Guardian Cryptic 27,707 by Puck

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An enjoyable and slowish solve, followed by even slower parsing of a couple of clues afterwards. Both long down clues were new words to me, but gettable with a few crossers. Favourites 5dn and 6dn. Thanks to Puck.

Not sure there’s a deeper connection between the ‘family’-themed answers.

Across
1 BLOOD BROTHERS Cares about John Dryden’s first British play becoming a musical (5,8)
=a musical [wiki] originally developed as a school play
BOTHERS=”Cares” around all of: LOO=”John” + Dryden’s first + BR (British)
10 AFGHANI Hound setter in foreign capital (7)
=”capital” as in money, currency
AFGHAN=”Hound” + I=”setter”
11 TRAINEE Drops in a letter for one learning the ropes (7)
RAIN=”Drops” in TEE=the “letter” T
12, 13 IN THE FAMILY WAY Expecting this is how relatives might behave? (2,3,6,3)
=pregnant, “Expecting”; also =”how relatives might behave?”
13   See 12
14 CLEAR Get over Uncle Arthur not being all there (5)
=”Get over” as in e.g. ‘clear a high jump bar’
hidden in UnCLE ARthur
16 DISBURDEN Supply bride’s undies, 50% off or free (9)
=”free” as in liberate, relieve
“Supply” as anagrind, (bride’s und)* with 50% off of undies
18 UNRELATED Answer to first clue might be this? That’s beside the point (9)
=BLOOD BROTHERS who are not related but have sworn an oath to each other;
or =”beside the point”
19 EILAT Backstory about island port (5)
=an Israeli port
TALE reversed=”Back/story”, around I (island)
20 SISTER ACT Strange rites in South Africa caught by tense film (6,3)
=comedy film [wiki] starring Whoopi Goldberg
(rites)* in SA (South Africa) + C (caught) + T (tense)
23 TWINS Get to replace content of this sign (5)
=astrological sign aka Gemini
WIN=”Get” replacing the inner letters/”content” of ThiS
24 READMIT Let in again to study at place of learning (7)
READ=”study” + MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology)=”place of learning”
25 ENCHAIN Bind companion into a 9 arrangement (7)
CH (Companion of Honour), inside (a nine)*
26 THE PARENT TRAP Playing teen, first of his two parts in film (3,6,4)
=comedy film [wiki] starring Lindsay Lohan as TWINS
anagram/”Playing” of: (teen h part part)*, where h=”first of his”
Down
2 LIGHT YEAR A girl they treated for what isn’t really a long time (5,4)
=is a long distance, rather than time
(A girl they)*
3 O’HARE Irish-American actress finally taken off for European airport (5)
Scarlett Maureen O’HARA is the actress, with the final a taken off, and plus E (European)
4 BRIEF Initially quoted coppers for a barrister, perhaps, in this (5)
QC=”Initially Quoted Coppers”=Queen’s Counsel=barrister, ‘in BRIEF’
&lit definition – a barrister’s BRIEF is a summary of a case, which might have quotes from coppers
5 OPTIMISED Made the most of being work-shy around the Home Counties (9)
OP=”Work” + TIMID=”shy” around SE (South East)=”Home Counties”
6 HEAD LOUSE One in hairy situation due to bad deal getting through Parliament, partly? (4,5)
(deal)* inside HOUSE=”Parliament, partly” – only partly as there are two Houses
7 RENEW Give refreshment to Frenchman and wife (5)
RENÉ=”Frenchman” + W (wife)
8 CABIN CRUISERS Reject actor that’s broken into vehicles or motor boats (5,8)
BIN=”Reject” + Tom CRUISE=”actor”; both inside CARS=”vehicles”
9 DEHYPNOTISING Returning to normal conscious­ness, hoping destiny has changed (13)
(hoping destiny)*
15 RELIEF MAP Whistle-blower, female, upset about story which has its ups and downs (6,3)
=a map that represents the relative heights of different areas
sports referee=REF=”Whistle-blower” + PAM=female reversed/”upset”; around LIE=”story”
16 DETRACTOR Daughter with primarily electric vehicle one belittles (9)
D (Daughter) + Electric + TRACTOR=”vehicle”
17 DALAI LAMA Nobel Prize winner whose parents include one resident in US city twice (5,4)
DA and MA=”parents”, around I=”one”, inside LA LA=”US city twice”
21 SMASH Second film from TV series is overwhelming success (5)
S (Second) + MASH=”film from TV series” [wiki]
22 TIE IN Relationship that is being preserved? (3-2)
I.E.=id est=”that is”, kept in a TIN=>”preserved”
23 TACIT Understood this topless dress is wrong for 20 (5)
take “this”=TACIT, add RESS=”topless dress” and it becomes an anagram/”wrong” for SISTER ACT=”20″

32 comments on “Guardian Cryptic 27,707 by Puck”

  2. It took me far too long to solve this, even though I could relate (!) to the theme quite early once I saw 1a BLOOD BROTHERS.
    I really liked 12a IN THE FAMILY WAY, my FOI, and smiled at 6d HEAD LOUSE (as highlighted by manehi in the blog) and 21d SMASH. What a clever setter Puck is!!! Thanks to manehi for fully parsing everything, as I couldn’t see really see why 25a ENCHAIN or 23d TACIT were correct.

  3. Yes Dansar@1, I saw it as Maureen O’Hara as well, Scarlett being the character not the actor.

  4. An enjoyable puzzle, but 21D puts the carthorse before the orchestra: the TV series MASH was based on the film.

  5. Being of a certain age I remember Hayley Mills in The Parent Trap and she also starred in The Family Way.
    Thanks to P&M

  6. Clever of Puck to include the film titles with family relationships in them in those across clues…I counted five but not sure if “In the Family Way” is a film as well as a euphemism for pregnancy.

  8. Thanks manehi for putting me out of my misery on BRIEF. Tea tray indeed.

    The fact that I had never seen any of the exhibits added to the fun so thanks to the ever welcome Puck too.

  11. Thanks to Puck and manehi. An enjoyable if somewhat slowish solve for me, and “sort of” got the theme. Last ones in were tacit, twins and very last O’Hare (in spite of once being stuck there for 11 hours because of a thunderstorm). Another fan of head louse and I also liked dehypnotising. Thanks again to Puck and manehi.

  12. A slowish slove for me today as I know nothing about films and am not really interested in them.  (Aren’t I boring!!).

    I liked OPTIMISED and thought TIE-IN was clever.

    But I felt that some of the clues were just a bit too convoluted for my liking.  Thinking of BRIEF, DISBURDEN, TACIT.

    Nonetheless, thanks to Puck and to manehi.

  14. Thanks to Puck and manehi. I agree with Anna’s “convoluted” as I failed to parse a bunch of clues, particularly TACIT and BRIEF.

  15. Thanks both,

    Held up by assuming 26a was (teen h two parts)*. Needed help in some of the parsings, too.

  16. Nice crossy, thank you peeps – but we’re a bit confused about 10a: it doesn’t quite fit Aracaria’s rules: setter in foreign currency doesn’t suggest ‘foreign currency’ is the answer… We got it, but couldn’t parse it…perhaps ‘gives’ or ‘provides’ might have been better – or are we just being A purists?!?!!!!

  17. For a glorious moment I thought this going to be Hayley Mills themed, with 12 and 16 across the first to go in, followed by the sister act connection and Maureen O’Hara ref (see above – great spot!) But alas no Polyanna or winds to whistle down. Never mind,a really clever and enjoyable crossword just the same. 9 down had me fumbling then kicking myself. I literally became dehypnotised. Thanks, Puck, for the mischief and Manehi for the illumination.

  18. Don’t think anyone’s pointed out yet that a BRIEF, as well as being the instruction handed on to a barrister, denotes also the barrister him/herself. Didn’t get this clue at all on solving, so thank you to Manehi. KCs/QCs are only one rarefied selection of barristers. Queen’s Counsels she might consult, I suppose, on legal matters; Privy Counsellors when the loo gets blocked.

  19. All went smoothly until the last few down in the SE corner with TWINS being the last one once TACIT went in which meant I could stop trying to justify ARIES. I hadn’t a clue on the parsing of TACIT and was playing with HABIT as the connection with 20 until I understood understood’s alternative meaning. I particularly liked UNRELATED and RELIEF MAP and like PetHay@11 “sort of” got the theme. Help was also needed to parse TRAINEE BRIEF and OPTIMISED so I think my wits are still dulled from overindulgence and I’m grateful to manehi for the enlightenment and Puck for the fun.
    Also apologies to DaveMc and JinA for giving away the Vlad clue in my comments on the Qaos puzzle – it’s still a great clue to savour if not solve!

  20. Like Whiteking @ 19, I got a bit bogged down in the SE corner especially after bunging ARIES in for 19dn but then TACIT had to be right so it had to go. I did see the theme which is perhaps a good omen for the new year. I did see Maureen O’Hara as the Irish /American actress but didn’t know the connection to the Hayley Mills film.
    Quite enjoyable but perhaps not one of Puck’s best.
    Thanks Puck.

  22. Thanks to both. I took the theme (hey I thought I spotted one!) to be films in general as SISTER ACT and TWINS are films of a later age as well as Buzz LIGHTYEAR being in one.

    Then we get to MASH, BLOOD BROTHER and Tom Cruise being involved too. With the ones mentioned above, I made it 9 movie involvements.

    Like others, I struggled to parse TACIT and BRIEF, although the answer was clear. And I had that Aries road block too, which made that my last corner solved. The thing that nearly defeated me was the 30 degrees outside and in.

  23. Is anyone else having trouble seeing the online version of the Guardian crossie? On a PC I mean…..

  25. Alphalpha@23 – yes, I had trouble as well.  I switched browsers to Google Chrome (same PC) and that solved the issue – you might try that. I have found this happens sometimes with flash or other ways of getting interactive content online.  Best of luck!

  26. NNI, I think it’s misdirection – first letter of ‘his’ and ‘two parts in film’

  27. NNI, I think it\’s misdirection – first letter of \’his\’ and \’two parts in film\’

  28. Firstly, Happy new Year to everyone that I didn’t say HNY to.

    LilSho @16, that’s quite amusing, “it doesn’t quite fit Aracaria’s rules”.  Araucaria and rules?

    The clue is perfectly all right (AFGHAN + I, as the blog says) with “in” as a link word between wordplay and definition.

    [perhaps not the ideal link (as you mention a couple of alternatives) but one that’s fine and often used]

    Good puzzle but I missed the theme. Didn’t stand in the way, so no quibbles.

    Many thanks to manehi & Puck.

  29. Keith Thomas  @24, Whoopi Goldberg said she was glad to be considered an actor now since she would be able to play male parts, but ‘actresses’ often play male parts, so I do not think her argument holds – I find it rather sad that the  term is now taboo except for Golden Globe awards etc..

    Thank you Puck for a fun puzzle and manehi for a super blog.

     

  30. The initial payment to a barrister is known as the “brief fee” and is usually for the first day in court.  Further payments are known as the “refresher”

  31. Sorry – the brief fee is actually due on delivery of the brief.  Followed by refreshers.  So possibly the “initially quoted coppers” refers to this?

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