I had been tipped off that Tramp was today’s setter, so was looking forward to this one. Lots of good fun as usual, though without (as far as I can see) any particular theme running through the clues or answers.
I found the puzzle quite hard, though (as is often the case) most of the clues seem quite straightforward in retrospect, though I can’t fully explain 16,2,8 to my satisfaction. Perhaps I’m being over-sensitive, but I think the clue for 9a is unfortunate in view of recent news,
| Across | ||||||||
| 9. | APPRAISER | One on mobile crashing Sierra seeing judge (9) APP (one on mobile) + SIERRA* – rather unfortunate that this comes so soon after the sentencing of a lorry driver who killed four people after being distracted by his phone |
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| 10. | OPINE | 5 in 1, say (5) PI (Private Eye) in ONE |
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| 11. | YOKO ONO | Love sex from behind hugging old singer’s wife (4,3) O in reverse of O (love) + NOOKY |
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| 12. | VIOLENT | New colour walls intense (7) N in VIOLET |
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| 13. | OWNED | Had ring, got married around noon (5) O (ring) + N in WED |
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| 14. | HIT PARADE | Shot decent score in golf? Caddie regularly records ranking (3,6) HIT (shot) + PAR (golf score) + alternate letters of cAdDiE |
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| 16,2,8. | MANY A TRUE WORD IS SPOKEN IN JEST | Real teaser? Diane James (UKIP) news story torn out (4,1,4,4,2,6,2,4) (DIANE JAMES UKIP NEWS STORY TORN)*, but I don’t really understand the definition, except as a vague allusion to the phrase. Diane James recently stood down after only 18 days as the leader of UKIP. As I’ve said before, I’m not keen on these long anagrams, however ingenious or apposite they may be. I guessed this one when I had the crossing letters for SPOKEN |
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| 19. | RIGMAROLE | Doctor and mother almost watch performance (9) RIG (to doctor) + MA + ROLE[X] |
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| 21. | CHARM | Trinket in tea room (5) CHA (tea) + RM |
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| 22. | STIMULI | So, time up! Lie endlessly to get incentives (7) So TIMe Up LIe, with the last letters omitted |
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| 23. | DRACHMA | Chapter in play is an old piece (7) CH in DRAMA |
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| 24. | MARGE | It could be butter on reflection? (5) Reverse of EG (it could be) + RAM (a “butter”), &lit – taking us back to the old adverts that claimed that Stork, or some other margarine, tasted like butter |
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| 25. | UNDERCOAT | Paint can out, red is stirred (9) (CAN OUT RED)* |
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| Down | ||||||||
| 1. | BABY BOOMER | Bobby Moore heartlessly playing with a teenager in the ’60s? (4,6) Anagram of BOBBY MO[O]RE + A. Baby boomers are those born between about 1946 and 1964, some of whom (including me) would have been teenagers in at least some of the 1960s |
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| 3. | KAYOED | Me, by vodka shot (having skipped introductions), put on floor (6) Anagram of [m]E [b]Y [v]ODKA – this word, or variants of it, have been popular recently: KAYOS from Arachne and KAYO from Paul |
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| . | ASBO | Christmas box contains something given for playing loud music? (4) Hidden in christmAS BOx. For those that don’t know this acronym, it’s an Anti-social behaviour order – I see from the Wikipedia article that they no longer exist |
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| 5. | PRIVATE EYE | Soldier to inspect magazine (7,3) PRIVATE (soldier) + EYE (inspect) |
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| 6. | COLORADO | State how Trump refers to race? Trouble follows (8) COLOR (American spelling of “colour”, hence “race”) + ADO |
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| 7. | CINEMA | Pictures home with space around houses (6) IN + EM in CA (circa, about) |
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| 14. | HARMONIOUS | Sweet, as Mourinho gets sacked (10) (AS MOURINHO)* |
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| 15. | EPSOM SALTS | They help some do business course — learner filling in exams (5,5) EPSOM (race course) + L in SATS |
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| 17. | ABACUSES | They reckon a conservative exploits nurses (8) A C in ABUSES |
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| 18. | DEATH ROW | Day airport doesn’t open place for terminal departure? (5,3) D + [H]EATHROW |
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| 20. | GOITRE | Swelling: it stops blood (6) IT in GORE |
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| 21. | CHAIRS | Directors check broadcasts (6) CH + AIRS |
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| 22. | SOME | A little sore when run is miles (4) SORE with R replaced by M |
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| 23. | DUDE | American guy failed English (4) DUD + E |
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What an excellent start to the day! Agree with comments re long anagrams, though this one popped out fairly early from the crossers. Big smile with Marge. Thanks to both.
Great puzzle! After the last two tricky ones I managed to finish this fairly easily, and there were some wonderful clues, including YOKO ONO, DEATH ROW, EPSOM SALTS and HARMONIOUS. Many thanks to Tramp and Andrew.
Thank you to Tramp for an enjoyable challenge, and to Andrew for the blog. I agree with him that long anagrams aren’t much fun in my book, but I solved 16etc through the crossers and am OK, personally, with the definition
A tiny quibble with 7D – I remember my Nana using ‘The pictures’ for the cinema, but it’s really out of use, so the definition might be hard for solvers who are not of a ‘certain’ age.
Thanks Andrew and Tramp.
I made steady progress through this and found it quite enjoyable (ABACUSES FOI). I thought MAKE OUT for 11a at an early stage, until BABY BOOMER put an end to this. Then tried YAKS and YOKE, and gave up, coming here to check it out; luckily ASBO popped out and then YOKO ONO before I read the blog, so I was pleased to finish without aids.
A great puzzle with many good clues – entertaining and not too tough.
Like everyone else, I suspect, I got the long phrase only from the anagram, with the help of some crossers along the middle of the grid, and not at all from the ‘vague allusion’ given in the clue (a good description, Andrew). It’s a super anagram, though.
It seems this is the season for KAYO – this is the third instance by my count. First KAYOS, then KAYO (if my memory is correct) and now 3d KAYOED.
I had many favourites, among them 13a OWNED, 1d BABY BOOMER, 19a RIGMAROLE, 18d DEATH ROW and 24a MARGE. The kind of wordplay in 7d CINEMA and 17d ABACUSES, in which the words in the wordplay seem to be in the wrong order, is something I am getting used to.
Thanks to Tramp and Andrew.
Thanks, Andrew.
I agree with all of drofle’s favourites, with the addition of MARGE – which really made me laugh.
16,2,8 worked for me; real = true; teaser = jest.
Many thanks to Tramp for getting the day off to such a good start. [And still Serpent and Dogberry {Shed} to tackle. 😉 ]
Thank you Tramp and Andrew.
Let alone the clue for APPRAISER, that for DEATH ROW was rather unfortunate… actually, I really enjoyed the puzzle. MARGE, YOKO ONO, OPINE and EPSOM SALTS were fun.
MrsH @4, perhaps with the Picturehouse Cinemas, which now seem to be spread over the UK, the tie in between “the pictures” and “the CINEMA” will come to solvers’ minds.
Thanks for the blog Andrew. The long anagram does have a vague definition, and, on reflection, I’m not happy with it. I think the original clue, which I posted on Twitter as soon as I wrote it, was:
Diane James (UKIP) news story torn out: it might have a serious message (4,1,4,4,2,6,2,4)
which is a better clue and I wish I’d have gone with something like it. Ah well.
I always refer to the cinema as “the pictures”.
Thanks for the comments.
Neil
As drofle @2 says, a relief after Tuesday and Wednesday, when I was one answer short each time.
Long anagrams can cut both ways. Fail to see them, you’re stuffed. But get them early and life becomes easier. My way in, with just a few letters filled, was ‘where on earth could the J go?’ By then I had *E*T for 8d, so that was that sorted.
Two football clues. ‘Sweet, as Mourinho gets sacked’ is a perfectly plausible surface but ‘Bobby Moore heartless’? Never!
I found this fairly straight forward but had a big laugh over 15d: I well remember having to take Stedmans Powder and Epsom Salts as a child to make me go!
“The pictures” meaning the cinema is still widespread and showing no signs of dying out. Fellow members of the Church of Wittertainment (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kermode_and_Mayo%27s_Film_Review?wprov=sfla1) will recall a recent discussion on this. Hello to Jason Isaacs 🙂
I thoroughly enjoyed this, thanks Tramp and Andrew
Like others, I loved the clue for MARGE.
We said PICTURES in our house for “cinema” although I haven’t heard HIT PARADE used to describe the charts since the days of Alan Freeman. Stay bright.
Lovely puzzle. Thought MARGE and HARMONIOUS especially were superb.
Suspect this might be Diane James’ first and last crossword appearance.
Agree with others. Lots of lovely clues, leading to smiles. WE failed on OPINE. TRied to justify OLIVE then came to the blog too get iit. Didnt get PI for private eye. But another good crossword. THanks to Tramp and Andrew
Add me to the list of people who (a) enjoyed solving this lovely puzzle and (b) always call the cinema “the pictures”
Thanks to Tramp and Andrew
Me too re ‘the pictures’.
Thanks to Tramp and Andrew. I too grew up in the US with “pictures” as CINEMA but haven’t heard it for some time. I took a while before seeing OPINE and the long anagram, even after spotting “spoken” and most of the crossers. Very enjoyable.
Lovely puzzle, just enough to see us through mid-morning coffee. After being in the UK last week, we’re saving Brummie’s prize for lunchtime. Thanks to everyone.
I see that others object to 9a and 18d on grounds of subject matter. I’ll add 6d to the list: as an American, I currently hover between anxiety and panic over our presidential race and would rather not see the orange one’s name mentioned when I’m distracting myself with a nice crossword!
I actually didn’t understand why it was necessary to refer to Trump at all until I came here, but now I get it. Since “color” is the normal spelling for me I forgot that you people need some way of indicating the American spelling.
I found this puzzle a bit tricky and very satisfying. Particular favo[u]rites were 15d and 24a.
Old “cinema = the pictures” geezer here, too.
An excellent crossword but failed to parse the Role(x) gag.
EPSOM SALTS was great fun.
Neil @8 Yes, I agree, I prefer your alternate def for the Diane James clue but the one that made it through was perfectly OK in my book.
FOI for me was KAYOED but only because of it’s appearance in recent puzzles as others have commented.
I really feel we’re in a purple patch of setters at present.
Many thanks both.
Nice week, all.
Thanks Tramp and Andrew.
Got 7d OK but still can’t parse it. I can see home might = IN and CA from about/around but where is the EM from?
Liked lots but favourites RIGMAROLE, MARGE and EPSOM SALTS.
Hammer @21
You should remember what I am about to tell you as you will meet these spaces again in your crossword solving ‘career’
Printers use EM spaces (the width of a letter M) and EN spaces (the width of a letter N) and crossword setters find them very useful and so use them a lot.
There seem to be a surprising number of answers that are partial anagrams of others…
VIOLENT/OLIVE
DRACHMA/CHARM
RIGMAROLE/MARGE
EPSOM SALTS/SOME
Not missing something, are we?
…I’ll get my coat.
…KAYOED/MANY A TRUE WORD IS SPOKEN IN JEST
Eh? Oh……
Fine puzzle as so often from Tramp. This seemed a little impenetrable at first but gave way pretty smoothly once a few crossers were in place. CHAIRS was last in.
Thanks to Tramp and Andew
I still don’t get 17d. It is suggested that “nurses” equates with “abuses.” I had assumed that “exploits” equates with “uses,” leaving the “B” unexplained.
Thanks Tramp and Andrew
More smiles at clues than I’ve had in one crossword for some time, with particular favourites YOKO ONO and HIT PARADE – not the only amusing ones!
I’m not sure that “directors” = “chairs”, if I’m thinking of the right context. The “Chairman of the Board of Directors” is a “chair”, but the other directors aren’t, are they?
Another “link word” to spoil the cryptic grammar in CHARM – “room” isn’t “in” tea”, nor vice versa.
I think “pictures” to refer to cinema is short for “moving pictures”, which also gave rise to “movies”.
Sasquach @26
If the clue were “exploits nurses a conservative” it makes sense; crossword liberties allow “a conservative exploits nurses” to be read as this, I think..
I don’t think any liberties are needed: read it as “a conservative [that] exploits nurses”, giving A C “nursed by” ABUSES.
Love 15d, especially after the Chelsea Man U game the other week, when the standing joke was that Mourhino has finally got Chelsea playing decent football again. M
Now that he is the manager of Man U
muffin@28: not this one, again?
definition in wordplay
Tramp @32
At least I’m consistent 🙂
A situation the Tories exploit
A grievance the Tories nurse
so
A [wordplay for the letter C] the word EXPLOITS keeps hold of – or, as Tramp far more pithily puts it, NURSES
This is really not difficult or frankly controversial. ‘Which’ and ‘That’ are routinely omitted in written and oral English
Thanks to Muffin and Andrew. On second thoughts, my reading would have left the R unexplained too. Dyslexia? Conditioned reflex? Either way, mea culpa.
Thanks to cryptic Sue @22 for the edification. Makes a note on the back of his hand….
It’s probably me but I couldn’t get on with this. It took me a long time to get the anagram but once I had things started to improve. On the positive side: I liked MARGE,OPINE and DRACHMA. I quite like this setter but I wasn’t on the right wavelength today.
Thanks Tramp.
We both enjoyed this. EPSOM SALTS made us laugh but our favourite was MARGE. I’ve been rubbing MARGE into my bad back for weeks. I can’t believe it’s not better.
Thanks Andrew and Tramp. And thank you Tramp for dropping by here.
Jenny and Charles @ 38
Your poor back reminds me of Jeremy Hardy’s version of the tagline. Unfortunately I can’t repeat it here in full:
“****** me, it’s marge!”
Sasquatch @ 35. What R?
Thanks both. I enjoyed this after a wonderful walk from Faccombe enjoying the autumn colours.
The is a well known cinema chain called ‘Picture House Cinemas’ so I think ‘pictures’ is still current.
Juggled this against a very busy day (this the late post) but still enjoyed it. Had not heard of Diane James, Maurinho or SATS for exams, but that didn’t really matter in terms of solves, just made me less able to appreciate the clues.
All my favourites have been covered.
Many thanks to Tramp, Andrew and contributors.
Meant “THUS the late post”. Preview not offered on phone.
PS I have heard of Bobby Moore but only because of The Guardian cryptic!
Thanks to Andew’s explanation I understand the unfortunate coincidence in 9a re the lorry driver and the “mobile crashing”; not sure why 18d DEATH ROW evoked sensitivities too?
Funny what sparks the red mist…
For me: enough of the KAYOs pl. (emoticon with steam hissing out of ears and bubble saying “this is not a word it’s at best an abbreviation spelt out phonetically I don’t care what any dictionary says…”)
For others, Julie in Australia@44, it’s perhaps the uncomfortable conjunction of acrostic wit with the concept of DEATH ROW. Actually nearly my favourite clue and I will never think of Heathrow again in the same way. But MARGE wins.
A bit late, but in reply to Tramp @32 – Why not write the clue as
Tea room trinket
(with or without question mark). This gets rid of the offensive (to me, at least) “in”.
No, “Trinket in tea room” is both a better surface and better cryptic grammar as I’m sure Tramp will agree.
So we have “in” being offensive and “this is not a word it’s at best an abbreviation spelt out phonetically I don’t care what any dictionary says…”!
That way madness lies! 😉
The OED cites
1923 H. C. Witwer Fighting Blood 324 You never been knocked cold in your life—why go out of your way to get kayoed?
1932 J. T. Farrell Young Lonigan iii. 112 He sat down, saying to himself that he was Young Studs Lonigan..now in training for the bout when he would kayo Jess Willard for the title.
1972 Times 10 Nov. 14/6 There was..the kayoing of the prop forward by a deliberate punch.
1975 Cleveland (Ohio) Plain Dealer 23 Mar. 2-C/2 Rademacher, who was kayoed by Patterson in the sixth round in 1957, won a gold medal in the 1956 Olympic Games for boxing.
1933 Amer. Speech 8 iii. 39/1 The knockout blow or kayo itself is variously called kay,..K.O.
1939 P. G. Wodehouse Uncle Fred in Springtime xx. 303, I still don’t see..why he should have slipped kayo drops in.
1968 Globe & Mail (Toronto) 3 Feb. 40/4 Quarry with 14 kayos in a 25–1–4 record is known as a stopper.
So it appears this non-word has been in use for nearly a century and this by some rather eminent practitioners of the language.
BNTO@47 – I concede it’s hard to argue with Wodehouse, though the others are in a boxing context and might qualify as local phoneticisms. At one time in a working life we had a filing system within which files were “BF”d (brought forward) or “PA”d (put away) – we knew what these terms meant and pronounced them Bee Effed and Pee Ayed but that didn’t make them real words. On the latter, would it be acceptable to render a PA (personal assistant) as PeeAye for instance?
In any event if PGW says it’s ohkay then it’s ayewon with me. I wonder if there are there any other words that are in the same family as kayo? I mean in the sense that it is generated by the phonetic rendering of letters – if it’s unique then it has to be borderline at best IMHO.
alphalpha @48
Deejay and emcee are quite common in crosswords and in both Collins and Chambers.
Eileen@49
Okay so
When people say @49 and so forth, I’m always mystified. Am I the only one not to see any numbers on my mobile interface, or am I missing something?
Caroline @51
The comment numbers are only visible in the desktop view. The WordPress plugin that generates the mobile view does not support comment numbering unfortunately.
If you scroll down to the bottom of the page you should see the option to change the view to desktop, so you could do this to see the comment numbers, if necessary, and then switch back to the mobile view.
I often save a favourite setter’s puzzle to enjoy properly at the weekend (in this case with my Saturday morning coffee).
This ploy can backfire if the crossword disappoints.
This has never happened with Tramp – I always enjoy his offerings. This was fantastic fun and (unlike certain others here who seem to enjoy flogging their quibble-horses long after death is proven) I have nothing but praise for this puzzle, and its creator who provides me such pleasure.
Thanks again (and to Andrew for his kind efforts for fifteen squared).
PS I ticked MARGE and double-ticked HARMONIOUS and DEATH ROW!
Thanks William