This week’s 11 x 11 crossword from the Guardian intended to teach cryptic crosswords, found here
This puzzle is the 19th Quick Crytic from Chandler. This puzzle has anagrams and acrostics with all the letters in the clues, and deletions and double definitions where the words and letters need to be found by the solver. There are some new and different indicators in this puzzle.
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, if I ever stop for long enough, I’ll build another one, 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 S Both halves are definitions!
‘Search scrub (5)’ gives SCOUR. - Deletion Remove letters from another word for answer
‘Car trip with no parking, bad thing (3)’ gives SIN
from S[p]IN (car trip) without the P for parking. - Acrostic First letters of answer
‘Initially Get A Good joke (3)’ gives GAG.
| ACROSS | Click on “Answer” to see the solutions | |
| 1 |
After spending money, vigorously bite small cut of meat (4)
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AnswerCHOP |
Parsingdeletion (after spending money) from CHO[m]P (vigorously bite) without the M (spending money), M for money is in all the economics money indicators M0, M1, and etc. Spending is a way of saying “disposing of” in cryptic crosswordland. |
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| 4 |
Originally, cleric over day explained system of principles (4)
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AnswerCODE |
Parsingacrostic (originally) from Cleric Over Day Eplained. |
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| 7 |
Cook using mere sweet desserts (9)
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AnswerMERINGUES |
Parsinganagram of (USING MERE)* with an anagrind of “cook”, and, as is usually the case, the anagrind fits into the surface and the clue. |
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| 8 |
Woman at a ceremony ignoring Dutch cheese (4).
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AnswerBRIE |
Parsingdeletion (ignoring Dutch) – from BRI[d]E (woman at a ceremony) without the D (ignoring Dutch). |
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| 9 |
Treat here at Nice downing luscious eggs for starters (6)
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AnswerHANDLE |
Parsingacrostic (for starters) of Here At Nice Downing Luscious Eggs – and Nice with a capital letter in cryptic crosswords suggests using a word in French, but not in this puzzle |
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| 10 |
Rate leaders of another special side emerging so strongly (6)
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AnswerASSESS |
Parsingacrostic (leaders of) Another Special S Emerging So Strongly. |
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| 13 |
Minor mistake in piece of female clothing (4)
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AnswerSLIP |
Parsingdouble definition both definitions are nouns, and this is the piece of female clothing |
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| 14 |
VIP is more attuned to act spontaneously (9)
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AnswerIMPROVISE |
Parsinganagram of (VIP IS MORE)* with an anagrind of “attuned” for what’s probably a new anagram indicator. |
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| 15 |
Just early signs of owner now launching yacht (4)
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AnswerONLY |
Parsingacrostic (early signs) of Owner Now Launching Yacht. |
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| 16 |
Receive revenue (4)
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AnswerTAKE |
Parsingdouble definition – the first is as in “agreeing to receive” a burden, the second as in the daily revenue of a shop or business. |
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DOWN
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| 2 |
Arab, maybe, is sounding rough leaving area (5)
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AnswerHORSE |
Parsingdeletion (leaving area) from HO[a]RSE (sounding rough) – where A for area turns up in maths. The “maybe” is there as “Arab” is a definition by example, a particular breed in this class. |
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| 3 |
Steal small amount of salt, say (5)
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AnswerPINCH |
Parsingdouble definition the first being a verb, the second a noun, but again there’s a DBE (definition by example) as salt is just one thing that could appear like this. |
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| 4 |
At first, come here usually requiring new container for milk (5)
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AnswerCHURN |
Parsingacrostic (at first) Come Here Ususally Requiring New – and I just remember seeing the farmers putting milk out in these containers for collection in deepest darkest Dorset, and the platform where they stood, which existed for much longer, after milk was collected in tankers. |
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| 5 |
Calmed Iris after misreading legal statement (10)
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AnswerDISCLAIMER |
Parsinganagram of (CALMED IRIS)* with an anagrind of “after misreading” – so another unusual anagram indicator |
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| 6 |
Vague idea for mimicry (10)
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AnswerIMPRESSION |
Parsingdouble definition and I suspect both come from the same root see here |
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| 11 |
Hollow MP yet to be dislodged (5)
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AnswerEMPTY |
Parsinganagram of (MP YET)* with an anagrind of “to be dislodged” and another imaginative anagram indicator to fit the clue surface. |
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| 12 |
Right away, rapidly develop stream (5)
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AnswerSPOUT |
Parsingdeletion (right away) from SP[r]OUT (rapidly develop) without the R (right away). |
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| 13 |
Hockey players need this criticism (5)
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AnswerSTICK |
Parsingdouble definition with the first being one of these, and the second this idiomatic usage |
Enjoyable Quick Cryptic. Good to have some practice with the deletion clues – I don’t always recognise those in full cryptics. I was distracted by ‘sweet’ in 7a as I couldn’t at first decide whether it was part of the clue or the definition. Surely it’s unnecessary – all desserts are sweet.
Thanks Shanne. A good mix of clue types made for a satisfying challenge this morning. Took me ages to get 12d, as I had trouble seeing spout as equivalent to stream. I suppose spout = waterfall = stream?
Thanks Chandler
Straightforward, and nice to have some practice of deletions.
Could 3 have ended with a question mark nstead of the slightly ungainly ‘say’?
13 and 16 were my LOI.
Shouldn’t 13 refer to “player”, singular? That threw me for a long time.
HumbleTim @2 – I thought of a spout of water from the downpipes (or gutters if you’re unlucky). Or Linhope Spout – there are others.
Pob @3, probably – what’s the betting then all the moaning would be about the impossible clue? The say makes it a more obvious DBE.
Andrea @4 hockey players need in their kit: a stick, mouth guard, crash hat, and if they play in goal, pads?
Thank you Shanne, I always find the ones set by Chandler particularly difficult so I’m grateful for the explanations!
Shanne@5 – indeed, I was immediately reminded of Mallyan Spout and could only think of waterfalls.
@Shanne, silly me. I kept thinking that that was a hockey “player”, i.e. something you play with.
A breeze apart from 8A which took me longer than I’d like to admit – was looking for long words meaning ceremony from which to remove EDAM, to give a woman’s name. D’oh
Thank you for the explanations.
Deletions. Wow.
I hade EDAM for Dutch cheese 8a.
The air in my house is blue due to the use of multiple profanities.
Lot of fun but the less than obvious synonyms needed for some of the deletion and double def clues, and the unusual clue type indicators, added quite a bit of challenge. Thanks Shanne for the blog, and to Chandler.
Thanks Chandler and Shanne. SPOUT as waterfall is new to me, so I thought I was looking for a double definition of right away and develop stream.
I am another who took ages to come up with SPOUT. Generally, I found the anagrams and acrostics easy to solve, and some of the double defs and deletion clues quite challenging
Thanks Chandler and Shanne