Vegetable when of expected standard, first-class, ultimately pleasing us

The answer to “Vegetable when of expected standard, first-class, ultimately pleasing us” in the The Times Quick Cryptic crossword is ASPARAGUS — a 9-letter word. It most recently appeared in the The Times Quick Cryptic crossword on August 21, 2026, a Friday puzzle, at 13-Across. Below you'll find why that fill fits, every other answer we've recorded for this clue, and links into the puzzle it came from.

“Vegetable when of expected standard, first-class, ultimately pleasing us” answer

ASPARAGUS (9 letters)

Reveal the solution one letter at a time with the tiles above if you'd rather nudge yourself toward it than see the whole word at once. Just want it outright? The answer is ASPARAGUS.

What does ASPARAGUS mean?

Reading the plain dictionary sense of ASPARAGUS is often the fastest way to see why it answers this clue.

When else has “Vegetable when of expected standard, first-class, ultimately pleasing us” appeared?

The Times Quick Cryptic reuses clues across dates, sometimes with a different answer depending on the grid. Here's where this exact clue has shown up, and what the answer was each time — handy when you're checking whether today's fill is the only one.

August 21, 2026 (most recent) → ASPARAGUS. We haven't indexed another appearance of this exact clue yet.

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