Puzzles by Tyrus are always good – this one is some sort of tour de force
Solving was an absolute delight. I had read through all across clues plus half a dozen down clues before getting a toe in at 4d, which led to solving 14A Prime Minister, purely from the anagram – but what else could it be! So then it was a question of what “position of 5 here” could mean…
I had only 10 clues written in at the end of the first pass. Plenty left to solve. Then I got 24A Big Clunking Fist (I particularly like the “Duke with power” definition) – I knew it was a phrase associated with Gordon Brown and then the penny dropped.: “position of 5” refers to the 5 most recent Prime Ministers and their nicknames :
Theresa May 17A Maybot As in e.g. “I, Maybot” by John Crace, Guardian’s Political sketch writer (and writer of the excellent “Digested Read”)
David Cameron 20A “Call me Dave” is the unauthorised biography of David Cameron by Isabel Oakeshott and Michael Ashcroft is called (the one where …)
Gordon Brown 24A Big Clunking Fist Example guardian article
Tony Blair 5/12 Teflon Tony – nothing sticks
John Major 7 Grey man “Major had been considered a decent but uninspiring person who was known as the ‘grey man’ of politics.”
Most memorably his Spitting Image puppet
I thought the 5 might more specifically all be “unauthorised biographies” like the first two, but it seems not – it’s probably just a consequence from the fact that slightly defamatory nicknames are ideal as titles for such fare.
Before solving I’d noted the unusual grid which gives only 11 Across lights compared to the numerous 18 Down lights, but it was only when I was preparing the completed image below that I spotted the reason – the completed grid gives us a heartfelt wish in the top and bottom rows:
BOJO, NO NO
Hear, hear
| Across | ||
|---|---|---|
| 5 | TEA BOYS | Junior staff sacked mostly you beast! (3,4) (YO[u] BEAST)* AInd: sacked |
| 7 | GREY MAN | Agent on duty finally getting caught – he’s not very bright (4,3) G-MAN (Agent) around RE (on) and [dut]Y The “Grey Man” is John Major |
| 9 | FORKED LIGHTNING | Will broadcaster co-operate finally? Don King fight could be Sky feature (6,9) ( [wil]L [broadcaste]R [co-operat]E DON KING FIGHT )* AInd: could be |
| 10 | OBLITERATE | Look back over bridgehead, repeat and destroy (10) LO< (look, back) around B[ridgehead]. then ITERATE (repeat) |
| 14 | PRIME MINISTER | Proper artist tries out position of 5 here (5,8) PRIM (proper) EMIN (artist) (TRIES)* AInd: out. |
| 19 | ALLY | No-pressure friendly for supporter (4) [p]ALLY |
| 20 | CALL ME DAVE | See everyone has money and avoid going back (I’m just one of the lads) (4,2,4) C (see) ALL (everyone) M[oney] EVADE< (avoid, back) |
| 24 | BIG CLUNKING FIST | Duke with power smashed ‘Fight Club’ – no hearts sinking (3,8,4) (FIGHT CLUB + SINKING – H[earts] )* AInd: smashed |
| 26 | TROUNCE | Beat easily – right-back’s a lightweight (7) RT< (right, back) OUNCE (a lightweight) |
| 27 | IGNOBLE | Base in one French city about to go (7) I (one) GRENOBLE – RE |
| Down | ||
| 1 | BARREL | Container left by rail (6) BARRE (rail – the rail used in ballet class) L[eft] |
| 2 | OSTLER | Lost ground to Queen’s horseman (6) LOST* AInd: ground, then ER (Queen) |
| 3 | JETTY | Landing plane totally empty (5) JET (plane) T[otall]Y |
| 4 | OMNIVORE | Move in or suffer (he’ll take in all sorts) (8) (MOVE IN OR)* AInd: suffer. First one in – clear wordplay and definition |
| 5/12 | TEFLON TONY | Not yet prepared to accept criminal leaving east hard to blame him (6,4) (NOT YET)* AInd: prepared around FELON (criminal) – E[ast] . Tony Blair – nothing sticks |
| 6 | OVERTIME | Obvious the setter’s on drugs, meaning extra work (8) OVERT (obvious) I’M (he setter’s) E (drug) |
| 7 | GIG | I admitted to saying horse and carriage (3) I inside GG homophone gee-gee (horse) |
| 8 | NAGOYA | Japanese city lifted an artist (6) AN< (an, lifted) GOYA (artist) |
| 11 | TIN | Can get into area (3) Hidden in geT INto |
| 13 | OSTEOGEN | This makes bone doctor go to see Hunt – basic accommodation lacking (8) (GO TO SEE HUNT – HUT (basic accommodation))* AInd: doctor |
| 15 | RELIGION | Belief there’s a lot of cover in area (8) LI[d] (a lot of cover) inside REGION (area) |
| 16 | MOA | Old bird – grouse – losing tail (3) MOA[n] |
| 17 | MAYBOT | Expressionless speaker, one upset by breaking word to Barnier? (6) A (one) BY< (upset by) inside (breaking) MOT (French for word – thus word to Barnier) |
| 18 | METTLE | Spirit of 11, say (6) Homophone: “Metal” (11 = Tin). Last one in. Those homophones often fool me. Can’t complain that it was unsolvable till 11 was solved – 11 was quickly cold solved (second answer in) |
| 21 | LAID IN | Got a supply of City papers at home (4,2) LA (city) ID (papers) IN (at home) |
| 22 | AKIMBO | As arms may be first on agenda, tyrant starts to back off (6) A[genda] KIM (tyrant) B[ack] O[ff] |
| 23 | LLANO | Plain element of personal life’s been raised (5) Hidden reversed in: persONAL Life |
| 25 | NEE | Want day out as previously referred to (3) NEE[d] |
Somehow managed to complete this unaided, despite my ignorance of most things political. Had to check a lot of my answers via google. Thanks to Tyrus and beermagnet.
The usual glorious stuff from Tyrus, and thanks beermagnet for making all the points I thought of.
I think it is probably fair to assume Tyrus does not have a very high opinion of recent political leaders. (He is probably right not to.)
Just to add my $0.02 worth to the heartfelt wish in the nina.
In passing, the Maybot missed a trick after Bojo’s resignation speech. She should have said “I would like to thank the honourable member for his achievements as Foreign Secretary, but I can’t remember any.”
Yesterday someone called Neo’s (very good but not really different from his other offerings) FT crossword the Highlight of the Week.
Well, what about this?
Pure class! (and nothing to add)
Many thanks to beermagnet & Tyrus.
absolutely fantastic puzzle, right up my Straße.
@Conrad
May to Boris 2016 “Go to the Foreign Office”
Everyone else to Boris: “Go to the Foreign Office”
thanks to Jim and beermagnet
We started out with big swinging dick for 24 but realised it couldn’t be by reason of the intersecting letters. A shame.
This was hard. But help, why is Gordon Brown a duke with power?
@Eric
a “duke” is another word for “fist”… eg “put up your dukes”
I wrote genius, fantastic over the grid. Tyrus that was superb. Jim for PM. Puzzle master not prime minister.
Masterful puzzle with great use of theme. My favourite clue was that for MAYBOT. Great blog too.
Struggled with this a bit as we weren’t familiar with all the appelations, but got there in the end through Tyrus’s careful cluing and wordplay. Great stuff!
Thanks, Tyrus and beermagnet.
Thanks to beermagnet for a great blog and to others who commented.
Jacob Rees-Mogg might be even worse!
Just brilliant. Took me numerous attempts, but finally defeated by 24A, an expression I had never heard of.
It’s all been said above.
Huge thanks to Tyrus for the puzzle and well done beermagnet for the blog.