Times Quick Cryptic 3082 by Pipsqueak

80 comments on “Times Quick Cryptic 3082 by Pipsqueak”

1. Yes, a gentle start to the week, as this took me 6:25. Would have been in close to PB territory but LOI ELAPSE took time, as I didn’t immediately spot that “failing” was a noun.

   The wordplay for SOT seemed the wrong way round as I was doing the puzzle: it isn’t so much “glass of whisky leaving husband” as “husband leaving glass of whisky”. I see Kitty’s explanation, but I’m not sure I’m entirely convinced that leaving is the same as omitting.

   Many thanks Kitty for the blog.

   1. If you leave something you no longer have it.

      1. Yes I’ll accept that, leave as in leave out or leave behind. Thank you. And Mrs S chimes in with “at least it is better than using Hold for Omit, as in ‘hold the mayo'”. That would be confusing indeed in any wordplay.

2. My first QC solved within 10 minutes since 20th August. I don’t go all out for speed as I like to parse as I go, nevertheless this came as a welcome return to some sort of form.

   I went back afterwards to enjoy the surface readings as most are really smooth and some quite amusing.

   ‘Bit of a looker’ for part of the eye is something of a chestnut and appeared clueing IRIS most recently in the ST puzzle blogged on 1st June this year.

3. A very gentle start to the week but enjoyable nonetheless.
   Started with KEEP MUM and finished with ECLAIR in 3.57.
   Thanks to Kitty and Pipsqueak.

   1. Hiding your light under a bushel there Plett. Great time.

      1. Thanks hopkinb

4. An enjoyable romp, coming home at 11.42.

   NHO LAST as a shoemaker’s tool, so that one was biffed.

   Pi ❤️

   1. I believe a last is the foot-shaped mould a cobbler works on. I had better look it up.

5. 15:18

   This was definitely a welcome relief after the last 10 QC puzzles. I fully acknowledge that the big improvement and the joy of being able to write most in on the first pass came from facing all those hard ones recently. I am a happy camper.

   I set myself a target of 24 mins based on the QUITCH and my average (which is now about 37 mins – down a bit on last month). So very happy with the improvement (about 75 mins better than Saturday’s). I take the ultimate score as 100 minus the WITCH. So at the time of writing a very decent 36.

   I agree that ELAPSE was COD requiring just a bit more thought than the others. I also found SOT gave some pause mainly on account of our very diverse range of drinks and measures and the need to fully parse. I almost always skip drinks and flowers (including both rivers and plants) on the first pass. LOI was IRIS although I have seen it before it still didn’t come straightaway.

   Thanks Kitty for the write up, Pipsqueak for the light relief and Asp for coordinating the brutal run of tough puzzles that made this one so fun.

6. 7:43 and one of my top ten times. FOI KEEP MUM, a friendly chestnut to begin, but LOI IRIS where I was stuck for a moment on the other chestnut. COD CHART, just such a neat clue.
   Thanks to Pipsqueak for the fun start to the week and thanks to Kitty for the blog

7. DNF. Couldn’t see IRIS, went for EROS as the only thing that might fit.

   1. Do your jokes get any cornea…

      1. 👏🏻

      2. 😄

      3. 😆

8. 7:36 for the solve. Very enjoyable little puzzle – some lovely clues and surfaces. Held up for a couple of mins at the end by AILING and IRIS which was my clue of the day. ELAPSE along with COARSE and MACHETE were old chestnuts for me but none of them went in quickly. Pen and paper out for ISAAC-NEWTON and INSPECTOR although, as I often find, just rewriting out the letters sometimes helps me unravel them. Didn’t really understand KEEP-MUM, thought it was something to do with parents traditionally not getting divorced, but Kitty’s explanation explains it!

   Thanks to Kitty and Pipsqueak

9. 13 minutes. Not too difficult and should have been quicker, but for no good reason I couldn’t get the COARSE for “course” homophone which delayed me for a few minutes at the end.

   Favourite was the surface for the ‘Gordon Ramsay?’ clue.

   ‘Stupid’, ‘incompetent’ and ‘drunk’ are the last three defs. Is Pipsqueak trying to tell us something?

   Thanks to Kitty for the blog and to Pipsqueak

10. A quick cryptic indeed. 12 minutes with last 2 spent on ELAPSE. A good start to the week. COD ECLAIR as I imagined I could taste the chocolate as I wrote it in.
    Thanks Kitty and Pip…

11. Nearly 4′ – would have been very faste [I leave this typo in as it clearly relates in some interesting manner to the anticipation of typing ‘coarse’] but was left staring at LOI COARSE for what felt like an age. It is a nice confidence boost to have some gentler ones scattered around. Thanks Kitty and Pipsqueak.

    I’d like to ask something since there is no concise blog: how do the leaderboards work? I’ve been stuck with 2 errors for what feels like well over a month. Research shows that I only have one concise with errors from the past month. I may have done an old one or two in the past month, but I always thought completing old puzzles don’t count for the leaderboard – am I wrong there? Or what else could be going on? Thanks in advance!

    1. You are correct that old puzzles solved recently don’t count for the leaderboard. However the concise category includes the daily concises, the Sunday concises, the Jumbo concises, and the Bank Holiday Jumbo concises, so all of those will need checking. I’m also not sure if a Jumbo concise’s solving date is considered to be the date you actually solved it, or the date when the results become known (since the Jumbo concise is a prize puzzle), so you may need to go back an extra few (5?) days for those. If the leaderboard has shown two errors for well over a month, it suggests that one or two older errors dropped off but were replaced by one or two more recent ones.

       Unfortunately only the Times staff (and you) have access to your solving data regarding errors so if you are sure that the number of errors is wrong, then try posting on the Crossword Club forums and there’s a possibility someone might look into it.

       1. Thank you very much for the comprehensive answer! Could well be an error on my part but wanted to know in any case.

          1. Also, it’s the total number of answers with errors, not the number of puzzles with errors. You may have one puzzle with two errors. A single pink square on a checked letter counts as two.

             1. Ah! Then that will surely be it. I was wondering about that after checking again, but didn’t want to trouble anyone with further questions. Thanks!

12. 5:29
    Not quite a PB, but very close. ELAPSE held me up slightly at the end.

    Thanks Kitty and Pipsqueak

13. 17:57 which is fast for me.
    Phew! Was feeling discouraged after the past two weeks and was ready not to renew my Times subscription.

    The simpler structure of the clues in easier QC gives me a way into understanding how the clue works – not just wildly guessing. It also makes them enjoyable.

    ( I am aware that others prefer a harder challenge so don’t object to a moderate spread of difficulty. My own view is that if a QC is harder than the Monday’s average 15×15 then it is not a QC. I am sure Asp disagrees.)

    Anyway – this QC was pleasant – it still had me thinking hard and provided practice in anagrams solving.
    COD: AT LAST.

    Thanks to Pipsqueak and Kitty

14. 9.36, all good, LOI COARSE, thanks both.

15. So annoying, must have pressed a link to the side so comment was lost.
    Anyway, great puzzle. Thanks vm, Kitty.

16. A welcome change after the previous two QCs. An excellent example of a QC but with some nice twists. I always try to solve the anagrams without pen and paper; I haven’t had to find my pen for many weeks, now. I was relieved to finish in 12.10, held up at the end by COARSE and ELAPSE.
    I parsed them all and am glad I did because I had hurriedly biffed TOT at first for the glass of whisky. Thankfully, I escaped the trap.
    Many thanks to Pipsqueak and Kitty.
    Note. Website is flaky again. My post was lost in the ether and I had to re-type it. I need to start copying my text again before hitting ‘post comment’.

17. The first time I’ve broken five minutes for quite some time, coming within 16 seconds of my best ever time, finishing in 4.30. The only slight holdups were AILING which was my LOI, and trying to fit TOT into 19dn which was solved only when I got ELAPSE. It would be pretty difficult for me to break the four minute barrier I think because I’m a pen and paper solver. I’m not going to change after all these years, it’s just the way I prefer it, and my typing speed isn’t too great anyway!

18. 6:38 (sounds like a commuter train) Bifdtastic romp and a rare sub 10. Like others, I stared blankly through my iris at .r.s for a little while until PDM (Merlin I think Eros is a bloke btw)
    Helped by seeing the long anagrams almost immediately.
    Ta K&P

19. 11.20 Happy Monday! Would have been under 10 had ELAPSE and IRIS not been on the board.
    Himself chortled merrily at quite a few and a pleasant time was had.
    COD 18a ELAPSE
    Many thanks Kitty and Pipsqueak

20. Yes, definitely happy, thank you, Pipsqueak (and Kitty) – a breeze … until the last two which just required PDMs that took time: ECLAIR and ELAPSE. Lovely Monday morning puzzle.

21. Comfortably under 20 minutes until the SOT and ELAPSE pairing added another 10, not helped by trying TOT initially.
    COD to IRIS among many good ones
    Thanks Kitty and Pipsqueak

22. A very gentle offering finished in a very quick (for me) 12:25. LOI ELAPSE. A pleasant experience after Saturday’s nightmare.

23. Took a while to get in the swing. 14 parsed.

    CoD 9ac I was scratching my head for generic classes of scientists before the crossers, particularly I xxx C…

    Thanks K and P saved me going nuts.

24. V straightforward- 5.13 but with a fat fingered typo putting a “v” in inspector. Had previously held myself up by lazily entering EXPONENTIAL for the straightforward anagram and once that was sorted was finally held up by LOI ELAPSE which took best party of 90 seconds

25. Yes I am a happy camper with a new PB of 4:11. Like others here my LOI was ELAPSE. Thanks Kitty

    1. Congrats on the PB!

26. I was quick -7 minutes – until my last two which were ELAPSE and finally COARSE which took the longest time.
    So 11 minutes in the end.
    A fun puzzle with some good clues.
    Nominations for ELAPSE and KEEP MUM.
    David

27. A nice start to the week. I was hovering around PB territory for most of it until I got to the ELAPSE / SOT crossover, at which point I got stuck for several minutes and eventually finished in 9:23.

    Thank you for the blog!

    PS ~ I got an “internal server error” on my first two attempts at posting this message. I appreciate that the content of it doesn’t really merit a third attempt, but I got the same error on Saturday so thought I’d mention it. If there’s a fund to keep the server running I’ll happily chip in my tenner.

    1. Wombat, there’s a conversation about this on the 15×15 thread today.

28. Almost a PB- 5.34 with distractions but a full minute spent staring at elapse!

29. 10.30 Mostly very quick but I spent five minutes on AILING and ELAPSE. Thanks Kitty and Pipsqueak.

30. 3:12 so add me to the long list of “nearly a PB” solvers today. Starstruck’s machine tells me I’ve only bettered this four times, and matched it twice, which seems about right. Still had time to appreciate the excellent ISAAC NEWTON, my COD.

    Nice to see so many happy campers in the comments. Thanks Kitty and Pipsqueak.

31. 8:54
    Only my 3rd solve under 1o mins and 9 sec away from my PB – a truly happy camper 😊
    FOI: CHEF
    LOI: ECLAIR
    COD: IRIS
    Thanks to Kitty and Pipsqueak

32. My thanks to Pipsqueak and Kitty.
    8a Coarse. I wasn’t sure about course=program so I waited for all crossers. I liked Che’s Mate at 4d. Nice to see His Maj turning up in 15d Crass.

33. 23 minutes for me, so into SCC territory, but not by all that much.

    I reached what I thought was my last clue at 17 minutes, but then spent 3 minutes trying to fill in E_A_t_ at 18a before realising my biffed tOT at 19d was wrong. SOT was then easy to find, but E_A_S_ proved much harder to complete.

    I beg to differ with Kitty about 18a (being COD), because of its weird and ambiguous word order. For that reason, it comes 24th in my COD rankings.

    Many thanks to Kitty and Pipsqueak.

34. A straightforward and pleasant 12 min solve. If only I could remember to stop spelling Koi with a ‘y’, I might have been a lot closer to 10mins, but loi Coarse would still have stopped a sub-10.
    Iris may well be a chestnut, but they are always entertaining the first time round, so that gets my CoD vote. Invariant

35. Thought I was going to break the magic 4 minute barrier for the first time but got breezeblocked on COARSE. Still a massive PB at 04:10! and that was after triple checking ISAAC – it just looked wrong.

    Very entertaining. Agree with Kitty on COD going to ELAPSE but IRIS a close second.

    Many thanks Kitty and Pip.

    PS I meant to say that the KEEP MUM joke was even used in a WW2 “careless talk costs lives” poster https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/22550

    1. And another great time! Felicitations!

       1. Thank you!

    2. Boom!

36. Lovely start to the week. Well within my original 10 minute target for the first time in a goodly while. Thanks Kitty and Pip.
    Followed this with Saturday’s quickie. Gosh!!

    1. Sweet!

       Also, gosh indeed.

37. I don’t ever time myself, but this puzzle was definitely on the quick end of the spectrum. An enjoyable romp. COD ELAPSE, LOI COARSE

    Thanks kitty and Pipsqueak

38. A gentle start to the week, demolished in two straight passes. Thanks Pipsqueak and Kitty.

    FOI KEEP MUM
    LOI LINEAGE
    COD KOI
    TIME 3:09

39. 4:10

    Just a couple of pauses at the end for ELAPSE and COARSE but otherwise, a pleasantly gentle introduction to the week.

    Thanks Kitty and Pipsqueak

    1. Another boom!

40. Well, that was very different to the last few QCs! Romped through this one with plenty of coffee left over. Paused only for last two in – ELAPSE/SOT. I prefer working the grey cells a little more but still much enjoyed. Thanks both.

41. Thanks Pipsqueak and Cedric
    Very cheering QC!

42. Biffed a couple then wasted some time unbiffing them, notwithstanding balance straightforward

43. 12 mins…

    As everyone has noted above, a lovely straight forward puzzle for he beginning of the week. Thought I might be on for a sub-10, but then got held up by 18ac “Elapse”.

    FOI – 1ac “Keep Mum”
    LOI – 18ac “Elapse”
    COD – 20ac “Iris”

    Thanks as usual!

44. Not a PB but 6:30 is not so far off. Liked KEEP MUM, ELAPSE and SOT. TOT tempted us as a biff but it didn’t parse and ELAPSE came to the rescue quickly enough. A good quickie. Thanks, Pipsqueak and Kitty.

45. Definitely a happy camper here after some of last week’s trickier ones, getting everything in just under 27 minutes, and all but ELAPSE and COARSE in by 20. Thanks Kitty and Pipsqueak!

46. 8:42. Pretty straightforward!

47. 4.44

    Not quite as romp-ish as some of the other times but always happy with a swift no error solve.

    Thanks Kitty and Pipsqueak

48. I’ve identified an annoying pattern I seem to have fallen into. If I forget to get a pen and paper ready to help me with anagrams, there are a lot of anagrams. If the pen is to hand, fewer anagrams. I don’t profess to have any psychic powers and, even if I did, they would clearly be working against me. Mini-whinge over, I thoroughly enjoyed this for the 6:29 it took me and I’m now off to gird my loins and tackle the 15×15.
    Thanks to Pipsqueak and Kitty.

49. It went pretty smoothly, though I didn’t know Gordon Ramsay, until I got hung up on IRIS (ha ha). 9:52 to finish it. Really liked both of the police anagrams. I would be happier with myself if I could remember E-LAPSE instead of having to figure it out every time it crops up here; great surface this time.

    Thanks to Pipsqueak and Kitty. Congratulations to all in PB territory and outskirts!

50. I’ve only had the app (and thus a timer) for a few weeks, but at 15:35, a PB by about 7 minutes.

    Mondays are the hardest, right?

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