Guardian 26,652 – Rufus

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A typicla Rufus, with lots of double and cryptic definitions – some of the latter rather weak or vague for my taste. Also a few examples of words or devies being used more than once, as in 12a/2d, 22a/22d. A slightly terse blog today as I’m off on holiday shortly, and so won’t be able to respond or make corrections. Thanks to Rufus.

 
 
 
 
 
 
Across
9. CENSURING Blaming a number before making sure (9)
C + ENSURING
10. ADIEU A valediction is something cast in gold (5)
DIE (”the die is cast”) in AU (chemical symbol for gold)
11. TACKING Taking another course in sewing (7)
Double definition – in sailing, tacking is making progress in a zigzag path, so you change course over so often
12. RAKE OFF A roué not waiting for his cut? (4,3)
RAKE + OFF
13. HOOKY It’s played when one is out of form (5)
Cryptic definition – reference toplaying truant from one’s school class or form
14. DISHONEST Untruthful hedonists booted out (9)
HEDONISTS*
16. INFORMATION DESK Where to obtain counter-intelligence? (11,4)
Cryptic definition
19. TRANSPIRE Turn out when a sprinter is replaced (9)
(A SPRINTER)*
21. FOOLS Sweets for kids (5)
Double definition
22. BACKLOG Finance record reveals arrears (7)
BACK (finance) + LOG
23. MARACAS Mascara make-up used by Latin American entertainers (7)
MASCARA*
24. CLOSE Stop being stuffy (5)
Double definition
25. INDONESIA Is done in a different way in the Far East (9)
(IS DONE IN A)*
Down
1. SCOTCH MIST Alcoholic haze? (6,4)
Cryptic definition
2. KNOCK OFF Rob has to leave work (5,3)
KNOCK + OFF
3. NUDITY Sunseekers take off for this state (6)
Cryptic definition
4. WING It may be used to lift a football side (4)
Double definition
5. AGGRESSIVE Crashing gears gives feeling full of hostility (10)
(GEARS GIVES)*
6. BACK DOWN Face up? It might mean the opposite! (4,4)
BACK and DOWN are individually the opposites of “face” and “up”, and as also as an expression
7. NICOLE Colin goes out East to see her (6)
COLIN* + E
8. BUFF Expert in Polish (4)
Double definition
14. DRAWING PIN Means to secure artistic work? (7,3)
Cryptic definition
15. TAKES A SEAT Straddles and makes a capture at sea in skirmish (5,1,4)
TAKES (makes a capture) + (AT SEA)* – a nice change for “at sea” to be anagram fodder instead of anagram indicator
17. RESOLVED Cracked clues once more, being determined (8)
RE-SOLVED
18. EXORCISE Put ban on spirits and remove without alternative (8)
OR in EXCISE
20. ANCHOR It is weighed by craftsmen (6)
Cryptic definition, the “craftsmen” being sailors
21. FIRING Sacking and burning (6)
Double definition
22. BACK Support a play or a player (4)
Double definition
23. MADE Put under pressure to serve up the cheese (4)
Reverse of EDAM – to be made to do something is to be put under pressure

27 comments on “Guardian 26,652 – Rufus”

  1. Enjoy your holiday, Andrew. I thought WING (4d) and BACK (22d) were quite clever. And FOOLS (21a). Some nicely found anagrams, too. Thanks, Rufus, for a gentle start to the week.

  2. Thanks Rufus and Andrew
    Three “backs” in fact – odd! In fact I tried PROP for 22 at first, thinking that back wouldn’t be in twice, let alone three times. I had also tried LAID DOWN for 6d, thinking that face=dial.
    I liked FOOLS and INDONESIA – it’s always satisfying to come across a nice anagram that I haven’t seen before.

  3. Thanks Rufus and Andrew.

    Interesting that INDONESIA appeared in today’s puzzle as 17 August is Indonesian Independence day.

    My favourites were RESOLVED and FIRING.

    New for me was SCOTCH MIST.

  6. Thanks Rufus and Andrew, hope you have a good holiday.

    I enjoyed this crossword, especially HOOKY, FOOLS, SCOTCH MIST, NUDITY, EXORCISE and TAKES A SEAT.

    2d could be a dd, to rob a bank, slang, to KNOCK OFF a bank.

  7. I was too clever for Rufus today, with LAID DOWN at 6d – LAID = DIAL rev = face. The then nonsensical 12a showed me the error of my ways.

  8. I took 2dn as a double def, rob (steal) can be knock off, and then the proceeds can be knock off gear or hooky (13ac) gear.

    Some very nice anagrams today, but I always find an anagram that is very close to the original a little unsatisfying, I am thinking maracas/mascara today.

    Thanks to Rufus and Andrew.

  10. I enjoyed this a lot. A quick solve but nothing wrong with that. Too many favourites to list but SCOTCH MIST, RAKES OFF,ANCHOR and BUFF.
    Great fun.
    Thanks Rufus.

  11. Thanks to Rufus and Andrew. For some reason I had trouble getting started. For a while I kept coming up with various alternative desks until I finally landed on INFORMATION and last in was CENSURING because I was fixated on a CON mot CEN solution. An enjoyable solve.

  12. Thanks to Andrew for the blog.

    I’m with muffin@2: 22d could equally well be prop.
    I also felt that mascara/maracas was weak.

    Good misleading by Rufus in 17d: ‘cracked clues’ is obviously an anagram of clues. This held me up for a while.

  13. Found this a little tricky in places, especially the NW corner, but quite enjoyable. Last in was WING. The sewing terminology was new to me.

    Thanks to Rufus and Andrew

  14. Thanks Rufus and Andrew

    An express Rufus for me today … with no slip-ups either :).

    I had to BACKtrack to get the third back – having initially written in TALK DOWN. These multiple backs and the weak ‘mascara’ anagram detracted from an otherwise tightly constructed crossword.

  15. Chas@12 & Muffin@2 speaking as an occasional Prop, 22dn could never be prop, props make plays, backs support them.

  16. Thanks all
    I agree with muffin @2 re anagrams.
    I tried nudist and nudism but not nudity, therefore failed on hooky!

  17. andyk000 @ 15
    In your dreams!

    In fact, BACK fits the clue better than PROP, which would have been a bit loose (head, obviously)

  19. Thanks all. Enjoyed this, although fairly easy even by Rufus standards. I think prop also works well. It is a support in a play and also a (rugby) player. But easy to fix worth crossers. Cheers!

  21. Lots of nice clues today, though I agree that MASCARA was a bit weak and the multiple BACKs a little odd. I took 2d as a dd too.

    Thanks to Rufus and Andrew.

  23. GColeG @20

    Sorry, I missed your point and didn’t realise it until I re-read my reply. OFF as in “He’s off”, leaving the scene, not hanging around waiting for the next thing to happen.

  24. Well as I so often criticise Rufus I feel obliged to jump to his defense.

    I found this better than the average Monday Rufus and didn’t think that it contained any of the usual slightly dubious cluing.

    Some very clever clues and I personally found this a little more challenging than his normal offerings.

    Thanks to Andrew and Rufus

    GColeG @20

    “A roué not waiting” could be equivalent to “rake off”. i.e.The rake has gone. (It’s not particularly grammatical but it just about works.)

  25. I’m late to comment as usual, but I thought the cryptic definitions were good today. Some of them were easy, but I would not call them vague. I especially liked INFORMATION DESK.

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