I managed to whizz through this inside 8 minutes, which is my fastest time for a QC for a while, although there was lots of subtlety and fine surfacing here. I think I was helped by (what seemed to me to be) a higher than average number of anagrams and partial anagrams, which I tend to see quite quickly. There was also a smattering of basic General Knowledge, none of which caused me any cause for concern. I hope others will not have been stumped by AD NAUSEAM (maybe the spelling), GARDA, SONATA, PSEUD or ISRAELITE (maybe the spelling again!)
Thanks Mara for an enjoyable puzzle which is probably pitched just about right for a QC for those developing their skills, and thanks also for giving yours truly a mention in 12a.
Across
1 Sly cat in shop finding source of money (9)
CASHPOINT– Anagram (sly) of [CAT IN SHOP]
6 One about to display passion (3)
IRE– I (one) and RE (about)
8 Dandy holding glittering light (3,4)
FOG LAMP– Dandy is FOP, and inside it (holding) is GLAM (glittering)
9 A boring thing, looking back, for Irish police (5)
GARDA– A (a) DRAG (boring thing) all reversed (looking back). An Garda Síochána (Guardian of the Peace), or more commonly known as ‘the Gardia’, ‘Garda’ or ‘the Guards’, is the police force of the Republic of Ireland, and was formed in 1923.
10 Lead compound heals (5)
LEASH– Think dog lead rather than Pb or act like a leader. Anagram (compound) of [HEALS]. Nice surface here.
12 Rat, something in compost heap, perhaps? (6)
ROTTER– I make an appearance in the puzzle I am blogging – how neat is that? A kind of cryptic by example, or could it be a dd?
14 Never vandalised loo ninety-four! (3,2,4,4)
NOT ON YOUR LIFE– Anagram (vandalised) of [LOO NINETY-FOUR]
16 Composition offering some jingles on a tambourine (6)
SONATA– Hidden inside {jingle}S ON A TA{mbourine}
17 Fraud misleading dupes (5)
PSEUD– Anagram (misleading) of [DUPES]. I wondered whether it was PSEUD or PSEUDO, but my Chambers confirms that either is legitimate for a pretentious person, or a fraud by any other name!
19 Feature a nation (5)
CHINA– The feature is a CHIN and a is A. Facial features such as chin, nose, ears ‘feature’ regularly in Crosswordland.
20 Suffering bird, did you say? That’s unlawful (7)
ILLEGAL– A jokey homophone (did you say?). ILLEGAL sounds like an ILL EAGLE, or a suffering bird.
22 Test cricket for today ends (3)
TRY– Last letters (or ends) of {cricke}T {fo}R {toda}Y
23 Endlessly repeated thus, commercial has rebranded a US name (2,7)
AD NAUSEAM– Commercial is AD followed by an anagram (rebranded) of [A US NAME]. AD NAUSEAM is Latin for an argument or discussion that has continued ‘to the point of nausea’, or that has been made repeatedly. Argumentum ad infinitum (to infinity) has a similar meaning.
Down
1 Fastener locking posh couple of females in prison (4,4)
CUFF LINK– Posh in Crosswordland is invariably U, with FF (couple of females) all ‘locked’ inside CLINK (prison). CLINK for prison comes from The Clink, a notorious and very early 12th Century prison in Southwark, London.
2 Drop into abyss, a goner (3)
SAG – Hidden (into) in {abys}S A G{oner}
3 Fruit– a penny for everyone (5)
PEACH– P (penny) and EACH (for everyone)
4 Act of taking someone off to prison, mean I fancy (13)
IMPERSONATION– To ‘take someone off’ is to IMPERSONATE them. This is an anagram (fancy) of [TO PRISON, MEAN I], and is neatly constructed.
5 Grind the grit, so more dense (7)
TIGHTER– Anagram (grind) of [THE GRIT]
6 One translation of earliest ancient Hebrew (9)
ISRAELITE– I (one) and an anagram (translation) of [EARLIEST]. The Israelites were the ethnic stock from which modern Jews and Samaritans originally trace their ancestry.
7 Welsh boy church body upset (4)
EVAN– NAVE (central aisle of a church) ‘upset’ (reversed) to give the popular Welsh masculine name
11 Power– a youth desperate to grab it after start of revolution (9)
AUTHORITY– An anagram (desperate) of [A YOUTH] together with (grabbing) [IT] and start of R{evolution}
13 Old-time swinger? (8)
PENDULUM– A cryptic &lit clue referring to the PENDULUM that used to swing and keep time in, for example, grandfather clocks.
15 A newspaper article, in rising, falls (7)
NIAGARA – A (a) RAG (newspaper) A (article) and IN (in) all concatenated and reversed (rising) to give the name of the world famous falls that lie between the USA and Canada.
17 Sauce lifted over golden rice dish (5)
PILAU– Sauce here is LIP (think cheek) reversed (lifted) and followed by AU (golden), to give PILAU (an alternative to PILAF), a dish where rice is cooked in a seasoned broth
18 Small, small bed for Highlander? (4)
SCOT – S{mall} and COT (small bed). I think the question mark is intended as a sort of apology to non-highlanders who might also refer to themselves as Scots, other types of Scot are available!
21 Letter read out– gosh! (3)
GEE– double definition and homophone combined. Gee sounds like the letter G read out.
Thanks Mara for an enjoyable puzzle which is probably pitched just about right for a QC for those developing their skills, and thanks also for giving yours truly a mention in 12a.
Across
1 Sly cat in shop finding source of money (9)
CASHPOINT– Anagram (sly) of [CAT IN SHOP]
6 One about to display passion (3)
IRE– I (one) and RE (about)
8 Dandy holding glittering light (3,4)
FOG LAMP– Dandy is FOP, and inside it (holding) is GLAM (glittering)
9 A boring thing, looking back, for Irish police (5)
GARDA– A (a) DRAG (boring thing) all reversed (looking back). An Garda Síochána (Guardian of the Peace), or more commonly known as ‘the Gardia’, ‘Garda’ or ‘the Guards’, is the police force of the Republic of Ireland, and was formed in 1923.
10 Lead compound heals (5)
LEASH– Think dog lead rather than Pb or act like a leader. Anagram (compound) of [HEALS]. Nice surface here.
12 Rat, something in compost heap, perhaps? (6)
ROTTER– I make an appearance in the puzzle I am blogging – how neat is that? A kind of cryptic by example, or could it be a dd?
14 Never vandalised loo ninety-four! (3,2,4,4)
NOT ON YOUR LIFE– Anagram (vandalised) of [LOO NINETY-FOUR]
16 Composition offering some jingles on a tambourine (6)
SONATA– Hidden inside {jingle}S ON A TA{mbourine}
17 Fraud misleading dupes (5)
PSEUD– Anagram (misleading) of [DUPES]. I wondered whether it was PSEUD or PSEUDO, but my Chambers confirms that either is legitimate for a pretentious person, or a fraud by any other name!
19 Feature a nation (5)
CHINA– The feature is a CHIN and a is A. Facial features such as chin, nose, ears ‘feature’ regularly in Crosswordland.
20 Suffering bird, did you say? That’s unlawful (7)
ILLEGAL– A jokey homophone (did you say?). ILLEGAL sounds like an ILL EAGLE, or a suffering bird.
22 Test cricket for today ends (3)
TRY– Last letters (or ends) of {cricke}T {fo}R {toda}Y
23 Endlessly repeated thus, commercial has rebranded a US name (2,7)
AD NAUSEAM– Commercial is AD followed by an anagram (rebranded) of [A US NAME]. AD NAUSEAM is Latin for an argument or discussion that has continued ‘to the point of nausea’, or that has been made repeatedly. Argumentum ad infinitum (to infinity) has a similar meaning.
Down
1 Fastener locking posh couple of females in prison (4,4)
CUFF LINK– Posh in Crosswordland is invariably U, with FF (couple of females) all ‘locked’ inside CLINK (prison). CLINK for prison comes from The Clink, a notorious and very early 12th Century prison in Southwark, London.
2 Drop into abyss, a goner (3)
SAG – Hidden (into) in {abys}S A G{oner}
3 Fruit– a penny for everyone (5)
PEACH– P (penny) and EACH (for everyone)
4 Act of taking someone off to prison, mean I fancy (13)
IMPERSONATION– To ‘take someone off’ is to IMPERSONATE them. This is an anagram (fancy) of [TO PRISON, MEAN I], and is neatly constructed.
5 Grind the grit, so more dense (7)
TIGHTER– Anagram (grind) of [THE GRIT]
6 One translation of earliest ancient Hebrew (9)
ISRAELITE– I (one) and an anagram (translation) of [EARLIEST]. The Israelites were the ethnic stock from which modern Jews and Samaritans originally trace their ancestry.
7 Welsh boy church body upset (4)
EVAN– NAVE (central aisle of a church) ‘upset’ (reversed) to give the popular Welsh masculine name
11 Power– a youth desperate to grab it after start of revolution (9)
AUTHORITY– An anagram (desperate) of [A YOUTH] together with (grabbing) [IT] and start of R{evolution}
13 Old-time swinger? (8)
PENDULUM– A cryptic &lit clue referring to the PENDULUM that used to swing and keep time in, for example, grandfather clocks.
15 A newspaper article, in rising, falls (7)
NIAGARA – A (a) RAG (newspaper) A (article) and IN (in) all concatenated and reversed (rising) to give the name of the world famous falls that lie between the USA and Canada.
17 Sauce lifted over golden rice dish (5)
PILAU– Sauce here is LIP (think cheek) reversed (lifted) and followed by AU (golden), to give PILAU (an alternative to PILAF), a dish where rice is cooked in a seasoned broth
18 Small, small bed for Highlander? (4)
SCOT – S{mall} and COT (small bed). I think the question mark is intended as a sort of apology to non-highlanders who might also refer to themselves as Scots, other types of Scot are available!
21 Letter read out– gosh! (3)
GEE– double definition and homophone combined. Gee sounds like the letter G read out.