Tramp today, full of rather clever stuff if a bit ribald in places. I’m beaten by one clue alas.
Seems Tramp has been doing the full round of fast food outlets, with clues and answers choc(olate) full of them.
Ok I’ll burger off and leave it to you.
| Across | ||
| 1 | BEDPOST |
Where player might record his scores — bottom entry on Twitter? (7)
Good Lord what a start. A snigger at the first. Def refers to notches on bedpost for the number of sexual liaisons some have. BED (bottom) POST (entry on twitter say). Where’s the chewing gum though?
|
| 5 | KETCHUP |
Main virtually left in Pizza Hut served with cold sauce (7)
OK I admit defeat, you want the blog today so I can see C(old) in HUT* but the KEP bit around and pizza is lost on me. Over to you.
|
| 9 | GRIME |
Smut from regular girlie meet (5)
Alternate letters in GiRlIe MeEt
|
| 10 | BUCKETFUL |
Without opening blue KFC tub, in pieces how much chicken’s there? (9)
B removed from [(b)LUE KFC TUB]* in pieces
|
| 11 | ANECDOTIST |
“Sample from Coltrane CD”, Otis tells one relating story (10)
hidden in coltrANE CD OTIS Tells
|
| 12 | DIPS |
Declines sauces (4)
Simple double def on the lines of the theme
|
| 14 | ADRIATIC SEA |
Bar Venice? Split the drink between the three of them (8,3)
Spent so long looking for word play, well played Tramp. It’s just a pure cryptic cum literal definition
|
| 18 | REACTIVATES |
Stirs again tea, craves it badly (11)
[TEA CRAVES IT]* badly
|
| 21 | ANTI |
Opponent books into first class (4)
N(ew) T(estament) in A1
|
| 22 | BRONTOSAUR |
Early vegetarian sausage primarily out — or bran flakes? (10)
[S(ausage) OUT OR BRAN]* flakes
|
| 25 | IDOLISERS |
Those worshipping fantastic soldiers protecting Iraqi’s right (9)
(iraq)I inserted into [SOLDIERS]*
|
| 26 | ADIEU |
America to pass on uranium: cheers! (5)
A(merica) & DIE & U(ranium)
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| 27 | GODDESS |
Beauty tries small, squeezing in big breasts (7)
DD (a large bra size) inserted into GOES (tries) & S(mall)
|
| 28 | SKYWARD |
Satellite TV charge up (7)
SKY (satellite TV company) & WARD (charge as in ward of court)
|
| Down | ||
| 1 | BIG MAC |
McDonald’s sign a copyright letter for this? (3,3)
Not really sure how to describe this or quite what the def is, the sign for MacDonald’s is a BIG M & A & C(opyright)
|
| 2 | DRIVEL |
Go large, getting waffle (6)
DRIVE (go) & L(arge)
|
| 3 | OVERDRAFTS |
Banks’ lending arrangements done with checkers (10)
OVER (done) & DRAFTS (checkers) neat link with wordplay, liked this. Chequers?
|
| 4 | TIBET |
Country tense, no doubt (5)
T(ense) & I BET! (no doubt)
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| 5 | KICK-START |
Provoke thrill — Banksy’s work? (4-5)
KICK (thrill) & ST(reet) ART
|
| 6 | TEEM |
Throw it down and be full (4)
Double def
|
| 7 | HEFTIEST |
Most powerful Playboy head ties knot at last (8)
HEF(fner) the top part of the man who founded Playboy & TIES & (kno)T. Sure he must have married at least one of his bunnies…
|
| 8 | POLE STAR |
Director of top Soho dancer? (4,4)
Solaris. The best dancer would be the POLE STAR
|
| 13 | MISSIONARY |
Position for it girl — one working a line (10)
MISS (girl) & 1 & ON (working) & A & RY (railway line). More sex from the smutty minded Tramp. Not that this a complaint 🙂
|
| 15 | RIVER TEES |
Runner retrieves bananas (5,4)
Runner, flower, river. [RETRIEVES]* is bananas
|
| 16 | GROUNDBREAKING |
See 20
|
| 17 | FAST FOOD |
What to eat on a diet? Not (4,4)
Well you won’t be FASTing if you eat this.
|
| 19 | FAJITA |
It’s in fine — cross off European side order for Mexican? (6)
IT inserted into F(ine) & AJA(x) cross removed.
|
| 20,16 | GROUNDBREAKING |
Innovative Burger King ad on broadcast (14)
[BURGER KING AD ON]* is broadcast. Brilliant. Lost for words to have this in the wordplay fitting the theme.
|
| 23 | NESTS |
Fits together starters from Nando’s — exotic salads to specials (5)
Initial letters of Nando’s Exotic Salads To Specials
|
| 24 | PILE |
Tart crossing legs, initially, to make packet (4)
L(egs) in PIE (tart).
|
*anagram
KE(y) + P(izza) and then as per your parsing.
Great puzzle, and I agree about GROUNDBREAKING.
Thanks Tramp and flashling
Fun, but several I couldn’t parse (including KETCHUP, unfortunately).
POLE STAR my favourite.
14 I know BARI on the Adriatic coast, but BAR?
Saucy in places this one. Stuck on ketchup too. Also why Bar and not Bari on the Adriatic
Sorry to be dense, but can you explain “throw it down” in 6d a bit more, please?
I, too, was stumped by the KEP, so thanks to Muffyword, as well as flashling and Tramp.
I think KEP in 5ac is KEY (main) less Y ( can’t parse why though unless it should be virtual Y, in which case virtually has too many Ls) and P (left letter of pizza)
wayhay muffin. we crossed
For BAR not Bari see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bar,_Montenegro
@Ian british English, TEEM and throw it down are terms for heavy rain.
flashling @7
Thanks – new one on me.
Most enjoyable! Ke(y) = main briefly. tchup =p-Left in pizza and anagram of hut with c for cold.
Thanks flashling @ 7. I can get on with the day.
Good morning all and thank you flashling.
Really enjoyed this but have a few problems:
ADRIATIC SEA is a corking clue but why Bar and not Bari? Is it an alternative spelling?
Aren’t checkers (or chequers) draughts not drafts. Again, perhaps it’s an alternative I’m not aware of.
Not sure being asked to know about Ajax is fair. The clue solves simply enough with the crossers so perhaps that’s enough.
Plenty of excellent clues plus a fun mini-them. MISSIONARY is my stand out example but would it not have been improved by IT instead of it? Don’t quite see how one can have an ‘it girl’.
Another smashing puzzle, thank you Tramp.
flashling @7 sorry, crossed re Bar. Many thanks.
William @ 12
I read 13 as “Position for it” being the definition with ‘it’ as an old-fashioned (?) reference to sex, then girl = MISS as the first part of the wordplay
William @12
“Don’t quite see how one can have an ‘it girl’.”
From Chambers: “It Girl noun (informal)- A young woman who is, or who makes it her business to be, noted in fashionable circles for her charisma, beauty and wealth”.
Thanks Tramp anf flashling.
Super clueing and useful blog.
GROUNDBREAKING a wower, and a lot of laughs.
14@ think Bari would have given the game away…first thought of Harry’s Bar, then the bar cutting Venice “off” from the sea…
Gaufrid @15 – one learns something every day. I think it unlikely that my personal circumstances will put me in too much contact with it-girls but one lives in hope!
Many thanks, Gaufrid, nice day.
Simon S @14 agreed, my interpretation, too – I simply thought IT made it a stronger clue.
Many thanks.
Thanks Tramp for a very enjoyable solve.
Thanks flashling; I too failed to parse ADRIATIC SEA – nice one! I was wondering why BREAKING GROUND wasn’t two words, doh! [note to self to read the clues properly] 🙁
I liked the MISSIONARY position and the GROUNDBREAKING, breaking ground.
parsing KETCHUP differently, PECK* and HUT*
Thanks, flashling, for a great blog.
What a wonderful puzzle! Lots of fun from start to finish. Favourite clues: KETCHUP, BUCKETFUL, BRONTOSAUR, BIG MAC, GROUNDBREAKING [among others].
Surprised that ‘It girl’ wasn’t familiar – they’ve been around for about a hundred years, see here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/It_girl
Huge thanks to Tramp – I enjoyed every minute.
[Flashling, you know as well as I do that here in the East Midlands it chucks it down – as it has been doing this morning.]
more clearly PECK (main virtually left), had forgotten I did it like this
Eileen, I’d say chuck it down, but I can only go with what the strange folk in Barrow-in-Furness say here 🙂
Chuck it down in London too (and yes, has done this morning here). Anywhere that does use ‘throw it down’?
BRONTOSAUR is outdated now, we should all be using Apatosaur apparently, but I don’t suppose it really matters.
Really enjoyed the theme(s) even if, like almost everyone else, KETCHUP and (for me at least) FAJITA went in unparsed. Delighted that nobody’s complained about the brand names, even if they may not be my favourite companies.
Thanks to Tramp and flashling.
Much fun here. Favourite clue was ADRIATIC SEA with Split being one of the three places.
Also echoes of Did the chewing gum lose its flavour on the bedpost overnight?
Giovanna xx
Trailman @ 24
In fact, Brontosaurus has been an invalid name for the genus since 1903, when a second researcher pointed out that the previous researcher had classified two specimens as Apatosaurus and Brontosaurus, when in fact they were similar enough to be in the same genus. Apatosaurus was the earlier naming, so, by the rules of scientific nomenclature, took priority.
However Brontosaurus, despite being invalid, is in the dictionary, and is one of the two dinosaur names that most people would be able to give, so it’s perfectly valid in a crossword, I think.
Typical Tramp.
That’s far from a complaint. Much to entertain, though had I known of the theme in advance, I’d have had breakfast this morning.
Chucking it down, throwing it down, peeing it down, p**sing it down are all in quite common parlance I think.
Enjoyed this without understanding how he got Fajita. Liked the same ones as others here. Much more interesting solve than many other puzzles.
Thanks both.
Fine puzzle, with a theme that might not please most GPs dealing with the obesity crisis.
As for teeming, throwing, chucking, raining … the best expression is French: il pleut comme les vaches qui pissent. Which even those that haven’t done French for a bit can probably work out. And if you are a visual learner, then you’ll probably never forget it.
Merci flashling for the blog.
Sexist, vulgar and unfunny. Just another case of the setter having more fun than the solver? Perhaps Guardian setters need to get out more. A pity because there were some excellent clues here. I am not a great fan of clues like 5ac and 19d as these are merely quick crossword clues in effect as I am sure that few if any solvers did anything else but put them in and then try to work out the parsing.
An enjoyable puzzle with a couple that resisted strongly. Thanks Flashling for the explanations. I am surprised no-one else has commented on 4dn. Country = Tibet? I might wish it were so but Tibet is a lot further from being a country than Scotland or Quebec. Would either of those have been accepted if clued as country?
Thanks to flashling for the blog. You explained several where I had the right answer but not the parsing.
There are still a couple of queries left.
1) What is ‘right’ doing in 25?
2) How does Ajax equate to European in 19?
Thanks Tramp and Flashling. I was one of those who needed help with KEP.
I’ve a feeling the ‘pole star’ would have been top–less! Sorry.
Most enjoyable puzzle for a while in my book.
HKColin @31, well, Scotland had the chance to be a country, and turned it down, TIBET has always wanted to be independent, and many people regard it as a country in its own right, as for Palestine…..how would you clue that?
What Eileen said at 21 apart from the East Midlands weather of which I have no experience. If weather forecasts are required, I can confirm that is very windy in East Kent but with lovely blue sky.
My only slight quibble was with DRAFTS, surely the game is DRAUGHTS or do those people over the Pond spell it differently?
Thanks to Tramp and Flashling
Hi again. to chas at 32. I think it’s the well-known European football team Ajax of Amsterdam, so a ‘European side’ in that sense.
dunsscotus thanks for that. I am not a football fan so failed to think of that meaning. Even so, I have heard of this particular team.
Thanks to Tramp and flashling.
‘Siling down’ is more common around here – at least amongst us oldies. ‘Chucking’ just sounds so common! 🙂
It took me a while to parse KETCHUP but once I realised ‘virtually’ meant ‘almost’ it was quite clear.
So many great clues today, but my favourite was BIG MAC because I loved the visual element of the wordplay.
Hi Chas @32
I is the ‘right’ of iraqI, as flashling has indicated [cf P = ‘left in pizza’ in 5ac].
I was stumped too by the parsing of 1 Down, but I think it’s a play on the word “sign”–the double meaning of the McDonald’s “BIG M” sign, and to sign a contract. So the definition is merely the “this”, i.e the Big Mac, for which I imagine McDonald’s has signed a copyright letter 😀
I took 1d to be parsed as ‘McDonald’s sign’ (BIG M) + ‘a’ (A) + ‘copyright letter’ (C), with ‘this’ as the literal. The ‘copyright letter’ would be the capital ‘c’ without its circle.
Fun puzzle.
Also, not to nitpick, but in 7, Hef is Hugh Hefner’s nickname, so “Playboy head” is already HEF.
And I took 17 to be a charade of FOOD (“what to eat”) on (or “next to”) FAST (“a diet”), with the definition being “what not to eat when a diet”. (I understand the grumbles regarding “on” used this way in a down clue, but I tend to allow it in small doses.)
Eileen@39 thanks for that. Now I re-read the blog I see it clearly.
42 comments before 2 p.m. = an unusually busy morning! Enjoyed this but struggled with a few of the parsings, especially KETCHUP and BIG MAC. Last in was TEEM – also struggled with PILE until I realised that I’d carelessly written IDOLATERS instead of IDOLISERS. Liked the ADRIATIC SEA but had never heard of BAR.
Thanks to flashling and Tramp
PS Eileen @21 – it’s been mostly bright, sunny and breezy here in Notts this morning
Regarding 3D, I wonder if the clue is spelt (US) checkers rather than (UK) chequers, to indicate that the section of the solution it refers to should be (US) drafts rather than (UK) draughts? It’s not ideal, because the game is generally (UK) draughts or (US) checkers, but perhaps it can also be (UK) chequers or (US) drafts on occasions.
Cookie @34, Palestine is recognised as a country by 134 other states (and disputed by at least one other). Cluing Palestine as “country” would be controversial but defensible. But cluing Tibet that way is just plain wrong. I thought that was part of the reason there is a Crossword editor?
You say “Tibet has always wanted to be independent”. For much of history they were, but not for the last 50 years and given the situation now in Hong Kong there is no chance of them being allowed a vote on their status, Scotland style.
HKColin @31 and 46 – surely a country (especially in Crosswordland) doesn’t have to be an internationally recognised state – never mind Scotland, what about Wales?
Here in Cheshire, it’s absolutely tippling down.
Wow – what a wonderful puzzle! I reckon he started with GROUNDBREAKING and built the theme from that.
Loved the ADRIATIC, the ‘it girl’ and the ‘player’ of 1ac.
HKColin @46, yes, I know Tibet has been independent in the past, but only from 1912 to 1951, 39 years, hardly a lifetime.
The second entry in the OCED for country, a territory possessing its own language, people, culture, etc. Think one can be a bit flexible with the term.
K’s D @29 I work in France a fair bit and at such times one of my older pals likes to say “Dieu, il pleut les hallebardes!” They certainly like their imagery, don’t they?
William @51, in the North of England one used to hear “its raining stair-rods.” Perhaps still do.
Cookie@52 Yes, it’s coming down in stair-rods in Cheshire.
Cookie @52 Ha-ha, really? One glance at this blog tells one all he needs to know about the #1 obsession of the Brits, doesn’t it?
Really busy today. I liked this even though I failed on a couple. I too put in IDOLATORS which threw me out for PILE and I couldn’t get FAJITAS. Lots of good clues though.And while some clues were a tad bisque,none were offensive. Lighten up!
Thanks Tramp
P
Really enjoyed this: hard but fair and wonderfully imaginative. I too thought that drafts/draughts and checkers/chequers were there to draw the necessary US/UK usage distinction.
In Wales, I understand, it rains old women and sticks.
Unusually, I did yesterday’s Times crossword. 23ac: Expanse of water in Asia? A direct misrepresentation (8,3). Shades of the D-Day landings?
Splendid puzzle with some very tricksy parsing but I thought it was fair enough. Can understand the frustration if one didn’t finish. Can’t really understand why anyone who did finish would complain nevertheless.
I regard Scotland, Wales, and Tibet as countries in crosswords.
Thanks, flashling.
Late to comment today, so little left to be said.
Lots of ribaldry and junk food – what’s not to like? (Peter A @55 says that some of the clues were ‘a tad bisque’, which is rather extending the theme away from the usual offerings of the fast food chains!)
Couldn’t parse KETCHUP or FAJITAS – but these clearly aren’t the easiest of words to clue. Favourites were KICK START, MISSIONARY, FAST FOOD and GROUNDBREAKING.
Bravissimo, Tramp.
Thanks for the excellent blog flashling and thanks for the comments. I am away with work at present and am struggling to read the blog properly on my phone. I will read properly on Thursday. I wrote this puzzle in April 2012. The original clue had “split the main between the three of them” but I was asked to change it. The rewrite is quite good. Purists would argue that I have deliberately omitted a comma and so I am not saying what I mean but I think it’s justified in this case.
Thanks again
Neil
Ps I’d have to check but I think my first version of 3d had “…done with checkers in US”. If it did, I think I convinced myself that the US bit wasn’t necessary but I don’t recall the rationale. It seems I messed up.
Neil
Thanks for dropping in, Tramp.
I think, as others have said, that “checkers” is sufficient indication of a US spelling for “drafts”.
I really enjoyed this puzzle even though I found it towards the easier end of Tramp’s spectrum. I finished with FAJITA once I saw AJA(X), and before that the DRIVEL/BEDPOST crossers had held me up slightly.
Very good witty puzzle. Liked 14,16 and 17 especially and the hidden answer at 11.
Thanks again Tramp, a very enjoyable puzzle.
I found Bar at 14a a super decoy as I said @16, Bari would have given the game away too soon, and checkers @3d quite OK, US cashiers, or the game of “draughts”.
Excellent puzzle. Love reading this blog, especially to help parse Adriatic Sea and fajita. I saw Ajax (sans X) but did not know the team name. U.S-centric? Guilty as charged.
I must say I never heard the word drafts for checkers.
Grew up in NYC, where I learned the word teeming for raining hard. But when I moved to Florida as a youth none of my friends had ever heard the term. Funny how regional some words are.
Thanks greatly to setter, blogger and all here who broaden my horizons!
Agree with Tom Hutton. Why the schoolboy smut? Aren’t we generally trying to purge public life of kneejerk sexism? Also 1d is possibly the worst cryptic clue I’ve seen in the Grauniad in 40 years. Shame. Some good clueing among the slack-jawed sniffers.
Re 1 down.McDonalds is notoriously litigious.Improper use of “Big Mac” is likely to draw a lawyers letter,but it would not be a copyright matter,as the words constitute a Trade Mark.The question mark at the end of the clue implies that you might get such a letter for using the words in this puzzle.
Thanks Tramp and flashling
Got held up with understanding KETCHUP (couldn’t work out the KE part) and hesitated for a long time with TEEM (hadn’t heard of the ‘throw it down’ term for rain before!).
Was another who initially wrote in IDOLATERS and had to back track to get PILE.
Brilliant clue for ADRIATIC SEA and MISSIONARY drew a wry chuckle ! POLE STAR was also very good.
A very good puzzle to get, especially so earl in the week.
To the nay Sayers well you are in a minority, the Guardian and Indy will continue to be coarse at times, let’s be honest minors aren’t like to do the cryptic and if they do then they already know the terms.
This is not a place where words are forbidden.
If the clues or answers offend you, don’t do the Guardian or Indy or FT.
To temper this rude or offensive stuff will be deleted if not in context in the blogs.