The online Sunday Cryptic offering from the Guardian – found here
The “web-only, cryptic puzzle for beginners and those in a hurry” this week is set by Chandler who dependable produces accessible Quiptic (and Quick Cryptic) puzzles.
I have one major quibble where I think the editing process has removed something important and a slight quibble where I think the clue is missing a definition by example (DBE) indicator, but otherwise think that this fits the description.
| ACROSS | ||
| 1 | PROTEGE |
One receiving guidance got peer in trouble (7)
|
| anagram (in trouble) of (GOT PEER)* | ||
| 5 | VIADUCT |
Six facing a channel – or bridge across a valley (7)
|
| charade of VI (six in Roman numerals) + A (from the clue) + DUCT (channel) | ||
| 10 | OPEN |
Accessible element among top engineers (4)
|
| hidden word(s) (element among) in tOP ENgineers with the indicator that this is an “element among” the letters | ||
| 11 | ORANGE PEEL |
Peg and Noel are to shift rind from a fruit (6,4)
|
| anagram (to shift) of (PEG [and] NOEL ARE)* – the “and” is to be ignored – and this is a trick that’s sometimes seen | ||
| 12 | DISH UP |
Serve this pud when cooked with time gone (4,2)
|
| subtractive anagram (cooked with time gone) of ([t]HIS PUD)* – “cooked” is the anagram indicator, “time gone” is the instruction to remove T (time) | ||
| 13 | GUINNESS |
Estimate to cover hostelry for dark beer (8)
|
| insertion (to cover) of GUESS (estimate) around (to cover) INN (hostelry) | ||
| 14 | PARAMEDIC |
Pair made out first sign of comforting ambulance worker (9)
|
| anagram (out) of (PAIR MADE)* to give PARAMEDI + C (first sign of Comforting) | ||
| 16 | HANDY |
Labourer fronting yard? That’s convenient (5)
|
| charade of HAND (labourer) + Y (yard) | ||
| 17 | SCALE |
Thing used to measure feature of a reptile (5)
|
| double definition | ||
| 19 | AGITATION |
A person serving train venue first off in worried state (9)
|
| charade of A (from the clue) + GI (person serving) + [s]TATION (train venue, first off) – GI for an American soldier – which if you haven’t seen before is a regular in cryptic crosswordland | ||
| 23 | DRUMBEAT |
Mad brute interfered with percussive sound (8)
|
| anagram (interfered with) of (MAD BRUTE)* | ||
| 24 | TARMAC |
Pitch by host touring a part of an airport (6)
|
| charade of TAR (pitch) + MC (host) around (touring) A (from the clue) – I think this should have a DBE (definition by example) indicator as an airport is just one use of TARMAC – in the UK it’s the usual road covering (by convention, if not usually) | ||
| 26 | INFLUENCER |
Social media figure stirring fine uncle? Right! (10)
|
| anagram (stirring) of (FINE UNCLE R)* – the R comes from the abbreviation for Right | ||
| 27 | CLOT |
Fool taking part in chaotic lottery (4)
|
| hidden word(s) (taking part in) chaotiC LOTtery | ||
| 28 | PRESUME |
Suppose Penny has to continue after a break (7)
|
| charade of P (penny) + RESUME (to continue after a break) | ||
| 29 | ADEPTLY |
A department lately vacated in a skilful way (7)
|
| charade of A (from the clue) DEPT (department) + LY (LatelY vacated) – vacated often means the outside letters in cryptic crosswords. | ||
| DOWN | ||
| 2 | REPLICA |
Old-fashioned type retaining power with a model (7)
|
| insertion (retaining) of RELIC (old-fashioned type) around (retaining) P (power) + (with) A (from the clue) | ||
| 3 | TENCH |
Fish has offensive smell with head cut off (5)
|
| decapitation (with head cut off) of [s]TENCH (offensive smell) for this fish | ||
| 4 | GROUPIE |
Mature women ignored odd parts of item for very keen fan (7)
|
| I think that this is GRO[wn] UP (mature) with WN deleted (women ignored) + IE (odd parts of ItEm)
I have a quibble – W for women is usual, WN is not. I wonder if the WomeN should have been vacated to remove the middle letters to make this work. |
||
| 6 | INGRID |
Woman typifying a crossword entry? (6)
|
| whimsical definition – a crossword entry is found IN [a] GRID, and INGRID is a woman’s name. In UK crosswords, woman (or man) can designate a woman’s (or man’s) name without additional indications. | ||
| 7 | DEPENDANT |
Child, say, starts to damage each ornament on a chain (9)
|
| charade of D E (starts to Damage Each) + PENDANT (ornament on a chain) – and child, say, to indicate a DBE (definition by example) | ||
| 8 | CREASED |
Note put in travel bag by daughter describing some shirts? (7)
|
| insertion (put in) of RE (note) inserted into (put in) CASE (travel bag) + (by) D (for daughter). RE for note comes from the sol-fa scale. | ||
| 9 | LAUGHING STOCK |
Go lacking thus could make one subject to ridicule (8,5)
|
| anagram (could make) of (GO LACKING THUS)* | ||
| 15 | ALL SMILES |
A couple of learners beginning to succeed over distance seemingly delighted (3,6)
|
| charade of A (from the clue) + LL (couple of learners) + S (beginning to Succeed) + (over – in a down clue) MILES (distance). L for learner comes from the L plates learner drivers a required to show on cars they are driving in the UK. | ||
| 18 | CORONER |
Investigative official has nothing put in awkward position (7)
|
| insertion (put in) of O (nothing) inserted into (put in) CORNER (awkward position) | ||
| 20 | TUTORED |
Like a student mistaking route in borders of Thailand (7)
|
| insertion of anagram of (ROUTE)* (mistaken) into (in) TD (borders of T[hailan]D) | ||
| 21 | ON A ROLL |
Having continued success, like those registered? (2,1,4)
|
| double definition – the second referring to being on roll (registered) at a school or institution | ||
| 22 | REDEEM |
Outwardly rude judge is free from blame (6)
|
| charade of RE (outwardly R[ud]E) + DEEM (judge) – the head chef deemed / judged my efforts acceptable to go out | ||
| 25 | RECAP |
Summary about international appearance (5)
|
| charade of RE (about) + CAP (international appearance) | ||
In 4d I think Mature is just GROW UP. Thanks for helpful blog and an enjoyable Quiptic.
Thanks Shanne
I wonder if the quibble in 4d could be resolved if we treat ‘mature’ as a verb rather than an adjective and thus ‘GROW UP’?