Guardian 24136/Rufus – oops

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Quite a few cryptic definitions again this week – some are good, some less so. But that judgment all depends on your mood I suppose. When I don’t like a CD, I suspect it’s because I simply missed something or it was too “transparent”.

Across

9 UNION DUES – cryptic definition of the “tribute” you pay to the UNION to keep up your membership (shades of Mafia protection money?)
10 OP,ERA – though it’s debatable whether OPERA qualifies as “entertainment” – more like hard work.
12 LE,I,SURE – good surface that is possibly a true statement: “In France, the one indisputable freedom” (which as Azed said in a recent slip, does not an &lit make).
14 SONS-IN-LAW – a cryptic definition that almost works but only if you accept that your son-in-law is also your son.
16 PRINCE OF DENMARK – (picked for manner)*
19 SUIT,CASES – nice surface
22 OPEN AIR – another good surface
24 PULSE – to be fair, this is quite a good cryptic definition: “Well, I wouldn’t want this taken”.

Down

1 AUTOGRAPHS – another cryptic definition on the weaker side: “Star names booked”.
2 MISS,[h]OURI – HOURI and peri are good cryptic words to know.
3 SNORTS – sort of a cryptic def since “noisy” isn’t quite a definition of SNORTS.
4 CURE – two meanings – not a bad clue since “needed by” is part of a definition rather than a link word.
7 SEQUEL – a better cryptic def: ref. the Brit “Carry On” post-war comedies.
15 W,A,KEY-W,A,KEY – exhortation to open your eyes and wake-up. W is (a compass) point.
17 CYCLAMEN – (Cancel my)*. Slowly but surely my gardening expertise is increasing, as I do more cryptics,
18 ASTEROID – (tides or a)* — “storm” is our anagrind but shouldn’t the def just be “star”?
20 IDEALS – (ladies)* — nice misleading surface.
21 CALL(A)S – ref. Maria.
22 O,OPS – my last clue. Probably because it’s a slangy interjection.

7 comments on “Guardian 24136/Rufus – oops”

  1. Comments on comments.
    18 dn: A starfish is an asteroid (See Collins, Longmans, Oxford, Chambers, Cassells etc) and surely fits better than “star” in the context of the clue: “Starfish disclosed by tides or storm”.
    14. If one’s daughter marries a barrister then he will join the family as a son-in-law.

  2. Erratum: Asteroid clue in above comment is missing an “a”: thew clue was “Starfish disclosed by tides or a storm”. Oops!

  6. Should be here soon. Real-life has probably intervened somewhere along the line. Either that, or the person who’s covering today’s has been checking back here wondering where the blog is, not realising that they’re supposed to be doing it.

  7. Fair enough, but: trouble with blogs going up very late is that one’s audience tends to have given up waiting, luvvie.

    After all, it is nearly Tuesday.

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