Guardian 26,358 / Puck

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A very difficult prize crossword, but with all of Puck’s usual wit and ingenuity.

The theme is ANTEATERs, and the word ANTEATER appears hidden in the centre of the grid:

anteater-reduced

… if you read clockwise around that central square. The anteaters mentioned are PANGOLINS, ANTBEARs, ECHIDNAs, TAMANDUAS and AARDVARKS, which are all EDENTATES (I think).

Update: Thanks to James E for pointing out that I’d completely missed that there are also hidden ANTs in 8 down clues: AVANTI, GIANTS, LEAN-TO, AMARANTHS, BEAN TREES, WANTON, MANTRA and MANTLE. R_c_a_d also points out that they’re positioned symmetrically as well – impressive construction indeed!

Across

1. *Sort of plainsong (9)
PANGOLINS
(PLAINSONG)*
Definition: Themed clue; PANGOLINS are anteaters.

9. Briefly transfix a native of Africa (6)
IMPALA
IMPAL[e] = “Briefly transfix” + A
Definition: “native of Africa”

10. French politician gets spam about novelty lighting (4,5)
LAVA LAMPS
LAVAL = “French politician” + (SPAM)*
Definition: “novelty lighting”

11. Girl hiding direction for wedding venue (6)
GRETNA
GRETA = “Girl” around N = “direction” (North)
Definition: “wedding venue”

12. Securing coach stop, as prescribed by law (9)
STATUTORY
TUTOR = “coach” in STAY = “stop”
Definition: “as prescribed by law”

13. Spare uniform nude’s taken off (6)
UNUSED
U = “uniform” (from the NATO phonetic alphabet) + (NUDE’S)*
Definition: “Spare”

17. Article that’s first seen thematically in 8 downs (3)
ANT
AN = “Article” + T[hat] = “that’s first”
Definition: “seen thematically in [TAMANDUAS]”, presumably suggesting that ANTs might be found in these anteaters Update: thanks to James E for pointing out that this refers to the ANTs hidden in 8 of the down clues

19. *A selection of writings jointly published by Rupert ?(7)
ANTBEAR
A + NT = “selection of writings” (New Testament) + BEAR = “Rupert?”
Definition: Themed clue; ANTBEARs are anteaters.

20. *Girl’s caught and concealed within (7)
ECHIDNA
ENA = “Girl” around C = “caught” + HID = “concealed”
Definition: Themed clue; ECHIDNAs are anteaters.

21. 7 of 24 worried about … (3)
ETA
ATE = “worried” reversed
Definition: “7 of 24” – ETA is the 7th of 24 letters in the Greek alphabet

23. … butt of weirdo, gender-bending (3-3)
DOG-END
Hidden reversed in “weirDO, GENDer-bending”
Definition: “butt”

27. Range of greetings, including mother to boy (not daughter) (9)
HIMALAYAS
HIYAS = “greetings” around MA = “mother” + LA[d] = “boy (not daughter)”
Definition: “Range”

28. 17 down taking in short performance on the Strand? (6)
ASHORE
ARE = “17 down” around SHO[w] = “short performance”
Definition: “on the Strand?”

29. Broke off studies briefly around time film returned (9)
DESTITUTE
(STUDIE[s])* (the anagram fodder is from “studies briefly”) around T = “time” followed by ET = “film” reversed
Definition: “Broke”

30. Film work in Seychelles, partly (6)
KINSEY
Hidden in “worK IN SEYchelles”
Definition: “Film”

31. *Garden with viewing places? (9)
EDENTATES
EDEN = “Garden” + TATES = “viewing places” (Tate galleries)
Definition: Themed clue; some EDENTATES are anteaters. In a way it’s a shame that this is a superset rather than subset of anteaters, like the others.

Down

2. A vehicle picked up Italian forward in Rome (6)
AVANTI
A + VAN = “vehicle” + IT = “Italian” reversed
Definition: “forward in Rome”

3. Baseball team starring discontented maverick (6)
GIANTS
(STA[rr]ING)* – the anagram fodder is “starring” without its “content” (“discontented”) and the anagram indicator is “maverick”
Definition: “Baseball team” referring to the San Francisco Giants

4. Erection faltering of late? No (4-2)
LEAN-TO
(LATE NO)*
Definition: “Erection”

5. Producer of M Ryan’s “orgasm” in kidney unit (7)
NEPHRON
N. EPHRON = ‘Producer of M Ryan’s “orgasm”‘ – Nora Ephron was writer and producer of “When Harry Met Sally” – the reference is to this famous scene.
Definition: “kidney unit”

6. Bloomers by Santa — harm done (9)
AMARANTHS
(SANTA HARM)*
Definition: “Bloomers” (as in “flowers”) referring the Amaranth genus

7. Two sets of players include one reject (4,5)
CAST ASIDE
Both a CAST and a SIDE are sets of players, so this is CAST ASIDE around A
Definition: “reject”

8. *Dutch explorer losing sleep initially over heartless French writer (9)
TAMANDUAS
TA[s]MAN = “Dutch explorer losing sleep initially + DU[m]AS = “heartless French writer”
Definition: Themed clue; Tamanduas are anteaters

14. *A distant fellow released doves at regular intervals around vessel (9)
AARDVARKS
A [f]AR = “A distant” without F = “fellow”; DVS = “D[o]V[e]S at regular intervals” around ARK = “vessel”
Definition: Themed clue; Aardvarks are anteaters

15. Theatre worker playing in the G and S act, originally (5,4)
STAGE HAND
(THE G AND S A)* – the A in the anagram fodder is from “A[ct] originally”
Definition: “Theatre worker”

16. See topless 19 dancing round the carob and catalpa? (4,5)
BEAN TREES
SEE + ([a]NTBEAR)*, all reversed Thanks to John Carney for correcting the anagram fodder. (I suppose you could either take it that the anagram indicator is “dancing round” and the fodder is SEE NTBEAR, or as I took it that the anagram indicator is “dancing” and “round” reverses both SEE and the anagram – I guess the former is probably more likely.)
Definition: “the carob and catalpa?”

17. Second person to be 18 … (3)
ARE
The subsidiary includes the next clue, joined by the ellipsis – it’s “18 […] of 26 say”; the 18th of the 26th letters of the alphabet is R – the “say” indicates a homophone
Definition: “Second person to be” – the second person conjugation of “to be” is ARE (“you are”)

18. … or 20, say, of 26 for builders? (3)
TEA
“20, say, of 26 say”; the 20th letter of the alphabet is T – the “say” indicates a homophone
Definition: “builders?” referring to “builders’ tea”

22. Sort of Charlie, coming last, followed round one in the middle (4-3)
TAIL-END
TAILED = “followed” around “[o]N[e]” = “one in the middle”
Definition: “Sort of Charlie, coming last” – apparently a “tail-end Charlie” is “A person or thing that brings up the rear in a group or formation” or “A member of the crew of a military aircraft who operates a gun from a compartment at the rear.”

24. Desire working woman that’s immoral? (6)
WANTON
WANT = “Desire” + ON = “working”
Definition: “woman that’s immoral?” – I thought wanton was just an adjective, but there’s an archaic noun sense of “A sexually immodest or promiscuous woman”

25. Human trafficking’s something often repeated (6)
MANTRA
Hidden in “HuMAN TRAfficking”
Definition: “something often repeated”

26. Cover human trafficking, lacking evidence at first (6)
MANTLE
MAN = “human” followed by T[rafficking] L[acking] E[vidence]
Definition: “Cover”

23 comments on “Guardian 26,358 / Puck”

  1. Thanks to mhl for the blog. There were many cases where I had the answer but not the parsing. You explained them. There were several cases where I was completely beaten. 🙁

    I have never heard of a film called KINSEY so even though I can see it is hidden there in plain sight there was no way I could see it.

    A small mistake in your blog: you say that the solution to 23 is embedded, reversed. It is not reversed.

  3. The reference in 17a isn’t to the clue 8d – there are hidden ANTs in eight down clues: 2, 3, 4, 6, 16, 24, 25 and 26. That took me a while after I’d finished the grid to work out…

  5. Thanks for the blog. I got NEPHRON but not the connection to M Ryan.

    I was lucky to get PANGOLINS and avANTi very early on so I expected to see a lot of ANTs… which made this a bit less hard.

    The grid also led me to solve this as almost 4 separate puzzles, one corner at a time.

    Very clever setting. I also noticed that the 8 hidden ANTs in the down solutions are positioned symmetrically.

  6. A pleasant enough offering from Puck which gave up its secrets far too easily. 1A was so obviously an anagram of plainsong and PANGOLINS was quite apparent. So the theme was not obvious until 20A which was a giveaway for ECHIDNA and the theme was out in the open.

    From then on it was very easy to fill in the ANTEATERS and the extra hint of “which is central to the puzzle.” gave the centre away once ANT (a write in) was in 17A.

    With so many crossers and a friendly grid all was done and dusted in no time. This was really far too easy the weekend again!

    Thanks to mhl and Puck.

  7. So the puzzle was “very difficult” (mhl) or “far too easy” (Brendan) ?
    We found it ‘just right’ – somewhat of a challenge but good fun and done by the end of the day. And who wouldn’t love an anteater-themed puzzle ?

    I share mhl’s zoological reservations – they may all eat ants, but are all examples of Edentates (toothless animals) and for all I know there are non-anteating Edentates, so I wasted some time trying to fit the E word in the centre.

    And I’d completely missed all the ANTs – very clever!

  8. I found this very tricky and failed completely on the bottom right hand corner.
    Partly because I expected 31a to be armadillo and partly because I thought 22d had something to do with viet-cong.
    What is the role of “taken” in 13a?

  9. We too found it just right – challenging and lots of fun. Not too hard to get the theme, and once we realised the ANTEATER went round the middle, put it in and didn’t really follow the clueing.

    A few other places where we got the answer but couldn’t parse it.
    Got the NEPHRON from the kidney, but totally bemused by the rest of the clue!
    Had remembered the KINSEY report, but forgot there had been a film inspired by it.

  10. Thanks for the great blog, mhl – and congratulations to you both on your Prize! 😉

    I agree totally with Mr Beaver’s first paragraph – it was exactly what a Prize puzzle should be for me – and I just loved it.

    [Brianjp – Puck’s already ‘done’ the armadillo, as I know to my cost: I missed it when blogging and it haunts me still.]

    Many thanks to Puck for lots of fun.

  11. An enjoyable Puck puzzle IMHO. Of the themed answers the only one I got from wordplay alone was TAMANDUAS, although I was glad that I had the two elements of GK that were needed to put it together. I missed the eight hidden ANTS in the down answers.

  12. Thanks mhl. I knew at once that 8D was going to begin with TA(S)MAN and that I knew no such word, so I checked the dictionary. With ECHIDNA quickly appearing, the rest was straight and forward. Not easy, and very pleasant, so thanks Puck.

  13. 19a had ANThology for a selection of writings, but did not know how to shorten it, and at 8d Marguerite DU[r]AS for the French writer (certainly not heartless).

    A really enjoyable puzzle, thank you Puck, and especially thank you mhl, without your parsing I would have failed to understand many of the answers.

  14. Thanks chas, James E and John Carney for your corrections, which I’ve now made. I’m kicking myself for missing the hidden ANTs.

    brianjp: I suppose you could say that “taken off” is the anagram indicator or just that UNUDES is taken (“used”) but a bit “off”. Dunno.

  15. Eileen: oh, goodness! This is actually the first crossword prize I or we have ever won, and that happy news is coincidentally also an unexpected birthday present!

  16. So celebrations all round, then – many happy returns! I thought it was lovely that you should win with the puzzle that you blogged.

    [My sympathies re the ANTS: I’ve been there – see above.]

  17. Thanks mhl,

    I quite enjoyed this and didn’t find it “far too easy”. I failed on KINSEY and even though it so so obvious, I just didn’t see it.
    The word ‘partly’ should have been an absolute give-away. I didn’t find much humour in this puzzle although I did like HIMALAYAS
    which was well-disguised. Thanks to Puck.

    To Brendan : I think you need a bigger hat size.

  18. I enjoyed this and got the theme fairly early on-although I didn’t notice the ANTS that had been eaten! I particularly liked GRETNA,which was my last one in.
    Thanks Puck and congratulations to the birthday solvers.

  20. I think I must have collected a set of cards from sweet packets (or something) as a kid, because once I spotted edentate I got all the themed answers quite quickly, despite not having seen or heard of some of the anteaters in the intervening 50+ years. Still very good fun, though. N.Ephron was completely over my head, but thanks for the link to that wonderful scene!

  23. Just a quick late comment to say that I enjoyed this one a lot, and it passed my train test, giving way gradually without any major impasses despite seeming difficult at first.

    Thanks to Puck and mhl

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