The Age Cryptic by DH #20,382

I started this in my car while waiting to pick up my daughter from school. That gives me about 45 minutes - hey there are few parking spaces and many massive Klugers and Pajeros (I have a small car) so if you don't get there early you're out out of luck - and I managed most of the bottom half in that time. I was feeling pretty chuffed with myself, then I got home after Guides and tried the top half and got royally stuffed in the NW corner. I'm pretty sure I got 1D right, but 1A, 2D, 3D aren't gelling for me. I'll need to key for those. Maybe 1D isn't right...No, yes it is right. Here's the pic:

A quick whinge; clues for 3D and 4D are ellipse clues which I've read means they're linked in some sort of way. Why does 3D have five dots while 4D has four? When I've got the answers, how are they actually linked? I'm missing something and it's bugging me.



1A - Sailor knocked out in application for public conveyances (9)
"Public conveyances" is our definition and I ran through the few I knew; trams, trains taxis, rickshaw. Nothing fit. I figured "sailor" = AB "knocked out" I missed as anagrind+fodder that's to be put "in" AB, and "applications" = USES to give us A(UTO)BUSES. A word I've never used outside of high school French class.

6A - Some abnormal armistice brings consternation (5)
I got this with cross letters. I had a feeling ALARM was the answer but couldn't parse the clue. I even saw that the end of "abnormal" had some of the letters. I just didn't look close enough to see "abnormAL ARMistice" was a telescopic clue, or that "some" was being used as a hidden word indicator. I was looking for partials. I even thought MALAR was a hidden anagram, ignoring the M in Armistice. Still the newbie.

9A - Offensive duck is in Alaskan town (7)
I had parts for this but did not think I could just use the word IS from the clue to make my answer. I hate when that happens! Definition is "offensive" and "duck" = O "is in" tells us the word "IS" is in the clue but you know I just ignored that because der, "Alaskan town" = NOME for N(O+IS)OME for NOISOME.

10A - Modernised as dead put out (7)
"Modernised" is our definition and "dead put out" is fodder +anagrind. Mix the fodder to get UPDATED.

11A - Some advertisements for major newspaper are present day indicators (5,2,3,5)
With most of these phrase clues you either know it or you don't. With cross letters I got there but always felt unsure of the first word. SIGNS OF THE TIMES. I was more confident with "major newspaper" = THE TIMES than "some advertisements" being SIGNS. Note that "Some" doesn't have a role here as it did in our previous clue. *puts glasses on* No, definitely no hidden words.

12A - True! Monica's men unusually lacking in correspondence (14)
I homed in on "unusually" and counted the letters before it to see Aha! 14 letters. Mixed them up to get INCOMMENSURATE, a word for "lacking in correspondence." wait - it does? No it doesn't, it means disproportionate. If this is a gripe about "I write you more than you write me." then I could see that being fair but I'm unconvinced.

16A - Fuss in tap dancing Old Ed loves crowing sound? (4-1-6-3)
"Crowing sound" is the definition and I got this without the clue. I think it's broken down like this: "Fuss" = ADO to be put "in," "tap" = COCK "dancing Old Ed" is anagrind+fodder, "loves" = O so COCK(A(DOODLE)DO+O. It's not as easy to parse as it was to guess! Only, ADO doesn't go into COCK (stop smirking), it goes around DOODLE (I mean it, stop that) so I'm still a tad off on how the clue perfectly works.

20A - Terrible pity Dr Shant shot old office worker (9,6)
"Terrible" looks like an anagrind, do we have 15 letters following? Yes! "Pity Dr Shant shot" is our fodder remixed to give us SHORTHAND TYPIST as an "old office worker"

23A - Second term in school starts hearing old chant of dwarves going to work (5-2)
Again, I got this on a guess - I mean how many Dwarf songs do you know? HEIGH-HO, but how do we get there? "Second tErm" means take the second letter from term = E, I thought "school" could be "HIGH school" and "starts Hearing Old" means take those first letters to get HO. so H(E)IGH-HO.

24A - Permitting rental? (7)
Double definition: LETTING.

25A - Women assist little dog (5)
"Little dog" is the definition. "Women" = W and "assist" = HELP for WHELP.

26A - I leave Guy prepared for top US universities (3,6)
"Top US universities" is the definition, "I leave Guy prepared" is fodder+anagrind mixed to give IVY LEAGUE.

1D - Man cites problem being forgetful (8)
"Being forgetful" is the definition, "Man cites problem" is fodder+anagrind to give us AMNESTIC. I've never heard this before but always cool to learn new words.

2D - Object is attenuated George (5)
I didn't get this, and seeing the answer I was overthinking this. "Object" is the definition and "attenuated" = THIN and "George" = G as we usually use the first letter of proper nouns, to give us THING. Yeah, I have no excuse for not getting this.

3D - After second failure order Bud, ..... (7)
"Bud" is our definition and...I have no idea what's going on here. Answer is BLOSSOM. I could see "failure" being LOSS but I'm quite stumped. I got help from the Cryptic Crossword Society on Facebook and got this answer from Hema Lata: After = Position indicator, second = B, failure = LOSS, order = OM (Order of Merit), Bud = BLOSSOM

4D - ....top foreman, to follow that lady Sally in South Yorkshire city (9)
I got this in late. "Top Foreman" = F, "to follow that lady" = SHE+F where the F is to follow the words for "that lady" and "Sally" = FIELD, the actress to give us SHEFFIELD as our "South Yorkshire city"

5D - Duck treated thus around Cardinal point (5)
We want a "Cardinal Point" and that means North South East or West. Being only five letters it's North or South. "Duck" = O and "treated thus" is anagrind+fodder to go "around" O for SOUTH

6D - Inspector in German car returning rubbish (7)
"Inspector" is our definition. "German car" = AUDI and "returning rubbish" = ROT  reversed to TOR for AUDITOR.

7D - Tried to coax in arranged date (9)
"Tried" is our definition. "to coax" = TEMPT to be put "in" "arranged date" anagrind+fodder to become AT(TEMPT)ED.

8D - Majority extremely deliberate in being reserved (6)
"Reserved" is our definition. "Majority" = MOST, "extremely DeliberatE" means take the letters on the extremes to use DE that will be put "in" like this: MO(DE)ST.

13D - Dr Coco lie badly? The Reptile! (9)
Is it any wonder I got this one first? "Dr Coco lie badly" is fodder+anagrind to give us CROCODILE for our "reptile."

14D - His last pun in some of Flynn's Swashbuckling (9)
I've quickly learned that italics in these puzzles means sweet FA (But because I do all clues in italics, the real italics are not italicised in the clue. Just to be confusing). "His last" means take the last letter from "hiS"= S, "pun" = WORDPLAY for a synonym of "Swashbuckling" SWORDPLAY.

15D - In Romeo's family men not treated? Malarial fever.
"In Romeo's family" is our definition. "Men = M, "not treated" is fodder+anagrind, and "Malarial fever" = AGUE put together as M(ONT)AGUE.

17D - Sauce boat finished? (7)
"Sauce" is our definition and "boat" = KETCH which means "finished" = UP but you know, no one ever says "I'm up!" when they've finished something. It's "washed up" or something like that. KETCHUP.

18D - The French still extremely talkative making outfit for new arrival (7)
I got this from the definition - I'm a knitter, we make these. "The French" = LA "still" = YET (I learned that yesterday, remember), "extremely TalkativE" = TE for LAYETTE. The three B's: Bonnet, booties and blanket.

19D - Avoid three bridge players revolutionary (6)
"Avoid" is our definition. I made a note asking if Bridge, the card game, uses compass points. I know it's a four person game, so if one was missing was that a hint that our answer is also missing either an S, N E or W? "Revolutionary" = CHE and with cross letters it becomes ESCHEW - so the North player is missing.

21D - Top-class oil mixture in this mayonnaise (5)
"Top class" = AI (A1, but the number one becomes and I), "oil mixture" is fodder+anagrind for AI(OLI) for the "mayonnaise."

22D - Topping here in French New Guinea (5)
We want a "Topping" and "here in French" = ICI the French word for here, and "New Guinea" = NG as we usually take the first letters of proper nouns to get: ICING.

Done! It's all come together in the end, which is great. No wait, can anyone tell me what BLOSSOM and SHEFFIELD have in common? A lot of anagrams in this made it much easier. I'm getting good at spotting them. I say that, but I miss loads, especially on Friday. I have today's puzzle printed and will have a go. I didn't get around to breaking down the Rufus on Monday but Fifteen Squared did a quick breakdown.

I do get wordy in my explanations but I'm trying to help other newbies and to encourage new solvers to learn how to crack cryptics. I've only made solving cryptics a serious effort this year. I love all the support and people I've met in only a short few months of launching this blog. Thank you, fellow puzzlers!