Friday 17 May 2024

Weekend Quick Cryptic 103 - Solution

Phil Jordan, Sawbill and I are continuing to produce our series of Quick Cryptic crosswords. We take turns, publishing one a fortnight, and this week it's my turn. 

You can find a link to the crossword here and the answers below. Feel free to leave any comments or questions here as you would do on TfTTYou can find an index to the complete series of crosswords here. 

Before looking at the answers, if you would like some additional help, click the label below.

Hints and tips...

Some hints and tips:
  • The theme, if you haven't guessed it yet is given away by 10A. Several creatures and characters from her two stories appear elsewhere in the grid.
  • The "place to sleep with others" in 3A is something you might find at an old-fashioned boarding school..
  • For the "number of Romans" in 12A think Roman numerals.
  • In 14A you need to think of a word for "hurtle about" and change a letter as specified.
  • 24A contains another Roman numeral.
  • In 25A it's a creature that's fabulous.
  • 27A is a hidden word clue.
  • 4D references the sad (for the answer to the clue) story of the Walrus and the Carpenter.
  • In 17D you need to remove the specified letter to create the letters for an anagram.
  • 22D has another bit of whimsy. For "course" think "golf course"
  • 23D features another chess man in the wordplay.
And click on this label to get the solution.




Definitions  underlined in bold italics , ( Abc )* indicating anagram of Abc,  {deletions} and [] other indicators.

Across
1 Outlandishly odd old bird that is no more (4)
DODO – (odd)* [outlandishly] O (old).
3 Drowsy little creature finds place to sleep with others by river (8)
DORMOUSEDORM (place to sleep with others) OUSE (river in Yorkshire).
9 Noblewoman's daughter beginning to understand board game. (7)
DUCHESSD (daughter), first letter of Understand, CHESS (board game).
10 Wandering Celia is a young Victorian explorer (5)
ALICE – (Celia)* [wandering].
11 Eccentric characters seen in suits (5)
CARDS – Double definition, the second a cryptic hint.
12 A number of Romans follow priest with source of recipe for magic potion (6)
ELIXIRELI (priest) IX (nine in Roman numerals; a number) first letter of Recipe.
14 Rush about but make time for hard shelled swimmer (6)
TURTLE – HURTLE (rush about) making the H (hard) into T (time) -> TURTLE.
16 After finishing drink dark man jumps on board (6)
KNIGHT – Last letter of drinK, NIGHT (dark).
19 Insane threat from mad tea-party host (6)
HATTER – (threat)* [insane].
21 Like Chablis, perhaps, with milk (5)
WHITE – Double definition.
24 After king leading nine, ace, five and, finally, three to reveal jack (5)
KNAVEK, first letter of Nine, A (ace), V (five in Roman numerals) and last letter of threE.
25 A French idol hosting head of republic? That's fabulous (7)
UNICORNR (republican) in UN (a in French) ICON (idol).
26 Foolishly trust in a person out of habit (8)
NATURIST – (trust in a )* [foolishly].
27 Listen to me... In essence, Trump's stonewalling (4)
PSST – Hidden in TrumP’S STonewalling.
 
Down
1 Deed I act out to demonstrate devotion (8)
DEDICATE – (Deed I act)* [out].
2 Colour scheme of French? Wow! (5)
DÉCORDE (of in French) COR (Wow!).
4 Sad story about English shellfish (6)
OYSTER –  E (English) in (story)* [sad]. A reference to the tale of  “The Walrus and the Carpenter”.
5 Replicated note about a city (5)
MIAMIA in MI MI (replicated note; note twice).
6 Wedding bells sound after college (7)
UNITINGUNI (college) TING (bell’s sound).
7 Container bottled by brewery (4)
EWER – Hidden in [bottled by] brEWERy.
8 It goes pop when the money's gone (6)
WEASEL – Cryptic definition. “Half a pound of tuppenny rice… That’s the way the money goes…”. The odd one out among the creatures in the puzzle - there is no weasel in Wonderland.
13 Number Ten backed local network (8)
ETHERNETETHER (anaesthetic gas; number) TEN reversed, [backed], -> NET.
15 Make further changes to create a quiet time to support study (7)
READAPTREAD (study) A P (piano; quiet) T (time)
17 Stupidly we begin without firstly garnishing starter (6)
NEWBIE – (we be{g}in)* [stupidly] without the first letter of Garnishing.
18 Gangs of disheartened adults (6)
GROUPSGRO{wn}- UPS without the middle letters, [disheartened].
20 Article on old tax authority of those people (5)
THEIRTHE (definite article) IR (Inland Revenue; previous tax authority before merger with Customs & Excise to make HMRC).
22 Press with these tools, of course? (5)
IRONS – Double definition the second a bit of whimsy seeing IRONS as ‘tools’ used on a golf course
23 Similar to a man, has no tail (4)
AKINA KIN{g} (chess man) without the last letter [has no tail].

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