The Times Crossword Friday Masterclass: Episode 22

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/ crackingthecryptic
** TODAY'S PUZZLE **
In the 22nd edition of our attempt to solve a Friday Times crossword, Simon takes on today's puzzle, which is rated slightly easier than average but certainly contains some challenges! It also contains one of the best clues we've ever seen!
The puzzle is available to play on The Times crossword club website (which is behind their paywall):
www.thetimes.co.uk/puzzleclub...
You can find more information about the SNITCH rating here:
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** NEW CONTENT ON PATREON **
Joining us on Patreon costs as little as $2 a month and includes Mark's solve of The Times' Club Monthly special - a vicious cryptic!!
/ crackingthecryptic
** NEW GAS PACK IS OUT **
The new GAS pack is out on Steam for PC here:
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It's already out on Android and App Store. 60 original puzzles by Sam Cappleman-Lynes, Clover and Philip Newman!! Earn party hats and dinosaurs with these brand new puzzles!
We've also released a FREE app full of handmade puzzles to celebrate reaching 500k subscribers - simply download the Cracking The Cryptic app on Android, Steam or App Store and then select the 500k pack. We're streaming a playthrough of this app and you can watch all seven episodes
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[@andrewshelley410]

Six letter word for a curve in the road beginning with C. Everyone in the world... "corner", Simon... "of course it's camber".

[@longwaytotipperary]

😁

[@KittSpiken]

Naturally

[@ahouyearno]

I never even heard of camber. The of course is so so funny here

[@longwaytotipperary]

@@ahouyearno 😄

[@archivist17]

I am not laughing at anyone for forgetting 'pedicle' 😀

[@listey]

🎶 That's P in the corner. That's P in the spotlight. Losing its religion. 🎶

[@longwaytotipperary]

Simon makes anything fun! It’s not just that he knows so much stuff, or that he takes the time to explain how the puzzle works and how his brain deciphers the clues - it’s that he just has a delightful way of expressing all that and brings so much enthusiasm and playfulness to all of it. ❤. Great way to start the day!

[@davidrattner9]

It's his amazing personality and persona that shine bright when solving. ❤🙂

[@longwaytotipperary]

@@davidrattner9 yep! 😉❤️

[@glum_hippo]

Thoroughly agreed

[@emilywilliams3237]

Very well said - I entirely agree.

[@Revenant77x]

The Friday Masterclass might be my favorite video of the week. Simon professing his love for a well set answer and teaching us lowly mortals how to decipher the mysteries of the cosmos, like unto an oracle of old, to miss out upon this would darken the world a bit. Keep up the amazing work you have been doing in spreading the gospel of puzzling to the plebian mass.

[@JohnLeeShaw]

Fabulous once again Simon! Not only is it helping me with my cryptic crossword solving, but also gives me a smile and chuckle. Please do keep them coming -- Thanks! 😄

[@mathhits]

Yelling “rocket scientist!” while cooking dinner tonight brought a few strange looks from the fam. I love these videos, and always feel inspired to go and write down more clue ideas!

[@puritan7473]

I think this must rank among Simons very best solves. So many he did not know or understand yet still managed to work them all out!!

[@williambarnes3868]

Barry Lyndon is a novel by W M Thackery.

[@toxicara]

Adapted to film by Stanley Kubrick in 1975.

[@nightwishlover8913]

@@toxicara Starring Ryan O'Neal, amongst others...

[@altreusplays]

I said GREAT DANES just before Simon did and then Simon said well done, so I'm taking it as intended for me

[@emilywilliams3237]

Well done on that interpretation!

[@robertbrookes2000]

I'm a complete novice at cryptic crosswords, but being a musician for many years I'm very glad I knew 14 down was definitely not diminuendo, and was either ritardando or rallentando.

[@Alex_Meadows]

I decided that it was time to graduate from the "quick cryptic" to its older brother, and am quite happy to have got a bit over halfway before needing Simon's assistance. So thank you Simon and Mark, for yet another wonderful new hobby!

[@MarcMcMillin]

I can't tell you how much I look forward to these! 🙂

[@cloudbringer104]

Me too

[@PeterMoore66]

Yes, I got very cross yesterday that the weekly solve hadn't appeared and then realised it was only Thursday!

[@longwaytotipperary]

Same!

[@davidrattner9]

Absolutely look forward to these!

[@phil_c]

Likewise!

[@bobblebardsley]

43:23 "I am the very model of a crossword-solving gentleman..." 😅

[@richardlyons7582]

I got the most ever clues ever in this crossword and actually understood why, You guys are great teachers and I have learnt so much, thanks to you both.

[@user-gy5cx5db2i]

love watching these, my crossword solving ability has improved from mediocre to reasonably good, there have always been a lot of clue words that i never understood but after having them explained, it makes such a difference

[@jhonnyrock]

19:08 More than a bit of flavoring, I think the "wedged" is referring to the head of the axe having a wedged shape. So both like "put beneath" and "a wedged thing beneath" which is pretty clever!

[@mrscraftalot]

Love these videos. I am so happy to say that you and Mark have made these puzzles more and more approachable for me. Thanks! And keep them coming!

[@robingrimm3443]

The multiple ‘e’ issue sounds like a sticky key. Most external (not laptop) keyboards are designed to have easily removable key caps, so you can pull it off, dust around it, and stick it back on. If that doesn’t help it may be easier to get a new keyboard, bc the actual switch is only easy to replace on keyboards designed for it

[@kelseyfassett7099]

im a little surprised 18 across didnt have a question mark, but this is kind of the equivalent of saying "wow i cant believe he's using that spice" while watching a professional cooking competition so what do i really know 😂 lovely video as always

[@emilywilliams3237]

I look forward to these Friday treats from you or Mark, and even when I am traveling and can't watch them on the day itself, I always make sure to return to them. Such an interesting showcase of your brilliant mind, Simon. And I agree - if anyone watching this is not a Patreon, you should definitely join - Mark's monthly tussle with the Monthly Club Special is always amazing.

[@theweedledrop]

We love crosswords in our household, this is always a great treat!

[@SomethingVeryGeneric]

Best masterclass yet for me. The showing of the thought process and how to break down the clue was thorough enough for my easily confused brain to understand! I have started doing cryptic crosswords, but some of the ones I have been attempting have relied on general knowledge for the clue. For example the Eli/Priest connection I would never have made; never heard of Eli as a biblical figure, and I could only think of the metal band Judas Priest 😂. Is there a resource anywhere that contains common synonyms/references for cryptic crosswords that anyone could use for revision? Great video as always!

[@Alex_Meadows]

The "Crossword abbreviations" article on Wikipedia doesn't seem to be comprehensive but does list quite a few, including "Eli" for "priest" (which stumped me too) and "U" for "posh".

[@davidrattner9]

Such a joy you bring to tons Simon by continuing to solve these every Friday for us!

[@libbilation]

Simon, cannot recommend Stanley Kubrick's 1975 adaptation of Barry Lyndon highly enough! It's a masterpiece

[@andrewalbrecht4547]

I'm terrible at Cryptic Crossword but I got 7 Down so fast because I love that movie (and book).

[@MichaelLamparty]

@@andrewalbrecht4547 Should mention that this film is Stanley Kubrick's Barry Lyndon and the book is William Makepeace Thackeray's "The Luck of Barry Lyndon".

[@bibliopolist]

Agrred. It's pretty much the only "history film" that feels totally real to me. The lighting, the costumes, the whole atmosphere.

[@charlieallemond1274]

Idk about others but you dont have to twist my arm to watch a kubrick film I havent seen

[@DrumsTheWord]

I'm amazed he got it just from the anagram! And yes, a really great film!!

[@user-nb2hh6zn9w]

I decided to learn how to do cryptic crosswords during lockdown. As you say, it takes lots of practice. I really appreciate this weekly tutorial and it is always entertaining. Please don't stop doing them!

[@orosma868]

How Simon comes up with the correct words, when he doesn't actually know the answer, never ceases to amaze me! Ritardando?!? What!!! Never heard of it in my life and certainly wouldn't have made it out of a bunch of letters.

[@mclarenguy22]

I didn’t know either, but I think this is where studying categorised word lists can help (in this case, these Italian musical instructions like ADAGIO, CANTABILE, ANDANTINO, etc. which are familiar to those who read sheet music).

[@riotblob]

Loving these masterclasses. I can feel my crossword abilities gradually increasing as I siphon bits of knowledge off! Also, as a child of the decimal currency age, it is very funny to hear an English person claim that someone else's old currencies are complicated and have weird subdivisions for no reason! :D

[@Ruddigore]

I am so glad you have returned to your routes and are once again putting out regular cryptic crossword content. Another great solve.

[@rogerusher9496]

Brilliant - highlight of the week. Please keep them going

[@jimcameron6803]

Kierkegaard was a philosopher I think. Haven't read him. They're not the first names that spring to my mind when you say "great Danes" but it was clear enough with the dog clue. "You won't get weird [elements]" depends how weird is weird. We had selenium (Se) in the Spectator this week.

[@no-feetmcgee5577]

17:18 when your friend Ronald is leaving

[@philipbrooks402]

Another delightful episode from Simon.

[@tomn1307]

Awesome. Love this!

[@lin4579]

Really look forward to these on a Friday

[@hucksey]

Thanks for another great video. I’m understanding the mystical world of the cryptic more and more thanks to what you do. What would make your videos even better (especially for beginners like myself) would be if you were able to resist sometimes immediately vocalising what you think the answer is (eg 10across ‘director general’ 10:55 ). I try and pause the video to work out the next clue, but you sometimes beat me to it 😆

[@inf0phreak]

I thought of erinyes shortly before Simon wrote it in, but I only know that word from Dungeons & Dragons where they are lawful evil outsiders (devils).

[@9conn]

The cryptic crossword videos are the only videos of yours that I regularly watch but they've become a tradition for me! I've just signed up to the Crossword Club - hopefully I can complete some of the 'proper' cryptics instead of just sticking to the quick cryptics.

[@Anne_Mahoney]

I felt clever with this one: I saw four or five clues before Simon did! (Barry Lyndon, great Danes, rocket scientist, erinyes, I forget what else) I'd love some genuinely-approachable cryptics that don't assume deep knowledge of 21st-c. British culture (or American pop culture either); random languages and literatures are OK, though. Do such beasts exist in the wild? The Friday masterclass is becoming a highlight of the week.

[@martinwilson5210]

Thank you, enjoyed the solve

[@owenhughes1833]

I love these videos. I completed my first "easier" cryptic cross word this morning and it's got a lot to do with you both. So thank you! Can i ask a favour? I listen to these on my friday lunch time walks. Can you read the clues out fully (either in setter intended style or not)? I understand I'm in a vast minority here but its worth an ask. Love the channel, keep it up. Much love, Owen.

[@nuptvalorant1494]

what easier cryptic do you do?

[@francesT5877]

Thanks very much for putting these up. I managed to finish with just a few minutes before the hour and I knew Barry Lyndon (Thackeray novel) and two of those Danes. It’s going to be a while before I can get good times on these puzzles but they’re very fun to do. I knew the word pedicule and got pedicle by luck.

[@makienxhemmiktar]

Keep these going! thanks and hi from sunny Malta

[@theskyisteal8346]

How I got 7 down: Barry Lyndon was a Stanley Kubrick film (that I have yet to watch). Almost all of Stanley Kubrick's films are based on literature not necessarily bearing the same title (or least have a corresponding novel in the case of 2001). Barry Lyndon was not one of the exceptions as I recall so there must have been a book featuring him as a literary character.

[@MarkBDancer]

Chambers Dictionary is available as an app - best fiver I ever spent on one!

[@Afterthoughtbtw]

Mark's solve of the monthly special was certainly otherworldly. I can get many of the clues on the daily cryptic, if with a little effort, but I doubt I could have got more than one or two of the monthly, and certainly not without a dictionary(!) Recommend it to the patreon crossword lovers.

[@clffliese26]

Barry Lyndon was a novel by William Makepeace Thackery and made into a movie in 1975 directed by Stanley Kubrick.

[@jeremydavis3631]

For those who aren't familiar with all the musical terms found on sheet music, "ritardando" does in fact mean slowing down. (In its original meaning, "retard" means to slow down, as in "fire retardant".) "Diminuendo" means gradually getting quieter: the volume is being diminished over time.

[@andyleighton3616]

I quite like the idea of a pie based currency. Obviously a steak and kidney being worth more than a minced beef.

[@grenvillephillips6998]

Flipping 'eck - the stuff you need to know!

[@EmilKamppp]

Karen Blixen, Kirkegaard, and Pontoppidan are danish writers. Kirkegaard is generally attributed as the founding father of philosophical existentialism.

[@missioncardiac7599]

That was great fun. I got a few before Simon, but of course he is constantly giving us hints so in a way I'm cheating. Karen Blixen Danish author memorably played by Meryl Streep in Out of Africa (opposite Robert Redford), Kierkergaard the existentialist philosopher

[@David_K_Booth]

Kierkegaard is Danish for "churchyard". Being named "Mr Cemetery" isn't a great start in life. No wonder his writing is so miserable.

[@richfield4405]

Actually got Lynx with reference to the wild cat and the lynx helicopter being by the navy "by the sea" Don't often get any at all!! Keep up the very entertaining and educational videos

[@jadeEpeace]

I love these videos. I got rocket scientist (once Simon had helped me by telling me it was an anagram!) 🤭

[@Raven-Creations]

"I haven't got a clue" - yes you have, you just read it out - it's cryptic 😜 How else are you meant to solve a crossword? Sorry, that fruit was hanging too low to resist. I totally agree that 25A is brilliant. It's the sort of clue a setter dreams of devising - no conjunctions, just definition, anagram, and the anagram indicator, which fit perfectly with the anagram. Keep 'em coming. I like that they're on Friday - it's something to look forward to at the end of the week. I do wish the Times' software showed all of the clues at once. I don't have a Times account (and never will, because I won't do anything to support the evil Murdoch empire*), so when I'm solving along with you, I often have to wait for you to scroll a clue into view before I can check my answer against a crossing clue. [*] The Sun with all the harm it has done (lies about Hillsborough, lies about the EU leading to Brexit, etc.), Fox News (knowingly spreading lies throughout the US), News of the World (phone hacking scandal), the list goes on and on. Sky has also "stolen" so many live sports from the British public, which all used to be free for the whole nation - Football Premiership games, Test Cricket, F1, etc. It would not surprise me to learn that the Dirty Digger has a Death Star.

[@solongskorpex]

I always love watching the cryptic solves, but I wish I had fewer knowledge gaps that make certain clues impossible. Definitely some of these come from being American, but others are just a lack of general knowledge. For science, I've recorded the references I had never seen or heard of before this video: (obviously massive spoilers for the puzzle ahead) UK references I was unaware of: Learner = L (learner license plates in the UK) Pink paper = FT (financial times) Auntie = Someone who works at BBC? Posh = U (as in upper-class) Caught = C (cricket) Phrases I haven't come across: In train = happening/ongoing (???) Go off = ROT (I get it, but feels very tenuous to me. "go" = become and "off" = rotten but I'd never say this) 27s = dogs??? (Wasn't able to find reference on the internet for this) In charge = IC (is this a reference to HBIC? only time I've seen "in charge" abbreviated like this) Missing vocabulary: Rocky height = TOR Pedicle = short stalk Camber = curve in a road Course = LINKS (golf) BARKER = Tout = busker/aggressive street vendor (knew neither the word in the clue nor the answer to this one) Chiromancer = palm reader History/cultural references I didn't know: Anna and pie = old Indian currencies (wasn’t necessary for the solve tbh) Clown = COCO (coco the clown) Priest = ELI (bible) Gold = OR (heraldry) Olympian goddess = HEBE (Greek mythology) Hibernia = Ireland (latin)

[@timh6867]

27s is dogs because the answer to 27 across was 'barker'. Can remember when I went down a similar rabbit hole with a random number in a clue!

[@andrewzmorris]

Practice makes perfect. The more you do these, the more you pick up on these gaps in your understanding - after just this video, look how many new references you now know! Next time you see any of these in a crossword, you'll be able to know that, and then other people will say to you "I could never do these because I don't know those references!" Also, you don't need to get every reference - you can usually work out the word from the checking letters. For example, in this puzzle, Simon (and I) didn't know 7-down, but it made sense with the clues. Now the puzzle is finished, you go look it up - oh, it's a book from 1844! Stanley Kubrick apparently made a movie about it. Maybe I'll go watch that movie now, it sounds interesting... Once you start doing crosswords, you definitely do start improving and you start getting way more references, and your general knowledge increases.

[@nat-moody]

Personally prefer when Simon leaves the dictionary-justifying till after he's done the whole thing. The Friday solve is always a pleasure though

[@myfyrmadocjones]

I vaguely remember a cryptic crossword clue from a few years ago with a reference to G&S (which i cant recall) but the clue was something like … A Ship for Men (1,1,1,8) with the answer being HMS Pinafore.

[@andreww4473]

Re your on screen dictionary - the iOS app store and Microsoft Store both have Chambers Dictionary (and Thesaurus) apps available to buy. I have them (one on my phone and one on my PC) and they are just a more up to date version of your CD Rom version.

[@sebastienlecoq3956]

I was shouting 12 down on my screen, but Simon didn't listen to me (at least he got it by himself)

[@vinyl1Earthlink]

On the other hand, if your general knowledge is good, you'll breeze through. I saw Barry Lyndon, ritardando, Erinyes, and the great Danes at once. It was pedicle that I didn't know and had to work out, but the crossers give it to you.

[@glum_hippo]

Yes, 'ritardando' is the most common musical term for 'slowing down'. A close second is 'rallentando'

[@mg222.]

This video makes American and British English look like two completely different languages

[@archivist17]

A Friday Highlight!

[@recentrunes6519]

Thank you for the solve! 15a - in the paper edition, Times is in italics, so I think TT would be ok?

[@Scum42]

For 8 down (at about 18:21), I believe the word "wedged" actually isn't just flavor and is referring to "axes", because an axe is essentially just a wedge on a stick is it not?

[@BryanLu0]

Then what is the purpose of "cuts" in the clue? Either way there is a superfluous word

[@Scum42]

@@BryanLu0 Sure, but the word at least is relevant to the answer. And like Simon said at some point later (don't really remember where) this isn't, like, the hardest-of-the-hard so multiple paths to the correct solution seems okay

[@BryanLu0]

@@Scum42 Unless it is providing an extra definition, there should be no superfluous words. For instance, Simon always makes sure to point out the meaning of the clue is exactly the same if you remove the word "a" so usually you'll find the letter "a" in the answer.

[@andymoss]

Winston Churchill had a Black Dog.

[@no-feetmcgee5577]

I'm actually amazed that Simon didn't know ritardando; perhaps it's just because I've been reading music for much of my life but I thought it was a well-known musical term! I must say, I'm very, very pleased that there are any words I know which aren't yet in Simon's (much larger) vocabulary.

[@bibliopolist]

I am also amazed that someone would know the much more obscure "diminuendo" but not "ritardando" which is used so much more often in all kinds of sheet music.

[@Anne_Mahoney]

@@bibliopolist Right: we usually see a hairpin sign instead of "diminuendo" (or "crescendo") written out, though "dim."/"cresc." do turn up at least in piano scores.

[@ymiros0953]

Tfw I don't know 70% of the words Simon says in these videos, but I do know both Erynies and Ritardando, I don't even have to do much with either, idk how I know those xD

[@jacksonvance7219]

Of course I was making fun of you for not remembering the word pedicle. Anyway, what’s a pedicle 😂

[@mattwatkins6939]

Simon: Embarrassed about not spotting pedicle Me, never having heard of the word nor it's meaning, nor having any experience of cryptic crosswords: You absolute clown

[@V1gilance88]

Work hard = toil :)

[@bobblebardsley]

One of my favourite electronic components (yes we're in 'don't talk to me at parties' territory) is the Schmitt trigger, which smooths an analogue input to produce a single digital input i.e. if you press a button and it 'bounces' slightly, it doesn't register as pressing it twice. I have no idea if they're used in keyboards but I presume some equivalent is, which might be the problem with your E-key. It's worth noting that E is the most commonly used letter (I've had laptops where you could see a smudged version of my fingerprint worn into the surface of the E-key) so if that key starts giving you problems, it's often the first sign of mechanical failure.

[@henrymarkson3758]

"rocket scientist" not particularly hard, but definitely twitter worthy

[@penpointexpress]

Engagement comment 💖

[@accountnamewithheld]

If you are generating more characters than you press, your keyboard is broken

[@Majoofi]

The clues and grid are kind of blurry today.

[@jessevennard2640]

I believe the puzzle creator was thinking an axe is a type of wedge