I don’t know why I was solving this at around 4:30am! Well I do, I awoke early and decided to see who I was going to blog today. Whilst the puzzle was printing, I solved a couple of clues and then couldn’t leave it until the grid was full.
A fairly typical offering from Paul, some good clues and one or two where the surface didn’t make much sense. However, my only real quibble is with 23dn where VALVE is defined by ‘opener’. OK, a valve can be opened but it can also be closed so would ‘closer’ be a valid definition? I think not.
Across
1 Setter, perhaps, a big hit in the East End? (3-3)
BOW-WOW – BOW (in the East End) WOW (a big hit)
4,14 Pound on smart card about to beat online and high street retailing (6,3,6)
CLICKS AND MORTAR – an anagram (pound) of ON SMART CARD around (about) LICK (to beat)
9 Sound proposal for old king (4)
OFFA – sounds like (sound) ‘offer’ (proposal)
10 Airborne shooter in range, until shot (4,6)
TAIL GUNNER – an anagram (shot) of RANGE UNTIL
11 German order for a cab (6)
HANSOM – HANS (German) OM (order)
12 Russian war machine’s flipping ace trifle! (8)
GIMCRACK – MIG (Russian war machine) reversed (‘s flipping) CRACK (ace)
13 Outstanding feature, beauty inspiring nothing by German author (5,4)
ROMAN NOSE – ROSE (beauty) around (inspiring) O (nothing) MANN (German author)
16 1 down 15, humour lacking in me (4)
CODY – CO[me]DY (humour lacking in me)
17 Stage set in extra large retail outlet (9)
MEGASTORE – an anagram (set) of STAGE in MORE (extra)
21 Great pass, catcher on the turn (8)
COLOSSAL – COL (pass) LASSO (catcher) reversed (on the turn)
22 Stench from a red flower in washbasin (6)
LAVABO – LAVA (a red flower) BO (stench)
24 Skeletons in the closet try rattling chain in uproar (5,5)
DIRTY LINEN – an anagram (rattling) of TRY plus LINE (chain) in DIN (uproar)
25,27 European president once of Harlech (Wales, apparently) (4,6)
LECH WALESA – hidden in (of) ‘harLECH WALES Apparently’
26 Supporter embarrassed by tackle from behind (6)
GIRDER – RED (embarrassed) RIG (tackle) reversed (from behind)
Down
1,15 US showman, one settled in upstate New York? (7,4)
BUFFALO BILL – BUFFALO (upstate New York) BILL (one settled)
2,16 Asking how to create starter in a stew, tell me the plan! (5,7)
WHAT’S COOKING – an anagram (in a stew) of ASKING HOW TO C[reate]
3 Too much land for an empire? (7)
OTTOMAN – OTT (too much) OMAN (land)
5 What might make bird stick up for a vegetable? (6)
LEGUME – EMU (bird) GEL (stick) reversed (up)
6 Criminal charge implicating Turkish leader in country after uprising (3,6)
CON ARTIST – COST (charge) around (implicating) T[urkish] (Turkish leader) in IRAN (country) reversed (after uprising)
7 Nicest forms with right angle for design template (7)
STENCIL – an anagram (forms) of NICEST plus L (right angle)
8 Withholding Christ’s teaching, God is upset with incantation (13)
DISGOSPELLING – an anagram (upset) of GOD IS plus SPELLING (incantation)
18 US city putting worker in reference book, shortly (7)
ATLANTA – ANT (worker) in ATLA[s] (reference book, shortly)
19 Novel about German tennis player recited (7)
REBECCA – RE (about) plus a homophone (recited) of ‘Becker’ (German tennis player)
20 Wagnerian character may be drawing a pension before end of cycle (6)
ISOLDE – IS OLD ( may be drawing a pension) [cycl]E (end of cycle)
23 Opener taking so long to secure victory (5)
VALVE – VALE (so long) around (to secure) V (victory) – see preamble
Thanks Paul and Gaufrid.
Goodness, that was a struggle. Never having heard of ‘clicks and mortar’ or ‘disgospelling’ held us up for quite a while.
Particularly liked ‘bow-wow’ , ‘Buffalo Bill’ and ‘valve’
Thanks Paul and Gaufrid
Not my favourite compiler. Finished, but with considerable electronic help – CLICKS AND MORTAR and DISGOSPELLING for example (is the latter really a word? In what context would it be used?)
I was baffled by the parsing of 2,16 as doing it onile on a small screen, I read plan! as plant.
Really enjoyed this right to the last gasp; then had to admit defeat on 6d DISGOSPELLING.
I had all the crossers too!
Having studied the gospels fairly extensively (and now, for my sins, trying to teach them to teenagers), I have never encountered this term. However now I am kicking myself for not cracking the word by combining the anagram of GOD IS, allied with SPELLING for incantation…after all, whether one knows the word or not, the clue gives the answer if only one is prepared to persevere.
My only other hiccup was filling in 4a14d as BLOCKS AND MORTAR instead of CLICKS and MORTAR. Of course I put in the more familiar “bricks and mortar” first. It was only when nothing other than LEGUME would fit in 5d, that I had to revise my thinking. Could not see what “online” was doing in the clue. So I have learned a new phrase today, never having come across “CLICKS AND MORTAR”, and have also learned that I can’t afford to ignore any word in the clue if I want a successful, full solve.
I look forward to reading others’ experiences. Thanks to Paul for the fun, and to Gaufrid for your early start and interesting blog.
Sorry pvb and muffin, when I started typing I was first comment, then due to my verbosity, we crossed. Glad to hear others struggled as I did. I feel a bit better now.
Julie @3
“… I have never encountered this term.”
Neither had I but according to Chambers it was an adjective used by Milton (Collins just lists it as obsolete).
My favourite setter. Tough, but fair, puzzle and impeccable blog. Thanks both
A struggle indeed; was glad to see that others had the same problems. “Disgospelling” was new to me, but obvious when I worked it out – a good clue, in fact. Would never have got “clicks and mortar” without help, thought it must be a very new term but see that it’s in my older edition of Chambers.
Very grateful to you for the blog, Gaufrid. Thanks to Paul for the challenge (don’t know if it’s just me, but I’ve been finding his puzzles much harder recently – still enjoy them, though).
With Aoxomoxoa not Muffin on this one. Definitely my favourite compiler, and by far. And this was perfect evidence why. At a first pass I couldn’t see anything obvious. Then had toehold with 2, 16. Everything then seemed to follow with just the right amount of help from clue, grid, humour. Even the words I didn’t know we’re gettable. This was Paul on absolute top form I thought. Another reason, it occurs to me, is that I always think that I have many unparsed at the end, but when I check usually by then there are none or a couple to chew over and extend the pleasure a little while longer. Thanks Paul and Gaufrid.
Well the paper arrived in time for us to look at this with a cup of tea in bed. Agree with other people’s comments, very enjoyable puzzle.
New to both of us were DISGOSPELLING and CLICKS AND MORTAR. I am surprised we had never heard of the latter because we are big fans of click and collect (yes I did try to fit it in at one point).
Nice to have a puzzle with no reference to brexit.
JuneG @7 letters in the Guardian recently have been commenting on crosswords getting more difficult. It’s not just you.
Thank you for an enjoyable puzzle Paul, and a very clear blog Gaufrid.
i too was unfamiliar with CLICKS AND MORTAR-But I had the crossers in the SW and MORTAR was looking odds on-then I wrote out the anagram (minus BEAT),sussed 5d was LEGUME which made BEAT=LICK.
First in was 14-it had to be that but I wasnt writing it in before parsing.Thomas Mann is one of the German authors that work well in puzzles.That immediately led to BUFFALO followed by BILL, then OFFA.The B in Buffalo immediately suggested BOW(cockneys being born within the sound of Bow bells) which let to a big chortle at the rest of 1a WHATS COOKING followed easily followed by CODY.
That was my start in case anyone is interested-ah yes @Julie in Australia. I wont bore any more, But the above does show how logical Paul’s cluing is whether its one of his toughies or not (thought this medium toughness and maximum excellence and wit.)
The blog as usual is spot on.
Thank you Paul and Gaufrid.
This was great, especially BOW-WOW and CLICKS AND MORTAR, which I had to Google, along with DISGOSPELLING. As regards VALVE, perhaps Paul was thinking of a safety valve?
Thank you for your words of reassurance, JennyandGharles@9! I’m not sure about the standard of difficulty of the puzzles in general, but I’ve noticed it especially with Paul’s in the last few months. Have given up on his Genius!
Thanks to Paul and Gaufrid. I had the same trouble as others with DISGOSPELLING and CLICKS AND MORTARS but persevered and got through (and enjoyed the process).
Mostly straightforward enough but it took a while to see DISGOSPELLING, which I’d never seen before and was last in. I had seen CLICKS AND MORTAR somewhere before and remembered that once a few crossers were in place. Plenty to enjoy as always from Paul
Thanks to Paul and Gaufrid
Far too hard for me.
Come on crossword editor – commission crosswords that are approachable for more of your readers – not just for the crossword ‘professionals’ who probably don’t even buy the paper. Save the tough ones for the prize crossword on Saturday.
I found this tough, but worth the effort. Like others here, my biggest struggles were with DISGOSPELLING and CLICKS AND MORTAR. The first had to be right from crossers and wordplay, but I didn’t really believe it until I found it in Collin online (which does not describe it as “obsolete”, though the Free Dictionary does). For the second, I finally thought of “bricks and mortar, but was stumped when I went to enter it and saw I already had the L of LEGUME in place. That had to be right, and a bit of extra digging in the back of my mind retrieved the correct answer, which I had definitely seen somewhere before.
Thanks, Paul and Gaufrid.
kenj @15: They try to have a mix of easy and hard puzzles to target the varied audience for this feature. Monday is usually easy; it gradually gets harder as the week goes on. If you found this too hard, you know what to do–go solve a bunch of old Monday puzzles. The Guardian website also posts a weekly Quiptic, which is another Monday-ish level puzzle.
And plenty of people on this site do indeed buy the paper. (I personally do these online, but I’ve contributed money to the Guardian’s site, so I don’t feel too guilty about that.)
I hadn’t heard of either of the obscurities here, but both followed pretty clearly from their clues. I put in “bricks and mortar” first, but realized that the clue didn’t work that way.
Also wasn’t aware of Bow in the East End–but that’s another clue that could hardly have been anything else.
I like Paul’s puzzles quite a bit, usually.
Our favourite setter. Didn’t let us down. Like everyone else,never heard of 4a nor 8d, (too long to type). Two more for the memory bank. Thanks everyone.
Thanks to Paul and to Gaufrid.
This was what we expect of Paul, testing but not impossible, and satisfying when solved.
I had the same difficulty as most of you with CLICKS AND MORTAR and DISGOSPELLING, but i did manage to solve the latter from the wordplay (even though I don’t read Milton’s prose writings a lot!). On the former, despite having all the crossers finally, I didn’t have Beery Hiker’s insight.
I don’ share Gaufrid’s reservation about VALVE: you could argue that the default position of a valve is closed, and it’s function is to open in appropriate circumstances.
Finally, can I say that I’m of the persuasion that the Guardian should maintain its overall standard of difficulty: I’m quite happy with the walk in the park which Rufus provides on Monday – I know that’s what it is and I don’t do it. If people are looking for easier crosswords, there are plenty available elsewhiere.
Tough but kind of masochistic fun. Never heard of 4 but I suppose it makes sense. Share misgivings about valve. But I’d challenge anyone to weave 8d into a sentence that anyone would use!
I-finally- finished this but I found it hard going. I was quite pleased
to get DISGOSPELLING- I’ve never heard of it but it was well clued and sort of makes sense. CLICKS AND MORTAR, on the other hand I couldn’t get without electronic assistance. I thought GIMCRACK rather tricky too even though I remembered MIG fighters from my comic reading days. I liked BUFFALO BILL(ditto),LECH WALESA,OFFA and OTTOMAN.
Just as well it was raining this afternoon.
Thanks Paul.
P.s. He’s still my favourite setter though!
Very tough but unlike others CLICKS AND MORTAR was my first one in. A lucky in parsed guess based on the ‘online’ part of the clue and the word lengths. But after an encouraging start I was fairly well trounced – needed to reveal about a quarter of the clues.
Like many of you I hadn’t heard of DISGOSPELLING or CLICKS AND MORTAR. Managed to figure out the former but finally had to give up on the latter.
Two favourites: the clue for ISOLDE was amusing; and managing to hide LECH WALESA was brilliant!
Thanks Paul and Gaufrid. All very enjoyable.
MRG @ 19: there are lots of valves where the default position is open: merely in a domestic situation – the gate valves which control the flow of water into and around a house, the isolation valves fitted immediately before taps, radiator valves (open to whatever extent), anti-surge valves between toilets and the sewage system, possibly butterfly valves above an open fire…I could go on.
I also got “clicks and mortar” first. Fortunately, the term was familiar to me, but It took me a while to see the parsing. I often get stuck on hidden-word clues, which is funny because they seem like they should be the easiest — after all, the answer is right in front of you! Lech Walesa took me forever to spot.
Put me down as another who’d never heard of “disgospelling”, but with the crossers I got it in the end.
A tough but satisfying puzzle, although, puerile sort that I am, I was disappointed not to find any Pauline dirty jokes.
One of my favourite setters especially when he’s being naughty. Some new words for me today but got there in the end. Thank you Paul and Gaufrid
I was able to get DISGOSPELLING from the word play, but I had trouble parsing several of the others. And speaking as a civil engineer, I don’t think opener is a fair definition of valve.
But that said, Paul remains my favourite setter and I hereby declare the surface for ISOLDE my all-time favourite as well. I felt exactly the same the first – and last – time I tried to slog my way through the Ring Cycle!
A disappointing Paul puzzle, I have to say. I left a quarter of it unfinished because I wasn’t enjoying it and didn’t have access to any crossword aids today. I wasn’t surprised to see the word ‘struggle’ used a lot today!
I don’t believe DISGOSPELLING is a word (although one could call it a made-up word and assign the obvious meaning to it). I have never heard of 4a CLICKS AND MORTAR either, so that too had to be left blank, but of course I acknowledge that this one was completely fair.
There were very few neat, clever or witty clues that I would normally associate with Paul – in fact I counted only two: 2d/16d WHAT’S COOKING and 20d ISOLDE. Make that three: 21a COLOSSAL.
I expected better from this setter – I can’t remember giving up on him before.
Thanks to Paul for the bits I did appreciate in this puzzle, and especially to Gaufrid who had to get through to the end. I still look forward very much to Paul’s next offering.
Thanks both. A Paul is usually a treat and this was no exception.
It could be true that Guardian crosswords are getting slightly harder as some correspondents in the letter pages are saying. OTOH, it would be no fun if they weren’t a challenge.
A typical Paul offering. I think. Very unsatisfying as I’ve never heard of DISGOSPELLING, CLICKS AND MORTAR, or GIMCRACK.
Gaufrid’s comment about a valve being both an opener and a closer also applies to 1,15dn as a bill can be either settled or unsettled.
Thanks Gaufrid and Paul.
I was beaten by 4/14 – I entered BLOCKS …… just like Julie. But was unconvinced and now I understand why. Must remember that term in future.
Also needed your help to parse CON ARTIST so really appreciate your explanations.
Really liked the rest of the puzzle – especially WHAT’S COOKING and LAVABO.
Finished eventually, but it was like drawing teeth by the close. Managed to guess the existence of DISGOSPELLING just from “GOD IS” anagram at the start. (the 3rd hit for it on Google was a reference to this puzzle.) Google helped with LAVABO (I was thinking “laver”, so on the right lines). Never heard of a Lava plant, and not nearly posh enough to have come across a lavabo either. I would never have got VALE for “so long”.
I also had BRICKS AND MORTAR for a while, which doesn’t work anyway and had me looking at “regime” for 5d!
Thanks Paul and Gaufrid
It was good to get a meaty Paul which used up an elapsed day before Easter. Finished with the same two that gave everyone trouble – needed a word finder to finish off the CLICKS (instead of my initial BRICKS) and needed to check 8d after putting it together from the wordplay.
I’m a Paul fan both for the sheer number of puzzles that he sets and for the continuous high quality of what he produces.