Guardian 24,886 / Brendan
Posted by diagacht on December 18th, 2009
diagacht has web access problems today but has supplied the following analysis without a preamble.
| Across | |
|---|---|
| 8 | CALABASH: A LAB (a little dog) in CASH (rhino) |
| 9 | HARTE: ART in HE (not sure which Harte is meant, presumably Bret or Jack) |
| 10 | TAME: anagram of TEAM and also of MATE |
| 11 | TENDERNESS: ERNES (birds) in TENDS (nurses) |
| 12 | HAMMER: cryptic definition |
| 14 | EXAMPLES: EXAM (test) + initial letters of ‘Powerful Lawyers Enjoying Success’ |
| 15 | CARDIAC: CARDI (short for cardigan) + A C (cape) |
| 17 | REVAMPS: VAMPS (wicked women) after RE (religious education) |
| 20 | APERITIF: anagram of PARTIE(s) (indicated by mostly) + IF (providing) |
| 22 | PATRON: P (little money, penny) + anagram of ON ART &lit |
| 23 | YESTERYEAR: YES (indeed) + RYE (whiskey) in TEAR (run) |
| 24 | LIAR: (I (current) + A (article)) splitting L and R (sides, left and right) |
| 25 | EARTH: hidden in japanesE ART Hanging |
| 26 | REORIENT: anagram of RETIRE ON |
| Down | |
| 1 | MAHARAJA: (AJAR (opened a part, a bit) A HAM (leg area)) all reversed |
| 2 | HARE: as in Alice in Wonderland |
| 3 | HATTER: also part of the same tea party. I think it means placing haRE HATTer together and then making an anagram of the central letters. The answer is obvious, not sure about the word play. |
| 4,19 | CHANGES OF HEART: points to anagrams in the centre of each of the indicated clues |
| 5 | SHOELACE: anagram of HOLES ACE (one) &lit |
| 6 | TRANSPLANT: PLAN (intend) in anagram of N (new) START |
| 7 | LESSEE: drop T (temp) from LE(t)S + SEE (consider) |
| 13 | MODERATORS: MODE (way) + (o)RATORS (speakers with start off) |
| 16 | AUTARCHY: H (hard) in anagram of ACTUARY |
| 18 | PTOMAINE: ptomaine poisoning is a food poisoning that was formerly thought to be cause by ptomaines. We now know only a few ptomaines are actually poisonous. |
| 21 | PEEKED: homophone of PIQUED |
| 22 | PARTON: a bit off and a PART ON |
| 24 | LAIR: RIAL (reversed) (currency in Iran) |
December 18th, 2009 at 10:46 am
Thanks, diagacht,
Good luck with restoring your connection.
I think there’s a bit more to the theme…
4/19d suggests “changes of heart” in other ways too; straight anagrams, other definitions (cardiac revamps, transplants)
2&3d. are the result of two anagrams of “heart”.
Another typically comprehensively themed Brendan…
December 18th, 2009 at 10:47 am
Many thanks, diagacht,
Wonderful!
In a comment on the Independent Virgilius [Brendan] puzzle on Tuesday, Quixote [Pasquale] said, ‘Will Virgilius ever run out of novelties?’ It appears not!
This was a real gem of a puzzle. Even after 4,19 was cracked, there were still several variations on the theme. I enjoyed every minute of it.
December 18th, 2009 at 11:01 am
Yes, another great puzzle from Brendan – and quite tough too.
I think 12ac is a double def – “things go under this” and “slege[hammer] for example”. 18dn is another &lit – P[resumed] T[oxic} O[dorous] + AMINE*. And I think 21dn is a double homphone – PIQUED and PEAKED.
December 18th, 2009 at 11:04 am
“Peaked” as in “looking a bit peaky”, I should have added.
December 18th, 2009 at 11:06 am
Oh dear, it seems I don’t share other folks’ enthusiasm, but then maybe (probably) I have missed some things.
15a – Where’s the definition? I’m also not familiar with CAPE = C but assume that’s just ignorance on my part.
24d – Again, where’s the definition? Presumably EARTH = LAIR but that seems a bit too much of a stretch to me.
Any assistance would be greatly appreciated.
December 18th, 2009 at 11:13 am
Phil
The definition of 15ac is ’19′ [of heart] – brilliant!
I don’t see your problem with 24dn – it works for me.
December 18th, 2009 at 11:16 am
Phil – in 15ac the definition is just “19″, i.e. a reference to 19dn, which is “of heart”.
24dn – you’re right, it’s a ref to EARTH in 25ac: and an earth is a fox’s lair
December 18th, 2009 at 11:17 am
Phil,
Yes, C = Cape (on maps)
15ac. the definition is “of heart” (ie. 19)
24d. yes, “earth” (25 being the definition) is an animal’s lair.
December 18th, 2009 at 11:17 am
Sorry Eileen and Andrew…
December 18th, 2009 at 11:28 am
No problem Ian, I’m just glad we all agree
“Just the place for a Snark! I have said it twice:
That alone should encourage the crew.
Just the place for a Snark! I have said it thrice:
What I tell you three times is true.”
December 18th, 2009 at 11:35 am
Absolutely
December 18th, 2009 at 11:43 am
…just glad we could all “phil” him in with the same information.
December 18th, 2009 at 11:59 am
Ah! The penny drops, the scales fall from my eyes etc.
Thanks all
December 18th, 2009 at 12:01 pm
I hated it at first – but then I had a 4,19
.
I’m glad we all know now about PTOMAINES not causing PTOMAINE poisoning – I always thought he was a French bloke who farted a lot!
December 18th, 2009 at 12:09 pm
Thanks, diagacht. I thought I would never get into this, but then I got 9ac and 4,19 and the rest followed (with the aid of the check button). Quite hard but very enjoyable, with lots of clever tricks. I really enjoyed all the variations of the theme.
December 18th, 2009 at 12:53 pm
Many thanks, Diagacht, this was too tough for me and I surrendered with 8 failures, mainly in the Top Right corner.
I always do my puzzles off-line over breakfast and I rely on this site to show me where I’ve gone wrong and, as always, you’ve done an excellent job.
December 18th, 2009 at 1:35 pm
I found this tough but enjoyable, and it was a satisfying achievement to finish it. Some ingenious clues, and a nicely convoluted theme.
I did initially worry about what the definition was in 5d, and how ‘connect’, ‘connect holes’, etc. could equate with SHOELACE. Eileen will be relieved to hear (after that business recently about ‘oracle’ being used as a verb) that I couldn’t find any dictionary which gave ‘connect’ as a noun, or ‘shoelace’ as a verb.
But I see it now, of course. The whole clue is the definition.
December 18th, 2009 at 4:24 pm
Thanks to Brendan: brilliant as always!
December 18th, 2009 at 4:54 pm
Andrew @ 3.
12a is a cryptic definition referring to auctions where lots go under the hammer.
December 18th, 2009 at 5:10 pm
Thanks for this diagacht.
3d is a delightful clue. Not only was the Hatter a fellow participant in the tea party in Alice in Wonderland along with the hare but if you take the letters of HARE + HATTER, you can make EARTH twice, hence the ‘nested’ reference!
December 18th, 2009 at 5:11 pm
I meant HEART in #20, of course.
December 18th, 2009 at 5:24 pm
Benington
IanN14 made that point in Comment 1.
December 18th, 2009 at 5:42 pm
We finished it, but with groans rather than chuckles.
December 18th, 2009 at 5:46 pm
Benington (19). Yes I realise that – I was making the point that the clue isn’t just a cryptic definition, as the blog seems to imply.
December 18th, 2009 at 8:49 pm
Apologies everyone for a rather hurried blog today. The weather is playing havoc at our end. On top of the usual travel problems the firewall went down taking with it all web contact. This is still not fixed but I write now from a guest computer.
I thought this was a most interesting puzzle but I did not find it easy. A challenge but at an acceptable level. Well done Brendan – terrific puzzle.
December 20th, 2009 at 6:09 am
Hey,
My first post here. I have just taken to the guardian xword and pretty much rely on this site to explain the solutions and i still dont get how Rhino = cash (8ac)
December 20th, 2009 at 2:25 pm
Ashley, Rhino is slang for cash or money. Most dictionaries say “origin uncertain” but this site has a few suggestions:
http://users.tinyonline.co.uk/gswithenbank/sayingsp.htm
Look at the entry for “Pay through the Nose” (rhinos is Greek for nose).
December 20th, 2009 at 2:33 pm
hi ashley
rhino is a slang word for money (collins).hope that helps – if you see this! welcome to the guardian crosswords.