Wasn’t really in the crossword zone for this one.
I didn’t really enjoy solving it, but put that more down to my own restless mood than the crossword itself, which was entirely inoffensive. Hope other people had a better time doing it.
| Across | ||
| 1 | ANGELICA |
Plant in gale shaken about (8)
Anagram (shaken) of IN GALE, then CA (about) |
| 5 | DIADEM |
Crown found in sea with relief brought back (6)
MED (sea) AID (relief) reversed (brought back) |
| 9 | SOLITARY |
Mostly reliable sailor with yen to be alone (8)
SOLI(d) = mostly reliable, TAR = sailor, Y = yen |
| 10 | SPOT ON |
Accurate child receives prize (4,2)
SON (child) around POT = prize |
| 12 | MISCELLANEOUS |
Varied music one’s playing, including Fitzgerald? (13)
Anag (playing) of MUSIC ONES, around ELLA (Fitzgerald – of jazz fame). |
| 14 | RUDE |
In hearing, regretted being impertinent (4)
Sounds like ‘rued’ (regretted) |
| 15 | CLOCK TOWER |
Structure highly indicative of the present time (5,5)
Cryptic definition |
| 18 | SALAMANDER |
Son tormented an alarmed amphibian (10)
S(on) then an anagram (tormented) of AN ALARMED |
| 19 | SIGN |
Wrong about good omen (4)
SIN = wrong, about G(ood) |
| 21 | HORSE CHESTNUT |
Nag crazy person to protect box tree (5,8)
HORSE (nag) NUT (crazy person) around (to protect) CHEST (box) |
| 24 | TENNIS |
Second during final round in game (6)
S(econd) IN (during) NET (final), reversed (round)
|
| 25 | VISIGOTH |
Energy in call by hard member of tribe (8)
GO (energy) in VISIT (call) by H(ard) |
| 26 | CREOLE |
Porter for instance carrying on in language (6)
Struggled with parsing this one, and had to resort to the internet to get me out of jail COLE (Porter, for instance), carrying RE (on) |
| 27 | SLIGHTLY |
A little match in secret (8)
This one too. Was really running out of steam at this end of the puzzle. Match = LIGHT, in SLY = secret |
| Down | ||
| 1 | ALSO |
Group of players following ace further (4)
LSO (the orchestra, group of players), following A(ce) |
| 2 | GOLD MEDAL |
Fifty in odd game getting frantic over large prize for winning (4,5)
L (fifty) in anagram (getting frantic) of ODD GAME over L(arge) |
| 3 | LATEST |
Most recent US city experiment (6)
LA (us city) TEST (experiment) |
| 4 | CARTE BLANCHE |
Bishop in association with knight in longing for authority (5,7)
CARTEL (association) around B(ishop), then N (knight |
| 6 | IMPUNITY |
Exemption obtained by rascal with agreement (8)
IMP (rascal) UNITY (agreement |
| 7 | DITTO |
Part of plot tidied up, the same as before (5)
Reversed (up) hidden, in plOT TIDied |
| 8 | MINESTRONE |
Soup‘s sources sound about right (10)
MINES (sources) TONE (sound) about R(ight) |
| 11 | GLOCKENSPIEL |
Skip college, excited to get hold of new instrument (12)
Anagram (excited) of SKIP COLLEGE, getting hold of N(ew) |
| 13 | PROSTHETIC |
Artificial distortion of short alien in film (10)
Anagram (distortion) of SHORT, ET (alien) in PIC (film |
| 16 | WAISTCOAT |
Something worn and old in attic was thrown out (9)
Anagram (thrown out) of ATTIC WAS around O(ld) |
| 17 | IMPERIAL |
Magnificent tune rising in force (8)
AIR (tune) going backwards (rising) in IMPEL (force) |
| 20 | ENDING |
Conclusion not yet decided? No pressure (6)
PENDING (not yet decided) without the P (no Pressure)
|
| 22 | RANGE |
Set compass and wander (5)
triple definition |
| 23 | WHEY |
Tips from witch expertly creating watery liquid (4)
first and last letters (tips) from WitcH and ExpertlY |
Thank you Everyman and Matt
I enjoyed this puzzle although I failed to solve CREOLE, VISIGOTH & PROSTHETIC.
My favourites were 4d, 12a, 16d, 27a.
I needed help to parse 10a and 24a.
I think there is a typo in the blog @ 4d as the last bit seems to be missing – I think it should continue on as closing the brackets plus “in ACHE (longing)”
Thanks Everyman and Matt.
As did michelle, I enjoyed this puzzle. Last in was SIGN, obvious, can’t think why I was so slow.
I needed help in parsing TENNIS.
I did like MISCELLANEOUS, April 25 was Ella Fitzgerald’s birthday, she would have been 98.
I thought that this was very hard and hope that this was not the week that any first time solver tried it.
As it was I got stuck in the SW and couldn’t get 13d, 17d, 24a &26a. As usual getting just one may have opened the door to the rest.
I think net =final in 24a is hard and creole is hardly a language that you would guess.
Bamberger @3, yes, it was hard, took me over five hours going at it on and off. I wonder if Allan Scott is still setting the Everyman, he seemed to indicate that he was retiring (3,573).
I too found this tricky. ‘Carte Blanche’ would have evaded me for ever (I didn’t get it, and needed to read the parsing a couple of times even when I saw the answer). Also agree that Net=Final is hard.
Thanks Everyman; quite a difficult one this, I thought, especially the SW corner.
Thanks Matt, I enjoyed this but spent quite some time unpicking CARTE BLANCHE, and couldn’t get ‘cast’ out of my mind for ‘group of players.’ I thought majestic might have been better instead of magnificent for IMPERIAL.
Favourites were MISCELLANEOUS, HORSE CHESTNUT & CARTE BLANCHE.
Thanks Matt,
One of the toughest Everymans that I can remember with some quite difficult constructions. This was definitely not for a beginner and would easily have fitted the Guardian cryptic slot. Having said that, I did enjoy it as ever and from memory, VISIGOTH was my last one in although I did think that this word was spelt with a Z but what do I know !. Very little I think.
I did like MISCELLANEOUS a lot and it’s nice to see the great Ella getting a mention. I also liked GLOCKENSPIEL, ENDING and WHEY. Thanks Everyman.
I’m glad others found this tricky. I certainly did.
Found this an okay challenge but I have tackled harder Everymans. No film in this one again, I was just starting to enjoy finding them too.
Favourite clue was CLOCK TOWER.
The last few Everyman crosswords made clear, at least to me (and apparently others), that Everyman isn’t Everyman anymore.
Don’t get me wrong, the puzzles are still very well clued but a lot harder.
And they take a lot more time too!
The style of setting has a different feel to it.
The clues are more layered and the lack of cultural references (literature, films, music) suggest that Mr Scott has indeed said ‘Goodbye’ to us.
While 15ac is a nice cryptic definition, I entered WATCH TOWER (and why not?) therefore making it harder to see 4d.
Many thanks to Matt.
3573 was Allan Scott’s last Everyman, according to Jonathan Crowther’s latest ‘Azed slip’. Colin Gumbrell (Times, Spectator setter) has taken over. This explains why my Everyman radar has been in need of calibration.
I’d love to see a profile of these two setters on Alan Connor’s Guardian crossword site.
So, there you are.
My feelings were right.
While I personally cannot be bothered too much, I just wonder if raising the level – which, I think, is really the case – is the right thing to do.
The Times has on a daily basis a Quick Cryptic with just the level that an Everyman or a Quiptic needs, in my opinion.
They are just perfect.
So there must be a setter there who has it right.
But it’s not this setter, I’m afraid.
I disagree. I think we will get used to his style. Let’s see how it goes over the next few months.
WELL!! This was much more demanding than those previous but perfect for today’s weather in the winterless(?) north of NZ where the fire was lit before breakfast (which was porridge today)-so with little incentive to venture anywhere other than the warmth of the living room the above challenge was ideal. The first run through the across produced only three certs 14a,18a-thank heavens for anagrams-and19a fortunately a few more downs followed and gradually more and more got filled in. There were many clues that were able to give a distinct thrill when finally parsed even simple(?) four letter ones 23d were lovely. Thought 13d was to be this week’s film about aliens which would have proved difficult. Got Creole, eventually twigged the Cole Porter angle having been through beers etc and once I changed 1d from cast to also, 1a and 4d (my loi) followed.
Many Thanks as usual to our new Everyman, Matt and other contributors.
It’s back to the fire, a good book, hopefully some good rugby and even better cricket!
I had 1d as ANEW which worked sufficiently well for ‘further’ and had N, E and W as a few bridge players that it took a while to realise it wasn’t the right answer. Couldn’t parse Tennis, never got Visigoth but pleased to have staggered through the rest.
I concur with the grumblers about net for final. A net position is after some deduction but it isn’t necessarily final, at least not in accounting terms.
The rest were fair if more complex than Scotty’s clues. No bowls I expect today Audrey, maybe just as well.
Sorry you weren’t in the zone Matt but thanks for the blog. And thank you mr new Everyman but please don’t make them any harder than this.
Can we have Allan Scott back please? There is no joy in this cruel punishment.
Joe, just read every word separately, one word at a time, ignore the surface and assume either the first or last word is probably the definition. That would have solved well over 3/4 of these clues. There’s no enjoyment of a crossword full of fill-ins, surely?
Other than the definition, every word is either fodder or an instruction.
works for me.
Blimmin’ heck this was tough! Had to resort to the dictionary reasonably early on (allowed) but needed the internet for the last couple (not allowed). Had never heard of Visigoth but was comforted somewhat by the fact that neither had my dictionary. Not complaining though as the clues were well constructed and interesting.
I agree with Joe in Hamilton, there is little fun in being flummoxed. Bring back Mr Scott.Thanks Matt and the the other bloggers who made me feel less incapable
Nice and tough. I am enjoying this new setter immensely. He reminds me of the crossies from around 10 years ago. I spent entire weekends trying to solve them. This time round I didn’t quite get GLOCKENSPIEL, VISIGOTH or CREOLE. The rest I got.
Fellow solvers, do not despair! You will get used to the new setters style. Just persist even if you’re only getting a few right. Eventually you’ll solve them.
I haven’t given up but I’ve been away for the weekend and didn’t start till late this afternoon. Managed to do a bit more than last week but still 8 left that I couldn’t do. Looks as if we Kiwis twigged earlier than the Poms that Alan Scott had gone, but I agree with those who wish he was still here. I don’t like these clues nor the way they are parsed. This was not much fun for me.
Hang in there Audrey! This new setter is very clever and it won’t take long for you to start appreciating his style.
I’ve been doing the NZ Herald Saturday crossies for 15 years on and off. This new setter reminds me of the crossies we had in the early 2000s.
Well Alan Scott did them from 1994 and I think I have done them most of that time.