Today's Times Cryptic (#28533)

I’m a big fan of cryptic crosswords. I’ve never been able to crack a Times cryptic until relatively recently. (I’ve managed the Quick Cryptic only available on weekdays for a few years.) I confess, I’m not quite at the level where I can do the weekend ones unaided, I use the “check answer” tool available during the week to help me learn whether I’m on the right track or not.

I thought I’d share some clues from today that I thought were particularly good. I’m a fan of all things words and wordplay, so this might become a regular blogging topic.

If you’re new to cryptics, I’d highly recommend watching (and liking and subscribing) to the Cracking the Cryptic YouTube channel. A note on the Times cryptics specifically, there is always a literal or concise clue within the cryptic and it can always be found at the beginning or the end of the cryptic clue.

Today’s highlights

Accessory for stocking freezer (9)

A classic double-meaning. The clue wants you to read it as a sentence, as “stocking the freezer” is something one would do around the house. In this case though, it’s looking for a word that means both “accessory for stocking” and “freezer” which gives us SUSPENDER for 9.

Reserve goalie an expert at balancing acts? (10)

The question mark is normally a hint that the answer is a kind of pun or joke. Goalie is a bit of a giveaway that it’s something to do with the word KEEPER. Another word for “reserve” is “book”, so combining the two we have BOOKKEEPER which, as any accountant would tell you, should be an expert at balancing books.

Crackpot jailer cut loose for a prank (9,4)

“Cut loose” made me think we have an anagram to solve here. Words that imply “messing up”, “muddling”, or otherwise going wild are the clue. When I realised “Crackpot jailer” was too many letters, it made me think that “cut” is actually a hint to take some letters off the word “jailer” and then scramble what’s left with “crackpot” to find a word for “prank”. Lo and behold, PRACTICAL JOKE falls out.

Get even less to do: secret left to be cracked (6,3,6)

Again, this is a lovely clue that leads one down the garden path if reading as a sentence. “Get even less to do” makes one think of “lighten the load” or something similar, which doesn’t fit here. “Cracked”, though, is a classic anagram indicator. Looking again at the clue, “Get even” now looks the more likely literal clue. What’s left to parse then is “less to do secret” and “left” (often abbreviated to just L) and we find SETTLE OLD SCORES. Lovely.

Some new words

One reason I like doing cryptics, especially those in the Times or Guardian, is that they’re an opportunity to learn new words when you don’t know the answer. Here are some from todays (with the clues) that were new to me.

Henry’s revolting, pulling down large bloomers (9)

The answer was HAREBELLS. I’d assumed the answer would be some sort of flower, given the word “bloomers” in the clue.

A socialist party dictator embracing a US native (9)

The answer was ALABAMIAN. I’d actually managed to parse this from the clue: A from the first “a”, LAB from “socialist party”, AMIN inserting another A (from “dictator embracing a”) for AMIAN yielding the answer but I did not know that was the term for one heralding from Alabama.

Letter in Irish supporting sensationalist preacher (9)

The answer was PULPITEER. I’d assumed that it would be a word for “preacher”. I think the parse is TEE (a “letter”) inside IR (“Irish”) next to (“supporting”) PULP (something to do with being “sensationalist”? Not sure.)