Guardian Cryptic N° 26,245 by Rufus

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The puzzle may be found at  http://www.theguardian.com/crosswords/cryptic/26245.

Those who follow this blog may know that Rufus is not my favourite setter, but I found this among his best.

 

Across
1. Type of fiction unfamiliar to the French (7)
NOVELLA A charade of NOVEL (‘unfamiliar’) plus LA (‘the French’, feminine for once).
5. Soldiers ordered to secure equipment (7)
BRIGADE An envelope (‘to secure’) of RIG (‘equipment’) in BADE (‘ordered’).
10. Split lease? (4)
RENT Double definition.
11. It’s cold in the country — get a fur (10)
CHINCHILLA An envelope (‘in’) of CHILL (‘cold’) in CHINA (‘the country’). Simple but effective.
12. Run a horse in Maine (6)
MANAGE An envelope (‘in’) of ‘a’ plus NAG (‘horse’) in ME (‘Maine’, standard USPS abbreviation).
13. Employees in steelworks making compon­ents (8)
ELEMENTS An envelope (‘in’) of MEN (’employees’) in ELETS, an anagram (‘works’) of ‘steel’.
14. Many cheer reformation of Satan (4-5)
ARCH-ENEMY An anagram (‘reformation’) of ‘many cheer’.
16. One may turn over in bed (5)
SPADE Cryptic definition.
17. Special constable confronts a politician — a troublemaker (5)
SCAMP A charade of SC (‘special constable’) plus ‘a’ plus MP (‘politician’).
19. New net cord starts tight (9)
STRINGENT A charade of STRING (‘cord’) plus ENT, an anagram (‘new’) of ‘net’, with ‘starts’ indicating the order of the particles.
23. Applaud catch? Codswallop! (8)
CLAPTRAP A charade of CLAP (‘applaud’) plus TRAP (‘catch’).
24. Friend tucked in, showing good taste and enjoyment (6)
PALATE A charade of PAL (‘friend’) plus ATE (‘tucked in’).
26. They act unthinkingly, placing a plant needing warmth in a sickly sun (10)
AUTOMATONS An envelope (‘placing … in’) of TOMATO (‘a plant needing warmth’) in ‘a’ plus UNS, an anagram (‘sickly’) of ‘sun’.
27. Artist in outlying Middle Eastern country (4)
IRAN An envelope (‘outlying’) of RA (‘artist’) in ‘in’.
28. Herald, a court official, at home (5,2)
USHER IN A charade of USHER (‘a court official’) plus IN (‘at home’)
29. Start breeding birds and dogs (7)
BEAGLES A charade of B (‘start Breeding’) plus EAGLES (‘birds’).

Down
2. Outdoor opera in review (4-3)
OPEN-AIR An anagram (‘review’) of ‘opera in’.
3. Non-striking bonus (5)
EXTRA Double definition; ‘non-striking’ refers to a bye in cricket.
4. An upholder of the Bible (7)
LECTERN Cryptic definition.
6. Sharp practice used in court proceedings (6)
RACKET Double definition, one being a cryptic reference to tennis.
7. Almost endless subject of experiments (6,3)
GUINEA PIG Cryptic definition – the (non-metaphoric) guinea pig being nearly tailless.
8. Removed lease included in legal document (7)
DELETED An envelope (‘included in’) of LET (‘lease’) in DEED (‘legal document’).
9. Iron out a bottleneck, for example (5,8)
MIXED METAPHOR Just what it says: ‘iron out’ and ‘a bottleneck’ as commonly used are metaphors, so we have an example of …
15. What’s made for maid engaged in housework (9)
HOMOPHONE Like 9D, the “definition” is by example (of another linguistic term), but I am not sure about the wordplay – perhaps an envelope (‘engaged in’) of MOP (‘what’s made for maid’) in HO (‘house’) plus HONE (‘work’?) ?
18. Standard award for sporting prowess (7)
COLOURS Double definition.
20. Deadlock in which the devil takes almost full advantage (7)
IMPASSE A charade of IMP (‘the devil’ – but I would say that a devil is nearer the mark) plus ASSE[t] (‘almost full advantage’).
21. As played by the advanced tennis player? (3,4)
NET GAME Cryptic definition.
22. Designer label unusual for Marian (6)
ARMANI An anagram (‘unusual for’) of ‘Marian’.
25. Not standing for falsehoods (5)
LYING Double definition.

28 comments on “Guardian Cryptic N° 26,245 by Rufus”

  2. As usual some of the cryptic definitions were exasperatingly weak (especially 21) but, as you imply, there were some entertainingly good clues too.

  3. Agree with Chrike’s use of the term exasperatingly weak – double dose of Rufus – in FT as Dante – several in that puzzle that are equally exasperatingly.

  5. If ‘homophone’ is parsed as suggested, I despair. I also think that the clue for ‘guinea pig’ is a stinker.
    Usually, I can take or leave a Rufus puzzle; I know which I would rather have done today.

  6. I enjoyed this more than some of you seem to have done even though I agree that there were some weak clues. MIXED METAPHORS was my LOI after NET GAME.

  7. Thanks PeterO and Rufus

    I found it a bit harder than the usual Monday Rufus but no worse for that.

    An ingenious bit of parsing by PeterO for 15d but is it right? I’m afraid that once I’d seen the answer, and the maid/made link to it, I assumed perhaps too readily that ‘engaged in housework’ was junk surface stuff. Various bits of possible parsing are there – op/work, on/engaged in, ho/house, house/home, mop/made for maid, but …….

    I rather liked 5a, 26a, 9d and (I have to admit) 7d.

  8. I’m sure 15d is parsed as PeterO suggests, and I think it’s a rather brilliant clue. I suspect it might be more roundly praised if it weren’t from poor old Rufus!

  9. Thanks Rufus, pleasant start to the week.

    Thanks PeterO; horses for courses but I quite liked the clue for HOMOPHONE. STRINGENT was another good one.

  10. Thanks all
    Last in ‘automatons/colours’
    I liked 9 down. I did not like 1 across.
    Very slightly better than usual Monday fare. (in spite of paucity of postings here)

  11. I agree with tupu @7 that this was a bit trickier than most Rufuses, especially the NE corner. Last in as MIXED METAPHOR after STRINGENT.

    Thanks to PeterO and Rufus

  12. Could 15d be MOP (it’s made for a maid)in HO (house) HONE (work – something into shape), along with the “made” and “maid” being homophones?

  14. BillK says of the clue for 15d ‘I suspect it might be more roundly praised if it weren’t from poor old Rufus!’. For me, the attraction of Rufus crosswords (the only ones I attempt) is a clueing style that usually makes perfect sense, and I have to say that the wording of this one seems untypically muddied.

  15. Thanks to PeterO for the blog.

    For 12 I tried R[un]A MARE as a town in Maine but it did not work. Eventually I found the correct parsing. 🙁

    I thought 16 was very weak.

  16. Even from Rufus, 21 surely can’t be as poor as it seems.

          As played by the advanced tennis player? (3,4)     NET GAME

    Do you think he might be trying to imply that you can get “TEN” (the “advanced” part of “tennis”) by “playing” a “NET GAME” (i.e. a game with the letters “NET”)?

    Seems very contorted, but would at least give the clue some sort of depth.

  18. Davidoff @16 et al

    One may or may not like this clue, but surely it refers to the fact that players typically ‘advance’ to the net to volley.

  19. Ahaaa…thank you tupu! (..although I get the impression I may not be the only one who missed that!).

    But I do still quite like my tortured justification above.    🙂

  20. Not sure why 15d and 21d are getting so much stick. I thought 21d was quite clever – the only problem being that the ‘advance’ of advancing to the net is used in the clue. As it was, ‘advanced’ got me thinking of ‘pro’ and ‘top.’

    21d consists of three valid components (my thesaurus gives work as a near synonym for hone). Not elegant but it hones.

  21. Well said, Tupu @18. I didn’t find the clue that easy or that weak and parsed it exactly as you have.

    16ac didn’t strike me as weak, either. It was my last in, having toyed with “apple” for a while, as in apple turnover and apple-pie bed.

    I enjoyed the puzzle – thanks, Rufus

  22. I thought this was above average for a Rufus.

    Nothing too dodgy and some nice clues. Still too easy for my liking but it’s Monday 😉

    Thanks to PeterO and Rufus

  24. Concur with #8 and #23. 15d is a great clue.

    Overall more wordplay and less DD/CD/allusion than in a normal Rufus.

    7d pretty clever too – just not the type of clue folk are used to these days.

  25. I wish I had a £20 note for every time I’ve failed to spot COLOURS etc. from their crossings.

    Thanks all.

  27. Seems to be open season on Rufus today — I think of his easier clues in cricket terms: when you’re facing Shane Warne the occasional straight one can fox you! Thought 9d ‘mixed metaphor’ was one to savor and the wry wit of 7d ‘guinea pig’ was delightful (the more so as it took a while for the penny to drop). Inexplicably missed the cricketing allusion in 3d ‘extra’ of which I’m deeply ashamed.

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