Guardian Prize Puzzle 26,256 by Paul

by

No mystery about the theme of this puzzle: it was all about birds.

Only 11 of the clues had no reference to a bird.  There was a large proportion of short clues, most of which were double definitions, taking advantage of the fact that many birds’ names have another meaning.  I found it challenging, but part of the reason was the grid, which left the initial letters of many of the clues unchecked, something that always adds to the difficulty.  No real quibbles, so thanks Paul for a satisfying challenge.

Across
7 CATAMARAN Boat, vessel crossing a river (9)
TAMAR in CAN.  More like the river crossing the vessel, but nothing unfair about that.
8 BOOBY Bird, tit with tail of grey (5)
BOOB, (gre)Y.  Confusingly, a booby can also mean a breast.  Of course, Paul could have used the word HOBBY (also a bird) but then he wouldn’t have had the opportunity for the double entendre.
9 EPICENTRE It’s bang in the middle of classic course, unfinished (9)
EPIC ENTRE(e).  Wasted some time looking for a clue involving EPSO(m), so good misdirection there, but I fear some geologists may quibble over the definition.
10 SPEAK Second top, say (5)
S, PEAK.  Commendably concise.
12 LINNET Gripping bar a hindrance for bird (6)
INN in LET.  Took me a long time to see this one.
13 ESOTERIC Mystic recites impromptu about love (8)
0 in *RECITES.
14 STERNLY Description of a fox eating bird in a grim manner (7)
TERN in SLY.
17 CHICKEN Yellow bird (7)
Double definition.
20 MANDARIN Orange bird? (8)
Double definition, although both words in the clue are really examples of the objects to which the solution can apply, rather than definitions, which may explain the question mark.
22 THRUSH Bird’s infection (6)
Another double definition.
24 PLUCK Strip a 17, say — a 17 won’t have it? (5)
And another double definition, with the word being used both as a verb and a noun.
25 SPARKIEST Most energetic kisser apt to get carried away (9)
*(KISSER APT).
26 QUAIL Bird — be a 17! (5)
Another double definition.
27 SCHEMATIC Thus screening gull eating head of moorhen is graphic (9)
M in CHEAT in SIC.  A double envelope with two avian references.
Down
1 TAIPEI Asian capital I invested in record industry, primarily (6)
I in TAPE, I(ndustry).  We also had “tape” in the previous Saturday’s crossword.
2 FALCONER Knot clean for bird trainer (8)
*(CLEAN FOR).  The anagram indicator “knot” eluded me for far too long and in the end this was my LOI.
3 GANNET Pig bird (6)
Cryptic definition, referring to the supposed similarity in eating habits of the two creatures.
4 HARRIER Dog bird (7)
Perversely perhaps, I choose to define this as another double definition, as a harrier can be either a dog and a bird (unlike a gannet, which can only be a bird).
5 HOOPOE Ring dove oddly dismissed as a bird (6)
HOOP, (d)O(v)E.
6 ABRASIVE In prayer, underwear is upside down — that’s annoying (8)
BRA IS(rev) in AVE.
11 POSH Classy pitch so perfect, somewhat uplifting (4)
Hidden reversal (it’s a down clue, so “uplifting”) in “pitch so perfect”.
15 THALLIUM Room one found in stomach for toxic element (8)
HALL 1 in TUM.
16 LARK Bird’s adventure (4)
Another double definition.
18 CARDIGAN Top cryptic is, for starters, a grand to compose (8)
C(ryptic) I(s) *(A GRAND).  The definition “top” is nicely misleading (well, it misled me, anyway).
19 INSPECT Keep an eye on Pakistani opener in cricket, perhaps? (7)
P in INSECT.
21 DUCKIE Bird that is my love (6)
DUCK I.E.
22 TURKEY Bird’s a loser (6)
And a final double definition.
23 SISKIN Bird is in hide (6)
IS in SKIN.

*anagram

26 comments on “Guardian Prize Puzzle 26,256 by Paul”

  1. Thanks bridgesong. Like you I tried to work with Epsom in 9 and agonised over LINNET for longer than I should have, thinking that hindrance = net and trying to construct a word from lin and a. I played with WAGTAIL at 4 before getting the lower crossing letters and thought 18 might have been CARDINAL as another bird. The wordplay for CARDIGAN is very good though.

  2. Thanks bridgesong. I think GANNET is a dd too: my parents used to call me either a pig or a gannet when I was eating too rapidly.

    An enjoyable puzzle. CARDIGAN was my fave, although I suspect it is wishful thinking on Paul’s part?

  3. A very pleasant puzzle with an obvious theme. We were away so I had to solve the puzzle on paper 😮

    For some reason I took an age to find SCHEMATIC and finally LOI TURKEY. (Too much beer probably!)

    Thanks to bridgesong and Paul

  4. Thanks bridgesong and Paul.I found this far too easy for a prize puzzle but nonetheless enjoyable.

  5. Apparently some dictionaries give “epicentre” = “absolute centre” as “informal” (though my edition of Chambers only has the correct meaning). “Incorrect” would be more accurate than “informal”. Why use a longer word incorrectly when a shorter one (“centre”) is more accurate? Pretentious ignorance perhaps?

  7. muffin @5

    A bit harsh I feel. Epicentre is often “correctly” used to mean the very centre in a figurative or poetic way. This is acknowledged in the Shorter Oxford.

    But I suppose you might consider those poet chappies to be a little bit pretentious 🙂 . However it does add meaning as it suggest the centre of something bad!

  8. @5
    I think the idea in the clue that the middle of the ‘bang’ is at ground level, above (epi-) the centre of the quake.

  9. B(nto) @ 7
    Yes, it is used thus, but it DOESN’T mean “very centre”.

    As a demonstration of how misusing the word corrupts its meaning, I heard a radio report last year of an earthquake, in which the reader said “the epicentre was 5 kilometres underground”.

    (Similar sentiments were expressed forcefully by Derek Lazenby yesterday!)

  11. Thanks bridgesong and Paul

    Lots of clever clues as usual. I particularly liked 9a, 14a, 1d, 2d,and 15d.

  12. Thank you Birdsong and Paul, although for once I did not enjoy this puzzle much. Far to many dds for me. And why is it that when Rufus overloads a puzzle with dds he is roundly criticized but when Paul does it he is merely ‘taking advantage of the fact that many birds’ names have another meaning’ I prefer not to criticize compilers because I love doing crosswords and were it not for the setters I would not get my fun. But if we are going to be critical occasionally let us be evenhanded!

    However, I thought 25a gem, and a pair of 5ds were frolicking in my garden in southern Spain this morning so all is forgiven!!

  13. I liked the theme in that the birds were mostly well known ones. As far as I can remember once the first couple were in place I found it fairly straightforward (certainly easier than most of the ones we’ve had this week) and enjoyable.

    Thanks to Paul and bridgesong (or is it Birdsong today…)

  15. I liked the theme so enjoyed the puzzle. Even though there were more than the usual number of DDs for a Paul puzzle I didn’t find it off-putting.

  16. I too found this rather easy for a prize, but I am certainly getting my comeuppance today with Imogen.

    Gannet is definitely a dd – though somewhat unfair on this beautiful bird which dives spectacularly from a great height to catch its prey.

  18. I said during the week that I didn’t like Paul’s “Kings and Queens” themed puzzle so in fairness I must say that I enjoyed this one. Perhaps it helped that the theme was familiar because a (long ago) ex was a bird watcher!

  19. Muffin @9

    Well what does it mean?

    I think it DOES mean the “very centre” and apparently so does the SOED

    2 fig. The centre or heart of something, esp. something unpleasant. m20.
    G. Swift At the very epicentre of the slaughter, on the infamous Western Front.

  20. Brendan @19
    Chambers: that point on the earth’s surface directly over the origin of an earthquake – Also fig – adj epicentral [Gr epi upon or over and kentron a point]

    That’s the complete entry in my edition. See my post @9 for misuse.

  21. Thank you to Paul for once again making me smile while solving.

    Thanks to bridgesong too.

  22. Thanks all for your comments, and as I thought, EPICENTRE did spark a debate, on which I have no intention of adjudicating. Well spotted Beermagnet @17: I have read the book (by Nigel Williams, if I remember correctly) but hadn’t remembered the use of thallium.

  23. Thallium was also used in “The pale horse” by Agatha Christie, but no birds involved there,as I remember.

  24. Thanks Paul and bridesong

    I think I started this one on the train into work on Monday … finished it after Rufus that night. Held up a little in NW corner with LINNET, CATAMARAN and TAIPEI the last ones in. Knowing Paul’s style, BOOBY was the first one in :).

    Liked the bird theme with only query around MANDARIN – I assume it refers to a Mandarin duck.

  25. Gaufrid would you consider giving me 15 from yesterdays prize? It is driving me bonkers! I never enter the competition.
    Ta!

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