This week’s 11 x 11 crossword from the Guardian intended to teach cryptic crosswords, found here
This week’s 101st puzzle is by Turnstone, a new setter for this slot and not someone I recognise as a Guardian setter. Today we have anagrams and hidden clues with all the letters present, plus double definitions and soundalikes where the words come from the solvers general and cryptic knowledge. I am part way through a summary of the tricks and crosswordese from the first 100 puzzles, and depending on what else I get caught up in this weekend, I’m hoping to get it out.
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. 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 - Hidden word(s) Answer hidden in clue’s words
‘Some haVE ALtered meat (4)’ gives VEAL - Double definition Both halves are definitions!
‘Search scrub (5)’ gives SCOUR - Soundalike Something that sounds like answer
‘Excited, Oscar’s announced (4)’ gives WILD, from Oscar “Wilde” the playwright
| ACROSS | Click on “Answer” to see the solutions | |
| 1 |
Parent always bears property cost (6)
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AnswerRENTAL |
Parsinghidden word(s) (bears) in paRENT ALways. |
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| 4 |
Article in erudite magazine (4)
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AnswerITEM |
Parsinghidden word(s) (in) erudITE Magazine – think magazine or newspaper articles – and a nice surface that makes sense. |
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| 8 |
Admit dog ran through houses (5)
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AnswerGRANT |
Parsinghidden word(s) (houses) in doG RAN Through – with a well hidden word and I think the first time we’ve used “houses” as a hidden word indicator |
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| 9 |
Portrait accurately captures dish (5)
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AnswerRAITA |
Parsinghidden word(s) (captures) in portRAIT Accurately – for the Indian side dish, with similar variations in other cuisines. |
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| 10 |
Eccentric ad-libs to newspapers (8)
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AnswerTABLOIDS |
Parsinganagram of (AD-LIBS TO) with an anagrind of “eccentric” for a particular format of newspapers. |
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| 13 |
Care – a bit – about germs (8)
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AnswerBACTERIA |
Parsinganagram of (CARE A BIT)* with an anagrind of “about”. As many of the indicators here they are either unusual or ambiguous, can be used for a number of different clue types. “About” can be an insertion indicator as well as an anagram indicator. |
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| 16 |
Picked up catalogue for composer (5)
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AnswerLISZT |
Parsingsoundalike (picked up) of “list” (catalogue) for this composer who is a regular in crosswords – either as a soundalike or as part of Cockney Rhyming Slang (CRS) where with Brahms he becomes another phrase for drunk (pissed). And like the reversals last week, we have to use the cryptic grammar to distinguish between the soundalike and definition. Here we’re told we hear (picked up) a “list” (catalogue) to get the composer. |
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| 17 |
In conversation disparages alcohol (5)
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AnswerBOOZE |
Parsingsoundalike (in conversation) of “boos” (disparages) – and this works the same way as the clue above. We’re told we hear (in conversation) “boos” (disparages) which sounds like BOOZE (alcohol). |
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| 18 |
Cut fruit for the audience (4)
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AnswerPARE |
Parsingsoundalike (for the audience) of “pear” (fruit) – and this time the clue is written the other way round, with PARE (Cut – the definition) – “pear” (fruit) sounds like (to the audience) this. |
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| 19 |
Against poetry broadcast (6)
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AnswerVERSUS |
Parsingsoundalike (broadcast) of “verses” (poetry). We see “broadcast” as an anagram indicator too, because it originally meant the throwing seed everywhere. Here it’s the late metaphorical use of that idea to suggest broadcasting media – radio, TV. It’s not a brilliant soundalike this one – I say verses and VERSUS differently. |
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DOWN
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| 1 |
Corrects ceremonies verbally (6)
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AnswerRIGHTS |
Parsingsoundalike (verbally) of “rites” (ceremonies) – and the cryptic grammar here is RIGHTS (corrects) “rites” (ceremonies) sounds like this (verbally). |
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| 2 |
Barney dancing around (6)
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AnswerNEARBY |
Parsinganagram of (BARNEY)* with an anagrind of “dancing”. “Around” is the definition here, but it is often used as an anagram indicator, or an insertion indicator. |
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| 3 |
Cook roasts tuna for long-distance travellers (10)
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AnswerASTRONAUTS |
Parsinganagram of (ROASTS TUNA)* with an anagrind of “cook”. |
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| 5 |
Follow story on the radio (4)
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AnswerTAIL |
Parsingsoundalike (on the radio) of “tale” (story). |
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| 6 |
Low average (4)
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AnswerMEAN |
Parsingdouble definition so a word that means both “low” and “average” – and in this case it’s one of the mathematical measures of average – which are the mean, mode and median (from someone who’s taught this) – and all turn up as averages in crosswords. |
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| 7 |
Trustworthy ID bracelet developed (10)
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AnswerCREDITABLE |
Parsinganagram of (ID BRACELET)* with an anagrind of “developed”. |
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| 11 |
Tolerates streams of water (6)
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AnswerBROOKS |
Parsingdouble definition – babbling BROOKS/streams of water and he BROOKS/tolerates no opposition to his plans. |
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| 12 |
Skips garnishes (6)
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AnswerCAPERS |
Parsingdouble definition – and this was my last one in as I don’t think of CAPERS as garnishes, but use them as an ingredient (spaghetti alla puttanesca), but they can be used as a garnish. For the other deinition – think of Little Red Riding Hood as she skips/capers along the path towards her grandmother. |
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| 14 |
Secretly pass piece of paper (4)
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AnswerSLIP |
Parsingdouble definition – they SLIP/secretly pass messages between themselves as they sit at the back of the classroom – sometimes on a SLIP/piece of paper. |
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| 15 |
House rules constrain employer (4)
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AnswerUSER |
Parsinghidden word(s) (constrain) in hoUSE Rules – and another nice surface telling a little story. |
Thanks Turnstone and Shanne
I revealed CAPERS – I’ve never seen them used as a garnish, though they are an ingredient I like (“puttanesca”, as you suggest, Shanne; also in a slaw recipe I blagged in a Betty’s Tea Room in Harrogate!).
I thought this the hardest Quick Cryptic for a while. Like muffin, I gave up and revealed CAPERS; capers would be a very odd garnish. Otherwise I completed everything but really had to think about some of the clues!
I had to look up a few answers this week – I would never have thought of the answer to 3D, even though I recognised the anagram. And I agree with others about caper not being a garnish.
I’m seeing that Turnstone set Genius 273 recently, and now this Quick Cryptic. Very versatile.
Like Shanne and others here and on the Guardian site, CAPERS gave me pause for thought. Neither part of the double definition sprang immediately to mind.
This was quite challenging. Soundalikes are not my favourite nor double-defs, but there were enough of the other clue types to get traction once I’d got going. My last two in were BROOKS and CAPERS and I needed an assist from my wife to get them even with the crossers I had.
Thanks Shanne, and Turnstone for the grid.
Had to reveal 6 of the clues. Soundalikes and double definitions will always be intolerable to me.