Guardian Cryptic 27,120 by Screw

by

The puzzle may be found at https://www.theguardian.com/crosswords/cryptic/27120.

That was definitely hard work, with the left half remaining open for a long time, despite getting 2D as my first one in. Unfortunately, there are a couple of clues that I feel fall short, to mar an otherwise impressive effort.

Across
1 RIP-OFF Cheat‘s making cut, under par (3-3)
A charade of RIP (‘cut’) plus OFF (‘under par’ in health). The hyphen in the answer suggests a noun, with ‘cheat’ as a deception.
5 RICKSHAW Forgetting those in loo, hustled workaholics into vehicle (8)
An anagram (‘hustled’) of ‘w[o]rkah[ol]ics’ minus ‘loo’ (‘those in’ presumably meaning “the letters of”).
9, 16 STANDING ROOM ONLY Just union’s deputy, perhaps, is very busy (8,4,4)
A charade of STAND-IN GROOM (‘union’s deputy’) plus ONLY (‘just’).
10 BYE-BYE Extras see you later (3-3)
A charade of BYE (‘extra’) plus BYE (another one, hence the plural).
11 YETI It’s never been found by certain odd ones out (4)
Even numbered letters (‘odd ones out’) of ‘bY cErTaIn’.
12 SIMULATION Diving, say, until I am so shattered (10)
An anagram (‘shattered’) of ‘until I am so’. ‘Diving’ as in a footballer’s bag of tricks.
13 CLOG UP Stop breaking trophy’s record (4,2)
An envelope (‘breaking’) of LOG (‘record’) in CUP (‘trophy’). The apostrophe s in ‘trophy’s’ must be interpreted as “is”‘, to go with ‘breaking’.
14 NUMERATE Able to do maths, working out true mean (8)
An anagram (‘working out’) of ‘true mean’.
16   See 9
19 RIBAND Strip of those playing for Rhode Island (6)
R.I. BAND (‘those playing for Rhode Island’), for the alternative spelling of ribbon.
21 LEGITIMATE Run away with one friend to fair (10)
A charade of LEG IT (‘run away’) plus I (‘one’) plus MATE (‘friend’).
23 BUST Pinch boobs (4)
Double definition, although I am not entirely happy with the first, which I suppose is in the meaning of arrest.
24 SHUT IT Pipe down building’s in position (4,2)
An envelope (‘in’) of HUT (‘building’) in SIT (‘position’ as a verb).
25 DROP SHOT Andy Murray’s choice sinks in (4,4)
A charade of DROPS (‘sinks’) plus HOT(‘in’), with an extended definition.
26 PRINTOUT Torn up, it’s rubbish (8)
An anagram (‘rubbish’) of ‘torn up it’; an &lit with a rather weak allusive definition.
27 ENTOMB Inter Milan’s first on bet slips (6)
An anagram (‘slips’) of ‘on bet’ plus M (‘Milan’s first’).
Down
2 IN THE ALTOGETHER Naked, I then hassled singer — what a diva! (2,3,10)
A charade of IN THE, an anagram (‘hassled’) of ‘I then’ plus ALTO (‘singer’) plus GET HER (‘what a diva!’).
3 OINKING Nothing in piece to suggest porker cries (7)
A charade of O (‘nothing’) plus ‘in’ plus KING (chess ‘piece’).
4 FLIES OPEN Reacts violently to blows, boxers revealed? (5,4)
Double definition: the ‘blows’ being winds and their effect on a door or window, say.
5 REGIMEN Large group’s brief that sets out course (7)
A subtraction: REGIMEN[t] (‘large group’)  minus its last letter (‘brief’).
6 CABAL Party leads to chaos after boozy antics listed (5)
First letters (‘leads’) of ‘Chaos After Boozy Antics Listed’.
7 SHELTER Covering lieutenant’s rank being put up (7)
An envelope (‘covering’) of LT (‘lieutenant’) in SHEER (‘rank’ as in “rank disobedience”).
8 ANY PORT IN A STORM Take whatever’s offered — it could make you party on! (3,4,2,1,5)
A wordplay-in-the-answer: ‘party on’ is an anagram (IN A STORM) of ‘any port’.
15 MORSE CODE Dashing chap uses it in messages (5,4)
I can only see a cryptic definition; if so, come back Rufus, all is forgiven.
17 MOISTEN Wet chamois tends to gather (7)
A hidden answer (‘to gather’) in ‘chaMOIS TENds’.
18 YEAR DOT Ready to burst ages ago (4,3)
An anagram (‘burst’) of ‘ready to’.
20 BABYSIT Temporarily take issue by agreement (7)
Cryptic definition.
22 INTRO Opening fortnightly shows up (5)
A hidden answer (‘shows’) reversed (‘up’ in a down light) in ‘fORTNIght’, for the opening passage of a song.
completed grid

52 comments on “Guardian Cryptic 27,120 by Screw”

  1. Never been @ 1 before! Uncharacteristically easy for Screw, I thought.
    Thanks to Peter O and Screw. I’ll try to sleep now.

  3. I thought this was very difficult but very enjoyable too. It felt like the setter was channelling Rufus and Paul.

    Highlights were RICKSHAW, LEGITIMATE, DROP SHOT and IN THE ALTOGETHER. I agree that BUST was a little weak but, just to be a contrarian, I enjoyed both PRINTOUT and MORSE CODE.

    Thanks to PeterO and Screw.

  4. Thanks to Screw and PeterO.

    Unlike Auriga@1, I didn’t find this puzzle easy as it took me quite a while, but I found it a satisfying solve in the end.

    I enjoyed the two long clues 2d IN THE ALTOGETHER and 8d ANY PORT IN A STORM. My other favourite was 4d FLIES OPEN. Yes, as matrixmania@3 says – Screw was possibly channeling Paul in 2d and 4d, as well as in 23a BUST, which contrary to PeterO, I quite liked. I must be feeling mellow today as I also found the two Rufusian-style cryptic definitions, 15d MORSE CODE and 20d BABYSIT, quite clever.

  7. Auriga, the the process of feigning or pretending (= simulation) to have been the victim of a violent tackle in soccer. Hope that helps.

  8. Auriga @6 – I don’t know an awful lot about football but I think when a football dives he is pretending (simulation) that he has been fouled by being tripped up

  10. I thought I posted earlier, but it seems to have disappeared . . . Like Auriga, I found this a lot easier than most puzzles by Screw. I was also bemused by BUST and not so sure about FLIES OPEN, but loved STANDING ROOM ONLY, ENTOMB, RICKSHAW and ANY PORT IN A STORM. Many thanks to Screw and PeterO.

  11. Thank you, PeterO.

    I found this full of wit and fun if a little strained in places.

    I ticked IN THE ALTOGETHER (mainly for the GET HER gag), STANDING ROOM ONLY, YEAR DOT, & BABY SIT (a little weary but still love it).

    Stared at a few for some time before they sank in. I love clues like that.

    Not all that happy with RIP = cut. I accept that there is a rip saw for cutting across the grain of wood but that’s the only reference Chambers offers and I don’t think it’s enough, really.

    Other than that very minor quibble, I enjoyed this off-beat offering very much.

    Many thanks, to the left-handed Screw.

    Nice week, all.

  13. I liked 2d and 9a particularly. But rickshaw was clumsy and any port.. doesn’t make sense. ‘Taken whenever offered ‘ would have. Good challenge all round though

  14. Thank you Screw and PeterO.

    I found this easier than most of Screw’s puzzles, and really enjoyed it. The only definition I did not understand was “diving”, how I hate the sissy ‘game’ of football. The clues for RICKSHAW and IN THE ALTOGETHER were great, and I loved PRINTOUT, MORSE CODE and BABYSIT.

    Thankfully ‘true mean’ was not the definition for 14a…

  17. Had a busy day and was too tired to complete this so I gave up after solving just over half of the clues.

    It was interesting to read the blog.

    Thanks Peter and Screw

  18. This had the highest quotient of laughs of any daily for quite a while. I loved GET HER, the STAND-IN GROOM and LEG IT. I thought PRINTOUT was very good as an &lit.
    I’m not sure “by agreement” adds much to 20. The “diving” I first thought of in 12 was that exhibited by bought-off boxers.
    I like this a lot – it was right in my Goldilocks zone.
    Thanks, Screw and PeterO.

  21. Enjoyed this one a lot – not as tricky as some of Screw’s previous puzzles but maybe I am just more on the right wavelength now. RICKSHAW was last in – liked that, PRINTOUT and ENTOMB. rip = cut was common parlance when I was at school in the 70s so I am surprised that caused any controversy…

    Thanks to Screw and PeterO

  22. William, does Chambers really define ripsaw as a saw for cutting across the grain? If so, it’s wrong – a ripsaw is for cutting with the grain (ripping). The one for cutting across is a crosscut saw.

  23. Thanks Screw and Peter0. I found this much easier than the usual Screw offering, helped by the two long down write ins (which I got but couldn’t understand – thanks for the explanations).

    I have now had Danny Kaye’s “The King is in the Altogether” running round my head all day …

  24. Held up in the SW by having dashed in SHUT UP at 24a. Finally decided on a rethink as I*P** (the wonderful PRINTOUT not having then fallen) rendered nothing useful at 22d. I liked the STAND-IN GROOM and the diva, so it’s a shame we had the bathetic FLIES OPEN as well.

  25. Thanks to Screw and PeterO. I had my usual trouble with this setter but did finally muddle through. I needed help parsing STANDING ROOM and, though I saw the PRINTOUT anagram, did not spot the connection. I did not have trouble with BUST as “arrest” (maybe that’s more common in US parlance) and BABYSIT was my LOI (and much enjoyed).

  26. The good ones were very good, but the weak clues were very weak I thought. I’m impressed by all those who found this easy. I’m also surprised that the puzzle is getting so much praise. 12, 23, 26 across and 3, 4 and 15 down all needed editorial work I thought. I got printout straight away but didn’t enter it because even now it seems very feeble. Have a cold so probably it’s just me but Screw today brought me intermittent pleasure and plenty of irritation. Thanks PeterO. And thanks Screw particularly for 5, 9, 16, 11 across and 2d.

  27. I was another SHUT UP which delayed me and made 22dn impossible. Otherwise,with the possible exception of the clunky RICKSHAW, this was much easier than usual for Screw and I really enjoyed it. I’ve also managed to prevent myself from making smutty remarks involving the name of the setter!
    Thanks Screw.

  28. Blank spaces and blank facts for a while then when 2d went it was steady and very satisfying work. Nice surfaces throughout. Like beeryhiker, our last in was rickshaw which came out of the blue. Thanks to everyone.

  30. Like William @11, “I found this full of wit and fun if a little strained in places.”

    Unlike you, Peter, I filled in the left side quite readily, starting with 2d. The right half was more of a challenge, mainly because it took me a while to get the long one: 8d.

    As I said, though, I enjoyed this on the whole. I was quite lucky to get 1a RIP-OFF, 4d FLIES OPEN and 5d REGIMEN without much help from the clues, and that made for quite a quick solve.

    In 26 PRINTOUT, if a definition had been added, as in, e.g.,
    “Hard copy – torn up, it’s rubbish (8)”
    it would have been too easy. So I can see why the ‘rather weak’ &lit stood.

    My last in was 27 ENTOMB, my favourite.

    Thanks Screw and PeterO.

  31. Thanks Screw and PeterO.

    Just finished. PRINTOUT was LOI. Really liked STANDING ROOM ONLY, having suffered Southeastern sending only a 6 coach train this morning, rather than the usual 12.

  32. I agree with those who found this easier than normal for Screw, with a few on the left side holding me up longer. Printout was my LOI, and I failed to parse it correctly (reading it just as an oddly elliptical cryptic definition); thanks for that.

    I’m surely one of the only solvers who saw “those playing for Rhode Island” and actually thought of the Rams. (Not as a solution, of course; Rhode Island is pretty much always R.I. in these things…)

  33. Thanks both,

    This had the best laughs this year for me in 2d and 21a and a delayed one for 9,16 when I read the parsing here. Last one in was 3d where I toyed with ‘howling’ and ‘honking’ until I got 1a. 27a was pretty clever.

  35. Thank you Screw, I enjoyed this, although for me the RHS took far too long!! And thank you PeterO for helping me see the light!!
    I come here most days, and it seems a while since I have seen a comment from Muffin. Has anybody else missed him? Now, I generally disagree with his views and find he nit-picks far too much, but I would hate to think he is indisposed!! So, if you are out there Muffin please let us know you are OK.

  36. PeterO @15 Apologies, had to step out.

    Brilliant quote, bravo. The Bard makes his own rules, however, and I still don’t think there’s enough for the link, but it’s probably a great deal closer than many others we’ve come across.

  37. I am with Xjpotter@15, a curate’s egg, apart from 3 and 4 down, which I thought were good.

    Thanks PeterO and Screw

  40. I enjoyed this but needed Peter O for the DIVING explanation. I mistakenly thought it was something like synchronised swimming as an Olympic event.

    2D was a beauty when I got it. I initially had the def at the end, beginning with IS ONE, but couldn’t finish it. The phrase is not one commonly used over here, or maybe over there, anymore but it exposed itself eventually. Loved the GET HER. And in FLIES OPEN, ‘boxers revealed’ I read as underwear!

    Took a while to get ‘Andy Murray’s choice’. I only knew that he is a Scottish tennis player, and with the crossers was trying to work out an answer with SCOT and maybe a political stance he had taken over independence or Brexit or paying taxes or whatever.

    PRINTOUT I took a step too far, and figured that a printout without print would indeed be rubbish with torn only as part of the anagram fodder.But I like it just the way it is.

  42. I dislike clumsy constructions such as “Stop breaking trophy’s record” and “Covering lieutenant’s rank…..”. To me they are the wrong way round, requiring an unnatural shift from what they logically mean, and would never be actually said.
    Morse code makes neither cryptic or surface sense.
    And what is “you” doing in 8 down?
    I did like IN THE ALTOGETHER, STANDING ROOM ONLY and SIMULATION.
    Thanks S&B

  43. Normally really like Screw, but agree with jecaris and other not fans today, although since “Rickshaw” was our FOI, don’t think that was ‘clunky’ at all! But what no theme? Surely we were entitled to a theme on Valentine’s Day?

  44. Enjoyed this one a lot.

    Like matrixmania @3 above, I also thought this felt like a mix of Paul and Rufus – (two of my favourite setters) – and overall had a nice balance of clues having different levels of difficulty.

    and I too was impressed by the PRINTOUT &lit.

    Plus I appreciated the absence of any dubious single-letter abbreviations (time = t etc), or hackneyed old ones (model = t etc) that do tend to irritate me in some other puzzles

    And I always enjoy a good reverse-engineered anagram (ANY PORT IN A STORM)

    So, thanks!

  45. There was a lot more to like than not for me and everything was gettable even if there were quibbles. 3d took me along time because I had CLAMUP in for 13a – another one for my “if it doesn’t parse it isn’t right” notebook. 27a was a brilliant clue and lovely PDM and LOI. Thank you Screw and PeterO.

  47. Phyllida @46
    ‘&lit’ means the clue as a whole provides both the wordplay and a definition (or indication) of the answer. ‘rubbish’ indicates an anagram (of ‘torn up it’), and a printout, if torn up, is rubbish. Sometimes this type of clue, which is quite rare, is called ‘wordplay intertwined with definition’ (WIWD).

  48. Phyllida @46
    This may be too late, but I meant to add @47 that in my earlier comment on this page (@30) I speculated that if the setter had provided an explicit separate definition, as in, e.g.
    “Hard copy – torn up, it’s rubbish (8)”
    the clue might have been too easy.

  49. Thank you Alan B. I dont think I like this kind of clue at all! And it should be ‘torn up it’s’ not ‘it’. Might have got it otherwise…!!

  51. phyllida @50
    “it’s” was necessary for the clue as a whole to read smoothly and for the ‘&lit’ device to work, and I personally found that ok. “it’s” means ‘it is’, and if you read that part of the clue as “‘torn up it’ is rubbish” it works fine as an anagram. A liberty might have been taken with punctuation, but I believe that’s always acceptable.

  52. phyllida @50, me @51
    Having read what I’ve just written, I realise that “it’s” wasn’t actually necessary for the surface reading of the clue. The setter could have substituted “it is” in full, but I still find the original clue perfectly ok.
    (Sorry, PeterO, for my continued late comments!)

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