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. As an added bonus for the first of our puzzles of the year, Phil has provided a 15x15 grid, but don't worry - it is no more difficult than the usual 13x13s.
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...
Here are a few hints and tips.
- In 5A the book is from the bible.
- In 21A the hospital department (being in Seattle) is an American one.
- In 24A the cross is a fruit one.
- In 1D the whole clue is the wordplay and "sibling" the definition.
- In 4D the heavy industry is maybe casting metal.
- For 10D it helps to know the films of Marilyn Monroe.
- In 18D you need to move the fitst letter of a word for encourage to the inside of the word.
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 Make initial effort to bring celeb and gentleman together (5,3)
START OFF – STAR (celebrity) + TOFF (gentleman).
5 Book turns (4)
ACTS – Double definition, the first the book of the bible.
8 Drug fiend's ruse goes wrong (4)
USER – (user)* [goes wrong].
9 Fly low with courage (10)
BLUEBOTTLE – BLUE (low) + BOTTLE (courage).
11 Agree to retract part of witness account (6)
ASSENT – Reverse hidden [retract part of] wiTNESS Account
13 People's Princess briefly inflexible in limited area (8)
DISTRICT – DI (Diana; people’s princess) [briefly] + STRCT (inflexible).
14 Secure female - she's behind bars (8)
LANDLADY – LAND (secure) + LADY (female).
16 Give up and go to bed (4,2)
TURN IN – Double definition, the first as in participating in a gun amnesty.
17 Publicity opening run-in to Christmas (6)
ADVENT – AD (publicity) + VENT (opening).
19 Sadly Odd Peter forcibly rehomed (8)
DEPORTED – (Odd Peter)* [sadly].
21 Do initial sanitisation of publicity with hospital department in fringes of Seattle (3-5)
PRE-RINSE - PR (publicity) + ER (hospital department in America, where Seattle is) + IN + outside letters [fringes] of SeattlE.
22 At the end of the year, soy is prepared for red herrings (6)
DECOYS – DEC (at the end of the year) + (soy)* [prepared].
23 Primates and former President's young children (10)
BUSHBABIES – BUSH (former President) + BABIES (young children).
24 Cross and unattractive we're told (4)
UGLI – Sounds like UGLY (unattractive).
26 In London everybody's finished (4)
DONE – Hidden in LonDON Everybody.
27 Shiny silver? Rubbish! (8)
AGLITTER – AG (chemical symbol for solver) + LITTER (rubbish).
Down
1 What's the first letter of "sibling"? (3)
SIS – S IS (the first letter of sibling). Very clever.
2 Idiot to expose boss (7)
AIRHEAD - AIR (expose) + HEAD (boss).
3 Oddly this speculation comes from part of Asia (5)
TIBET – Odd-numbered letters of ThIs + BET (speculation).
4 Arrived at outskirts of Rugby, where heavy industry takes place (7)
FOUNDRY – FOUND (arrived at) + outside letters, [outskirts], of RugbY.
6 Maybe Tom is repeatedly hesitant, but he lays on a spread (7)
CATERER – CAT (maybe Tom) + ER + ER (repeatedly hesitant).
7 Yes, let Clive broadcast, but not indiscriminately (11)
SELECTIVELY – (Yes let Clive)* [broadcast].
10 Marilyn appeared in this location to pick up transport (3,4)
BUS STOP – Double definition, the first a reference to the film starring Marilyn Monroe.
12 Do very little to treat friends to drinks (5,6)
STAND AROUND – STAND A ROUND (treat friends to a drink).
15 Insect picks up old Queen - using this? (7)
ANTENNA – ANT (insect) + ANNE (old Queen) [picks up] -> ENNA.
18 Encourage to hide head made of baked clay (7)
EARTHEN – HEARTEN (encourage) hiding the first letter [head] later in the word -> EARTHEN.
19 Having a slim chance of success? (7)
DIETING – Cryptic definition.
20 Tell story about nobleman (7)
RECOUNT – RE (about) + COUNT (nobleman).
22 Japanese stock is had randomly (5)
DASHI – (is had)* [randomly].
25 Roman god is almost fat (3)
LAR – LAR{d} [almost].
1 Make initial effort to bring celeb and gentleman together (5,3)
START OFF – STAR (celebrity) + TOFF (gentleman).
5 Book turns (4)
ACTS – Double definition, the first the book of the bible.
8 Drug fiend's ruse goes wrong (4)
USER – (user)* [goes wrong].
9 Fly low with courage (10)
BLUEBOTTLE – BLUE (low) + BOTTLE (courage).
11 Agree to retract part of witness account (6)
ASSENT – Reverse hidden [retract part of] wiTNESS Account
13 People's Princess briefly inflexible in limited area (8)
DISTRICT – DI (Diana; people’s princess) [briefly] + STRCT (inflexible).
14 Secure female - she's behind bars (8)
LANDLADY – LAND (secure) + LADY (female).
16 Give up and go to bed (4,2)
TURN IN – Double definition, the first as in participating in a gun amnesty.
17 Publicity opening run-in to Christmas (6)
ADVENT – AD (publicity) + VENT (opening).
19 Sadly Odd Peter forcibly rehomed (8)
DEPORTED – (Odd Peter)* [sadly].
21 Do initial sanitisation of publicity with hospital department in fringes of Seattle (3-5)
PRE-RINSE - PR (publicity) + ER (hospital department in America, where Seattle is) + IN + outside letters [fringes] of SeattlE.
22 At the end of the year, soy is prepared for red herrings (6)
DECOYS – DEC (at the end of the year) + (soy)* [prepared].
23 Primates and former President's young children (10)
BUSHBABIES – BUSH (former President) + BABIES (young children).
24 Cross and unattractive we're told (4)
UGLI – Sounds like UGLY (unattractive).
26 In London everybody's finished (4)
DONE – Hidden in LonDON Everybody.
27 Shiny silver? Rubbish! (8)
AGLITTER – AG (chemical symbol for solver) + LITTER (rubbish).
1 What's the first letter of "sibling"? (3)
SIS – S IS (the first letter of sibling). Very clever.
2 Idiot to expose boss (7)
AIRHEAD - AIR (expose) + HEAD (boss).
3 Oddly this speculation comes from part of Asia (5)
TIBET – Odd-numbered letters of ThIs + BET (speculation).
4 Arrived at outskirts of Rugby, where heavy industry takes place (7)
FOUNDRY – FOUND (arrived at) + outside letters, [outskirts], of RugbY.
6 Maybe Tom is repeatedly hesitant, but he lays on a spread (7)
CATERER – CAT (maybe Tom) + ER + ER (repeatedly hesitant).
7 Yes, let Clive broadcast, but not indiscriminately (11)
SELECTIVELY – (Yes let Clive)* [broadcast].
10 Marilyn appeared in this location to pick up transport (3,4)
BUS STOP – Double definition, the first a reference to the film starring Marilyn Monroe.
12 Do very little to treat friends to drinks (5,6)
STAND AROUND – STAND A ROUND (treat friends to a drink).
15 Insect picks up old Queen - using this? (7)
ANTENNA – ANT (insect) + ANNE (old Queen) [picks up] -> ENNA.
18 Encourage to hide head made of baked clay (7)
EARTHEN – HEARTEN (encourage) hiding the first letter [head] later in the word -> EARTHEN.
19 Having a slim chance of success? (7)
DIETING – Cryptic definition.
20 Tell story about nobleman (7)
RECOUNT – RE (about) + COUNT (nobleman).
22 Japanese stock is had randomly (5)
DASHI – (is had)* [randomly].
25 Roman god is almost fat (3)
LAR – LAR{d} [almost].
17 minutes for this puzzle, which given it is about a third bigger than the usual 13x13 would seem to be about my par for a Sunday Special. But that hides some write-ins and some much chewier ones. I DK DASHI, but it was the only word that fitted, and I missed TURN IN for give up. I also didn't spot that the ER in PRE-RINSE was signposted by the hospital being in Seattle - does that not make Seattle do double duty? I also thought the clue for DIETING strange: it looks like a DD with "having a slim" the first definition. But where then is the second? It is a bit defeatist to suggest that dieting always has small chance of success! And i biffed EARTHEN and failed to parse it.
ReplyDeleteSo all green in regulation time but that hides quite a saga of challenges! Many thanks for the puzzle.
Thanks Cedric. Interesting point re Seattle. but I don't see a real problem. DIETING is simply a tongue-in-cheek cryptic, hence the question mark. In my personal experience dieting never works, any initial success soon dissipating. My GP is making muttering noises again at the moment....
ReplyDeleteFrom Countrywoman. Enjoyable puzzle with some fun clues like STAND A ROUND, CATERER, DISTRICT, BLUEBOTTLE and LANDLADY and BUSHBABIES. Biffed DASHI as NHO. I needed hints for ACTS and LOI AIRHEAD.
ReplyDeleteThanks so much, Phil and John.
Phil, I liked the 15*15 grid and would be happy to see more in future.
ReplyDeleteThis was a most enjoyable puzzle with lots of different types of clues. I didn’t know DASHI or LAR but they were the only logical answers which is fair enough.
SIS made me laugh when the penny dropped and I liked PRE RINSE among many others.
You did however defeat me with EARTHEN. My excuse is that I was tired by then and although an alphabet crawl starts with EAR the pronunciation is different which throws one off the scent.
Thanks both of you for your efforts.
Not as many homophobes as I first thought. Broadcast and picked up meaning something different here...
ReplyDeleteStill don't understand ugli=cross though.
Thanks for the workout. Bigger grid fine for me, but presumably more work for you.
Paggers