the puzzle may be found at http://www.theguardian.com/crosswords/everyman/3589.
I know many people were disappointed by the change of Everyman setter, but I hope that you have persevered, and are becoming familiar with the new style (which I suspect in in evolution, perhaps as a result of feedback from the likes of us). Anyway, I thought this a fine puzzle, if defintely a notch up in difficulty from Alan Scott’s easy grace.
| Across | ||
| 1 | CRUISE CONTROL |
System maintaining speed in swirling current is cool (6,7)
An anagram (‘swirling’) of ‘current is cool’. |
| 9 | MOCHA |
Coffee made by doctor before tea (5)
A charade of MO (Medical Officer, ‘doctor’) plus CHA (‘tea’). |
| 10 | VICARIOUS |
Assorted clothing I start to collect, second-hand (9)
An envelope (‘clothing’) of ‘I’ plus C (‘start to Collect’) in VARIOUS (‘assorted’). |
| 11 | DIALECT |
Form of language that’s ideal ordered by court (7)
A charade of DIALE, an anagram (‘ordered’) of ‘ideal’ plus CT (‘court’). |
| 12 | UNLEASH |
Relative losing heart has broken free (7)
A charade of UN[c]LE (‘relative’) without its middle letter (‘losing heart’) plus ASH, an anagram (‘broken’) of ‘has’. |
| 13 | ENDOWMENTS |
Finish changing most new gifts (10)
A charade of END (‘finish’) plus OWMENTS, an anagram (‘changing’) of ‘most new’. |
| 16 | DEW |
Moisture expected by the sound of it (3)
A homophone (‘by the sound of it’) of DUE (‘expected’). |
| 17 | BID |
Invite offer (3)
Double definition. |
| 18 | THRESHOLDS |
Front of rampart in the south contains points of entry (10)
An envelope (‘in’) of R (‘front of Ramparts’) in ‘the’ plus S (‘south’) plus HOLDS (‘contains’). |
| 20 | OREGANO |
Nothing right, for example, with a refusal to supply herb (7)
A charade of O (‘nothing’) plus R (‘right’) plus EG (‘for example’) plus ‘a’ plus NO (‘refusal’). Five elements for seven letters! |
| 22 | SWERVED |
Satisfied about weight, went off course (7)
An envelope (‘about’) of W (‘weight’; Chambers only gives wt. as an abbreviation) in SERVED (‘satisfied’). |
| 23 | SHOP FLOOR |
Puzzle behind quiet work in part of factory (4,5)
A charade of SH (‘quiet’) plus OP (‘work’) plus FLOOR (‘puzzle’, verb’). |
| 24 | ANNUL |
Reverse in channel unnavigable to the west (5)
A hidden (‘in’) reversed (‘to the west’) answer in ‘channeL UNNAvigable’. |
| 25 | YELLOW-BELLIED |
Fearful shout, one’s first, will be adjusted by editor (6-7)
A charade of YELL (‘shout’) plus O (‘One’s first’) plus WBELLI, an anagram (‘adjusted’) of ‘will be’ plus ED (‘editor’). |
| Down | ||
| 1 | COMEDY |
Protest about to be raised over variable entertainment (6)
A charade of COMED, a reversal (‘to be raised’) of DEMO (‘protest’) plus C (circa, ‘about’); followed by Y (‘variable’). |
| 2 | UNCHAINED MELODY |
Song stirring audience, old hymn (9,6)
An anagram (‘stirring’) of ‘audience old hymn’. The song first appeared as the theme song for a prison film Unchained, and has been recorded numerous times, most famously by the Righteous Brothers. |
| 3 | SCAPEGOAT |
Saint keeping lid on self-esteem, a fall guy (9)
An envelope (‘keeping’) pf CAP (‘lid’) plus EGO (‘self-esteem’) plus ‘a’ in ST (‘saint’). |
| 4 | COVET |
Desire firm check (5)
A charade of CO (‘firm’) plus VET (‘check’). |
| 5 | NOCTURNES |
Lyrical pieces on sect run strangely (9)
An anagram (‘strangely’) of ‘on sect run’. |
| 6 | RURAL |
Regular members of group really relating to countryside (5)
Alternate letters (‘regular members’) of ‘gRoUp ReAlLy’. |
| 7 | LEONARDO DA VINCI |
Working in field excited avid Nordic artist (8,2,5)
An envelope (‘in’) of ON (‘working’) in LEA (‘field’) plus RDODAVINCI, an anagram (‘excited’) of ‘avid Nordic’. |
| 8 | ESCHEW |
Avoid extremes in encounters with champ (6)
A charade of ES (‘extremes in EncounterS‘) plus CHEW (‘champ’, verb). |
| 14 | MARCO POLO |
Pack up old game to become traveller (5,4)
A charade of MARC, a reversal (‘up’) of CRAM (‘pack’), plus O (‘old’) plus POLO (‘game’). |
| 15 | STONEWALL |
Delay in overtures to new alliance (9)
A hidden answer ‘in’ ‘overtureS TO NEW ALLiance’. |
| 17 | BROWSE |
Happen to absorb arguments read casually (6)
An envelope (‘to absorb’) of ROWS (‘arguments’) in BE (‘happen’). |
| 19 | ADDLED |
Attach light-emitting diode, getting confused (6)
A charade of ADD (‘attach’) plus LED (‘light-emitting giode’). |
| 21 | AWFUL |
Just missing line? That’s terrible (5)
A subtraction: [l]AWFUL (‘just’) withoout the L (‘missing line’). |
| 22 | SCRUB |
Abandon stunted vegetation (5)
Double definition. Unlike 17A BID, the two meanings are quite distinct. |
Thank you Everyman and PeterO
I enjoyed this puzzle as it was so clearly clued. My favourite was THRESHOLDS (LOI).
Yes, I find solving these very enjoyable. Smooth surfaces hiding very well constructed clues. SCAPEGOAT and THRESHOLDS were the last ones in.
Thanks Everyman and PeterO;
I finished this last Sunday in the usual time it took me for an Everyman.
THRESHOLDS was my last in and, like Michelle, my favourite. VICARIOUS held me up for a while, and I parsed OREGANO after entering it. SCAPEGOAT and NOCTURNES among others were good, and STONEWALL well hidden.
22a, SWERVED, the OCED gives w for weight.
This is the first puzzle from this setter I have completed and got a great sense of satisfaction. I definitely found it easier, but can’t tell if that’s me getting use to the style or, as PeterO suggests, maybe a slight change of style from the setter.
Yes, a really enjoyable puzzle from Colin. I think the difficulty level has definitely been toned down and is probably better for it. There were still some quite difficult constructions though : VICARIOUS and STONEWALL to name but two. I know that Bamberger gave up on the new compiler but perhaps he should try again. It would be interesting to get his views now.
Nobody has mentioned it so far but I thought the clue for UNCHAINED MELODY was an absolute gem.
Many thanks to PeterO and Everyman.
Thanks, Peter. Count me as another one who enjoyed this, and I agree with Davy that the latest ones have been more accessible; if that’s a result of the (mostly constructive) feeback that’s been on this site, then well done, Everyman.
I especially liked the new take on LEONARDO DA VINCI. I’m more used to another anagram, which for the life of me I can’t remember right now.
Hi KD,
The anagram solver came up with O, Draconian Devil which I quite like.
I’m sure there are many candidates for this devilish appellation.
Three in a row which I’ve enjoyed now. Completely missed the HW in 15d but the PDF I printed had the clue in two separate columns which didn’t help. 10a was a good clue, only 17a seemed a bit feeble and I got Shrub for 22d being short for Shrubbery but couldn’t figure out the Abandon part.
Please keep this level of difficulty up, just right for me.
This is the first by the new setter that I have completed so feeling pretty pleased rather than deeply frustrated which had become the norm!! I really enjoyed this crossword!
As usual I thoroughly enjoyed this Saturday crossword-which I look forward to all week (I’ve also downloaded three of the FT’s-thanks Sil). All of the clues made coherent sense to me and were solvable without the parsing coming along as an afterthought-I presume that means that the surfaces were all tangible? In keeping with my comment last week re hidden words I thought 15d was a brilliant case in point and had me going in circles for a while.
Thanks to Everyman, PeterO and all of the above. The rain has ceased-time to split some kindling!
This was a most enjoyable puzzle and the third one I’ve managed to complete from the new setter. Like others it took me a while to see ‘stonewall’, and thresholds and vicarious were among the last ones in.
I think I’m beginning to get used to this setter but also think he has changed his style for the better over the last few weeks., I liked lots of these clues.
Thanks PeterO and everyone who commented, and of course, the setter.
Yes, count me in as a convert as well. Once I figured out cruise control, which as a car guy I should have done much earlier, I was away. Such fun! Thanks to Peter for clearing up a few mysteries and Everyman for turning down the difficulty level. (I’m sure he has, hasn’t he?)
Yes this crossword must be a bit easier, since I was able to solve it albeit with quite a lot of difficulty.
Quite liked ‘cruise control’ and ‘mocha’. Looking forward to next Saturday’s cryptic. Thank you.
i thought Cruise control had an element of ‘cool’ in its meaning not just a contribution of letters
my FOI ended up to be wrong – i had LEAVE for 22d and thought i was clever for getting it! took me a while to realise it had to be wrong…..stunted i thought probabely was a red herring but the setter is clever for including it to catch people out, it worked on me for a while.
but did enjoy this one more than previous weeks……