Guardian 27,458 – Tramp

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Another of Tramp’s clever “theme-in-the-clues” puzzles, where as usual no knowledge of the subject is needed.

There seem to be quite a few musical references (some perhaps a bit tenuous) in the answers too, not particularly related to Johnny C: SING, BRASS, FACADE[S] (suites by William Walton), ALPHORN, VIBRAHARP, [SOAP] OPERA, VAMP, SHINBONE (= tibia, an ancient instrument), REHEARSES, RESONATE, TOP HAT and NOTED. Thanks to Tramp for the entertainment.

 
 
 
 
 
 
Across
9. INOCULATE Graft in turning around company — advanced without union (9)
IN + U in reverse of CO + LATE (advanced)
10,22. SWING THE LEAD Women, entering to perform main vocal part, avoid work (5,3,4)
W in SING THE LEAD (to rhyme with “heed”). To swing the lead (rhymes with “head”, i.e. the lead part) is to shirk duty or malinger
11. BRASS Cash‘s part of band? (5)
Double definition
12. SCORECARD Mixing short Cash record — round record? (9)
Anagram of CAS[h] RECORD. A scorecard may be the record of a round of golf
13. FACADES Sod all CDs interlaced with American and English covers (7)
FA ([Sweet] Fanny Adams = nothing = sod all) + CDS alternating with A and E
14. ALPHORN Instrument from a record hidden at either end? (7)
A LP + H OR N (either end of HiddeN)
17. EASEL Hire cycles and frame (5)
LEASE with the letters “cycling” around by one place
19. RUE Tours’ way? Currency brought back (3)
Reverse of EUR (standard abbreviation of Euro) – a street in the French city of Tours for example
20. ONSET Start playing songs for concert (5)
ON (playing) + SET (list of songs or pieces performed at a concert or other event)
21. SPINACH Popeye’s tip: his can supply contains it? (7)
P[opeye] in (HIS CAN)* &lit, where “supply” = “in a supple way”
24. VIBRAHARP Big name taking British pop group right to US music producer (9)
BR+ A-HA (Norwegian pop group) + R in VIP. Vibraharp is another (american) name for the vibraphone. I wanted this to be Vibraslap but of course couldn’t make it wirk
26. TASER Took paper again, turning over to reveal a shocker (5)
Reverse of RE-SAT
29. SOAP OPERA Provided a hit TV drama — one like this? (4,5)
SO (provided) + A + POP (to hit) + E.R. (US TV series) + A
Down
1. LIMB Go up, ignoring first branch (4)
[C]LIMB
2. MOSAIC Work in pieces — big one breaking microphone (6)
OS (outsize) A in MIC
3. QUESADILLA Amazing Aldi’s equal for food (10)
(ALDI’S EQUAL)*
4. LASSES Girls with large bums in America (6)
L[arge] + ASSES (American for bottoms)
5. RESONATE Ring of Fire’s on a television (8)
Hidden in fiRE’S ON A TElevision
6. ISLE Key passage on the radio (4)
Homphone of “aisle”
7. DISAVOWS Avoids working with society rejects (8)
AVOIDS* + W[ith] S[ociety]
8. AGED Old artist mostly upset (4)
Reverse of DEGA[S]
13. FREES Releases Father and Son around Spain twice (5)
E twice in FR S
15,28. PROTECTION MONEY Bribe Johnny Cash (10,5)
PROTECTION (Johnny – slang for a condom) + MONEY (cash)
16. NOTED Recorded piece of music has depth (5)
NOTE (piece of music) + D
18. SHINBONE Part of Man in Black stood out, as a collector (8)
IN B “collected by” SHONE (stood out)
19. REHEARSE Note: one takes the late train (8)
RE (note, as in do-re-mi) + HEARSE (which “takes the late”)
22. TOP HAT Work in which musical? (3,3)
OP in THAT (which)
23. ENSUED Turned out European heartlessly named girl inside (6)
SUE in E[uropean] + N[ame]D, with a nod to the song A Boy Named Sue, made famous by Johnny Cash
24. VAMP Volume on speaker for siren (4)
V + AMP, though amplifier=speaker is a bit loose
25. AMYL Radical Winehouse left (4)
AMY [Winehouse, singer) + L
27. ROAR Playing seconds from Johnny Cash: Cry! Cry! Cry! (4)
Anagram of the second letters of jOhnny cAsh cRy cRy, with the third “Cry!” acting as the definition

65 comments on “Guardian 27,458 – Tramp”

  1. Thanks Tramp and Andrew

    (You’ve missed parsing the last few down clues, Andrew).

    I enjoyed this, though the top and particularly the NE took a long time for a reason not obvious after finishing. Favourites were TASER, RESONATE (took ages to see this “hidden”), SHINBONE and REHEARSE.

    I was surprised by INOCULATE = graft. Google tells me that it’s “late middle English”, but it’s in Chambers without this rider.

    Two quibbles: the currency is Euro; Eur is an abbreviation, and should have been indicated as such. AMP isn’t a speaker; I’m listening to my radio at the moment, and the speakers are, respectively, 1m and 3m from the amp!

  2. This seemed really hard work but looking back I can’t see why although there were a couple of DNKs – VIBRAHARP and QUESADILLA. In my occasional moments of aspiring to set clues, SWING THE LEAD is a phrase that always seems ripe for a good clue.  My thoughts always go towards fishing.

  6. Oops, sorry for editing error that omitted 19d onwards – this now fixed, as is the explanation of AGED. Thanks to muffin for pointing these out.

  8. Thank you Tramp for a very entertaining and taxing puzzle (particularly the very well hidden RING), and to Andrew.
    I see Collins gives SO is an archaic form of provided, but without LONG AS, I am struggling to think of an example. I’m sure there must be a good Shakespearean one. Can anyone help ?

  9. I enjoyed this very much – I even noticed a theme – my main problem this morning (and this is the second crossword today where it’s happened) is that I didn’t associate the word ‘girl’ or ‘woman’ with my own name!   In my defence it has been a very long and tiring week

     

    Thanks to Tramp for the fun and Andrew for the expanations

  10. Many thanks to Andrew and Tramp.

    All good stuff, as usual. Favourites today: PROTECTION MONEY, SPINACH and FACADES.

  11. Thanks to Tramp and Andrew. On the musical references, this took me back to my university days and a gig by a band called ‘Sad Café’ promoting their album ‘Façades’. I wondered whether they chose their name just for the anagram!

  12. Managed to finish, just! I thought 19d was brilliant (lest we forget our time will come). Many thanks Tramp and Andrew and a good weekend to all.

  13. @Chargehand 5.  Apologies, Andrew.  Philip Glass, ‘Facades’ is from his collection under the title of ‘Glassworks.  Apologies to one and all and thank you.  It’s a slow brain day for me.

  14. I agree with Andrew that this was a clever puzzle.  My last one in was “resonate” – I’m going to claim this shows what a good clue it was (as opposed to a lack of solving ability on my part!).  I too queried the use of amp for speaker, but it didn’t stop me solving that one (and thanks to Tramp@7 for the comment about this).

    So many thanks to Andrew and Tramp for the excellent blog and very fine puzzle.

  15. Thanks Tramp; a very entertaining crossword.

    Thanks Andrew; I failed to parse SOAP OPERA. I took far too long to get RESONATE (nicely hidden) and DISAVOWS, where I was looking for working = on, doh! I was a little surprised by graft = INOCULATE, although Chambers does have for the latter: ‘to insert as a bud or graft.’ Possibly a rather old-fashioned usage?

    I particularly liked REHEARSE and PROTECTION MONEY.

  17. Lovely puzzle with a great punchline for PROTECTION MONEY

    @Auriga think Florida Keys etc.

    Thanks Tramp &Andrew; nice weekend all

  21. Muffin – forgive my bluntness, but you’re talking rot – if we start demanding that every abbreviation is signalled by the setter then the clues are going to be very long indeed

  22. Enjoyed this very much.  Lots of clever obscuration.  Like several others, RESONATE & DISAVOWS were LOsI and both now have ticks.

    Also enjoyed loved the fun of PROTECTION MONEY & REHEARSE.

    Many thanks, both for the puzzle and for dropping in.

  23. …by the way, some speakers have an integral amp requiring only a source such as a CD player or record , so perhaps this is just about OK.

  24. Very good fun a d fun and thanks to Tramp for fessing up on AMP (although its part of TR AMP)

    Bribe Johnny Cash definitely a highlight.

  25. Really enjoyed the Johnny Cash theme…
    Everything else I thought has been said – or debated.

  26. Thanks to  Tramp and Andrew.

    An enjoyable end to an enjoyable week where I had lots to say but inevitably found I had been scooped by the time I got here.  Highlights were visits from Arachne and, today, Tramp – it’s always intriguing when setters pop in. (Imho an equivalence between amp and speaker just about washes when the volume knob is so clearly indicated.) PROTECTION MONEY was a clear favourite, but then I’m not a JC fan and it generated perhaps the wrong sort of chuckle. I don’t really get along with clues like those for VIBRAHARP and SOAP OPERA where there is a high level of granulation, but there were others – REHEARSE, SCORECARD and LEASE for instance – where the cluing seemed to me terse and elegant.

    Happy Paddy’s Day to all those for whom it means anything!

  27. Oh, and I meant to include RESONATE under the elegance classification. The use of “of” is exquisite.

  28. QUESADILLA has probably only ever been clued once or twice before, but it was coincidentally  the set word for last week’s Sunday Times clue-writing competition. Obviously Tramp would have set the puzzle a long time before that, but it’ll be interesting to see if anyone comes up with something similar.

  29. Lovely puzzle. Challenging but really enjoyable. I needed Mr. Crossbar’s help with RUE, DISAVOWS and the parsing of RESONATE. I so often miss these hidden words, even when I’ve guessed the answer. This was particularly well disguised.

    Favourites were RUE, RESONATE, PROTECTION MONEY, SHINBONE among many.

    Off to listen to some Johnny Cash now.

    Many thanks to Tramp for the fun, and Andrew for the blog.

  30. RESONATE was LOI for me too: the number of people who say the same, or otherwise name it as a highlight, shows what a fine clue it was. Within a fine crossword altogether. Incidentally, if it was composed in 2014 (@7 above), where has it been in the meantime? In Tramp’s pending file, or in the crossword editor’s in-tray? Any special reason for the delay?

  31. Thanks to Tramp and Andrew. Personally found this tough and slow going, but nonetheless enjoyable. Had the right hand side nearly complete and little on the left with some obscure words holding me up. That said got there in the end, with the NW holding out until the end. Looking back now I do not know why I struggled because the clues are very gettable. Hopefully there was a lot of misdirection from the setter, because I was misdirected all over the place. That said maybe just me having a slow day, thanks again to Tramp and Andrew and yippee my second full week in a row.

  32. I’m still racking my brains for an example, albeit archaic, for SO=PROVIDED.
    Can anyone help ?

  33. Perhaps I’m just being dense. Is it PROVIDED in the sense of:
    Lorenzo: Fetch my sword and buckler.
    Gofer: It shall be SO.
    Or is their a CONDITIONAL meaning I’m missing.

  34. Thanks Andrew and Tramp, I really enjoyed this.

    Set in 2014? Your puzzles seem to get older and older – they must mature with age.

  35. Another toughie but goodie for me, with about half the grid completed (including SWING THE LEAD and VIBRAHARP which, looking at the answers, were the two that I had not previously heard of – not sure why I can get them but not, for example, BRASS or LIMB….)

  36. il principe dell’oscurità @32 – I’ve been racking mine, too!

    I’ve found ‘provided’ under ‘so’ in Chambers and under ‘provided’ there’s ‘on these terms’, which is pretty near to ‘so’ – but I’m still struggling to see just how they can be interchanged in a sentence.

  37. Nice puzzle – same 3 standouts (5, 15, 19) as others have mentioned and I’d add SHINBONE for the innovative use of collector – although muffin@1 and Crossbar already highlighted it.
    Thanks to Tramp for the puzzle and for contributing and to Andrew for the blog.

  38. SO – Provided

    My edition of the OED has:

    So (that), in limiting sense: On condition that, provided that, so long as, if only.

    Numerous examples are given and this one might suit:

    Which duty ought to be most esteemed, we may continue to debate …; so all be diligently performed. (Johnson, Rambler).

  39. @Muffin:

    Also not keen on INOCULATE = graft, even though I figured it must the answer easily enough.  Re: AMP – I have a small guitar combo amplifier – includes a speaker as well as the power component. You can get much larger combo amps – so I think this is fair enough.

  40. Hi killerwhaletank

    Although they might be housed in the same box, the amp and speaker are different components; the amp amplfies the signal to a point that the speaker can emit it.

  43. I’m quite familar with Johnny Cash but can only spot 3 songs. Man in Black, ring of fire and a mention of Sue as in boy named Sue. Any others? Great puzzle!

  46. Pretty tough – but it’s Tramp so expected!

    Not come across PROTECTION MONEY but then giving and/or receiving bribes is something I’m none too familiar with! 🙂

    And certainly never heard of VIBRAHARP – and even after writing it in after a look-up, couldn’t parse it.  I think we had A-HA recently in a clue, but of course I’d never heard of it back then, and completely forgotten about it this time around.  Is it really fair to have as the definition an obscure musical instrument (correction: obscure noise generator) and also have wordplay based on an obscure bunch of musicians (correction: noise-making individuals)?

    But much to like here.  ISLE was really a devil of a LOI – much more fiendish than any of Paul’s homophones yesterday.  At the last minute I remembered the ‘Florida Keys’.  Some nice surfaces like 7d.  And it took me far longer to spot RESONATE than I ought to – for a hidden word.  Well hidden!

    On the other hand, one or two like SPINACH were a bit on the easy side.  What else could Popeye possibly tip us about?

  47. Sorry  – posted prematurely.  Was going to say, I parsed ROAR as second letters of fRom, jOhnny, cAsh, cRy – in which case the third “cry” is redundant.  But in that case I suppose “playing” is redundant too.  So Andrew’s parsing is the right one.

    Thanks Tramp and Andrew.

  51. I finished yesterday’s Paul before embarking on this and thought this puzzle was a mixed bag. Some excellent clues like PROTECTION MONEY, SCORECARD and ROAR but others left me cold. I don’t think there was anything wrong with the cluing but somehow this didn’t do it for me.
    Thanks Tramp.

  52. Thanks to Tramp and Andrew. Late to the party with nothing new to contribute, though to my surprise I did spot RESONATE. early on. Lots of fun.

  54. Muffin you often make comments and won’t be shaken from them even when it is fairly obvious that your opinion has been proved a little suspect. (Like a dog with a bone)

    Here is a link from an organ which may know a little bit about currencies. Just look at the dropdowns (EUR is the standard abbreviation for Euro in the financial markets)

    The Financial Times Currency Converter

    Perhaps you should “man up” 😉

  56. I enjoyed this and found it only a little less challenging than yesterday’s ‘Paul’.

    I particularly liked SCORECARD, FACADES, PROTECTION MONEY and REHEARSE.  I also liked VIBRAHARP mainly becasue I managed to work it out not having heard of it.

    I came to a stop with SWING THE LEAD and ISLE still to get.  I have never heard of that phrase, and I had no idea that a key was an island.  (My level of GK does sometimes let me down!)

    I duly marked down ‘amp’, and it was particularly pleasing to see an acknowledgement of that error early on.

    Many thanks to Tramp and Andrew.

  57. For those discussing Eur and Euro: there is a distinction between a currency and the unit of currency.  In the Eurozone, the currency is the Euro (official abbrev. EUR), and the unit of currency is the euro.  [In the UK, for comparison, the currency is Sterling (official abbrev. GBP) and the unit of currency is the pound.]

    On that basis, I have to conclude that Tramp’s use of EUR for currency is correct.

  58. For further clarification, ‘Euro’ is the name of the currency and EUR is its official ISO 4217 code .  (My use of the word ‘abbrev.’ in my earlier comment was loose.  With the UK currency, GBP is clearly not an abreviation of Sterling!)

  59. Laccaria @46 – if you are arguing that a-ha are obscure, then the issue is one of ignorance rather than fairness.  They are the recipients of one of the ultimate honours in popular music – being asked to contribute a James Bond theme song.

  60. Muffin

    Do you actually read other people’s posts? See #21 again.

    And you actually said in your post “in what way is EUR a currency?” 

    You are obviously aware that EUR is recognised as a currency by tens of thousands of people but choose to be obtuse.

     

     

  61. Hi lurkio (@60)

    Did you see my post @57 (and/or my correction @58)?

    EUR is not just ‘recognised’ – it is also an ISO standard code.  Tramp clearly got it right.

  62. Van Winkle @59

    I quite often come across groups, pop idols et al or et cetera in these crosswords, and although I find that virtually all of them are obscure to me (this is my ‘ignorance’ on display) there is no question that it is fair, as with A-HA here, to incorporate the prominent ones into crossword clues.

    (Absolutely no complaints from me about VIBRAHARP.  I first came across A-HA not long ago on these pages, if memory serves.)

  63. Even I have heard of A-HA; ipso facto they can’t be obscure!

     

    Excellent puzzle as ever from this setter.

  64. Vanwinkle@59 and others: my use of ‘unfair’ refers to the fact that both the wordplay and the solution involve obscure words.  It is a generally understood ‘gentleman’s agreement’ that this makes for a clue which is needlessly difficult for some, if not for all.

    I am thinking up a themed puzzle set around classical music.  Presumably you’d find this ‘unfair’ yourself – based on the assumption that most devotees of ‘pop’ know nothing of classical.  Try it when it comes (I don’t yet know when or where)!

    cruci(etc) @63 – congrats on having heard of “a-ha”.  Alas, the second half of your first sentence is meaningless!

  65. Laccaria: if I have heard of a pop group, they have to be pretty well known because I know next to nothing about pop. I can’t expect people to know that but I’d have thought the “Even I…” was a hint. I’ll do you the courtesy of assuming that you know “ipso facto” means “by that very fact”.

     

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