Nick: Me this week folks, as Lorraine’s long hours working over the weekends is a bummer.
I thought this was quite hard for an Everyman, with some clever clueing going on; all fair, of course. 12ac is a great clue, using a device I haven’t seen before.
Good stuff!
BTW, a link for the Kiwi’s who seem to get Everyman a month late:
http://www.theguardian.com/crosswords/series/everyman
| Across | |||
| 1. | Outspoken, shocking court (6) | ||
| DIRECT | DIRE+CT | ||
| 4. | Cronies upset about a storyline (8) | ||
| SCENARIO | A in (CRONIES*) | ||
| 9. | Spherical barrel in Capone’s gun (6) | ||
| ROTUND | TUN(barrel) in ROD (US slang) rod=gun, hence ‘Capone’s’ | ||
| 10. | Exploits lad rated silly, at first (6,2) | ||
| TRADES ON | SON after (RATED*) | ||
| 12. | I haven’t, by inference, being a Russian leader (4,3,8) | ||
| IVAN THE TERRIBLE | (I HAVEN’T)* – the answer is the clue here; TERRIBLE is the anagram indicator! this is a very clever and new device to me. Great clue! |
||
| 13. | Fresh information about being imprisoned (5) | ||
| GREEN | RE in GEN | ||
| 14. | Character on form, one worthy of imitation (4,5) | ||
| ROLE MODEL | ROLE+MODEL | ||
| 17. | Disturbed now and then, about to film (2,3,4) | ||
| ON THE TOWN | (NOW, THEN*) around TO | ||
| 19. | Girl Irish boy knocked over (5) | ||
| NADIA | (AIDAN)< | ||
| 21. | Sign on lawn – Don’t Smoke Cannabis (4,3,3,5) | ||
| KEEP OFF THE GRASS | cdd – if you can remember the 60’s you wasn’t there |
||
| 23. | Stair repaired with effort and great skill (8) | ||
| ARTISTRY | (STAIR*)+TRY | ||
| 24. | Drawing round university graduate revealing injury (6) | ||
| TRAUMA | (ART<)+U+MA | ||
| 25. | Knocking back endless wine is ominous (8) | ||
| SINISTER | (RETSIN(a)+IS)< | ||
| 26. | Comment about stain (6) | ||
| REMARK | RE+MARK | ||
| … Down |
|||
| 1. | Slipping up, gathering after duke’s heroic action (7-2) | ||
| DERRING-DO | (ERRING+DO) after D | ||
| 2. | Competitive struggle in desert heat (3,4) | ||
| RAT RACE | RAT(desert)+RACE(heat) | ||
| 3. | Lady Chatterley, say, may be against position (9) | ||
| CONSTANCE | CON+STANCE – Lady C’s first name | ||
| 5. | React badly over girl’s free hand (5,7) | ||
| CARTE BLANCHE | (REACT*)+BLANCHE | ||
| 6. | Floor of drain in need of repair (5) | ||
| NADIR | (DRAIN)* – opposite of ZENITH | ||
| 7. | Pretty young woman stood up by friend (7) | ||
| ROSEBUD | ROSE(stood up)+BUD[short for buddy=friend] |
||
| 8. | Wild animal needing power to make sudden swoop (5) | ||
| OUNCE | (p)OUNCE an ounce is a Snow Leopard, of sorts |
||
| 11. | Comic bare for short comedy play (7,5) | ||
| BEDROOM FARCE | (BARE FOR+COMED(y))* | ||
| 15. | Mine eager, working in zoo (9) | ||
| MENAGERIE | (MINE EAGER)* | ||
| 16. | Dealing with one may generate a lot of interest (4,5) | ||
| LOAN SHARK | cd | ||
| 18. | City in northern Italy with name of American one (7) | ||
| TRENTON | TRENTO+N | ||
| 20. | Daughter Laura raving about chapter in novel (7) | ||
| DRACULA | (D+(LAURA*)) around C | ||
| 21. | Poet buried in Stoke, at Shelton (5) | ||
| KEATS | hidden: StoKE, AT Shelton | ||
| 22. | Love unaltered fertile spot (5) | ||
| OASIS | O+’AS IS’ | ||
| … | |||
I’ll second this being hard. I couldn’t get 18d and Mr Google tells me that Trenton is the capital city of New Jersey. Would Edinburgh be the Scotand “One”? Hmm.
I also failed on 1d -I thought it was spelled “daring do” so I thought I was missing a letter. Ah well live and learn.
I agree that this was a little harder than the usual Everyman puzzle. I haven’t seen him use the device in 12ac before but other setters have been using it for a while so it didn’t hold me up. I knew of Trenton, NJ so 18dn wasn’t a problem.
I’m unaware of how many of you will read this belated comment since it’s emanating from NZ but here it is! One of my great friends of many years-Martin Graham-has frequently mentioned his eldest brother and he and I have occasionally combined to solve some extra special puzzles his brother had sent him to keep him occupied while on his travels. The coincidences were resolved when in recent correspondence I wrote saying how much I looked forward to Saturday mornings and the overseas prize puzzle. His daughter, also resident in NZ, informs me that uncle John aka araucaria sadly succumbed to a terminal illness a month ago. I gather there were many wonderful eulogies in UK papers to an individual who had entertained so many people for so many years. My belated regards to all his fellow fans and family.
Alas poor Martin. No relation by the way. And yes I enjoy Saturday Herald Crosswords (which this is), M – F are poor by comparison.
I enjoyed this but had Treads On instead of Trades On so that messed up 6D (and I refused to change Treads On as I thought it must be right). Never heard of Trenton. Got the rest.