The familiar Monday Rufus mix of anagrams and double and cryptic definitions – perhaps rather more of the latter than usual.
Thanks to him and a happy Bank Holiday to those who are having one.
[Definitions are underlined.]
Across
1 West Indian players with a strong all-rounder (5,4)
STEEL BAND
A cryptic definition, steel being strong and a band something that goes all round
6 It won’t be seen as a boundary (2-2)
HA-HA
Cryptic definition: a ha-ha is ‘a wall or other boundary marker that is set in a ditch so as not to interrupt the landscape’
8 Main source of strength for a nation (3,5)
SEA POWER
Cryptic definition: I was recently chided for not spelling out that ‘main’ is a literary reference to the open sea, so I’m doing it now: Rufus is known for hiis nautical references.
9 Rewrote a score that’s lacking refinement (6)
COARSE
Anagram [rewrote] of A SCORE
10 One who takes great interest in business (6)
USURER
Cryptic definition
11 Perhaps it’s eaten as an aperitif (8)
ANISETTE
Anagram [perhaps] of IT’S EATEN
12 Himalayan girl in spring (6)
SHERPA
HER [girl] in SPA [spring]
15 Fullback sorts out and warms up (8)
DEFROSTS
Reversal [back] of FED [full] + an anagram [out] of SORTS
16 Writes one’s first letters (8)
INITIALS
Cryptic / not quite double definition
19 Boy and girl being pretentious (2-2-2)
LA-DI-DA
LAD [boy] + IDA [girl]
21 Man’s man, for example (8)
ISLANDER
Cryptic definition, referring to the Isle of Man
22 Girl, a student, put through toughening process (6)
ANNEAL
ANNE [girl] + A L [student]
24 Court room is lacking animation (6)
WOODEN
WOO [court] + DEN [room]
25Lock manufacturer? (8)
WIGMAKER
Cryptic definition
26 Part of link needing a joint (4)
KNEE
Hidden in linK NEEding
27 Put down action restricting newspapers (9)
DEPRESSED
DEED [action] round PRESS [newspapers
Down
1 Meet private secretary for leaks (5)
SEEPS
SEE [meet] + PS [Private Secretary]
2 Penguin noted by Beethoven (7)
EMPEROR
Double definition, referring to Beethoven’s piano concerto
3 Scowl when let down (5)
LOWER
Double definition
4 Highly offensive action (3,4)
AIR RAID
Cryptic definition
5 Unusually deft clue about one involved in fraud (9)
DECEITFUL
Anagram [unusually] of DEFT CLUE round I [one]
6 He gets a command not to stop at sea (5,2)
HEAVE-TO
HE + A VETO [a command not to] – lovely construction and surface and another nautical reference
7 Showed uncertainty as the tide went out (9)
HESITATED
Anagram [out] of AS THE TIDE
13 Workers get 27 easily (5,4)
HANDS DOWN
HANDS [workers] + DOWN [depressed – 27ac]
14 Performed in a group that’s dissolute (9)
ABANDONED
DONE [performed] in A BAND [a group]
17 Third mate to dawdle around? Rubbish! (7)
TWADDLE
T [third letter of mate] + anagram [around] of DAWDLE
18 Mismanagement results in warder appearing before the magistrate (5-2)
SCREW-UP
SCREW [warder] + UP [before the magistrate]
20 Fresh lies and disclaimers (7)
DENIALS
Anagram [fresh] of LIES AND
22 Right to enter complaint in dispute (5)
ARGUE
R [right] in AGUE [complaint]
23 A capital position to be in (5)
AHEAD
A HEAD [capital] – with an &littish feel
Thanks Rufus and Eileen.
I really enjoyed this one – lots of clues that raised a smile. WOODEN was possibly my favourite.
I didn’t quite see how STEEL BAND worked, and it was fortunate that I counted letters before entering DOUGLAS for “Man’s man, for example”!
Thanks to Rufus for an enjoyable puzzle and thank you, Eileen, for the blog – it cleared up the parsing of two words, SCREW-UP and HA-HA. For the latter, I chose to come here rather than go to a dictionary! 🙂
This was Rufus on good form, I thought. Plenty to enjoy in the usual Rufusian style, but my last two in – WOODEN and ISLANDER – were favourites.
Thanks to S&B. For me this Bank Holiday, the lawn beckons (that’s mowing it, rather than sitting on it, unfortunately).
Thanks, Eileen.
Better than average Rufus, in my opinion. I’m not a fan of his. For once, none of the cryptic definitions are objectionable as being not cryptic enough, or too vague, or so many of the other problems we sometimes see.
(My other problem with Rufus–which is totally not his fault, but mine–is that as someone who speaks a different flavor of English, cryptic definitions are often tough to begin with, especially if the answer is idiomatic. We turn phrases differently over here, so I often have to rely on wordplay to make sure I’ve got the right unfamiliar idiom. By definition, cryptic-def clues don’t have wordplay. Today, though, not even that quirk got in the way, with nothing in the puzzle that doesn’t export well.)
This was almost a write-in for me, though the lower left held me up a bit longer. In the opposite corner, I hadn’t heard of a ha-ha.
Good morning everyone and happy Bank Holiday (if you’re having one).
A better-than-usual Rufus, I thought.
Muffin @1 me too with DOUGLAS!
Eileen, what do you think “Writes” is doing in 16a? Doesn’t seem to serve any function to me.
Nice week, all.
Thanks Eileen and Rufus
An enjoyable puzzle in which the SW quarter held me up a little.
William@ 5 FWIW I myself took ‘initials’ to be a verb form i.e. ‘appends one’s initials to a document in lieu of a full signature’.
Hi William
I think ‘writes’ [= signs] is part of the double[ish] definition.
Thanks, tupu – we crossed. That’s much clearer!
Thanks, Eileen.
I often get bogged down in Rufus’s cryptic definitions but, for once, I sailed through this. My LOI was WOODEN (nice clue), largely because I had carelessly entered 14d as ABANDODED, which clearly didn’t help.
Full of the characteristic touches which delight all Rufusniks. Typically tight clue construction: my favourites were 11a, 21a, 6d – all exemplary instances of their individual clue type.
Thanks Rufus and Eileen
Rufus at his best today … I finished in the opposite NE corner although STEEL BAND was the actual last one in.
Took a while to spot the ‘dawdle’ anagram – and thought that he was making a dodgy dawdle=waddle definition ! I also mis-parsed FED back – I had DEF (defender) = fullback.
Can’t remember Rufus doing too many run-on clues, so KNEE brought about a quick second re-take.
Hi bruce @10
“I also mis-parsed FED back – I had DEF (defender) = fullback.”
I think you maight be right about that: I nearly commented that ‘lift and separate’ clues are not Rufus’ usual style!
What do others think?
I read 15a as you did in the blog, Eileen (though the other explanation did cross my mind).
(Decisive as ever!)
I should add that (though I seem to be in a minority) I rather like “lift and separate” contrivances.
So do I, as is well documented. 😉
I found this to be one of Rufus’s easier puzzles, possibly because of the lack of anything too controversial. The ABANDONED/INITIALS crossers were my last two in.
Very enjoyable Bank Holiday fare.
Thanks Eileen; I don’t think def. can be defender – it is used for defendant, so I would go with your parsing. I’m afraid I missed the HE A VETO and wondered what ‘not’ was doing in the clue. 🙁
I tried WAR GAME for 4d until the crossers disabused me. I liked the INITIALS, and ISLANDER caused a simultaneous smile and groan when I got it.
…..I suppose FID DEF is short for Fidei Defensor, which translates as Defender of the Faith……
Thanks for the blog Eileen and to Rufus for a pleasant solve.
I rather enjoyed this one too and even managed not to trip up over his cryptic definitions, which I often do. Having said that, I did toy with FOLLICLE for 25a. TWADDLE was my favourite just for the word itself.
I parsed 15a as you did and am also rather partial to the device. Although he doesn’t use lift & separate (word-split?, do they have an “official” designation?) he does use them from time-to-time. 10a from his puzzle last week for instance:
Thanks, Eileen. When I come to a Rufus puzzle, there usually seem to be rather more cryptic clues than usual. (!)
Missed HE A VETO, and thought that clue, LA-DI-DA and STEEL BAND had rather clever surfaces. Apart from that, I found this fairly uninspiring.
Hi Claire @18
Thanks for the reminder. I do remember that one now.
Re ‘lift and separate’: in her crossword blog, shuchi says the term was coined by the Times Crossword champion, Mark Goodliffe.
http://www.crosswordunclued.com/2010/12/lift-and-separate.html
many thanks to rufus and eileen. this was a very satisfying puzzle for me, as i have been out of reach of crosswords for some considerable time, due to illness and being in a different country. when i came back to them it was, to my great disappointment, like starting anew. very frustrating.
this one, however was the first i solved in its entirety without recourse to aids and within 20 minutes. better than champagne! checked a couple on this site when i had finished, just to make sure,but that is all. thank you all – i have hugely missed the site.
Welcome back, sanco!
You might enjoy today’s delightful Quiptic from Orlando.
http://www.theguardian.com/crosswords/quiptic/755
I enjoyed this, as I usually do with Rufus. I must take issue with 22ac. Irrespective of what a dictionary may say, to anneal glass or a metal is to heat it up to remove stress. Toughening is a completely different process.
No problems, and a pleasant start to the Bank Holiday when I completed the puzzle earlier today.
Enjoyed several Rufus clues today, such as 1d and 6d. But INITIALS was a cd too far alas.
It’s beyond me how anybody wouldn’t enjoy a Rufus.I though this one was easier than usual. Thanks Eileen.
thank you eileen. have only just seen your post # 22. thank you for our warm welcome. will take the quiptic to my appt tomorrow as i am bound to have to wait a while. i am sorry if i am out of o0rder posting this but i have forgotten the rules! memo to self – better revise!
It’s good to see so much love in here for Rufus!
I thought this was a charming and quite elegant puzzle, and just right for a sunny Monday morning.
I too am a big fan of the Lift-and-Separate concept (and love the (presumably) Playtex inspired name for it). As a device it seems to sit very comfortably with all the more traditional cryptic techniques…and is also an example of setting styles moving on, which can only be a good thing.