The puzzle may be found at http://www.theguardian.com/crosswords/everyman/3489.
Everyman in top form, producing a couple of splendid anagrams, sparkling surfaces, the odd more complex clue structure, and even, in 16D, managing to sneak in the trademark film reference.
| Across | |||
| 1. | Ring about the lot (4) | ||
| CALL | A charade of C (‘about’) plus ALL (‘the lot’). | ||
| 3. | Arrived, carrying Oxford University banner, in disguise (10) | ||
| CAMOUFLAGE | An envelope (‘carrying’) of OU (‘Oxford University’) plus FLAG (‘banner’), in CAME (‘arrived’). | ||
| 9. | Role reversal in carriage (4) | ||
| TRAP | A ‘reversal’ of PART (‘role’). | ||
| 10. | Director with firm, obstinately self-willed (10) | ||
| HEADSTRONG | A charade of HEAD (‘director’) plus STRONG (‘firm’). | ||
| 11. | One employed at a cemetery, perhaps – enormous chap, so restrained (10,5) | ||
| MOMUMENTAL MASON | An envelope (‘restrained’) of ‘so’ in MONUMENTAL (‘enormous’) plus MAN (‘chap’). | ||
| 13. | Unnecessary to sound off about daughter with nothing on, on reflection (9) | ||
| REDUNDANT | An envelope (‘about’) of EDUND, a reversal (‘on reflection’) of D (‘daughter’) plus NUDE (‘with nothing on’) in RANT (‘sound off’). | ||
| 15. | Clear, the Queen’s jockey (5) | ||
| RIDER | A charade of RID (‘clear’) plus ER (‘the Queen’). | ||
| 17. | Blyton creation having crackers in New York (5) | ||
| NODDY | An envelope (‘in’) of ODD (‘crackers’) in NY (‘New York’). | ||
| 19. | Plant in European river duck ignored (9) | ||
| GERMANDER | A subtraction , GERMAN (‘European’) [o]DER (‘river’. The Oder does for part of its length form the boundary between Germany and Poland, but I think it better to use the definition ‘European’ separately) without the O (‘duck ignored’). | ||
| 21. | Soporific drug helps eating disorder (8,7) | ||
| SLEEPING DRAUGHT | An anagram (‘disorder’) of ‘drug helps eating’. The definition has ‘soporific’ as a noun. Excellent clue. | ||
| 23. | See butterfly in Real Madrid ground? (3,7) | ||
| RED ADMIRAL | An anagram (‘ground’) of ‘Real Madrid’. Two good anagrams in a row. | ||
| 24. | Heads turned in shock (4) | ||
| STUN | A reversal (‘turned’) of NUTS (‘heads’). | ||
| 25. | Great fear harboured by collier? I know what you’re thinking (4-6) | ||
| MIND READER | An envelope (‘harboured by’) of DREAD (‘great fear’) in MINER (‘collier’). | ||
| 26. | Girl rejecting male in song (4) | ||
| ARIA | A subtraction, [m]ARIA (‘girl’) without the M (‘rejecting male’). | ||
| … Down |
|||
| 1. | Vessel can crossing a Plymouth river (9) | ||
| CATAMARAN | An envelope (‘crossing’) of ‘a’ plus TAMAR (‘Plymouth river’) in ‘can’. | ||
| 2. | Erudite king, Edward (7) | ||
| LEARNED | A charade of LEAR (‘king’) plus NED (‘Edward’). | ||
| 4. | Had something at home from a can full of energy (3,2) | ||
| ATE IN | An envelope (‘full of’) of E (‘energy’) in ‘a’ plus TIN (‘can’). | ||
| 5. | Early teacher, great artist (3,6) | ||
| OLD MASTER | Definition and literal interpretation. | ||
| 6. | A frogman at a resort pointing to a mirage (4,7) | ||
| FATA MORGANA | An anagram (‘re-sort’) of ‘a frogman at a’. | ||
| 7. | Inspired employment in a bar (7) | ||
| AROUSED | An envelope (in’) of USE (’employment’) in ‘a’ plus ROD (‘bar’). | ||
| 8. | Some tunnel GI negotiated leading to a Scottish town (5) | ||
| ELGIN | A hidden answer (‘some’) in ‘tunnEL GI Negociated’. The head of the Bruce family takes his hereditary title, Earl of Elgin (best known for the one with the marbles), from the town. |
||
| 12. | I may bring one luck, having one in my carriage (5,6) | ||
| MONEY SPIDER | An envelope (‘in’) of ‘one’ in ‘my’ plus SPIDER (‘carriage’). Money spiders are tiny creatures, about the size of a pinhead, which, if found on your skin, are supposed to be spinning you new clothes – that is, bringing you riches. | ||
| 14. | Conductor blowing top in a South American country (9) | ||
| ARGENTINA | A charade of [s]ARGENT (Sir Malcolm, ‘conductor’) without the first letter (‘blowing top’) plus ‘in a’. | ||
| 16. | Girl receiving education in race, one over a fictional kingdom (9) | ||
| RURITANIA | An envelope (‘in’) of RITA (‘girl receiving education’. Educating Rita, play and film) in RUN (‘race’) plus I (‘one’) plus ‘a’. | ||
| 18. | German city doctor needs to relax (7) | ||
| DRESDEN | A charade of DR (‘doctor’) plus ESDEN, an anagram (‘to relax’) of ‘needs’. | ||
| 20. | Night light southern sailor has to follow at first (3,4) | ||
| DOG STAR | A charade of DOG (‘to follow’) plus S (‘southern’) plus TAR (‘sailor’). | ||
| 21. | Go away with spades and stuff (5) | ||
| SCRAM | A charade of S (‘spades’) plus CRAM (‘stuff’). | ||
| 22. | Bird close to red gardening implement (5) | ||
| DRAKE | A charade of D (‘close to reD‘) plus RAKE (‘gardening implement’). | ||
I enjoyed this puzzle. I particularly liked 17a, 13a, 21a, 3a, 7a, 20d and my favourites were 5d OLD MASTER, 11a MONUMENTAL MASON.
New word for me was MONEY SPIDER.
Thanks Everyman and PeterO.
Good Everyman cluing.
Thanks PeterO; I didn’t know the FATA MORGANA, although I’ve just encountered it again a few times in a book I was reading.
I particularly liked RURITANIA and DOGSTAR.
Rita is very clever, a clever clue as well