This week’s 11 x 11 crossword from the Guardian intended to teach cryptic crosswords, found here
This puzzle is the 13th Quick Cryptic from Dice, 15th including a couple of specials. This puzzle has anagrams with all the letters in the clues. The other clues, where the words and letters need to be found by the solver, are double definitions, insertions and “this after that” – a charade with parts ordered in a particular way. We have seen “this after that” once before, back in September 2025 in puzzle #76 set by Ludwig.
All of Dice’s puzzles for the Quick Cryptic slots have had a theme or a Nina, and this is no exception in having a theme. This morning I too got the new version of the app, so who knows how easy highlighting the theme is going to be; I may have to add it later. And as I write this I think there’s a typo in the puzzle as I cannot parse the solution that the apps are accepting now corrected. I’ll add a wave to Dice who I briefly met at the Sloggers and Betters (Setters and Bloggers) meet last weekend (not her fault, I wandered in and out).
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 Both halves are definitions!
‘Search scrub (5)’ gives SCOUR. - Insertion One thing inside another makes answer
‘In favour of republican entering Post Office (3)’ gives PRO,
from R (republican) inserted into (entering) PO (Post Office)
This example uses abbreviations, but words can be used. - This after that Swap components
‘Japanese fighter’s round, after all (4)’ gives SUMO (Japanese fighter)
from O (round) after SUM (all).
| ACROSS | Click on “Answer” to see the solutions | |
| 1 |
Make slow progress following second doctor’s handwriting? (6)
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AnswerSCRAWL |
Parsingthis after that (following) so this is a charade, in a different order – CRAWL (make slow progress) after (following) S (second) and a definition that includes “doctor” which is often used as an anagram indicator, and is also a definition by example (DBE), so it has a question mark to indicate that. |
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| 4 |
Doctor owns white stuff (4)
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AnswerSNOW |
Parsinganagram of (OWNS)* with an anagrind of “doctor” for the first of the thematic solutions. And this is demonstrating the use of “doctor” as an anagrind. Doctor in a clue could also be indicating an abbreviation of DR, MO (medical officer), GP (general practitioner) – there are others, but these are common. |
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| 8 |
No ace at sea – it’s a huge expanse! (5)
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AnswerOCEAN |
Parsinganagram of (NO ACE)* with an anagrind of “at sea” and a cryptic definition. |
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| 9 |
Effortless brilliance (5)
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AnswerLIGHT |
Parsingdouble definition something that is effortless to pick up, so an adjective, plus a noun for the second definition. |
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| 10 |
Facebook’s owner reformed team (4)
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AnswerMETA |
Parsinganagram of (TEAM)* with an anagrind of “reformed” for this company, which is the owner of Facebook. |
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| 12 |
Reform rudest cleaner? (6)
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AnswerDUSTER |
Parsinganagram of (RUDEST)* with an anagrind (again) of “reformed” for one meaning of the word, hence the question mark. (I see the other definitions as American English, not UK English). |
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| 14 |
Simpleton drawn in by cunning, in a self-satisfied way (6)
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AnswerSMUGLY |
Parsinginsertion (drawn in) of MUG (simpleton) inserted into (drawn in) SLY (cunning). |
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| 15 |
Message to turn on TV about ten (4)
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AnswerSEXT |
Parsinginsertion (about) of SET (TV) around (about) X (ten) to get this form of messaging to turn on. |
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| 18 |
Ecstasy partway through relieves trips (5)
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AnswerRIDES |
Parsinginsertion (partway through) of E (ecstasy) into RIDS (relieves). E for ecstasy is one of many drug abbreviations used in cryptic crosswordland – H for heroin and C for cocaine also turn up. |
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| 19 |
Similar fancy academy is number one (5)
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AnswerALIKE |
Parsingthis after than (is number one) LIKE (fancy) after A (academy is number one) – |
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| 21 |
Member is after Whiskey cordial (4)
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AnswerWARM |
Parsingthis after that (is after) ARM (member) follows (is after) W (Whiskey – from the NATO phonetic alphabet, which is why this spelling of Whisky). |
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| 22 |
Extra pieces added for teacher training days (6)
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AnswerINSETS |
Parsingdouble definition – for the first think maps, for the second – the teacher training days comes from an acronym of IN SErvice Training Day. |
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DOWN
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| 1 |
Hill involved in S&M disturbance (5)
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AnswerSTORM |
Parsinginsertion (involved in) of TOR (hill) inserted into (involved in) S[&]M – the most famous TOR as in hill is this one, but there are others. |
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| 2 |
Deer eggs? (3)
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AnswerROE |
Parsingdouble definition referring to this deer which was really common in south-west England where I grew up, but not in the south-east, where I now live, but that is changing. |
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| 3 |
Spiral air movement (4)
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AnswerWIND |
Parsingdouble definition for the first, it’s a verb, the way up steep hills is to spiral around them, the second a noun. |
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| 5 |
Eight in tailor-made bedtime attire (7)
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AnswerNIGHTIE |
Parsinganagram of (EIGHT IN)* with an anagrind of “tailor-made” – for this bedtime attire – I suspect this is more common in British English. |
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| 6 |
Fight about note: ‘You must do this or Hyacinth might die’? (5)
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AnswerWATER |
Parsinginsertion (about) of WAR (fight) about TE (note) with a definition by example (DBE), hence the question mark, and a misleading capital H for hyacinth, to suggest someone’s name, rather than the plant. TE for note is from the sol-fa scale, with various spellings – do/doh, re/ray, mi/me, fa/fah, so/soh, la/lah, te/ti, all of which turn up in cryptic crosswordland. |
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| 7 |
Dim, noisy clubs coming out on top (5)
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AnswerCLOUD |
Parsingthis after that (coming out on top – in down clue) for LOUD (noisy) C (clubs) above (coming out on top) – and for the definition, think verbs. C for clubs is from card / bridge abbreviations |
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| 11 |
He’d turn off loud noise (7)
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AnswerTHUNDER |
Parsinganagram of (HE’D TURN)* with an anagrind of “off” to give another theme word. |
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| 13 |
Drunk supporting son’s sentimentality (5)
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AnswerSLUSH |
Parsingthis after that (supporting – in a down clue) LUSH (drunk) under (supporting) S (son) – and here the apostrophe s is suggesting the possessive in the clue surface (son’s sentimentality), but in the cryptic parsing it means “son is”. This is another theme word. |
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| 14 |
Team, initially square, do it? (5)
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AnswerSCREW |
Parsingthis after that (initially – so comes first) where CREW (team) comes after S (square) as we are told to put this first (initially) – and the definition are all referring to various euphemisms for sex acts. S for square is in Chambers, I suspect from maps. |
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| 16 |
Ranks those joining (5)
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AnswerTIERS |
Parsingdouble definition both plural nouns – the second is the second definition here – and it’s interesting (to me) that the etymology is being labelled as nautical as my idiolect includes a lot of nautical terms. |
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| 17 |
Navy takes on first-class drips? (4)
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AnswerRAIN |
Parsinginsertion (takes on) of RN (navy – Royal Navy) around (takes on) AI (first class – A1, as in one, but in crosswords, 1 the digit is used interchangeably with I (capital I) from Roman numerals). |
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| 20 |
Diamonds – a number for use in an emergency (3)
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AnswerICE |
Published with a grid without colours, and a quibble – I’ll hopefully add a flashy grid in a minute.
Flashy grid added, with some queries about words to add: NIGHT, OCEAN
Pretty difficult, I thought! 19 is obviously wrong. I put in ‘alike’ which made sense but on checking was deemed wrong so I revealed ABIDE which makes no sense whatsoever. ICE confused me as I have never come across the emergency number thing though I might use it now.
I had the same question about 19AC, I can’t figure out why it is “ABIDE” and not “ALIKE”.
Ta, Dice & Shanne!
Thanks Shanne. Glad it wasn’t just me being baffled by 19a. I always find Dice’s puzzles a challenge and this was no exception, especially the double definitions.Had to look up TIER to confirm the second definition: “a person who ties”.
Thanks Dice
Amma and DangerMouse – it’s been corrected now. This has happened once before. I’ve kept the quibbles showing as the apps won’t be changed, they never are.
HumbleTim @4 – we use TIERS to tie sails to booms or around the mast in sailing, so I knew that one. They are specific bits of kit.
Definitely not for beginners! I did not look for a theme and would not expect to find one in a Quick Cryptic for beginners – maybe this is contributed to making the puzzle so difficult.
I gave up on 22ac and I could not parse 19ac, 20d – thanks, Shanne, for the explanations. I have never heard of the mobile phone Program ICE – “In Case of Emergency”. I thought that ICE had something to do with violent and vicious immigration officers in the USA.
Well that was horrible – and in no way suitable for a quick cryptic.
Definitely cryptic… Can’t say it was quick. DNF due to insets, which I’d never heard of as a name for teacher training day and I was certainly never, ever going to get from “extra pieces added”. But lots of others had me thinking for quite a long time.
I enjoy Dice as a setter for these quick cryptics generally but I think they went a bit far this time. I get really tired of the clues types where we just take the initials of the words or find the hidden word, but throwing one of those in would at least have given us more crossers for the harder types.
Thanks Dice and Shanne
Yes, rather difficult. Despite living in the UK I had never heard of ICE in that sense (thanks for the link), and I don’t think “dim” works for CLOUD. I suppose Dice is wanting them to be read as verbs, but even then they are not close.
Definitely not a “quick”. Harder than many mainstream puzzles.
George @8 – I’ve typed INSET so often in the last few weeks, because the Rainbows and Brownies I run are not meeting this Monday as their primary school has an INSET; so many of the families take the extra day as a cheaper holiday, meaning we don’t get many girls turning up, but I have to keep telling everyone and reminding them. That one came very easily.
Really hard for this puzzle slot. A real brain twister and would have caused me a ‘run for the hills’ moment if I’d seen this two years ago 😂 . Perhaps Dice had a bag of leftover cryptic and Quiptic clues that needed using? Teased things out eventually and happy to have spotted the wordplay constructs apart from 16d which was my LOI and a guess based on crossers and the first definition. 19a must have been fixed on the web page as I parsed as per others here and there was no confused answer on check-all for me. Thanks Dice, and thanks Shanne.
thecronester @12 – the website corrected the puzzle at 8:42am UK time, but the printed paper and the apps are not corrected, so I’ve left the information in for people using paper or apps.
I reasoned ice can be used as a local anaesthetic (“number”) in an emergency when you have nothing else. I thought the clue was quite clever (and no UK GK needed)
Surprised no one has yet pointed out that the two sides of the grid are totally unconnected.
Well, this one was impossible for me. I gave up after only getting six answers in thirty minutes. I’m glad I called it when I did, because the reveal was, shall we say, less than revealing! After reading the parsing here I knew that I would never have finished this puzzle. Thank you, Shanne!