Guardian Quick Cryptic 118 by Carpathian

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This week’s 11 x 11 crossword from the Guardian intended to teach cryptic crosswords, found here

This week’s puzzle sees the welcome return of Carpathian to the spot with her 19th Quick Cryptic puzzle. She was last seen on 8th November with puzzle #84. This puzzle has anagrams, hidden words and alternate letters with all the letters in the clues, plus dropped letters, which we’re seeing for the fourth time, last time with Dice in May, where the words and letters need to be found by the solvers. This crossword layout uses much shorter words, some overlapping completely, so there may be some clues that get filled in without solving, but work as a useful double check.

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:

  1. Anagram Anagram of answer and hint that there’s an anagram
    ‘Senator arranged crime (7)’ gives TREASON
  2. Hidden word(s) Answer hidden in clue’s words
    ‘Some haVE ALtered meat (4)’ gives VEAL
  3. Dropped letter Remove a letter from another word
    ‘Time away from coach in wet weather (4)’ gives RAIN (wet weather)
    from [t]RAIN (coach) – minus t (time away)
  4. Alternate letters Choose every other letter for answer
    ‘Oddly EnViEd First Lady? (3)’ gives EVE

 

ACROSS Click on “Answer” to see the solutions
1
Material gratifying – that’s no good (5)
Answer

SATIN
Parsing

drop a letter (that’s no good) – SATIN[g] (satisfying) without “g” (that’s no good). G for good comes from the quality of second-hand coins or books,
4
Decorates without one item of underwear (5)
Answer

PANTS
Parsing

drop a letter (without one) of PA[i]NTS (decorates) with the I dropped (without one). I is one in Roman numerals.
7
Regularly retreat for period (3)
Answer

ERA
Parsing

alternate letters (regularly) of rEtReAt.

8
Prepare narrow section in field (5)
Answer

ARENA
Parsing

hidden word(s) (in) in prepARE NArrow – with a cryptic definition.
9
Subject of optic readjustment (5)
Answer

TOPIC
Parsing

anagram of (OPTIC)* with an anagrind of “readjustment”.
11
Dangers of damaged pliers (6)
Answer

PERILS
Parsing

anagram of (PLIERS)* with an anagrind of “damaged”.
13
Bronzes of army vehicles king disposed of (4)
Answer

TANS
Parsing

drop a letter (king disposed of) from TAN[k]S (army vehicles) with the K removed (king disposed of). K for king comes from chess notation.
15
Partly bury a kinky beast (3)
Answer

YAK
Parsing

hidden word(s) (partly) in burY A Kinky for this beast
17
Mount skipping: cold leg? (4)
Answer

LIMB
Parsing

drop a letter (skipping cold) from [c]LIMB (mount) without the C (skipping cold). C for cold comes from taps.

19
Wanting energy, varied underwater explorers (6)
Answer

DIVERS
Parsing

drop a letter (wanting energy) from DIVERS[e] (varied) with E removed (wanting energy). E for energy comes from physics. Think E = mc².
21
Fastens missing page to form (5)
Answer

CLASS
Parsing

drop a letter (missing page) from CLAS[p]S (fastens) with P removed (missing page). P for page comes from literature.
24
Shape-changing spell (5)
Answer

PHASE
Parsing

anagram of (SHAPE)* with an anagrind of “changing” – think of time/spell for the definition being used here.
25
Oddly missing spoiled dish (3)
Answer

PIE
Parsing

alternate letters (oddly missing) of sPoIlEd – the odd letters are missing here.
26
Swift lacking power getting worn-out (5)
Answer

SEEDY
Parsing

drop a letter (lacking power) from S[p]EEDY (swift) with the P removed (lacking power). P for power comes from science / physics. More about this meaning of worn out here
27
Somewhere else holding dances (5)
Answer

REELS
Parsing

hidden word(s) (holding) in somewheRE ELse for these dances.

DOWN
1
Prawns the writer chopped for rascal (5)
Answer

SCAMP
Parsing

drop a letter (the writer chopped) from SCAMP[i] (prawns) with I removed (the writer, I, chopped). According to Wikipedia, scampi includes prawns.
2
Hero met unusual proposition (7)
Answer

THEOREM
Parsing

anagram of (HERO MET)* with an anagrind of “unusual”.

3
Can eat lychee piece tidily (6)
Answer

NEATLY
Parsing

hidden word(s) (piece) in caN EAT LYchee.

4
Stoke is strangely apt (3)
Answer

PAT
Parsing

anagram of (APT)* with an anagrind of “strangely” – and I suspect we have a typo here and the definition should be STROKE

5
Encamps occasionally to sleep (3)
Answer

NAP
Parsing

alternate letters (occasionally) of eNcAmPs.
6
Strikes and stuns leaving husband (5)
Answer

SOCKS
Parsing

drop a letter (leaving husband) from S[h]OCKS (stuns) – if anyone wants to know why SOCKS means strikes there’s a blog discussing it here.
10
Choose knitted top (3)
Answer

OPT
Parsing

anagram of (TOP)* with an anagrind of “knitted”.

12
Low islands odd characters departed (3)
Answer

SAD
Parsing

alternate letters (odd characters departed) of iSlAnDs – the definition is referring to moods.
14
Mean saver aged internally (7)
Answer

AVERAGE
Parsing

hidden word(s) (internally) of sAVER AGEd. And the mean is a measure of the average.
16
Captain of boat dropping small fish (6)
Answer

KIPPER
Parsing

drop a letter (dropping small) from [s]KIPPER (captain of boat) without the S (dropping small). S for small comes from clothing sizes.
17
Fastens shaky scale (5)
Answer

LACES
Parsing

anagram of (SCALE)* with an anagrind of “shaky”.

18
Club usually houses vehicle (3)
Answer

BUS
Parsing

hidden word(s) (houses) in cluB USually – usually pictured like this
20
Horses taking time in pits (5)
Answer

SEEDS
Parsing

drop a letter (taking time) from S[t]EEDS (horses) with T removed (taking time). T for time is also from science / physics.

22
Copy magpies on and off (3)
Answer

APE
Parsing

alternate letters (on and off) of mAgPiEs.
23
Agent is in his pyjamas (3)
Answer

SPY
Parsing

hidden word(s) (in) in hiS PYjamas

8 comments on “Guardian Quick Cryptic 118 by Carpathian”

  1. Sumit Rahman
    #1 - Sat 4th Jul 26, 08:43

    Well I’ve never heard that meaning of 26ac before – nice to learn something new. I thought the vocab needed for 1ac was a little obscure: my personal unenforceable rule is the first across clue in a puzzle should be nice and easy to welcome you in. But a fun puzzle overall – thanks to Carpathian.

  2. Wide_Mouth_Frog
    #2 - Sat 4th Jul 26, 09:06

    I haven’t heard the definition of 26A before, but got it from the wordplay. This puzzle felt more doable than last weeks

  3. thecronester
    #3 - Sat 4th Jul 26, 09:21

    Good Saturday morning fun. Some slightly obscure synonyms needed to be found perhaps if you were very new to crosswords. Thanks Shanne, and to Carpathian.

  4. Jen
    #4 - Sat 4th Jul 26, 10:02

    Enjoyed the dropped letter clues in particular. Very do-able. SATING isn’t a word that readily springs to mind – one to tuck up sleeve for future. 20D – I was trying to think of alternative words for the mine type of pit, as in coal. 6D SOCKS and 4A PANTS my favourites – bit of a theme…

    @#1 Sumit – I get where you’re coming from.

    Many thanks Shanne for the detailed blog and Carpathian for a perfectly pitched QC.

  5. Andrea
    #5 - Sat 4th Jul 26, 10:03

    Shouldn’t 20d be “losing time”? I got in the end by trial and error.

  6. Bagpuss
    #6 - Sat 4th Jul 26, 10:06

    9A doesn’t really work as the indicator is a noun immediately immediately following the anagram fodder – “X adjustment” does not mean “adjustment of X”.

  7. Shanne
    #7 - Sat 4th Jul 26, 10:19

    Andrea @5 – if Carpathian wanted you to find the clue easy, yes, losing time would be the simpler way of cluing 20d, but taking time also says to take T away and it’s leading towards the more challenging cryptic clues.

    Bagpuss @6 – cryptic crossword setters bend the language as far as they can. The clue doesn’t say X adjustment, it says X readjustment. I this case, I suspect Carpathian would argue that the clue really reads X re adjustment, so translates as X with an adjustment. Re- as a suffix often gets used to additionally change the meaning of clues.

  8. Andrea
    #8 - Sat 4th Jul 26, 10:40

    @shanne, thanks.
    Re: bagpuss, I didn’t notice that at the time, but I can see his point. To me your explanation was more cryptic than the clue itself 😀 😀

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