Here we have Everyman’s usual mix of not-too-convoluted wordplays under impeccable surfaces. There are no geographical references to worry about, but a couple of words which might stretch your vocabulary.
| Across | |||
| 1. | Something attractive, foremost of gardens captured by French painter (6) | ||
| MAGNET | An envelope (‘captured by’) of G (‘foremost of Gardens’) in MANET (‘French painter’). | ||
| 4. | Operator needs a fresh start and to develop quickly (7) | ||
| BURGEON | SURGEON (‘operator’) with the first letter changed (‘needs a new start’). | ||
| 9. | Knife left in various places (7) | ||
| SCALPEL | An envelope (‘in’) of L (‘left’) in SCAPEL, an anagram (various’) of ‘places’. | ||
| 10. | Allowed to hold outrageous dance (7) | ||
| GAVOTTE | An envelope (‘to hold’) of OTT (over the top, ‘outrageous’) in GAVE (‘allowed’). | ||
| 11. | No-hoper‘s not as far away once leader’s fallen (5) | ||
| LOSER | [c]LOSER (‘not so far away’) with the first letter removed (‘once leaders fallen’). | ||
| 12. | The British government will, Heath worried (9) | ||
| WHITEHALL | An anagram (‘worried’) of ‘will Heath’. Whitehall is a metonym for the British government. | ||
| 13. | Novelist‘s Tory lord – he’s cracked cases put into words (7,1,6) | ||
| DOROTHY L SAYERS | An envelope (‘cases’) of SAY (‘put into words’) in DOROTHYLERS, an anagram (‘cracked’) of ‘Tory lord hes’. Since Dorothy L Sayers created Lord Peter Wimsey, the clue is a semi-&lit. | ||
| 16. | Louis and former PM in the joint (3,5,6) | ||
| THE BROWN BOMBER | An envelope (‘in’) of BROWN (Gordon, ‘former PM’) in THE BOMBER (‘the joint’; a spliff large enough to get one bombed). The boxer Joe Louis was nicknamed The Brown Bomber. | ||
| 20. | On the sly, poured out gin and tonic, nothing more (9) | ||
| INCOGNITO | An anagram (‘poured out’) of ‘gin’ + ‘tonic’ + O (‘nothing more’). | ||
| 22. | Soldier returning in vehicle points to smoke (5) | ||
| CIGAR | An envelope (‘in’) of IG, a reversal (‘returning’) of GI (‘soldier’) in CAR (‘vehicle’). | ||
| 23. | Manage to see fashion abroad (4,3) | ||
| MAKE OUT | A charade of MAKE (‘fashion’) + OUT (‘abroad’). | ||
| 24. | Spotted entertaining ambassador and bishop in an unlicensed establishment (7) | ||
| SHEBEEN | An envelope (‘entertaining’) of HE (His Excellency, the formal address for an ‘ambassador’) + B (‘bishop’, as a chess piece) in SEEN (‘spotted’). Nice surface. | ||
| 25. | Willpower about to crack (7) | ||
| RESOLVE | A charade of RE (‘about’) + SOLVE (‘crack’). | ||
| 26. | Suspicious about new drink (6) | ||
| SHANDY | An envelope (‘about’) of N (‘new’) in SHADY (‘suspicious’). | ||
| Down | |||
| 1. | Strength of beast of burden carrying spades about (6) | ||
| MUSCLE | An envelope (‘carrying’) of S (‘spades’, bridge suit) + C (circa, ‘about’) in MULE (‘beast of burden’). | ||
| 2. | Good boy getting fourteen pounds from former PM (9) | ||
| GLADSTONE | A charade of G (‘good’) + LAD (‘boy’) + STONE (‘fourteen pounds’). ‘Former PM’ here goes back further than Gordon Brown, to the 19th century. | ||
| 3. | Type of grass found in part of Pyrenees? Part of (7) | ||
| ESPARTO | A hidden answer (‘found in part of’) in ‘PyreneES PART Of’ | ||
| 4. | Large young lady’s shirt-like garment is wet (3,5,6) | ||
| BIG GIRLS BLOUSE | Definition (‘wet’ in the sense of an ineffectual or weak person – obviously a big girl’s blouse is a term of contempt for a man) and literal interpretation. | ||
| 5. | Warm coastal district in Rhode Island, one crossed by girl (7) | ||
| RIVIERA | A charade of RI (‘Rhode Island’) + an envelope (‘crossed’) of I (‘one’) in VERA (‘girl’). | ||
| 6. | Former partner on craft coming over more (5) | ||
| EXTRA | A charade of EX (‘former partner’) + TRA, a reversal (‘coming over’) of ART (‘craft’). | ||
| 7. | Unnecessary to pierce ends of sacs (8) | ||
| NEEDLESS | A charade of NEEDLE (‘pierce’) + SS (‘ends of SacS‘). | ||
| 8. | Expose a wrongdoing, as a referee will (4,3,7) | ||
| BLOW THE WHISTLE | Double definition. | ||
| 14. | Holly’s one song that’s been popular for a long time (9) | ||
| EVERGREEN | Double definition; again one is not quite a definition: ‘hollys one’ is an indication by example (which is OK, but make it difficult to describe). | ||
| 15. | What can make borders ultimately neater? (8) | ||
| STRIMMER | A charade of S (‘borderS ultimately’) + TRIMMER (‘neater’). A strimmer, or string trimmer, is generally known in the US as a weed whacker. This is a true &lit. | ||
| 17. | Cat and dog injured during short demo (7) | ||
| RAGDOLL | An envelope (‘during’) of GDO, an anagram (‘injured’) of ‘dog’ in RALL[y] (‘short demo’). A ragdoll is a breed of cat. | ||
| 18. | Be hooked by new form of match play (7) | ||
| MACBETH | An envelope (‘hooked by’) of ‘be’ in MACTH, an anagram (‘new form of’) of ‘match’. | ||
| 19. | Attempt to secure object with it (6) | ||
| TRENDY | An envelope (‘to secure’) of END (‘object’) in TRY (‘attempt’). | ||
| 21. | Savoury food in bars (5) | ||
| CAKES | Double definition, with the second a reference to cakes/bars of soap, say. “Savoury’ might throw you off, since many cakes are sweet, but the word fits better here in the original sense of tasty. | ||
Thanks, PeterO.
Although I finished it, there were several I couldn’t explain so I needed your parsing.
Hardest Everyman for some time and I had a large number of unsoved clues and answers that I couldn’t explain.
1a Out of all the French painters you have to know that there was one called Manet.
13a If you haven’t heard of him, you are totally stuck on this.
16a is very hard -out of all the Louis in the world you have pick Joe Louis , out of all the ex PMs you have to pick the man who sold off gold reserves at an all time low and you have to know the finer points of drug culture.
17d Short demo =rall was beyond me.
21d -I was thrown off the scent
Was this really Everyman or did he have a stand in? If it was , maybe he compiled this with the mother of all hangovers.
I’d like to know the drug circles that Everyman moves in. I surveyed my ‘alternative’ friends and none of them knew the term ‘bomber’ for spiff. Now they’re all using it, so perhaps it will become self-fulfilling?
Thanks, Peter.
Like Bamberger, I did find this tricky in parts. THE BROWN BOMBER I had to guess and then confirm, and I wasn’t mad keen on CAKES. Your parsing works, Peter, but it’s not one of Everyman’s best clues imho. (However, he produces a Sunday morning puzzle that I enjoy week in, week out, so I’m not going to get too upset about it.)
SHEBEEN was nice, as was RAGDOLL, although since I’m not a cat lover, it’s a word I know only from crosswords.