Guardian 26,293 – Rufus

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I found this a bit harder than usual for a Rufus, with the large helping of cryptic definitions causing some of the difficulty. On the other hand the non-CDs were generally straightforward and well constructed, with a couple of nice &lits. Thanks to Rufus.

 
 
 
 
 
 
Across
1. DUNGEON Where one may spend time underground (7)
Cryptic definition, the “time” being a prison sentence, though that sort of time is usually “done” rather than spent
5. ADJUSTS Commercials about fitting suits (7)
JUST (fitting) in ADS
10. ABLE The Spanish scholar returned, qualified (4)
Reverse of EL BA
11. EVERYTHING Extremely slender, for example, that’s about all (10)
VERY THIN in E.G.
12. CASTRO He is part of America’s troubles (6)
Hidden in ameriCAS TROubles, &lit. I liked this
13. ACCURATE Account by clergyman should be reliable (8)
AC + CURATE
14. REPRESENT Play the part of engineer on stage (9)
RE (Royal Engineer) + PRESENT (on stage)
16. STAMP Put one’s foot down, as a matter of duty (5)
Double definition
17. THUGS Their victims got it in the neck (5)
Cryptic definition, from the original Indian Thugs, who strangled their victims
19. SHELTERED Yet civilians lived such a life in the war (9)
Cryptic definition, referring to wartime air-raid shelters
23. FREE MEAL A gastronomic treat? (4,4)
Cryptic definition – a free meal might be one that someone treats you to
24. DIEPPE Put new pep into endless diet with port (6)
PEP* in DIE[t]
26. PROFLIGATE Pet of a girl, perhaps, but recklessly extravagant (10)
(PET OF A GIRL)*
27. RUNT Small pig has nose tip stuck in furrow (4)
N[ose] in RUT
28. FEELING Sense and Sensibility? (7)
Double definition (just about)
29. ASPHALT Used when a path’s relaid around lake? (7)
L in (A PATH’S)* &lit
Down
2. UMBRAGE Shade of grievance (7)
Double definition – shade or shadow is the “original” meaning of umbrage, cf French ombre and Latin umbra; also umbrella
3. GREAT Big jar, say (5)
Homophone of “grate”
4. ONEROUS Having our nose put out of joint is hard to bear (7)
(OUR NOSE)*
6. DRY ICE I decry the making of gas for stage effect (3,3)
(I DECRY)* – dry ice is used for “smoke” effects on stage, but it isn’t a gas..
7. USHERETTE A theatregoer’s guide (9)
Cryptic definition
8. TINY TIM He made an unexceptional plea for blessing (4,3)
Cryptic definition – Tiny Tim said “God bless us, every one”, i.e. asking for a blessing without exceptions
9. REGAIN THE LEAD Get back to front (6,3,4)
Cryptic definition (pretty weak I think)
15. REGRETFUL Ringleader felt urge to reform, being contrite (9)
R[ing] + (FELT URGE)*
18. HARD ROE Unusual hoarder of fish eggs (4,3)
HOARDER*
20. LADDERS Many snakes are associated with them (7)
L (50) + ADDERS, &lit, with reference to the game of Snakes and Ladders
21. EMPANEL When there’s a change of plea, men select a jury (7)
(PLEA MEN)*
22. RESIGN Abandon school subject and make one’s name as a writer (6)
RE (Religious Education, a school subject) + SIGN (“make one’s name..”)
25. EARTH Huge cost of electrical safety precaution (5)
Double definition – something expensive is said to cost the earth

23 comments on “Guardian 26,293 – Rufus”

  1. Thanks Rufus & Andrew

    I had 14 as RE (engineer) before (on) PRESENT (‘stage’ as a verb). I think both work.

  2. Thanks to Simon S for an excellent blog and Rufus for an enjoyable work out.

    With regards to 6 down, I took the “making” as also being part of the definition; whilst it is not a gas, one could argue that dry ice fits the description “making of gas for stage effect”?

  3. Sorry – sent message too quickly! Thanks to Andrew for the excellent blog (I was musing over Simon’s comment at the same time – doh!).

    Rick.

  4. I felt that Rufus was on rather better form this week, and I particularly liked the clues for,’thugs’ and ‘ladders’.
    A very nice Quiptic from Nutmeg today if anyone hasn’t tried it.

  5. Didn’t know what the original Thugs did to their victims, so that was a bit of an enter-and-hope solution for me, but otherwise this proceeded more smoothly than most Rufuses. ADJUSTS last in, don’t know why, I’d twigged it was AD****S from early on, but 7d and 8d were late to come too.

  6. For me this was a typical Rufus puzzle. RESIGN was my LOI but I had actually spent more time on 14ac and was unable to solve it until after I realised that the answer for 9dn was REGAIN THE LEAD rather than “retake the lead”.

  7. A well-done puzzle and a well-done blog – thanks to Rufus and Andrew! Too many CDs for my liking – and I agree with Andrew that those formed the difficult bits of the puzzle.

    Re. the comment for DRY ICE – Rufus is using ‘gas’ accurately. Dry ice is solidified carbon dioxide, but the “smoke” we see is the solidified CO2 becoming gas again.

  8. Thanks Rufus and Andrew. No biggie, but this seems to have been filed under Uncategorized rather than Guardian.

  9. As a fan of CDs, I enjoyed this puzzle, with ticks against SHELTERED and FREE MEAL. I thought REGAIN THE LEAD was none too shabby either.

  12. Me again!

    I’ve just spotted that the blog has the wromg puzzle number – today’s is 26293, not 26114.

  15. Thanks Rufus & Andrew.

    I thought 23 might have been FREE food for a while.

    I did like EVERYTHING about CASTRO.

  16. Thanks Rufus and Andrew
    I enjoyed this and there aren’t any clues that I want to complain about (for a change!). TINY TIM is an odd clue though – general knowledge rather than cryptic, I would have thought.

    Abhay @7 – actually what you SEE with dry ice is droplets of water forming as the air is cooled (by the cold carbon dioxide) below its dewpoint.

  17. Thanks all
    Little point in listing all the non-cryptic clues …the title is a misdescription.

  18. Well I quite enjoyed this.

    One of Rufus’s better offerings I thought.

    Thanks to Andrew and Rufus

  19. Can someone help with “yet” in 19a? Can’t see this helps the surface or is necessary for the definition. Seems wholly superfluous and therefore should be dispensed with, but maybe I’m missing something. Otherwise a pleasant if simple solve to start the week. Thanks Rufus.

  20. Morpheus @ 19

    I don’t think civilians who’d experienced a war would normally be described as having led sheltered lives ‘yet’ by one definition they did

    hth

  21. Very happy to have finished it. Got some 15 clues in the first reading. Very unusual for me, I usually struggle for hours and would take multiple sittings to get 80% done. May be I think like Rufus.

  22. Enjoyed this more than most Rufuses.

    Wasted a lot of time trying to make 5ac ADAPTS, which fits the clue perfectly, despite being a letter short!

  23. Thanks Andrew for explaining THUGS and TINY TIM, I guessed but could not explain.

    I thought Rufus was on great form today, there were some really great &lits and other devices in there. I liked ‘Sense and Sensibility’ even though the two meanings are quite close.

    I think Rufus’s reputation suffers a bit because cryptic definitions are more prone to seeming weak than definition/wordplay clues. A run-of-the-mill def/wordplay clue just passes you by, but a run-of-the-mill cryptic definition can fall a bit flat. A bit like telling a joke that is not all that funny. The rest of the speech may have some pretty average parts here and there, but it is the weak joke that sticks in one’s mind.

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