Cryptic Crossword #23 [Completed]

Parametric said:

Aha!

1 across, "incur". Expose yourself to ("incur", eg. to incur a liability) most old folk (take most of the word "Incan") and you are reported ("ur", a homophone for "you're").

So that makes 1 down "iron horse", with "iron" being a (golf) club and "horse" being the drug, and I'm guessing it's a reference to trains?

Click to expand...

Two fer Two!

For the old people, I use 'inca'.

alexaherself said:

21 Down might be castle? (is a "keep" a substantial proportion of a castle? Throw out = cast; beer = ale; unopened = remove first letter, so "le")

Click to expand...

alexaherself said:

I fancy arpeggio for 12 Across (sort of "cryptic definition"? A chord played one note at a time?)

Click to expand...

Perfectly parsed, Alexa!

Parametric said:

Nope, I've got it! 22 across, "car radio". Pulse-quickener (cardio) involving gunmen (RA for Royal Artillery) set in a saloon (definition; the radio is an item set in a saloon car).

Click to expand...

Perfectly parsed, Para!

alexaherself said:

8 Down: probably retro? ("period"; to worry = fret; no woman = remove F at start; then "or" backwards - over/flipping? Something like that?)

Click to expand...

Perfectly parsed, Alexa!

Over is a positional indicator, flipping the reversal indicator.

Parametric said:

Ah! Great job. And that makes 10 across "egret", a high-flier, who feels remorse (regrets) when banks collapse (remove the first and last letters).

Click to expand...

Perfectly parsed, Para!

Hey X

Xelebes said:

ICEMEN?

Click to expand...

Shooting wide on this one.

ajaye said:

6dn - IBEXES - island (I) set about (indicator) workers (BEES) by animals (def.). Not sure where the X comes from.

Click to expand...

Winner!

by = X (as in times/multiply).



Thanks to everyone who took part, new and old, armchair and actual.

As usual, I'll post the full parse for the grid shortly. If you spotted an error in a clue or felt it didn't work somehow or wasn't fair, please let me know in thread or by PM as it's the only way I'll get better.

Cryptic #24 will be posted on January 1st and, as ever, I'll keep posting here as long as people keep playing (though don't feel you have to play if you don't wanna). If you can't wait until next year for a crossword fix, feel free to have a go at the XWDs on my website.

Here be parse

1a - INCUR (subtraction homophone)

Expose yourself to most old folk and you are reported (5)

expose yourself to - definition
most - last letter deletion indicator
old folk - INCA + last letter subtraction fodder (Inca are different to the Incas)
and - inclusion link
you are - U R + homophone fodder
reported - homophone indicator

(INC(-a)("U"+"R")


4a - NULLIFIER (&lit)

One given full rein to overturn? (9)

one - I + anagram fodder one
given - inclusion link
full rein - anagram fodder two
to overturn - anagram indicator

(NULLIFIER*)


9a - OLIVE DRAB (anagram)

Love a bird in a state trooper's uniform (5,4)

love a bird - anagram fodder
in a state - anagram indicator
trooper's uniform - definition (wordweb)

(OLIVE DRAB*)


10a - EGRET (edge subtraction)

High-flier feels remorse when banks collapse (5)

high-flier - definition
feels remose - REGRETS + edge subtraction fodder
when banks collapse - edge subtraction indicator

(-r(EGRET)-s)


11a - HIATUS (charade surround)

Break America after success touring Australia (6)

break - definition
america - US
after - positional indicator
success - HIT
touring - surround indicator
australia - A

(HI(A)T)(US)


12a - ARPEGGIO (cryptic definition)

This'll strike a chord with picked on individuals (8)

Misdirect to something to do with bullying. An arpeggio is a single picked chord structure on a musical instrument that (if the notes are held down) will hit a chord.


14a - RURAL ROUTE (anagram)

An American round fired at our ruler (5,5)

An american round - definition (postal round)
fired - anagram indicator
at out ruler - anagram fodder

(RURAL ROUTE*)


16a - STUD (double definition)

Type of horse, one that's a bit of a goer? (4)

type of horse -definition one
one that's a bit of a goer - definition two (promiscuous male)


19a - ENVY (subtraction)

Minister with no love for one of the cardinals (4)

minister - ENVOY (in the diplomatic sense)
with no love - O subtraction indicator (love = O)
for - definition indicator
one of the cardinals - definition (cardinal sins)

(EN(-o)VY)


20a - CAN OF WORMS (double definition)

Mess that an angler may have had a hand in? (3,2,5)

Mess - definition one
that an angler may have had a hand in? - definition two


22a - CAR RADIO (container)

Pulse-quickener involving gunmen set in a saloon (3,5)

pulse-quickener - CARDIO
involving - container indicator
gunmen - RA (royal artillery)
set in a saloon - definition (saloon is a type of car)

(CAR(RA)DIO)


23a - OYSTER (cryptic definition)

One found in bed said to excite desire when taken? (6)

misdirect to boudoir shenanigans. One found in bed (where oysters come from) said to excite desire (oyster as rumoured aphrodisiac) when taken (when eaten)


26a - INNIT (charade)

Is it not common in couples with no sex appeal? (5)

is it not common - definition (with slang abbreviation indicator)
in - IN
couples with - positional link
no - N
sex appeal - IT

(IN)(N)(IT)


27a - AUTHENTIC (insertion surround)

Proper hot nurse slipped into room without uniform (9)

proper - definition
hot - H
nurse - EN (enrolled nurse)
slipped into - insertion indicator
room - ATTIC
without - surround indicator
uniform - U

(A(U)T(H+EN)IC)


28a - BEEFEATER (container charade)

Ale-swilling achievement by earl in Hereford diner? (9)

ale - BEER
swilling - container indicator
achievement - FEAT
by - positional indicator
earl - E
in - definition link
hereford diner? - definition by example (Hereford is a breed of cow)

(BEE(FEAT+E)R)


29a - MINUS (letter exchange)

"Less skirts the second Hoskins becomes union leader!" (5)

less - definition
skirts - MINIS
the second Hoskins - the second I
becomes - letter exchange indicator
union leader - U (leader of union)

(MIN(-i+U)S)


1d - IRON HORSE (charade)

Club drug that drew loads of people to L.A. in the 80s? (4,5)

Club - IRON (as in golf)
drug - HORSE (is in heroin)
that drew loads of people to L.A. in the 80s? - cryptic def (the 1880s and western expansionism - the iron horse is the engine rather than the carriages/train)

(IRON)(HORSE)


2d - CHINA (hidden)

Contribution to church in Arabian country (5)

contribution to - hidden indicator
church in arabian - hidden fodder
country - definition

(-chur(CHINA)-rabian)


3d - RUEFULLY (homophone charade)

Aussie skipper picked up Rich Young in a sorry fashion (8)

Aussie skipper - ROO & homophone fodder
picked up - homophone indicator
rich - FULL
young - Y
in a sorry fashion - definition

("RUE")(FULL)(Y)


4d - NERD (last letter & letter shift)

After last bit of rain, lower hood of light anorak (4)

after - positional indicator
last bit of - last letter indicator
rain - last letter fodder
lower hood of - shift top letter down indicator
light - RED (as in traffic light)
anorak - definition

(N)(->E->RD)


5d - LIBERATION (container)

In drink, the Queen finds freedom (10)

in - container indicator
drink - LIBATION
the queen - ER
finds - definition indicator
freedom - definition

(LIB(ER)ATION)


6d - IBEXES (surround)

Island workers set about by animals (6)

island - I
workers - BEES
set about - surround indicator
by - X (as in multiply)
animals - definition

(I)(BE(X)ES)


7d - IRRIGATOR (anagram container)

Run or air it on entertaining German channel? (9)

run - R & anagram fodder one
or air it - anagram fodder two
on - anagram indicator (on as in drunk)
entertaining - container indicator
german - G
channel? - definition by example

(IRRI(G)ATOR*)


8d - RETRO (subtraction reversal)

No woman to worry over flipping men. Period (5)

no woman to - F subtraction indicator
worry - FRET
over - positional indicator
flipping - reversal indicator
men - OR (other ranks)
period - definition

(-f(RET)(RO<)


13d - COHABITANT (subtraction anagram)

Housemate on Penny's eviction: "a panto bitch in heat!" (10)

Housemate - definition
on Penny's eviction - P subtraction indicator
a panto bitch - anagram and subtraction fodder
in heat! - anagram indicator

(COHABITANT*(-p)


15d - REVERENCE (subtraction charade)

Vicar scratching bottom before church worship (9)

vicar - REVEREND
scratching bottom - last letter subtraction
before - positional indicator
church - CE (church of England)
worship - definition

(REVEREN(-d)(CE)


17d - DISTRICTS (container)

Coppers allowing no-nonsense in precincts (9)

coppers - DIS (detective inspectors)
allowing - first part of container indicator
no-nonsense - STRICT
in - second part of container indicator
precincts - definition

(DI(STRICT)S)


18d - AWAY TEAM (charade word split)

A roadside break needed for those taking coach to game (4,4)

a - A
road - WAY
side - TEAM
break needed - wordplay indicator
for - definition indicator
those taking coach to game? - definition by example

(A)(WAY)(TEAM)


21d - CASTLE (charade subtraction)

Throw out unopened beer or keep a substantial part of it? (6)

Throw out - cast
unopened - first letter subtraction indicator
beer - ALE & first letter subtraction fodder
or - equivalence link
keep a substantial part of it? - cryptic def (keep is a major part of a castle)

(CAST)(LE)


22d - CLIMB (charade)

Get a rise out of member by criticizing leader (5)

get - 1st part of definition lead in (get answer)
a rise - CLIMB (as a noun)
out of - 2nd part of definition lead in
member - LIMB
by - positional indicator
criticizing - first letter fodder
leader - first letter indicator

(C)(LIMB)


24d - TITAN (surround)

Can boxing last for truculent American heavyweight? (5)

Can - TIN
boxing - surround indicator
last for - last letter indicator
truculent - last letter fodder
American - A
heavyweight? - definition

(TI(T+A)N)


25d - STAR (subtraction)

Set out to have end away with famous player? (4)

set out - START
to have end away - last letter deletion indicator
with - definition link
famous player? - definition by example

(STAR(-t)

Thanks for playing - please comment on anything you think unfair.