Yet again Everyman has produced an accessible puzzle that is ideal for those new, or relatively new, to the art of solving cryptic crosswords. However, I do have one minor reservation.
For the second week running Everyman has used ‘off’ to indicate the removal of a letter from the middle of a word (this week 23ac, last week 16dn) whereas, for me, ‘off’ would suggest the removal of something from the beginning or end of a word. In both cases a more appropriate indicator could have been chosen without detriment to the surface.
Across
1 Work with learner cutting average tree (6)
POPLAR – OP (work) L (learner) in (cutting) PAR (average)
4 Expression becomes strained in speech (6)
PHRASE – sounds like (in speech) ‘frays’ (becomes strained)
8 Language bringing new mood into action (9)
CANTONESE – N (new) TONE (mood) in (bringing … into) CASE (action)
9 Pungent account followed by purge (5)
ACRID – AC (account) RID (purge)
11 Completely in love with leader, man possessed by stirring resolve (4,4,5)
HEAD OVER HEELS – HEAD (leader) plus HE (man) in (possessed by) an anagram (stirring) of RESOLVE
13 Broadcast boost for emergency transport operation (7)
AIRLIFT – AIR (broadcast) LIFT (boost)
14 Coaxes knave, ignoring king, to retreat and lose ground (7)
CAJOLES – JAC[k] (knave, ignoring king) reversed (to retreat) plus an anagram (ground) of LOSE
16 Energy around alien not available in country (7)
VIETNAM – VIM (energy) around ET (alien) NA (not available)
18 Indignation right in middle of power cut? (7)
OUTRAGE – R (right) in (in the middle of) OUTAGE (power cut)
20 Argument with spirit, good and light after endless bias (8,5)
SLANGING MATCH – GIN (spirit) G (good) MATCH (light) after SLAN[t] (endless bias)
23 Fantastic repast with pressure off (5)
SUPER – SUP[p]ER (repast with pressure off)
24 Point about bug that’s an orange colour (9)
TANGERINE – TINE (point) around (about) ANGER (bug)
25 System joined with trough (6)
METHOD – MET (joined) HOD (trough)
26 Variety of myths I forge (6)
SMITHY – an anagram of (variety of) MYTHS I
Down
1 Set of cards and stuff (4)
PACK – double def.
2 Cat at that point almost, after sleep, getting up (7)
PANTHER – THER[e] (at that point almost) after NAP (sleep) reversed (getting up)
3 Fuss over allowance for worship (9)
ADORATION – ADO (fuss) RATION (allowance)
4 Find recompense arranged for calmness in crisis? (8,2,4)
PRESENCE OF MIND – an anagram (arranged) of FIND RECOMPENSE
5 Get to lecture with lack of power (5)
REACH – [p]REACH (lecture with lack of power)
6 Criminal as ruler? It’s bizarre (7)
SURREAL – an anagram (criminal) of AS RULER
7 Outmoded clothing came in, not freshly cleaned (14)
DECONTAMINATED – DATED (outmoded) around (clothing) an anagram (freshly) of CAME IN NOT
10 Calamity caused by inspector’s bloomer? (8)
DISASTER – DI’S (inspector’s) ASTER (bloomer)
12 Crops very restricted by rushes, plants with no plan (8)
HARVESTS – V (very) in (restricted by) HARES (rushes) [plan]TS (plants with no plan)
15 Predicament involving tester in turbulence in air current (3,6)
JET STREAM – JAM (predicament) around (involving) an anagram (in turbulence) of TESTER
17 Test odd bits of pollen for instance (7)
EXAMPLE – EXAM (test) P[o]L[l]E[n] (odd bits of pollen)
19 Disbeliever raised cheers over hold-up (7)
ATHEIST – TA (cheers) reversed (raised) HEIST (hold-up)
21 Grand merriment, not medium in size (5)
GIRTH – G (grand) [m]IRTH (merriment, not medium)
22 Retreat you initially refuse to admit (4)
DENY – DEN (retreat) Y[ou] (you initially)
Thank you Everyman and Gaufrid.
Lovely surfaces, as usual with Everyman, but I agree about the use of ‘off’ to indicate the removal of a letter from the middle of a word, it sort of works here, think of lifting something off the table, but SUPER was one of my last in having deduced the answer to 23a from the crossers.
The RHS fell a lot quicker than the rest, but overall as accessible as Everyman always is. I didn’t have a problem with ‘off’ to indicate the removal, as the letter itself was very clearly indicated, while recognising it would more normally indicate removal of the first letter. I’m guessing it wouldn’t have thrown too many solvers, and does help the surface.
I don’t have a problem with the use of ‘off’. To take “23 Fantastic repast with pressure off (5)” as an example : we have SUPPER with P for pressure removed. All we need to understand is that one of the Ps is removed leading to SUPER. The use of ‘off’ is no different to say “Sale on, everything 20% off” ie removed. I do understand your complaint though.
The puzzle was as good as ever and I liked OUTRAGE, SMITHY and DISASTER, for their great surfaces. My last one was METHOD which stumped me for a while.
Many thanks to Gaufrid and Everyman. Now to today’s puzzle which I haven’t even looked at yet.
I am out of practice at cryptics after a busy couple of months dealing with the end of a major renovation and the move back to our home. I thought an Everyman would be a good way to get back into the right mindset and I was not disappointed. I agree with Gaufrid about the use of “off”. “Out” would have been better but then the surface would not have worked. That’s only a minor quibble, though, which didn’t stop it being a very enjoyable puzzle.
Thanks, Everyman and Gaufrid.
As regards 23a, pressure is still there, SUPER, if the word had been ‘coffee’ with ‘loudness off’ one would be left with ‘coee’, not ‘cofee’, something like ‘pressure reduced’ might have been better.
I like your version @5, Cookie.
Late comment – i very much enjoyed this on Sunday, possibly because it wasn’t too taxing after two gruelling puzzles the previous day – whilst retaining elegance. Many thanks Colin and Gaufrid
Enjoyable , loved Cajoles and Harvests but didn’t like Phrase ( and have not actually heard of Tine = Point before
Very enjoyable.
I agree that “off” does conventionally indicate a head or tail indicator rather than hauling something out of the middle.
Everything else slotted in fine, and like Jon @ 2 it seemed to proceed from east to west with 7D my LOI.
And an enticing footie prospect this evening!
Thanks Gaufrid and Everyman.
The use of ‘off’ didn’t concern me. What does it matter! This is supposed to be beginners level anyway. I enjoyed this week’s puzzle, and liked many of the clues.e.g. 10 ac. Definitely my level.
Good luck Lions tonight, but I think you’ll be hard-pushed to win.
I agree with Audrey – what on wrong with off?? I was more perturbed with the reasoning behind 12d thought that was weird. Liked 8ac 15d,22d 20ac
I am just outraged I put Outtage as the answer to 18ac —even wondered if rage had anything to do with it… Duh….
GO the ABs
Needed to use a wildcard dictionary to get several of the answers.
I thought that 25 across was very obscure. “Hod” for trough?
Not really. Even “met” for joined is not correct; things can meet
without joining.
Wasn’t *at all* bothered by the “pressure off” business in 23 across,
but. Least of my worries!
We had Congolese for 4 across – and couldn’t make the surface work ( though everything still crossed OK). Only decided it had to be wrong when using it in Fifteensquared Site Search box it didn’t bring up the right puzzle.
Good to see the ABs reduced to a draw. Good to have our egos deflated a bit. Actually only a bit of a sideshow in our house (and in much of NZ) after the Americas cup.