Guardian Cryptic 27,271 by Arachne

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This puzzle can be found at https://www.theguardian.com/crosswords/cryptic/27271

Arachne has offered a tough but fair puzzle this morning.  Most of the answers fell into place easily enough once the crossing lettters were in place, but the parsing of some of them took a little longer.

Thanks, Arachne.

Across
1 ARMLOAD Milk, oddly in a way, is as much as one can bear (7)
  M(i)L(k) in A ROAD (“way”)
5 CONQUER Archdeacon querulously admitting defeat (7)
  Hidden in “archdeaCON QUERulously”
9 ALLOT Very much welcomes large grant (5)
  A LOT (“very much”) welcomes L(arge)
10 X-RAY TUBES Doctor buys extra radiography equipment (1-3,5)
  *(buys extra)
11 ANEMOMETER Exciting era in which submariner happened on way to measure current (10)
  NEMO (“submariner”) + MET (“happened on”) in *(era)

Captain Nemo was a submariner in some of Jules Vernes’s adventure stories, most notably in 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea.
12 ALL Arrange sources of love and laughter for everyone (3)
  Anagram of L(ove) A(nd) L(aughter)
14 SANGUINENESS Tin containing a beer full of energy and cheer (12)
  Sn (chemicla symbol for “tin”) containing A + GUINNESS (“beer”) full of E(nergy), so S(A)N-GUIN(E)NESS
18 GOBBLEDEGOOK Rhubarb wolfed down? I approve! (12)
  GOBBLED (“wolfed down”) + EGO (“I”) + OK (“approve”)
21 SIR Man from island wearing sweater inside out (3)
  I(sland) wearing S(weate)R (sweater with the “inside” (taken) “out”)
22 PARLIAMENT Roughly laminate covers of prewar Chambers? (10)
  *(laminate PR) where the PR is the “covers of” P(rewa)R
25 EXAMINEES They hope to pass morning in Spain surrounded by old lovers (9)
  A.M. IN E (“morning in Spain”) surrounded by EXES (“old lovers”)
26 DOTER Dorothy Parker missing land she adores (5)
  DOT (“Dorothy”) + (park)ER
27 LUSHEST Most rich drunks finally repent (7)
  LUSHES (“drunks”) + (repen)T
28 SUMMERY Warm brief statement is broadcast (7)
  Homophone of SUMMARY (“brief statement”)
Down
1 ARARAT Mount first of attacks, retaliating against traitor (6)
  A(attacks) R(etaliating) A(gainst) + RAT (“traitor”)
2 MILLER He told a tale of France’s grand river (6)
  MILLE (1000 in French, thus “France’s grand”) + R(iver)

THe Miller’s Tale is one of Geoffrey Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales.
3 OPTIONALLY 1 in 100 associate after work by choice (10)
  I in TON (“1 in 100) + ALLY (“associate”) after OP (“work”), thus OP-T(1)ON-ALLY
4 DIXIE Confederacy of eleven, assumed to fail? (5)
  XI (“eleven”), assumed (ie wore, took on) DIE (“to fail”)
5 CRATERING Cliff goes round tip of west Ireland disfiguring the landscape (9)
  CRAG (“cliff”) goes round (wes)T + ERIN (“Ireland”)
6 NETT Take home books about foundations of the West (4)
  N.T. (New Testament, so “books”) about (th)E (wes)T
7 UNBEATEN Victorious, like an exemplary public schoolboy of old? (8)
  Double definition
8 RESTLESS Others not as unsettled (8)
  REST (“others”) + LESS (“not as”)
13 MEMORANDUM Model modern mum snatching a minute (10)
  *(modern mum) sntaching A
15 GODPARENT Gran opted to act as child’s sponsor (9)
  *(gran opted)
16 EGGSHELL Eulogising extremely good woman with lines of great delicacy (8)
  E(ulogisin)G + G(ood) + SHE (“woman”) + LL (“lines”)
17 IBERIANS Employ brainiest Manx folk from Madrid? (8)
  *(brainies)
19 CENTRE The crux of recent research (6)
  Hidden in “reCENT REsearch”
20 STARRY Famous sons delay leaving (6)
  S(ons) + TARRY (“delay leaving”)
23 LASTS Young woman, over time, stays fresh (5)
  LASS (“young woman”) over T(ime)
24 LINE Policy of alliance regularly dismissed (4)
  (a)L(l)I(a)N(c)E

*anagram

41 comments on “Guardian Cryptic 27,271 by Arachne”

  2. Thanks to Arachne for a challenging but fair puzzle, and to loonapick for answering a few uncertainties in terms of my parsing. For instance, ANEMOMETER 11a was a guess based on its initial and final letter, and I didn’t get the submariner reference to NEMO. I wasn’t even sure I was right, as it is a wind instrument on our boat, and I thought “current” must refer to electricity, but my dictionary says the instrument can measure any “current of gas”.

    Too many favourites to list, but I did like 14a SANGUINENESS, 22a PARLIAMENT and 13d MEMORANDUM a lot. I always find Arachne’s anagrams (like the latter two) particularly delightful. Of course I was distracted by thinking “Chambers” in 22a must refer to the oft quoted dictionary/Bible much favoured by devotees of cryptic crosswords, such is the power of a capital letter!

    Without wanting to reopen the de-tailed cat argument that featured large in response to a recent puzzle, I thought “Manx” was a fabulous way of clueing the need to drop the “t” from “brainiest” to give IBERIANS in 17d.

  3. Good stuff as usual. Failed to get ARMLOAD and MILLER. Weird coincidence that almost the same clue as 10a appears in today’s ft. Thanks to Arachne and loonapick (that’s you Dave in case you have any lingering doubts).

  4. Thanks both to loonapick and Arachne (wonderful crossword). I note that the second line reads: “RIP Irene”. I hope this is an artifact, but if not sincere condolences … .

  5. A lovely Wednesday treat – thanks to Arachne and Loonapick

    Thanks to Hovis as well as I now know I’m going to get one clue in Monk’s puzzle straight away!

  7. I feel that the use of Manx in that way is a bit of a stretch, but I suppose we’re all used to it so it wasn’t a problem. My real doubt was about 6D. Surely “NETT” must be an adjective, in which case “take-home” ought to be hyphenated. NET, meaning “to earn after tax”, could be a verb, but I think it would be perverse to spell it with the extra T.

  8. Failed in all four corners today.
    I don’t think I would have got SANGUINENESS without a crossword solver.
    I thought 4D was MOXIE (something doomed to fail) and then once I’d found it was DIXIE, I still failed to get ARMLOAD
    The “lines” in 16D had me looking in the wrong direction. Plural of a one-letter abbreviation indeed!
    I wasn’t sure that 13D was an anagram because of all the Ms, so to verify whether any anagrams existed I put the letters into Andy’s Anagram Solver and then it was too late to unsee the answer. (I had been looking for a word that meant small (minute))
    But once I’d got those helpers in place I managed to finish the other unsolved clues (MILLER, LUSHEST, SUMMERY, STARRY)

  10. Thanks, loonapick and Arachne – lovely as always.

    I invariably say ‘too many favourites to list’ but today I must make special mention of the rhubarb.

    Jason @7 – both Collins and Chambers give net/nett as a verb: ‘to yield, earn [Collins] gain, produce [Chambers] as clear profit’.

    Lucy Lastik @8 – LL is an abbreviation for ‘lines’, when quoting poetry, for instance.

    VDS Prasad @9 – see Julie’s final comment @2.

  11. Hi VDS Prasad@9. As a Manx cat has no tail, I interpreted it as taking the end off “brainiest” and then scrambling the rest of the letters for the anagram IBERIANS.

  12. Great!! It took me forever to see CONQUER, which was almost my LOI. I was reduced to looking up Archdeacons, and got to CRABBE + D = querulously. Lots of favourites including ARMLOAD (pity Tony Hancock wasn’t included in this clue – or did she do this before?), SANGUINENESS, DOTER, GOBBLEDEGOOK and EGGSHELL. Many thanks to Arachne and loonapick.

  13. A very enjoyable puzzle which I found at the easier end of Arachne – much helped by 5a being a hidden word which opened up the NE corner. Even more unusually I came here having parsed everything!
    I was looking out for Arachne’s trademark gender assumption challenging clues but didn’t notice any today. ARMLOAD and GOBBLEDEGOOK were favourites and who would have thought that GUINNESS would be the beer synonym? I spent time trying to work in ale, mild and even lager before getting the answer which was my LOI. I also thought the two 3 letter clues were neat – especially as they were such common words.
    Thanks Arachne and loonapick.

  14. Sorry drofle – I’m not contradicting you – I was writing when you posted. Just goes to show how we all see things differently!

  16. Not sure if I’m embarrassed or proud to say that I thought of Procol Harum before I thought of Chaucer for 2d MILLER …”As the miller told his tale, That her face at first just ghostly, Turned a whiter shade of pale”.

  17. Thanks Loonapick. Arachne had SANGUINENESS in puzzle 25,823 (strangely also at 14A), clued ‘Of sound mind, ultimately buffered by stout optimism’. I preferred this.

  18. Thank you Arachne and loonapick.

    A lovely web as usual- the clue for EXAMINEES was timely for the GCSE exam results yesterday, haven’t dared ask my youngest grandson how he got on yet (no joyous telephone call from his father), A-level results are for next week…

    SANGUINENESS was my last in, but GOBBLEDEGOOK was my favourite.

  19. Thanks to loonapick and Arachne for an enjoyable puzzle and parse (I needed help with SIR).

    Favourites already well covered but GOBBLEDEGOOK stood out for me. Among the surfaces, that for EXAMINEES raised a smile – would that life were so simple. I suppose we’ll have to get used to Manx being an indicator for “de-tailing” but it could get old very quickly. Bring back the farmer’s wife!

  20. Three cracking crosswords in a row. Truly we are being spoilt.

    I love Arachne’s unpretentious way of setting. Little clues like 2d, MILLER, make my day. I did though struggle with NETT – I had TOTE for a while, the OT being the books, but clearly that’s the wrong way round – and was most miffed not to see CONQUER until the very end, preferring that there must be a famous archdeacon who I did not know.

    drofle @12, a Hancock reference would be to an ARMFUL.

  21. Don’t know about cluing the ends of words as “tip” and “foundations” in the same crossword. The tip (apex) of the iceberg is at the opposite end to the foundation (base) surely.

  22. Not one of Arachne’s tougher ones (it has been a while since we have seen one) but as always this was a well crafted puzzle full of wit and ingenuity.

    Thanks to Arachne and loonapick

  23. Julie in Australia @16-Chaucer may have been in the charts in his time! Radio Canterbury would have helped.

  24. Great puzzle spun by the spider.
    I did have to look up the measuring device and get loonapick’s assistance with the parsing of 14&21a but that’s all part of the learning curve.
    Top three for me were 14&18a along with 2d. 8d gets a mention for being so succinct.

    Yes, Julie@16, I was humming the tune as I wrote in 2d!

    Thanks to Arachne and to loonapick for the review.

  25. Julie@16, I’ve absolutely no idea, but just maybe procol harum were referring to Chaucer.

    I dislike Manx ( which means from the Isle of Man) being used to detail anything except a cat, definitely not a brainiest, but looks like these discussions have been had.

    Saw sanguineness but stupidly ruled it out as a possible meaning of cheer.

    I though DIXIE and the prewar Chambers were brilliant. Another superb Arachne puzzle, many thanks

    And thanks loonapick

  26. Thanks Arachne and loonapick

    My favourite current setter, but, unlike some other posters, I found this much harder than recent offerings from her, with SIR, NETT, UNBEATEN and EGGSHELL not fully parsed. A fail for me, in fact, as I had gobbledIgook for 18a – there seem to be lots of alternative spellings, so I thought this would be OK, with the I GO OK for “I approve”.

    Favourite was CONQUER, cunningly hidden amongst lots of possible misdirection!

  28. Thanks to Arachne and loonapick. Much fun. I missed the Manx-detailing for BRAINIEST and needed help parsing several clues (SIR, NETT, the second schoolboy meaning of UNBEATEN). My LOI was CRATERING.

  29. Really enjoyed this. Favourite was Gobbledegook, but there were many other clever ones. I got the …GUINENESS before I completed 14A and (very briefly) considered PENGUINENESS….
    Thanks Arachne and loonapick.

  31. Harder than usual from the spiderwoman – at least I found it so! Certainly inventive, and I was amused by the use of MANX in 17dn, but somehow not as enjoyable. I can’t say I liked NETT much and it was my LOI. Not her best but Arachne is always worth the price of admission.
    Thanks Arachne.

  32. I loved rhubarb too.
    Julie in A @2 “Chambers” confused me in a different way — I kept trying to work in “apartment.”
    WhiteKing @13 — a gender-challenging word is DOTER — “She adores.”
    Lucy Lastik @8 — not only is ll the plural of l, meaning “lines,” but you’ll see pp for “pages” in footnotes.
    Was there an explanation of “RIP Irene” in the puzzle? I read the comments and missed it.

    Thank you loonapick and Arachne.

  34. This was a great puzzle – challenging but never anything but fair, even if I had to rely on loonapick to parse ANENOMETER. Far too many great clues to list individually, but SIR< EXAMINEEES and MILLER deserve special mention. Bravo Arachne and well done to loonapick.

  35. Odd juxtaposition, PaulW! Chalk and cheese! I don’t think Irene Adler would warrant an epitaph, though, and not only because she was fictional….

  38. Muffin @26
    I don’t think you failed by putting GOBBLEDIGOOK at 18a. If the parsing works (and it does) and the spelling is supported by the authorities I think that you and I can award ourselves a tick on that one though having stirred myself to look in Chambers, which I still think should be the one source, only E and Y are permitted.
    Thanks to Arachne and loonapick.

  39. I disagree. I GO OK really doesn’t work for me, whereas EGO OK is much neater.

    OTOH I’ve never really been happy with I = EGO: it’s very difficult to equate ‘the I’ with ‘the Self’ as any dictionary will reveal, and as any reading of Freud that I’ve seen (and I’ve seen quite a few) will tell us, AFAIK. So I think we are faced here with another ‘crosswordese’ item, which we must accept in order to move ahead. That great clue ‘I say nothing’ is lame in that respect, I feel.

    I’m still feeling this is a quality offering however. Very many thanks to Arachne and to her blogger.

  40. featherstonehaugh @39

    I think your surmising is a little innaccurate. “Ego” is straightforward “I”

    Here is the OED definition

    ego, n. Pronunciation: Brit. /?i????/, /?????/, U.S. /?i?o?/
    Frequency (in current use):
    Etymology: Latin ego I.

    1. That which is symbolized by the pronoun I; the conscious thinking subject, as opposed to the non-ego or object. Also humorously, for ‘self’.

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