Guardian Cryptic 27,155 by Chifonie

by

Apologies for the later blog than usual.

A lovely puzzle with many elegant constructions – I particularly liked 4ac, 12ac, 20ac, 2dn, 10dn and 16dn. Thanks, Chifonie

Across
1 FULMAR Bird has a long way to go round German city (6)
=a seabird. FAR=”long way” around ULM=”German city”
4 GRATEFUL Obliged to pull back, when about to consider force (8)
LUG=”pull”, reversed/”back” and around RATE=”consider” plus F[orce]
9 ROMAN Classical tale of chivalry (5)
double definition, or perhaps a crypitic definition: ROMAN=medieval romance or “tale of chivalry”
10 PAVILIONS Father has half a dozen cats in the buildings (9)
PA=”Father” plus VI=6 in Roman numerals=”half a dozen” plus LIONS=”cats”
11 SWISS ROLL Will Ross’s cooked a cake (5,4)
(Will Ross’s)*
12 BRIDE Union member died, tucking into cheese (5)
“Union” meaning marriage. D[ied] in BRIE=”cheese”
13 DELIBERATION Thought of French freedom (12)
DE=”of [in] French” plus LIBERATION=”freedom”
17 ARISTOPHANES A senatorship arranged for Greek writer (12)
(a senatorship)*
20 RHONE Castle by edge of river (5)
R[ook]=”Castle” in chess; plus HONE=”edge”=sharpen
21 IRASCIBLE Cook rice with basil and make it snappy (9)
(rice basil)*
23 CASSOWARY Firm about nitwit’s suspicious bird (9)
CO[mpany]=”Firm” around ASS=”nitwit” plus WARY=”suspicious”
24 ACTED Bill and Edward played (5)
Edit thanks to mij: AC[count]=”Bill” plus TED=”Edward” works better
ACT=result of a parliamentary “Bill” plus ED[ward]
25 STRIATED Said scripture lesson is included? It’s barred! (8)
=marked with parallel lines. STATED=”Said”, with R[eligious] I[nstruction]=”scripture lesson” included inside
26 SHADED Bill’s cast out, but protected (6)
=protected/sheltered from light and heat. AD[vertisement]=”Bill”, with SHED=”cast” outside it
Down
1 FIRESIDE If upset, stay at home (8)
(if)* plus RESIDE=”stay”
2 LIMPIDLY Hobble lethargically, but clearly (8)
LIMP IDLY=”Hobble lethargically”
3 AUNTS Relatives socially acceptable to be introduced to community workers (5)
U=U[pper class]=”socially acceptable”, inside ANTS=”community workers”
5 REVOLUTIONARY Rex gets Darwinian novel (13)
R[ex] plus EVOLUTIONARY=”Darwinian”
6 TOLLBOOTH Ring assassin, where charge is made (9)
TOLL=”Ring” of a bell; plus John Wilkes BOOTH=”assassin” of Abraham Lincoln
7 FLORIN In favour of accepting a pound in coin (6)
FOR=”In favour of”, around L[ibra]=”pound”, plus IN
8 LESSEN “Make a reduction in class”, we’re told (6)
homophone of ‘lesson’=”class… we’re told”
10 PROCRASTINATE Wonky taps in reactor cause delay (13)
(taps in reactor)*
14 BARCELONA Orchestra leader wears clean bra made in Spain (9)
O[rchestra] inside (clean bra)*
15 UNABATED Relentless girl hit newsman (8)
UNA=”girl” plus BAT=”hit” plus ED[itor]=”newsman”
16 ASCENDED Rose, like Charlie, has finished (8)
AS=”like” plus C[harlie] in the phonetic alphabet plus ENDED=”has finished”
18 BRACES Supporters of British champions (6)
BR[itish] plus ACES=”champions”
19 MOUSER Doctor gets addict a useful cat (6)
=a cat good at catching mice. M[edical] O[fficer]=”Doctor” plus [drug] USER=”addict”
22 CRASH Tory’s skin problem leads to collapse (5)
C[onservative]=”Tory” plus RASH=”skin problem”

25 comments on “Guardian Cryptic 27,155 by Chifonie”

  2. Thanks manehi.

    To my shame, I didn’t actually spot that this was not Rufus – I just thought he’d found a purple patch!

    I ticked virtually the same ones as you although had to look up ARISTPHANES.

    I thought more fun could have been had with SWISS ROLL, though…something about the part of William Tell on the radio, perhaps?

    Many thanks, Chifonie, nice week, all.

  3. Nice to see a change for a Monday, with some lengthy get-able anagrams breaking the ice. A pleasant solve all round with some new words to me inc 25a), 2d) and 1a), which was my last one in; had never heard of the city but dredged up a distant memory of the bird’s name just in time!

    Favourites: 23a), 19d)

  4. The first time to be first reply. Thanks for the blog manehi. You helped explain Rhone. Surely hone is sharpen, not edge. We found this at the harder end of Monday solves, with the north west corner the hardest. But we made it and as you say – several very nice clues. (especially tollbooth)

  6. More elegant than Rufus but rather easier. FLORIN delayed me for rather too long but otherwise enjoyable.
    Thanks Chifonie.

  8. Thanks Chifonie and manehi
    Very pleasant,with LIMPIDLY my favourite. I pasred ACTED the same way as mij @5, but manehi’s works as well.

    [We visited Ulm with a friend. She told us a story associated with the city. Seven (?) brothers were trying to carry a long log through the city gates, but it wouldn’t go through. They then saw a sparrow turn a piece of straw longways to take it through a small hole, and worked out that they needed to turn the log round to go through the gates!. The sparrow is now on the city flag.]

  9. Thanks to Chifonie and manehi. FULMAR was new to me (and I kept trying to squeeze in Ems, not Ulm); ditto for TOLL BOOTH where I started with Call, not Toll; but the crossers prevailed. Very enjoyable.

  10. Not seen Chifonie for a while. Nice steady Monday puzzle. Loved limpidly but not sure about roman. Couldn’t be anything else when the crossers went in, of course. Thanks to everyone.

  11. Thank you Chifonie and manehi.

    I was another who started with CALL, not TOLL, for the BOOTH. I liked the anagrams for ARISTOPHANES and PROCRASTINATE!

  12. Thank you both, Chifonie and manehi — most enjoyable. 1a was in straightaway, because of the German tonguetwister, which Muffin may have been told: “in Ulm, um Ulm und um Ulm herum”.

  13. Thanks Chifonie and manehi

    Indeed a pleasant start to the week.

    bobloblaw @3

    If Ulm is new to you, try here (and wait for it!).

    apple granny @4

    Among the meanings of EDGE is to sharpen.

  14. I haven’t checked in on Monday for a while, but had a few spare moments and was glad I chose today. This seemed a perfect Monday crossword – all were smoothly elegant write-ins after a few seconds of gently stretching the reluctant grey matter. A scattering of less familiar words for interest, and all very fairly and gracefully clued.

    Many thanks to both.

  15. Very nice start to the week. Wasn’t sure about home = FIRESIDE – my home, alas, no longer has one – but I’m not in the mood to grumble.

  16. I don’t like that “of” in 20a, but otherwise this was a pleasant enough puzzle.

    Thanks to Chifonie and manehi.

  17. I thought this was absolutely lovely
    Many thanks chifonie. Favourites were 13a, 21a, 5d, 10d, 16d – but it was all good

    Didn’t know fulmar but I knew ulm, so no problem.

    Many thanks manehi as always

  18. gofirstmate @16 I think the 20ac is just about OK if you take the word ‘of’ as part of the definition. ie ‘of river’ making the answer an adjective. eg ‘a Rhone wine’ is a wine of the Rhone, ‘a Rhone bridge’ is a bridge of the Rhone, ‘a Rhone fish’, ‘a Rhone feature’ etc.

    On the cusp of acceptability I agree, but just about justifiable!

  20. An enjoyable puzzle with concise surfaces. Thanks to Chifonie and manehi.
    Can anyone tell me why there are no longer numbers next to the posts since the format changed? It clearly doesn’t apply to everyone. I access this site on a Samsung Galaxy Tab A using Android.

  21. A very nice start to the week. Did anyone else notice hidden words running down columns in the grid. There’s no theme so it’s not a Nina but thought it was interesting to see so many: owe, hat, asians, gala, and lee.

  22. William @2 — A classic cryptic definition that someone showed me, way back when I was first learning about cryptics:

    Jammed cylinder? (5,4)

    It’s probably a terribly famous chestnut, but I liked being reminded of it when this answer came up.

  23. I’m two days behind this week, so your query from Monday may have been answered already, but in case it hasn’t: my Android tablet has an option, right at the bottom of the fifteensquared screen, to switch between the mobile and desktop versions?. The mobile version doesn’t have numbers beside the comments – exactly why is another question!

  25. Tony Davis @ 24
    Thanks for that. I thought I had probably posted my request a bit too late to expect a reply so asked it again with Imogen’s puzzle yesterday and Gaufrid kindly gave the same response as you Pino @25, Gaufrid@26.

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