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. Get A Good joke 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”
- 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.
- soundalike – shown using quotation marks, so “Wilde” in the example below
- 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 An anagram of the answer and a hint that there’s an anagram
‘Senator arranged crime (7)’ gives TREASON - Charade Combination of synonyms/abbrevs
‘Qualify to get drink for ID (8)’ gives PASSPORT (pass + port) - Double definition Both halves are definitions!
‘Search scrub (5)’ gives SCOUR - Soundalike Something that sounds like the answer
‘Excited as Oscar’s announced (4)’ gives WILD (excited) from Oscar “Wilde”
| ACROSS | Click on “Answer” to see the solutions | |
| 1 |
Fight linked to European in predicament (6)
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AnswerSCRAPE |
Parsingcharade of SCRAP (fight) + (linked to) E (European) – E for European is found in examples such as EU (European Union). |
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| 4 |
Reveal theatrical entertainment (4)
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AnswerSHOW |
Parsingdouble definition and a fairly straightforward one |
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| 8 |
Outstanding old rugby player (5)
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AnswerOWING |
Parsingcharade of O (old) and WING (rugby player) (I thought hockey, because I’ve played that). |
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| 9 |
Unadorned thing to carry air travellers, we’re told (5)
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AnswerPLAIN |
Parsingsoundalike (we’re told) of “plane” (thing to carry air traveller) with a clue grammar that gives the right answer – solution soundalike indicator in this situation follows the rules given for these puzzles. |
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| 10 |
Rate cure that’s devised for dog, maybe (8)
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AnswerCREATURE |
Parsinganagram of (RATE CURE)* with an anagrind of “that’s devised”. And the definition is “dog, maybe” to indicate a DBE (definition by example – a dog is one of many creatures.) |
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| 13 |
Nuts and thin crisp biscuits (8)
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AnswerCRACKERS |
Parsingdouble definition with the nuts a synonym of mad, as in barking, lost the plot, doolally. In English, insanity is another of those human states that could cause embarrassment, so encourages a wide range of descriptors and euphemisms, along with drunken states and death. |
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| 16 |
Female relative in French port when picked up (5)
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AnswerNIECE |
Parsingsoundalike (when picked up) of “Nice” (French port – and the female relative is the French pronunciation of this port.) Nice often signals the French port especially at the beginning of a clue, to indicate some French translation. |
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| 17 |
A charming accent (5)
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AnswerACUTE |
Parsingcharade of A (from the clue) + CUTE (charming) for one of the diacritical marks used, particularly in French |
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| 18 |
Secure time for quantity of drink (4)
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AnswerPINT |
Parsingcharade of PIN (fasten) + T (time – as in physics) for the traditional drink measure for beer in pubs in the UK |
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| 19 |
Feel indignation at note conveyed (6)
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AnswerRESENT |
Parsingcharade of RE (note – as in ray/re on the sol-fa scale) + SENT (conveyed) – with an additional misdirection as “conveyed” could also suggest a soundalike. |
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DOWN
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| 1 | Put an end to whisky (6) |
AnswerSCOTCH |
Parsingdouble defnition – really – to scotch something is to put an end to it, and a whisky could be a scotch (or rye or Irish) |
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| 2 |
Elevated novel is read (6)
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AnswerRAISED |
Parsinganagram of (IS READ)* with anagrind of “novel” |
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| 3 |
Urge parent developed to get exciting book (4-6)
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AnswerPAGE-TURNER |
Parsinganagram of (URGE PARENT) with anagrind of “developed” |
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| 5 |
Listen to judge (4)
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AnswerHEAR |
Parsingdouble definition and I’m sure someone is going to say listen to and HEAR are not quite the same, but it’s probably good enough for crosswords. |
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| 6 |
Complaint voiced in port, perhaps (4)
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AnswerWINE |
Parsingsoundalike (voiced in) of “whine” (complaint) – and this is another definition by example (dbe) as port is a fortified wine, an example of wine. |
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| 7 |
Value a recipe apt for cooking (10)
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AnswerAPPRECIATE |
Parsinganagram of (A RECIPE APT)* with anagrind of “cooking” as a suitable anagrind to go with the recipe |
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| 11 |
Carefully examine exercise before trick (6)
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AnswerPERUSE |
Parsingcharade of PE (exercise – school subject physical exercise) + RUSE (trick) |
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| 12 |
Announcement of approval for climb (6)
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AnswerASCENT |
Parsingsoundalike (announcement of) “assent” (approval for) with very helpful grammar here to tell us which way round – the indicator, soundalike for the answer |
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| 14 |
Photograph taken on the spur of the moment (4)
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AnswerSNAP |
Parsingdouble definition – a SNAP decision is one made on the spur of the moment |
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| 15 |
Part of dramatic work, reportedly, is noticed (4)
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AnswerSEEN |
Parsingsoundalike (reportedly) of “scene” (part of dramatic work) and although the grammar of this clue does have the indicator in the middle, it reads clearly as soundalike, indicator is solution. |
Enjoyable and much better than last week.14D.could very well be a double definition and a literal clue.
I agree – lots of great clues that made me smile, particularly the charades. Too many to mention
Thanks Chandler and Shanne
Thank you Shanne and Chandler.
I wonder if anyone else didn’t like “in” in 1 across.
5 should be divided “listen to” and “judge”. This doesn’t change the not-quite-the-same-meaning aspect, but as you say, it’s good enough for crosswords.
Thanks for the blog.
I had PLANE and ASSENT which caused problems elsewhere.
Remus@3 I guess 1A is made a bit trickier with the word”in”.
Steffen@4 how does “ assent” cause problems?
I got 11D and 19A wrong so thanks Shanne for the explanations which of course are HA HA obvious when you know what they are. Otherwise enjoyable so thanks Chandler
Ooh – just looked at 12D. I had assent too which of course is the soundalike not the answer. Sorry Steffen@4 but it didn’t actually alter across answers did it?
Steffen @4 – I only entered PLA in until I had crossers. And for ASCENT I entered it, and when I finished hit the “check all” button to make sure I had the “right” answers. I have to check and work out the parsing before blogging.
Nice straightforward one today. I enjoyed the charades, a clue type which I often find difficult in regular cryptics.
Very enjoyable. A bit tricky in places as there were only anagrams containing solution letters as a clue type, plus a couple of nice misdirections. But all nicely clued by Chandler. No issue with ‘in’ in 1a as I read it as part of the surface not necessarily wordplay. 13a was my favourite and really made me smile, and it was my LOI. Thanks to Chandler, and to Shanne for the blog.
Remus @3 – I’ve changed the bolding in 5D – I did dither when I was putting it together where the break between definitions came.
I didn’t really think about it, but the “in” in 1A is redundant.
Stiffen et al: in a well-written clue, the soundalike indicator will always be next to the meaning that isn’t the intended answer. Chandler has done that correctly here in each instance. For example, in the clue for ASCENT, it clearly breaks into “Announcement of approval (for) / climb”; you’re hearing the first one when you pronounce the second, so the second one is what’s to be written in. Another way of looking at it is that the definition is always* at one end or the other; it can never be in the middle.
*In my three decades of doing these, I’ve seen maybe two exceptions, and both of those got people hot and bothered, so let’s say “always”.
(Note that if the setter puts the soundalike indicator in the middle, it winds up being ambiguous–you wouldn’t know which end was the definition–unless the two possibilities are different lengths.)
Speaking of soundalikes, I appreciate the fact that the clue for RAISED looks like it’s going to be a soundalike (“is read” could indicate that) but isn’t. Clever trick, eh?
Sorry, Steffen–Autocorrect made me misspell your name, and I didn’t catch it in time to edit it.
Thank you mrpenney.
The journey continues.
Enjoyed this one – anagrams fairly obvious and all the other sorts quite fun and witty. Rugby player my last in.