This week’s 11 x 11 crossword from the Guardian intended to teach cryptic crosswords, found here
This week’s puzzle is the 6th puzzle by Pangakupu, who is a regular setter of Cryptics and the full range of Guardian puzzles. In the Cryptics Pangakupu adds a Maori Nina, but not for the Quick Cryptics. Today we have anagrams, hidden word(s) and acrostics with all the letters present, plus charades where the words come from the solvers general and cryptic knowledge. I am still part way through a summary of the tricks and crosswordese from probably the first two years, but today isn’t quite two years since the first puzzle came out, which was 6 April 2024. So in those two years we have covered 105 puzzles (2 years) (It’s listing out all the crosswordese and indicators!).
The whole point of these crosswords is support and encouragement of new solvers, so special rules for these crosswords apply – see here – those rules include not posting solving times.
This blog was developed in response to suggestions. We hide the answers and the wordplay descriptions (parsing) too. To find the solution click on “Answer” and to find how the word play works, click on “Parsing” which will reveal the hidden information. You can choose to reveal everything using the “Expand All” button. If you have partially revealed the page, refreshing it will clear that, and allow you to expand all. The definition is in bold and underlined, the indicator is in red.
For additional help click here
There is a summary of the tricks used in the first six months here and a Guardian Crossword blog called the ultimate beginner’s guide has tips which may be useful for some solvers
For abbreviations and clue tips click here
Fifteen Squared uses several abbreviations and jargon tricks, there’s a full list here, of which I’ve used the following in this blog:
- underlining the definition in the clue – this is either at the beginning or end of the clue
- indicators are in red.
- CAPITALS to indicate which bits are part of the answer, e.g. haVE ALtered for the example.
- anagram – letters being used shown in brackets (SENATOR)* for the clue below to give TREASON.
- anagrind – anagram indicator – in the case below it is “arranged”
- soundalike – is indicated by “Wilde” – so in the example, Oscar “Wilde”, the playwright and author, is indicating the soundalike WILD.
- charades – the description below only gives the example of words being added together, but charades can be more complicated, adding abbreviations or single letters to another word. Examples previously used in this series are: Son ridicules loose overgarments (6) S (son) + MOCKS (ridicules), Get rid of dead pine (5) D(dead) + ITCH (pine) – D ITCH, and early on DR (doctor) + IVE (I have) to give DRIVE.
- reversals – the reversal element of a clue is indicated by < – so in the example clue below, VieTNAm <.
- CAD or clue as definition– where the whole clue gives the definition, sometimes called an &lit. These are rare.
- DBE or definition by example – e.g. where a dog might be clued as a setter – often using a question mark, maybe, possibly or e.g. to show that this is an example rather than a definition.
- surface – the meaning from reading the clue – so often cryptic clues use an English that could only be found in a cryptic crossword, but a smooth surface is a clue that has a meaning in English, which can be pointed or misleading.
TODAY’S TRICKS – from the crossword site – because the clues have moved on from the clue descriptions below, I am now adding more to the descriptions hidden above. Clues begin or end with a definition of the answer. The rest is one of these:
- Anagram Anagram of answer and hint that there’s an anagram
‘Senator arranged crime (7)’ gives TREASON - Hidden word(s) Answer hidden in clue’s words
‘Some haVE ALtered meat (4)’ gives VEAL - Charade Combination of synonyms/abbrevs
‘Qualify to get drink for ID (8)’ gives PASSPORT (pass + port)
– the same explanation from week 1 – see more above - Acrostic First letters of answer
‘Initially Get A Good joke (3)’ gives GAG.
| ACROSS | Click on “Answer” to see the solutions | |
| 1 |
Give money to stop expression of pain (5)
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AnswerENDOW |
Parsingcharade of END (stop) + OW (expression of pain). Expression of pain is usually OW or possibly ouch. |
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| 4 |
Subject, theme or point in conversation, primarily (5)
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AnswerTOPIC |
Parsingacrostic (primarily) of Theme Or Point In Conversation. |
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| 7 |
Quantity of tea swallowed by our Nan (3)
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AnswerURN |
Parsinghidden word(s) (swallowed by) oUR Nan – with an unusual hidden word indicator. |
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| 8 |
Joy in treatment of toenail (7)
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AnswerELATION |
Parsinganagram of (TOENAIL)* with an anagrind of “treatment of”. |
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| 9 |
Some hero slavishly presented in London statue (4)
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AnswerEROS |
Parsinghidden word(s) (some) in hERO Slavishly – “presented in” could also be a hidden word indicator – for what I presume is aiming at this statue and I’ll leave the link here without further comment. |
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| 10 |
Rascal, one providing seafood (6)
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AnswerSCAMPI |
Parsingcharade of SCAMP (rascal) + I (one in Roman numerals) for this seafood. |
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| 12 |
Creative worker in part is technician (6)
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AnswerARTIST |
Parsinghidden word(s) (in) pART IS Technician. |
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| 14 |
String running over parcel extensively at the outset (4)
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AnswerROPE |
Parsingacrostic (at the outset) of Running Over Parcel Extensively. |
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| 17 |
Earnestly request naughty child to get learning (7)
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AnswerIMPLORE |
Parsingcharade of IMP (naughty child) + (to get) LORE (learning). The “to get” is an instruction that the first word gets this added. |
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| 18 |
Spring asparagus? Just a selection thereof (3)
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AnswerSPA |
Parsinghidden word(s) (just a selection thereof) in aSPAragus – with quite a long hidden word indicator. |
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| 19 |
Courage boarding commoner vessel (5)
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AnswerNERVE |
Parsinghidden word(s) (boarding) commoNER VEssel – and another unusual hidden word indicator. It’s indicating something inside the letters following. |
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| 20 |
Discernment: this artistic sensibility takes experience, principally (5)
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AnswerTASTE |
Parsingacrostic (principally) of This Artistic Sensibility Takes Experience. |
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|
DOWN
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| 1 |
Reckoning mountaineer is confused (11)
|
AnswerENUMERATION |
Parsinganagram of (MOUNTAINEER)* with an anagrind of “is confused”. There are a few setters who like these long single word anagrams. |
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| 2 |
Wild dog’s noise and energy (5)
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AnswerDINGO |
Parsingcharade of DIN (noise) + (and) GO (energy) for this wild dog. |
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| 3 |
Bird heads for wood, reviewing every nest-site (4)
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AnswerWREN |
Parsingacrostic (heads for) of Wood Reviewing Every Nest-site for this bird in the UK. |
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| 4 |
Nectar drunk? Abstracted state (6)
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AnswerTRANCE |
Parsinganagram of (NECTAR)* with an anagrind of “drunk”. |
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| 5 |
What will originate pretty real iridescent spectrum? Maybe this (5)
|
AnswerPRISM |
Parsingacrostic ((what will) originate) of Pretty Real Iridescent Spectrum Maybe – and this is a problem to disentangle as it’s nearly a clue as definition (CAD) also called an &lit – the clue almost describes the solution – so the definition could be “what will” or “maybe this” – or the whole clue, and the wordplay is included in the clue. |
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| 6 |
Thoughtful, repairing desecration (11)
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AnswerCONSIDERATE |
Parsinganagram of (DESECRATION)* with an anagram of “repairing”. |
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| 11 |
Remains with rocky material on the beach (6)
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AnswerASHORE |
Parsingcharade of ASH (remains) + (with) ORE (rocky material) |
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| 13 |
Pig-like animal that Asian people immediately recognise at the outset (5)
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AnswerTAPIR |
Parsingacrostic (at the outset) of That Asian People Immediately Recognise for this pig-like animal. |
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| 15 |
Desert refuge? Nothing in current form (5)
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AnswerOASIS |
Parsingcharade of O (nothing) + AS IS (current form) – and a question mark as a definition by example, because this is just one example of a desert refuge. |
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| 16 |
Warmth suffusing the atmosphere (4)
|
AnswerHEAT |
Parsinghidden word(s) (suffusing) in tHE ATmosphere – with another hidden indicator that suggests something internal, but works to mislead as it fits the other words in the clue. |
I initially took ‘in part’ to be the indicator in 12, which slowed me down until I had crosses.
The notes on 20 above have wrong answer.
Thank you – corrected.
Very enjoyable. Nicely pitched.
Thanks Shanne for your helpful blog & Pangakupu for the crossword.
I came here primarily for 17a. I kind of understand it now, but to me that’s an unusual way of using the word knowledge (I suppose, that is the point…)
2d was new to m will bear that in mind.
As usual, thank you for the blog!
Very nice QC from the ever reliable Pangakupu, thanks. A couple of trickier charades scattered in but lots of great anagrams, hiddens and acrostics to get traction across the grid. Thanks Shanne for your blog.
Some masterful clueing here, – all the anagrams are one-word; very nice surfaces for acrostic (I particularly liked TAPIR) and hidden words, and some fun charades – I liked ENDOW and OASIS, even though I’m sure they were seen before. Thanks Pangakupu and Shanne!
I found that tricky, although weirdly it didn’t actually take me very long. Just hard work while I was doing it, I guess! I thought the clue for WREN was rather lovely!
Pitched just right I thought. Some nice anagrams. OASIS was my favourite clue. Had me wondering what other types of desert refuge there were; but I guess you might say “shade”. Thanks as usual Shanne.
Sorry to put this here but I can’t find any other place. After a week of struggling, I have finished the Maskarade Easter Special. I have several unparsed but I can’t find anywhere online to help me. It looks like fifteensquared has not got a blog on it. Where can I find the explanations?
@Robruss24 – there’s supposed to be a blog organised for the Maskarade Easter Special and out this weekend. We’ve been having discussions about how to meet the needs of these specials, there was another in the FT, behind the scenes, because it’s obviously an issue. There are also posts about this on the Site Feedback page from comment #75 and General Discussion page from #82 onwards – both those pages are found under “Share Your Thoughts” tab at the top of the page.
I thought there was a Maori Nina in this one, going down – Otara.
J9 @11 – OTARA means “of course” or “the place of Tara”, which is a suburb of South Auckland.
Pangakupu’s Maori Ninas in the Cryptics have a reason for their inclusion – usually based around the number of the puzzle as it was submitted – so we’re looking for something to do with 47 or 48 next (I’m not sure where we’ve got to) in the Cryptic series.
His puzzles as Phi in the Independent often have deliberate themes – often topical.
Also Pangakupu hasn’t confirmed a Nina and he often does come and chat about them.
I really enjoyed doing this crossword and was amused by some of the answers – eg 1A! Thanks Pangakupu. Wasn’t sure if 11D was ASHORE or ASTONE but as the latter isn’t really a word I stuck with the former. Thanks Shanne for all the explanations. Do the compilers names have explanations too??
There’s a series of Meet the Setter in the Guardian blog that interviews Pangakupu as Phi here – and I followed that through to his website, to find that Pangakupu is a Maori word for “crossword” and a list of the Maori words used in his puzzles.
A nice crossword. I enjoyed 1a 17a and 15d! Frustratingly, i didn’t get 11d. Of course it seems obvious once the solution is revealed!
I thoroughly enjoyed this. Long anagrams are fun with a few crossers to help and endow and oasis had me smiling. Oh dear another 6 days to wait for the next one! Thanks Pangakupu and Shane
I’m always grateful for this website. I have 2 questions
1 – I got most of them because the words kind of fitted and made sense but don’t catch the nuances that the clues refer to. I want to ask if that is fairly common for other players.
2- Following on from above , I got SPA as I had the S and the A and could see the world spa in asparagus, but I don’t understand how the word Spring fits in the clue.
Thank you!!
Kathryn Duffy @17 – starting with the second first, SPA as in Leamington Spa or the spa towns of Bath, Harrogate and Baden Baden does just mean a spring – the sort of places where mineral waters were drunk to effect a cure in Jane Austen’s times and beyond.
Firstly, for me, the nuances come with experience – there are setters who I am amused to see little nuances and enjoy the digs, but others where I don’t always pick up everything and have just fitted a word from the definition. Those setters are getting less common with solving a couple of puzzles a day.
Ah Spring! Of course!!! It seems so clear now! Thank you so much Shanne for taking the time to respond.
Thank you to the blogger and setter. I love the quick cryptic … I learn so much.
Shanne @14 thankyou!!