Everyman 3,597

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The puzzle may be found at http://www.theguardian.com/crosswords/everyman/3597.

The (relatively) new Everyman seems to have setteld down into a style which includes some constructions that would probably not have been found in the old Everyman, but which presented me with no real problems.

Across
1 PAINSTAKING
Extremely careful old man, not out gambling (11)

A charade of PA (‘old man’) plus IN (‘not out’) plus STAKING (‘gambling’).
9 CABRIOLET
Carbon rail to be prepared for carriage (9)

A charade of C (‘carbon’, chemical symbol) plus ABRIOLET, an anagram (‘prepared’) of ‘rail to be’.
10 FALSE
Following drink, accepting second is wrong (5)

A charade of F (‘following’) plus an envelope (‘accepting’) of S (‘second’) in ALE (‘drink’).
11 OPINION
Thought work in Italy acceptable (7)

A charade of OP (‘work’) plus ‘in’ plus I (‘Italy’) plus ON (‘acceptable’).
12 LARGEST
Greatest tips for retaining energy during final (7)

An envelope (‘during’) of RG (‘tips for RetaininG‘) plus E (‘energy’) in LAST (‘final’).
13 STRUT
Swagger in support (5)

Double definition.
14 EYESHADOW
Observe tail – it’s part of make-up (9)

A charade of EYE (‘observe’) plus SHADOW (‘tail’) – or definition and literal interpretation to look at it another way.
16 AYLESBURY
Unusually busy early in town (9)

An anagram (‘unusually’) of ‘busy early’. The geographical reference, to a town in Buckinghamshire, seems like a throwback to the old Everyman.
17 TALES
Least tangled yarns (5)

An anagram (‘tangled’) of ‘least’.
19 NOTABLE
Significant number put forward (7)

A charade of NO (‘number’) plus TABLE (‘put forward’).
21 STOICAL
Specialist’s first work containing account about patient (7)

An envelope (‘containing’) of CA, a reversal (‘about’) of AC (‘account’) in S (‘Specialist’s first’) plus TOIL (‘work’).
22 ADORN
Trouble with revolutionary near deck (5)

A charade of ADO (‘trouble’) plus RN, a reversal (‘revolutionary’) of NR (‘near’).
23 ADULATORY
Admiring area properly, going round a hill (9)

An envelope (‘going round’) of ‘a’ plus TOR (‘hill’) in A (‘area’) plus DULY (‘properly’).
24 SPONTANEOUS
Broadcast one’s put on as planned? On the contrary (11)

An anagram (‘broadcast’) of ‘ones put on as’.
Down
1 PUBLIC RELATIONS
Delight in reconstruction of crib plus promotion of goodwill (6,9)

An envelope (‘in’) of ELATION (‘delight’) in PUBLICRS, an anagram (‘reconstruction’) of ‘crib plus’.
2 INITIATES
One idiot frantic as tie begins (9)

A charade of I (‘one’) plus NIT (‘idiot’) plus IATES, an anagram (‘frantic’) of ‘as tie’.
3 SALON
Pink colour, not medium, for beauty parlour? (5)

A subtraction: SAL[m]ON (‘pink colour’) without the M (‘not medium’).
4 ARTILLERY
Route disrupted by hostile guns (9)

An envelope (‘disrupted by’) of ILL (‘hostile’) in ARTERY (‘route’).
5 INFER
Understand grain fermentation to some extent (5)

A hidden answer (‘to some extent’) in ‘graIN FERmentation’.
6 GOLDEN DELICIOUS
Apple logo is included, designed to cover rear of device (6,9)

An envelope (‘to cover’) of E (‘rear of devicE‘) in GOLDENDLICIOUS, an anagram (‘designed’) of ‘logo is included’. And there it is, illuminated on the back of my laptop screen.
7 ACROSS
Distribution of Oscars is over (6)

An anagram (‘distribution’) of ‘Oscars’.
8 BESTOW
Finest leaders of our world confer (6)

A charade of BEST (‘finest’) plus OW (‘leaders of Our World’).
14 EXUBERANT
Lively banter developed after vote in European Union (9)

An envelope (‘in’) of X (‘vote’) in EU (‘European Union’) plus BERANT, an anagram (‘developed’) of ‘banter’.
15 HOT POTATO
Volunteers in stew over awkward problem (3,6)

An envelope (‘in’) of TA (Territorial Army, ‘volunteers’: outdated but too useful to be dropped in crosswords) in HOT POT (‘stew’) plus O (‘over’).
16 ANNUAL
Retract entertaining article in yearbook (6)

An envelope (‘entertaining’) of A (indefinite ‘article’) in ANNUL (‘retract’).
18 SPLAYS
Spreads out small toys (6)

A charade of S (‘small’) plus PLAYS (‘toys’).
20 BINGO
Reject move in game of chance (5)

A charade of BIN (‘reject’) plus GO (‘move’).
21 SPURN
Turn down price put on vase (5)

A charade of SP (starting ‘price’) plus URN (‘vase’).
completed grid

17 comments on “Everyman 3,597”

  1. Yes, its all about wordplay, and there’s less show business general knowledge required! I thought this was a better puzzle than last Monday’s Times cryptic.

  4. I found this to about hit the spot for Everyman. Thanks for the blog.

    I didn’t know SP for price. Forgive my dunderheadedness, but what’s the context in which that’s a standard abbreviation?

  5. mrpenney at 4. Would the context be racing, in which SP is “starting price”? I thought so, anyway.

    More generally, I have become accustomed to the new Everyman, and enjoyed this one. Now watch me come a cropper on today’s, which I haven’t looked at yet!

  6. I found it quite difficult for an Everyman, but still enjoyable. My LOI was ACROSS – how could I have missed that anagram for so long when I was actually doing a crossword?

    Thanks to Everyman and PeterO.

  7. Perfect for me, one hour exactly.

    Can someone explain whence f = following?

    NZ readers may be interested to know that there is a new NZ Listener Crossword book out. Might make a good stocking filler. Titled Cooking with Fish (3).

  9. Barrie @7

    f for following is relatively standard; I have seen it used principally to indicate the pages of a book reference – more often in the “plural” such as p123ff.

  10. Yes, this one did hit the spot. We’ll all soon be complaining that it’s too easy, but this level does me just fine! Looking forward to the next one. Bit nervous about Cardiff tomorrow though.

  11. Thanks Peter. Surprisingly it isn’t in my Chambers crossword dic. Wictionary tells me it hails from Latin, folio.

  14. Not too many problems for me, too. Didn’t get all of the answers but didn’t have the time to ponder. Grandies take up a lot of time. How come I missed 14a? I wear it most days! Go the All Blacks. I have a ‘second son’ whose French, he secretly backs the AB’s too.

  15. I’ve got to say I struggled today. Not saying it was not enjoyable. Only put in 5 on the first pass, didn’t see the apple, or public relations for a long time. Good though, keep ’em coming Everyman. Thanks PeterO for the explanations. Glued to the TV tomorrow at 8.

  16. Gave up on this. The clues hardly ever lead me to the answer. I don’t like clues where the setter thinks up a clue for each syllable. Didn’t enjoy it .

  17. Enjoyed this one too, was too wound up this morning about Cardiff to worry about the two last ones to finish, then that fabulous game so got the last two also. I also agree with the use of SP as ‘price’, i thought that was a bit obscure, arent racing terms outside of the very obvious a bit of a stretch to expect us to know – you have to have a bit of luck with this setter, I often do them in reverse if you know what I mean, putting in an answer and then reverse it back to justify why it may be right.

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