The twist in this puzzle was that each clue contained a superfluous word. The initial letters of these words spell out the opening line of a work, which proved to be a song by Sting, “Englishman in New York”. The line is “I don’t drink coffee, I take tea, my dear”. The song is a reference to the celebrated and eccentric gay icon Quentin Crisp who moved to New York in the late 1980s. There was subsequently a film about Crisp with an almost identical title. Given all this, I was puzzled why Tramp then wanted us to change 11 across (CRISP) to NEEDY.
Despite the superfluous words and not being familiar with the song, I found this puzzle on the easy side for a Genius, completing it in an evening. Too many of the clues relied on initial or end letters for my taste (which means lots of part words in brackets in the blog). And in some cases the clue didn’t make much sense once the superfluous word had been removed.
For the purposes of the blog I have put the superfluous words in italics.
Across
1
In which Nuts might link Rod to international model? (7)
MECCANO
Cryptic definition.
5
Paper to write dull crosswords at the end of the day (6)
SUNSET
SUN SET. A simple charade.
10
Women remove centre from After Eight – although, ultimately, “unwrapping mint” is its official description (9)
WAFERTHIN
W(omen) AF(t)ER (eigh)T (althoug)H (m)IN(t). A bit over-elaborate for my taste, and although the clue is self-referential, it does not qualify as an & lit.
11
Like “toast one side” initially caught posh English accent going around nation (5)
CRISP
1 S(ide) in C(aught) RP (Received Pronunciation). If I understand the instructions correctly, this must be replaced in the grid with NEEDY (E(nglish)ED in N(ew) Y(ork)). The reference to toast is a reference to a line in the song.
12
Touching the Void finally tested late actor (4)
REED
RE (th)E (voi)D. Oliver Reed is the actor.
13
Old fight over love in Scotland – dead calm, he struggles with duel (5-5)
CHAUD-MELLE
*(CALM HE DUEL). This is a really obscure word, which I have seen only once before ( in an Azed puzzle in August 2013).
15
Hard stuff – general backing outside war room (6)
ENAMEL
NAM in LEE (a bit of a crossword cliché, General Lee).
16
Ski wear item breaks regularly in mountain ranges (7)
SIERRAS
Alternate letters in “Ski wear breaks“.
17
Show city nightlife (7)
CHICAGO
Double definition.
19
Drink stirred with a real force initially could make cafeteria keel (3,3)
ICE TEA
A compound anagram: take the letters A R(eal)F(orce) from CAFETERIA and make an anagram of what remains.
21
“Drink Coke” plug – scorer doesn”t finish round (10)
CAPPUCCINO
CAP, PUCCIN(i), 0.
22
Overdrawn one joining bank (4)
TIER
Double definition.
25
Test side Australia follow on – batting over one day (5)
INDIA
IN (batting), 1 D(ay)(rev), A(ustralia).
26
One seat by tavern: “Fox and Bush” (5,4)
PUBIC HAIR
PUB, 1 CHAIR. Presumably we are meant to know that the punctuation may change when the word is omitted, although even then it doesn’t read that well.
27
Ringo’s pelvic exercises are hiding something, according to John, perhaps … (6)
GOSPEL
Hidden in “Ringo’s pelvic”. Another one that doesn’t read well with the word omitted.
28
… Beatles’ oddly missed experienced spin doctor? (7)
EPSTEIN
*SPIN with the odd letters in BEATLES. Brian Epstein was the Beatles’ first manager.
Down
1
It cuts indent – mark one with tab (5)
MOWER
M(ark), OWER (one who owes, or runs up a tab).
2
Stimulant, cocaine, a very strong drug taken in (7)
CAFFEIN
C(ocaine), A FF E(cstasy) IN.
3
Plays on radio Abba songs (4)
AIRS
Double definition.
4
Equipment checking those that view dirty photos – home PC left a kilobyte (14)
OPHTHALMOSCOPE
*(PHOTOS HOME PC L(eft) A).
6
Without obstruction, turn green at last, every copper topping the other traffic lights? (10)
UNCUMBERED
U(-turn), (gree)N, CU, (a)MBER (r)ED. After emendation of 11 across, it becomes UNNUMBERED.
7
Trader’s initial odds not as good, one tips (7)
SPILLER
SP(starting price) ILLER. This becomes SPELLER.
8
To journalists having changed sides, like the Sun’s election model? (7)
TOPLESS
TO PRESS (with L for R). This becomes the rather unlikely TOYLESS.
9
Clear mission supporting peace keepers – Amnesty International working expert (14)
UNQUESTIONABLE
UN QUEST I(nternational) ON ABLE.
14
Tramp’s short clue “AA met drunk” – perfectly neat, methinks (10)
IMMACULATE
I’M *(CLU(e) AA MET).
17
“Hiding away”: your tip for cigarette craving (7)
CACHING
C(igarette) ACHING.
18
David Miliband after his job? That is how story starts to go around bars (7)
IMPEDES
(MP ED) in IE, S(tory).
20
Easily remove 26, perhaps, English exercise cut (7)
EPILATE
E PILATE(s).
23
American sport – national boxing drama on TV (repeat) (5)
RERUN
RU in REN – but I can’t explain why REN equates to “national”. ER in RU N. Thanks, Jan @4.
24
Rice turns, changing intro to Cats (4)
ACTS
CATS with the first two letters transposed.
NEEDY looks like E+ED in NY.
Interesting comment about surface readings. I think this is where Tramp has done a great job. There’s no requirement that surfaces should be smooth once the words are removed, and from a technical point of view it’s extremely hard to write a clue whose sirface only becomes coherent after you add an extra word. 27a is a particularly good example.
Nice one Tramp!
Anas @1, can I respectfully disagree? If the words are superfluous, as the instructions suggested, then removing them ought to leave something that makes sense, shouldn’t it? I accept that it may be difficult, but it’s not impossible (by using unnecessary adjectives and adverbs, for example). What about this for 27a: Evidently, Ringo’s pelargoniums conceal something, according to John, perhaps…
Sorry, that should be Anax.
Thank you bridgesong (I’m having a naughty chuckle at your misspelling!) and to Tramp.
I continue to be in awe of Tramp’s ingenuity in the Genius crosswords.
This one took me longer than usual because the superfluous words were not obvious and served to muddle the clues, as intended. I had to solve most of the clues before guessing the opening line of a work of which I had never heard.
I then thought long and hard about 11a. eventually resorting to Chambers Word Wizard to test the 3 or possibly, 6, options for the Englishman in New York. I was so sure that the solution’s definition would reflect the whole phrase and didn’t think that NEEDY fitted the bill although I did see the wordplay. This was the only small disappointment in yet another Tramp triumph.
For 23d, I think it is the TV drama ER in RU and National.
Jan @4, thanks for parsing 23d. I’ve amended the blog. Your views on 11a reflect my own. With hindsight, perhaps it would have been better had the original answer to 11a been NEEDY, and solvers then had to change it to CRISP? Although then we would have lost the references in the clue to the song.
@ bridgesong – No, not at all. The only thing that’s important is the clue as it appears. As long as that is smooth/accurate/whatever, the result of removing a word/letter doesn’t matter – what remains can be as unsmooth as you like. The skill is in adding a superfluous word in such as way that an otherwise clumsy clue becomes coherent.
I totally agree with Anax, I do not see why a surface reading of the clue has to be preserved once a word is removed. If that were the case, it would make it all too easy to pick out a superfluous word from each clue. All you would need to do is check removing one word at a time from every clue. It would be impossible to produce a meaningful surface reading for the removal of every single word done individually. Only one reading would make sense so the superfluous word would immediately be apparent. That would take away the battle and fun or struggling to find a superfluous word.
I also disagree about the change of word to needy. If anyone studies the life and writings of Quentin Crisp and assesses how he presented himself, then ‘NEEDY’ is a pretty fair reflection of how he was. A quirky interesting character maybe, but someone who did absolutely nothing to help the advance of Gay Rights for example. Everything revolved about him.
I loved this crossword and agree with Jan. Tramp is my favourite compiler and sits alongside Bunthorne as one of my two favourite compilers of all time for the Guardian. Long may he produce lovely puzzles such as this one.
Another vote for the Tramp/Anax camp, that amended clues needn’t have a good surface. Personally, I like this extra-word brand of Genius – a good twist but without rendering the clues completely impossible.
It certainly took us a lot more than one evening – although many of the clues weren’t hard, picking out the rogue words slowed us up. Especially as it took a while to spot the obscure (to us!) lyric.
It’ll be interesting to see what light the number of entrants casts on Bridgesong’s assertion that it was too easy 🙂
Thanks bridgesong for the blog. I thought this puzzle was decent and I was surprised the blog didn’t feature a few more positive words.
“I don’t like coffee, I take tea my dear. I like my toast done on one side”; these are the opening lines of the song and why 11ac is a little contrived. It’s also why I tried to include a few tea/coffee-related solutions in the grid.
I wrote this puzzle in December 2011. As with a few of my older puzzles, I have used a few too many single-letter indicators in clues; this is something I’m aware of and I take bridgesong’s point. Chaude-melle is an unusual word but it is supposed to be a Genius puzzle so I thought its inclusion in the puzzle was justified. Re 26a: I used to think throwing in misleading punctuation into a clue was ok but I now think otherwise and I try my best to not do it.
I agree with what’s written above; “superfluous” means, to my mind, “superfluous in the cryptic reading”.
I’d like to thank those that have commented for lifting my spirits.
Neil
I can only admire Tramp’s skill is putting this together and making it an enjoyable solve, but I didn’t where to start in changing 11A and having seen the answer I still don’t see how it is the ‘correct’ answer.
8D raised a smile given the other possible L/R switch.
I had no problem with the surfaces – thanks for the blog bridgesong.
Tramp @8, thanks very much for dropping in. It’s always good to hear from the setter. Sorry not to have been more enthusiastic in my comments; I see now that they could be seen as a bit negative. For the record, I did enjoy the puzzle. Incidentally, I’ve no complaint about your including an obscure word like CHAUD-MELLE in a Genius puzzle: I was just trying to be informative for any solver who hadn’t come across it before.
To answer my own question – ‘because it fits’. I was always just short of genius!
Hi Paul8hours
I had thought my explanation above might be the reason why, but as Tramp did not confirm that then maybe I am wrong. I do think from what I know of our ‘Englishman in New York’ that ‘NEEDY’ is very appropriate as the least slightly negative adjective describing him. To paraphrase another [very big] hit record. “Everything I do, I do for ME.”
By the way, I just found out that I won this month’s prize. Not sure what good a cheque for £100 will be for me here in arctic Connecticut! I’ll find a way to spend it though.
What this does show is that people who contribute to the Genius Blog win a fair amount of time. This is the third winner in under a year I recall. That is a far higher chance than pure randomness, considering the stated numbers of entries and numbers of contributors. Not sure what to make of that.
I am pleased to have won for a puzzle that I enjoyed so much.
Best wishes to, and good luck to, everyone reading this – for the rest of 2014.
Congrats Gordon on your win and may the blog’s run of success continue!
@Gordon
I’m still seeing N(E+ED)Y which satisfies E(nglish)ED (man) in NY!
Gordon @13, congratulations on your success. Some recent months have attracted as few as 200 or so entries, so the odds of winning what is a very generous prize for a monthly competition are really quite good. My turn next month, I hope! I’m waiting for the editor to publish his monthly newsletter so that we can see how many entrants there were, in view of what Mr Beaver @8 said.
Anax @15, (and @1), I agree with you – but it is also there in the blog at 11a.
Oh gawd – sorry bridgesong!
A tweet from Boatman:
“Don’t panic if you’re attempting this month’s Genius – I see that it’s been published without crucial preamble … I’ll have words with Hugh”
Paul8hours/Gordon
This puzzle came about when I spotted that Englishman in New York could be a cryptic clue, without a definition, for NEEDY. When I thought of how to build a Genius puzzle around this idea, I figured I could clue CRISP and get the solvers to change this for NEEDY in the finished grid, as (Quentin) CRISP is the Englishman in New York. Originally, my puzzle was entitled Hard Up because I recognised that the “clue” for NEEDY had no definition and I thought this title might help. Apparently, Genius puzzles no longer have titles and it was thought that Hard Up had nothing to do with Quentin Crisp so the title was dropped. I figured solvers would deduce that Crisp was the Englishman in NY and that the word to replace 11ac had to be NEEDY in order to make three real, intersecting crossing entries. I admit that NEEDY doesn’t really have anything to do with Crisp and that this is a weakness of the puzzle.
Congratulations Gordon on winning the prize. I was lucky enough to win the £100 once.
Neil
Gordon@13 – Congratulations, there’s hope for me yet!
I must say that I was completely ignorant of the Quentin Crisp association until it was mentioned above. Even CRISP at 11a meant nothing other than a solution. Once I read the song’s lyrics I appreciated Tramp’s allusions to tea and coffee, but I didn’t see any reference to QC.
Hugh Stephenson has now published his monthly newsletter. Although he doesn’t tell us how many entries overall were received, he does say that “no fewer than 51” were received on the first day, suggesting that solvers did indeed find it easier than some in this series.
Bridgesong
I think that you have omitted I (for one) in your explanation for 11a to get the middle letter of crisp as the original answer.
I am sure it is not easy trying to remember everything after a month.
Thanks
I need to revisit Specsavers.
I now see your I.
Apologies to Bridgesong
My first attempt at a Genius and I found this very difficult – only managed to get 3 answers. I regularly have a go at Inquisitor, with varying degrees of success, and wondered where people tended to rate Genius against IQ in terms of difficulty? I’ll have another go with the new one tomorrow. I’d hoped to do better as Tramp/Jambazi’s two IQs are two of the very small sample that I have been able to complete.
Tom @24: can’t help, I’m afraid, as I’ve never attempted an Inquisitor. However, if you can regularly complete a Guardian daily cryptic, then you should be able to tackle a Genius, but you will have to allow yourself extra time (but there is a month available, after all). Don’t be discouraged, keep reading the blogs to help yourself understand the clues that defeated you and you will find that with perseverance comes success!
Tom, I should have added that there won’t be a new Genius till next week, as the deadline for submission of this month’s entries doesn’t expire till April 5th. So still time to try and have a go at Puck’s offering!