The puzzle may be found at http://www.theguardian.com/crosswords/everyman/3601
I thought this a little more complicated than the style that Everyman has seemed to settle on recently.
Perhaps, as beginners are more likely to attempt the Everyman than the Guardian cryptic, I should list here my blogging conventions rather than assuming that they are obvious:
Single quotes indicate relevant portions of the clue, and are put in brackets to show the correspondence with parts of the answer or functions in assembling those parts. Without brackets, they generally indicate anagram fodder or elements transferred from clue to answer without modification.
Square brackets indicate something to be discarded.
Upper case indicate answers, or parts thereof, or occasionally elements, not explicitly in the clue, used in forming the answer (e.g.letters to be removed).
Bold upper case highlights portions of the clue of particular relevance (e.g. hidden answers, leading letters).
The definition in a clue is underlined, in italics, and rendered in dark magenta, with the rest of the clue in blue. The answer to be entered in the grid is in red.
Maybe it was better to let these usages speak for themselves.
| Across | ||
| 1 | UNFATHOMABLE |
French article with story about apostle endlessly baffling (12)
An envelope (‘about’) of THOMA[s] (‘apostle’) minus the last letter (‘endlessly’) in UN (‘French article’) plus FABLE (‘story’). |
| 8 | AMOUR |
Regret dropping name attached to a love affair (5)
A charade of ‘a’ plus MOUR[n] (‘regret’) without the N (‘dropping name’). |
| 9 | ELEVENSES |
Unruffled, tucked into more with second snack (9)
An envelope (‘tucked into’) of EVEN (‘unruffled’) in ELSE (‘more’) plus S (‘second’). |
| 11 | BRIDESMAID |
Attendant in strange dream is in command (10)
An envelope (‘in’, the second one; the first links definition to wordplay) of RIDESMA, an anagram (‘strange’) of ‘dream is’ in BID (‘command’). |
| 12 | OGRE |
Turn around, regarding monster (4)
A charade of OG, a reversal (‘around’) of GO (‘turn’) plus RE (‘regarding’). |
| 14 | GENERAL |
Rough blanket popular officer accepted (7)
Five words to the clue, five definitions! |
| 15 | EARNEST |
Retreat after attention becomes intense (7)
A charade of EAR (‘attention’) plus NEST (‘retreat’). |
| 16 | WAGONER |
Driver of vehicle disappeared in conflict (7)
An envelope (‘in’) of GONE (‘disappeared’) in WAR (‘conflict’). |
| 19 | STEALTH |
Be quiet about meal with lieutenant in secrecy (7)
An envelope (‘about’) of TEA (‘meal’) plus LT (‘lieutenant’) in SH (‘be quiet’). |
| 21 | IRON |
Back in Leyton Orient’s club (4)
A reversed (‘back’) hidden answer (‘in’) in ‘LeytoN ORIent’. |
| 22 | PAPER TIGER |
Bold one in side, Republican figure with illusory power (5,5)
An envelope (‘in’) of PERT (‘bold’) plus I (‘one’) in PAGE (‘side’) plus R (‘Republican’). |
| 24 | EXTREMIST |
Be occupied by translation of term for fanatic (9)
An envelope (‘occupied by’) of TREM, an anagram (‘translation’) of ‘term’ in EXIST (‘be’). |
| 25 | OWLET |
Nothing feeble about large bird of prey (5)
An envelope (‘about’) of L (‘large’) in O (‘nothing’) plus WET (‘feeble’). |
| 26 | USER-FRIENDLY |
Feel dry run is unusually easy to handle (4-8)
An anagram (‘unusually’) of ‘feel dry run is’. |
| Down | ||
| 1 | UTOPIAN |
Ideal university, best in surrounding area (7)
A charade of U (‘university’) plus TOP (‘best’) plus IAN, an envelope (‘surrounding’) of A (‘area’) in ‘in’. |
| 2 | FORBEARING |
Patient managing to catch ball with energy (10)
An envelope (‘to catch’) of ORB (‘ball’) plus E (‘energy’) in FARING (‘managing’). |
| 3 | THERMAL |
Another malaise partly relating to heat (7)
A hidden answer (‘partly’) in ‘anoTHER MALaise’ |
| 4 | ONE-TIME |
Former love, overall, beginning to irritate me (3-4)
A charade of O (‘love’) plus NET (‘overall’) plus I (‘beginning to Irritate’) plus ‘me’. |
| 5 | APEX |
Take off and cross highest point (4)
A charade of APE (‘take off’) plus X (‘cross’). |
| 6 | LASAGNE |
Decline to go into way to make pasta (7)
An envelope (‘to go into’) of SAG (‘decline’) in LANE (‘way’). |
| 7 | CABBAGE WHITE |
Babe hag twice changed into butterfly (7,5)
An anagram (‘changed into’) of ‘babe hag twice’. |
| 10 | SWEET CHARITY |
Musical set we modified, cautious about it (5,7)
An envelope (‘about’) of ‘it’ in SWEET, an anagram (‘modified’) of ‘set we’ plus CHARY (‘cautious’). |
| 13 | PRIESTHOOD |
Ministry meddles excessively, restricting height and depth (10)
A charade of PRIES (‘meddles’) plus THOO, an envelope (‘restricting’) of H (‘height’) in TOO (‘excessively’) plus D (‘depth’). |
| 17 | GLOTTIS |
Doctor got list to identify part of larynx (7)
An anagram (‘doctor’) of ‘got list’. |
| 18 | READIER |
More prepared and stern, accepting finish (7)
An envelope (‘accepting’) of DIE (‘finish’) in REAR (‘stern’). |
| 19 | SPECTRE |
Apparition in novel peers around court (7)
An envelope (‘around’) of CT(‘court’) in SPERE, an anagram (‘novel’) of ‘peers’. |
| 20 | LEGALLY |
Support partner in accordance with law (7)
A charade of LEG (‘support’) plus ALLY (‘partner’). |
| 23 | HEAR |
Judge at this point in speech (4)
Sounds like (‘in speech’) HERE (‘at this point’). |
Thanks, PeterO, I needed your explanation of PAPER TIGER at 22 across.
I agree, the Everyman seemed to have gone back to an easier style after a few weeks of something more complicated, but there was quite a lot of food for thought here.
Thanks Everyman and PeterO.
I seem to remember I took less time than usual on most of this, but was left stuck for quite a while trying to solve 9a, ELEVENSES.
14a, GENERAL, with its five definitions is astounding, and I also liked PAPER TIGER, PRIESTHOOD and BRIDESMAID.
I enjoyed this, and don’t remember noting it as more difficult than the previous week. I particularly liked OWLET (for the contrast between the image created by the clue and the fluffy owlet), and also UTOPIAN, LASAGNE and PRIESTHOOD.
Thanks to Everyman and PeterO.
Very tough , got stuck on right hand side with sweet charity , elevenses, paper tiger and earnest. Otherwise very enjoyable.
No Kiwis in yet and it’s past ? already! The great weather we are having must be forcing outdoor activities! I thought it was a bit more difficult than previous weeks, very often the answer arrives without really knowing why. OWLET didn’t seem right, but when explained….. Didn’t get HEAR, but all good when explained. Wanted old ? for 4d but of course that was never going to work.
Thanks PeterO and Everymsn
Here’s another Kiwi. I’m busy packing for a move so haven’t much time for crosswords recently.
Managed most of this but got stuck on right hand bottom side. Didn’t get priesthood or paper tiger, or earnest and having read PeterO,s explanation for priesthood, it’s no wonder I didn’t get it. I thought that was a terrible clue, unlike other contributors.
Apart from that I enjoyed most of it. Now for the sum.
Thanks PeterO.
Didn’t parse Priesthood or General. Hated the latter, five definitions? Do me a favour, clues should be one or two (if it’s a DD) max.
Good luck with the move, Audrey.
I only solved 4 clues. This is way too complicated and obscure for me. Not much fun. I would never have solved this. The weekday NZ Herald cryptic (taken directly from The Scotsman double crossword) is in my opinion much easier by far, more interesting and more amusing than the current Saturday Everyman cryptic. Can we have Allan Scott back please?