Guardian Quick Cryptic 80 by Chandler

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This week’s 11 x 11 crossword from the Guardian, mark 2, intended to teach cryptic crosswords, found here

Mark 2 puzzle, because we started this morning with a Pasquale puzzle, which is what is in the paper and on my paper app. However, some of us spotted this was a repeat of Quick Cryptic puzzle 65. This second puzzle for this week is the 11th Quick Cryptic by Chandler, who sets regular Quiptic puzzles in the Guardian. Today we have anagrams, hidden and acrostics with all the letters given, the final clue type is a deletion clue. And this one comes to you after climbing Arthur’s Seat (Edinburgh), which is where I’ve been this morning and the corrections after further explorations of Edinburgh this afternoon.

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”
  • 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:

  1. Anagram An anagram of the answer and a hint that there’s an anagram
    ‘Senator arranged crime (7)’ gives TREASON
  2. Hidden word(s) Answer hidden in clue’s words
    ‘Some haVE ALtered meat (4)’ gives VEAL
  3. Acrostic CFirst letters of answer
    ‘Initially Get A Good joke (3)’ gives GAG
  4. Deletion Remove letters from another word for answer
    ‘Car trip with no parking, bad thing (3)’ gives SIN – from SpIN

 

ACROSS Click on “Answer” to see the solutions
1
Exile heading up bar again names islanders serving hotel (6)
Answer

BANISH
Parsing

Acrostic (heading up) of Bar Again Names Islanders Serving Hotel
4
Discontinue this topic? Not entirely! (4)
Answer

STOP
Parsing

hidden (not entirely) in thiS TOPic – as in: when did that shop stop/discontinue their range of kilts?
8
Allowance I forgot in desert? (3,2)
Answer

RAT ON
Parsing

deletion of letter (I forgot) from RATiON (allowance) with the I removed (I forgot) to give the example of rats deserting a sinking ship and/or someone RATting on their neighbours.
9
Select group captivated by novel items (5)
Answer

ELITE
Parsing

hidden word (captivated by) in novEL ITEms
10
10 Tutor can upset renegade (8)
Answer

TURNCOAT
Parsing

anagram of (TUTOR CAN)* with anagrind of “upset” and a meaning that I was assured comes from the English Civil War, when coats came with different coloured linings to their outer colours, and someone wanting to give up on their current side, could turn their coat inside out, change the colour they were wearing and disappear onto the other side.
13
Ace Pole’s cooked thin slice of meat (8)
Answer

ESCALOPE
Parsing

anagram of (ACE POLE’S)* with an anagrind of “cooked” for a thin slice or beaten out slice of meat that comes under a number of spellings, this version borrowed from the French and the way Wiener Schnitzel is prepared. It’s one of the ways I’ve eaten rabbit.

16
One having hump criticised another male eating loudly for starters (5)
Answer

CAMEL
Parsing

acrostic (for starters) of Criticised Another Male Eating Loudly – and having the hump in English English is slang for someone who is irritated, as they might be by someone else eating noisily. This clue is using the literal, albeit somewhat cryptic, definition.

17
Tiny creature caught out in small picture (5)
Answer

INSET
Parsing

deletion of a letter (caught out) of INSEcT (tiny creature) – where C = caught in cricket, and the instruction is telling the solver to remove C from another word meaning tiny creature.
18
Things on which to wipe feet in room at studio (4)
Answer

MATS
Parsing

hidden word (in) in rooM AT Studio
19
Less original alerts getting broadcast (6)
Answer

STALER
Parsing

anagram of (ALERTS)* with an anagrind of “getting broadcast” – with the original meaning of broadcasting seed.
DOWN
1 Scold robber at emporium in part (6)
Answer

BERATE
Parsing

hidden (in part) of robBER AT Emporium

2
Leaders in North America treasure unduly really early constitution (6)
Answer

NATURE
Parsing

acrostic (leaders in) North America Treasure Unduly Really Early – if one’s nature/constitution is robust …

3
Scurrying ants scaled thing made on a beach? (10)
Answer

SANDCASTLE
Parsing

anagram of (ANTS SCALED)* with an anagrind of “scurrying”. there’s a question mark here for a definition by example as a SANDCASTLE is just one thing that could be made on a beach – more common than the mermaids and other sand sculptures, but they do get made.
5
Slim object, no good (4)
Answer

THIN
Parsing

deletion of letter (no good) from THINg (object) with the G removed (no good) where G for good is an abbreviation of book or coin condition on the secondhand market.

6
One playing instrument without piano in part of resort (4)
Answer

PiER
Parsing

deletion of letter (without piano) from PIpER (one playing instrument) without the second P (piano, as in quiet, in musical instructions) for the sort of structure found at various seaside resorts – the longest being at Southend, and various sadly burnt out ruins around, including the West Pier at Brighton (the east is still going strong), This was my last one in, with all the crossers.
7
A part site’s played for one aiming to break away from state? (10)
Answer

SEPARATIST
Parsing

anagram of (A PART SITE’S)* with an anagrind of “played for”
11
Most other runners seem exhausted loving principally bit of food (6)
Answer

MORSEL
Parsing

acrostic (principally) of Most Other Runners Seem Exhausted Loving
12
Some rebel termed outstanding figure? (6)
Answer

BELTER
Parsing

hidden word (some) of reBEL TER – where I am now, in Scotland, I hear this describing things, not so much in the soft southern parts.
14
Rascal losing power in dishonest scheme (4)
Answer

SCAM
Parsing

deletion of letter (losing power) from SCAMp (rascal) where P = power comes from scientific abbreviations.

15
Give out brief right away (4)
Answer

EMIT
Parsing

deletion of letter (right away) from rEMIT (brief – the PR company’s remit/brief was to) where R for right is removed – in this case Right versus Left, rather than rights or wrongs or any other rights.

 

 

15 comments on “Guardian Quick Cryptic 80 by Chandler”

  1. Thanks Chandler and Shanne
    What sort of “figure” is intended in 12d? I’ve never heard a person being described as such.

  2. muffin @1 – someone who is a BELTER at something is excellent at that thing – or that’s a BELTER of a shot. I hear it in a Scots accent more than English for the person, English public school for the action. If you google (no dictionaries with me) it does come up, even in Google AI

  4. Thank you Shanne, quite straightforward today I thought; though I did first warm up with the repeat of No65 in the paper this morning! Not sure I can see how the clue for 8A gives the ON part of RAT ON, though I do connect desert with the Desert Rats of WW2.
    I tried out what I’d learnt from doing these quick Cryptics and your blog on last Monday’ Vulcan full fat cryptic and succeeded in doing 23 of the clues (albeit with help from crossers and a thesaurus). I doubt I am alone in appreciating the value of your blog. So thanks again.

  5. That was a good puzzle from Chandler albeit wasn’t keen on BELTER or RAT-ON definitions as per previous commenters, even though the wordplay to get them was clear.

    Anyway, as ever, my talkthrough solve of today’s puzzle is available from … https://youtu.be/OGEdrj63ZPA … having done it mid-morning, I was a bit more awake and hopefully able to provide more tips and tactics for solvers. (The original Pasquale QC is also available on the channel – both today’s solve and #65!)

    Many thanks to Shanne for the blog and to Chandler for the puzzle.

  7. Thanks for coming up with the blog for no. 80, Shanne. I’ve enjoyed doing two Quick Cryptics today, even if no. 65 was a repeat. 6d, PIER, was my LOI. Sometimes it’s the shorter words that hold me up the longest.

  9. I don’t know how I lost 15D, I’m not actually around. When I’m not caching I’ll correct it.

    It’s REMIT – R to get EMIT (issue)

  10. muffin @3 Shanne is instinctively right, I think, to hear BELTER in a Scottish accent when applied to a person. I remember that, in the Glasgow of my youth, it was applied also to a particularly attractive young woman, as in “She’s a wee belter.”

  11. This is most odd. I have the Guardian Quick Cryptic No 80 set by Pasquale (11 October 2025) with a completely different set of clues. I bought mine in Newcastle upon Tyne. What is going on?

  12. Jonathan – it’s blogged too. We got a puzzle from Pasquale, which repeated Quick Cryptic 65, then this one published. Hence two puzzles for the price of one today.

  14. Two for one today for me LOL, as I did the repeat Pasquale which I felt I’d seen at least elements of before but didn’t twig it was a complete repeat.
    Enjoyed actual No. 80 from Chandler. I didn’t quite understand 8a definition but the wordplay clearly gave the answer. The explanation here made it clear though. 12d was my LOI didn’t spot the hidden until I did 🤦‍♂️. I’m originally from north west England so no problem with the definition. Thanks Chandler and to Shanne (especially doing double duty with blogging ‘wrong’ No. 80).

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