DO COME TO THE 2D. We are planning another London get together on Saturday 24th June from 1200 at The George, Borough High Street, Southwark, Greater London, SE1 1NH. All are welcome. Your Weekend Quick Cryptic Compilers and several TfTT bloggers and regular commenters will be there. We are also expecting Mick Hodgkin, the Times Puzzles Editor, Richard Rogan, Times Crossword Editor and Pete Biddlecombe, Sundays Times Crossword Editor and founder of Times for The Times to drop in. If you intend coming along, please drop me a line to Johninterred's Email, or send me a message via the "Contact Me" box in the sidebar, so we can have some idea of numbers and reserve sufficient table space.
Before looking at the answers, if you would like some additional help, click the label below.
Hints...
- It helps to know your NATO phonetic alphabet for a couple of the clues.
- In 20A "up" refers to going to university.
- In 22A the field is an agricultural one.
And click on this label to get the solution.
Solution and explanation of the answers...
1 Winds and releases it somehow (10)
EASTERLIES – (releases it)* [somehow].
8 British and French XI in third place? (6)
BRONZE – BR (British) ONZE (XI, eleven in French).
9 I'm among VIPs in flight (6)
STAIRS – I [‘m among] STARS (VIPs).
10 Policeman outside the Spanish food shop (4)
DELI – DI (Detective Inspector) [outside] EL (The in Spanish).
11 Excellent crispy pork skin left out (8)
CRACKING – CRACK{l}ING (crispy pork skin) without L [left out].
12 Puts on carriages (6)
STAGES – Double definition.
14 Oppose sister changing (6)
RESIST – (sister)* [changing].
16 Announce Carol and I are moving in the afternoon (8)
PROCLAIM – (carol I)* [moving] in PM (afternoon).
18 Test chopper flying back with Mike (4)
EXAM – AXE (chopper) [flying back] -> EXA, M (Mike in the NATO phonetic alphabet).
20 Did they previously go up? (6)
ALUMNI – Cryptic definition.
21 Pointless to rub down edges of unit on the inside (6)
FUTILE – FILE (rub down) with [edges of] U{ni}T [inside].
22 They may stand out in their field (10)
SCARECROWS – Cryptic definition.
2 Meet up in beer garden (5)
AGREE – Reverse hidden [up in] bEER Garden. Good of Sawbill to advertise our get together in June. Maybe, as editor, I should have added “from 12pm on the 24th June at The George” to the clue!
3 Looking after and finishing on time (7)
TENDING – T (time) ENDING (finishing).
4 Eggs brooded now and again (3)
ROE – Alternate letters of bRoOdEd [now and again].
5 App a migrant's developed (9)
INSTAGRAM – (a migrant’s)* [developed].
6 Small cistern smelled awful (5)
STANK – S (small) TANK (cistern).
7 Permits old lady to sing at the beginning (6)
GRANTS – GRAN (old lady) To Sing [at the beginning].
11 Co-star I call having lost lines in a state (5,4)
COSTA RICA – CO-STAR ICA{ll} without the ls [having lost lines].
13 Excitement from bird song outside hotel (6)
THRILL – TRILL (birdsong) outside H (hotel in the NATO phonetic alphabet).
15 Lets her change in tent, say (7)
SHELTER – (lets her)* [change].
17 Searches for hairdresser's equipment (5)
COMBS – Double definition.
19 Let everyone bowl without limits (5)
ALLOW – ALL (everyone) bOWl [without first and last letters; without limits].
21 Iron Duke, finally, in charge (3)
FEE – FE (chemical symbol for Iron) {Duk}E [finally].
Enjoyed working through this puzzle-lots of good clues. I especially liked ALUMNI and SCARECROWS, also PROCLAIM and FUTILE. (When I highlight certain clues for praise I'm not implying I don't think much of the unmentioned ones- far from it) Thanks Sawbill and John for providing us this challenge!
ReplyDeleteThank you for commenting. We all find it extremely useful knowing which clues you particularly liked.
DeleteNo time as I was interrupted, but I suspect a slow one as I found this more challenging than usual, with Scarecrows (great clue) and Easterlies the last two and both taking some time to solve despite having all the checkers. Easterlies was a particularly elusive anagram!
ReplyDeleteCOD to Costa Rica, not only because it was a very pleasing clue (a hidden really) but because it is a great country to visit if you like nature.
Many thanks Sawbill for a fine puzzle and count me in for the 24th of June.
Cedric
Thanks Cedric. I agree about Costa Rica. I am lucky enough to have been there a few times. See you at the George.
DeleteAn interesting QC I struggled with Alumni, needed the hint, Scarcrow my COD
ReplyDeleteThanks for the puzzle as usual
Thanks
DeleteReally enjoyed this, with some lovely clues. Struggled to parse 20ac “Alumni” at first, but I’m guessing the “up” refers to University - for some reason I was thinking of school alumni and couldn’t see how it worked.
ReplyDeleteWell done on getting a modern app in for 5dn. In addition, it’s always nice to see the old 22ac “Scarecrow” chestnut - often used as a one line gag by some comedians.
Thanks as usual!
JamesEd46
Thanks as always. Yes, I meant ‘up’ as in university.
DeleteThank you for a most enjoyable puzzle on a cloudy Saturday morning.
ReplyDeleteI thought the clues were nicely at QC level and liked them all especially BRONZE and COSTA RICA.
Flight for Stairs fooled me yet again despite it being in a QC recently.
Did not finish as I missed the reverse hidden in AGREE and was trying to fit in Ale for Beer to find a word meaning Garden.
Had hoped to make it on the 24th but it’s a long journey and there is now a family event planned.
IanV
Thanks and sorry you cannot make it to The George. Oddly, and immodestly, AGREE was one of my favourite clues that I have ever set. It’s timing with the George event, however, was just serendipity.
DeleteMany thanks Sawbill (and John) for the enjoyment. A proper QC, I would say, after yesterday's assault course from Izetti. I finished in a few seconds under 20 minutes when EASTERLIES and AGREE fell into place. My favourite clues were BRONZE, STAIRS and SCARECROWS, although I couldn't really explain why.
ReplyDeleteP.S. I love the front cover of the current edition of Private Eye: "MAN IN HAT SITS ON CHAIR". Sums it up very succinctly, I'd say.
Thanks and glad it was at the right level of difficulty. It is cryptics like ALUMNI and SCARECROWS that are hardest to judge.
ReplyDeleteThe Eye cover is great … and simple.
Thank you for a genuinely Q QC, Sawbill. For a minute, I thought it was difficult then everything fell into place. Liked BRONZE, STAGES, SCARECROWS , COSTA RICA, among others. EASTERLIES slow to blow into my mind.
ReplyDeleteCountrywoman.
Thanks Countrywoman. I thought that COSTA RICA was a bit different. I am interested that several people had EASTERLIES as their last one; obviously the surface did its trick.
DeleteEnjoyed chewing through this and appreciate being able to do on 2 different crossword sites with possibilities for checking. Loi grants.
ReplyDeleteBoovers
Thanks Boovers. I have forgotten about Gran for old lady while solving in the past. I always think of Ma.
ReplyDeleteDNF. Did not see ALUMNI or THRILL.
ReplyDeleteMany thanks for the crossword.
Thanks simjit
ReplyDeleteThanks Sawbill for a well judged and enjoyable QC. No time but no significant hold ups and finished with the elusive EASTERLIES - made harder by not knowing whether I was looking for something meteorological or something akin to winding up a clock.
ReplyDeletePlett
Thanks
DeleteI learn so much from the commenters. I would never have thought that EASTERLIES would be perhaps the hardest clue. I think it is the fact that winds (a clock) is pronounced differently to winds (meteorological)?
Delighted to have a "cracking" QC at just the right level. THANK YOU!!
ReplyDeleteThe first few went in very quickly. I then slowed down but came in at 16:39. That's good for me especially after the last week where I was well into the SCC on three occasions, one of which was a DNF!!! Can't possibly choose a COD when all the clues have such smooth surfaces. MM
Thanks MM. Smooth, concise surfaces are top of my agenda.
DeleteJust got round to this! This was really enjoyable. Held up for ages by agree/grants & stairs - all easy ones! Thanks
ReplyDeleteThanks Andrew. Fascinating how each person finds different clues easy or hard.
ReplyDelete