I think this was the easiest one of the week but, as usual, your mileage may vary. My time was 5:05 and to be honest, I can't find much to comment on. There's the usual array of anagrams, hiddens and double defs, and nothing too obscure as far as I can see. A nice little offering for those that are still finding their way in Crosswordland, which presumably is just what the Quicky is for.
So thanks Des, here's how I parsed it....
Clues are reproduced in blue, with the definition underlined. Anagram indicators are bolded and italicised. Then there's the answer IN BOLD, followed by the parsing of the wordplay. (ABC)* means 'anagram of ABC'.
So thanks Des, here's how I parsed it....
Clues are reproduced in blue, with the definition underlined. Anagram indicators are bolded and italicised. Then there's the answer IN BOLD, followed by the parsing of the wordplay. (ABC)* means 'anagram of ABC'.
| Across | |
| 1 | Keep man here temporarily (3,3,7) |
| FOR THE PRESENT - FORT (keep) + HE (man) + PRESENT (here) | |
| 8 | Addict: one put on kilo in a month (6) |
| JUNKIE - I (one) on K (kilo) in JUNE (a month) | |
| 9 | I’m basking initially in sun, turning to see raincloud (6) |
| NIMBUS - IM + B (Basking initially) in NUS (sun, turning) | |
| 10 | Forgot ever holding back reject (4) |
| VETO - Reverse hidden (holding back) in forgOT EVer | |
| 11 | Teacher with a cold: he gets this? (8) |
| HEADACHE - HEAD (teacher) + A + C (cold) + HE | |
| 12 | Plain clothes fit? Um, badly! (5) |
| MUFTI - (FIT UM)* Otherwise known as civvies, or everyday dress as opposed to military or other uniformed attire. | |
| 13 | The Spanish sextet’s famous singer (5) |
| ELVIS - EL ("the" in Spanish) + VI'S (sextet's) Nice to see Elvis Costello get a mention. Unless it's referring to another Elvis? | |
| 15 | Let rip on corruptcross-border force (8) |
| INTERPOL - (LET RIP ON)* | |
| 17 | Prepare to fireone waking you early? (4) |
| COCK - Double definition You can cock your weapon, or you can be woken early by a cock. Or a rooster, for those of you sniggering down the back. | |
| 19 | In the course of climb, I bend down (6) |
| IMBIBE - Hidden in (in the course of) clIMB I BEnd "Down" as a verb, as in to down a pint. A nicely disguised definition, one I've been fooled by before. | |
| 20 | Moved quickly, establishing menagerie by the sea (6) |
| ZOOMED - ZOO (menagerie) + MED (the sea) | |
| 21 | Money for Seniors left in San Diego Open unexpectedly (3-3,7) |
| OLD-AGE PENSION - L (left) in (SAN DIEGO OPEN)* Probably my COD. A nice anagram, though the enumeration is extremely helpful. | |
| Down | |
| 2 | Old electrical item handy (2,3) |
| OF USE - O (old) + FUSE (electrical item) | |
| 3 | Shed to go up? (4,3) |
| TAKE OFF - Double def | |
| 4 | Woolly female the second person to be heard (3) |
| EWE - Homophone (to be heard) of YOU (the second person) Easiest one of the day? Only if you see it I guess. | |
| 5 | Campanologist maybe familiar (4,1,4) |
| RING A BELL - Double definition | |
| 6 | Saw endless tailless grouse in Pacific islands (5) |
| SAMOA - SA (SAw endless) + MOA [tailless MOAn (grouse)] Probably the greatest rugby nation on earth. If only they could all play for Samoa. | |
| 7 | Gunshot scatteredducks (7) |
| NOUGHTS - (GUNSHOT)* A duck is a score of nought in cricket, as I well know. | |
| 11 | Ape Richie, sportingwig (9) |
| HAIRPIECE - (APE RICHIE)* Something like this perhaps? | |
| 12 | Short time: one he cut very short? (7) |
| MINIMAL - MIN (short time, as in short for "minute") + I (one) + MAL [MALe (he) cut] | |
| 14 | Cruel when in France you set about old company (7) |
| VICIOUS - VOUS (French for "you") set about ICI (old company) You're expected to know a very little amount of French to do these things. I'm up to about 13 words now. ICI was a British chemical company that is now defunct, hence "old" company. Pops up quite a bit in Crosswordland. | |
| 16 | Show thanks after I have turned up (5) |
| EVITA - TA (thanks) after EVI [IVE (I have) reversed (turned up)] A show about the life of Eva Peron and her sometimes fraught relationship with young lovers Arch and Tina. | |
| 18 | At first cynical concerning party’s beliefs (5) |
| CREDO - C (at first Cynical) + RE (concerning) + DO (party) | |