Nick: Sorry for the lateness of the blog this morning, but we have had a pretty poor week with bad colds/flu (and me working nightshift), Lorraine has to babysit her grandchildren, and what with one of our tropical fish about to snuff it, the crossword blog got overlooked on Friday/Saturday – anyway, here we are.
Reading Lorraines’ notes, this was a standard Everyman puzzle, with the usual sprinkling of anagrams and ‘clear as a bell’ wordplay.
19dn stands out – a very clever clue, but I am sure this word must have been clued similar in the past.
| Across | |||
| 1. | Soldier given order at start of operation (8) | ||
| COMMANDO | COMMAND+O | ||
| 5. | Rise when clubs close (6) | ||
| ASCEND | AS[when]+C(lubs)+END | ||
| 9. | Dog, adult one about to be put on tight lead (8) | ||
| AIREDALE | A+I+RE+(LEAD*) | ||
| 10. | Picture producer, one leaving America in disguise (6) | ||
| CAMERA | (AMER[i]CA)* | ||
| 12. | Rush round with enthusiasm (5) | ||
| GUSTO | GUST+O | ||
| 13. | Verbal attack made by bishop on verge (9) | ||
| BROADSIDE | B+ROADSIDE | ||
| 14. | Ride, a bit drunk, on bypass (5-2-5) | ||
| MERRY-GO-ROUND | MERRY+GO ROUND | ||
| 18. | Novel metaphor Otto translated (4,2,3,3) | ||
| ROOM AT THE TOP | (METAPHOR OTTO)* | ||
| 21. | Old lady, right to attend county game with traveller (5,4) | ||
| MARCO POLO | MA+R+CO[county]+POLO | ||
| 23. | Measure mountain range (5) | ||
| CHAIN | dd | ||
| 24. | Unemotional, head of technology in firm (6) | ||
| STOLID | T(echnology) in SOLID | ||
| 25. | Emblem of Christ, possibly 500 guineas (5,3) | ||
| AGNUS DEI | (D[500]+GUINEAS)* | ||
| 26. | Read my novel, it’s wonderful (6) | ||
| DREAMY | (READ MY)* | ||
| 27. | Beer brewed by agreeable girl (8) | ||
| BERENICE | (BEER*)+NICE | ||
| Down | |||
| 1. | Cleaner, for example, put up rate (6) | ||
| CHARGE | CHAR+(EG<) | ||
| 2. | Sullen and ill-tempered detective grabbing ring (6) | ||
| MOROSE | O in (detective inspector)MORSE | ||
| 3. | Legendary beauty devilish man adored (9) | ||
| ANDROMEDA | (MAN ADORED)* &lit? |
||
| 4. | Helping to support French composer? No second thought required (12) | ||
| DELIBERATION | RATION[helping] after DELIBE(s) | ||
| 6. | Son, with difficulty, finds a broken piece of pottery (5) | ||
| SHARD | S+HARD | ||
| 7. | Retired American after English warrant (8) | ||
| EMERITUS | US after (E+MERIT) | ||
| 8. | Unproductive results in blind alleys (4,4) | ||
| DEAD ENDS | cdd | ||
| 11. | Go-go dancing with Bowie that is encapsulating old style of music (6-6) | ||
| BOOGIE-WOOGIE | O(ld) in ((GO-GO+BOWIE*)+IE) | ||
| 15. | The origin of a problem, so acute or otherwise (4,5) | ||
| ROOT CAUSE | (SO ACUTE OR) | ||
| 16. | Professional shot wide, we hear, and swore (8) | ||
| PROMISED | PRO+homophone: MISSED | ||
| 17. | Golfing group, perhaps in favour of fee, by the sound of it (8) | ||
| FOURSOME | homophone: FOR SUM | ||
| 19. | Three consecutive letters from a spiritual leader? (6) | ||
| GANDHI | G and HI very clever clue! |
||
| 20. | Whole convent I renovated? Just a part (6) | ||
| ENTIRE | hidden: convENT I REnovated | ||
| 22. | Hatred coming from platform lacking leadership (5) | ||
| ODIUM | (p)ODIUM | ||
| … | |||
Got stuck on 27a -even when the only possibility seemed to be Berenice, I couldn’t think of anyone called by that name.
Had a similar problem with 25a where I can’t remember ever coming across agnus before.
Thanks Nick,
I don’t ever remember you doing the blog before but I’m probably wrong.
Bamberger : the latest Bond girl is called Bérénice Marlohe and I found her name via Google. That’s how I confirmed that the answer was correct. I presume it’s a French name. AGNUS DEI is a Latin phrase that has been used many, many times in crosswords but I created a problem for myself by putting in Angus by mistake.
I especially liked GANDHI and ENTIRE which was very well hidden. Thanks Everyman.
thanks. i got just over half this week, with the bottom half being my problem area. i just didn’t know 25ac , even though I knew it must be d and an anagram of guineas.
Typical, enjoyable Everyman.
Thanks, Nick. Gordius (Guardian 24,619) gave us: ‘Nationalist who was good with greeting’ for GANDHI. I didn’t know BERENICE, but the anagram was well signposted.
Thanks, Nick. Sorry to hear about your and Lorraine’s travails!
Luckily I do know someone called Berenice, but I’ll admit it isn’t a terribly common name; the clueing was sound, though. I have seen the GANDHI clue before, but for those that are coming across it for the first time, it will have raised a smile. Plenty of other good stuff too, thank you to Everyman.
Thanks Nick.
FWIW by coincidence AGNUS DEI was also clued in the previous day’s Guardian prize by Brummie.