The puzzle may be found at https://www.theguardian.com/crosswords/everyman/3664.
Everyman’s puzzles are so consistent that it is difficult to come up with anything fresh to say about them. I was struck by the elegance of 13A LINEN and 1D HOLY WRIT, and the structure of the clues ranged upward from the simplicity of those two while never sacrificing sensible surfaces to complex construction (OK – 26A is not a shining example).
| Across | ||
| 1 | HARDWARE | Five hundred struggle in rush for equipment (8) |
| An envelope (‘in’) of D (Roman numeral, ‘five hundred’) plus WAR (‘struggle’) in HARE (‘rush’). | ||
| 5 | CHERUB | Angel in pain ignoring leader with difficulty (6) |
| A charade of [a]CHE (‘pan’) minus its first letter (‘ignoring leader’) plus RUB (‘difficulty’ “Ay, there’s the rub”) | ||
| 9 | LED | Influenced element in speech (3) |
| Sounds like (‘in speech’) LEAD (‘element’). | ||
| 10 | DAVID BAILEY | Development of valid idea by photographer (5,6) |
| An anagram (‘development of’) ‘valid idea by’. | ||
| 12 | WORKHORSE | Show broker in trouble, not born to be tireless toiler (9) |
| An anagram (‘in trouble’) of ‘show [b]roker’ minus the B (‘not born’). | ||
| 13 | LINEN | Brand new cloth (5) |
| A charade of LINE (‘brand’) plus N (‘new’). | ||
| 14 | INCONVENIENT | Trendy religious community possessing name that is awkward (12) |
| An envelope (‘possessing’) of N (‘name’) plus I.E. (‘that is’) in IN (‘trendy’) plus CONVENT (‘religious community’). | ||
| 18 | STEAK TARTARE | Dish, look, filled with wood and dark liquid (5,7) |
| An envelope (‘filled with’) of TEAK (‘wood’) plus TAR (‘dark liquid’) in STARE (‘look’). | ||
| 21 | AMOUR | Lover immersed in nostalgia mourned (5) |
| A hidden answer ‘immersed in’ ‘nostalgiA MOURned’ | ||
| 22 | ICELANDIC | One caught in deal worried by cold language (9) |
| A charade of I (‘one’) plus C (‘caught’) plus ELANDI, an anagram (‘worried’) of ‘in deal’, plus C (‘cold’). | ||
| 24 | GINGER GROUP | Doctor interrupted by anarchic ring, rogue faction (6,5) |
| An envelope (‘interrupted by’) of INGERGROU, an anagram (‘anarchic’) of ‘ring rogue’ in GP (General Practitioner, ‘doctor’). | ||
| 25 | OFF | Bid without hesitation cancelled (3) |
| OFF[er] (‘bid’) minus ER (‘without hesitation’). | ||
| 26 | EMBRYO | Beginning year, bishop reflected in musical style (6) |
| An envelope (‘in’) of BRY, a reversal (‘reflected’) of YR (‘year’) plus B (‘bishop’) in EMO (‘musical style’). | ||
| 27 | BLUEBELL | Sad book with lines about end of fragile flower (8) |
| An envelope (‘about’) of E (‘end of fragilE‘) in BLUE (‘sad’) plus B (‘book’) plus LL (‘lines’). | ||
| Down | ||
| 1 | HOLY WRIT | Scripture worthily translated (4,4) |
| An anagram (‘translated’) of ‘worthily’. | ||
| 2 | REDIRECT | Change course of revolutionary anger with court (8) |
| A charade of RED (‘revolutionary’) plus IRE (‘anger’) plus CT (‘court’). | ||
| 3 | WIDTH | Range and depth in humour over hour (5) |
| An envelope (‘in’) of D (‘depth’) in WIT (‘humour’) plus H (‘hour’). | ||
| 4 | REVERBERATING | Resounding conclusion of censor, constantly criticising (13) |
| A charade of R (‘conclusion of censoR‘) plus EVER (‘constantly’) plus BERATING (‘criticising’). | ||
| 6 | HEADLINER | Dancing in reel, had to be star attraction (9) |
| An anagram (‘dancing’) of ‘in reel had’. | ||
| 7 | RELENT | Become less severe about period of fasting (6) |
| A charade of RE (‘about’) plus LENT (‘period of fasting’). | ||
| 8 | BEYOND | Call for attention suppressed by crook in past (6) |
| An envelope (‘suppressed by’) of YO (‘call for attention’) in BEND (‘crook’). | ||
| 11 | DYED-IN-THE-WOOL | Sort who yielded, not being inflexible (4-2-3-4) |
| An anagram (‘sort’) of ‘who yielded not’. | ||
| 15 | NOTORIETY | Infamy in denial over strange rite in play (9) |
| A charade of NO (‘denial’) plus TORIETY, an envelope (in’) of RIET, an anagram (‘strange’) of ‘rite’ in TOY (‘play’). As it is a down light, ‘over’ simply reinforces the order of the particles. | ||
| 16 | HANDSOME | Striking worker supported by a few (8) |
| A charade of HAND (‘worker’) plus SOME (‘a few’). | ||
| 17 | MERCIFUL | Variety of clue, firm kind (8) |
| An anagram (‘variety’) of ‘clue firm’. | ||
| 19 | BARGEE | Boat operator in pub with expression of surprise (6) |
| A charade of BAR (‘pub’) plus GEE (‘expression of surprise’). | ||
| 20 | HOBNOB | Mix with number in endless activity (6) |
| An envelope (‘in’) of NO (‘number’) in HOBB[y] (‘activity’) minus its last letter(‘endless’). | ||
| 23 | AMPLE | Large test, not small (5) |
| [s]AMPLE (‘test’) minus the S (‘not small’). | ||
Thanks PeterO,
I remember enjoying this puzzle. The “yo” in BEYOND was a favourite. I didn’t know the photographer but it was an anagram and so after the crossers were in it was easy to nut out.
Ditto re DAVID BAILEY. BARGEE was also new but the clue made it fairly straightforward to work out.
I also liked the reference to YO.
Thank you Everyman and PeterO.
There were some lovely surfaces here, I especially liked the clues for HOLY WRIT and DYED-IN-THE-WOOL. Incidentally, WORKHORSE had not appeared in a crossword blogged on this site since 2012, then it came up last week and again today.
I used to dismiss Everyman puzzles as easy, but having followed 225 for some months realise the failing is mine for not appreciating the difference between easy and elegant.
I also enjoy them as a welcome relief of the sometimes tortuous tussle with the Saturday prize – much like Monday’s Rufus.
It seems a shame that the same effort goes into blogging the solution but doesn’t get the same affirmation of a job well done – thanks PeterO and Everyman.
Perhaps a little more difficult than usual, especially in the SW corner? Or perhaps I’m showing my age, I had to google the musical style in 26ac and still can’t say I’m much the wiser.
Bottom left corner stumped me, especially embryo and hobnob. Never heard of the musical style.
The rest of the Kiwis must be enjoying the long weekend, and hopefully the start of summer at last. A lovely day today, and the tennis finals to look forward to this weekend.
SW corner was my last too, but stuck at it and was rewarded. Had to look up EMO once I had the word. HOBNOB was LOI, six letter words ending N_B are not terribly plentiful.
Lots to like, circled 14A and 4,8,15 and 20D for reasons various.
Thanks PeterO and Everman, yes Audrey I’m looking forward to the Roger n Rafa showdown tomorrow. Nice weekend for your bowls too.
Barrie. Yes hobnob would have been straightforward if I had got the b from embryo.
No bowls for me this weekend. Just as well as it’s too hot.
Same corner got me too, never could see HObnob at all so missed that one…only got embryo with a bit of help so same same here.
Hoping our college hill local is screening the tennis open showdown in about half an hour …as just about to go up and watch history made….hoping Rog gets it.