For reasons that aren’t quite clear to me, we found this the most difficult prize crossword in a long time! The grid is certainly a tough one, with very few checked first letters, and the long down clues are quite tough, but I’m still not quite sure why we found it so hard. Maybe it’s the hot weather or something… Anyway, as ever with Araucaria, there’s lots of enjoy here, and quite a few new bits of vocabularly for me – one completely new word (AMENTAL) and surprising new senses of others. There are a couple I still don’t quite understand: 11a (ANTELOPE) and 14d (TRANSPORT).
Across
8. Priest with no right to entertain the Queen taking on little blue flower girl (8)
VERONICA
VICA[r] = “Priest with no right” around ER = “the Queen” + ON
Definitions: “little blue flower” and “girl”
9. Nasty stuff first accepted by flower boy (6)
POISON
I = “first” in PO = “flower” (as in river) + SON = “boy”
Definition: “Nasty stuff”
10. Left centre gala to degenerate (6)
EFFETE
[l]EF[t] = “Left centre” + FETE = “gala”
Definition: “degenerate” – I think I only knew the “affected” sense of this word, but “degenerate” is there in Chambers
11. Buck — if it does, it won’t be with grasshopper (8)
ANTELOPE
I don’t really get this – I think it’s a joke on what happens if an ANT ELOPEs, but I can’t even decide what the definition is: “Buck” or “grasshopper”
Definition: “Buck” or “grasshopper”?
12. More than one animal as ten-to-one chance (4)
OXEN
(X ONE)*
Definition: “More than one animal”
13. Timeless impasses cover the road to good wishes (10)
SYMPATHIES
S[t]YMIES = “Timless impasses” around PATH = “the road”
Definition: “good wishes”
15. Having catkins gives one bananas (7)
AMENTAL
A = “one” + MENTAL = “bananas”
Definition: “Having catkins” – an “ament” or “amentum” are alternative names for a catkin, which gives us the adjective “amental”: “catkin-bearing” (Chambers)
16. Second person to apply electronic restraint to reel? (7)
STAGGER
S = “Second” + TAGGER = “person to apply electronic restraing”
Definition: “reel”
18. An arrest appropriate for one’s mega heresy (10)
ANABAPTISM
A = “An” + NAB = “arrest” + APT = “appropriate” + I’S = “one’s” + M = “mega”
Definition: “heresy”
19. Somewhat unconvincing appeal for love? (2-2)
SO-SO
S.O.S. = “appeal” + O = “love”
Definition: “Somewhat unconvincing”
20. Notes of sums to be paid on horses may be connected with lengthy answers (8)
STUDIOUS
IOUS = “Notes of sums to be paid” after STUD = “horses”
Definition: “may be connected with lengthy answers” – the long down clues are all somehow related to studying: SELF-EXAMINATION, GOVERNING BODIES, GIRLS’ HIGH SCHOOL, COMPREHENSIVELY
22. Auxiliaries do what they are supposed to do (6)
BEHAVE
BE and HAVE are both auxilliary verbs in English
Definition: “do what they are supposed to”
23. Secret business on green (6)
COVERT
CO = “business” + VERT = “green”
Definition: “Secret”
24. Break down to earth in an insincere way (8)
HOLLOWLY
HOL (as in “holiday”, I suppose) = “Break” + LOWLY = “down to earth”
Definition: “in an insincere way”
Down
1. Mating without spirit leads to minimal exchange of letters in spirit as spiritual exercise (4-11)
SELF-EXAMINATION
SEX = “Mating” around ELF = “spirit” followed by AMINATION = ANIMATION (“spirit”) with two letters exchanged = “minimal exchange of letters in spirit”
Definition: “spiritual exercise”
2. Educationalist, misguided ’n’ boring, passes on to those in charge of 6 etc (9,6)
GOVERNING BODIES
GOVE (the current Minister for Education) = “Educationalist” + (N BORING)* + DIES = “passes on”
Definition: “those in charge of [GIRLS’ HIGH SCHOOL] etc”
3. Learns adjustment on road, politician being light on headgear (6,4)
MINER’S LAMP
(LEARNS)* on MI = M1 = “road” followed by MP = “politician”
Definition: “light on headgear” 🙂
4. Holy man has degrees encompassing headgear (7)
MAHATMA
MA + MA = “degrees” around HAT = “headgear”
Definition: “Holy man”
5. See the point? (4)
SPOT
Double definition
Definitions: “See” and “point”
6. Little Christian and his log twice produced by ladies’ seminary (5,4,6)
GIRLS’ HIGH SCHOOL
(CHR HIS LOG HIS LOG)* – the anagram fodder is CHR = “Little Christian” and then HIS LOG twice
Definition: “ladies’ seminary”
7. Through and through rather than by 6 etc? (15)
COMPREHENSIVELY
Double definition
Definition: “Through and through” and “rather than by [GIRLS’ HIGH SCHOOL] etc?” – I think the latter refers to schools with “Girl’s High School” in the name typically being grammar schools rather than comprehensive schools
14. Transport from gold to bay (10)
AUTOMOBILE
AU = “gold” + TO = “to” + MOBILE = “bay”? I don’t understand the “mobile” / “bay” bit…
Definition: “Transport”
17. Sentimental individual leaving Sikh city disturbed (7)
KITSCHY
(S[i]KH CITY)*
Definition: “Sentimental”
21. Goatherd’s comment on unpleasant surprise? (4)
OATH
Hidden in “[g]OATH[erd]”
Definition: “comment on unpleasant surprise”
Thanks mhl. I think 11 is a play on the parable of the ant and the grasshopper and in 14 Mobile Bay is on the Gulf of Mexico. AMENTAL was new to me but derivable enough from the crossing letters.
Mobile Alabama has a bay I think.
Thanks, mhl.
I came here for why ANTELOPE was ANTELOPE.
Have to think about what Biggles A suggested @1.
And to learn about 22ac (which I do get now).
Michael Gove, educationalist?
Did Araucaria really write this?
Yes, he did.
Hope he didn’t mean it.
🙂
Nice puzzle
Thanks to mhl for the blog. I had failed to parse 18a but you explained it.
I also found this one difficult to get into. My usual pattern with A is the first few answers are slow to go in, then many go in fairly swiftly, then the last few go in slowly. This time I had to fight all the way!
I agree with Biggles A: the ant and the grasshopper have such different views on the world that they could not possibly elope with each other.
A few days ago somebody posted a comment saying (if I remember correctly) it has been a while since we have seen a puzzle from Araucaria. We had already been alerted, by him, to his cancer. His age is now 91 years (92?) so it would not be a surprise if he is slowing down a little. I am fascinated by his ability, still, to construct a crossword that is very well crafted and still has the ability to pose a good challenge to solvers.
Sil at #3 – I took the Gove reference to include ‘misguided and boring’ – and soon ‘passing on’ to another department where he can do less damage to our children’s education – or maybe being sent back to ‘spend more time with his family’ after the next election…
Thanks Araucaria and mhl
With 11a, my interpretation was that if the buck was going to elope with the ant, he won’t be with the grasshopper !!! It made me laugh …
Thanks mhl. It didn’t take long but somehow it wasn’t the usual satisfying fare from Araucaria: apart from having to check later about the AMENTAL link to catkins I couldn’t get the subtleties of 20 and 22a (thank you for both) and the parsing of 8a and 2d – in those cases I didn’t bother.
It took me quite a while to get going on this puzzle, and when I had finished the RHS I only had 4 answers solved on the LHS, none of which were the 2 long ones. Finally I gave up, failing to solve 20a and 21d.
Of the clues I solved and could parse on my own, I liked 18a, 19a, 4d, 15a and my favourite was 9a POISON.
New word for me was AMENTAL & ‘catkin’, and Michael GOVE.
I could not parse 16a, 6d, 22a, 13a, 11a.
Thanks for the blog, mhl.
Loved this. Thoroughly agree with Chas. Thanks all
Many thanks mhl & Araucaria
This must be the toughest Araucaria ever!
But I got there in the end.
Araucaria, please keep them coming even after you reach 100.
Thanks mhl and, of course, Araucaria.
I wasn’t too happy with the use of “on” in 3d. Can anyone explain how it is acceptable?
Gove – misguided ‘n’ boring?
Well a few in the audience here seem to think so:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1qQL5L31-1E
Lovely crossword from Araucaria – thanks to him & mhl.
Thanks, both, for the blog.
This was quite tough to get into – like you, I don’t quite know why – but so it should be, for a Prize puzzle. Very enjoyable and satisfying to finish.
Like Sil, I was appalled at GOVE = educationalist but totally won over by ‘misguided and boring’. And PGreen @12 you have absolutely made my day – thank you so much! 🙂
Found this a little more taxing than the usual Araucaria! Usually I find his longer answers very easy to solve but not this time!
Still don’t really see ANTELOPE.
Nice puzzle though as ever.
Thanks to mhl and Araucaria.
crosser @11
What is your reservation with “on”? (which one?)
mhl’s parsing agrees with mine and seems quite straightforward?
Are you missing something or indeed are we? 🙂
Thanks mhl and Araucaria
The usual amusing light touch with the preictable high level of cluing.
I associated 11a with ant/grasshopper story and liked the clue. I also ticked 24a and enjoyed many others.
I agree with Eileen re the role of the surface in 2d.
I had to guess ‘amental’. I am quite uncertain these days about the acceptability or not of terms like ‘mental’ (for ‘bananas’), but I imagine it is OK at least to use it of oneself as in ‘Gove drives me mental’.
Brendan@14 – I’m sure you know very well which “on” crosser@11 is referring to.
Crosser@11 – one of the definitions of “on” in a lot of dictionaries is “touching, sticking to, or hanging from a surface or object”, so the way Araucaria uses it here is valid, even though the most common usage of “on” is “on top of”.
For some reason I didn’t find this as difficult as some of you did, although I had to check AMENTAL post-solve to see that my interpretation of the wordplay was correct, especially as “imental” also fitted the wordplay but seemed far less likely.
crosser @11
Presumably you’re referring to the fact that commonly (for what original reasons I’ve now long forgotten) in across clues ON usually means “after” whereas in down clues it is often interpreted as “on top of” and so gets to mean “before”. But if you tip an across clue over does it suddenly become wrong?
Now it comes back to me – eg Clacton-on-sea – where ON means next to – not on top off”
In barred-grid-land I think I’ve even seen ON used to indicate inclusion of what follows – presumably following the “on top of” idea. So, as ever, not usual doesn’t mean wrong – and this is after all Araucaria – so we expect a rich (rather than poor) cluing vocabulary.
Well, I’m glad others found this difficult. I eventually cracked it with steam coming out of my computer.
Thanks, mhl; I was a bit surprised by KITSCHY=sentimental. Chambers has the adjective as trashy or vulgar, which is more of the sense that I understand.
Poor old Gove’s having a bad trot.
My understanding of the term “educationalist” was that it meant “one who meddles with education systems” – ie as opposed to teachers etc – fine people – salt of the earth.
Re 11a – There is an Aesop’s fable based on the ant and the grasshopper and (as often) an equivalent by La Fontaine. Also the biblical allusion “Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise” from which John Wyndham pulled the title for his short story “Consider her ways.” which I’ve got somewhere and ought to reread.
Araucaria used to do that to me a lot – bung in a a poetic or similar allusion which when followed up led to something worthwhile. Hasn’t happened for a while. Maybe it’s the protestant worth ethic thing – making out that what we’re up to is more than idle amusement.
Still missed the connection first time round though.
Apologies for my lack of clarity.
Brendan (not that one) @ 14 and Andy B @ 16 didn’t know which “on” I was referring to, I think.
Thank you to JollySwagman @ 17 who managed to understand me and who has (more or less!) convinced me.
OK now I see! Didn’t notice that. Perhaps I’ve been doing this too long!
Why would I have asked if I had known? I have reread my post and it doesn’t seem like anything other than an attempt to be of assistance. Which it was!
Anyway now for Brummie, Mullova and a beer. Heaven.
“Who’d have thought they’d have built paradise at the end of our street?” 🙂
Well Crosser, you’re a first in being one ‘more or less’ convinced by someone who has proved, over the tedious months, how little he knows about crossword clues. But go thy ways.
What Swagman fails to see (others around here too) is that just about anything is acceptable in The Grauniad: the paper doesn’t have an xwording style sheet, nor does it stipulate in any way how things should or should not be done (in-deed). And yet where St A is concerned, if ever there were some shining beacon for the setting team … well, there is no meaningful discussion.
But where a paper or other publication does follow a rule for reasons of grammar, or of convention, or simply for style, take note: it’s done for a very good reason.
Thanks to MHL, and to A for a great puzzle.
Miners lamp is a light worn on the head
Coincidentally,the Guardian hasn’t recently seen fit to give Paul B any work as a setter (Paul Bringloe is Neo/Tees) unlike those paragons of crossword-assessing acuity at the Independent and FT.
Pseudonymous coward. Not all 15/2 pseudonyms hide trolling, multi-ID cowards of course, but you’re surely one. Join Swaggers and the rest, or say who you are.
I last sent a puzzle to Hugh about ten years ago, which is recent in a glacial sense I suppose, and I’d really love to set for that paper, but your anger is misplaced in that you’ve completely missed my point: where there are no rules for setters, they can do as they wish, receiving comments back from the editor in an ad hoc way. Araucaria persists as a guiding light, and why wouldn’t he? What a talent! But don’t go to The G, or to an idiot like Swagman, for rules and style advice. Geddit?
Nope? Oh, never mind.
(Btw Mr Troll, please include ALL my editors when you’re insulting them. It’ll only come back to me at the next meet.)