Guardian Cryptic 27,360 by Philistine

by

The puzzle may be foun at https://www.theguardian.com/crosswords/cryptic/27360.

What a delightful puzzle! The key, as announced in the clue, is 26/27A COLLECTIVE NOUN – and there they are, all in the across lights. My only grouse is that I was induced to spent a lot of time delving into the more fanciful creations – there are only four of that kind here, shown in blue in the grid; the other eight, shown in green, are standard issue. I had a little trouble identifying the twelfth collective – PRONG looked a possibility, but that is a down light, and I finally ferreted out the BUSINESS of ferrets (apparently it should really be busyness; not all of the more fanciful collectives are modern).

The four in question are:

BUSINESS of ferrets
CHATTER of budgerigars
ECHO of mockingbirds
FIDGET of choirboys

Some collectives have other uses, but these seem to be well attested.

Wot, no flange?

Across
1 COMPANY 2’s 23 (7)
The answer to 23 is BUSINESS; the allusive wordplay is to the phrase “Two’s COMPANY, three’s a crowd”.
5 CARAVAN Vehicles catch a train (7)
An envelope (‘catching’) of ‘a’ in CAR VAN (‘vehicles’).
10 ECHO Ring the chosen selection (4)
A (very well, I thought) hidden answer (‘selection’) in ‘thE CHOsen’.
11 CONSPIRACY Those against crime plot (10)
A charade of CONS (‘those against’) plus PIRACY (‘crime’).
12 PLAGUE Curse city for changing sides (6)
PRAGUE (‘city’) with R for L (‘changing sides’).
13 CARTLOAD Perhaps a lot entering club, perhaps a lot (8)
An envelope (‘entering’) of TLOA, an anagram (‘perhaps’ – the first one) of ‘a lot’ in CARD (‘club, perhaps’). I like the double usages.
14 ORCHESTRA Horse and cart transport for the players (9)
An anagram (‘transport’) of ‘horse’ plus ‘cart’. A variation on an antique theme.
16 BRACE Second event: jewellery not allowed for caber-tossing duo (5)
Definition and three (count ’em) wordplays. B (‘second’) plus RACE (‘event’); BRACE[let] (‘jewellery’) minus LET (‘not allowed’); and an anagram (‘tossing’) of ‘caber’.
17 SPAYS Desexualises some fantasy a psychologist rejected (5)
A hidden (‘some’) reversed (‘rejected’) answer in ‘fantsSY A PSychologist’.
19 INTRUSION Gatecrashing suitor drunk in bar (9)
An envelope (‘in’) of TRUSIO, an anagram (‘drunk’) of ‘suitor’ in INN (‘bar’).
23 BUSINESS Maybe show concern (8)
Double definition, although the first is more an allusion.
24 FIDGET Show agitation as little one undergoes sex change (6)
MIDGET (‘little one’) with the M replaced by F (‘undergoes sex change’).
26, 27 COLLECTIVE NOUN Invent cool clue to make one of a dozen here (10,4)
An anagram (‘to make’) of ‘invent cool clue’. See the preamble.
27   See 26
28 CLUSTER Church right to suppress sexual desire in mass (7)
An envelope (‘to suppress’) of LUST (‘sexual desire’) in CE (‘Church’ of England) plus R (‘right’).
29 CHATTER Clooney talk? (7)
A “lift and separate” charade of ‘c’ plus HATTER (mad as a, ‘looney’).
Down
2 OSCULAR University student gets external award for kissing (7)
An envelope (‘gets external’) of U (‘University’) plus L (‘student’ driver) in OSCAR (film ‘award’).
3 PRONG Out for six, proving the point (5)
‘PRO[vi]NG’ minus VI (‘out for six’; ‘for’ is mainly for the surface).
4 NUCLEUS Heart of uncle, possibly Uncle Sam (7)
A charade of NUCLE, an anagram (‘possibly’) of ‘uncle’ – the first one – plus US (‘Uncle Sam’).
6 ASPIRE Hope for a place at Oxford? (6)
A charade of ‘a’ plus SPIRE (‘place at Oxford’). An allusion to Matthew Arnold’s poem Thyrsis and its most famous line:

And that sweet city with its dreaming spires.
7 AIR ALERTS Bombers in the sky, the pollen count is high (3,6)
A double definition, essentially; the plural is justified as there are two of them!
8 ARCHAIC Antique Art Chair Co Ltd (7)
‘AR[t] CHAI[r] C[o]’ minus the last letter of each word (‘Ltd’ – limited).
9 ANACHRONISTIC Lark about rattling chains or being out of time (13)
An envelope (‘about’) of ACHRONIS, an anagram (‘rattling’) of ‘chains or’ in ANTIC (‘lark’).
15 HAYFIELDS Hid safely disguised where grasses grow (9)
An anagram (‘disguised’) of ‘hid safely’.
18 POUR OIL Regularly prop up roof? It’ll do on troubled waters (4,3)
Alternate letters (‘regularly’) of ‘PrOp Up RoOf It’Ll’.
20 REFRESH Judge considering quiet update (7)
A charade of REF (referee, ‘judge’) plus RE (‘considering’) plus SH (‘quier’).
21 OVERUSE Stripping lover by deception is exploitation (7)
A charade of OVE (‘stripping lOVEr’) plus RUSE (‘deception’).
22 RESCUE Regret accepting key delivery (6)
An envelope  (accepting’) of ESC (‘key’ top left) in RUE (‘regret’).
25 DONUT Party aficionado’s American cake (5)
A charade of DO (‘party’) plus NUT (‘aficionado’).
completed grid

87 comments on “Guardian Cryptic 27,360 by Philistine”

  1. Thanks PeterO and Philistine.

    Well, the theme completely escaped me, even though I had 26/27 early on.

    “One of a dozen here” didn’t even register, as I rushed into solving….Clearly my deficiency; never heard of the four you list. Knew only the more common murder, parliament etc.

  2. Totally missed that there was a theme here!

    My favourite was FIDGET.

    I failed to solve 1a, 4d, 19a, 7d, 16a – and of the ones I solved I could not parse 3d, 29a, 23a.

    Thanks Peter and Philistine

  3. I found this quite easy initially, for a Philistine, but it stiffened up. I saw the theme, but it didn’t help solve the harder ones. I surmised the Twos company… in 1ac but don’t really think it works.

    Thanks PeterO and Philistine

  4. I found this quite hard, but witty and inventive – thanks Philistine!

    I failed to parse PRONG, so thanks PeterO for clearing that up, and also for researching the collectives

  6. I wasnt bonkers about AIR ALERTS but this was compensated by the superb CHATTER.
    A nicely worked theme and very enjoyable.Not to mention PRONG and ECHO.
    Thanks peter O and Philistine.

  7. Thanks Philistine and PeterO

    I missed the theme, of course, despite the blatant hint at 26,27. Very clever! Lots to like – favourites were ECHO, ASPIRE, REFRESH, OVERUSE and (now that you’ve parsed it, Peter!) CHATTER.

    I’m not clear how BUSINESS = “maybe show”.

    Not keen on the “for” in 3d, though I saw the intended parsing. 16a is very clever, but showing off, really – it’s not a satisfying clue for the solver (probably is for the setter, though.)

    Nice to see the old CARTHORSE/ORCHESTRA chestnut making an appearance again!

  8. Thanks, PeterO, for the very clear blog – and well done on the research.

    I spotted all the obvious ‘companies’ but, since I wasn’t blogging, I didn’t do any more ferreting! Some of these collective nouns are really bizarre, aren’t they? I love the ‘fidget of choirboys’!

    Many thanks to Philistine for another fine puzzle.

    muffin @7 – “I’m not clear how BUSINESS = “maybe show”.” There’s nothing like it. 😉

  10. Like others, completely missed the theme but what a brilliant puzzle!
    Muffin@7 and Eileen@8: There’s also “There’s no business like show business.”

    Many thanks Philistine and PeterO.

  13. Some very nice clues and surfaces here, but I’m afraid AIR ALERTS rather let the side down. It sounds like an made-up phrase. Has anyone ever called a pollen warning an ‘air alert’? I think the weak cluing is a hint to the setter’s own opinion of it.

  15. Thank you, PeterO, a fine blog to a fine puzzle.

    I’m with poc @13 re AIR ALERTS. Complete misfit with the other excellent clues.

    Clever surfaces everywhere but ticked PRAGUE, ORCHESTRA (such a surprising anagram), NUCLEUS, & FIDGET.

    Even I, who almost invariably miss themes, managed to spot this one but didn’t know most of the 12.

    Masterful, Philistine, many thanks.

    Nice week, all.

    PS Has anyone else lost the Preview Comment button?

  16. @William 15
    yes; we all have..see “anouncements”

    Please don’t think I’m being snotty or patronising, but I fail to see how it is possible to “miss the theme”, since Philistine announces it with a brass band in the wordplay of 26,27

  17. Thanks Philistine and PeterO.

    It was tough though enjoyable on its own but I also missed the theme, so when I read the blog I found a whole other level of Interest.

    Bravo to the setter, and appreciation for the list of obscure collectives in the blog, PeterO. I really liked the cockroach one, Stanyel@5 – for which also much thanks.

    Are the green ones all collective nouns with “of” after them? For instance I know a PLAGUE of locusts but am not sure of some of the rest.

    Favourites were 11a CONSPIRACY, 8d ARCHAIC and 15d HAYFIELDS.

  18. baerchen @16
    I almost always miss themes as I solve clues in isolation – i.e. I don’t remember the answer when I have got it. In this case I thought the word play was referring to “dozen here” as the collective noun (feeble compared with the actual intention, of course!)

  19. We crossed, baerchen@q16. I feel suitably chagrined. More a detail than a big picture person I’m afraid.

  20. Thanks to Philistine and PeterO. Missed the theme (as usual) but enjoyed the puzzle and the blog. CHATTER gave me trouble (my LOI) as did AIR ALERTS (I kept looking for some cryptic combination of “air” with … ).

  21. Thanks Philistine, PeterO
    Not my finest hour. I revealed AIR ALERTS, then BRACE, and only then got ARCHAIC. I was all prepared to feel hard done by over BRACE, but find I’ve missed an anagram. AIR ALERTS is tricky/unfair if you’re not familiar with it, as there’s nothing to help you. I also wasn’t so keen on ‘place at Oxford’ for spire. It seemed like a case of, I have to call it a place, so I’ll call it a place.
    I liked the thematic hint. It didn’t help, but it’s nice to know what’s going on as you’re solving.

  22. This was enjoyable, and the theme helped. I particularly liked CONSPIRACY.

    I agree with other people’s reservations about AIR ALERTS. I put in AIR ALARMS which seems to me to work just as well.

  23. @muffin
    That’s a really interesting post. I might be wrong, but I think I only tend to read your posts on the Guardian crossword which at a rough non-scientific guess are probably about a third thematic, whereas the Indy is I guess a bit less and the FT very much less. The Times of course =zero.
    It’s perhaps a tribute to the cluepersonship of Hugh’s team that they can construct all these labyrinthine interconnected wheezes and yet you still enjoy solving them without seeing the thread.
    I have never won an award for my communication style so please don’t take this post as a negative; it’s really not my intention

  24. As you so rightly say PeterO, a delightful puzzle. I twigged the theme early on, though it didn’t really help that much as I didn’t know many collectives. I solved everything fairly quickly except 7d and 13a, which defeated me. By no means the hardest clues. Brain was hurting, I think, after the previous exertions.

    My favourites were CHATTER, ARCHAIC, PRONG and several others. And no matter how often I see it the CART HORSE ORCHESTRA always raises a smile.

    Many thanks to Philistine and PeterO.

  26. Some beauties but I found CHATTER a bit weak. Lift and separate by all means but surely both parts should independently? C = C ?

  29. baerchen @23
    Yes, I usually have to appreciate any extra level of cleverness retrospectively, on reading the blog!

    As with you, I lack data, but I have a feeling that themed puzzles (either in clues or solutions) have become more common in the Guardian in the last couple of years.

  32. As JimS @22 noted, AIR ALARMS fits perfectly too, and serves to make a weak clue even weaker.

    What a shame! Otherwise this was witty and entertaining – though the theme, natch, passed me by.

  33. [ps @muffin
    In the Indy, the ed has this thing “thematic Tuesday” going on so there is something of a signal.
    I can confirm that next Tuesday’s has a bit of a theme (looks for winking emoji and fails)]

  34. Thanks Nila @27. Didn’t notice that as I just head straight for my crossword of choice. Should have thought to look for myself.

  35. All very enjoyable, and impressive to get so many in. BRACE and AIR ALERTS were the last two in and took me as long as the rest put together.

    Thanks to Philistine and PeterO

  37. I failed on BRACE and AIR ALERTS. Was trying to fit in VOICE which fits an alternative wordplay (eVent + O + ICE) but made no sense. And, noting that 7d is a rhyming couplet, was trying to fit in some sort of adage or doggerel. No luck there.

    Perhaps I’ve been too over-confident of late?

    As to the theme – didn’t get round to thinking about one :(.

  38. baerchen@16. I am afraid that I do think you are being snotty/patronising. I was pleased to have solved the crossword which I didn’t find that easy . I didn’t spot the theme. I came on here to check the parsing of one word and read your disparaging comment. I am really unsure why people feel the need to post comments designed to make others feel small.

  39. @Chrissie
    you’re right; I had this uncontrollable impulse to write something designed to make you feel small.

  40. Now now, all.

    An interesting puzzle. In fact I find myself moving in the direction of Baerchen in that I felt the whole thing a bit obvious, but I know that this is not the same for all campers.

    Thanks both.

  41. A lot of this went in quickly, and I’m of the camp that saw the theme early, without it helping a great deal.
    Like others, not a fan of 7d but otherwise very happy.
    Anyone else puzzled by LOONEY, though? LOONY I know, but the one with the E is not in my dictionary.

  44. Baerchen’s remark about the impossibility of missing the theme are not only snotty but wrong. This can be demonstrated by the number of regular solvers- including me- who did miss it! Your response to Chrissie was downright offensive.
    I found the puzzle difficult but a good workout!
    Thanks Philistine.

  46. I didn’t see a theme either – as usual. Brass bands don’t help if you don’t recognize the tune. There were so many clues that I couldn’t parse that I assumed 26,27 was just one more.

  47. How can anyone solve 26,27 and hence actually finish the puzzle WITHOUT finding out there’s a theme?

    Honestly I’m keen to know!

  48. @ Peter Aspinall

    So calling someone ‘SNOTTY and PATRONISING’ as Chrissie and you did is perfectly okay but pointing out that one of the clues says ‘one of a dozen here’ ie there are 12 of these in this puzzle and so no one capable of reading the clues could possibly not know there was a theme is being snotty and patronising.

    Basically if you didn’t know there was a theme you didn’t solve the puzzle.

  49. I am not happy with the tone of some of the comments in this post and the direction in which it is developing. I don’t want to have to start editing or deleting comments so please be circumspect when adding anything further.

  50. @Admin
    Understood. I shan’t post again.
    It wasn’t my intention to upset or antagonize anyone with my original comment @16. Comms not my strong suit.
    best wishes,
    Rob

  51. baerchen
    “Understood. I shan’t post again.”

    I hope that just refers to this post and not to future blogs.

  52. Not too tricky. The theme is always enjoyable – so many good ones to choose from. Inventing new ones is half the fun – a disambiguation of Wikipedia contributors anyone?
    I was another in the AIR ALARMS bin. Strange clue for Philistine. Can’t help thinking there might be more to it.
    I didn’t find ECHO as a collective noun, so I thought I had nailed the twelve. I quite like the fact that there are actually thirteen, a Baker’s dozen. Philistine’s in the clear either way!
    I botched 1. I put in “pooping” as a sort of CD. Sad really.

    Thanks, Phil and PeterO, not least for the ECHO of mockingbirds nugget.

  53. Hi Rob @50

    I thought your comment @16 was totally reasonable and polite: I’ve not seen many themes more clearly signposted.

    I’m with Gaufrid @51 – please don’t mean what you said!

  54. Hi Rob @50

    I thought your comment @16 was totally reasonable and polite: I’ve not seen many themes more clearly signposted.

    I’m with Gaufrid @51 – please don’t mean what you said!

  55. I shan’t post again, the comment @48 is uncalled for. I was just using the words of @16 to indicate that I had felt belittled. I know I am not as clever as some of the posters (and if I didn’t before I do now! ) and will not be in any hurry to expose myself to further ridicule. It’s a shame though that posters cannot be more encouraging to people who share their interests and are trying to develop their expertise.

  56. I didn’t realise there was a theme either, which may have slowed me down. And thanks for 27ac explanation. I just guessed it.

  57. Clearly it’s not “impossible” to miss the theme, as the posts show that so many of us did. However I think that Baerchen’s light-hearted comment has been taken too seriously by some.

  58. Late to the party (I almost wrote barney) but just wanted to say how much I enjoyed the puzzle and the superb blog; so many thanks Philistine and PeterO. One feels such a bond with other posters here that it is a real shame when, dare I say it, tempers run a little high. I do so hope that all involved will calm down and take to the keyboard tomorrow and renew their friendships.

  60. Loved this puzzle (except with a bit of a “womp womp” for AIR ALERTS, as noted by others above), although I needed to attack it in stolen moments throughout the work day to get all the way to the end. The theme was great fun, although I did not drill down on trying to confirm twelve collective nouns until after the grid was completed, and then I could only come up with eleven that I felt confident about. I Googled “an echo of” and “a fidget of” (and also “a prong of” and “a nucleus of”), but nothing turned up — on the first page of results, anyway. I began to wonder if the twelfth noun might be COLLECTIVE itself, “hiding in plain sight”. Of course, by coming here I learned what I had missed with ECHO and FIDGET. There were many good clues, but my favorite today was BRACE. Many thanks to Philistine and PeterO and the other commenters.

    Chrissie @55, that includes you. I hope you will continue posting on 15^2.

  62. 37 people posted on here (excluding Admin)

    13 (that includes me) didn’t spot the theme.

    That’s 35% in my reckoning.

    Perhaps like me they’re not looking as such things are tedious!

  63. @ Chrissie

    An apology would probably have been more suitable than an attempt at self -justification whilst playing the victim.

    And I’d check Chambers for the meaning of ridicule – it doesn’t mean telling the truth.

  65. Chrissie @55

    Please don’t abandon the site, the comment at #48 is not typical. Generally this site is very good natured. Just occasionally some undesirable comments appear, but they are few and far between and can be ignored. We welcome those less experienced and our aim is to help them, whenever we can, to improve their solving experience,

  71. Admin edit. This comment didn’t appear immediately because the poster is under moderation. I thought about simply deleting it, but then decided that I would leave it to you to judge whether it is appropriate to this site or not. I withdraw my previous comment about no further off-topic comments because I would welcome your feedback. In this case David Mark Thomas was in agreement with, and supporting, the instigator of the problem, so I cannot see the relevance of his latest comment. I have my own rationale for the reason behind it.

    @ Gaufrid

    In my experience you unerringly side with the instigator of the problem if they are a regular poster – it’s what makes this site so hilarious to those of us who casually observe it. Why not just tell Chrissie that if she’s posts something insulting she’s fair game?

    Incidentally I think there’s a bit of casual sexism involved in your behaviour – let’s protect the poor little woman.

  72. DMT @ 71 And “poor little woman” is not sexist??

    For myself the theme was obviously stated, ergo unmissable, but it was an inconsequential curiosity – it didn’t assist solving any clue, and when I solved a relevant across clue, I don’t recall saying to myself, “aha, one of those twelve.”

  75. OK then Admin @70 and 71.
    Obviously disappointed that this thread has taken this turn – got used to it in the Graun’s own comments and find 225 a blessed relief! So it seems that’s not always the case. 🙁

    To be honest I don’t get David MT’s drift in @71. Perhaps I’m not meant to. Smileys would help! I find them a great boon in clarifying the tone of a post, far more quickly than can be put into words.

    As of know I’m only aware of two emoticons: 🙂 and 🙁 . Are there any others? Could we have a complete list? And any chance of expanding it?

  76. Posting very late in the day having attacked this over a dinner and half bottle of wine. So, sadly, too late to expect much readership. But I loved this and had several clues that leap firmly into my top 10 of all time. ARCHAIC – I thought was brilliant when it dropped and likewise BRACE: rarely have I seen a triple clue plus definition. CARAVAN, REFRESH AND RESCUE all deserve a mention too.
    I’m not going to get dragged into the argument raging; actually rather sad to see such discord break out in what is normally rather a civilised site. As always, it’s easy if you see it and it isn’t if you don’t. How many times has this observation been made? Politely, crudely, humorously, sardonically, frustratedly, insultingly, patronisingly, admiringly…..

  77. A melee of solvers? (Sorry, don’t know how to put in an acute accent …

    Personally I like a bit of a ding-dong, especially when it’s conducted in such genteel terms. I’m almost expecting someone to slap baerchen’s face with a gauntlet.

  78. Very late to what seems to have been a tetchy party. I really struggled with this, didn’t see the theme and didn’t finish it. The blog makes it perfectly clear that it is a great puzzle and the shortcomings were mine – let’s hope it was an off day for me. Thanks to setter and blogger.

  80. Ferryman @74 and Malagachica @77

    Haha to your collective nouns.

    More possibilities from today’s puzzle (and today’s/tonight’s blog discussion):

    An OVERUSE of captious posts?

    A POUR-OIL of Admin/Gaufrid interventions?

  83. My goodness what a storm over a trifle! I loved the crossword. Stuck only on air alerts. Thank you Petero for enlightenment on my missing collective nouns. NEver heard of ‘echo’ of mockingbirds and had forgotten ‘fidget’of choirboys.

  84. Thanks Gaufrid @79. 😀 Will certainly find these useful – hope others will too!

    So do we have a SMILE of emoticons? Or an EMOTION of smileys? Breath duly bated….

  85. A pleasant puzzle. I particularly enjoyed BRACE, PRONG and CHATTER (in spite of the jarring – for me – spelling of “looney”). I’m surprised no-one else had AIR FLARES for 7dn – it fitted the hay fever allusion and I assumed it was a term for aerial bombs that had passed me by. I’d meant to check Chambers post-solve ……but forgot!

    I found this crossword less tricky and tricksy than Philistine’s usual creations so was a little disappointed. This may only be because he is one of my “top favourites” (©Eileen) so the bar is set high.
    Thanks to the Ps.

    [On ‘domestic’ matters – sorry, couldn’t resist – but here’s my 4.8d worth. To give Gaufrid some deserved peace of mind (though I’ve no reason to think his equanimity was upset at all), I can’t see how Admin could have dealt with the situation better. I myself didn’t find Baerchen’s original post offensive – it was the potential escalation which Admin addressed.
    225 wouldn’t be the family it is without the odd squabble. Our human face…!]
    Love all. Wxx

  86. Thanks all
    I missed the theme but solved fairly easily without……Except alerts which defeated me.

    Please no emoticons, if you cannot express yourself in the world’s richest language then go somewhere else.

Comments are closed.