Guardian 26,621 / Paul

by

A very enjoyable prize puzzle from Paul …

… with a theme of Presidents of the USA. Here are the references I spotted:

  • Obama in 9 across
  • Carter in 10 across
  • Eisenhower in 11 across
  • Ford in 14 across
  • Taft in 21 across
  • Hoover in 1 down
  • Grant in 3 down
  • Reagan in 15 down
  • Monroe in 19 down
  • Nixon in 23 down

Thanks to Paul for the excellent puzzle.

Across

1. I, possibly, poke chicken with a piece of wood (7)
HALOGEN
A LOG = “a piece of wood” in HEN = “chicken”
Definition: “I, possibly” – I is the chemical symbol for Iodine, one of the halogens

5. Idiot finding ludicrous flaw in success (7)
HALFWIT
(FLAW)* in HIT = “success”
Definition: “Idiot”

9. President Thingamabob, partially recalled (5)
OBAMA
Hidden reversed in “[thing]AMABO[b]”
Definition: “President”

10. Saw worker with president embracing writer (9)
CARPENTER
CARTER = “president” around PEN = “writer”
Definition: “Saw worker”

11. President no wiser, he stumbles past close of tenure (10)
EISENHOWER
(NO WISER HE)* after [tenur]E
Definition: “President”

12. Country where I was a candidate (4)
IRAN
I RAN = “I was a candidate” (as in “I ran in the General Election”)
Definition: “Country”

14. Gerald’s guards in that position with company, private (3,3,6)
OFF THE RECORD
OF FORD = “Gerald’s” around THERE = “in that position” + C = “company” (less common than “co”, but I guess it’s used in some circumstances?)
Definition: “private”

18. Cheat knocking back a drop, happy to put on weight (4,1,4,3)
PULL A FAST ONE
A FALL = “a drop” + UP = “happy” all reversed followed by STONE = “weight”
Definition: “Cheat”

21. President back in combat fatigues (4)
TAFT
Hidden reversed in “[comba]T FAT[igues]”
Definition: “President”

22. Good bandages nicer after treatment that’s harmful (10)
PERNICIOUS
PIOUS = “Good” around (NICER)*
Definition: “harmful”

25. First in geophysics confirmed, so pleased (9)
GRATIFIED
G[eophysics] = “First in geophysics” + RATIFIED = “confirmed”
Definition: “pleased”

26. Forget to secure ring that’s likely to come off (5)
LOOSE
O = “ring” in LOSE = “Forget”
Definition: “likely to come off”

27. Perhaps one’s kid gloves made from this? (7)
DOESKIN
(ONE’S KID)*
Definition: the whole clue

28. Serious attention given to tree house (7)
EARNEST
EAR = “attention” + NEST = “tree house”
Definition: “Serious”

Down

1. President, one gathering dust? (6)
HOOVER
Double definition: “President” and “one gathering dust?” (referring to the brand of vacuum cleaner)

2. Something to set up, holding information primarily on enemy leader, cooperate (6)
LIAISE
SAIL = “Something to set” reversed around I[nformation] = “information primarily” on E[nemy] = “enemy leader”
Definition: “cooperate”

3. Annexe where president maintains standard, not entirely beneath the state (6,4)
GRANNY FLAT
GRANT = “president” around FLA[g] = “standard, not entirely” below NY = “state”
Definition: “Annexe”

4. Hot container lifted over bottom of potato chip (5)
NACHO
H = “Hot” + CAN = “container” all reversed over [potat]O = “bottom of potato”
Definition: “chip”

5. A rest home prepared to offer beef substitute? (9)
HORSEMEAT
(A REST HOME)*
Definition: “beef substitute?”

6. Symbol of a nation, some ship capsizing (4)
LEEK
KEEL = “some ship” (as in “a bit of a ship”, I suppose) reversed
Definition: “Symbol of a nation”

7. Vital thing, having little room for big defeat (8)
WATERLOO
WATER = “Vital thing” + LOO = “little room”
Definition: “big defeat”

8. Kebab served up during your old dirge (8)
THRENODY
DONER = “Kebab” reversed in THY = “your old”
Definition: “dirge”

13. Very mysterious lord in bloody uprising, appearing common (10)
VERNACULAR
V = “Very” followed by LUCAN = “mysterious lord” in RARE = “bloody” all reversed
Definition: “common”

15. Dopey leader in Reagan, it being laughable for an actor (9)
TRAGEDIAN
D[opey] = “Dopey leader” in (REAGAN IT)*
Definition: “an actor”

16. Model put with Degas stole the show (8)
UPSTAGED
(PUT DEGAS)*
Definition: “stole the show”

17. Love left tainted if ends, unsatisfactory relationship now extinguished? (3,5)
OLD FLAME
O = “Love” + L = “left” + [tainte]D [i]F = “tainted if ends” + LAME = “unsatisfactory”
Definition: “relationship now extinguished”

19. Monroe unfortunately is as she is (2,4)
NO MORE
(MONROE)* The surface reading is presumably referring to Marilyn Monroe (who is much associated with John F. Kennedy) but we also get an extra president in the fifth president of the USA, James Monroe
Definition: “as she is”

20. A trail, an upward slope (6)
ASCENT
A + SCENT = “trail”
Definition: “an upward slope”

23. Coax Nixon to admit lying in the end? (5)
NUDGE
NUDE = “Nix” (nothing) “on” (from “Nixon”) around [lyin]G = “lying in the end?”
Definition: “Coax”

24. Second one sucks (4)
TICK
Double definition: “second” and “one sucks” (referring to the blood-sucking parasites)

20 comments on “Guardian 26,621 / Paul”

  1. Thanks mhl. It would have been more enjoyable if it hadn’t mirrored the theme of the previous week, albeit with three more presidents.

  3. Solving this from the U.S., I loved it, and was tickled pink by NIXON = NUDE. He was in the final stages of his lyinG when I came over here. A bit of déjà vu, admittedly. Did two setters both submit a Fourth of July puzzle perhaps, so they had to be redistributed?

  4. Thanks mhl. Bit odd to have Boatman’s and then Paul’s prizes one after the other with most of the past ten US presidents (odd too that LBJ seemed to have missed out in both). Knocked this one off in no time.

  5. Thanks Paul and mhl

    I agree with the comments @ 1,2 & 4. It would have been better if this puzzle had been held back for 6 months or so – or until 4 July 2016 – by which time I would have forgotten that there were US presidents named Taft, Grant and Monroe, for example.

    New word for me was THRENODY.

    My favourites were 5d, 10a, 22a, 13d, 24d, 1a (LOI).

  6. Oh dear!!!!.

    Although this was more entertaining than last weeks Boatman it was basically the same puzzle. Even had some same answers. (Still far too easy for a weekend though!)

    Surely to have a US President theme in consecutive prize puzzles isn’t a good idea.

    Unfortunately this confirms my fears about our illustrious ed. Looks like he’s now on permanent holliers and is picking the puzzles out at random form his stash of submissions.

    Very poor show. 🙁

    Thanks to mhl and Paul

  7. As Yogi Berra said, this was “deja vu all over again”!! But nevertheless I enjoyed the puzzle although it was rather easy for a Saturday, but then that seems to be a trend these days!! I enjoyed 1a for the clever misdirection of the definition, although I think we have seen similar before from Paul. 24d was also annoyingly clever!! Thanks Paul for the fun and mhl for teasing out the threads!!

  8. Bah, I enjoyed the US President theme more than last week. But came up short on 24d, second for tick is a bit of a stretch for me! Thanks to Paul and mhl

  9. epee Sharkey @8: I know what you mean about second for tick, but I think it actually works in two ways. We tend to think of a clock ticking every second (even though it probably doesn’t) but also when we tick a box on a form it indicates that we second the idea there. So as I said above annoyingly clever!!

  10. I was surprised to find the presidential theme again and I agree that this was a bit on the easy side. Although as a politics anorak I find president spotting really straightforward. I don’t suppose everyone is in the same boat. Even so this was quite entertaining and Paul doesn’t do bad puzzles. Even a mediocre Paul,such as the one earlier this week, is better than most other setters.
    As usual – Thanks Paul.

  11. Thanks Paul and mhl.

    This puzzle could have been held over until February 15, 2016, Presidents’ Day (Washington’s birthday, but the day honours all presidents of the USA). Never mind, Brendan has survived.

    HALOGEN and LIAISE caught me out. I feel I have seen THRENODY recently, I remember looking it up in the dictionary.

    As well as HALOGEN, TICK was good, thanks to Coltranesax for pointing out yet another meaning.

  13. “I’ll respond in a tick”. No problem with that one for me. I enjoyed the puzzle a lot, but the theme was hauntingly familiar!

  14. Yup–a bit of a rerun here, although I like Paul, which means that I sort of liked this better. Last time there were more presidents, though.

    I used up most of my trivia on these guys last time around.

    James Monroe is new from last week. Best known for the Monroe Doctrine, the idea that U.S. foreign policy consisted of “the Western Hemisphere is our sphere of influence, and we’ll keep our noses out of Europe if Europe keeps theirs out of ours.” Stayed that way until the 1890s. Monroe is also noted for basically running unopposed for President (his second time up): by the time his second term came around, the other party had basically disintegrated. This was mockingly referred to as “The Era of Good Feelings.”

    I didn’t mention last week regarding Taft that before he was president, he served briefly as governor of the Philippines. The near-half-century U.S. rule of that nation, against its will, is one of our sorrier episodes, and one that all too few Americans know much about.

    Incidentally, the U.S. war with Spain that resulted in control of the Philippines was our first departure from the Monroe Doctrine–although it was justified at the time as a war of liberation on behalf of Cuba, and thus within the original spirit of the Doctrine. Other swag from that war included Puerto Rico, Guam, and Gitmo.

  17. RCW @15 (and 16!) – not sure why you say this is notable – are you saying Paul is granted some, perhaps undeserved, special privilege ? Or have I misunderstood ?

    Anyway, I agree that the duplication of theme was a pity, especially with the Nixon device, but it was still an enjoyable crossword. And of course Paul rarely fails to please those who enjoy toilet references 🙂

  18. Had it not been for the previous week, this would have been an enjoyable romp, too good to waste completely

  19. Thanks Paul and mL

    Hmm … doing this from the back pile and before the Boatman augurs for an easier solve when I get to that one. Found this on the easy end of Paul’s difficulty spectrum and finished in one short sitting on Sunday evening. Was on to the theme with my first couple in – the hidden clues of TAFT and OBAMA.

    Having said that, there was lots of fun in the clues and particularly the parsing, even though there were a couple that I couldn’t parse or did so wrongly. Didn’t spot the NIX ON trick and thought that it was very clever when seeing it explained here. Also couldn’t get away from CO for company at 14a, although knew that there would be a FORD involvement.

    Finished down in the SE with VERNACULAR, PERNICIOUS and the clever NUDGE.

  20. Enjoyed this more than Boatman’s from the week before. Thought of Halogen early on due to crossers but didn’t get the chemical symbol reference.
    My criticisms: ‘ear’ means ‘attention’, really? And ‘tick’ for ‘second’ doesn’t work for me.

Comments are closed.