Friday, 16 October 2026

Weekend Quick Cryptic 166 - Solution

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 Sawbill'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 with the clues click the label below.

Hints and tips...

Here are a few hints and tips.
  • In 11A "endlessly" means remove the last letter.
  • You need to know the title of a German man in 13A
  • In 19A the definition, unusually, is just a single word not at the beginning or end of the clue.
  • 3D is an anagram with a letter deletion.
  • In 6D the pilgrim was a medieval magistrate.
  • The TV series in 12D dates from the 1950s.
  • 18D is a card game.
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 Embarrassing mistake of bellringer? (7)
CLANGER – Double definition, the second a cryptic hint. Also a sort of pasty from Bedfordshire that has meat at one and jam at the other. Sounds disgusting.
5 Starter of pâté or kebabs originally coming from this animal product (4)
PORK – First letter [starter] of Pâté + OR + first letter of Kebabs [originally]. Also a sort of pie.
7 Supplier of technology that's found in orchards (5)
APPLE – Double definition. And a classic sort of fruit pie.
8 Gifted student initially wriggles and squirms (7)
FIDGETS – (gifted + s{tudent}[initially])*  [wriggles]. A fidget pie is an English pie containing layers of apple, cured pork (typically bacon), onion, and sometimes potato under a crimped, shortcrust pastry top.
10 Drink regularly during the day (3)
TEA -  Alternate letters of  [regularly during] ThE  dAy, And a meal where you might eat a piece of pie.
11 Kowtow to endlessly neglectful criminal (9)
GENUFLECT – Anagram [criminal] of (neglectfu{l})* without the last letter [endlessly].
13 Fruit tree supplied by German man in outskirts of city (6)
CHERRY - HERR (how to address a German man) in outside letters of [outskirts of] C{it}Y. And another sort of fruit pie.
14 It's found in hotpot - a top ingredient (6)
POTATO – Hidden in [found in] hotPOT A TOp. Also a sort of pie.
17 Conservative policy follows Greens last narrative (9)
STORYLINE – TORY (Conservative) + LINE (policy) after [follows] last letter of GreenS [last].
19 Getting the ball over this is first half of tennis return (3)
NET – [first half of] TEN{nis} reversed  [return] -> NET.
21 Shoe mender's iced drink (7)
COBBLER – Double definition. Also a dessert or savoury dish consisting of a fruit or savoury filling poured into a large baking dish and covered with a batter, biscuit, or dumpling before being baked.
23 Unhealthy looking food from Cornwall? (5)
PASTY – Double definition, the second a type of pie.
24 Initially make everyone avoid this sort of food (4)
MEAT – First letters [initially] of Make Everyone Avoid This. And another sort of pie.
25 Bothy, perhaps, is place to sleep time after time (7)
COTTAGE – COT (place to sleep) + AGE (time) [after] T (time). One of my favourite sorts of pie.
 
Down
1 Charlie runs a newspaper with skill (5)
CRAFT – C (Charlie in the phonetic alphabet) + R (runs in cricket) + A + FT (Financial Times; newspaper).
2 Calm down with a very quiet rest (7)
APPEASE – A + PP (pianissimo; very quiet) + EASE (rest).
3 Highlander's cap provokes angry glare without argument at first (9)
GLENGARRY – [provokes] ({a}ngry glare)* without the a [argument at first].
4 Man in black in centre of field is perfect (6)
REFINE – REF (man in black) + IN + middle letter [centre] of fiEld. Perfect the verb.
5 Launch rockets here yearly before beginning of December (3)
PAD – PA (per annum; yearly) + [beginning of] December.
6 Pilgrim who told a tale about first lady (5)
REEVE – RE (about) + EVE (first lady). One of the pilgrims who contributes a story to the Canterbury Tales.
9 Determined to fight (3-2)
SET-TO – SET (determined) + TO.
12 The kind of men seen in garden on TV once (9)
FLOWERPOT – Cryptic definition referring to Bill and Ben.
13 Function of Greek island joining European Community (5)
COSEC – COS (Greek island) + E.C. (European Community). Short for Cosecant.
15 Loss of ability to remember name is a problem (7)
AMNESIA – (name is a)* [problem].
16 Horrible critic is sour (6)
CITRIC – [Horrible] (critic)*.
18 Game played by brother in East Ender's home (5)
OMBRE – BR (brother) in ‘OME (home) as pronounced by a Cockney.
20 Spell in prison we hear for Herb (5)
THYME – Sounds like TIME (spell in prison).
22 Permitted service to be replayed (3)
LET – Double definition. 

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