For some reason it took a while to for us to get momentum in solving this, although looking back I can’t quite see why: everything’s completely fair, and nothing really obscure. As with all of Paul’s puzzles there’s lots that made me smile, and excellent creative cluing throughout. Thanks, Paul.
There’s a theme of contemporary women novelists running through the puzzle: DANIELLE STEEL, HILARY MANTEL, MURIEL SPARK, DORIS LESSING and HARPER LEE all appear.
Across
1. Plaintiff framing base journalist (9)
SUBEDITOR
SUITOR = “Plaintiff” around BED = “base”
Definition: “journalist”
6. No stomach for bottle in small restaurant (4)
CAFE
CA[ra]FE = “No stomach for bottle”
Definition: “small restaurant”
8. Artist having a bash, after performing in Shakespearean role (8)
LEONARDO
DO = “bash” after ON = “performing” in LEAR = “Shakespearean role”
Definition: “Artist” (the pedant in me is always happy when he’s referred to as “Leonardo”, as here, rather than “da Vinci”)
10. At the outset, orphan donning shoes is buoyant (6)
FLOATS
O[rphan] = “At the outset, orphan” in FLATS = “shoes”
Definition: “is buoyant”
11, 1 down. Author is assimilating magazine covered by poet and inner self (8,5)
DANIELLE STEEL
IS around ELLE = “magazine”, all in DANTE = “poet” + [s]EL[f] = “inner self”
Definition: Author
12. Arrogant nonsense after winning (6)
UPPISH
PISH = “nonsense” after “WINNING” (as in “they were up / winning by two goals”)
Definition: “Arrogant”
15. Right losing ten in split, likely to respond under stress (8)
REACTIVE
E[x]ACT = “Right losing ten” in RIVE = “split” – I thought this was REACTIVE for a while from the crossing letters, but it look ages to get the RIVE bit…
Definition: “likely to respond under stress”
16. Oz native finding everyone in action outrageously offensive, initially (8)
WALLAROO
ALL = “everyone” in WAR = “action” + O[utragesouly] O[ffensive]
Definition: “Oz native”
19, 9. Try a name to conjure with in bluff author (6,6)
HILARY MANTEL
(TRY A NAME)* in HILL = “bluff”
Definition: “author”
21. End with short break in Spain, getting the most out of it? (8)
TIPSIEST
TIP = “End” + SIEST[a] = “short break in Spain”
Definition: “the most out of it?” (“out of it” meaning “drunk”)
22. Believer in a single cause working in film (6)
MONIST
ON = “working” in MIST = “film”
Definition: “Believer in a single cause”
24, 23. Author in prime of life, aspire grotesquely to shroud it in darkness (6,5)
MURIEL SPARK
(L ASPIRE)* (the L is from “prime of life”) in MURK = “darkness”
Definition: “Author”
25. Cuckoo stealing 500 kerchiefs (8)
BANDANAS
BANANAS = “Cuckoo” around D = “500”
Definition: “kerchiefs”
26. Composer partial to rubber gloves (4)
BERG
Hidden in “[rub]BER G[loves]”
Definition: “Composer”
27. Excavation in Egyptian capital with illustrations including hieroglyphs, primarily (9)
EARTHWORK
E[gyptian] = “Egyptian capital” + ARTWORK = “illustrations” around H[ieroglyphics] = “hieroglyphs, primarily”
Definition: “Excavation”
Down
2. Asian mountain dog ultimately a boxer (7)
BENGALI
BEN = “mountain” + [do]G = “dog ultimately” + ALI = “a boxer”
Definition: “Asian”
3, 17. Author interfering with ambassador is less ingratiating (5,7)
DORIS LESSING
A remarkably long hidden answer: “[abassa]DOR IS LESS ING[ratiating]”
Definition: “Author”
4. Thus custom-made also, equestrian doesn’t require one (2,5)
TO ORDER
TOO = “also” + R[i]DER = “equestrian” without “one”
Definition: “custom-made”
5. Agonising marathon laps beginning to bite where one would take a dip (5,4)
ROMAN BATH
(MARATHON)* around B[ite]
Definition: “where one would take a dip”
6. Scam posted for approval (7)
CONSENT
CON = “Scam” + SENT = “posted”
Definition: “approval”
7. Sybarite requires some cash to host dance (4-5)
FREE-LIVER
FIVER = “some cash” around REEL = “dance”
Definition: “Sybarite”
13. Common utterance from first character in passion play (9)
PLATITUDE
P[assion] = “first character in passion” + LATITUDE = “play” (as in “flexibility”)
Definition: “common utterance”
14. Author runs into footballer in fabled loser (6,3)
HARPER LEE
R = “runs” in PELE = “footballer” all in HARE = “fabled loser” (referring to the story of the Hare and the Tortoise)
Definition: “Author”
18. Time for a revolution has to be right under our callous leaders (7)
OCTOBER
TO BE R = “right” under O[ur] C[allous] L[eaders] “our callous leaders”
Definition: “Time for a revolution”, referring to the October Revolution
20. In days of yore, Queen’s ending silence in Game of Thrones? (4,3)
LONG AGO
[quee]N = “Queen’s ending” + GAG = “silence” all in LOO = “Game of Thrones?” an amusing reference to the card game “Loo” and “throne” being slang for a toilet. (The reference to Game of Thrones is timely, since the first episode of the final season will be broadcast on Monday.)
Definition: “In days of yore”
22. Artist to chew over (5)
MUNCH
Double definition: Edvard Munch and “to chew over”
Thanks to Paul and mihi. I got DORIS LESSING early on so many other things then fell into place (HARPER LEE was last). I struggled with WALLAROO (I’m sure I’m not the only one who tried to squeeze in KANGAROO), but was totally defeated by TIPSIEST (even though I kept playing with “siesta”). Lots of fun.
Tipsiest was my last too. I wanted it to be “misspent” for too long but I got it in the end
I don’t quite understand the clue for 6A. Does “no stomach” here mean cutting out the middle (letters), or is there some other significance I am missing ?
Like ACD @1, I was beaten by TIPSIEST. Like Jaydee @2, I was fixated on “misspent” for it. Hey ho…
Thanks, Paul and mhl.
Tackling this crossword was the pefect way to pass the time on a train journey – even better than reading a roman de gare by 11a/1d DANIELLE STEEL.
The theme was a bonus, all five authors being well known.
I found that I had to ‘solve then parse’ more than I usually do, but this hardly detracted from the solving experience because the quality of the clues was generally so good.
My favourite clues were 1a SUBEDITOR, 8a LEONARDO, 21a TIPSIEST, 2d BENGALI, 5d ROMAN BATH and 18d OCTOBER.
About TIPSIEST, I was going to write something to the effect that the wit makes up for the tenuous indication of the answer, but the blog pointed out what I missed: ‘out of it’ means ‘drunk’. I like that one even more now.
Many thanks to Paul for this enjoyable puzzle and to mhl for the blog.
Rather spoiled by the obvious theme which made huge chunks of this puzzle. Write ins. 20 mins !!!!!!
Editor please.
I’m another who enjoyed it and whilst the theme was clear the solutions still took some time to come and it certainly wasn’t a write in – BNTO is obviously in a different class to me. Like others TIPSIEST was LOI and is a great clue now I see all the parsing. No doubt the cuckoo synonym has been used before but BANDANAS made me smile.
Thanks Paul and MHL.
Well,the theme was obvious in that we were told what it was! It took me longer than 20 minutes though. Perhaps I operate in a different time zone than BNTO! Nice puzzle anyway and,yes, I was another KANGAROO to begin with.
Thanks Paul.
salsaman @3
‘No stomach’ means exactly that in this case – taking the middle RA out of CARAFE. One also sees ‘no guts’ or ‘gutted’ in crosswords, meaning the same thing.
More often, ‘gutted’ and its synonyms indicate that you take out all except the first and last letters, and I used it to mean exactly that in a recent crossword of my own, but in Paul’s clue you obviously don’t do that.
Thank you Paul and mhl.
I’m another with TIPSIEST last in, having played around with MISSPELT and MISSPENT – a super clue.
I had not heard of DANIELLE STEEL, which seems to to be surprising considering the number of her books published, though I had heard of the other authors, but have not yet read any by HILARY MANTEL, hard to get hold of here in France, I must order some.
Hopeless with authors so the theme made it a hard solve for me. I did know Harper Lee as she was heavily featured on TV not so long ago. Still managed to finish though except for not parsing REACTIVE. Took the initial R for Right and then wondered if exactive could mean split. Thanks for explaining mhl.
Thanks Paul and mhl. I stumbled over the theme via Hilary Mantel (wasted some time looking for booker winners ..) then raced through everything else apart from … 21A I eventually popped in MISSPENT without any conviction. TIPSIEST is a classy clue … happy to be defeated by that one !
I couldn’t get Danielle Steel for the longest time because I was stuck on Donne for the poet. Thanks to mhl for Dante instead.
PS, mhl, I’m intrigued, why does your wiki ref for Danielle Steel not work, mine does https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Danielle_Steel
Cookie: Oh, I’d put the URL where the link text should be and vice versa! Fixed now – thanks.
I found this a bit more challenging than other recent Prize offerings from Paul, partly because of low connectivity of the grid’s quarters, but mostly because of the large pool of candidates for “author”, “poet”, “artist”; I never caught on to the “female writers” theme, but at least I had heard of all of them — even Danielle Steele, for some reason.
It took me a long time to see “the most out of it”, but what a great moment when I did! Top clue! Many other great surfaces, too, inc. 8a,LEONARDO; 18d, OCTOBER.
5d: Clearly the memory still haunts poor Mr Halpern
MURIEL SPARK was made somewhat easier by the words ‘Prime of Life’, wasn’t it? Paul is nothing if not generous!
A very enjoyable crossword – no problem with any of the writers, though I suspect Danielle Steel would be flattered to appear in such company – I have read plenty of Lessing and Mantel, and one Spark.
Thanks to Paul and mhl
FirmlyDirac @17
Thanks for your comment. I didn’t know that connection with Muriel Spark – but I do now. That gives me something else to appreciate about this crossword.
It might say something about a Guardian solver that the only author whose name I needed to double-check was DANIELLE STEELE (rather like Cookie @10). Though, beery hiker @18, I’m not sure whether she would be flattered to appear in the company of LESSING et al. Most of those would pretty much pray for her sales.
Trailman @20
Quite right. The Wikipedia article on Danielle Steel says
“Despite ‘a resounding lack of critical acclaim’ (Publishers Weekly), all her novels have been bestsellers, including those issued in hardback.”
So it may have to be either critical acclaim or commercial success! I was pointing to this in my use of the term roman de gare (‘airport novel’ in English) in my earlier comment @5.
FirmlyDirac @17
A pearl before this swine, I’m afraid. I echo Alan’s sentiments @19