This week’s 11 x 11 crossword from the Guardian intended to teach cryptic crosswords, found here
This puzzle is the 6th Quick Crytic from Pangakupu. This puzzle has anagrams with all the letters in the clues, but all the other clue types: double definitions, naked words and reversals all need the words and letters need to be found by the solver.
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.
- anagram minus – letters being used are shown as capitals in brackets, with the unused letter in lower case and square brackets – so fluttering (OWLET[s])* becomes TOWEL.
- 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 (crime) - Double definition Both halves are definitions!
‘Search scrub (5)’ gives SCOUR - Reversal Answer backwards, and a hint that we’re reversing
‘Medic’s fish rejected (3)’ gives DOC (medic) from fish (COD) reversed (rejected). - Naked words Remove first and last letters of another word for answer
‘Called for citrus to be peeled (4)’ gives RANG (called) from [O]RANG[E] (citrus peeled)
| ACROSS | Click on “Answer” to see the solutions | |
| 1 |
Avian features in posters? (5)
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AnswerBILLS |
Parsingdouble definition the classic sign BILL POSTERS WILL BE PROSECUTED comes to mind – and beaks are also called bills. (Sorry, I didn’t know how to explain this without giving the clue away.) |
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| 4 |
Backing bar party (5)
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AnswerREVEL |
Parsingreversal (backing) of LEVER (bar) < – and the grammar of the clue is: reversing (backing) a word meaning “bar” gives a party (definition). |
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| 7 |
Urge taking long strides when throwing off clothing (3)
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AnswerEGG |
Parsingnaked word (throwing off clothing) – and this was my last one in as I couldn’t see the parsing, and am still not sure of it – taking long strides is LEGGING but that means taking off more than one letter each side to get to EGG. I checked [L]EGG[S] and it’s not in Chambers (legged and legger are). Google AI says “”Leggs” is typically a plural form or a misspelling of legs, which refers to the limbs used for walking”. Adding later – the consensus is that this is [l]EGG[y], defined by Chambers as “having noticeably long thin legs”, which is why I discarded it. |
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| 8 |
Unexpectedly repents now (7)
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AnswerPRESENT |
Parsinganagram of (REPENTS)* with an anagrind of “unexpectedly”. |
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| 9 |
Ineptly filter a small amount (6)
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AnswerTRIFLE |
Parsinganagram of (FILTER) with an anagrind of “ineptly” – which suggests clumsily, so works as an anagrind. |
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| 10 |
Hoodwinked, without protection in place surrounded by water (4)
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AnswerISLE |
Parsingnaked word (without protection) of [M]ISLE[D] (hoodwinked). And this clue uses one of those nasty tricks setters like to use if they can as it’s so misleading: using words where the pronunciation changes between the different meanings of the words used in the clue. |
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| 13 |
Send out a message for part of book (4)
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AnswerPAGE |
Parsingdouble definition – having just checked, hospitals still use the messaging devices, so the message system, as they work well in buildings. |
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| 14 |
Unlimited elevated commendation (6)
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AnswerPRAISE |
Parsingnaked word (unlimited) means naked as it is saying the limits are removed, from [u]PRAISE[d] (elevated) and this wasn’t the most obvious equivalent for elevated. |
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| 17 |
Twisted laciest component of knickers? (7)
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AnswerELASTIC |
Parsinganagram of (LACIEST)* with an anagrind of “twisted”. The question mark indicates a definition by example (DBE) as knickers aren’t the only garment that uses this haberdashery in their construction. |
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| 19 |
Deity to follow around (3)
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AnswerGOD |
Parsingreversal (around) of DOG (to follow) < (and I wondered why the clue example had changed when I was setting that up). |
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| 20 |
Hard back (5)
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AnswerSTERN |
Parsingdouble definition the first an adjective, often linked to disciplinarians, the second often a noun and referring to the back of a boat. |
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| 21 |
Very steep swerve (5)
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AnswerSHEER |
Parsingdouble definition with the first an adjective often linked to drops, and second used as a verb – describing movements changing direction, often birds or planes. |
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DOWN
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| 1 |
Complain, table being wobbly (5)
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AnswerBLEAT |
Parsinganagram of (TABLE)* with an anagrind of “being wobbly” – and this is one of those metaphorical uses of a word that originated as an animal sound. |
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| 2 |
Severe punishments uncovered for taking wood from forest (7)
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AnswerLOGGING |
Parsingnaked word (uncovered) of [f]LOGGING[s] (severe punishments) – and the solution conjures up huge Canadian operations. |
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| 3 |
Quantity provided in a flexible way (6)
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AnswerSUPPLY |
Parsingdouble definition the first, a noun usually heard in the plural, the second an adjective often used as an anagram indicator because it suggests other alternative meanings. |
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| 4 |
Water plant hunted animal overturned (4)
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AnswerREED |
Parsingreversal (overturned) of DEER (hunted animal) < and this is another reversal clue where the definition (water plant) is the reversed word (hunted animal) is reversed (overturned). |
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| 5 |
Contend with creeping plant hiding edges (3)
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AnswerVIE |
Parsingnaked word (hiding edges) from [i]VIE[s] (creeping plants). |
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| 6 |
Flannel peeled to make coffee? (5)
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AnswerLATTE |
Parsingnaked word (peeled) [f]LATTE[r] with the outside letters removed – to flannel someone is to flatter them. |
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| 11 |
English rocks or stones on beach (7)
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AnswerSHINGLE |
Parsinganagram of (ENGLISH)* with an anagrind of “rocks”. |
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| 12 |
Ridiculous prices, in summary (6)
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AnswerPRECIS |
Parsinganagram of (PRICES)* with an anagrind of “ridiculous”. |
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| 13 |
Outer parts of fruit drop off, turning upside down (5)
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AnswerPEELS |
Parsingreversal (turning upside down) of SLEEP (to drop off) <. |
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| 15 |
One very respected tree (5)
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AnswerELDER |
Parsingdouble definition both nouns, one often found in non-conformist churches or societies that revere their senior members. |
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| 16 |
Surprise fans after upset (4)
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AnswerSTUN |
Parsingreversal (after upset) of NUTS (fans) <. |
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| 18 |
Live a long time, having turned up (3)
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AnswerARE |
Parsingreversal (having turned up – in a down clue) of ERA (a long time) < – with the use of “live” meaning “to be” and by extension, different conjugations of that verb. |
Sorry, rushing to get this out as I need to be somewhere in not very long – but I’ll be back from that fast, so I’ll put the grid up when I get back (and last week’s special too).
Some tough clues for a QC – without the crossers I’d have struggled to get all the naked words. I parsed 7a as [L]EGG[Y] but it’s a bit of a stretch.
I also found this tougher than other QCs, especially some of the naked words. My favourite was ISLE. I also had 7a as (L)EGG(Y), but I agree with AntonJ that it’s a stretch. Thanks Shanne and Pangakapu.
Should 5d be ‘plants‘ to give us IVIES (from which to then get VIE)?
Difficult one.
I guessed 5d and still I am not sure about it as the definition talks about “creeping plant”, i.e. singular.
Didn’t finish. Extraordinarily difficult for a “quick”.
That was definitely at the tougher end of the scale. Thankfully the anagrams gave me some footholds but it still took a while to figure out 7a EGG and 21a SHEER, which i didn’t know could mean swerve. Thanks for the excellent blog Shanne.
I think this was quite tricky, perhaps not an easy puzzle for beginners.
Like AntonJ@2, I parsed 7ac as [l]EGG[y] but was not completely happy with it.
Like Teepee@4, I wondered why the clue for 5d was not in plural ie creeping plants for iVIEs as creeping plant would be IVY.
New for me: flannel = flatter (for 6d).
I agree it was quite hard for a Quick. I was happy enough with [l]EGG[y]. It was SLEEP that held me up as I was trying to find a fruit to remove outer letters from.
Agree with everyone so far: this was on the trickier side of things, and some of the clueing could have fitted into hard Quiptic and full-fat Cryptic in my opinion. Also agree with [l]EGG[y] for 7a, and that it’s a bit loose, and that 5d definition would be better as plural. Having said all that, it was still an enjoyable challenge, but I wouldn’t have said that in 2024 LOL. Thanks Pangakupu, and to Shanne for the blog.
Thanks Shanne. Didn’t see L(EGG)Y, so thanks all for the clarification. For 5d (VIE) I thought “with creeping plant” = ivied, the definition being “contend”. A tricky one that for the first time took me longer than today’s Times QC. Thanks Pangakupu
@humbleTim, 11, yes you must be right. That’s yet another new word for me today!
Agree that this was tougher than usual, and I agree with a few of the above re: VIE and EGG.
PRECIS was a new word for me too.
Held up for a while on 11d as well – ‘or’ as a link gets me convinced its a double definition but I think that’s a me-problem…
Thanks Shanne & Pangakupu
Not sure why people think leggy is a stretch, long legs mean long strides surely? One of the more straitforward clues in this particularly hard Quick Cryptic.
SHEER and STERN were the last ones in for me.
Thank you, Shanne!
Perhaps ELDER can also refer to a tribal elder?
This QC was tricky for me due to vocabulary. Every time I quickly guessed what type of clue it was, but it was a job to find a proper synonym… EGG for urge, VIE were new for me. ‘LEGGY’ eventually came to my mind, but ‘EGG’? Well, I found it in a dictionary, it said: “Rare. US slang’… Only I always doubt whether new words only my problem or common.
Maybe it would be better not to use so uncommon words in puzzles for beginners.
PEELS is a tricky clue but enjoyable. I was glad when I guessed that there is no need to remember an exotic fruit, we must think about outer part of any fruit.
BILL or BEAK is not the first avian feature that would came to my mind. And not the first synonym for ‘poster’. Thank you for the explanation about posters, Shanne.
I enjoyed these two little riddles.
In whole it was tough, but entertaining.
‘Flannel’ for ‘flatter’ was also new for me
I’ve never favoured this setter,and I avoid his work on the daily cryptics like a plague.This was like wading through a rough sea.
13d took me a while, kept trying to thing of fruit to make naked for a word meaning upside down before penny dropped. Also 1a made me think, couldn’t get beyond Beaks! Few that I knew what the answer was (see 5 and 6 down), but couldn’t see how the setter had got there – that’s why this community is great!
Agree with everyone who said that tricky – but it did have some lovely anagrams! I particularly liked the clue for ELASTIC.
Thanks Shanne for the blog!
I liked the clue for elastic too. Don’t understand why fans are nuts. Nuts about someone?
Thanks setter and fifteen squarer. Nice challenging crossword.
Definitely a more challenging QC, which I liked. More to chew over at breakfast and good practice in Naked Words. Favourite clues were SHINGLES & ELASTIC.
A new meaning of SHEER for me (swerve) and LOI was PEELS, as I was trying to think of a type of fruit. Didn’t get the full meaning until I read Shanne’s blog – thank you.
And thanks Pangakupu, one of my favourite setters.
Someone who is leggy would take long strides and also need long trousers – also take long strides.
Tachi @20 – yes a fan is nuts about something – so steam train fans are steam train nuts.
Nowhere near Chambers of course but I “parsed” 7 as L’eggs, which were ubiquitous in my youth.
Thanks Pangakupu and Shanne.
HumbleTim@11
Thanks! I like your parsing of 5d (VIE) “with creeping plant” = ivied, the definition being “contend”.
Those naked words were horrible!
Oof, that was tough. I did finish it, but from the definitions only mainly. PRECIS is also a new word to me
I found impossible this week. I got two but they were just a pure guess . Thank goodness we have you Shanne!
Lunalo@15 I don’t see the problem with EGG. It’s usually used with ‘on’ so to ‘egg on’ is to urge, incite. It’s used in UK English – a common phrase.
I did find this one of the trickier Quick Cryptics and some of the the naked words clues were dubious but I solved and parsed everything after some head-scratching.
This was the hardest one of these in a long while. I’m another who thought of ivied for VIE; it’s a word that’s common in NYT Spelling Bee, and it always makes me think of Tom Lehrer’s “ivy-covered professors in ivy-covered halls”. (On that note, if you wanted a clue with IVIES, you could go with “Contend with Harvard and Princeton ignoring boundaries” or some such.)
Pob@22 – neat note about strides being trousers!! I think that the difficulty here was finding the right naked words. Sometimes the parsing was clear but not always. I had supple instead of supply which focused on flexible way rather than quantity provided and also got 18D wrong. Otherwise very enjoyable. Thankyou Shanne and Pangakupu
This was the hardest QC I have done, and I have done them all! The Guardian QC, that is. Very messy solve for me. New: Flannel = Flatter. The naked clues were the hardest by far.
As with others, this was probably the hardest QC I have seen. Lots of head scratching, and guessing some letters on a few. I’m working back through the archive trying to learn cryptics, about halfway there!
Fans = nuts was also new to me along with flannel/flatter
Well I did it but I wasn’t sure how I’d done it so thanks Shanne for the explanations.
Pob@22 – I also thought of long strides as long trousers. Thanks for expressing it so neatly.
“The whole point of these crosswords is support and encouragement of new solvers“…
Balance of this QC was way off – not enough dopamine hits and smiles from satisfying little wins, too many tough ones.
At this level it’s more likely to put off beginners – certainly could have for me a few months ago.
MUCH MUCH too hard for beginners. More likely to stop newbies from trying. I do hope the Guardian crossword editor reads these comments and acts appropriately in future.
I write as someone who tries the main cryptic every day sometimes completing it and usually getting 50% done.
In previous submissions to this site I have praised the Guardian for starting these training crosswords and made the plea to keep them simple. My plea obviously went unheard!
Hi WynnD @38 – Alan Connor, the Guardian crossword editor is on record as not reading criticism – and probably not this site. There isn’t much we can do, other than try and support the learners as they learn – and quite a few are now completing the weekday Cryptics, some are completing the Prize, so it is working.
As others have said, this was v hard in places and I’ve struggled with the setter before.
I don’t see 1A at all. The sign about bill posters is a sign, not a poster. I wondered about an agent noun but a bill poster is someone who posts the posters so that doesn’t parse to BILLS
Nitpicking I guess, but in 5D surely plant should be plural to allow the wordplay.
16D I can’t see fans as NUTS haha
Many thanks Shanne for your blogs that are so helpful for us beginners – I’ve been doing cryptics since April and am hooked
This was the first QC since I started trying to do them, that I have been unable to finish. I found this one far more difficult than usual. I waited until today to see what the answers were, having hoped inspiration might raise its head in the meantime.
Astounded to hear that the editor is on record as not reading criticism.
Quite extraordinary!
Talk about ears wide shut.
Some of the most difficult ones must be very offputting for beginners.
That having been said the overall aim is very laudable and I find the process of trying to learn how to do cryptic crosswords fascinating!
So a big thank you to all the setters and especially to Shanne for helping us beginners to comprehend the answers.