The preamble told us that eleven clues lead to the second part of a thematically related solution, not further defined. However, the letter counts with these clues refer to the first part of each of these solutions, which is to be entered in the grid.
I reckoned the best way to solve this was to go through the clues and wait till I found one that clearly led to a solution that would not fit into the grid. The first thematic clue that I solved was 16a where I could see that the answer was SMITH and there was no obvious definition in the clue. Unfortunately SMITH is the same length as the associated first thematic part that needed to be entered, so this first one wasn’t a great deal of help. The second thematic clue I solved was 12d, OLIVER. The names SMITH and OLIVER rang some bells , especially as JAMIE would fit at 12 down and DELIA would fit at 15a. By this time, I had also solved AMID at 15a, JEWEL at 12a and FOCACCIA at 4d so I felt fairly confident. I then wrote down as many other celebrity chefs as I could think of. My wife is not a cryptic crossword aficionado but she does have a vast library of cookery books, so I was able to draw up a fairly sizeable list. In the end, I think there was only one of the thematic chefs who didn’t feature in her library.
As solvers will have deduced we have to enter the Christian name of chefs whose surnames are generated by 11 of the clues.
There were a few food and drink allusions in the clues, but their significance didn’t strike me until I was well through the thematic solving. The full list of celebrity chefs is
PHIL VICKERY
DELIA SMITH
HUGH FEARNLEY-WHITTINGSTALL
MICHEL ROUX (Jr)
GORDON RAMSAY
GARY RHODES
JAMIE OLIVER
YOTAM OTTOLENGHI
ANTONY WORRALL THOMPSON
HESTON BLUMENTHAL and
WOLFGANG PUCK
To me, the least well known on the list was WOLFGANG PUCK but I think I read somewhere recently (after I had solved the puzzle) that he will be appearing on a television screen near us some time soon.
I found the clues slightly harder than those found in a standard daily puzzle, but I think that is to be expected in a Genius My favourite clues were those for POTOMAC (8a) using river three times, COCKNEYS (13a) with its exclusion of the aspirant H from HOCKNEYS, FEARNLEY-WHITTINGSTALL (1d) simply for the length of the entry, FOCACCIA (4d) for using 8 successive initial letters and OTTOLENGHI (14d) for its construction from many parts.
I note that we have a bonus chef in the first 3 unches in the top row – Ken HOM, but I suspect that is just chance.
When blogging a Genius, especially one that doesn’t have a closing date till the 5th day of the following month, I always wonder whether solvers will actually remember what the puzzle was about. There is also the challenge for the blogger, one of a six on a cycle, to remember that it his/her turn to blog.
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Across |
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| No. | Clue | Wordplay |
Entry |
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7
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Distinct part of larger whole cake served in clubs? (7)
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BUN (cake) contained in (served in) SUIT (Clubs is a suit in card games) SU (BUN) IT |
SUBUNIT (distinct part of a larger whole)
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8
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River returns, following river to river (7)
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PO (river, in Italy) + TO + (CAM [river, in England] reversed [returns]) PO TO MAC< |
POTOMAC (river, in America)
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9
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Filling extremely tasteless – starter binned (4)
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(SICK [tasteless] excluding the first letter [starter binned]) contained in (filling) VERY (extremely) giving VICKERY V (ICK) ERY |
PHIL (reference PHIL VICKERY, English celebrity chef)
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10
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Old man with right yen for saving (9)
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HUSBAND (old man [colloquial term for HUSBAND]) + R (right) + Y (yen)
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HUSBANDRY (thrift; saving)
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12
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First of Jacob sheep lost a stone in the ring? (5)
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J (first letter of [first of] JACOB) + EWE (female sheep) + L (lost, as used in football league tables)
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JEWEL (stone in a [wedding, engagement, eternity etc] ring)
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13
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Those lacking aspiration in speech about their sort of paintings (8)
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C (circa; about) + ‘OCKNEYS (paintings by David HOCKNEY, as described by people who drop the first H off many words [those who lack aspiration in speech])
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COCKNEYS (people who lack aspiration in speech and drop the first H off many words) |
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15
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Surrounded by the morning papers? (4)
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AM (ante meridiem; before noon; morning) + ID (identity papers)
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AMID (surrounded by)
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16
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This cooking involves meat primarily (5)
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Anagram of (cooking) (THIS and M [first letter of {primarily} MEAT]) giving SMITH S (M) ITH* |
DELIA (reference DELIA SMITH, English celebrity chef)
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17
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Mention sex in church (4)
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IT (sex appeal) contained in (in) CE (Church [of England]) C (IT) E |
CITE (mention)
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18
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Vessel where 5 meets two females taking in a little cruise (4,4)
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V (Roman numeral for 5) + ([ENA {female name} + AVA {female name} giving two females] containing [taking in] C [first letter of {a little} CRUISE]) V ENA (C) AVA |
VENA CAVA (either of the two major veins (the superior vena cava and inferior vena cava) taking venous blood to the heart; vessel)
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20
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Fly with male in area set aside for females (5)
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HARE (hasten; fly) + M (male)
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HAREM (women’s quarters in a Muslim house)
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21
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Her Majesty has the swan swimming around other aquatic birds (9)
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ER (Elizabeth Regina; Her Majesty) contained in (has … around) an anagram of (swimming) THE SWAN WAT (ER) HENS* |
WATERHENS (aquatic birds)
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22
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Female in prison swapping wings (4)
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GAOL (prison) with the two blocks of two letters (GA and OL) swapping places (wings) to form OLGA
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OLGA (female name)
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24
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The Fleet, perhaps, according to Dickens (3,4)
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OLD NICK (an old prison)
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OLD NICK (The Fleet was a London gaol until 1842 [old] near the Fleet river, long a place of confinement for debtors – referenced by Charles Dickens in The Pickwick Papers)
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25
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Charlie caught at beginning of over by Michael? (7)
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C (caught; cricket notation) + O (over; cricket notation) + CAINE (reference Michael CAINE, English actor)
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COCAINE (a drug, colloquially known as CHARLIE)
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| Down | |||
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1
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Newer hay left out in appropriate part of stable (4)
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(Anagram of [out] NEWER HAY and L [left] contained in [in] FITTING [appropriate]) + STALL (standing place in a stable) giving FEARNLEY-WHITTINGSTALL F (EARNLEY WH*) ITTING STALL |
HUGH (reference HUGH FEARNLEY-WHITTINGSTALL, English celebrity chef)
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2
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Revised clue at 2 down? A little censorship won’t upset – deleted, not allowed (8) |
This is a compound anagram. The complete anagram fodder is CLUE AT TWO [2] DOWN but we have to remove [deleted] (C [first letter of {a little} CENSORSHIP and WONT) to give us an anagram [upset] of LUEATDOW
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OUTLAWED (not allowed)
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3
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Where French has replaced King’s English (6)
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REX (king) with E (English) replaced by OU (French for ‘where’) giving ROUX R (OU) X |
MICHEL (reference MICHEL ROUX or MICHEL ROUX Junior, French celebrity chefs) |
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4
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Bread from overseas, crusty and chunky, covered in angelica originally (8)
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FOCCACIA (initial letters [originally] of FROM OVERSEAS CRUSTY AND CHUNKY COVERED IN ANGELICA)
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FOCACCIA (a flat round loaf of Italian bread topped with herbs and olive oil; bread from overseas)
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| 5 | Butter, for example (6) |
RAM (an animal that buts; butter) + SAY (for example) giving RAMSAY
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GORDON (reference GORDON RAMSAY, Scottish celebrity chef) |
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6
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Horsed around (4)
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Anagram of (around) HORSED giving RHODES
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GARY (reference GARY RHODES, English celebrity chef)
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11
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Time off when grim reaper is on street, briefly (4,5)
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SICKLE (an implement with a curved blade and a short handle, for cutting crops, often associated with images of Death [grim reaper]) + AVE (avenue; abbreviation [shortly] for a form of street)
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SICK LEAVE (time off)
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12
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Love organ (5)
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O (zero; love score in tennis) + LIVER (organ) giving OLIVER
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JAMIE (reference JAMIE OLIVER, English celebrity chef)
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14
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German emperor visiting good hotel in the French province (5)
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OTTO (reference OTTO the great [912 – 973], German King and Holy Roman Emperor) + ([G {good} + H {hotel}] contained in [in] [LE {French for ‘the’} + NI {Northern Ireland; province}]) giving OTTOLENGHI OTTO LE N (G H) I |
YOTAM (reference YOTAM OTTOLENGHI, Israeli celebrity chef)
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16
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River fish turns up in river fish contest based on acceleration from standing start (4,4) |
(R [river] + GAR [fish]) reversed (turns up; down clue) contained in (in) DACE (a small river fish) D (RAG R)< ACE |
DRAG RACE (a motor car or motorcycle contest in acceleration, with standing start and over a quarter-mile course)
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17
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Non-commissioned officer material (8)
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CORPORAL (non-commissioned officer rank)
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CORPORAL (relating to the body; not spiritual; material) double definition
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19
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Ordered prawn roll with one additive-free smoothie (6)
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Anagram of (ordered) PRAWN ROLL and SMOOTHIE excluding (free) (I [one] and E [E-number; food additive]) giving WORRALL THOMPSON
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ANTONY (reference ANTONY WORRALL THOMPSON, English celebrity chef)
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20
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Tory cut at hospital in Barking (6)
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BLUE (Tory) excluding the final letter (cut) E + (H [hospital] contained in [in] MENTAL [barking {mad}]) giving BLUMENTHAL BLU MENT (H) AL |
HESTON (reference HESTON BLUMENTHAL, English celebrity chef)
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21, 23
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Flipping heck, Cupid’s got me! (8)
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Hidden word (got me) reversed (flipping) in HECK CUPID’S giving PUCK
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WOLFGANG (reference WOLFGANG PUCK, Austrian celebrity chef, born in North Korea [not a combination of countries you see very often])
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Thanks for the comprehensive blog, Duncan (and for remembering to do it š ).
Like you, 16a was our first in, though of course SMITH could have been one of any number of themes. I think it was 5d, not long after, that made the penny drop.
After getting the theme, I thought this was relatively gentle for a Genius – especially as I often find it difficult to get on Puck’s wavelength.
I’m guessing there’ll be a lot of entries this month.
Thanks for the blog, Duncan. Like you, I was also unfamiliar with Wolfgang Puck (although I can see how he might have inspired the theme). I agree with Mr Beaver about the overall level of difficulty.
Thanks Puck and Duncan. I actually only did this today – hadn’t checked to see if there was a new genius to do for ages! Like you, smith was my first ‘special’ clue – I had focaccia already, so delia occurred to me, and quickly checking I noticed oliver so was pretty confident. A lot of nice clues, and I also found it easier than a lot of geniuses. Last in was drag race – I was sure it would contain carp!
Hi Duncan [and Puck]
My first clue was 12d, which took about 5 seconds. I guessed the theme immediately, and was thus off to a quick and somewhat lucky start. I enjoyed the rest of the puzzle, some of which I found a bit more difficult than others seem to have.
Although I have lived in the USA for 13 years, I knew Wolfgang Puck very well, maybe he is on US TV more than in the UK? I can’t remember these things these days, as to where I know something from. However I had never heard of Yotam Ottolenghi, so maybe it is a British/US TV thing.
There are a couple of other clues where I believe Puck kept up the theme. There is a chef called Michael Caines [re:25A] and also Nathan Outlaw [2d]. A real pity he is not called Edward Outlaw, as Outlaw-ed would have been perfect.
I also believe that Puck did not exactly meet his ‘non-definition’ statement for 21/23d, as the final word ‘me’ seems more than a little allusion to being a definition for the setter himself.
I cannot recall if Puck joins in this forum, but would be interested to know if I am right with this supposition.
I had not heard of Vena Cava either, which I am ashamed of.
Finally I got the dreaded ‘double letter’ entry for the bottom part of the crossword , which interestingly then affected the top part of the puzzle [which it had not done originally] when I changed an incorrect letter. Either the Guardian management don’t care about this puzzle or something is astonishingly wrong with its monthly publication and setting.
Actually, another thing I meant to add was that I don’t see anything cryptic at all with 24A. How is OLD NICK more than just a lengthy straightforward definition?
I think I just solved what I just said. Dickens and Old Nick both refer to the Devil of course. Amazing that I did not see that before
Thanks for the excellent blog Duncan, and to others for your comments.
The appearance of HOM in the first three unches of the top row was in fact intended. My original version asked for solvers to replace this with the associated first name KEN before submission, but during the editing process it was decided that this was a step too far – especially as the completed grid would then end up with non-words at 1, 2 and 3 down. So well done for spotting HOM, Duncan.
In regard to difficulty level, the puzzle was initially set as a regular Cryptic/Prize puzzle but, for one reason and another, I was asked to convert it to a Genius. I did toughen up the original a bit, but only to easy Genius level.
Gordon@4: The Caine[s] and Outlaw[ed] references are coincidental – I wasn’t even aware of either chef myself. But yes, you could say that there is a sort of definition in 21/23dn that makes the preamble slightly imprecise – something I didn’t somehow spot as being a problem at the time.
Gordon@5&6: Your @6 correctly supplied the answer to your @5.
And just one other point: The definition at 11dn was intended to be “Time off when grim” rather than just “Time off” as underlined in the blog.