This week’s 11 x 11 crossword from the Guardian intended to teach cryptic crosswords, found here
I was around last week, just very busy with a local mini-festival we were organising, and had to be out bright and early setting up a volunteer fair, so many thanks to Ken for stepping in.
This puzzle is the 12th Quick Crytic from Dice, 14th if the two specials are included. This puzzle has anagrams, acrostics and hidden words with all the letters in the clues, with just double definitions where the words and letters need to be found by the solver. It’s set by Dice, and Dice always includes an extra, a theme, a Nina or a pangram. This time there is a theme of games, mostly traditional pub games. And this morning, I’m not getting the highlights working, so I’m publishing without and I’ll add the image later with highlights.
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) - Hidden word(s) Answer hidden in clue’s words
‘Some haVE ALtered meat (4)’ gives VEAL - Double definition S Both halves are definitions!
‘Search scrub (5)’ gives SCOUR. - Acrostic First letters of answer
‘Initially Get A Good joke (3)’ gives GAG.
| ACROSS | Click on “Answer” to see the solutions | |
| 1 |
Playing pieces – Odo’s and mine – all over the place! (8)
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AnswerDOMINOES |
Parsinganagram of (ODO’S MINE)* with an anagrind of “all over the place” for the first themed word. This trick of using an “and” or “with” to indicate which bits of the clue should be included in the anagram happens regularly as a way of making the surface of the clue make sense – the reading of the clue as a little story (when it works) as well as telling us how to put the solution together (the parsing). |
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| 6 |
Outside of pub? (3)
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AnswerBAR |
Parsingdouble definition – for the first definition, think everything but (outside of). |
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| 7 |
Bagatelle inspired by leap in ballet (7)
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AnswerPINBALL |
Parsinghidden word(s) (inspired by) hidden in leaP IN BALLet – to be able to solve this, you have to have come across bagatelle as a game (we had an antique wooden set when I was a child) – I can’t find a link that isn’t one for sale. |
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| 9 |
Veiled origins of unique names spurring Elgar’s enigmatic notations (6)
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AnswerUNSEEN |
Parsingacrostic (origins of) so the first letters of Unique Names Spurring Elgar’s Enigmatic Notations and the surface refers to Elgar’s Enigma Variations, the most famous being Nimrod. |
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| 10 |
Icon distributed money (4)
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AnswerCOIN |
Parsinganagram of (ICON)* with an anagrind of “distributed”. |
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| 12 |
Setter’s somewhat comedic endeavours (4)
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AnswerDICE |
Parsinghidden word(s) (somewhat) in comeDIC Endeavours. The setter here is referring to the setter of the puzzle. We have seen this trick before, where setter clued I or me, and there are setters who include their own pseudonyms in their puzzles, regularly, Moo in the FT and Boatman in the Guardian. But be warned, in crosswordland – setter could also mean the dog, or something that sets, like concrete. |
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| 14 |
Guards and displays swordsmanship (6)
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AnswerFENCES |
Parsingdouble definition both definitions are verbs, and both originally came from the same root – see here. |
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| 17 |
Wantonly, Lou beds twins (7)
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AnswerDOUBLES |
Parsinganagram of (LOU BEDS)* with an anagrind of “wantonly” for another theme word. |
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| 18 |
Spanish river starts from remote Iberian outlands (3)
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AnswerRIO |
Parsingacrostic (starts from) of Remote Iberian Outlands – for the Spanish for river, and another theme word (there’s a board game). |
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| 19 |
Sweeties – they might get knocked down in the alley? (8)
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AnswerSKITTLES |
Parsingdouble definition – I’m not sure how international the sweeties are, so I’ve linked them (checking the link, they are also marketed in the US). The other definition refers to another theme word, which I’m linking as it’s not as international. |
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DOWN
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| 1 |
Rushes around art show, missing some of it (5)
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AnswerDARTS |
Parsinghidden word(s) (missing some of it) so some of the letters removed to leave the answer from arounD ART Show – and another theme word, which ties into 17A. |
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| 2 |
Charted tips of mountains – Alps, Pyrenees, Pennines – emphasising detail (6)
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AnswerMAPPED |
Parsingacrostic (tips of) of Mapped Alps Pyrenees Pennines Emphasising detail Detail. And the whole clue describes the process of charting the mountains described, so could almost be described as a CAD (clue as definition). |
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| 3 |
Number of leaders of nations in nefarious entanglements (4)
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AnswerNINE |
Parsingacrostic (leaders of) Nations In Nefarious Entanglements – and this feels as if it could be part of a themed word, but I can’t see a pair. |
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| 4 |
Amongst yonder atolls, she inspires poetry (5)
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AnswerERATO |
Parsinghidden word(s) (amongst) in yondER ATOlls for this inspirer of poetry. This character turns up regularly in crosswords, so she’s worth remembering. |
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| 5 |
Eccentric dude – a nob – was more than enough! (8)
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AnswerABOUNDED |
Parsinganagram of (DUDE A NOB)* with an anagrind of “eccentric”. |
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| 8 |
Component inside prolongs hotspot? It’s unlikely to succeed (4,4)
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AnswerLONGSHOT |
Parsinghidden word(s) (component inside) of proLONGS HOTspot, and I won’t link the earworm this gives me as it’s not that well known. |
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| 11 |
Container damaged EV less (6)
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AnswerVESSEL |
Parsinganagram of (EV LESS)* with an anagrind of “damaged”. |
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| 13 |
Large piece of cake, hidden under Nan’s kagool, initially (5)
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AnswerCHUNK |
Parsingacrostic (initially) of Cake Hidden Under Nan’s Kagool. |
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| 15 |
Comedians’ hearts? (5)
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AnswerCARDS |
Parsingdouble definition – the first one is a regular in cryptic crosswords, meaning & etymology here, the second a definition by example (DBE), hence the question mark, as hearts are an example. |
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| 16 |
Put money into this ex-Liverpool manager (4)
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AnswerSLOT |
Parsingdouble definition the first literal, the second referring to this ex-Liverpool manager (I had to look him up too). |
15d stumped me for a while. Had bagatelle as a trifle not a game so failed there and with the Liverpool manager too. Enjoyable but tough! Enjoyed 4d the most. Thanks Shane and Dice.
I found the DD harder than the rest.
Card was totally new to me and so was bagatelle, at least not of the musical variety.
We had a bagatelle board when I was a child but it still took me a while to get this clue, distracted by thinking a bagatelle was a piece of music.
Slot wasn’t familiar to me as a manager, with Ted Lasso being the closest to a current football manager I could name, but I couldn’t think of anything else that fit the other definition and the crossers, so I punted it.
Not my favourite mix of tricks, I prefer to have less clues with all the letters given.
I don’t know whether we have Skittles here, as I haven’t ventured down the confectionery aisle of the supermarket for half a century. What I can say with certainty though is that we don’t have ex-Liverpool managers, something I was surprised to see in a “quick”.
Yes, I thought SLOT as a manager was inapproriate for this slot!
The GK in this puzzle was quite difficult. New for me: SKITTLES = sweets; Arne SLOT = Liverpool manager; BAGTELLE = pinball.
Good fun QC. PINBALL and LONGSHOT I was staring at for ages until they both suddenly leapt out. The double defs of 14a and 15d were my last in. Thanks Dice and thanks Shanne.
Thanks Shanne. I found the double definitions a bit tricky, especially the crossing pair FENCES/CARDS, but all balanced by the other clue types. Never heard of that manager. As one who usually dives straight into the puzzle without looking at setter or clue types, I was a bit surprised to see the setter’s alias as a definition – I must remember to check in future.
Thanks Dice
Finished but guessed SLOT by the first definition, no idea about the footie reference!
Had CORES for hearts – close but no cigar.
Nice puzzle today, had to dig deep for 15d – shout out to my dad who always used to use the word for someone who was a bit of an annoyance
Beaten by 14a and 15d.
Thank you for the explanations.
Steffen @12, lots of people found those two difficult – if that’s all you couldn’t do, that’s impressive.
I had CORES too. Nice puzzle. PINBALL was my favourite; after I wasted time trying to think of a ballet move inspired by the game of bagatelle!
Must get up into the loft and dig out my childhood board
Like others found Double defs hard but rest straight forward. Knew Arne Slot but never heard of Skittles as Sweeties but crossers gave it away. That left 11dn and 14ac – dragged up card from my memory – The Card a novel by Arnold Bennett and that gave me Fenced. Phew!
I also has to look at Slot as a Liverpool manager. I vaguely remembered skittles as a sweet. I have no idea how they look like…. Would “long shot” and “fences” also be part of the theme?
14A and 15D had me stumped for a while, but eventually the penny dropped. Thanks Dice – and thanks Shanne for the explanations.
I’ve been doing the weekly Quick Cryptic for a couple of years and this one was the easiest!
First Quick Cryptic I’ve finished, and on the same day it was published. Many thanks to all those who post explanations and answers, finally starting to get cryptic.
Thanks for the blog, Shanne!
I’m currently doing the QCs with my teenage son most weekends, and he was somewhat baffled by the general knowledge required for this one, and the pub game theme really didn’t help him out!
SKITTLES the candy is very familiar here in the US (the long-time tagline in their ads is “Taste the Rainbow”). The game is unknown here, outside the set phrase “beer and skittles,” which has crossed the Atlantic without the game it refers to.
I also needed to wait for the crossers to find the unknown Liverpool manager. I do not think I have ever eaten SKITTLES, but they were lurking somewhere toward the back of my brain.
I see comments that this puzzle was more difficult than usual, but I thought the clue surfaces were uniformly good, which I cannot say for many puzzles, and I enjoyed it.
Thanks Dice and Shanne
The football manager was completely outside my knowledge, I could confidently name just two football managers in all of the history of the game, Busby and Clough. Fortunately the rest of the clue was enough to tentatively give me the answer, Slot just didn’t seem likely to be a name.
@4 *fewer