Guardian Prize 26,651 / Paul

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Paul once again for the Prize puzzle – and a fairly straightforward one, too, I thought.

I think the general consensus is that we should no longer expect the Prize crossword to be any more challenging than a weekday cryptic, apparently in the hope that more solvers will be tempted to try to win the reward. [I still have my treasured, quite battered, Collins, which I won in the ‘raffle’ in the days when they were slightly more generous. 😉 ]

Fair enough – but, on a Saturday, I do like to be presented with something a little bit special – with a theme, perhaps, but not necessarily – and I’m afraid I found this rather lacklustre, largely, I think, because of the repeated device of single-letter additions / deletions / insertions – about a dozen in all. In the first five down clues, for instance, we had ‘ultimately’, primarily’, ‘ending’, ‘close to’ and I have to say that, by this time, I was finding it rather tedious.

I did like the Posh kid clue, though, where the device is more subtly disguised, and TONGUE-TWISTER – thanks, Paul.

Across

1 Main worker providing revolutionary war machine (9)
FISHERMAN
Reversal [revolutionary] of IF [providing] + SHERMAN [tank – war machine] – with a Rufus-like allusion to main = sea

6 Yellowish nut (4)
BUFF
Double definition, nut in the sense of enthusiast

8 Lackey following party rule (8)
DOMINION
Charade of MINION [lackey] following DO [party]

9 One in factory, yielding (6)
PLIANT
I [one] in PLANT [factory]

10,20 Nothing to hide in stuttering we suspect, as words hard to say (6-7)
TONGUE-TWISTER
O [nothing] in an anagram [suspect] of STUTTERING WE

11 Posh kid has to tolerate travel by train, all may conclude (8)
BROOKLYN
BROOK [tolerate] + last letters [all may conclude] of traveL bY traiN – the son of David and Victoria [Posh Spice] Beckham, of course: apparently it isn’t true that he was named after the place of his conception, so I won’t repeat the crack about it being a good job it wasn’t Peckham

12 Not entirely destitute, Russian in a warm, com­forting place (6)
UTERUS
Hidden in destitUTE RUSsian: strange definition – should it be ‘comfortable’?

15 The story of my wife, perhaps? (8)
RELATION
Double definition – a bit of a chestnut

16 Talking wordplaying reptile? That’s anarchic! (4,4)
PUNK ROCK
‘Talking’ suggests that it’s a homophone of PUN CROC [wordplaying reptile] – but not at all in the way I would pronounce them and it’s nothing to do with regional accents this time: I don’t want to go into linguistics here – just try it for yourself and see where your mouth goes with the letter n.

19 Concern parent’s shown about infant, finally (6)
MATTER
MATER [mother – parent] round T [final letter of infanT]

21 One attached to an arrangement of holes? (8)
SHOELACE
Last one in: the only word that would fit and it was a case of ‘Oh, I suppose it must be – cryptic definition?’ and then I realised that it’s ACE [one] attached to an anagram [arrangement] of HOLES, but it’s a weird definition – though &lit, I suppose

22 Join together small head on small person (6)
STITCH
S [first letter – head – of Small] + TITCH [small person]

24 Ending in contact, an acknowledgement when hit with tip of épée? (6)
TOUCHÉ
T [last letter of contacT] + OUCH [an acknowledgment when hit] + É [first letter [tip] of épée – rather neat, because, as Andrew pointed out when blogging another clue the other day, both letters have an acute accent: a rather convoluted clue for a six-letter word but it makes a very nice surface – rather lost on me, though, because I saw ‘contact’ and immediately thought ‘touch’ – and it was a bit of a shame that it crossed with TOUCHDOWN, too. Perhaps the whole clue should be underlined – &lit?

25 Mathematical statement in a quote, perhaps? (8)
EQUATION
Anagram [perhaps] of IN A QUOTE

26 Separate card game (4)
SNAP
Double definition

27 Expression of contempt, one being caned? (9)
RASPBERRY
And another one – raspberries grow on a cane

Down

1 Junk food including burger, ultimately for a Hobbit (5)
FRODO
Anagram [junk] of FOOD round last letter of burgeR

2 Primarily stylish bird, fashionable type (7)
SWINGER
S [first letter of Stylish] + WINGER [bird]

3 Cream slice’s ending on hat when thrown up (5)
ÉLITE
Reversal [thrown up] of TILE [hat] + E [last letter of slicE]

4 Hear the sound of a lamb, perhaps, as a feature of one’s hotel room? (7)
MINIBAR
Sounds like [hear] ‘mini baa’  [sound of a lamb, perhaps]

5 Close to oven, half-baked bloomer keeps soft, don’t worry! (2,7)
NO PROBLEM
N [last letter of oveN] + an anagram [half-baked] of BLOOMER round P [soft]  – I won’t go into my issues with this expression

6 Beef steak, say, filled with danger (7)
BRISKET
BET [say] round RISK [danger]  Edit: see jkb_ing @6 for the undoubtedly correct parsing

7 By which Spooner might get hold of a rabbit in a sensitive area? (5,4)
FUNNY BONE
Spooner might get hold of a rabbit using a bunny phone: this passes my test of being a viable phrase and I quite liked it – for a Spoonerism!

13 A dash crestfallen, seeing American sporting success (9)
TOUCHDOWN
TOUCH [a dash] + DOWN [crestfallen] – I don’t see the need for ‘American’, since it’s also a rugby term, isn’t it?

14 One using catchphrases, someone looking to encapsulate fruity name? (9)
SLOGANEER
SEER [someone looking] round LOGAN [‘fruity name’ – the loganberry was accidentally created in 1883 by James Harvey Logan and named after him]

17 Born among wolves, raised to show a bit of leg (7)
KNEECAP
NÉE [born] in a reversal [raised] of PACK [wolves] – this inevitably revives memories of Rufus’ classic: ‘two girls, one on each knee (7)’

18 Guards look to restrain agent from below (7)
KEEPERS
Reversal [from below] of SEEK [look] round REP [agent]

22 Mostly short and stocky, black fledgling (5)
SQUAB
SQUA[t] [mostly short and stocky] + B [black]

23 Holding on, howl is intimate (5)
CRONY
CRY [howl] round ON

24 comments on “Guardian Prize 26,651 / Paul”

  1. Thanks Eileen. I agree, though I think a theme should be the exception rather than the rule. Often enough when a theme emerges there isn’t much challenge left.
    I’m still wondering how snap=separate though and, while TOUCHDOWN is sometimes used in rugby parlance, it is most often referred to as a try. Touchdown does have an American connotation for me.

  3. Thanks Eileen and Paul, who usually has a good mix of dead-easy and dead-hard. Afterwards I googled BROOKLYN to get the reference – oh well. Loved the Spooner and the word-playing reptile. Last in was the very neat UTERUS.

  4. Thanks, Eileen.
    I had the same reaction as you did about Punk Rock, and I agree with you, but I wonder if somebody hearing it pronounced would be able to make the same distiction? Anyway, it made me laugh!

  5. Thanks Paul and Eileen
    Much the same reaction as you, Eileen, including, as a non-Spooner fan, a liking for “bunny phone”.

    Biggles is right about TOUCHDOWN – you need to “touch down” for a TRY in rugby (so-called because originally you didn’t get any points for the try, just a “try” at a “conversion”, for which the points were awarded). A “touchdown” is scored in American football, where, ironically, it isn’t necessary to “touch down”; the ball just has to “break the plane” of the goal line extended upwards.

  6. Many thanks Paul & Eileen,. Enjoyable as ever, although as mentioned, not too challenging for a Prize.
    Liked the Posh kid.
    For 6d I had “BET” as Steak, say.

  7. Not for the first time I must disagree with Eileen.

    This appeared at first to be one of Paul’s easier offerings and I was ready to be disappointed. How wrong could I have been?

    After the first few easy answers went in progress ground to a halt. Then slowly but surely I began to make progress.

    Lots of great misdirection and humour but none of Paul’s trademark smut which will have no doubt pleased some of our more sensitive posters.

    I particularly liked 11A, 12A (Why didn’t I see this instantly? It’s the capital “R”), 16A (brilliant! 🙂 ) and 17D.

    I was held up for quite a while as I was convinced that the Spoonerism in 7D involved “coney” which made me overlook the more obvious “bunny”!

    LOI was 21A. A classic &lit. (No doubt someone will inform us that it isn’t actually an &lit.)

    Lots of fun and definitely worthy of the “Prize” spot.

    I know I’m on my soap box again but 16A is absolutely fine. What do you people have about “sounds like” or””heard” type clues being exact homophones? Where is the reference work that declares this. Nowhere in the clue that I can see says “sounds exactly like”. “Punk rock” could definitely be heard in a conversation as “pun croc” so where is the problem?

    Thanks to Eileen and Paul.

  8. jkb_ing @6

    You’re right of course – many thanks for that. I wasn’t happy with brisket as steak – or bet = say, for that matter!

  9. Wow this is a first, I totally agree with Brendan. Very well put sir. I shall be calling you sir from now onwards.
    Personally, I just enjoy solving the clues usually very very slowly and do not attempt to analyse how many clues use a particular cryptic device. It’s all about entertainment and fun and this crossword certainly fitted the bill.

    I liked BROOKLYN, PUNK ROCK (it made me laugh), TOUCHE, MINIBAR and FUNNY BONE (who wouldn’t like this).
    Had to cheat to get SLOGANEER and finally saw UTERUS which was certainly very well hidden.

    Thanks to Eileen and Paul.

  10. I found this rather easy, and ,as I have said before so often,too easy for a prize. Paul’s puzzle yesterday was more challenging than this one. Not that this was a bad puzzle-Paul doesn’t do those-just a little disappointing. I don’t particularly want a theme because this often results in an overuse of Google in areas that are unfamiliar to the solver.
    I have a horrible feeling that I’m leading with my chin here and that today’s puzzle-which I haven’t seen yet – is going to be a stinker.
    I liked PUNK ROCK.
    Thanks Paul.

  11. Thanks Paul and Eileen.

    The slanting top section was filled relatively easily, but the the bottom part took ages, cannot see why now, UTERUS and SHOELACE being the last in. I did like the FUNNY BONE!

  12. Well, I agree this wasn’t particularly difficult but, as Eileen said, I think we have to accept that the policy is for (most of) the prize puzzles to be accessible to a wider range of solvers. The real challenges will have to come on Thursday or Friday.

    I enjoyed this, particularly PUNK ROCK (no problem with the homophone), MINIBAR, BRISKET and KNEECAP.

    Biggles A @1
    Perhaps it’s just that when you snap something like a stick, you separate it into 2 parts? I think it’s a bit stretched, but just about works.

  13. As a relative newcomer to cryptic crosswords and fifteensquared, I’ve noticed that about 50% of the homophones are considered to be faulty or failures (by the bloggers and commentators here). So, I have decided to give those homophones a bit of leeway.

    I was fine with PUNK ROCK. Once I realised it was a homophone-type clue, the solution was gettable!

  14. Michelle @13, the problem with homophone clues is that we don’t all share the same way of talking.

    Personally, I think that it shouldn’t matter much, as long as we all can figure out what is intended, and as long as the clue is witty. Pun crocs and mini baas both fit the bill in this case, so fair enough. Even though, of course, I do not pronounce “bar” and “baa” even remotely the same…but I’ve talked about rhoticity on this blog enough times that I’m blue in the face.

    Every so often, though, I run into a clue where my reaction is, “Really? Really? That’s how you say that over there? Would never have guessed.”

  15. Thanks to Paul and Eileen. I got through quickly though without knowing the connection between BROOKLYN-Beckham, RASPBERRY-cane, or LOGANberry-fruit. I’m not adept with either homophones (I just try to go with the flow) or Spoonerisms, but FUNNY BONE-bunny phone was a real treat.

  16. ACD @15

    I’ve never seen loganberries on sale anywhere, so I probably wouldn’t have known them if both sets of grandparents had not grown them when I was a child. It’s a pity they’re so rare – they’re a cross between a raspberry and a blackberry and have the best qualities of both.

  17. Eileen@16: After the fact I realized I had heard of loganberries, but I confess that I am squeamish about the berry family in that I am allergic to raspberries (and perhaps other varieties as well) so I tread (or nibble) carefully (to avoid hives). Filling out medical questionnaires elicits some odd reactions but no enlightenment. Maybe it’s only the “rasp” (whatever that is).

  18. There is a town not too far from where I grew up called Logansport (Indiana). It’s in a beautiful setting at the confluence of two rivers, but somehow manages to be a dumpy little town anyway. Their high-school sports teams were called the Berries. (Logan sport!) They were on the schedule each year for us, along with the Delphi Oracles and the Frankfort Hot Dogs, plus several less whimsically named teams. (I was on my school’s swimming team.)

    Anyway, that’s where I first met the loganberry. It wasn’t until years later that I actually tried some.

  19. Another enjoyable but mostly straightforward Paul, though it did take me some time to see SHOELACE. Liked the PUN CROC

    Thanks to Paul and Eileen

  20. Michelle @13 and mrpenney @14

    OK, I’ll capitulate re PUNK ROCK, as having promised, years ago, that I wouldn’t comment any more re ‘homophones’ – but, at that time, all the discussions revolved round rhotic accents

    I still maintain that, if you say aloud ‘pun / croc’ and PUNK / ROCK, you are performing two different operations, which I now acknowledge could possibly sound the same. But, as you say, mrpenney, it really doesn’t matter, if it leads you to the correct answer.

    Blogging Saturday Prize puzzles is a totally different process from blogging the daily ones, where the pressure is on to deliver a blog as early as possible. I always aim to solve and blog the Prize on the day it comes out, while it’s still fresh in my memory – and then spend the rest of the week agonising and refining the blog.

    I perhaps didn’t do a very good job this time: maybe I overthought it.

  22. jennyk@12. Thanks, I’m sure you’re right but, as you say, it’s rather obscure. I could find no dictionary or thesaurus entry to that effect.

  23. Thanks Paul and Eileen

    Finished this one early last week and only checked it tonight. Enjoyed it as I do almost all of the works of this setter. It’s funny what puts you off some times when doing a puzzle – didn’t even notice the single letter clues clustered at the top of the downs – but I remember Eileen saying that she solves clues chronologically and then they would stand out.

    Remember that I had several sittings with this one, so mustn’t have found it too easy! Didn’t parse SHOELACE at all, so thanks for that. Liked TOUCHE a lot and enjoyed the tracking down of Posh Spice’s first born.

    Wouldn’t beat yourself up too much, Eileen. Your blogs are always well crafted and go beyond just the answer and the cryptic explanations with good information about the subject matter of the clue in many cases.

  24. Sorry but Pun Croc, if you were ever to say such an absurd term, is not the same as Punk Rock. It’s an artificially engineered reverse creation.
    There’s too much of this leeway given to compilers. Regulars may be used to their foibles but that doesn’t excuse their inaccuracies.

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