Now this, from one of my favourite setters, is what I call a Prize puzzle – and I’m not talking about the much-disputed difficulty level. For me, there’s a ‘special’ feel about this: there’s a theme, which, although I latched on to it quite quickly, is so wide-ranging that cracking it did not blow the whole thing wide open too soon: it was great fun to see just how many more applications of the theme word Picaroon could unearth and exploit.
After the first run-through of the across clues, I had only two entries.These just happened to be 8ac and 10ac, which gave me ?O?Y for 2dn, where the ‘politically’ immediately suggested TORY and led to 24dn. The puzzle then unravelled at a very satisfying rate, with an interesting variety of clue styles. For no apparent reason, the bottom left corner was the last to be filled. Getting 13dn finally opened it up and I was soon surprised – and sorry – to find that I’d actually filled in the last space. No obscure words, no obscure general knowledge, just lots of witty and well-constructed clues with clever and meaningful surfaces – a joy throughout. Many thanks to Picaroon.
Across
8 Whitehall edifice once rigged to bug Leader of House (8)
CENOTAPH
Anagram [rigged] of ONCE + TAP [bug] + H[ouse]
9 Theatrical monarch right to delay appearance in dress with no back (6)
OBERON
ROBE [dress – with the R [right] moved to the end] + a reversal [back] of NO
10 An unknown number on transport that’s crowded (4)
BUSY
Y [unknown number] after BUS [transport]
11 Kind of 24 down’s producer phones girl, speaking like Spooner (5,5)
MILES DAVIS
Spooner might say this for ‘dials Mavis’ [phones girl]: jazz musician Miles Davis released the album ‘Kind of Blue’ in 1959 – [I often say I dislike Spoonerisms but not this one, because, like Philistine’s [Tilly’s fine’] a couple of weeks ago, it’s actually a meaningful phrase – very nice.]
12 One writing in 24 down note in jazzy score (6)
CENSOR
N [note] in an anagram [jazzy] of SCORE: I tried making anagrams of SCORE with each of the notes from A to G before the penny dropped – a reference to the censor’s or editor’s blue pencil
14 Dumped sport journalist outside court — it’s not out of the 24 down (8)
EXPECTED
EX [dumped] + P.E. [sports] + ED [journalist] outside CT [court]
15 Grimy English accommodated by a foreign family (7)
UNCLEAN
E [English] in UN [‘a’ foreign] CLAN [family]
17 Forest and city gutted in fire (7)
ARDENCY
ARDEN [forest in Warwickshire – and ‘As you like it’] +C[it]Y
20 Special pair of queens in 24 down (8)
SQUANDER
S [special] + QU AND ER [pair of queens]
22 Teacher going over French that’s 24 down (6)
RISQUÉ
Reversal [going over] of SIR [teacher] + QUE [French ‘that’]
23 Spirit imbues leader of ceremonies with sacred 24 down (10)
MELANCHOLY
ELAN [spirit] inside MC [Master of Ceremonies] + HOLY [sacred]
24 Party in retreat — Liberal Party (4)
BALL
Reversal [in retreat] of LAB [Labour party] + L [Liberal]
25 Agree there’s no damage done by the postal service? (6)
ASSENT
If a package arrives AS SENT, it hasn’t been damaged in the post
26 Setters wearing old headgear could be saps (8)
EXHAUSTS
US [setters] in EX HATS [old headgear]
Down
1 Church canon with article that’s kind of 24 down (8)
CERULEAN
CE [Church of England] + RULE [canon] + AN [article]
2 A tip for trickery from one 24 down, politically (4)
TORY
The tip of something can be either end of it, so, in ‘trickery’, it can be either T OR Y
3 Criticise novel rejected inside 60 minutes (6)
HAMMER
Reversal [rejected] of EMMA [novel] in HR [sixty minutes]
4 Argentinian red on sale drunk in 24 down club (7)
CHELSEA
CHE [Guevara – ‘Argentinian red’, for the first time ever [?] – hurrah! – not ‘revolutionary’] + anagram [drunk] of SALE – lovely surface. Chelsea FC are The Blues
5 A chatterbox, salesman is therefore good for promotion (8)
GOSSIPER
Reversal [for promotion] of REP [salesman] IS SO G[ood]
6 Rakes used with energy — beach churned up (10)
DEBAUCHEES
Anagram [churned up] of USED, E [energy] and BEACH
7 24 down force cut up rocks (6)
POLICE
Reversal [up] of LOP [cut] + ICE [rocks – diamonds] – the police are ‘the boys in blue’
13 Latin America’s revolutionary reserves behind Muslim nations (10)
SULTANATES
Another reversal [revolutionary] of L [Latin] US [American] + TA [Territorial Army – reserves] + NATES [behind]
16 Two leading characters given heartless command to step down (8)
ABDICATE
AB [leading characters of the alphabet] + DIC[t]ATE [command]
18 Such lines of verse as here are found
Allow great deeds to go around (8)
COUPLETS
COUPS [great deeds] round LET [allow]
19 Uplifting narrative about love, one using 24 down language (7)
TROOPER
Another reversal [uplifting] of REPORT [narrative] round O [love] – reference to the saying, ‘swear like a trooper’
21 Inclined to chuck wandering herd out of Hardyesque novel (6)
QUEASY
Anagram [novel] of [h]A[rd]Y[e]SQUE minus ‘herd’ – a brilliant surface
22 Partner of 24 downs spinning coats for modish, trendy hipster (6)
RHYTHM
Anagram [spinning] of first and last letters [coats] of M[odis]H T[rend]Y H[ipste]R [Actually a reversal, not an anagram – thanks Mark Hayden @3 : I’m sure I did see this when I solved it!]
24 22 across or down (4)
BLUE
Double definition: the blue ball in snooker and another word for 23 across – a lovely clue to end with, finally giving us the theme word [Nonsense – see NeilW @2 – I misread this: it is a double definition but it’s RISQUÉ and MELANCHOLY {down}]
Thanks Eileen. Yes, this was a delightful treasure hunt, or maze. I entered via the fairly easy 24A and even easier 22D. TORY seemed obvious even without any cross letters, although the parsing was tricky. Once in blue mood there were many wonders to unearth, for me the best was the Spooner, but also good was RISQUÉ. Many thanks Picaroon.
Thanks, Eileen, for a super blog of a cracking puzzle. Like you, I saw the theme very quickly since the top left corner of the puzzle did give the game away and then made steady but very enjoyable progress through the rest.
I think you’ve slipped in your reading of the theme clue, though… the clue references 22 across, not 24 and down is, well, down.
Thanks Eileen.
I hadn’t actually realised that there were so many reversals, and 22d is another one! But could you or anyone else please enlighten me about how blue is a definition for squander? Obviously, if I squandered everything, I would be blue, but that seems more elliptical than cryptic?
Thanks again
Thanks, NeilW – I don’t know how that happened, after checking so many times!
Hi Mark Hayden @3 – thanks for that, too: I’m sure I read it that way when solving [honestly! 😉 ]
‘Blue’, as a verb, means to squander.
Thank you again Eileen, I never knew that! So I can blue or blow my fortune!
Amazed I finished this one. Tricky puzzle. Using ‘down’ as a clue next to ‘across’ was very clever. Thanks for explaining clues for Squander, Sultanates and Melancholy. Guessed those without knowing fully the clues.
Thanks Picaroon and Eileen
Great fun, and referencing arguably the best jazz album ever (Discuss!)
[I’m putting today’s aside until I have a quiet week.]
Looking again, Eileen, I notice that you haven’t explicitly mentioned that “rhythm and blues” is a form of music. (No doubt you saw that too!)
A great challenge from Picaroon with impeccable cluing
Interesting that the keyword at 24D isn’t actually clued. It only references other clues. Fair enough for a prize.
It took a while to get the BLUE but when I did I thought it was all going to be too straightforward. I was wrong. Some nice cluing and variations on the blue theme.
LOI was MILES DAVIS. Although I had finally worked out I was looking for a “sounds like” BLUE producer as a Spoonersism I spent ages looking for a blue cheese type!!!
Lots of fun and finally a prize that was worth the name.
Thanks to Eileen and Picaroon.
Hi Btrendan @9
“Interesting that the keyword at 24D isn’t actually clued.”
The definition is ‘down’. [I only included MELANCHOLY to explain that – it isn’t referenced in the clue.]
Oh I see what you mean Eileen. I missed that
Absolutely loved the Spoonerism. Been chuckling about it all week.
Thanks to Eileen for the blog and Pic for a lovely puzzle.
Thanks Picaroon – difficult to get started on this one, but I got CHELSEA early on, which led to BLUE.
Thanks Eileen; your dd of 24d still references 23 (MELANCHOLY) rather than 22d, which is RHYTHM – as muffin @8 points out, this is a companion for BLUE [or have I missed something?]
I especially liked the rhyming COUPLETS.
I agree that this was an excellent puzzle. I cracked the theme very early on but, as Eileen said, cracking it didn’t mean that the themed answers became write-ins. SQUANDER was my LOI after I finally saw the wordplay and remembered that meaning of “blue”.
Ahh…… crossed in the post; I didn’t see down=BLUE. 🙁
Does anyone know why there is no prize crossword today?
almw3 @ 16
Check this link
http://www.crosswordsolver.org/forum/444134/guardian-prize?thread-page=
Hi Robi @13 [and 15]
I’m sorry about that – I was trying to be too clever, I think. I can’t change the blog yet again!
Thanks Muffin – got it now, but omg, going to take all day to understand the instructions!
See my comment @7, almw3!
Spoiler alert! Muffin et al looking for today’s crossword – beware downloading the link given above as it gives the alphabetical clues in the order in which they should be entered into the grid!
Another typical Guardian cock up – just have to buy the paper for the correct version.
Hi Shirley @21; yes, I noticed that – the instruction on the top is obviously an editorial one!
Thanks Picaroon and Eileen, for a great Puzzle and comprehensive blog. As a Prize I thought this was about as good as it gets. Like others the Spoonerism made me chuckle and as a Jazz lover made me race to my collection to enjoy Miles’ cool trumpet and Coltrane’s mesmerizing sax while I finished off the rest of the challenge. Muffin@7 can’t disagree although my hero John Coltrane’s My Favourite Things (1961) would be my choice!!
[coltranesax @23 – I’d go for “A love supreme” – obvious choice, I know.]
muffin@24, nothing wrong with the obvious choice!! A Love Supreme is a wonderful Album, and on another day it might be my choice as well. As a slightly left field choice how about Heavy Weather by Weather Report. But, if you wish to continue this discussion, let me know, as we should move over to ‘general discussions’
@muffin. Have spent one hour so far. Got the theme and worked out 17 clues! Think it will take a lot longer if ever to finish!
Oh dear, just read 21. What a shame! Don’t know if I can be bothered to go out and get a paper!
almw3 – don’t panic – the correct version is now on the Guardian website in the usual place.
Happy bank holiday solving everyone!
Thx Shirley
It took me a while to get going on this puzzle, until CERULEAN became the entry point for the theme.
I failed to solve 12a and 22a, and could not parse 13d.
My favourites were 11a and 21d.
Thanks Picaroon and Eileen.
19d put CROONER in here ! (from groan, lament in dictionary). Most enjoyable puzzle, thanks to Picaroon and Eileen.
Thanks Eileen and Picaroon
A very enjoyable puzzle.
I ticked 23a, 16d, 18d, 19d, 22d (even though I missed the reversal (spinning) and solved it as an anagram. I also enjoyed the spoonerism.
Enjoyed this one. I got MILES DAVIS straight away for some reason which made me laugh and led me to the theme-nice to know there are other jazzers out there;I’d have Shape of Jazz to come by Ornette Coleman-which was beautifully done.
More like this please!
Thanks Eileen,
A superb puzzle from Picaroon, certainly the best I can remember for a long while.
I started this on Wednesday evening and broke the back of it yesterday afternoon.
I got my last clue (POLICE) about half an hour ago. I felt like a detective doing
this puzzle but got there in the end. I’m a slow solver but usually finish eventually.
Like others ‘Dials Mavis’ made me chuckle too. I also liked CHELSEA, BALL (very witty)
and TROOPER. A massive thank you to Picaroon for the wonderful entertainment.
Great puzzle for the weekend. Finally got there on Sunday evening after many visits – and a few inspired assists from my Bulgarian girlfriend.
Picaroon is always good, and this was one of his best. Unfortunately it is no longer fresh in the memory so I can’t really comment on the solving process except that ARDENCY was first in, but I did like MILES DAVIS. I think I completed it on the train, so there can’t have been anything too obscure, though it did take some time.
Thanks to Picaroon and Eileen
Thanks, Eileen.
Late to comment, as I have been engrossed in today’s Prize puzzle (which I have finished without any ‘cheating’ other than checking that some of the answers I came up with are genuine words).
By comparison, the Picaroon was far more straightforward: a very clever and most enjoyable puzzle with a lot of clever wordplay and definitions and a very imaginative usage of the keyword. No more to say, as I have now forgotten my route to the solution….
@ Gervase. I also have done today’s but my last one won’t fit the crossers. I assume yours did?
Just one more comment.
This is NOT the place to talk about the current Prize crossword.
Please direct these comments to the Guardian website as spoilers are definitely not welcome here.
Any mention however innocuous it may seem can spoil the enjoyment of other solvers.
I personally don’t want to know if you can’t find it or have already solved it. I’ll find out next week.
Brendan (nto): Apologies for potentially spoiling your pleasure (or otherwise) at the Bank Holiday Prize puzzle. I rarely comment on Saturday crosswords because I have usually forgotten about them after a week has passed. But Picaroon’s was a particularly good example, and I only wished to excuse my tardiness.
Just one further comment: like others, I was greatly amused by the Spooner clue at 11a, but it is certainly one for the middle-aged. Almost nobody ‘dials’ these days. Would anyone under thirty even recognise the allusion?
@38 Brendan (nto): I totally agree with you. The no spoiler rule should be observed; IMHO.
@39 Gervase; maybe ‘dials’ is not as old hat as you think. I hear many adverts telling me to dial this number for my free sample etc.. What might be unrecognisable to those under thirty, however, is the idea of a Spoonerism in the first place.
I spent most of this morning on the as-yet-unmentionable, but I wonder if I was the only one to think about Kind of Blue’s credited Producer (Teo Macero, whose name could provide useful fodder) for 11 before considering the artist himself as a “producer”. Fortunately that didn’t lead anywhere!
Actually although I solved the crossword I was not impressed with SQUANDER as an answer. I can find no definition anywhere for BLUE meaning squander or anything like it. The word blew I can relate to as in ” he blew all his winnings in five minutes ” but in that case the answer should have been SQUANDERED in the past tense.
Anyone care to point out what I have missed ?
R P Hiscocks
I’m sorry I didn’t give a reference in my comment @4: blue = squander is in both Collins and Chambers and you can see it here @27
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/blue
Thanks Eileen – even at past 70 I still live and learn – never knew that till now !
RP @42
Just so you’ve got the full set it’s also in the SOED (if you look hard enough as it’s well hidden!)
blue verb2 trans. slang. Pres. pple and verbal noun blueing, bluing. m19.
Spend extravagantly, squander
Thanks Picaroon and Eileen
Only started this one last Saturday … and what a delight. I think BLUE was my third or fourth entry, but such was the diversity of its use that the rest of the puzzle still needed to be solved on its merit!
SULTANATES and CENSOR were the last two in – with ‘sultanates’ remaining unparsed – so thanks Eileen for that.
Had to look up the definition of BLUE that meant SQUANDER because it wasn’t confirmed going the other way.
Many good clues in a puzzle that deserved to be done over a weekend.