Solving time: 28 minutes (with help from Chambers and TEA)
Over the past few months I have really come to appreciate Gordius puzzles, plenty of wit, some topical stuff and a dash of quirkiness. I bought the Guardian Setters’ Book of his puzzles and enjoyed some of them. But today’s just didn’t hit the spot. There were some clever clues but 19,25 seems nothing more to me than a weak cryptic definition at best. Liked 4 across and 6 down reminded me of Paul at his naughtiest!
Had to use Chambers for 12 and 24.
ACROSS (*) = ANAGRAM (R) = REVERSAL
1 DISOWN IS DOWN (*)
4 BURGHER Nice cryptic def.
9 GREAT-AUNT RAGE (*) + TAUNT
11 TAPIR Homophone of TAPER
12 PHELONION HELP (*) + ONION
13 LIMEADE LIE about MEAD
17 OSTLER Is this just a cryptic definition?
19,25 DOWN THE HATCH Looks like a straight definition.
22 WEEKNIGHT Falstaff was large of girth, does that make him a “wee knight”? I thought wee referred to height but I could and probably will be proven wrong.
24 TOHOS SHOOT (*) New word on me.
27 LANCASTER have seen this clue so many times before – think I used it about five years ago.
28 TORCHER Homophone of TORTURE
29 INCHES IN + CHES(S)
DOWN
1 DIGITAL GIT inisde DIAL
3 WATERFALL Cryptic def.
4 BATTENS See Chambers def2 for BATTEN which also goes with DOWN THE HATCHES to make the weell-known phrase.(Pedantic note: The E in hatches is not indicated – or is this OK?)
6 HAVE IT OUT Say no more!
7 RODENT DEN inside ROT
8 RUMPLE John Mortimer’s famous creation minus O.
14 MESSENGER MESS + GREEN (*)
16 DOWN TRAIN Spooner’s pronunciation of TOWN DRAIN
18 REGULAR RURAL (*) with E.G. inside
20 ENSURES (C) ENSURES
21 TWO-BIT W inside TOBIT which I think is a book of the Apocrypha
23 NATCH TAN (R) + CH
Maybe someone can help a Yank out with 16D. Is DOWN TRAIN related to being sent down from university, or is it a phrase similar to “down size” perhaps meaning to lower educational standards for the modern student? Or have I missed it entirely?
22A I assumed that Falstaff was being referred to as a “Weak Knight” which of course he wasn’t! Knights are often referred to as N in crosswords.
And yes Ygor the Down Train was the train which took you out of Oxford towards London and implied academic oblivion!
Dr Spooner is said to have told a student ‘You have tasted two whole worms, hissed all my mystery lectures, and must leave Oxford by the town drain’.
It will have dealt a blushing crow to the studen’t academic ambitions.
Oops, I’ve just noticed I was supposed to blog this yesterday so thanks for stepping in, Dave. Your comments are pretty much exactly what I would have said anyway! I normally enjoy Gordius puzzles, but not this one. I also had to look up the same two answers.
I know the Spooner quote, but surely the ‘up train’ went *to* London?
Up indicates towards the capital or towards university. Down indicates away from the capital or away from university. A student being expelled from Oxford and leaving by train to London would presumably be going up and down at the same time, which is unusual as the trains I catch usually go nowhere at all!
Thanks Testy. Very amusing.
Can somebody explain the meaning of 24a – TOHO(S). A new word for me, and I can’t find a dictionary/google explanation.