Guardian Cryptic 27,139 by Chifonie

by

Found this extremely straightforward – favourites were 11ac and 8dn. Thanks, Chifonie

Across
1 CHAGALL Artist shows impertinence after tea (7)
  =Marc Chagall [wiki].
GALL=”impertinence” after CHA=”tea”
5 ILLNESS It could give one a bad head (7)
  ILL=”bad”; plus NESS=”head”[land]
9 DEPOT Mark stores record in warehouse (5)
  DOT=”Mark”, around E[xtended] P[lay]=”record”
10 INTUITION Sixth sense needed in schooling (9)
  IN; plus TUITION=”schooling”
11 LEADING MAN Star puts bullets into FBI agent (7,3)
  LEAD [as in metal]=”bullets”; plus IN=”into” and G-MAN=”FBI agent”/Government Man
12 PEST Paddy harbours small annoyance (4)
  PET=a sulk=”Paddy”, around S[mall]
14 GOOD SPIRITS Happy mood obtained through strong drink (4,7)
  GOOD SPIRITS could also be “strong drink”
18 CHAIN STITCH Fastens shirt with irritation? It’s a feature of the fabric! (5,6)
  =a stitch in sewing or knitting.
CHAINS=”Fastens”; plus T=”shirt”; plus ITCH=”irritation”
21 RUDE Daughter’s about to regret being un­pleasant (4)
  D[aughter] has RUE=”to regret” around/”about” it
22 CONCLUSIVE Vice-consul managed to be emphatic (10)
  (Vice-consul)*
25 ALLOWANCE Financial support for a new local development (9)
  (a new local)*
26 TIARA Headdress is first-class in design, on reflection (5)
  AI=A1=”first-class” in ART=”design”; all reversed/”on reflection”
27 EXPRESS Squeeze out of train (7)
  double definition
28 PRESENT It is given here (7)
  double definition
Down
1 CODDLE Protect theologian imprisoned by old king (6)
  D[octor of] D[ivinity]=”theologian”, inside “old king” COLE [wiki]
2 APPEAL Beg a copper to ring (6)
  A; plus P[enny]=”copper”; plus PEAL=”ring”
3 ASTRINGENT Under terrible strain, fellow is bitter (10)
  (strain)*, plus GENT=”fellow”
4 LYING Being prone to dishonesty (5)
  LYING=”Being prone”; and &lit
5 INTRANSIT Isn’t train moving? It’s on it’s way! (2,7)
  (Isn’t train)*
6 LAID One embraced by boy is placed horizontally (4)
  I=”One”, inside LAD=”boy”
7 EPIDEMIC Plague is half the content of a poem (8)
  DEMI=”half” inside EPIC=”poem”
8 SANITISE It is insane to make something acceptable? (8)
  IT IS in/SANE
13 SILHOUETTE Outline for renovated hotel suite (10)
  (hotel suite)*
15 OUTGOINGS Extrovert’s expenditure (9)
  OUTGOING’S=”Extrovert’s”
16 SCARFACE Stole whizz for a notorious gangster (8)
  =a gangster from the film of the same name [wiki]
SCARF=”Stole”; plus ACE=”whizz”
17 HANDCLAP Show approval of operative on strike (8)
  HAND=”operative” on CLAP=”strike”
19 TIRADE In business one gets criticism (6)
  TRADE=”business”, with I=”one” getting inside
20 RECANT Soldier is unable to withdraw (6)
  R[oyal] E[ngineer]=”soldier”; plus CAN’T=”is unable to”
23 CHEAP Shoddy cold store (5)
  C[old], plus HEAP=”store”
24 TWEE Precious part of a perfect weekend (4)
  Hidden in [perfec]T WEE[kend]

49 comments on “Guardian Cryptic 27,139 by Chifonie”

  2. Thanks manehi and Chifonie.

    As you, I found this quite straightforward, and enjoyable. Needed the T of CHAIN STITCH explaining, and (LOI) SCARFACE, too, but oh so obvious now.

  3. All very straightforward but fun nevertheless. Not every puzzle needs to last longer than a cup of coffee. But I was irked by the “bonus” apostrophe in 5d!

  4. Think I spent as long on CHAIN STITCH and SCARFACE as I did for all the rest of the puzzle! Just one of those blindspot days, I guess.

    Thanks Chifonie (and manehi).

  5. I had the same experience as @4 Chris… held up for a bit at the end of a quick solve by CHAIN STITCH and SCARFACE. But did not see this as a blind spot: they were genuinely trickier to work out than the rest, until the first part of each (scarf and then chain/s) clicked. I get the impression Chifonie does sometimes make a point of slipping in some clues that stand out as more testing, to stop it being too much of a clear run. (Discuss.)

  6. Thanks Chifonie and manehi

    What matrixmania said @3. I liked LEADING MAN and the anagram for SILHOUETTE.

    I had HIGH SPIRITS first – just as good, but didn’t fit with ASTRINGENT!

  7. Echoing Chris @ 4, I spent as long on CHAIN STITCH and SCARFACE as I did for the rest of the puzzle! It was a bit too easy for a non-Monday puzzle, but never mind. I liked CHAIN STITCH, LEADING MAN, EPIDEMIC and SANITISE. Thanks to Chifonie and manehi.

  8. Thanks, manehi, not much to tax your capabilities this morning.

    Pleasant enough solve but my tea was still hot by the time SCARFACE went in.

    Some elegant clueing as in LYING & PRESENT but what on earth might, “Stole whizz for a notorious gangster” mean?

    Thank you, Chifonie, nice week, all.

  9. Thanks, both. As others have, I found this pretty straightforward, with CHAIN STITCH and SCARFACE temporary obstacles.
    William @8 = ‘whizz’ is street slang for amphetamines.
    But look at the surfaces – every one a lovely little cameo. Brummie yesterday, look and learn!

  10. I am not big on the timing thing in terms of my solves, but I kind of wished I had put on a clock for this puzzle, as it was the fast and the furious here in Australia, and I think it may have been a personal best in terms of finishing a puzzle.

    There may be criticisms that it was too easy, but I found it a well-clued puzzle with most surfaces working well (just not really sure about “Stole whizz for a notorious gangster” in 16d).

    So many circles around the clues I enjoyed that I won’t bore you all by listing them. (But as a teacher who has just retired for the third time, I must say I loved 10a, INTUITION.)

    Many thanks to Chifonie for a little test of how far I have come in my ability to solve, a self-belief I often question when I come up against a real doozy of a puzzle. And thanks too to manehi and other commentators.

    quenbarrow@5 – re discussion – I think it’s true that there are usually a couple of more testing elements in Chifonie’s puzzles – I look forward to the day when I say “It was a write-in” for any puzzle – and this wasn’t, despite what I have said about solving it quite quickly (for me). As you and others have said, such elements as CHAIN STITCH at 18a and SCARFACE at 16d also gave me cause for pause.

  11. Thanks Roger@9 for your streetwise info re “whizz” (we crossed) – I withdraw my criticism of the surface for 16d, SCARFACE. Apologies to Chifonie.

  12. Sorry should have acknowledged you, William@8, as well, as I meant to say I agreed with you about that weird whizz clue…

  13. All very straightforward except that I struggled to see PADDY=PET which meant PEST was last in. Would have been fine for a Monday – my problem with Chifonie is just that his crosswords seem a little dull in comparison to most of the Guardian’s setters – there is far more humour in Rufus…

    Thanks to Chifonie and manehi

  15. I’m with matrixmania @3 about the greengrocer’s apostrophe in 5d. There is a cab firm in Chesterfield called Alfies Taxi’s.

  16. All very pleasant and straight-forward. Just seemed to slot in with TIRADE the last.

    Thanks Chifonie and manehi

  17. Thank you Chifonie and manehi, and Roger @9 for explaining ‘whizz’.

    A very pleasant puzzle, lovely smooth surfaces to the clues, but over too soon. The second outing for King Cole this month.

  18. I agree with the majority of the comments already made. In relation to SCARFACE, I am in accord with manehi and Carol @14 in thinking that someone who is a whizz at something is very good at it ie an ace. This may well be slang but it is widely used – at least up here in Lancashire! Thanks to Chifonie and manehi.

  19. Mostly solved on Tottenham Hale train station waiting for the delayed 0952, so 5d went down a whizz (original meaning) with this solver. But alas was half way up the Lea valley before lengthy staring at 7d finished the job. Annoying when that happens.

  20. Thanks Chifonie and manehi.

    I was looking for ‘pee’ (= whizz) in 16 but it didn’t fit in. Mostly straightforward but the last few took as long as the rest of the puzzle.

    I did particularly like LEADING MAN.

  21. Julie in Oz @12 No problem at all, our posts were only a few minutes apart.

    Roger @9 “Whizz” makes sense now, many thanks.

  22. Wow! I finished this in about 20 minutes. I just started typing in and it kept getting filled in. Although, 12a could only be one thing, I couldn’t parse it. Based on my usual solving times, I have either become very brainy suddenly, or this one was surprisingly easy. Thanks Chifonie for giving me a high.Thanks manehi for the confirmation of the answers and explaining PEST. Still do not know why Pet = Paddy, but hey-ho, basking in the rare glory of finishing a crossword super quick without any external aids.

  23. I got all of this done last night except CHAIN STITCH, SCARFACE (along with others) and TIRADE (along with Fohan).

    I really liked the anagram of VICE CONSUL for CONCLUSIVE. SILHOUETTE was clever too.

    I’m not sure about “Good spirits for “strong drink.” Rotgut may be strong, but it isn’t good.

    Haven’t we had the rude/rued clue recently?

  25. This was enjoyable but quick! As with other people, it was only really CHAIN STITCH and SCARFACE that slowed me down.

    I’m not convinced that HANDCLAP can be a verb.

  26. I thought I was doing well with this one, and then it fell apart as I had cross stitch…not chain….the irritation bit fooled me.
    10a and 11a my favourites.

  27. Mrs W got to this one first and there were just the ones mentioned by others left to tease out. Most things have already been said and as usual JinA encapsulates it for me. One day I’ll post first and see if it works the other way round :-).
    Plenty to enjoy without being pushed to the max – thanks Chifonie and Manehi.

  28. Straightforward fill in for a warm Wednesday lunchtime. Scarface was last in but we didn’t parse it ’til afterwards. Bagel-are you a Chesterfield-er? We are from there originally. Thanks to everyone

  29. Thanks to Chifonie and manehi. I had no trouble with SCARFACE but did struggle with CHAIN STITCH and paddy=pet for PEST. Very enjoyable.

  30. This was quite good fun,if a little on the easy side. I didn’t like PEST much, and rather agree with BH@ 13. It was my LOI as well.
    Thanks Chifonie.

  31. Had a job with PEST . didn’t ‘ realize that pet was a sulk ergo PADDY. Thank chifonie

  32. I agree with JimS about handclap, especially since the clue could easily have acknowledged it as a noun by using “showing” instead of “show”. Other examples of sloppy clueing: “Good” in 14 fits the solution but is a weak representation of “strong”, as is “criticism” for tirade in 19.

    11 and 7 were very nice, though.

  34. Thanks all
    Having thoroughly enjoyed the novelty of Philistine’s Saturday puzzle, I am happy to forgive the dullness of Wednesday’s.

  35. This was a bit like Rufus under another name – which is meant as a compliment, since I like the Rufus style.

    Thanks to Chifonie and manehi.

  36. I completed this no problem. SCARFACE seemed obvious to me. Oddly enough, my last in was TIRADE.

  38. I don’t think SCARFACE was a reference to the film as Manehi suggests – “scarface” was also Al Capone’s nickname.

  40. I note that probably only 4 to 5 women comment here as compared to well over 40 men, what does this indicate on Global Women’s Day?

  42. That should be probably be “well over 30 men”, was counting on my fingers while I scrolled down, tired after cooking for “the family” at the age of 75 years, probably the other women who did not have time for the crossword were occupied with work plus similar family duties.

  44. Cookie & muffin

    Of 805 respondents to a recent survey of cryptic crossword solvers, 173 (21%) were female. This is one of the findings of recent research into cryptic crossword solving by Buckingham University, as reported last year.

    One might expect to find a similar percentage among the regular contributors to the Guardian pages of this site, but from your quick count it seems to fall a bit short of that.

    This information does nothing, of course, to answer the question Why?, which both of you have touched on.

  45. Well, Cookie @40, this woman is doing her tiny bit to redress the balance while it is still (just) GWD.

    A straightforward puzzle with good surfaces, some nice anagrams and enough misdirection to keep it interesting. It would have made a good Quiptic. Favourites were RUDE and SANITISE.

    Thanks, Chifonie and manehi.

  46. Maybe most of the women who enjoy these sites are like me, content to solve the puzzle and read the comments without joining the conversations.

  47. I completely agree with Terrier. I often read the blog but have never had anything useful to add.

  49. RCWhiting @48

    A lot of nicknames include a first name (such as mine) or some other gender clue (like WhiteKing or El Inglés). I think perhaps women may be more likely to use a gender-neutral nickname, though, so that may bias the results

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