Everyman 3670

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Another uncontroversial, entry-level puzzle from Everyman.  A bit one-dimensional, as I’ve said before; but one-dimensional is what you want when you’re a beginner or near-beginner, because that’s who the Everyman is aimed at.

 

 

 

Abbreviations
cd  cryptic definition
dd  double definition
(xxxx)*  anagram
anagrind = anagram indicator
[x]  letter(s) removed

definitions are underlined

Across

1  Scaremonger with anxious air almost devoid of love
ALARMIST
(AIR ALM[O]ST)* with ‘anxious’ as the anagrind.

5  Colour created by revolutionary artist receiving honour
AMBER
An insertion of MBE for ‘honour’ in RA for ‘artist’ reversed.

9  Level about right for one making an effort
TRIER
An insertion of R in TIER.

10  Get rid of alien, biting back after time
ERADICATE
A charade of ERA and ET and ACID reversed.

11  Trust date chum arranged came up to expectations
CUT THE MUSTARD
(TRUST DATE CHUM)*  It’s an odd expression, so I was minded to look it up and see where it came from.  Seems like nobody really knows.

13  Container ship’s contents secured by mate
PHIAL
Everyman is asking you to put HI for the middle letters of ‘ship’ into PAL.  Most known from Romeo and Juliet, I guess, although Shakespeare spelled it VIAL.  Must be the same, though.

14  Painting wins top prize finally
LANDSCAPE
A charade of LANDS for ‘wins’, CAP for ‘top’ and E for the last letter of ‘prize’.

15  Tango one faced and accomplished for programme
TIMETABLE
A charade of T for ‘Tango’ in the phonetic alphabet, I, MET and ABLE.

17  Signify magic formula
SPELL
A dd.

18  Clubs with areas developed by resort beside lake with super casino
CAESAR’S PALACE
This setter likes his multi-part clues, doesn’t he?  A charade of C, (AREAS)* SPA for ‘resort’, L for ‘lake’ and ACE for ‘super’.  It’s in Las Vegas.

21  Pass finished film
OVERSHOOT
A charade of OVER and SHOOT.

22  Clutch, for example, ring inlaid with diamonds
PEDAL
An insertion of D in PEAL.

23  Number born after revolution in country
BENIN
A reversal of NINE B.

24  Spent day wandering to ridge
DOG-TIRED
A charade of D for ‘day’ and (TO RIDGE)*

Down

1  Expect quote about old man supporting opponent
ANTICIPATE
A charade of ANTI for ‘opponent’ over an insertion of PA for ‘old man’ in CITE for ‘quote’.

2  Adventure novelist‘s ace tip followed by aviator, endlessly immaculate
ALISTAIR MACLEAN
A charade of A, LIST, AIRMA[N] and CLEAN.  Best known for Ice Station Zebra, I imagine.

3  Officer warlike in speech
MARSHAL
A homophone of MARTIAL.

4  Vapour from south side
STEAM
A charade of S and TEAM.

5  Beasts attack in area, upset
ANIMALS
A reversal of SLAM IN A.  Good surface.

6  Drink in university with cross and doubtful expression after class
BRANDY ALEXANDER
A charade of BRAND, YALE for the ‘university’, X, AND and ER for the ‘doubtful expression’.

7  Smell river with cry of surprise
REEK
A charade of R and EEK!

8  Left gold, last of collection, in reasonable place in Switzerland
LAUSANNE
A charade of L, AU and an insertion of N for the last letter of ‘collection’ in SANE.

12  Rich source, rotter with editor
WELL-HEELED
A charade of WELL, HEEL and ED.

14  Note support and stick up for Canadian region
LABRADOR
Another charade: of LA for ‘note’, BRA for ‘support’ and ROD reversed.

16  Stare, bewildered about betrayal
TREASON
And another: (STARE)* plus ON for ‘about’.

17  Don’t move prop and frame
STAY PUT
And another: STAY plus PUT.

19  Test muddled old argument
SET-TO
(TEST)* plus O.

20  Search in company with doctor
COMB
And another charade to finish the puzzle: CO plus MB.

Many thanks to Everyman for this morning’s crossword.

22 comments on “Everyman 3670”

  2. Thanks both. Good puzzle for the slot.
    In answer to Pasquale @1, Pierre is just grumpy because of the lack of bird answers!

  4. I didn’t mean to be grudging or grumpy. The puzzle is fine for the slot, as it always is. I was just trying to say in the preamble that it must be hard to set an ‘easy’ crossword, given that the setter is probably limited in the devices that he or she can use. But what do I know about setting? I’m on the other side of the fence.

    But I’m always happy when a setter throws me a bird, that is true …

  6. Thank you Everyman and Pierre.

    I first entered ALISTAIR MACLEOD at 2d, the puzzle seeming to have a North American flavour with LABRADOR, YALE and CAESAR’S PALACE, which I had to google, but I suppose not many would classify him as an “Adventure novelist”.

    PHIAL is an everyday word for me, but I have not lived in an English speaking country for over 40 years, certainly used the word while studying for chemistry A level at Brighton Technical College, but some of the lecturers also taught pharmacy students.

  7. Much easier than last week’s but entertaining nevertheless. I know that the Everyman is supposed to be easy but I don’t always find it so. I wish that people would stop calling it a beginner’s crossword. Why not go one step further and say it is intended for simpletons !.

    Does anyone remember Spike Milligan’s one answer crossword ?
    1a The first letter of the alphabet
    1d The indefinite article

    Took me a while to get that one.

    Thanks to Pierre and Everyman for the fun.

  8. I must concur with the Don’s rating of this setter. One of the best there is – and you should see what he does when he sets a tough one.

    Just my $0.02 worth Pierre – time for *my* favourite bird now: it’s famous and its a grouse. (Not to your taste I know.)

  10. I love doing Everyman, and am always impressed with how the surface and misdirection works.
    Including today, all correct for 2017 so far.

  11. Another good Everyman, with a few unknowns for me this week that I needed the wordplay to get. Swiss places in particular aren’t my strongpoint. 🙂 I’ve been solving crosswords for donkeys years now, and still come back to Everyman every week because it’s good, and about all I have time for on a Sunday morning.

  12. I think the clue for 9a sums this up quite nicely: “Level about right for one [i.e. the beginner or rushed solver] making an effort.”

    Thanks, Everyman and Pierre.

  14. Although I have been doing Everyman’s crosswords for many years I don’t agree that this is easy nor for beginners. Today I managed all but one, Caesar’s Palace. Goodness knows why I couldn’t think of that. However I don’t call it easy.

  15. Good to see you Audrey, thought last week might have been the last we’d see of you. No doubt you’re here as your bowling green is better suited for frogs than woods? Certainly the golf club (Whitford) was badly hammered last week.

    I thought this was the best Everyman we have seen for a while. 1, 13 and 15A in particular were nice clues.

    Regarding Pierre’s observation, it would be interesting to compile a list of clue types which EM tends not to use. This week there were a preponderance of charades with a mixture of partial anagrams, deletions, insertions and reversals, a Double Definition, and a Homonym.

    So there were no straight cryptic definitions, hidden words, letter switches, &Lits, acrostics, or novelties, and it’s probably fair to say that with the possible exception of hidden words he tends not to use those other devices much, if at all. They don’t need to be harder than the devices he does employ (although switches can be devilish) so if these really are regarded as sandpit or entry level crosswords (and I think that’s harsh) then it would be a fair suggestion to provide us with exposure to a greater variety of clue types.

    I wonder whether he reads these comments?

    Anyway, thanks Pierre and EM.

  16. Agree totally with Audrey. This was one of the hardest of late, by a long way. Maybe distracted a bit by grand-daughters staying with me and cooped up inside????

  17. well! Reading that many solvers consider these beginners’ level has really put a dampener on my sense of achievement
    I’d hate to see the really hard ones. Definitely were a couple of easy clues in there but some very clever distractions also, favourites 22ac 24ac 12d for a little trickery to throw me off the scent. I would never have understood why Brandy Alexander was the answer, it just jumped off the page as a good fit. I enjoy reading the explanations when I have no idea as to the full reason an answer is an answer.
    I still feel I’ve done well despite what they say in the uk!

  18. Found this one reasonably easy, but could not parse “brandy alexander”. Still can’t actually. Where does “brand” come from? Is it brand=class??? If so, this is pretty opaque.

    I am not a beginner; have been doing cryptics for donkeys’ years. I find Everyman just barely do-able, but do-able enough so that I can usually get there. The cryptics that the afficianados would consider to be sufficiently hard (i.e. most of those that I see in the Guardian Weekly) are just impossible for me, and where’s the fun in that?

    Oddly, I found puzzles by the late great Araucaria to be, for the most part, do-able, but my impression was that he was considered OK by the cryptic snobs.
    Somehow I was able to get on his wavelength.

  19. Rolf @ 18,
    I believe ‘Brand’ in this instance is used in the sense of what you do when you brand livestock – you class them as owned by whomever the brand belongs to. Yes this is a slightly long bow, but I am guessing probably acceptable for crossword use.
    Also a practice less common here in NZ as ear-tags predominate, but I think it is still used for race horse identification.

  20. Good on you Pierre, you’ve obviously stirred the pot and got more feedback this week than usual. In my case; often when I find it straight forward (as per last week), others claim it to be difficult and when I struggle (quite often I might add) others claim it is easy. That tells me it’s about right. Now if it comes under the definition of “beginners” level so be it; I’ve obviously been a beginner most of my life. Unfortunately it doesn’t extend to being asked for my ID when I’m purchasing alcohol these days!

    Struggled a bit with the geographical questions this week (not having heard of 2 of them and not knowing how to spell the Swiss one) but fortunately was able to fill in the spots where required.

    Thanks to all.

  21. Thanks for all the Antipodean comments. Listen, I didn’t mean to stir the pot; I was just saying that the Everyman is a good starter for those new to cryptics. The reason I say that is that it was my entry into the dark arts a few years ago now. First few I tried I got nowhere apart from a few anagrams; but then I kept practising and gently got to understand how a few of the other clue types worked. Am I doing the Inquisitor or Azed now? No. But I’m enjoying solving and blogging Everyman and having a go at the Guardian and Indy dailies.

    I’m sure I’ve said this before, but for newer solvers there’s a puzzle called the Quiptic which is available online only on the Guardian crossword website every Monday.

    Happy Autumn to our NZ folk. The snowdrops are out here.

  22. I haven’t been doing crossies for a while but picked up the papers at my folks place over the weekend. I enjoyed this one and aside from LABRADOR got the all others.

    Re: difficulty level of EM. Hard to say really. Sometimes I can only manage a handful of clues. Other times I smash them out in 1/2 hour tops. So I don’t think you can call them easy or hard. It depends on the crossie you have in front of you.

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