UKC

A heads up for those who have missed this. So far it seems like a good new introduction to the Cryptic game.

https://www.theguardian.com/crosswords/quick-cryptic/1

Some nice anagrams there.

Cheers, enjoyed that.

I've been trying to do cryptics and thought these were great. I had some problems parsing some of the answers though. I couldn't get 12 across in the 1st one. I can see the definition, but didn't quite see the word play. Then in the second one, I couldn't really understand the word play in 2 down. In the comments someone said that clue was brilliant, but it went beyond me. 

12a agree.

2d is an anagram.

Another word for check is 'rein', as in 'rein in', and 'in audition' is suggesting a homophone.

I generally work through the Quiptic and Monday's Cryptic each week with varying success. Some seem quite a lot harder than others but I think it is to do with being on the same wavelength, or not, as the setter.

Fifteen squared is useful -

https://www.fifteensquared.net/2024/04/13/guardian-quick-cryptic-2-by-picar...

The Everyman, each Sunday, is also a good intro to cryptics.

Then as the next rung on the ladder, Mondays on the regular cryptic are traditionally the easiest of the week.

Thanks, that's quite a clever anagram. I can totally see this now, and the anagram indicator is pretty clear. 

Thanks

Thanks, I had wondered if it was rain as in "take a rain check". 
I thought "rein in" meant to control something. But I suppose "keeping something in check" fits with rein in. I feel this one is a bit tenuous for me, or I'm now over thinking this. 

Thanks. That's really useful, and matches John Arran's description. 

Are we looking at the same crossword. I have 2d as "Audibly noticed wound (4)". I think that's a homophone, not an anagram??

This one confused me as well. I got the word, but only because it was the last clue and I really couldn't think of any other word that worked with the letters I had. I only understood the clue from reading this thread, and it feels a little tenuous to me too!

2d in Quick Cryptic 2 is an anagram.

No we're not! 😀

Agreed - but I inferred from the link in the OP that we were talking about Quick Cryptic 1, hence my confusion!

I’m not immediately convinced by 12ac. The classical rule is that you need to be able to produce a sentence where ‘check’ could be substituted for ‘rein’ without changing the meaning. It’s not obvious. ‘Rein in’, sure, but that’s cheating.

Maybe ‘x acted as a check/rein on Y’s ambitions’. It’s not perfect but acceptable.

jcm

QC3 done! I like Carpathian. Now for the probably much greater, days-long, challenge of today's Prize, which is a Picaroon. I tend to be all or nothing with him.

I enjoyed QC3 and managed it in a surprisingly (for me) short amount of time. Although was let down by my knowledge of porches and barrels. 

Interesting that they still expect you to know some of the cryptic conventions, for example certain words that shorten to non-obvious pairs of letters.

This one seems a bit of a leap in that regard compared to the last two.

I also found it interesting that although I have finished the crossword, I didn't understand one of their example clues. Can anyone tell me how this one works? I understand sin = bad thing and I guess that I'm removing a P (no parking), but I can't figure out what I'm removing the P from...

Deletion

Remove letters from another word for the answer

‘Car trip with no parking is bad thing (3)’ gives SIN

Remove the 'p' from 'spin.'

Aha! Thanks.

True, although number 2 had 11 down: cool down one spicy food (6) which is a single letter but not obvious.

Isn't this just as per the rubric: last word (pair) was the definition and what preceded was a double definition. Taking 'I' for 1 or 'O' for 0 or duck isn't that cryptic, no?

I had to stare at that for quite a while before I saw it.

Tbf Picaroon has now given me my new favourite cryptic crossword clue:

Nerd with new Capri pants, not a sweater? (6,6)

😁

Laughed out loud when I got that one 

Yes, a good one. Requires some knowledge of current affairs to understand the definition part of the clue i.e. understand why the answer is the right one.