Guardian 25,892 / Rufus
Posted by Eileen on March 11th, 2013
Back to normal Monday with a Rufus puzzle, with perhaps fewer cryptic definitions than we sometimes have. There were some very neat anagrams, I thought, and some nice surfaces, as always. Many thanks, Rufus.
Across
1 The ne plus ultra conversion, very bland
NEUTRAL
anagram [conversion] of NE + ULTRA – this gave me a smile to start the puzzle
5 She plays with electricity switch
ACTRESS
AC [electricity] + TRESS [switch]
10 Once put down, it can be served
WRIT
double definition – the old past tense of ‘written’ [put down] as in ‘The moving finger writes and, having writ, moves on’
11 Be unlucky in raffle, but lucky in Russian roulette
DRAW A BLANK
double definition
12 Go faster in the present, though beaten in the past
OUTRUN
double definition – active voice in the present tense, passive in the past
13 Farewell present for a member of the party?
GOODY BAG
cryptic definition
14 It teaches fashion in accordance with good taste
AESTHETIC
anagram [fashion] of IT TEACHES
16 Five Gaelic lines of poetry
VERSE
V [five] ERSE [Gaelic]
17 Where to see runners, as on a bed
ASCOT
AS + COT
19 Special among men, a legendary Greek hero
AGAMEMNON
clever anagram [special] of AMONG MEN A
23 Best to appear in public well-dressed
OUTSMART
OUT SMART
24 Took exercise when reminded
JOGGED
double definition
26 Wealth is about to provide security for girl in panto
GOLDILOCKS
GOLD [wealth] + IS round LOCK [to provide security]
27 Boring makers of laws
AWLS
anagram of LAWS – cryptic definition
28 Sat out next to hut, hidden away
STASHED
anagram [out] of SAT + SHED [hut]
29 Singular-looking giant?
CYCLOPS
cryptic definition – which made me laugh
Down
2 On the way to speaking French?
EN ROUTE
cryptic definition
3 Teacher‘s expression of disgust with our skipping university
TUTOR
TUT [expression of disgust] + O[u]R minus u [university]
4 Neat and refined, but rather slow
ANDANTE
anagram [refined] of NEAT AND
6 Greek ferry operator casts anchor
CHARON
anagram [casts] of ANCHOR, for a third Classical reference
7 Athletes who take part in four-legged races?
RELAY TEAM
cryptic definition
8 Model lass and her footwear?
SANDALS
anagram [model] of LASS AND
9 Comedian’s repertoire is one that’s ridiculous
LAUGHING STOCK
double / cryptic definition
15 Photographed both teams, but was biased
TOOK SIDES
double definition
18 Tried to make a little yarn go a long way?
SPUN OUT
double / cryptic definition – reference to ‘spin a yarn’ – tell a story
20 May accept joke with dignity
MAJESTY
JEST [joke] in MAY
21 Cover too many a circuit
OVERLAP
OVER [too many] + LAP [circuit]
22 Scottish magistrate that is after guarantee of court appearance
BAILIE
IE [that is] after BAIL [guarantee of court appearance]
25 A girl in distress, the object of chivalrous attention
GRAIL
anagram [in distress] of A GIRL – a lovely surface, reference to chivalrous knights rescuing damsels in dstress, as well as searching for the Holy Grail
March 11th, 2013 at 9:32 am
Thanks Eileen and Rufus.
I was baffled by the parsing of ACTRESS and am not all that much wiser now – in what sense is TRESS = SWITCH?
I too was amused by CYCLOPS, and I liked GRAIL as well.
March 11th, 2013 at 9:39 am
Fairly average Rufus, by no means a complaint. ACTRESS caused me problems, because the tress/switch connection was unknown to me. WRIT and OUTRAN also eluded me, but I blame that on it being Monday.
Fleetingly thought we might have a theme of setters here, seeing both CYCLOPS and —SHED on the bottom row. Not to be, though.
March 11th, 2013 at 9:39 am
I clearly enjoyed this puzzle by Rufus as I marked so many clues as favourites including CYCLOPS, DRAW A BLANK, LAUGHING STOCK, ACTRESS, GOODY BAG, GOLDILOCKS & OUTSMART.
I learnt two new words: ERSE & BAILIE.
I solved but could not parse 7d & 12a. I’m still not sure I understand the parsing of 7d. Is it a relay race of only two runners (= 4 legs)?
Last in was WRIT.
Thanks for the blog, Eileen.
March 11th, 2013 at 9:39 am
Hi muffin
A switch is a thick strand of real or synthetic hair …
March 11th, 2013 at 9:42 am
Bruce @ 4
Thanks – I hadn’t come across that sense of the word.
March 11th, 2013 at 9:44 am
Thanks Rufus and Eileen. Hi muffin. I found ‘tress, usu false’ in Chambers under ‘switch’ but I’m not sure I’m much the wiser. Is it about hairpieces?
March 11th, 2013 at 9:46 am
Michelle @3, I had the same thought about Relay Team, but then realised relays are typically run or swum in four stages (legs).
Thanks as always to Eileen.
March 11th, 2013 at 9:47 am
Yes it is.
March 11th, 2013 at 9:47 am
michelle, I too was contemplating the number of runners’s legs, thinking horses, but it is the number of stages (=legs) in a relay race such as the 4 x 100m.
March 11th, 2013 at 9:49 am
Sorry, folks, about the switches and legs – I never know how specific to be! Thanks to those who filled in the gaps.
March 11th, 2013 at 10:03 am
Ian SW3@7 and Dave Ellison@9
Thanks for your explanations of “four-legged”. Now I understand where I went wrong!
March 11th, 2013 at 10:13 am
Thanks, Eileen. As you say, a better balance than often between Rufus’ cds and dds (which I do enjoy tackling) and other clue types. I too liked NEUTRAL (always a bonus when 1 across makes you smile) and I thought RELAY TEAM was also clever. Like others, I put in ACTRESS without understanding why.
Thanks to Rufus for the Monday morning diversion.
March 11th, 2013 at 10:33 am
Did anyone else like the construction at 14 ac?
March 11th, 2013 at 10:50 am
Yes!
March 11th, 2013 at 10:59 am
Thanks Eileen and Rufus
Some nifty cluing as one expects from Rufus. I particularly liked 12a, 14a, and 9d.
March 11th, 2013 at 11:15 am
Surprised myself by writing in 1ac as soon as I read the clue, but about half way through the puzzle I slowed down and struggled with some towards the end, especially in the SW corner.
I nearly had GRIT rather than WRIT at 10ac, but realised that although it could be put down and eaten, it did not quite fit the clue.
I liked quite a few of the clues including those for CYCLOPS and RELAY TEAM. Despite me getting TEAM it took a while for the penny to drop as I went off on the wrong track.
March 11th, 2013 at 11:31 am
Not too bad a showing here from me, with just the NE corner failing to yield.
I was momentarily non-plussed when, using the “Check” button to make sure I’d spelled Agamemnon correctly, the Grauniad website removed my leading A! Eventually, the “Cheat” button revealed that they wanted an À (A-grave)!
March 11th, 2013 at 12:11 pm
Enjoyable crossword – I agree with Eileen that it was better balanced than some.
Thanks Eileen; I was misled into thinking of a team with two people before the penny clanged. I thought you would like your Greek hero even if, as Chris @17 stated, the Grauniad wanted to spell it with an À.
I particularly liked ACTRESS and GOODY BAG, having convinced myself for a protracted time that the second word would be man.
March 11th, 2013 at 12:42 pm
Thanks, Rufus and Eileen for a nice start to the week.
Like others, I liked CYCLOPS.
Chris @17, I wondered why the check button wouldn’t have the first a of AGAMEMNON, when I checked at the end of the puzzle. It couldn’t have been anything else!
EN ROUTE reminded me of an early French book at school, which contained the ‘adventures’ of a French family. I can still remember huge chunks of the stories and the accompanying drawings.
Giovanna x
March 11th, 2013 at 12:53 pm
Thanks, Eileen. I think there’s possibly an additional dimension to RELAY TEAM – in the relay zone (or whatever it’s called) both runners are running together so there are four legs!
March 11th, 2013 at 1:07 pm
Hi NeilW
For once, i disagree with you. Surely there are four runners running in each leg?
March 11th, 2013 at 1:10 pm
Yes, but representing different teams… sorry, I’m just being provocative really!
March 11th, 2013 at 1:22 pm
Or, if you take each team, only two of them on the track at a time!
March 11th, 2013 at 2:07 pm
Thanks to Eileen for the blog.
I am another who tried to imagine a relay team of two people having two legs each
In 8d I tried, for a long time, to use ‘model’ in its usual crossword sense of meaning T but eventually spotted the correct interpretation. That comes as a pleasant surprise.
March 11th, 2013 at 8:00 pm
Usual Rufus fare!
Am I missing something or does 1A not have a surface but is merely a mechanical instruction on how to construct the answer?
Thanks to Eileen
March 11th, 2013 at 11:06 pm
I printed off an earlier puzzle to take to the pub, so I’m even later than usual, having just done this.
I thought there were some nice touches in this customary gentle start to the week. 10a and 12a being two I liked particularly.
Thanks setter and everyone else.