Guardian Quick Cryptic 134 by Chandler – GENERATED FROM BLOGGING TOOLS

The original puzzle may be found here.

This puzzle is the 13th Quick Cryptic from Dice, 15th including a couple of specials.

All of Dice’s puzzles for the Quick Cryptic slots have had a theme or a Nina, and this is no exception in having a theme. This morning I too got the new version of the app, so who knows how easy highlighting the theme is going to be; I may have to add it later. And as I write this I think there’s a typo in the puzzle as I cannot parse the solution that the apps are accepting now corrected. I’ll add a wave to Dice who I briefly met at the Sloggers and Betters (Setters and Bloggers) meet last weekend (not her fault, I wandered in and out).

The whole point of these crosswords is support and encouragement of new solvers, so special rules for these crosswords apply – see here – those rules include not posting solving times.

TODAY’S TRICKS Clues begin or end with a definition of the answer. The rest is one of these:
Anagram Anagram of answer and hint that there’s an anagram
‘Senator arranged crime (7)’ gives TREASON
Hidden word(s) Answer hidden in clue’s words
‘Some have altered meat (4)’ gives VEAL
Soundalike Something that sounds like answer
‘Excited, Oscar’s announced (4)’ gives WILD
Decapitation Answer is another word without first letter
‘Beer in story without intro (3)’ gives ALE
click to show the completed grid

 picture of the completed grid

ACROSS
1. Long-necked bird goes wandering in part (4)
Answer
SWAN
Hint
Hidden word
Explanation

found inside (in part) goeS WANdering

4. Poor shot is rubbish (4)
Answer
TOSH
Hint
Anagram
Explanation

anagram (poor, in bad condition, messed up) of SHOT

7. Mention of leading belief (9)
Answer
PRINCIPLE
Hint
Soundalike
Explanation

PRINCIPLE sounds like (mention of) "principal" (leading)

8. Head ignoring first character in the past (4)
Answer
ONCE
Hint
Decapitation
Explanation

bONCE (head) missing first letter (ignoring first character)

9. Rues overlooking original wading birds (6)
Answer
EGRETS
Hint
Decapitation
Explanation

eEGRETS (birds) missing first letter (overlooking original)

10. Reportedly, disturb ruler in a desert? (6)
Answer
SHEIKH
Hint
Soundalike
Explanation

SHEIKH sounds like (reportedly) "shake" (disturb)

13. Some clap actors’ formal agreement (4)
Answer
PACT
Hint
Hidden word
Explanation

found inside (some of) claP ACTors

14. A CIA set so deployed for colleague (9)
Answer
ASSOCIATE
Hint
Anagram
Explanation

anagram (deployed) of A CIA SET SO

15. Impulse in sudden movement after start is cancelled (4)
Answer
URGE
Hint
Decapitation
Explanation

sURGE missing first letter (after start is cancelled)

16. Decline among factories in Kent (4)
Answer
SINK
Hint
Hidden word
Explanation

found inside (among) factorieS IN Kent

DOWN
2. Pick up trickery for period of time? (5)
Answer
WHILE
Hint
Soundalike
Explanation

sounds like (pick up, hear) "wile" (trickery)

3. Specific area of marketing defended by Germanic helper (5)
Answer
NICHE
Hint
Hidden word
Explanation

found inside (defended by) germaNIC HElper

4. Petra moved long, thin candle (5)
Answer
TAPER
Hint
Anagram
Explanation

anagram (moved) of PETRA

5. Places sect ruined for visually striking displays (10)
Answer
SPECTACLES
Hint
Anagram
Explanation

anagram (ruined) of PLACES SECT

6. Sort of input, I hear, is unresolved (2,2,3,3)
Answer
UP IN THE AIR
Hint
Anagram
Explanation

anagram (sort of, the letters are sorted) INPUT I HEAR

11. Component in this suet is contentious matter (5)
Answer
ISSUE
Hint
Hidden word
Explanation

found inside (a component in) thIS SUEt

12. Journalistic drudges in cabins missing front (5)
Answer
HACKS
Hint
Decapitation
Explanation

sHACKS (cabins) missing first letter (front)

13. Unadorned tool used in carpentry, it’s said (5)
Answer
PLAIN
Hint
Soundalike
Explanation

PLAIN sounds like (it's said) "plane" (a tool used in carpentry)

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