Everyman 3613

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The puzzle may be found at http://www.theguardian.com/crosswords/everyman/3613.

This seems to be typical of the style into which the new régime at Everyman is settling, with more convoluted wordplay than had been our lot.

Across
1 DOGTROT
Complete nonsense about sports car’s gentle pace (7)

An envelope (‘about’) of GT (Gran Turismo or Grand Touring. ‘sports car’) in DO (‘complete’) plus ROT (‘nonsense’). I spent a while wondering why the answer was JOGTROT. The simple answer: it wasn’t. But close.
5 TACKLED
Tasteless material was first dealt with (7)

A charade of TACK (‘tasteless material’ probably the back-formation  from tacky, or maybe as in hard tack) plus LED (‘was first’).
9 COMPOSURE
Self-control in contest with old firm (9)

A charade of COMP (competition, ‘contest’) plus O (‘old’) plus SURE (‘firm’).
10 BONUS
Reward bishop with responsibility (5)

A charade of B (‘bishop’) plus ONUS (‘responsibility’).
11 EMPTY
Held in contempt, yob is vacant (5)

A hidden answer ‘in’ ‘contEMPT Yob’.
12 OBBLIGATO
Part that must be played, being ordered to boil bag (9)

An anagram (‘ordered’) of ‘to boil bag’.
13 INACCESSIBLE
Science lab is terribly hard to reach (12)

An anagram (‘terribly’) of ‘science lab is’.
17 MULLIGATAWNY
Turning bad in cup, a yellowish-brown soup (12)

An envelope (‘in’) of LLI, a reversal (‘turning’) of ILL (‘bad’) in MUG (‘cup’) plus ‘a’ plus TAWNY (‘yellowish-brown’). Doesn’t that sound appetising?
20 POLITBURO
Committee in favour of keeping nothing built badly (9)

An envelope (‘keeping’) of O (‘nothing’) plus LITBU, an anagram (‘badly’) of ‘built’ in PRO (‘in favour of’).
21 DINGO
Try to follow noise leading to wild dog (5)

A charade of DIN (‘noise’) plus GO (‘try’).
22 IDLER
Layabout unusually riled (5)

An anagram (‘unusually’) of ‘riled’.
23 RELIGIOUS
Devout learner, one in area mostly connected with America (9)

An envelope (‘in’) of L (‘learner’) plus I (‘one’) in REGIO[n] (‘area’) minus its last letter (‘mostly’) plus (‘connected with’) US (‘America’ – or you could prepend ‘connected with’ here).
24 NOMADIC
Refusal to join inspector in raincoat, wandering (7)

A charade of NO (‘refusal’) plus MADIC, an envelope (‘in’) of DI (Detective ‘Inspector’, police rank) in MAC (‘raincoat’).
25 RESIGNS
Gives up in seconds, breaking rules (7)

An envelope (‘in’) of S (‘seconds’) in REIGNS (‘rules’).
Down
1 DECREPIT
Feeble law endlessly hollow (8)

A charade of DECRE[e] (‘law’) minus its last letter (‘endlessly’) plus PIT (‘hollow’).
2 GAME PLAN
Note, accepted by willing pawn, new strategy (4,4)

An envelope (‘accepted by’) of LA (‘note’ of the sol-fa) in GAME (‘willing’) plus P (‘pawn’) plus N (‘new’).
3 ROOMY
Wide unknown upland area to the north (5)

A reversal (‘to the north’ in a down light) of Y (mathematical ‘unknown’) plus MOOR (‘upland area’).
4 TOULOUSE-LAUTREC
Contemptible person in broadcast cut out real artist (8-7)

An envelope (‘in’) of LOUSE (‘contemptible person’) in TOULAUTREC, an anagram (‘broadcast’) of ‘cut out real’.
5 TREMBLING POPLAR
Problem, part resolved, involving heather and tree (9,6)

An envelope (‘involving’) of LING (‘heather’) in TREMBPOPLAR, an anagram (‘resolved’) of ‘problem part’. I knew of the tree as the quaking aspen, but the synonyms are obvious (and the result matches the botanical name more closely).

Trembling poplar, Populus tremuloides

Trembling poplars, Populus tremuloides
6 CABRIOLET
Sailor in cold port hired car (9)

An envelope (‘in’) of AB (able-bodied ‘sailor’) in C (‘cold’) plus RIO (‘port’) plus LET (‘hired’).
7 LINEAR
Straight part of tunnel in earth (6)

A hidden answer (‘part of’) in ‘tunneL IN EARth’.
8 DESPOT
Awkward situation after editor upset dictator (6)

A charade of DE, a reversal (‘upset’) of ED (our old friend, the ‘editor’) plus SPOT (‘awkward situation’).
14 CLUTTERED
Edges of canal said to be untidy (9)

A charade of CL (‘edges of CanaL‘) plus UTTERED (‘said’).
15 SWANSONG
Child beset by worries getting up for last performance (8)

An envelope (‘beset by’) of SON (‘child’) in SWANG, a reversal (‘getting up’ in a down light) of GNAWS (‘worries’). One word, two words, or even hyphenated if you want.
16 SYNOPSIS
Singular arrangement of posy in small sketch (8)

A charade of S (‘singular’) plus YNOPSI, an anagram (‘arrangement’) of ‘posy in’ plus S (‘small’).
18 OPTION
Alternative procedure with oxygen in container (6)

A charade of OP (operation, ‘procedure’) plus TION, an envelope (‘in’) of O (chemical symbol, ‘oxygen’) in TIN (‘container’).
19 SLALOM
All so excited before start of main race (6)

A charade of SLALO, an anagram (‘excited’) of ‘all so’ plus M (‘start of Main’).
21 DEGAS
Depth for example in the role of artist (5)

A charade of D (‘depth’) plus EG (exempli gratia, ‘for example’) plus AS (‘in the role of’).
completed grid

17 comments on “Everyman 3613”

  2. Thank you everyman and PeterO.

    Seem to remember I took quite a while doing this with OPTION and NOMADIC being the last in. EMPTY and LINEAR were well hidden from me, and I liked CLUTTERED and POLITBURO.

  3. I didn’t make any note about this puzzle, so I assume I found it much as I’ve come to expect from this setter. Yes, some clues are rather convoluted for an Everyman, but they are fair, and there are some nice surfaces.

    Thanks, Everyman and PeterO.

  5. Oh, dear, he’s starting to come over all layered on us again. I really don’t think Everyman crosswords are supposed to be quite as hard as some of these clues. Three, four or five elements or processes, many involving words not actually in the clues, make parsing these a chore rather than a pleasure and out of reach for many who liked the lighter challenge of an Everyman. I recall it was around this time last year that many of the U.K. respondents to this site likened an Everyman to playing in the sandpit. Alas no more.

    For those NZers who are wilting (that includes me) I have recently found some delightful Guardian crosswords online set by Rufus and Nutmeg. They are a joy to unravel, Nutmeg’s in particular.

    Thanks Peter O. Thanks Everyman too, but please throttle back the layering. Is it coincidental that there are fewer and fewer now commenting here?

  6. Way too hard. Clues too long and unfathomable. I have done these crosswords for years but don’t enjoy them any more. More like a chore now.
    Thanks PaterO

  7. I’m with the other kiwis here, I just couldn’t get out of first gear today. We all now know how clever Everyman is, what about throttling back a bit for us mere mortals.?Thanks PeterO for explaining the oft inexplicable

  8. i had SPLAY for 3 down which on retrospect should have been SPLAYED but i thought it was a really good answer until i realised it had to be wrong!…so completley mucked up the top left cnr

  10. I thought the brain had left the building when it was a very slow start but it was reassuring to read that others (particularly in this part of the world) were struggling also. Top left was a real problem; couldn’t visualise 1d for ages but finally got there with Mr Collins’ assistance. Thanks to all.

  11. I’ve just noticed that these are Competition crosswords when they first appear in the Guardian. PeterO, is that a recent development or have Everymans always been Comp crossies? And could that be a reason why they have become so layered?

    No prizes for guessing that by the time we receive them there are no prizes on offer locally : (

  12. Barrie, Remuera @11

    As far as I know, the Everyman had always been a competition puzzle. That is why this blog, for the puzzle which was first published in the Observer on January 3 (and at the same time on the Guardian website), appeared here on January 10, after the competition closed.
    I think it has already been suggested that you have a look also at the Quiptic on the Guardian website. It is billed as an easier puzzle – and generally it is – but there are occasional complaints that a setter gets carried away.

    Audrey A, Orewa @6

    I am surprised that you describe the clues as “long”; looking back at the blog, they strike me as notably short. Did you mean that the wordplay was too elaborate? I note that for only one clue is my comment shorter than the clue itself, which might reflect on that, but also on my wordy blogging style.

  13. I too am finding these more difficult but generally get there in the end. However dogtrot had me completely stumped- not an expression I have ever heard of.

  14. Thanks Peter. Rather blows my theory of why they are getting harder, which in a way is a good thing, ie there’s no reason why he can’t tone them down a bit.

    I read Audrey’s comment @6 that ‘long’ = lots of elements. Religious for example has four bits of fodder and three separate instructions (the envelope plus the tail letter deletion plus the connector). On top of that the solver must know that learner = L, one = I, area = region (is often just the letter A) and America = US. None of them individually too much of a stretch, but frankly that is lot of elements for a nine letter word in what has traditionally been an intermediate level crossword at best. Solving a clue like that gives (me anyway) a reaction of ‘phew!’, not ‘aha!’ And that’s the issue – far too many Phews and not nearly enough Ahas.

  15. Well, I was going to blame the heat (29 degrees in a lovely bach just outside of Raglan) but I can’t see it wasn’t just me that struggled. Pleased to have completed it though. I was convinced that 8d was a ‘willow’ which blinded me to the correct answer and really held things up. And I swore out loud when I finally figured out 20a. Hope all the Kiwis are enjoying the long weekend

  16. PeterO, I’ve just looked back at these comments. Yes Barrie is correct. I meant that the clues in general have too many elements. And I really like Barrie’s last sentence. He has a way with words. That sums up what I feel too.

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