Guardian 26,239 by Rufus

by

A Bank Holiday Rufus to enjoy today.

 

Well after the recent complaints about using the same old grid, a definite change today, but it’s still the same Rufusian mix of Cryptic and double definitions with the odd curve ball thrown in.

Definitions underlined where appropriate.

 

Across

8 In-joke about Southern rustic (8)
HOMESPUN
S(outhern) inside HOME (in) & PUN (joke)

9 Sound conductor of works by Schubert (6)
LIEDER
Hom. of LEADER (conductor)

10 He joins up in the heat of the moment (6)
WELDER
I can’t see any reason for “of the moment” other than for a weak CD, anyone see anything else?

11 A copper-lined box produced with pre­cision (8)
ACCURATE
CU (copper) in A CRATE

12 Thrash in return game (4)
GOLF
FLOG reversed

13 Royals in Chinese capital surrounded by crowds (10)
PRINCESSES
IN & C(hinese) just the capital letter, all in PRESSES

15 They’re often cast as tug-of-war team members (7)
ANCHORS
Double def

16 Leisure period gets cancelled (4,3)
TIME OFF
TIME (period) & OFF (cancelled)

18 Appropriate change of accent is made (10)
CONFISCATE
[OF ACCENT IS]*

19 Port in a bottle (4)
CORK
DD although most bottles don’t these days.

20 Beaten by Noah’s son and only daughter (8)
HAMMERED
HAM (Noah’s son) & MERE (only) & D(aughter)

22 Aunt about to get a distinction in Indian dance (6)
NAUTCH
AUNT* and Companion of Honour, not a word I readily knew I’ll admit

23 They are in the market for theatre seats (6)
STALLS
DD

24 Think again about seas breaking over ship (8)
REASSESS
RE (about) and SS (ship) in SEAS*

Down

1 How returning space travellers have to adjust to reality? (4,4,2,5)
COME DOWN TO EARTH
Cryptic cum Double def

2 Leader of the house? (4,2,3,6)
HEAD OF THE FAMILY
Cryptic def

3 Uncast replacements? (5,5)
SPARE PARTS
and another CD

4 Unrecognised but no doubt patient (7)
INVALID
DD

5 State obstruction to an alliance (4)
BLOC
Hom of BLOCK

6 Further instruction in drinking? (9,6)
REFRESHER COURSE
CD

7 “Variable after a shower” etc? (7,8)
WEATHER FORECAST
Well well, not just a CD but a very nice &lit too [AFTER A SHOWER ETC]*

14 Airman and crew involved in conflict (7,3)
CRIMEAN WAR

[AIRMAN CREW]*

17 Criticise girl for releasing the evils of the world? (7)
PANDORA
PAN (criticise) & DORA (girl) and a cryptic def rolled together

21 Speed of light (4)
RUSH
Double def, a RUSH can be something of no importance

*anagr9m

24 comments on “Guardian 26,239 by Rufus”

  1. Thanks flashling and Rufus
    I enjoyed this one – I particularly liked WEATHER FORECAST and CRIMEAN WAR.
    I had to use Google to get NAUTCH.
    I don’t understand the “uncast” in 3d – can anyone explain please?

  4. Thanks, flashling – makes sense.
    I agree with you about “of the moment” in 10ac – surface only, I think!

  6. I liked 8 ac very much. If clues like 10 ac were edited out it would be clear that Rufus at his best is as good as anyone. As it was, 10 ac was the last in, and with little confidence and no pleasure. But much pleasure elsewhere. Thanks Rufus and flashling.

  7. As it happens, this grid with four 15-letter clues isn’t one of my favourites either, but it’s such an improvement over the ghastly things Rufus has been using lately. And my dislike for 15-letter clues is that I often find them ferociously difficult, though no problems here – 1 in particular a write-in, and WEATHER FORECAST has to be one of Rufus’s best ever.

    It was a four-letter answer that gave me most problem, RUSH, as I didn’t know the ‘light’ version.

  8. Re 10ac, isn’t welding joining two metals quickly with extreme heat? So “in the heat of the moment” works for me

  9. Thanks flashling and Rufus

    An enjoyable puzzle well summed up by flashling.

    I particularly liked 8a, 4d and 7d.

  10. First Monday puzzle I’ve done in a very long time – worth it just for Weather Forecast – great clue and quite apt for a bank holiday.

    thanks

  11. Thanks Rufus and Flashling.

    I agree with Shirl @8; I can’t really see anything wrong with the clue for WELDER. As others have pointed out, very nice &lit anagram for WEATHER FORECAST.

  12. @8
    Yes, the heat is normally short-lived, the “moment” of heat being the only time the welding happens. Not a classic, but I’d agree it works. The military-looking surface is pretty good misdirection.

  13. Thanks both Rufus and flashing. I agree absolutely with Shirl and now others; 10a is a bit of a classic and ‘of the moment’ completely sums up the welding process as anyone who has ever tried it will know. I often think that some of Rufus’s clues are too intelligent for many of us solvers because he sometimes, as in this case, gets flack he does not deserve!! I concur with the majority that 8a is up there with the best! Great start to the week!!

  14. Thanks all
    Better than average for a Monday.
    I too agree with Shirl et al re ‘welder’
    I liked ‘hammered’;last in ‘nautch’.

  15. I enjoyed this much more than most of Rufus’s puzzles, and the four long down answers made a pleasant change. NAUTCH was also my LOI.

  16. Thanks to flashling for the blog.

    1d was not quite a write-in: I started with COME BACK TO EARTH then had to rethink. 🙁

    I failed to spot the anagram in 8d.

    Note to flashling: you’ve made a slight mistake in 16a.

  18. Very easy LHS for me – 10ac was FOI. RHS a bit trickier. LOI 6d – got hung up on it starting with ‘beer’! No groaners today. Some clues a bit too easy – 17d, 23ac, 1d, 2d. But enjoyed it, so thanks.

  19. Finished this which is a rare treat for me and did enjoy it rather. 17 made me smile and one has to admire weather forecast even more having missed anagram first time round and wonder if it was a little vague. Thanks to all.

  20. I agree that this was the best Rufus for ages.

    No dodgy clues and some real entertainment while still satisfying the alleged “Easy Monday” dictum. 😉

    Thanks to flashling and Rufus

  21. I don’t normally do the Monday Guardian puzzles so a nice change for me. Didn’t get RUSH. I think a “moment” is a type of connection between beams, so a clever clue for me.

  24. Rufus’s ghastly grid has been used little of late. 12 out of 42 comprising 6 out of 9 (!) in Aug/Sept/Oct and 6 out of 33 in the rest of the year.

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