Everyman 3,552

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A puzzle that was good for my self-esteem…

 

Although I don’t think I’m as good at crosswords as this puzzle made me feel. Pretty much a write-in from start to finish.

Some nice clues, and a couple of new terms (DIVERTISSEMENT, GOLDILOCKS, LARISSA) but a couple where I wrinkled my nose (ASSET, SIGNS ON) and a repetition of the ‘caught out’ device.

The grid was non-contentious, I suppose.

See you next time around…

completed grid
Across
1 FLAT
Live in big apartment (4)
L  in FAT
3 GOLDILOCKS
Bullion is secure inside plant (10)
A clear charade, for a plant that I hadn’t heard of: Lysimachia nummularia
10 RUSTICATE
Understood about blocking wily subterfuge to send down student (9)
TACIT reversed, inside RUSE (wily subterfuge)
11 FINCH
Bird in church, by font, initially (5)
F (font, initially) IN CH(urch)
12 CATHERINE WHEEL
Somehow wealthier, hence can afford firework (9,5)
Seasonal. An anagram (somehow) of ‘wealthier hence’
14 SWEETEN
Tense, we brewed, and put in sugar (7)
Anagram (brewed) of ‘tense we’
16 SIGNS ON
Employs symbols in operation (5,2)
Hmmm. I would have said that ‘signs on’ is more akin to not being employed, and went with ‘signs up’ on my first pass. A straightforward charade nonetheless.
17 LARISSA
Mrs Dalloway caught out in Greek city (7)
Had to look up Mrs Dalloway’s first name: Clarissa. Remove the ‘c’ for the Greek city
19 SWANSEA
Perhaps pens article about Ecstasy in Welsh city (7)
Pens could be SWANS E (ecstasy) A (article)
20 THREE BLIND MICE
Children bet me I misinterpreted nursery rhyme (5,5,4)
Anagram (misinterpreted) of ‘children bet me’
23 NOISE
One interrupting beak causes row (5)
I in NOSE
24 TOLERANCE
Play patience (9)
A good double definition.
25 NIGHTDRESS
Frilly thing, clean item of bedwear (10)
THING*, clean = DRESS (as in, to dress the meat)
26 GRIT
Strength of character in Educating Rita (4)
Hidden answer
Down
1 FORECASTLE
Word of warning by man on board where the crew is housed (10)
FORE = word of warning.
CASTLE = man, on (chess) board)
2 ASSET
Useful thing, when fixed (5)
Think this needs a question mark. Not sure whether it’s not quite a cryptic definition, or not quite a double definition
4 ORATION
Speech from leader of Opposition on fixed allowance (7)
O RATION.
5 DIETERS
One inside discourages people trying to lose weight (7)
I in DETERS
6 LEFT HIGH AND DRY
Stranded, like Noah on Ararat? (4,4,3,3)
DD
7 CONSENSUS
Unanimity shown by clubs regarding count, we’re told (9)
C (clubs) ON (regarding) SENSUS (sounds like census)
8 SOHO
Small old house in part of central London (4)
9 DIVERTISSEMENT
Timidest trembling with nerves in ballet interlude (14)
Anagram (trembling) of timidest and nerves. I liked this one.
13 ENGAGEMENT
Promise action (10)
DD – engagement as in military action
15 EARTHLING
Human organ – length shown in article (9)
EAR (organ) THING (article) around L (length). Another good clue
18 ARBITER
Judge arrives carrying snack (7)
ARR(ives) around BITE
19 SHIELDS
More than one buckler, maybe, is held awkwardly on set, at first (7)
S (set, at first) IS HELD*. I liked this one too, although perhaps could have been tightened up by removing the ‘maybe’
21 INNER
Ring in private (5)
DD – the first could refer to archery
22 ANON
Clerical dignitary caught out immediately (4)
CANON (clerical dignitary) without the C.
A shame to see the ‘caught out’ device used twice.
I didn’t remember that anon can mean immediately – an archaic usage apparently.
*anagram

23 comments on “Everyman 3,552”

  1. Thanks for your blog, Matt. In 16A I take it you are thinking of SIGNS ON to the dole, but it can be synonymous with signs up. I read 2D as a charade of AS (‘when’) plus SET (‘fixed’).

  4. Bearing in mind that this is Everyman and not the Times, I was not impressed with 17a. Mrs Dalloway -how many knew who she was? Turns out that she is a character in a Virginia Woolf novel. I had heard of a film “Who’s afraid of Virginia Woolf” but had no idea that she was a real person and a novelist. Greek city of Larissa ? Is this well known? I had L?r???a. All I could think of was Larnaca which I have seen on airport departure boards. I know that it is in Cyprus but that is sort of Greek isn’t it?
    I knew that 9d was an anagram of timidest and nerves but just didn’t know the word . Again seems tough for Everyman.

    Failed on 13sd where I stared and stared but just couldn’t see it .

    Thanks for the blog

  5. Thanks Everyman and Matt

    The second puzzle I have managed without checks, really enjoyed it.
    PENS are female swans
    I also first put SIGNS UP and had forgotten that other meaning for ANON.

  7. I don’t see a problem with ASSET. Fixed assets, also known as PP&E (property, plant and equipment), are assets that are not consumed or sold during the normal course of business.

  8. Bamberger @4
    I think you are rather underestimating Observer readers who do this crossword. And perhaps overestimating Times readers!!!
    Cookie @7
    I don’t think Matt’s problem with ASSET (2d) was the meaning, rather the fact that he hadn’t seen the cryptic element: WHEN=AS and FIXED=SET

    Could somebody please tell me why “tolerance” is “play”? Is it in physics?

  10. crosser : the applicable definition for tolerance is “the permissible range of variation in a dimension of an object”.

  12. Thanks for the comments, particularly the clarifications on signs on and asset – very helpful.
    This blog appeared erroneously for 5 minutes earlier in the week. Sorry for jumping the gun.
    Agree that Mrs dalloway’s Christian name was a stretch, but Virginia Woolf is hardly obscure, to my mind

  13. Thanks Everyman & Matt.

    Surely, 3 contains an envelope i.e. GOLD/I(lock)S. Even as a dumb scientist, I have heard of Virginia Woolf, so I don’t consider that as very obscure. However, Mrs Dalloway=CLARISSA needed a Google. I had forgotten the word RUSTICATE, which otherwise would have been easily found from the definition – quite a difficult construction, though [‘about’ strikes again!]

    Pity about the repeated ‘caught out.’ Still an enjoyable puzzle for a Sunday.

  14. Crosser @8, my understanding is that Everyman is supposed to be a beginners cryptic-so if an Observer reader who is good at crosswords wants a challenge, they shouldn’t expect it from Everyman -and equally a purchaser of the Times shouldn’t expect that crossword to be easy.

  15. Matt my last one also appeared 4 days early for a couple of minutes. Fortunately not even the eagle eyed Gaufrid noticed 🙂 This was the last puzzle I did before hitting the fireworks this week.

  16. I’m not sure that one would get away with the Mrs Dalloway clue in The Times: but it’s a darned sight fairer than simply having ‘girl’ for example! On the Times For The Times blog, you will find myriad comments frowning at any requirement for GK. It shouldn’t be necessary these days, dontcha know!

    Larissa is a nymph too, and a girl’s name (yes really) in its own right.

  18. First kiwi in today on a puzzle I found quite easy, although having said that I had to look up Clarissa and divertissement. A good mental workout to start the weekend off.

  19. I managed this in about an hour and agree with all the other comments. I have certainly heard of Virginia Wolff and her story about Mrs Dalloway so don’t think that is obscure. Had to look up her first name though and also check Greek cities.
    Enjoyed it. Good puzzle.

  20. Haven’t read any of the above yet as we only got half a Herald. No Canvas, no Crossword. So I’ll content myself with the Listener until the rest arrives or (shudder) attempt on line.

    Harrumph.

  21. That was a toughie! I somehow figured out DIVERTISSEMENT, no idea how. I couldn’t get RUSTICATE, NOISE, ANON or ASSET. Should have got NOISE in hindsight but still can’t see how ASSET was derived from the clue.

    Thanks for the puzzle Everyman and thanks for the answers Pierre. Till next week. 🙂

  22. Rats, an Asset is a useful thing.

    When fixed: when = As, fixed = Set (think glue or other fixative)

    So useful thing = asset, when fixed = as set.

    I think it works

    I’m still waiting for the rest of the paper. As that won’t now arrive and I hate doing crosswords on line I just read the blog and decided whether or not I’d have got the answers for this crossword.

    There were some I would not have got, both the same as Rod’s.

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