Guardian Quiptic 723 Moley

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As advertised, an easy enough Quiptic, enjoyable, but finished before long.  Thanks to Moley.  Definitions are underlined in the clues. [[The pictures at the bottom have unidentified links to the puzzle. Please enclose any comments on them in double brackets. Thank you.]]

Across

1 O Kelvin, it’s cold! (8,4)

ABSOLUTE ZERO : Cryptic defn: Reference to 0 degrees on the Kelvin temperature scale (named after scientist William Thomson, aka Lord Kelvin), equal to -273.15 degrees Centigrade, which temperature has been achieved to within a billionth of a degree, and maybe closer still, but never absolutely, in future.

8 Make fun of diving bird that swallowed torn map (7)

LAMPOON : LOON(a diving bird, aka the diver) containing(that swallowed) anagram of(torn) MAP.

9 Given responsibility for church, dear? Good manoeuvre! (7)

CHARGED : Anagram of(manoeuvre) [CH(abbrev. for “church”) + DEAR + G(abbrev. for “good”)].

11 Fox no one heard, on the positive side (7)

NONPLUS : Homophone of(heard) “none”(no one) + PLUS(on the positive side of 0). Defn: To confuse;to bewilder.

12 Cart to go round, yet return outside (7)

TROLLEY : ROLL(to go round, like a cart’s wheels) contained in(… outside) reversal of(return) YET.

13 Raced around, then bowed (5)

ARCED : Anagram of(around) RACED.

14 Small article involved in illegal relationship that’s on-going (9)

INCESSANT : [ S(abbrev. for “small”) + AN(the article in grammar) ] contained in(involved in) INCEST(an illegal sexual relationship).

16 Respiratory disorder my sheep inflicted on mother (9)

EMPHYSEMA : Anagram of(inflicted) MY SHEEP placed after(on, in an across clue) MA(informal term for one’s mother).

19 Teacher’s directions are a warning signal (5)

SIREN : SIR(a term of address for a teacher) + E,N(abbrev. for the directions, east and north resp.).

21 Give custody to charge (7)

ENTRUST : Double (mayble less than double?) defn.

23 Quiet appraisal of trailer (7)

PREVIEW : P(abbrev. for “piano”, musical instruction to play quietly) + REVIEW(an appraisal of, say, a play, performance, etc.).

24 A little bit of a small insect? Point to it! (7)

SMIDGEN : S(abbrev. for “small”) MIDGE(an small mosquito-like insect) plus(to it) N(abbrev. for the “north” compass point).

25 The team’s mistake was to confess an aim (3,4)

OWN GOAL : OWN(to confess to, as in “own up to a sin”) + GOAL(an aim;an objective).

26 Recent development in disturbances at focal points of agitation (5,7)

STORM CENTRES : Anagram of(development) RECENT contained in(in) STORMS(disturbances, literally as in the weather, or figuratively).

Down

1 The woman can return annual workbook (7)

ALMANAC : ALMA(a feminine name) + reversal of(return) CAN.

2 Ruined when polished carelessly, but not hard (7)

SPOILED : Anagram of(carelessly) “polished” minus(but not) “h”(abbrev. for “hard”).

3 Cliff fall in Iceland slid eventually into the sea (9)

LANDSLIDE : Hidden in(in) “Iceland slid eventually“.

4 Taken for granted when understood (5)

TACIT : Double (perhaps even less of a double) defn.

5 Keen (but jealous) judge leaves as last character’s taken on (7)

ZEALOUS : “jealous ” with “j”(abbrev. for “judge”) replaced by(…leaves as … taken on) “z”(last character in the English alphabet).

6 Finery from Algeria, perhaps (7)

REGALIA : Anagram of(perhaps) ALGERIA.

7 Royal house agent moves English plants outside (12)

PLANTAGENETS : [ Anagram of(moves) AGENT + E(abbrev. for “English”) ] contained in(… outside) PLANTS.

Answer: Royal dynasty in England in the Middle Ages.

10 Boring delay making a boundary construction (3-5,4)

DRY-STONE WALL : DRY(boring;lacking interest, like an overlong lecture) + STONEWALL(to delay, especially in parliamentary business, aka “filibuster” in the UK House).

Answer: “dry” denoting made without mortar.

15 Sudden restriction on vice by Irish county (9)

CLAMPDOWN : CLAMP(a vice for holding articles firmly, especially in a workshop) plus(by) DOWN(the Irish county).

17 Country lover‘s pet’s disorder (7)

PATRIOT : PAT(to pet;to stroke lightly with affection) + RIOT(a civil disorder).

18 New guy, Nero, is not so old (7)

YOUNGER : Anagram of(New) GUY, NERO.

19 Her Majesty seen at the back of the vessel, in a more serious mood (7)

STERNER : ER(abbrev. for “Elizabeth Regina”, Her Majesty) placed below(seen at, in a down clue) STERN(the back of a marine vessel).

20 It’s catastrophic, when promissory notes run out (7)

RUINOUS : Anagram of(out) [IOUS(informal acronym for promissory notes, from “I owe you”) + RUN].

22 Heavyweight in charge of medicine (5)

TONIC : TON(a measure of weight, considerably heavy compared to bodyweight) + IC(abbrev. for “in charge of”).

 

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For answer to pic2 please click here. and pics5 & 6 here

16 comments on “Guardian Quiptic 723 Moley”

  1. Thanks scchua and Moley,

    RUINOUS is a sort of indirect anagram, although the letters from IOUS are in order. I like the clue anyway.

    I liked PLANTAGENETS, EMPHYSEMA and STORM CENTRES.

    [[Pic 5 shows Cleopatra – SIREN of the Nile, pic 8 is Tom Clancy, author of PATRIOT Games]]

  2. Thanks Moley & scchua; just right for a Quiptic, I thought.

    I liked PATRIOT for the misdirections.

    [[#1 John Belushi who appeared in National LAMPOONs
    2. The woman who was accused of wearing a too revealing top during a chess game – maybe a SIREN??
    3. DALTON, another scientific unit, like KELVIN
    4. A red pear???? EMPHSEMA – a red pair of lungs 😉
    5. As above
    6. Marlon Brando, A Streetcar Named Desire – connected to TROLLEY bus??
    7. Anne Archer who appeared in PATRIOT Games
    8. As above]]

  4. P.S. Usual problem with homophones. I would pronounce none ‘nun’ and ‘non’ in NONPLUS as ‘non.’ No big problem, though!

  6. Mostly exactly as a Quiptic should be, the exception being the wordplay for RUINOUS which should probably belong in a regular puzzle.

    A very pleasant solve nonetheless.

  7. [[muffyword and Robi, so far: Pic1 Belushi/National LAMPOON’s Animal House; Pic4 Red Anjou pear/PLANTAGENETS; Pics 7 & 8 Archer & Clancy/PATRIOT Games. Pic2 The link is via chest – sorry, chess. You were probably distracted like in this story http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ngan_Phan-Koshnitsky (see reference #7). Pic3 Far from a scientific connection – the names on the poster are not important, it could have been Billy the Kid, say. Pic5 The link is via the male character. Pic6 Same link as pic5.]]

  8. I remember the chess incident, as this happened in Adelaide and the lady lived a few streets from me (regrettably I never saw her). Her picture was on the front page of the local paper.

    Is there anybody known who pronounces nonplus as nunplus?

  10. [[Right, grandpuzzler, the James-YOUNGER gang comprising Jesse James and brother, and Cole Younger and brothers plus others, were outlaws in the American West, featuring on wanted posters like pic3.]]

  11. I’m not too sure about Plantagenets. To me, “agent moves English” means anag of agent + E, not anag of agent + E. I also thought having IOUs as part of the anagram when it didn’t appear directly in the clue was pushing the boat out a bit for a Quiptic.

  12. [[OK scchua I’ll give pic #5 & #6 a try. Both Richard Burton and Marlon Brando played Mark
    Antony on the big screen. They probably were wearing lots of REGALIA. If that isn’t the connection, smarter minds will have to work it out. Robi?]]

    Cheers…

  13. NeilH@11, to expand on my explanation: PLAN TAGEN(anag. of “agent”) + E TS. This fits in with one of your alternatives (punctuation missing).

    [[grandpuzzler, you’re on the right track with Mark Antony. I’ve added links to the remaining answers under the pics.]]

  15. Excellent Quiptic and blog, thank you. It might be worth noting that the clue for 24A was changed. The version online and in the PDF is “Little or no high tension in midnight’s broadcast” which works for the alternative spelling SMIDGIN. Weirdly, the web version has this clue right now but contradicts itself, as it only says you’ve answered it correctly with an E. I hope this helps some future user.

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