This week’s 11 x 11 crossword from the Guardian intended to teach cryptic crosswords, found here
This week’s puzzle is the 2nd puzzle set by Turnstone, who started setting Quick Cryptic puzzles in Martch with #101. This puzzle has anagrams, acrostics and hidden words with all the letters in the clues, plus soundalikes, where the words and letters need to be found by the solvers. We have seen all of these clue types several times before, although this week there are several new indicators.
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:
- Anagram Anagram of answer and hint that there’s an anagram
‘Senator arranged crime (7)’ gives TREASON - 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 from Oscar “Wilde” the playwright - Acrostic First letters of answer
‘Initially Get A Good joke (3)’ gives GAG
| ACROSS | Click on “Answer” to see the solutions | |
| 1 |
Forged paper at bank (7)
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AnswerPARAPET |
Parsinganagram of (PAPER AT)* with an anagrind of “forged”. The first definition in Chambers (the BRB, big red book) is of a “bank or wall to protect soldiers from the fire of an enemy in front”, whether I think of the lowish walls around the top of the church tower or not. |
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| 5 |
Raises caps on untaxed personal savings (3)
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AnswerUPS |
Parsingacrostic (caps on) of Untaxed Personal Savings. |
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| 7 |
Urge on section of slim peloton (5)
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AnswerIMPEL |
Parsinghidden word(s) (section of) slIM PELoton. |
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| 8 |
Doctor needs compact (5)
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Answer</summaryDENSE |
Parsinganagram of (NEEDS)* with an anagrind of “doctor”, as in to doctor the books. Usually when I see “doctor” in cryptic crosswords I look for the anagram, although it can suggest one of many abbreviations for doctors. |
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| 9 |
The best deli tests sandwiches (6)
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AnswerELITES |
Parsinghidden word(s) (sandwiches) in dELI TESts with a paricularly misleading surface. Sandwiches as a hidden indicator does come up in the full fat cryptics, but I haven’t seen it in this series before, but it works well with the “deli” in the word play. |
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| 10 |
Payment for release of package picked up (4)
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AnswerBAIL |
Parsingsoundalike (picked up) of “bale” (package) – I know it from bales of hay or wool. The definition relates to payments for release from remand to reappear for court appearances. |
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| 13 |
Cook starts to create healthy, enticing food (4)
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AnswerCHEF |
Parsingacrostic (starts to) of Create Healthy Enticing Food. “Cook” could be misleading as it could be an anagram indicator. |
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| 14 |
Organise a truce at sea (6)
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AnswerCURATE |
Parsinganagram of (A TRUCE)* with an anagrind of “at sea”. Organise could also be an anagram indicator. For the definition, think of organising a collection of objects or pictures. |
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| 17 |
Parisian obelisk enthrals Swedish inventor (5)
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AnswerNOBEL |
Parsinghidden word(s) (enthrals) in ParisiaN OBELisk for this Swedish inventor |
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| 19 |
Sounded note for singer (5)
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AnswerTENOR |
Parsingsoundalike (sounded) of “tenner” (note) – in UK slang a £10 note is a tenner. The ordering of this soundalike is to follow the instructions – the sound of (sounded) a note (a tenner) for a singer (solution). |
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| 20 |
To begin with, naturalist inspects turtle egg (3)
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AnswerNIT |
Parsingacrostic (to begin with) Naturalist Inspects Turtle – the egg in the solution is one of a headlouse. On the paper app I used to solve this, I couldn’t work out what was wrong when I ran the “check all” to get one word wrong – this one, there’s a mistake on the electronic answer entered. (it requires NET as an answer, which makes no sense with the clue, but suggests a late change without all the corrections going through) |
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| 21 |
Gives model to Danes (7)
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AnswerDONATES |
Parsinganagram of (TO DANES)* with an anagrind of “model” – which has the suggestion of change needed by an anagram indicator. |
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DOWN
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| 1 |
Group of large cats examined when leaving trap (5)
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AnswerPRIDE |
Parsingsoundalike (when leaving trap) of “pried” (past tense of to pry/be nosy (examined). “Shut your trap” is a fairly crude way of telling someone to shut up in English English, and we’ve had a few clues in the full-fat cryptics for a while using “out of his trap” or similar phrases to indicate soundalikes in the last year or so. |
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| 2 |
Cold-blooded type let pier out (7)
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AnswerREPTILE |
Parsinganagram of (LET PIER)* with an anagrind of “out”. |
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| 3 |
Tray covered by papal letters (6)
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AnswerPALLET |
Parsinghidden word(s) (covered by) in paPAL LETters – this definition as a tray is a long way down the Chambers entry, but describes them as trays or platforms … |
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| 4 |
Initially tracks information detailing economical flow of water (4)
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AnswerTIDE |
Parsingacrostic (initially) of Tracks Information Detailing Economical. |
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| 5 |
Reportedly deserve vase (3)
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AnswerURN |
Parsingsoundalike (reportedly) of “earn” (deserve). |
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| 6 |
Take sample of toothpaste? Always (5)
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AnswerSTEAL |
Parsinghidden word(s) (sample of) toothpaSTE ALways – and this is an example of the general rule to ignore all punctuation, it’s there to make sense of the surface. There are exceptions, a few setters like playing with us as we’re all so used to ignoring punctuation that they use it. |
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| 11 |
Opposed to a giant’s dancing! (7)
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AnswerAGAINST |
Parsinganagram of (A GIANT’S)* with an anagrind of “dancing”. I’d be pretty opposed to a giant dancing too. |
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| 12 |
Author acknowledging universally sensed truth enhances novel openings (6)
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AnswerAUSTEN |
Parsingacrostic (openings) of Acknowledging Universally Sensed Truth Enhances Novel – with a clue as definition (CAD) – because this refers to the opening lines of Pride and Prejudice with the indicator of the acrostic “opening” also referring to that quotation. |
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| 13 |
Clergy member, a big gun, we hear! (5)
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AnswerCANON |
Parsingsoundalike (we hear) of “cannon” (big gun) for this clergyman. |
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| 15 |
Change or use currency (5)
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AnswerEUROS |
Parsinganagram of (OR USE)* with an anagrind of “change” which works as a misleading anagrind as it ties into the surface. |
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| 16 |
Happy carrying lady’s boxes (4)
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AnswerGLAD |
Parsinghidden word(s) (boxex) of carryinG LADy’s – and both “boxes” and “carrying” could be hidden word indicators. |
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| 18 |
Animal found in bushes and tree tops (3)
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AnswerBAT |
Parsingacrostic (tops – in a down clue) of Bushes And Tree with another well-hidden indicator – this time in the phrase “tree tops” – and another clue that is almost as clue as definition (CAD) as the clue describes where the animal in question could be hiding. |
I really enjoyed this crossword especially 12D and 17A. Learning more about anagrinds now. I got 10A wrong ( I had haul/ toll) but managed the other soundalikes. Thankyou both for an enjoyable start to the weekend
Does what it says on the tin, and very nicely, too.
An excellent initiative, cap doffed, Turnstone & Shanne.
Agree with ENBoll. This was totally on the money as a QC. 1d I was convinced that ‘examined’ was a vague soundalike indicator and that the ‘leaving the trap’ was ‘pried’ (doh!), so thanks Shanne for clearing that one up for me and for the rest of the blog. And thanks Turnstone for a great Saturday morning puzzle.
For 3d I thought palette (rather than pallet) was a better fit for the clue “Tray” – but of course this doesn’t fit the grid!
Otherwise a very enjoyable puzzle for the QC slot and thank you both.
Think this is very fair for beginners except 1down. The answer had to be ‘pride’ after I had the crossers but the link between examine and pry is dubious.
Keep up the good work Shanne and setters. But do keep them doable.
Thank you Shanne and Turnstone. Struggled to parse PRIDE and BAIL. 12d very good! 😁