Found this pretty tough, with 24ac/1dn, 11ac and 14dn all unfamiliar. Favourite clues were 8ac, 10ac and 25ac.
Edit thanks to grandpuzzler
| Across | ||
| 1 | ACCRA | Heading west, curve around port (5) |
| =”port”. Reversal (“heading west”) of {ARC=”curve” + C[irc]A=”around”} | ||
| 4 | ON COURSE | Moving in the right direction, having several training sessions? (2,6) |
| Straight def =”Moving in the right direction” & slightly cryptic def =”having several training sessions?” | ||
| 8 | AND WHAT HAVE YOU | Question asked by someone comparing Christmas presents etc? (3,4,4,3) |
| =”etc”. Cryptic def =”Question asked by someone comparing Christmas presents” | ||
| 10 | FRIEDMAN | Economist’s suggestion for a cannibal’s feast? (8) |
| The Chicago economist. FRIED MAN=”suggestion for a cannibal’s feast?” | ||
| 11 | LYSTRA | Some holy stranger encountered in place on missionary journey (6) |
| =”place on missionary journey” – visited by St Paul on his missions. Hidden in “hoLY STRAnger” | ||
| 12 | LOCKSMITH | Security person with hairy bits at the front of University Hospital (9) |
| =”Security person”. LOCKS=”hairy bits” + MIT=”University” + H[ospital] | ||
| 15 | AMATI | Fine instrument dramatist uses (5) |
| =”fine instrument”. Hidden in “drAMATIst”. | ||
| 17 | LASKI | Liberal request made by independent political theorist, once (5) |
| =”political theorist, once”. L[iberal] ASK=”request” I[ndependent] | ||
| 18 | MANNERING | Guy of 7 in short-staffed group (9) |
| Guy Mannering is a novel by [Sir Walter] Scott. MANNE[d]=”short-staffed” + RING=”group” | ||
| 19 | CASH IN | Make a killing, maybe, as murderer keeping quiet (4,2) |
| =”Make a killing”. CAIN=”murderer” around SH=”quiet” | ||
| 21 | HIERARCH | High priest’s casual greeting, unusual around church (8) |
| =”High priest”. HI=”casual greeting” + rev(RARE)=”unusual around” + CH[urch] | ||
| 24,1down | GREAT GOD THIS IS AN AWFUL PLACE | Message from 7 undone by a plod, a graft with sun, gales, ice (5,3,4,2,2,5,5) |
| Captain Scott’s description of the Antarctic. (plod a graft with sun gales ice)* | ||
| 25 | CAPTAINS | Cooks of now and yesteryear? (8) |
| Captain James Cook the 18th century explorer; Alistair Cook the current England cricket captain. | ||
| 26 | BASIN | Hollow bishop with a thing to be confessed? (5) |
| =”Hollow”. B[ishop] + A SIN=”a thing to be confessed” | ||
| Down | ||
| 1 | See 24 | |
| See 24 | ||
| 2 | CODPIECES | Portions from the chippy? Lunch boxes no longer have them! (9) |
| Two crypic defs: COD PIECES might come from the chippy; “Lunch box” is slang for the male genitals, which are rarely covered by CODPIECES these days. | ||
| 3 | APHID | Pest starting off fast, hard to catch (5) |
| =”Pest”. [r]APID=”starting off fast” around H[ard] | ||
| 4 | OSTRACISM | Exclusion of drunken sot with display of unacceptable bigotry (9) |
| =”Exclusion”. (sot)* + RACISM=”…bigotry” | ||
| 5 | CHAT | Bird to sing, missing note (4) |
| =”Bird”. CHA[n]T=”sing” missing N[ote] | ||
| 6 | USE-BY DATE | See ad and buy product, finally to be cooked now? (3-2,4) |
| =”finally to be cooked now”. (See ad buy [produc]t)* | ||
| 7 | SCOTT | Explorer beginning to suffer with cold, excessively (5) |
| =”Explorer”. S[uffer] + C[old] + O[ver] T[he] T[op]=”excessively” | ||
| 9 | TAKING THE SUN | Enjoying fine weather? Something our readers probably won’t be doing! (6,3,3) |
| =”Enjoying fine weather”; Guardian readers probably won’t be buying The Sun. | ||
| 13 | SOI-DISANT | Reliable but losing heart — is worker, in terms of self-image? (3-6) |
| =”in terms of self-image”. SO[l]ID=”Reliable but losing heart” + IS + ANT=”worker” | ||
| 14 | HENDIADYS | Sidney had curled up nice and warm, maybe (9) |
| A figure of speech exemplified by “nice and warm”. (Sidney had)* | ||
| 16 | APIARISTS | It’s not just the workers they look after (9) |
| Cryptic def – APIARISTS look after drone and queen bees, as well as the workers. | ||
| 20 | SYRIA | Casual society set up in the country (5) |
| =”country”. rev{AIRY=”Casual” + S[ociety]} | ||
| 22 | REHAB | Therapy that could come from a herb (5) |
| =”Therapy”. (a herb)* | ||
| 23 | UGLI | Fruit not looking so good, a third wasted (4) |
| =”Fruit”. UGLI[er]=”not looking so good, a third wasted” | ||
Thanks Pasquale and manehi. I liked 21a, 24a/1d, 19a, 13d and my favourites were 10a FRIEDMAN & 1a ACCRA (last in).
New words for me were LYSTRA, HENDIADYS, AMATI, LASKI, UGLI. Also, “lunch box” = male genitals.
I couldn’t fully parse 25a (I got Capt James Cook but forgot about Alastair).
Thanks manehi. In haste with the LOI, I had ‘pastries’ for the cooks in 25a. I’d been cruising, getting the Scott quote without memory or aids. Did have to check HENDIADYS, though. Tks Pasquale.
Thanks to Pasquale and manehi. Didn’t know the Scott quote so this was difficult for me.
AMATI is a hidden answer, no? Liked OSTRACISM.
Cheers…
Unusual to have a puzzle with two hiddens, I thought. Also didn’t know the Scott quotation – the Lawrence Oates one, yes. Enjoyed CODPIECE immensely; took me back to Barcelona 1992 and Linford Christie in his lycra.
While no self-respecting Guardian reader would be seen dead buying the Sun, picking up a discarded copy in a railway carriage is of course a different matter altogether…
Thanks for the blog, manehi.
Well, I can’t remember ever enjoying a Pasquale puzzle so much. I can usually admire the cleverness of his clues and appreciate learning a new word or three but it just happened today that everything was on my wavelength and all, eventually, fell into place most satisfyingly.
I did know the Scott quotation [and liked the way that, though long, it didn’t give too much else away] and I’d read ‘Guy Mannering’ at school and liked the way that clue slotted in]. HENDIADYS is one of my favourite words, for its simple construction and the sound it makes – and what a superb clue! I also liked the definition at 8ac.
There are some great story-telling [some &littish – 21ac, 7dn, 22dn] surfaces, raising several smiles, and a real laugh out loud at CODPIECES – brilliant!
My last one in was CAPTAINS – a great pdm to end with.
Very many thanks, Mr Manley, for such a great start to my day.
Thanks manehi and Pasquale.
I, too, had PASTries, but, clearly, I wasn’t satisfied with it.
The long quote I managed to dredge up from memory, but only after using the letters given in the fodder. I had —–GOD THIS IS — —– PLACE and then the AN suggested the next word began with A, and that was it.
My success rate with Pasquale’s has been increasing of late, but having had year’s of practice with him, I think he must be getting easier – I am never on his wavelength, and, pace Eileen, I must place him alongside Rufus for lack of enjoyment.
years
Thanks, manehi.
I found this rather tricky in parts, although I recognised the Scott quotation, which helped a lot. Some great clues: I liked OSTRACISM, FRIEDMAN, MANNERING and, of course HENDIADYS. But 8a (last in) seemed uncharacteristically vague, both in clue and solution. Am I missing a layer of reference here?
Should have read manehi’s blog more carefully. Of course – the definition is ‘etc’. Clever.
2D Is Don Paul in disguise?
Much the best Don puzzle we have seen for a while – congratulations Don!
I am impressed that so many people knew the quote @ 24/1. I enjoyed it as a very long anagram, somewhat like Dave@6 and using my imagination to think about what Scott might have said. Of course I was helped by crossing letters and inspired guesswork for “God this is an” to get the rest of the quote.
A very enjoyable puzzle, though I had to go to aids to get ‘hendiadys’, which was unknown to me – so it counts as. DNF. On past experience, I’ll try to remember it but fail.
Thanks manehi and Pasquale
I found this clever and amusing (14d). My dictionaries both specify a linkage of nouns, though Collins does say ‘usually’.
I did not know the quote but partly guessed it and partly worked it out from the anagram material.
I ticked 8a, 25a (LOI), 2d, and 13d but as usual the cluing was very good throughout.
Considering the news, Syria took me an unduly long time to see,
Thanks to Pasquale for an enjoyable puzzle, and to manehi for the blog.
Unlike Michelle, I’m surprised that so many people (in the comments on the Guardian sit as well as here) seem not to have known the Scott quotation at all. I got it almost immediately after getting 7d, only slightly delayed by thinking it began “Dear God!” instead of “Great God!”; for once the long anagram was actually a help in getting the full answer. Those of us in the UK of a certain age used to have the story of Captain Scott’s ill-fated journey, and extracts from his diaries (not to mention the film starring John Mills as Scott – memorably parodied by Monty Python), rammed down our throats as admirable examples of British phlegm.
Andrew@14
Perhaps I am not of a “certain age”……
I appreciated the clue as a long anagram – it only required a bit of imagination to guess what Scott MIGHT have said. So, I think it was a great clue!
At the beginning I thought this was going to be relatively easy but I soon ground to a halt.
Thanks manehi; I know Marghanita LASKI better than Harold. I found this a bit of a struggle although COD PIECES had a superb clue.
P.S. tupu @13; see the Merriam-Webster’s definition.
This is very adventurous by Pasquale. And of course there were no clueing ‘upsets’ for me to go on about in the work of a true Ximenean, one who tries hard to get things right. Liked the big anagram, which I thought he did well.
Rowly.
Not the breeze of yesterday but got there in the end. Never heard of HENDIADYS and not too familiar with HIERARCH either, but pretty much knew the long quote – all but the first two words, whoch became clear through the process of exclusion.
I was in the PASTRIES camp but unconvinced, hence took a rare excursion to the check function on the internet. CAPTAINS was second guess; like Michelle, had though that way re the explorer but unaccountably failed to twig the cricketer.
Thanks Pasquale and manehi.
Found this hard, and though I’m tempted to cite a very busy morning as the reason why it took so long, the fact that I had an uninterrupted run at it over lunch would make me a liar! Lots to like and admire.
For those that missed it (i.e. pretty much everyone) look back at yesterday’s solution for a brilliant NINA. Not spotted by me, I hasten to add.
Not an enjoyable experience for me. Pasquale at his worst in my opinion. Too clever by half.
I failed to get 25a like many others I suspect. The test of a good clue that defeated you is that the “I should have got that” moment comes when seeing the answer. However in this case my only reaction was one of disappointment that I’d wasted time on it!
Definitely too Torquemadian for me.
Michelle. Your guessing skils re 24a 1d never seem to amaze me. It must have been your last entry! 😉
Thanks to manehi.
Robi @17
That’s nice and clear! Thanks
Yesterday’s nina = not intentional I would say.
Thanks
Rowly
Brendan@21
You obviously think that I am stupid….. It was not my last entry. If DaveEllison@6 could work it out, why can’t I? I have mentioned that I love anagrams – it should be obvious to anyone to work it out – that’s why the clue was good!
Rowly,
According to Wikipedia, the frequency in the English language of the letters in the word ICHOR are respectively 6.966%, 2.782%, 6.094%, 7.507% and 5.987%. For those 5 letters to appear randomly in a specific part of a grid in any order, the chances are 1 in 1,884,001. For them to appear in that exact order to spell out the word, the chances are 1 in 226,080,199.
Given that the theme of the puzzle was blood and circulation, and that the word ICHOR appeared down the centre line of the grid (probability: 1 in 3,391,202,982) I really don’t think it was random chance.
Hi, michelle @ 24,
I didn’t entirely work it out, as I did know the quote but had forgotten it! A bit like Andrew’s DEAR, I was toying with GOOD GOD, which clearly didn’t fit.
I read Brendan @21’s remark about your skills as a compliment at first; but on rereading I see what I misread as “cease” was actually “seem”. I wonder if Brendan would clarify which he meant?
Maybe, but the initial O rather detracts don’t you think?
DaveEllison@26
thanks for trying to “defend” me but I think that Brendan meant “cease” rather than “seem”.
Anyway I solved the clue, even if I did not know the original quote. As I mentioned I am not “of a certain age” and I prefer to solve clues as (I hope) the setter intended and not simply through knowing a quote of 100 years ago! I loved the (long) anagram.
I was enjoying blog until Andrew @14 put me off my meal with the image he created of having phlegm
rammed down one’s throat.
I sense another silly debate, this one about Ninas. But what the hell does ‘O ichor’ mean? Did anyone ever say it?
The wiser response to this was, ‘oh look: it’s as if the grid has an intelligence all of its own!’ or some such, with the emphasis on the ‘as’if’, but no: this sequence, clearly happenstance, for some people MUST have been intentionally placed.
Nonetheless, as an accidental, I thought it entirely excellent.
I’m definitely in the ‘one of Pasquale’s best’ camp. I thought this was tough to finish, but a delight. I kind of remembered the Scott quotation, and actually was finally able to work it out from the anagram fodder that was left.
FRIEDMAN, AND WHAT HAVE YOU and LOCKSMITH were all excellent. Pasquale has a particular style; if you want something a bit different, have a go at today’s Indy, where an up-and-coming young setter has produced a fine puzzle.
Thanks to S&B.
Re ICHOR – Rowland and Paul B are right. Mitz’s arithmetic is irrelevant.
The compiler set himself the task of fitting seven thematic answers of various lengths in a suitable grid. Next he had to fill the grid. I cannot believe that at any stage he decided that he needed a thematic Nina to gild his lily. I mean how long would it take to come up with ICHOR and fit it in?
Anyway, yesterday is gone.
PaulB – I didn’t start any debate, I just pointed out something that someone else noticed and that I thought was intersting. You guys are naturally entitled to your opinion, but I didn’t make the maths up, and I don’t much like the 3bn+ to 1 against odds. Would love for Brummie to let us know whether or not his puzzle really was touched by the Gods. Or at least their blood.
OICHOR? That’s the blood of Cornish gods is it? Hah, only kidding, but ICHOR I’d have put my house on.
Re Pasquale it did seem a bit adventurous, almost like someone dressing too young, but he’s a fair compiler, and I had no issues with it.
I’m in the “excellent puzzle” camp even if I did need aids to get my last two. At 14dn I needed to check HENDIADYS, which I had worked out from the anagram fodder but I wasn’t convinced by it. I’m of the opinion that I must have seen it before but had completely forgotten it. At 25ac I’m another one who couldn’t get away from the PASTries idea but I didn’t enter it because I couldn’t parse it, so I went to OneLook to look at the available options for the checkers and I could have kicked myself when I saw CAPTAINS.
Tip top I thought.
LOL at 2d; brill 8a and loads more.
I toyed with pastries too for 25a: thought “captains” a bit weak until reminded of the cricketer.
Thanks all.
Complete waste of time for me, so just looked at the blog to see what I’d missed.
No wonder I didn’t get 1a, as I was alwaays taught that c is short for circa, not ca. Why would any one waste time using more letters than necessary when just one would do?
No wonder I didn’t get 8, it isn’t a question. I seem to remember sundry English teachers drumming into me that you should never start a sentence with AND (they do still call a question a sentence don’t they?). I frequently do that of course, but that doesn’t make it correct. Also, it is in any case a total nonsense as a question being without an ending, such as “got”, or “done”, or “painted”, or “stolen” or etc. etc. etc.
You’ll all be glad to know I stopped looking after that point.
alwaays was key bounce, I’ll clean the keyboard
@Rowly, PaulB, rhotician.
Me, obsessive? Heaven forbid.
I’ve emailed Brummie – I’ll let you know if he responds, and I promise not to fib about it if you’re right.
But 3,391,202,982 to 1 against I tell you! That’d be one hell of a coincidence!
Oh, and rho: yes, of course you’re right – what happened yesterday is obviously of no interest to anyone, ever.
The comments certainly show the Brit vs others makeup of solvers. I’m (I’d like to think) a well educated & read Irishman & I’ve never heard of the quote from Scott. I eventually got it from crossing letters & the anagram fodder – I had to Google the phrase to satisfy myself that it was a good clue.
Quite separately – I hated 8a. It has that classic Guardian problem – Once you’ve solved the clue the wordplay is completely unambiguous but the clue going the other way is frustratingly vague. Last Saturday’s Prize was a classic example.
The day before yesterday now. Let’s continue this debate when the blog of Paul’s puzzle appears.
For the benefit of anyone who missed the statistics of Brummie’s puzzle here in the blog of Pasquale’s.
Having slept on it, it occurs to me that the chance of ICHOR appearing in the centre of that grid is the same as that of ZZZZZ.
About one in six million.