The puzzle may be found at http://www.theguardian.com/crosswords/everyman/3593.
I hope that those who struggled with the new Everyman at first will have been rewarded for their peristance – at least, I found this one quite straightforward, with 1D CROWDED HOUSE my last entry, as I have never heard of the band, although with crossers the anagram is obvious. I hope our vocal NZ contingent have hung on for that nod in their direction.
| Across | ||
| 1 | CHAFFINCH |
Songbird in distance behind rubbish (9)
A charade of CHAFF (‘rubbish’) plus INCH (‘distance’). |
| 6 | MACE |
Club for spicy stuff (4)
Double definition. |
| 8 | OPTIMISTICALLY |
Hopefully choose one film I name, last of trilogy (14)
A charade of OPT (‘choose’) plus I (‘one’) plus MIST (‘film’) plus ‘I’ plus CALL (‘name’) plus Y (‘last of trilogY‘) |
| 10 | DOCILE |
Easy to control party and country, not hard (6)
A charade of DO (‘party’) plus C[h]ILE (‘country’) without the H (‘not hard’). |
| 11 | CHARISMA |
First couple of riders trapped in gorge with a magnetic quality (8)
An envelope (‘trapped in’) of RI (‘first couple of RIders’) in CHASM (‘gorge’) plus ‘a’. |
| 13 | DISPARAGED |
Inspector joining fight, far from young, being ridiculed (10)
A charade of DI (Detective ‘Inspector’) plus SPAR (‘fight’) plus AGED (‘far from young’). |
| 15 | MIND |
Object to look after (4)
Double definition. |
| 17 | OPAL |
Work with a large gemstone (4)
A charade of OP (‘work’) plus ‘a’ plus L (‘large’). |
| 18 | WATERMELON |
Low tree man cultivated for fruit (10)
An anagram (‘cultivated’) of ‘low tree man’. |
| 20 | SKELETON |
Framework in keel’s warped by weight (8)
A charade of SKELE, an anagram (‘warped’) of ‘keels’ plus TON (‘weight’). |
| 21 | RELIEF |
Substitute‘s story accepted by match official (6)
An envelope (‘accepted by’) of LIE (‘story’) in REF (‘match official’). |
| 24 | TREASURE ISLAND |
Unreal disaster involved in tale of adventure (8,6)
An anagram (‘involved’) of ‘unreal disaster’. |
| 25 | SWAY |
Rock, southern style (4)
A charade of S (‘southern’) plus WAY (‘style’). |
| 26 | STAND DOWN |
Resign and endure melancholy (5,4)
Definition and literal intrpretation. |
| Down | ||
| 1 | CROWDED HOUSE |
Stirring chorus we’d do with energy in band (7,5)
An anagram (‘stirring’) of ‘chorus we’d do’ plus E (‘energy’). |
| 2 | ATTIC |
Volunteers climbing with muscular movement in roof space (5)
A charade of AT, a reversal (‘climbing’, in a down light) of TA (Territorial Army – old name , but too useful to setters to let pass- ‘volunteers’) plus TIC (‘muscular movement’). |
| 3 | FAMILIAR |
Routine following distribution of airmail (8)
A charade of F (‘following’) plus AMILIAR, an anagram (‘distribution’) of ‘airmail’. |
| 4 | NOSE |
Reportedly understands instinct (4)
A homophone (‘reportedly’) of KNOWS (‘understands’). |
| 5 | HEIGHTENED |
Elevated man protecting number on retreat northward (10)
A charade of HEIGHTE, an envelope (‘protecting’) of EIGHT (‘number’) in HE (‘man’) plus NED, a reversal (‘northward’ in a down light) of DEN (‘retreat’). |
| 6 | MEAGRE |
Inadequate part of wartime agreement (6)
A hodden answer (‘part of’) in ‘wartiME AGREement’. |
| 7 | CELESTIAL |
Heavenly tea is prepared in small room (9)
An envelope (‘in’) of ESTIA, an anagram (‘prepared’) of ‘tea is’ in CELL (‘small room’). |
| 9 | GARDEN OF EDEN |
Information about endless fervent love supplied in paradise (6,2,4)
An envelope (‘about’) of ARDEN[t] (‘fervent’) without its last letter (‘endless’) plus O (‘love’) plus FED (‘supplied’) in GEN (‘information’). |
| 12 | CATALOGUES |
Have a go at clues arranged in lists (10)
An anagram (‘arranged’) of ‘a go at clues’. |
| 14 | SCARECROW |
Frightening figure emerging from vehicle in moment before commotion (9)
An envelope (‘in’) of CAR (‘vehicle’) in SEC (‘moment’) plus ROW (‘commotion’). ‘Emerging from’ is just connective tissue, and quite justifiable as such. |
| 16 | IMMERSED |
Revised memoirs, omitting nothing, editor absorbed (8)
A charade of IMMERS, an anagram (‘revised’) of ‘mem[o]irs’ without the O (‘omitting nothing’), plus ED (‘editor’). |
| 19 | LEGACY |
Support airman with yen to make bequest (6)
A charade of LEG (‘support’) plus AC (aircraftsman, ‘airman’) plus Y (‘yen’). |
| 22 | IDAHO |
Elements of wild fashion that are even seen in area near Washington (5)
Alternate letters (‘elements of … that are even’ – you could harly give a more preise set of instructions!) of ‘wIlD fAsHiOn’. |
| 23 | FETA |
Cheese in buffet available (4)
A hidden answer ‘in’ ‘bufFET Available’. |
Another very good crossword by Everyman.
‘Crowded House’ was actually my first one in.
We all live in a different world sometimes, don’t we?
[I saw them live twice and also when calling themselves the Finn Brothers – Don’t Dream It’s Over was their world-beater but etc.]
Hats off to Everyman for producing a doable and precise Quiptic.
Did I say Quiptic?
Yes, I agree. Another excellent crossword. Anyone remember the advert ‘You know more “Crowded House” songs than you think’?
Thanks, Peter, for blogging.
Another fine puzzle from Everyman, in which I particularly liked the clever anagram for CATALOGUES. CROWDED HOUSE is not my era or my genre, but it couldn’t be much else. NZ contributors on this thread vocal? Nooo …
As for Mr Finn (of CROWDED HOUSE fame), it’s the six foot seven England number 11 I’ll be rooting for this morning, to frustrate Australia’s bowling attack until the thunder and lightning starts at around 1400 to save us from an innings defeat. We hope.
I thought this was another “old style” Everyman puzzle that should have pleased the solvers who were struggling with the new setter’s early puzzles. CATALOGUES was my LOI and it was only after I realised that “lists” was being defined as a verb rather than a noun that the clue made more sense.
Thanks Everyman and PeterO
I enjoyed this puzzle a lot. My favourites were SCARECROW, GARDEN OF EDEN, RELIEF, TREASURE ISLAND.
Thanks Everyman and PeterO.
This puzzle felt just right. I liked SCARECROW, DISPARAGED, MEAGRE, CATALOGUES, CELESTIAL and GARDEN OF EDEN.
Kathryn’s Dad @3, the Everyman crossword is published several weeks later in NZ, if you look back you will see there are many comments by Kiwis.
Cookie, irony doesn’t come across well in cyberspace, does it? I must stop using it …
I always enjoy reading the month-late contributions from our Antipodean friends. Reminds me that crosswords are a global pastime.
K D! remember I am half-baked, not a real biscuit…
I’ll add my voice to the chorus of praise. Favourites were TREASURE ISLAND, CELESTIAL, CATALOGUES and IDAHO. Thanks to Everyman and PeterO.
But since you are a French speaker, Cookie, you should indeed be bis cuit, ‘twice baked’ and not half-baked. Anyway, we’ll be in trouble with Gaufrid soon for going off topic …
I would like to add my praise for this setter’s style and point out that solvers really should attempt AZED. The puzzles are a bit daunting at first but they are built on the same logic used here.
Sidey @11: The interactive format on the Azed doesn’t work on my computer. No idea why–some Java issues of some kind. Of course, I could always print it out, but I admit to laziness.
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As for this puzzle, I did enjoy it, though as others have hinted, he’s maybe swung too far in the “too easy” direction this time. (Today’s, before I forget, seems like it’s perhaps a little bit harder. Either he’s still calibrating his style, or difficulty is in the eye of the beholder, or it simply varies. Can’t tell which.)
Favorites included TREASURE ISLAND, SCARECROW, CATALOGUES, and IDAHO (because I always like it when the “other” Washington shows up). I’ve gotten used to “gen” meaning information, even though that’s not part of U.S. vocabulary. It comes up often enough in these crosswords that I know to look for it now. AC meaning “airman” was new to me, and I’d never heard of a chaffinch, but those two were quite clear from the rest of their respective clues.
Woo-hoo, li’l old NZ has hit the big time! More than a nod, Peter O, the 1d clue is a shout in our direction! Next week I will be looking for the cryptic clue that means Rugby World Cup winners, (3,6)! Fiji is playing England as I write.
All in all a really good puzzle, aimed perfectly at my level of solving.
I’m pleased you, and others, read our belated comments Kathryn’s Dad, it makes me feel a part of the extended fifteen squared family.
Enjoyed this puzzle but really struggled with Treasure Island as I had mistakenly marked my grid wrong!! Easy once I saw my error!
WOW. I’ve finished it and enjoyed the process. Great to see a New Zealand reference, even though, I think our Tasman neighbours like to claim them as their own??
Yes a good puzzle and no problem getting Crowded House, nor chaffinch. We have chaffinches here but they were brought here from the UK. Liked disparaged, skeleton, stand down, charisma. Took a while to think of watermelon as a fruit.
I too was pleased to see that Kathryn’s Dad reads our comments a month late.
Looking forward to seeing the All Blacks do well in the Rugby World Cup. Had a bit of a smile at England’s Hakarena but of course it doesn’t compare with a haka, especially when it’s performed by the AB’s.
Another one I enjoyed, with Crowded House my first one in! Some nice clues here, nothing too taxing.
Good win this morning England, but I do hope we are not going to have the TMO ruin every game like it (almost) did this morning. And gawd, both anthems sounded awful.
BTW Fiji has lots of tellies and their power is fine. It’s actually a beautiful country of lovely people, pig-ignorant comment by the ITV commentator responsible, not to say rude and patronising.