Everyman 3,656

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The usual smooth offering from Everyman today which results in my having little to say.

No cryptic definitions, which will no doubt please some people, and only a couple of double definitions, so a preponderance of anagrams and/or charades.

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Across
1 Improve quality of hour after noon in Morecambe? (6)
ENRICH – H (hour) after N (noon) in ERIC (Morecambe)

4 Artistic style born in development of music (6)
CUBISM – B (born) in an anagram of (development of) MUSIC

8 Endless tradition with support reflected by length of imprisonment (9)
CUSTODIAL – CUSTO[m] (endless tradition) AID (support) reversed (reflected) L (length)

9 Sub isolated in sound (4)
LOAN – sounds like (in sound) ‘lone’ (isolated)

11 Politician playing part in arena, holding revolutionary post (15)
PARLIAMENTARIAN – an anagram (playing) of PART IN ARENA around (holding) MAIL (post) reversed (revolutionary)

12 Talk about electronic fraud (5)
CHEAT – CHAT (talk) around (about) E (electronic)

13 Prompt conclusion of expert taken in by fake (9)
STIMULATE – [exper]T (conclusion of expert) in (taken in by) SIMULATE (fake)

15 Varied causes brought about hurried promise (9)
ASSURANCE – an anagram (varied) of CAUSES around (brought about) RAN (hurried)

17 Play in street with spirit (5)
STRUM – ST (street) RUM (spirit)

19 Assistant with instant fashionable knowledge (6-2-7)
SECOND-IN-COMMAND – SECOND (instant) IN (fashionable) COMMAND (knowledge)

22 Feeling about to discover fate (4)
DOOM – MOOD (feeling) reversed (about)

23 Land identified by fellow entering harbour, mile away (9)
ARGENTINA – GENT (fellow) in (entering) [m]ARINA (harbour, mile away)

24 Get angry with brother not working (6)
BRIDLE – BR (brother) IDLE (not working)

25 Accent beginning to betray rascal (6)
BROGUE – B[etray] (beginning to betray) ROGUE (rascal)

Down
1 Provision in contract in case place altered employment (6,6)
ESCAPE CLAUSE – an anagram (altered) of CASE PLACE plus USE (employment)

2 Stock / book (7)
RESERVE – double def.

3 Singer with task, losing energy, tires badly (9)
CHORISTER – CHOR[e] (task, losing energy) plus an anagram (badly) of TIRES

4 Flower in row in narrow road below church (9)
CELANDINE – DIN (row) in LANE (narrow road) below CE (church)

5 Wood included among tribal sanctuaries (5)
BALSA – hidden in (included among) ‘triBAL SAnctuaries’

6 Spot occupied by marathon’s leader, ace in endurance (7)
STAMINA – STAIN (spot) around (occupied by) M[arathon] (marathon’s leader) plus A (ace)

7 Business / settled (4)
FIRM – double def.

10 Mean criminal retained item (12)
INTERMEDIATE – an anagram (criminal) of RETAINED ITEM

13 Association with crooked acts I deny (9)
SYNDICATE – an anagram (crooked) of ACTS I DENY

14 Group of stars anxious or up in arms, lacking power (4,5)
URSA MINOR – an anagram (anxious) of OR U[p] IN ARMS

16 Help from copper turning up during search (7)
SUCCOUR – CU (copper) reversed (turning up) in (during) SCOUR (search)

18 Place for interpretation (7)
READING – double def.

20 Drama with wild rover (5)
NOMAD – NO (drama) MAD (wild)

21 Cold time in enclosure (4)
CAGE – C (cold) AGE (time)

18 comments on “Everyman 3,656”

  1. Thank you Everyman and Gaufrid.

    I cannot remember having any problems solving this enjoyable puzzle, although it took me quite a time as the Everyman usually does – luckily the Japanese NO drama came to my mind at 20d.

  2. While the answer to 9a was clear enough, I’m not sure how sub and loan are the same. Is sub short for something (subordinate?) which equates to loan? Insight appreciated. Thanks.

  3. Charlie @2
    From Chambers under ‘sub’: “subsistence money, hence a loan, an advance payment”. It can also be used as a verb meaning to lend money.

  4. Charlie @2, I wondered about that too, apparently it is informal. Google gives

    sub informal, verb
    BRITISH
    lend or advance a sum to (someone) against expected income.
    “who’ll sub me till Thursday?”

  6. As usual, a nice puzzle from Everyman – a little harder to get started than sometimes but fine once a few answers were in place. My minor quibbles were about the equivalence of “mean” and INTERMEDIATE and of “knowledge” and COMMAND, but I’m sure they are given in some dictionaries and they didn’t spoil my enjoyment.

    Thanks, Everyman and Gaufrid.

  7. I found this a little more difficult than the usual Everyman. I blame some long answers and a severe case of Sundaymorningitis. All fair though and as enjoyable as ever.

  8. Thanks Everyman and Gaufrid.

    The best I can come up with for the be/sit convergence is ‘Parliament sits in Westminster’ / ‘Parliament is in Westminster’. Not perfect, but probably just close enough.

  11. Thanks, Everyman and Gaufrid. Like others I found this to be a mostly gentle start to the week. The definitions of LOAN, COMMAND and INTERMEDIATE held me up a little while. Nothing wrong with them, of course, just my brain being a little slower to kick into gear on Mondays.

  13. Liked the surface of 10 down (mean criminal retained item) and,as used in statistics where mean = average,intermediate is a close enough fit.
    Sub equating to loan was beyond any of the dictionaries we checked – but it had to be.

  14. I raised an eyebrow at Mean and Command too. I suppose if you have a good command of English that implies knowledge. Stimulate held me up for ages, could only jam in stipulate. All else finally fell in but this was a longer workout than usual. And we have some sun finally, Audrey blue sky over your bowling turf.

    Thanks PeterO and Everyman

  16. Too difficult for me this week. Too much like a difficult homework exercise. If it takes longer than an hour that’s enough time for me to spend. I also had problems with sub for loan. When I pay a sub, it’s a subscription. I don’t think ‘Intermediate ‘= mean’ either.
    Yes, Barrie, the weather is much better for bowls now thanks. Yesterday was quite pleasant.

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