This week’s 11 x 11 crossword from the Guardian intended to teach cryptic crosswords, found here
This puzzle is the 18th Quick Crytic from Chandler. This puzzle has anagrams, acrostics and hidden words with all the letters in the clues, with just soundalikes where 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) - Hidden word(s) Answer hidden in clue’s words
‘Some haVE ALtered meat (4)’ gives VEAL - Soundalike Something that sounds like answer
‘Excited, Oscar’s announced (4)’ gives WILD (excited) from Oscar “Wilde”. - Acrostic First letters of answer
‘Initially Get A Good joke (3)’ gives GAG.
| ACROSS | Click on “Answer” to see the solutions | |
| 1 |
A padre interfered with procession (6)
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AnswerPARADE |
Parsinganagram of (A PADRE) with an anagrind of “interfering with” – and I love this surface. I get involved in enough events for this to summon up the image of the local padre rearranging all the carefully planned procession details (and invalidating the risk assessments). |
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| 4 |
Some rush opposite retail outlet (4)
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AnswerSHOP |
Parsinghidden word(s) (some) in ruSH OPposite for another image summoned up by the clue surface, what a literal reading of the clue suggests. |
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| 8 |
Disprove first signs of rubbish expressed by unpredictable Trump (5)
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AnswerREBUT |
Parsingacrostic (first signs of) of Rubbish Expressed By Unpredictable Trump. The “first signs of” is telling the solvers to take the first letters. |
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| 9 |
After hearing, went after pamphlet (5)
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AnswerTRACT |
Parsingsoundalike (after hearing) of “tracked” (went after). The cryptic grammar gives the indicator first, which suggests that the definition is at the end, and says: soundalike (after hearing) of a word that sounds like “tracked” (went after) gives us a pamphlet. Think the hunters went after/tracked the rogue bull elephant. |
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| 10 |
By the sound of it, manages abroad (8)
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AnswerOVERSEAS |
Parsingsoundalike (by the sound of it) of “oversees” (runs), with a similar cryptic grammar to above: soundalike indicator (by the sound of it) says a word that means runs (oversees) sounds like a word that means abroad. |
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| 13 |
Pastry I’d designed for brief excursions (3,5)
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AnswerDAY TRIPS |
Parsinganagram of (PASTRY I’D)* with an anagrind of “designed”. And the surface makes me think of special pasties for excursions. |
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| 16 |
Thing on which a pianist sits is too little in part (5)
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AnswerSTOOL |
Parsinghidden word(s) (in part) in iS TOO Little for this piece of furniture |
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| 17 |
Heads of new offices trading extra details of significance (5)
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AnswerNOTED |
Parsingacrostic (heads of) of New Offices Trading Extra Detail. |
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| 18 |
Feel sick consuming jellied food (4)
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AnswerEELS |
Parsinghidden word(s) (consuming) in fEEL Sick, and I’m afraid, having tried it, the thought of this jellied food does make me feel sick. I quite like them smoked, it takes out some of the richness. |
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| 19 |
Greatly loves stuff kept by matador, essentially (6)
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AnswerADORES |
Parsinghidden word(s)matADOR ESssentially. Essentially, I suspect, is meant to be misleading as that’s used in cryptic crosswordese to tell the solver to take the middle letter(s) of a word. |
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DOWN
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| 1 |
Member of the clergy ordering aprons (6)
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AnswerPARSON |
Parsinganagram of (APRONS)* with an anagrind of “ordering”. |
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| 2 |
Initially, rummage under boxes in eager search for jewels (6)
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AnswerRUBIES |
Parsingacrostic (initially) of Rummage Under Boxes In Eager Search. Initially gets used a lot to indicate taking the first letter of one or several words in cryptic crosswords. |
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| 3 |
Bet set lead arranged is loathsome (10)
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AnswerDETESTABLE |
Parsinganagram of (BET SET LEAD)* with an anagrind of “arranged”. |
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| 5 |
Get better part of a shoe, we’re told (4)
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AnswerHEAL |
Parsingsoundalike (we’re told) of “heel” (part of shoe). This cryptic grammar ends with the soundalike indicator – so a word meaning “get better” sounds like a part of a shoe (“heel”) we’re told (the soundalike indicator). |
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| 6 |
Feel sorry for chap I typically embraced (4)
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AnswerPITY |
Parsinghidden word(s) (embraced) in chaP I TYpically – a lot of the indicators used to suggest hidden words have the sense of “embraced”. |
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| 7 |
Suffering difficulties, became less bent for an audience (10)
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AnswerSTRAITENED |
Parsingsoundalike (for an audience) of “straightened” (became less bent). Even the dictionaries say that this is usually heard in circumstances or times. |
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| 11 |
Sift trifle nervously (6)
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AnswerFILTER |
Parsinganagram of (TRIFLE)* with an anagrind of “nervously” – I think that this anagrind is suggesting that the letters are shaking out of order… . |
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| 12 |
To begin with, all seem inhibited discussing events solely in private comments (6)
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AnswerASIDES |
Parsingacrostic (to begin with) of All Seems Inhibited Discussing Events Solely. |
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| 14 |
Small offshore community engaged by tennis lessons (4)
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AnswerISLE |
Parsinghidden word(s) (engaged by) in tennIS LEssons. |
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| 15 |
Dirty chickens and others, reportedly (4)
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AnswerFOUL |
Parsingsoundalike (reportedly) of “fowl” (chickens and others) sounds like (reportedly) is dirty – as in a play in football that’s dirty. |
Tract is a pamphlet? That’s new to me. Straitened is also a new word to me. Pretty straightforward otherwise
This was the easiest puzzle in a while!
This was going very smoothly until STRAITENED and TRACT my last two in. Took me a while to think of the required synonyms. But all in all a well pitched QC with very clear indicators. Thanks Chandler, and to Shanne.
Wide Mouth Frog @1 – yes, it’s one of the meanings of a tract, from Merriam-Webster:
tract (2 of 3)
noun (2)
: a pamphlet or leaflet of political or religious propaganda
also : a piece of writing that is suggestive of such a tract
All easy except straitened and tract
Why is 15 down Foul and not Fowl? How does the rule here work? Same would go for 5 down and 10 across if it weren’t for other answers revealing it. ie, how do you know which is the soundalike and which is the word it’s a soundalike of from the clue?
Hi johanno @6 – in all those cases you have to look at the word order of the clue; usually the definition is at one end. Chandler has been really helpful by putting the soundalike indicator at one end, so the definition is the other end. The soundalike indicator usually refers to the words or phrase next to it so that’s another way of working it out.
In the full fat cryptics, you often get the soundalike / reversal indicator in the middle of the definition and the soundalike / word to be reversed and really do have to wait for crossers.
15D – Dirty chickens and others, reportedly – the cryptic grammar is:
Definition (dirty) soundalike (chickens and others) soundalike indicator (reportedly),
5D – Get better part of a shoe, we’re told (4)
Definition (get better) soundalike (part of a shoe) soundalike indicator (we’re told)
10A – By the sound of it, manages abroad
Soundalike indicator (by the sound of it) soundalike (manages) definition (abroad).
(I’ll admit, I answered quite a bit of this and then came back through to complete the soundalikes when I had crossers as they aren’t my favourite clue, but these are all very fair.)
Thank you for the blog.
9a and 7d were beyond me.
I can’t remember the last time I completed a QC!