Everyman N° 3,465 (3 March 2013)

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The crossword may be found at http://www.guardian.co.uk/crosswords/everyman/3465.

10A seems to have been given to the wrong blogger! Only one geographical reference this time, in 5D, and that generally well known, I think.

Across
1. Publicity that’s sent round to confuse (3,3)
PUT OFF An envelope (‘sent round’) of ‘to’ in PUFF (‘publicity’).
4. One holding a sword, blackleg confronting poet (8)
SCABBARD A charade of SCAB (‘blackleg’) plus BARD (‘poet’).
10. Fancy Lorraine getting behind France, finally, in the past? (7,2)
EARLIER ON A charade of E (‘FrancE, finally’) plus ARLIERON, an anagram (‘fancy’) of ‘Lorraine’.
11. Jelly shown in a small photograph (5)
ASPIC A charade of ‘a’ plus S (‘small’) plus PIC (‘photograph’).
12. Illegal trading in vehicles (7)
TRAFFIC Double definition.
13. First to tell funny story about king and revolutionary (7)
TROTSKY An envelope (‘about’) of K (‘king’, chess notation) in T (‘first to Tell’) plus ROTSY, an anagram (‘funny’) of ‘story’.
14. So don’t regret getting different dog (6,6)
GORDON SETTER An anagram (‘getting different’) of ‘so don’t regret’.
Gordon Setter
18. More than one infantryman in base joins one inside (4,8)
FOOT SOLDIERS A charade of FOOT (‘base’) plus an envelope (‘inside’) of I (‘one’) in SOLDERS (‘joins’).
21. Reveals bit of scandal gathered by the Parisian solicitor (4,3)
LETS OUT An envelope (‘gathered by’) of S (‘bit of Scandal’) in LE (‘the Parisian’) plus TOUT (‘solicitor’).
23. Shot a line after private action that backfired? (3,4)
OWN GOAL A charade of OWN (‘private’) plus GO (‘shot’) plus ‘a’ plus L (‘line’).
24. Stole aboard alien vessel (1-4)
E BOAT An envelope (‘aboard’) of BOA (‘stole’) in ET (‘alien’).
25. A French composer held in Fleet, ultimately extremely lucky to get free (2,7)
AT LIBERTY A charade of ‘a’ plus an envelope (held in’) of IBERT (‘French composer’) in T (‘FleeT, ultimately’) plus LY (‘extremely LuckY‘).
26. Better money for the most important officials (3,5)
TOP BRASS A charade of TOP (‘better’) plus BRASS (‘money’).
27. Shellfish in Savoy’s terrific (6)
OYSTER A hidden answer in ‘SavOYS TERiffic’. The Savoy Hotel in London has a tradition of fine dining started by it first chef, Auguste Escoffier.
Down
1. Rather charming to look at (6)
PRETTY Double definition.
2. Danger that must involve sappers (6)
THREAT An envelope (‘involve’) of RE (Royal Engineers, ‘sappers’) in ‘that’.
3. Goes mad about failure to find sandals (4-5)
FLIP FLOPS An envelope (‘about’) of FLIPS (‘goes mad’) about FLOP (‘failure’).
5. Round-the-clock work blocking busy line in old city (14)
CONSTANTINOPLE A charade of CONSTANT (’round-the-clock’) plus an envelope (‘blocking’) of OP (‘work’) in INLE, an anagram (‘busy’) of ‘line’. Constantinople was founded (as Byzantium) in 657BC, and rebuilt by the Roman Emperor Constantine I in 330AD; it is also ‘old’ in that it is now known as Istanbul.
6. Vote against party? (5)
BEANO BE A NO (‘vote against’).
7. Suitable model brought in by a new Pope (8)
APPOSITE An envelope (‘brought in by’) of SIT (‘model’) in ‘a’ plus PPOE, an anagram (‘new’) of ‘Pope’.
8. Weed quadrangle in naval establishment (8)
DOCKYARD A charade of DOCK (‘weed’) plus YARD (‘quadrangle’).
9. Lines written about race, sign of insincerity (9,5)
CROCODILE TEARS An envelope (‘written about’) of TEAR (‘race’) in CROCODILES (‘lines’).
15. One delivering shopkeeper’s goods may be confused by an order (6,3)
ERRAND BOY An anagram (‘confused’) of ‘by an order’.
16. A leader in fashion, elegant and wealthy (8)
AFFLUENT A charade of ‘a’ plus F (‘leader in Fashion’) plus FLUENT (‘elegant’).
17. Swallow, initially, a spot of outrageously used flattery (4,4)
SOFT SOAP A charade of S (‘Swallow intially’) plus OFTSOAP, an anagram (‘outrageously used’) of ‘a spot of’.
19. Left out of main story involving old Irish detective (6)
POIROT An envelope (‘involving’) of O (‘old’) plus IR (‘Irish’) in P[l]OT (‘main story’) with the L dropped (‘left out’ i.e. L out).
20. Actor, powerful participant (6)
PLAYER Double definition.
22. Fur cap removed from scoundrel (5)
OTTER [r]OTTER (‘scoundrel’) with its first letter (‘cap’) removed.

6 comments on “Everyman N° 3,465 (3 March 2013)”

  1. I enjoyed this puzzle by Everyman.

    I got 1d wrong because I had considered ‘pretty’ and thought it too “easy”. I opted for ‘presto’ which I parsed as a dd of 1) a word used in a charm or magic spell; 2) to look at / When someone tells you to give something to someone and you pull out the object from your pocket. (Urban dictionary). I should have stuck with PRETTY!

    My favourites were BEANO, CROCODILE TEARS, TROTSKY, OYSTER.

    I learnt some new words: SOFT SOAP, E-BOAT, BEANO

    Thanks for the blog, PeterO.

  2. Thanks to PeterO and Everyman.

    I thought the puzzle was slightly harder than the standard Everyman but none the worse for that. Although the answers were clear from checkers, I failed to parse 9 and 18 so thanks again for the blog (and to all at 15^2 for the site!)

  3. Good crossword; I agree with colin @2 that it seemed to be harder than average.

    Thanks PeterO; I was familiar with bean-feast, but not the shortened version of BEANO so I took a long time with that one thinking that ‘bravo’ was about the only word that would fit in. I was also not familiar with GORDON SETTER, although as an anagram it quickly fell into place. 24 looked like it was going to be U-BOAT, although obviously that didn’t parse properly. I guess PUFF=publicity must be well-known in crosswordland, but I don’t think I’ve seen it before.

    I liked FLIP-FLOPS, although I was certain at the beginning that the second word was going to be ‘shoes.’ CROCODILE TEARS was another favourite.

  5. Thanks John – typo now corrected. I agree that FLUENT and ‘elegant’ are not readily equated, beyond being both generally approving; but I think it is better to concentrate on the origin of FLUENT as flowing. The OED gives among its definitions of FLUENT:

    Moving easily or gracefully

    which seems pretty close.

  6. The word crocodiles stretches the imagination a bit far as a synonym for ‘lines’, methinks. Outgrow some very clever clues.

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