Another Everyman that caused me a few problems.
Still getting used to the new Everyman’s style, think this may have caused a few mutters and grumbles.
Across
Hollow (empty) I(llusio)N inserted in RUED (regretted)
THE (definite article) in (edward) LEAR
[SET PRIMED]* newly
Double definition
NICKED (captured) & EON (period) with LO(ok) inserted – retained
R(un) in ACE (great)
1 entertained by [CHOIR ISNT]* rendered
L(itre) & LATER (subsequently) both in COAL
Sounds like (the speaker’s) LONE
Twenty is XX hence double X
R.E. & L(ine) & I(n) C(harge)
IF reversed in BETTING
SCAR (mark) & PER (for each)
[NO RISE]* ordered. Having a few senior moments this morning myself
Down
P(ower) removed from [CRY AND END U(p)]* sadly
IN (home) & SEC (dry as in wines) & (yo)U finally & RELY (rest, sort of I guess)
Hidden in (taking part in) cruEL EVENt
[FLAIR THE ANGLER]* wildly. It was this big.
ANTI (opponent) in LAST* struggling
HUM (be busy like bees) & P (quietly)
Double definition, even if the second one initally had me looking for starting letters…
[TO POPE IS]* afflicted & NUMB (senseless) & ER (hesitation)
Not entirely convinced by NOD for motion, but it appears to be AN & NOD & O(ld) & MINI (car), advancing age as the AD years are the years going forward. (Except for those who think AD is unsuitable these days)
L(eft) removed from [USING GAR(l)IC)* stewed
HAND (help, lend a hand) & I & CAP (cover)
Y (a typical unknown quantity from school day maths) inserted in CHEST* rattled
Initial letters –heads of Instance Rich In Scent
T(ime) removed from PLEA(t)
This was a very pleasing puzzle to solve as it was so clearly clued and I could parse all of my answers.
That said, @ 25a I had entered SCAMPER. I guess I was thinking of a “mark” being the object of a scam.
I enjoyed all of the anagrams, and I especially liked RUINED, ATLANTIS, OPPOSITE NUMBER, BEFITTING, HISTRIONIC, INSECURELY. My favourites were DOUBLE-CROSS & ANNO DOMINI (LOI).
New for me was ROOK = swindle, defraud
Thank you Everyman and flashing.
After a run of 5 weeks of all correct, couldn’t finish this one. Can’t remember where I went wrong, but DISTEMPER was one of them.
Humph. For a long time I had INSECUREST for 2d, using the final ‘REST’ from the clue rather than as a clue for ‘RELY’ which I agree is a bit of a stretch. That meant COLLATERAL was my LOI as I had a wrong crossing letter. I still think INSECUREST is a perfectly good answer for 2d and probably better than INSECURELY (although given that my spell checker doesn’t like INSECURST as I type this I am having second thoughts!).
Thanks Matt and flashling (do hope that you are now feeling better).
This took me even longer than usual last Sunday, but I got there in the end, i.e. by late afternoon!
I particularly liked DOUBLE CROSS.
I enjoyed this. My favourites were DOUBLE-CROSS and SCYTHE.
I parsed ANNO DOMINI in the same way as flashling – a nod is a motion, after all. For INSECURELY, I took “rest” as being in the sense of “his hopes rest/rely on …”, which is a bit iffy but I think just about works.
Thanks, Everyman and flashling.
Made steady progress on this until I came to the last three in the top right corner but after a long long time, I eventually got LIMBO (looked up dances beginning with L), then HUMP and finally ROOK. This last clue was indeed a DD where the split occurred after ‘Rip off’ which I wasn’t expecting. I don’t know why I found these last three so problematic but I just could not see them. Favourite clue probably SCARPER. All in all, very entertaining. Must print off today’s now.
Many thanks to Everyman and flashling.
Thanks, flashling. No mutters or grumbles from this quarter; I enjoyed it. But then again I enjoy it because as a rule it’s a Sunday morning puzzle that doesn’t take overly long to solve but is a nice diversion. Unlike some of the harder setters in the Guardian during the week. And for improving solvers, it’s a good challenge.
DOUBLE CROSS was very good.
Got all except Rook which I left and then forgot about. Pity, I’d like to think I’d have solved it as its a nice clue. Had to look up Distemper which I thought was a doggy disease.
Am doing these online well before they arrive in NZ as I’m laid low with a foul cold.
No complaints from this quarter-a thoroughly entertaining puzzle with enough straightforward clues to get started and then some challenging ones to get the brain churning. In keeping with others above 20a raised a smile and I have a distemper brush amongst my collection of inherited tools so no problems there. I initially had rumba for 10a which meant that the NE corner was my eventual conclusion, Atlantis meant that I had to think of a dance beginning with L so my loi was 7d I’d forgotten Everyman’s love of chess(piece) and no problems with rook = ripping someone off.
Only 21 days to go!! And Spring is in the air.
Cheers Everyman, flashling and other contributors
I completed the NZ Herald weekday Scotsman Cryptics (almost) then came to this one and fell flat on my face. I got “Senior” but could not think of an old car ending in “i”. I did not think of mini. I couldn’t solve any other clues and lost interest.
I can’t see much humour, general interest, art or history in this crossword. It is dry as dust, and too difficult for me. Thanks for the answers and commentary. Maybe next week’s will be more interesting, hopefully.
This one took a while. Felt it was harder than the last three. Got stuck on the top left corner which was the last finished, but after I got ‘ruined’ the rest came. The parsing for 12 down is quite unconvincing. 14 ac also seemed a bit vague to me. My favourite was 20 ac. Thought that was clever.
It does feel as if the weather is getting warmer at last. Maybe that’s what you need, Barrie, to throw off that cold.
Thanks Flashling, and Everyman.
I am always gratified when I read these responses when they mirror my thoughts exactly. Joe in Hamilton, persevere, treat these ones as you treated the weekday ones when you first started doing them. There is no shame in checking the answers the following day and working out why they fit. Loved double x when I saw why. Thanks Flashling
Thanks Audrey, am right as rain now after a week in Magnetic island, just off Townsville. 28 degrees and cloudless. Understand Auckland has been fractionally different. Back tonight so will find out. Looking forward to Saturday as I am now seriously crossword deprived. But I’ve really enjoyed the last three or four from Everyman.