Guardian 24798 / Rufus
Posted by mhl on September 7th, 2009
I’m afraid I’m under thesis deadline pressure this week, but my partner very kindly offered to write notes on this one, so I’m just reposting what she wrote…
[Links to the puzzle as HTML, PDF and Java Applet]
| Across | ||
|---|---|---|
| 5. | BONSAI | Cryptic definition |
| 6. | SLIP UP | PUPILS = “students”, reversed |
| 9. | AGHAST | HAS = “swindles” in (TAG)* |
| 10. | RETURNED | Double definition |
| 11. | WING | Double definition |
| 12. | PEA SHOOTER | A great cryptic definition |
| 13. | TEA INTERVAL | (ALTERNATIVE)* |
| 18. | FLIGHT DECK | FLIGHT = “stairs” + DECK = “decorate” |
| 21. | LAID | L + AID |
| 22. | GARDENIA | (DRAINAGE)*; “proper” being the anagram indicator |
| 23. | WAIVER | I’VE in WAR |
| 24. | ENVIED | VIE = “to compete” in END = “final” |
| 25. | TOP HAT | Another excellent cryptic definition |
| Down | ||
| 1. | ENTANGLE | (TEN)* + ANGLE = “fish” |
| 2. | LAPTOP | APT = “likely” in LOP = “cut” |
| 3. | FLETCHER | Cryptic definition |
| 4. | OPORTO | PORT = “side at sea” in OO = “scoreless draw” |
| 5. | BIGWIG | Double definition; WIG can mean “to scold” |
| 7. | PREFER | P = “quietly” + REFER = “mention” |
| 8. | BREAK THE LAW | |
| 14. | INTENDED | Double definition |
| 15. | ALL RIGHT | Double definition |
| 16. | ALSACE | Cryptic definition, as in the area of France next to Lorraine |
| 17. | DIRECT | Double definition |
| 19. | GODIVA | Cryptic definition |
| 20. | KOWTOW | WOK reversed + TOW = “tug” |
September 7th, 2009 at 11:14 am
8d. If you break (i.e. make an anagram) of “the law” you make wealth.
September 7th, 2009 at 11:38 am
Thanks, Gazza – I’ve updated the post.
September 7th, 2009 at 11:49 am
Many thanks, mhl
Rather more challenging than usual for a Monday offering, I thought, but all the clues were perfectly fair and none of the solutions was obscure.
Very enjoyable.
Thanks, Rufus
September 7th, 2009 at 12:05 pm
Thanks mhl (and partner). I also found this quite hard for Monday, and for Rufus, but the usual good surfaces. 12ac was funny.
September 7th, 2009 at 12:10 pm
Is 5ac really a cd? I thought this was a double def., as bonsai is the bowl that the trees (woods indoor) get their name from?
Nick
September 7th, 2009 at 12:16 pm
Nick, you’re right. Cmambers gives:- ETYMOLOGY: 1920s: Japanese, from bon tray or bowl + sai cultivation.
September 7th, 2009 at 12:45 pm
Thanks, both, for the blog.
I missed PEA SHOOTER on the first run-through, and initially put in PRAISE for 7dn, which just about works, but held things up for a minute or two. [I wasn't really happy with 'praise = favour' - but then 'refer' really needs 'to' to mean 'mention', which can = 'raise'].
Favourite clues: 12ac,8dn and 19dn.
September 7th, 2009 at 8:22 pm
Good grief – finished Rufus on my own! Anyone help me with 24ac though? Can’t make envy equal begrudge no matter how I stretch it.
September 7th, 2009 at 8:48 pm
William
It’s VIE within END.
Therefore ENVIED = Begrudge.
QED
September 7th, 2009 at 9:01 pm
William – well done! One of the definitions of “begrudge” as a transitive verb in Chambers is “to envy the possession of”. I think they are substitutable in sentences, e.g. “to envy someone something” and “to begrudge someone something”… Was that what you meant?
September 7th, 2009 at 11:17 pm
8 Down
Simply brilliant.
Though I didn’t get it!
September 7th, 2009 at 11:39 pm
I loved PEA SHOOTER, TEA INTERVAL and TOP HAT. Thanks for the blog mhl, especially BONSAI (I’d put in ‘binbag’ for reasons I can’t now remember or explain).
September 8th, 2009 at 1:43 am
Is a pea-shooter really a weapon? “Toy” would have worked better in the clue.
September 8th, 2009 at 9:02 am
Thank you mhl & Bryan – I had the word play, and I now see the definition. I would simply never use ‘begrudge’ in that way. I begrudge politicians and bankers their outrageous perks, but I certainly don’t envy them – as in ‘wish them for myself’. Hey-ho, thanks to you both.
September 8th, 2009 at 10:12 am
I agree regarding the begrudge / envy difference, whatever Chambers might say. Benighted publication that it is.
Wish I hadn’t developed a fixation re ‘banyan’ rather than pressing on for ‘bonsai’.
Very much liked ‘break the law’.
September 9th, 2009 at 5:18 am
Liked peashooter, godiva, and break the law!
In 24A, I can’t see the need for “round”. If compete=vie, then we have two containment indicators: in and round.