Phil Jordan, Sawbill and I are continuing to produce our series of Weekend Quick Cryptic crosswords. We take turns, publishing one a fortnight, and this week it's Phil's 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
TfTT
.
You 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:
- At 1A the sportsman plays either baseball or cricket.
- 15A is the performing name of a musician.
- In 6D the sharp object is used for fastening wood etc.
- In 11D the "singer" is a bird.
And click on this label to get the solution.
Solution and explanation of the answers...
Definitions
underlined in bold italics
, (
Abc
)* indicating anagram of Abc,{deletions} and [] other indicators.
Across
1 Violently assault sportsman (6)
BATTER – Double definition.
4 Informs about leader of louts supplying catapults (6)
SLINGS – SINGS (informs) about first letter of Louts.
8 Total love for Japanese wrestling (4)
SUMO – SUM (total) O (0; love).
9 Ironing is urgently required (8)
PRESSING – Double definition.
10 I wondered about some bedding (9)
EIDERDOWN – (I wondered)* [about].
13 Took it easy - l had been in first place (5)
IDLED – I’D LED (I had been in first place).
15 Gordon Sumner's financial scam (5)
STING – Double definition.
16 Secretary has article on French media company (5)
PATHE – PA (Personal Assistant; secretary) THE (definite article).
18 Unfit, need exercising? Hopefully you'll then be this (4-5)
FINE-TUNED – (Unfit need)* [exercising].
21 Fitness coaches' footwear (8)
TRAINERS – Doubled definition.
22 Lose weight in South India (4)
THIN – Hidden in souTH INdia.
23 Minor snub (6)
SLIGHT – Double definition.
24 American beauty queen? No, just my wife (6)
MISSUS – MISS US (American beauty queen).
Down
1 Came out on top of leading journalist (6)
BESTED – BEST (leading) ED (journalist).
2 The least bold - Henman, that is (8)
TIMIDEST – TIM (Henman) ID EST (i.e.; that is).
3 Caught some stateside porpoises returning (5)
ROPED – Reverse hidden in statesiDE PORpoises.
5 Champion in conversation after final late yesterday (4,5)
LAST NIGHT – LAST (final) NIGHT sounds like [in conversation] KNIGHT (champion).
6 Nothing covering a sharp object (4)
NAIL – A in NIL (nothing).
7 Slumped and miserable eating scrambled egg (6)
SAGGED – [scrambled] (egg)* in SAD (miserable).
11 Singer in fens choir, perhaps? (9)
ROSEFINCH – (fens choir)* [perhaps]. All birds sing.
12 Greek hunter's old Ford car (5)
ORION – Double definition.
14 Sends out for meals about middle of day (8)
LAUNCHES – LUNCHES (meals) about middle letter of dAy.
16 Crockery Pa's let smash (6)
PLATES – (Pa’s let) [smash].
17 A university teacher is a handsome chap (6)
ADONIS – A DON (university teacher) IS.
19 Poems written about Derby venue (5)
EPSOM – (Poems)* [written about].
20 State many Africans live in to begin with (4)
MALI - Initial letters of Many Africans Live In.
1 Violently assault sportsman (6)
BATTER – Double definition.
4 Informs about leader of louts supplying catapults (6)
SLINGS – SINGS (informs) about first letter of Louts.
8 Total love for Japanese wrestling (4)
SUMO – SUM (total) O (0; love).
9 Ironing is urgently required (8)
PRESSING – Double definition.
10 I wondered about some bedding (9)
EIDERDOWN – (I wondered)* [about].
13 Took it easy - l had been in first place (5)
IDLED – I’D LED (I had been in first place).
15 Gordon Sumner's financial scam (5)
STING – Double definition.
16 Secretary has article on French media company (5)
PATHE – PA (Personal Assistant; secretary) THE (definite article).
18 Unfit, need exercising? Hopefully you'll then be this (4-5)
FINE-TUNED – (Unfit need)* [exercising].
21 Fitness coaches' footwear (8)
TRAINERS – Doubled definition.
22 Lose weight in South India (4)
THIN – Hidden in souTH INdia.
23 Minor snub (6)
SLIGHT – Double definition.
24 American beauty queen? No, just my wife (6)
MISSUS – MISS US (American beauty queen).
1 Came out on top of leading journalist (6)
BESTED – BEST (leading) ED (journalist).
2 The least bold - Henman, that is (8)
TIMIDEST – TIM (Henman) ID EST (i.e.; that is).
3 Caught some stateside porpoises returning (5)
ROPED – Reverse hidden in statesiDE PORpoises.
5 Champion in conversation after final late yesterday (4,5)
LAST NIGHT – LAST (final) NIGHT sounds like [in conversation] KNIGHT (champion).
6 Nothing covering a sharp object (4)
NAIL – A in NIL (nothing).
7 Slumped and miserable eating scrambled egg (6)
SAGGED – [scrambled] (egg)* in SAD (miserable).
11 Singer in fens choir, perhaps? (9)
ROSEFINCH – (fens choir)* [perhaps]. All birds sing.
12 Greek hunter's old Ford car (5)
ORION – Double definition.
14 Sends out for meals about middle of day (8)
LAUNCHES – LUNCHES (meals) about middle letter of dAy.
16 Crockery Pa's let smash (6)
PLATES – (Pa’s let) [smash].
17 A university teacher is a handsome chap (6)
ADONIS – A DON (university teacher) IS.
19 Poems written about Derby venue (5)
EPSOM – (Poems)* [written about].
20 State many Africans live in to begin with (4)
MALI - Initial letters of Many Africans Live In.
Very nice crossword, thank you!
ReplyDeleteGlad you enjoyed it.
DeleteVery nice crossword, almost finished it. Can’t say the same about today’s Quick Cryptic!
ReplyDeleteYes. The Times QC was rather tricky... and the 15x15 too.
DeleteLoved that one, thank you!
ReplyDeleteAlthough I suspect that means it will not detain the better solvers for very long at all.
Ah yes. That's as it should be. We aim to produce crosswords that are accessible to less experienced solvers.
DeleteMuch enjoyed this - but slipped up with BOSSED instead of BESTED
ReplyDeleteAn enjoyable balm for bruised solvers. Thanks guys!
ReplyDeleteZak
Thankyou. After a miserable week of failing the QCs, this restored our faith in the Times crosswords. Now in our 9th decade, we were wondering if it was our grey cells letting us down!
ReplyDeleteLots of clever clues- MISSUS, EIDERDOWN, TIMIDEST, PATHE, and ROSEFINCH especially stood out for me. I don't understand the comment "All birds sing" in the explanation for the last one. Isn't it sufficient for the clue to work that ROSEFINCHes sing- and aren't there lots of types of birds that don't sing? Anyways, thanks Phil and John for great brain workout!
ReplyDeleteLovely crossword - thank youPhil. Had forgotten the car but knew the hunter. Surprised I hadn’t heard of ROSEFINCH as I thought I knew most of the finch family. COD MALI for clever surface.
ReplyDeleteSprinted through this in 10½ minutes without really feeling I'd done some very clever clues full justice. Biffed STING without understanding the reference to Gordon Sumner, and got ROSEFINCH from the anagram without knowing the bird. Like Yorkshirelass, I had completely forgotten the Ford Orion until the clue reminded me of it.
ReplyDeleteA most enjoyable true QC at the end of a bruising week. Many thanks Phil!
Very nice, just the right level of difficulty for me. NHO ROSEFINCH but not a problem.
ReplyDeleteThanks Phil and John.
A gentle and enjoyable start to a Sunday morning. We have now learned about Gordon Sumner's penchant for a yellow and black jumper. All news to us, despite decades of enjoying his music. Thankyou.
ReplyDeleteMost enjoyable crossword for a Sunday morning.
ReplyDeleteFavourites were TIMIDEST and MISSUS and I liked the surface for EPSOM.
Thank you Phil and John.
Very enjoyable for Sunday morning thank you!
ReplyDeleteIt has all been eloquently said above.
ReplyDeleteCompleting it brought restorative joy to us, after a recent series of frustrating DNF’s of a group of so called, ‘quickies’.
Thank you very much for allowing us to have pleasant solve this morning..
H and R
Great puzzle - most encouraging as I finished it pretty quickly. Biffed STING - but DNK that the pop star was called Gordon. NHO ROSEFINCH but that was also easy to guess.
ReplyDeleteLiked many inc SLINGS, SUMO, THIN, ORION. COD MISSUS.
Thanks to all, Countrywoman.
Lovely puzzle, much enjoyed, with many really good clues. Me and the other half thought missus one of the clues of the year to date. Thanks
ReplyDeleteEnjoyed this! Took a moment to parse 2d id est in full. Was reminded that British Pathe News was originally French and now a little research explains the cockerel - happy days! Nearly a pink on fine tOned... and another moment to parse 6d correctly after looking for an O. Still uncomfortable with the term at 1a - sounds so inelegant and I'm sure there are better alternatives to this ugly word. COD has to be 24a.
ReplyDeleteMy sincere thanks to everybody who has taken the time to comment, and all of whom have been so complimentary. I must express my thanks to John for his efforts - five or six of the clues are actually his, but MISSUS was all my own work. I always try to put two or three trickier clues in, but also at least four sitters (one in each quadrant) to allow the solver a point of entry. I've asked John to take me off the regular six-weekly rota as I've been finding it hard to make time for compiling, but I'll still pop up here on an irregular basis. Thanks again to you all - the knowledge that so many gain enjoyment from my efforts makes it all worthwhile.
ReplyDeletePhil, your puzzles have always been such a pleasure to solve - the clues are entertaining, the answers avoid anything too obscure or outdated, and the standard of the puzzles is quite remarkably consistent. Thank you very much for all your efforts.
Delete