Lorraine: Thank you Everyman once again for a wonderful puzzle. I must add that although some people might find Everyman not taxing there are those of us who find that this puzzle is right up our street, so thank you once again.
Legend to solution comments:
* = anagram.
< = word reversed.
| Across | |||
| 1. | BEMUSE…………………….. |
M + US in BEE | |
| 4. | OMISSION | O + MISSION | |
| 9. | DERRINGER | DER + RINGER | |
| 11. | AMPLE | (ex)AMPLE | |
| 12. | NO GREAT SHAKES |
cdd | |
| 14. | ANTIOCH | (INTO A)* + CH | |
| 16. | AND SOON | this refers to AND SO ON as two words | |
| 17. | ENVELOP | (NOVEL)* in EP | |
| 19. | IMPEACH | M in I PEACH | |
| 21. | CHANCE ONES ARM | (SEANCE MONARCH)* | |
| 24. | PLONK | PL + ON + K | |
| 25. | UNDER FIRE | UNDER + FIRE | |
| 26. | RESERVED | dd | |
| 27. | RECESS | RE + CESS | |
| Down | |||
| 1. | BADEN BADEN | B + A + DEN twice | |
| 2. | MR. RIGHT | RR in MIGHT | |
| 3. | SNIPE | SNIP + E | |
| 5. | MARSH MARIGOLD | MAR + SH + MARIGOLD | |
| 6. | STACKED UP | cd | |
| 7. | IMPASTO | IM + PAST + O | |
| 8. | NEED | NEE + D | |
| 10. | GET THE PICTURE | cd | |
| 13. | IN CHAMBERS | (BRAHMIN CaStE)* minus AT | |
| 15. | OIL TANKER | (LIT KOREAN)* | |
| 18. | VECTORS | V + (ESCORT)*; had to look this one up in Collins – vector = an organism that carries a disease-producing micro-organism between hosts. | |
| 20. | AVARICE | AVA + (ICE after R) | |
| 22. | EERIE | middle of grEat + ERIE | |
| 23. | SPAR | RAPS< | |
I don’t get 8 Down (“Born and died in poverty”) and 23 Down (“wBox blows up”) — can you explain?
Thanks for the blog, Lorraine. I always enjoy Everyman too so you’re not alone in that!
David – as per Lorraine’s blog, 8d is NEE (as in “Mrs Something nee Ms/Miss Somethingother”) and then D from died. I assumed the ‘w’ at the start of 23d was just a typo and ignored it thus giving SPAR as the reverse of RAPS…
Hi Guys, Simon i agree that the W was a typo, and 8 down is not only maiden name indicator but is also born as.
Crikey, now I have to look out for typos in cryptic clues! When I first read it, I thought it was something around the notion of an “xBox”…
Newbie to Fifteensquared here – totally in agreement with Lorraine – I love Everyman – some weeks are easier than others but never a breeze for me anyway. I was also thrown by 26a and assumed that it was xbox also! I really enjoyed 3307 and about to tackle today’s.
Fine crossword from Everyman, very neatly clued.
Thanks, Lorraine, for your blog.
Although it doesn’t make much difference, I looked at AVARICE like this: the combination of AVA & ICE round R, so R being an insertion.
Thanks Lorraine. Like yourself, I find this an interesting puzzle which is reasonably taxing. No doubt, some people could fill it in just like that, but what is the point in that. Your fellow blogger Arthur thinks that this is a really easy puzzle and far easier than any Guardian puzzle. I would disagree on that and have told him so. There are always a few clues to struggle over.
Thank you Lorraine for your kind remarks.
I have no idea how 23D ended up as it did, because the proof copy I have gives “Box blows up”. As you will appreciate, there is a new system in operation at the Guardian/Observer so I blame ‘Ralph’!
It’s through attempting Everyman for the last couple of years or so that I’ve got into cryptic crosswords – it’s pretty much the only thing that keeps me buying the Observer!