This week’s 11 x 11 crossword from the Guardian intended to teach cryptic crosswords, found here
This week’s puzzle is the 17th puzzle set by Ludwig, one of the regular setters in this spot now, alongside other puzzles in the Guardian. This puzzle has reversals and hidden words and with all the letters in the clues, plus anagram minus, which we’re seeing for the third time, where the letters are given but need a second step and double definitions where the words and letters need to be found by the solvers. This crossword layout, like a sticklebrick, with initial letters not helpfully provided by crossers, can also be trickier.
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:
- Hidden word(s) Answer hidden in clue’s words
‘Some haVE ALtered meat (4)’ gives VEAL - Double definition Both halves are definitions!
‘Search scrub (5)’ gives SCOUR - Reversal SAnswer backwards, and a hint that we’re reversing
‘Deity’s pet returns (3)’ gives GOD (deity) from DOG < (pet) - Anagram minus Remove one letter, jumble the rest
‘Crazy Thor runs off, steaming (3)’ gives HOT
from (THO[r])* anagram of THOR, with R (runs) removed
| ACROSS | Click on “Answer” to see the solutions | |
| 4 |
Tudor queen’s booze (6,4)
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AnswerBLOODY MARY |
Parsingdouble definition and the cryptic reading changes the meaning of the apostrophe s – instead of being a possessive, so a drink belonging to a Tudor queen, it is an apostrophe to indicate omission – this Tudor queen is also a drink |
| 8 |
Tyrannies suppressing musical (5)
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AnswerANNIE |
Parsinghidden word(s) (suppressing) in tyrANNIEs for this musical. |
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| 8 |
Touring Europe with no love for foreign currency (5)
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AnswerRUPEE |
Parsinganagram minus (touring … with no love) of (EUR[o]PE)* – this clue has split indicators as often happens with two part instructions. The “with no love” is an instruction to remove the O from the anagram fodder, love meaning 0 (zero) in tennis, and “touring” is the anagrind. |
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| 10 |
In Muscat, lascivious one that’ll show you the world (5)
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AnswerATLAS |
Parsinghidden word(s) (in) in muscAT LAScivious – with a cryptic definition. |
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| 12 |
Flipping city transport’s swish (5)
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AnswerSMART |
Parsingreversal (flipping) of TRAMS < (city transport). This meaning of “swish” is in my idiolect, and is in Chambers as the second definition, marked as slang. |
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| 14 |
Old boy to worry about exercise regime (3-2)
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AnswerTAE-BO |
Parsingreversal (about) of OB (old boy) + EAT (to worry) < reversed (about) to give this exercise |
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| 15 |
Bizarre notion: no time for veg (5)
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AnswerONION |
Parsinganagram minus (bizarre … no time) with another example of split indicators – anagram indicator (bizarre) of (NO[t]ION)* with the T removed (no time). |
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| 16 |
Force to leave (3-2-3-2)
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AnswerGET-UP-AND-GO |
Parsingdouble definition the first meaning is the force – the drive to do things, the second: the literal meaning if the hyphens are removed |
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|
DOWN
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| 1 |
A little promenade in the city (4)
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AnswerROME |
Parsinghidden word(s) (a little) in pROMEnade for this city. |
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| 2 |
Country’s scrumpy brewed miles away (6)
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AnswerCYPRUS |
Parsinganagram minus (brewed miles away) of (SCRU[m]PY)* with an anagrind of “brewed” and an instruction to remove the M (miles away) for this country. |
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| 3 |
Fictional Jane taking part in Henley Regatta (4)
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AnswerEYRE |
Parsinghidden word(s) (taking part in) in henlEY REgatta for this literary heroine. |
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| 5 |
Extremely solitary – not married – prepared emollients (9)
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AnswerLONELIEST |
Parsinganagram minus (not married – prepared) of (E[m]OLLIENTS)* with an anagrind of “prepared” with an instruction to remove the M (not married). The m for married comes from genealogy. |
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| 6 |
Demanding a retrial? That’s cute (9)
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AnswerAPPEALING |
Parsingdouble definition the first in the sense of a verb, requesting a second trial at a higher court, the second as an adjective something that is attractive or cute. |
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| 7 |
The father of avant-garde art (4)
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AnswerDADA |
Parsingdouble definition – the first a pet name for a father, the second referring to this school of art. |
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| 11 |
Snuggles up and asks too many questions (6)
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AnswerSNOOPS |
Parsingreversal (up – in a down clue) of SPOONS < (snuggles) – I did look for a link for this, but the Wikipedia entry is NSFW (not safe for work), so you’re going to have to look it up yourselves if you’re interested. |
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| 13 |
Taste insect that’s served up (4)
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AnswerTANG |
Parsingreversal (that’s served up – in a down clue) of GNAT < (insect) for a regular reversal in crosswordland. |
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| 14 |
Gloat about not having large garment (4)
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AnswerTOGA |
Parsinganagram minus (about not having large) of (G[L]OAT)* with an anagrind of “about” and an additional instruction to remove the L (not having large – L in clothing sizes), for this garment. |
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| 15 |
Swinish sound coming from radio in kitchen (4)
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AnswerOINK |
Parsinghidden word(s) (coming from) radiO IN Kitchen. |
Thanks. BTW the second part of 14a has a typo. I had to come here to understand that clue!
Thanks Ludwig and Shanne
Hardest so far.
5d would be better with “most” rather than “extremely”.
MattD @1 – corrected. Muffin @2 – I agree, I nearly commented and then was falling asleep (we had thunderstorms at 4am so I was up and blogging early)
The anagram minus clues were fun – something to look out for in regular cryptics. I found this straightforward apart from 14a. I’ve never heard of TAE-BO and couldn’t figure it out. I’m sure I must have come across worry=eat before but didn’t remember.
Would have scared me off if I’d seen this one two years ago. Tricky clues like 14a and 11d – these were my last ones in. Enjoyed the anagram-minus clues. Thanks Ludwig and Shanne.
I think 14a was pushing it for a QC – at this stage I think eat=worry is a stretch. I’d also say that “about” is not an obvious enough reversal indicator in this clue (for a QC). Added to that the fact that most of us don’t seem to have heard of tae-bo (I hadn’t!)
Ok, let’s talk about 14a, shall we…
I suspect I knew 14A from an Everyman a while back, but it was of the later clues in .
Surely 14a is a trick too far? This appears to be a ‘reverse charade’ (of an abbreviation and a not-obvious synonym) and this is not ones of today’s clue types. The general knowledge needed to recognise the answer once you’ve found it is also way above my pay grade.
From the Guardian article that introduced the Quick Cryptic:
We will also avoid recherché vocabulary and names. There is no sadder announcement concerning crosswords than the one sighed by the fictional Reggie Perrin, still scratching his head when the other commuters have finished their puzzles: “I’m stuck on the top left-hand corner. I just don’t know any Bolivian poets.”
The quick cryptic will contain no Bolivian poets, no interesting species of mould whose names consist entirely of vowels and no style of hat less familiar than, let’s say, the trilby.
Tae-bo is surely more Bolivian poet than trilby.
I agree with Alan. 14a was a combination of two of today’s tricks, which takes it beyond the scope of a Quick Cryptic IMO. And the charade was a little tricky in itself.
Never heard of Tae bo and had to cheat that one. Not sure even with all the hints in the world I would have got that.
Loving your post mtega #10. LOL
As a newcomer to cryptic crosswords and one trying to learn the ropes, most of this is way over my head. How the heck is a newcomer supposed to know, or even guess, that ‘with no love’ means remove an ‘o’ from a partial anagram? Last week’s one was at the right level but this simply isn’t doing the job of getting people into cryptic crosswords. Annoying! (Thanks for the explanations and answers as ever.)
Hi John @14 – these are both linked above, under the additional help bit:
* a list of abbreviations used in the first 6 months – I am, very slowly, updating that list. That one really does include love = O, but not m = married or miles.
* the Guardian’s guide for beginners
Thanks Shanne for doing this blog in the way that you do.
A slight correction is needed to your link in 7d to the School of Art – there’s a stray ” in the link and it’s going to a landing page in Wikipedia instead of the Dada page.
John, #14.
I am no expert, but “love”=o (think tennis) is one of those things that comes up pretty much every week, so *even I* don’t have a problem with it – but it is a very personal assessment.
I find the quick of varying degree of difficulty (for me it was easy this week), but some of the older ones, like December time, I found them hellish. Just go with the flow 😉
I also find that there is a huge step up in tackling the quiptics.
Thanks Tatiana2 – corrected
14 across – what on earth is Tae Bo, I’ve never heard of this in my life.
Thanks Ludwig and Shanne. Tae-bo, a portmanteau of taekwondo and boxing, must be more an American thing. In the late 90s, you could not turn on a TV without seeing Billy Blanks getting a sweat on.
@15, I’d shout out the crossword essays at the beginning of the 4th edition of Chambers as well.
It’s an exercise regime @tmh 🤣. But yeah, you’re in popular company with the niche nature of the answer.
OK : I did put it in properly, there is a link to Tae-Bo in the blog. Apparently it’s currently popular on TikTok
Couldn’t parse 11d and then sighed when I remembered spoons. Sadly no longer …
Love for O and about to indicate a reversal are about as common as it gets. You may not like them this time, but you’ll be pleased when you spot them next time. Good training.
Completely agree with the comments about TAE BO… following a recent trend of sneaking Charades into the QC when they aren’t mentioned in the list of tricks, and a super obscure word. A Google search on Tae Bo resulted in “People also search for “Does anyone still do Tae Bo?””
Thanks Shanne for the blog!
I am really struggling to see “eat” as a synonym for “worry”.
I have seen cares “eat away” or “eat at” someone, but that’s more of a compound phrase.
Can anyone point me to an example of eat directly meaning worry? This clue would seem to me to be unfair in any circumstance, let alone a quick cryptic.
Ben @26 – Chambers (1998) has under “eat”, in the first block of definitions, last of the vt, before moving to vi: “to upset, irritate or worry (colloq)”.
I can produce a phrase using both together – Just as we were about to leave for his daily walk, the phone went and the the dog chose its noisiest toy to worry / eat as I answered it.
I had exactly the same problems as Amma@4. Otherwise challenging but still enjoyable. I’m hanging in there thanks to Shanne and of course Ludwig. I think its good that these quick cryptics are beginning to feel more like a normal cryptic, we are being taken forward in a way with which we can just about cope.
Thanks Shanne. I think I was reading worry as the passive “being worried by something” as opposed to someone/something worrying something else. Like worrying cattle etc. It’s not a use I’ve seen in well over 40 years but I can at least see the stretch now. Will dig out my old copy of Chambers! Thanks very much indeed.
Like many others I’ve never heard of Tae-Bo and I would never have thought of eat as a synonym for worry. Spoons and snuggles also not an obvious synonym.
Thank you Shane. I always found Ludwig’s more straightforward than the other setters but this was impossible!
Like many others I struggled with 14a.
I mostly know Eat = Worry from the somewhat fossilised phase “what’s eating you?”
Tae Bo was the first time we’ve failed to solve a clue in this series.
I think we’d have stood a better chance had the solution not indicated it as being hyphenated.