Everyman No 3,362
Posted by PeterO on March 13th, 2011
And the envelope contains…
| Across | |||
| 1. | I’m so sexy in new lace undergarment (8) | ||
| CAMISOLE | Envelope (‘in’) of MISO, an anagram (‘sexy’) of ‘Im so’ in CALE, an anagram (‘new’) of ‘lace’. | ||
| 5. | A couple of lines in poor song (6) | ||
| BALLAD | Envelope (‘in’) of A LL (‘a’ ‘couple of lines’) in BAD (‘poor’). | ||
| 9. | Beginning to laugh, interrupting funny gag (8) | ||
| STRANGLE | Envelope (‘interrupting’) of L (‘beginning to Laugh’) in STRANGE (‘funny’). | ||
| 10. | Article by good man on church’s position (6) | ||
| STANCE | Charade of ST (‘good man’) + AN (‘article’) + CE (‘church’ of England). | ||
| 12. | Buddhist monk holding head of lowing animal (5) | ||
| LLAMA | Envelope (‘holding’) of L (‘head of Lowing’) in LAMA (‘Buddhist monk’). | ||
| 13. | Popular French novelist’s crossing small British city (9) | ||
| INVERNESS | Envelope (‘crossing’) of S (‘small’) in IN VERNES (‘popular’ ‘French novelists’). | ||
| 14. | Checking text from academic going round old English university (12) | ||
| PROOFREADING | Envelope (‘going round’) of O (‘old’) in PROF READING (‘academic’ ‘English university‘). | ||
| 18. | Speculation after son’s dismissed? His crime? (12) | ||
| EMBEZZLEMENT | Peculation is EMBEZZLEMENT, and also [s]peculation minus s (‘after sons dismissed’). An unusual style of clue. The Z from 3D made the answer obvious some time before I saw the wordplay. | ||
| 21. | Typeface used by Cambridge college lecturer penning first of novels (9) | ||
| CLARENDON | Envelope (‘penning’) of N (‘first of Novels’) in CLARE DON (‘Cambridge college‘ ‘ lecturer’). | ||
| 23. | Ring about daughter’s cycle (5) | ||
| PEDAL | Envelope (‘about’) of D (‘daughter’) in PEAL (‘ring’). | ||
| 24. | Beast kept by Pakistani male (6) | ||
| ANIMAL | Hidden in ‘PakistANI MALe’. | ||
| 25. | A name in staircase window (8) | ||
| FANLIGHT | Envelope (‘in’) of A N (‘a’ ‘name’) in FLIGHT (‘staircase’). | ||
| 26. | Hear about object, all the rage (6) | ||
| TRENDY | Envelope (‘about’) of END (‘object’) in TRY (‘hear’ in the judicial sense). | ||
| 27. | On which runners make tracks? (3,5) | ||
| SKI SLOPE | Cryptic definition. | ||
| Down | |||
| 1. | Keep left in station (6) | ||
| CASTLE | Envelope (‘in’) of L (‘left’) in CASTE (‘station’ of life). Defining CASTLE as ‘keep’ is a little questionable. | ||
| 2. | New, in fish sauce (6) | ||
| MORNAY | Envelope (‘in’) of N (‘new’) in MORAY (‘fish’, the eel). Mornay sauce is a white sauce with cheese, which may well be served with fish. | ||
Moray eel
| 3. | Czar’s aunt, originally from a Bolivian city (5,4) | ||
| SANTA CRUZ | Anagram (‘originally’; not indicating a first letter this time, but an uncommon and effective anagrind) of ‘Czars aunt’. Among the various cities with this name, there is Santa Cruz de la Sierra, in Bolivia. | ||
| 4. | Sweet woman, crossing warden (8,4) | ||
| LOLLIPOP LADY | Charade of LOLLIPOP (‘sweet’) + LADY (‘woman’). | ||
| 6. | Change flag when heading off (5) | ||
| ALTER | [f]ALTER (‘flag’ ‘when heading off”). | ||
| 7. | Cause of one leering lasciviously? (8) | ||
| LINGERIE | Anagram (’cause of’?) of I (‘one’) ‘leering’. The lure of the &lit probably accounts for the loose construction. | ||
| 8. | Put on, before season, an equestrian event (8) | ||
| DRESSAGE | Charade of DRESS (‘put on’) + AGE (‘season’). | ||
| 11. | All given lift after morality play (5,3,4) | ||
| EVERY MAN JACK | Charade of EVERYMAN(‘morality play’) + JACK (‘lift’). In addition to a crossword, Everyman is a 15 century morality play. | ||
The frontispiece to Everyman (he's on the left)
| 15. | An Italian city, southern state capital (9) | ||
| ANNAPOLIS | Charade of ‘an’ + NAPOLI (‘Italian city’, Naples) + S (‘southern’). | ||
| 16. | Liking page’s charm (8) | ||
| PENCHANT | Charade of P (‘page’) + ENCHANT (‘charm’). | ||
| 17. | Rough sailor varies manoeuvres (8) | ||
| ABRASIVE | Charade of AB (able bodied ‘sailor’) + RASIVE, anagram (‘manœuvres’) of ‘varies’. | ||
| 19. | A soldier entering a function slowly (6) | ||
| ADAGIO | Envelope (‘entering’) of A GI (‘a’ ‘soldier’) in A GO (‘a’ ‘function’). | ||
| 20. | Gay bishop set on fire by male (6) | ||
| BLITHE | Charade of B (‘bishop’) + LIT (‘set on fire’) + HE (‘male’). Remarkable surface! | ||
| 22. | Close to campsite, put down an antelope (5) | ||
| ELAND | Charade of E (‘close to campsitE + LAND (‘put down’). | ||
March 13th, 2011 at 8:29 am
Thanks PeterO
Didn’t have any problem with CASTLE as ‘keep’.
March 13th, 2011 at 8:36 am
Nice Everyman puzzle, and thanks to PeterO for the good, pictorial blog.
Didn’t realise PECULATION=embezzlement until I looked it up. As you say, the ‘z’ made the answer a possible.
CAMISOLE and LINGERIE; I was waiting for knickers next.
March 13th, 2011 at 9:11 am
I really enjoyed this Everyman puzzle, even though I never managed to complete it. The surface readings of some of the clues — like 1a and 20d — were hilarious. Many thanks for your explanation of the clues I never managed to solve.
March 13th, 2011 at 9:48 am
A lovely puzzle that produced many smiles and some laugh-out-loud moments from me and my solving partner. Especially liked 20d. Thanks to Everyman and to PeterO for an entertaining blog.
March 13th, 2011 at 9:58 am
Thanks PeterO,
Another very entertaining puzzle from Everyman with many superb clues including CAMISOLE, STRANGLE, PEDAL (simple but misleading), LINGERIE (almost &lit) and BLITHE (favourite). The latter clue was very amusing and appealed to my irreligious nature. Well done Everyman.
March 13th, 2011 at 10:57 am
Many thanks PeterO, especially for the reminder of Everyman, which I should have recognised at the time, grr!
In 7d, I took the anagrind to be ‘lasciviously’, and the whole to be an &lit.
The usual excellent fare from Everyman (the setter). Thanks.
March 13th, 2011 at 11:52 am
Thank you, Peter for a fine blog.
Very entertaining puzzle – I too smiled at the clue for BLITHE, but there were many other good ones as well. I too had forgotten the Everyman morality play definition. Needed your explanation of EMBEZZLEMENT, never having come across peculation before.
Everyman on excellent form.