Guardian 28,238 – Anto

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I haven’t always been a big fan of Anto’s puzzles in the past, but I enjoyed this one: a few slightly quirky moments, but some nice touches as well. Thanks to Anto.

 
 
 
 
 
 
Across
1. BE YOURSELF Advice unsuited to shy type attending fancy dress party (2,8)
Double/cryptic definition
6. ODDS Chances of good kids getting half cut (4)
The second halves of goOD kiDS
9. NIL BY MOUTH Medical approach entailing silent treatment? (3,2,5)
Double/cryptic definition
10. TORC European knocked over loses a necklace (4)
Reverse of CROAT less A
12. BUSTER KEATON Actor embodied outcome of Little Bighorn, according to Spooner (6,6)
Spoonerism of “Custer beaten”: rather nice, I thought, though the “Custer” part is easy to guess
15. PLUS SIGNS Additional indicators (four in all) found in this puzzle (4,5)
The grid has four plus signs formed by black squares
17. TUDOR Old house often mocked in the suburbs (5)
Double definition: the House of Tudor, and a reference to the mock-Tudor style of houses found in suburbs
18. SOBER Serious award given to senior … (5)
OBE in SR – “given to” is perhaps a slightly dodgy insertion indicator, but I suppose it makes sense; see also 1d
19. TURNED OUT … evicted, with seller hiding underground (6,3)
UNDER* (i.e. under “ground”) in TOUT (seller)
20. RE‑ENERGISING Engineer’s rig somehow providing power again (2-10)
(ENGINEER’S RIG)
24. PORN Something Blue gets an occasional Epsom run (4)
Alternate letters of ePsOm RuN (with the capitalisation suggesting that Something Blue is the name of a racehorse, as might run at Epsom – as apparently it is)
25. RIB TICKLER Cut line into heart? Funny story that (3,7)
RIB (a cut of meat) + L[ine] in TICKER (heart). Chambers only gives this as hyphenated rather than two words
26. ESPY Catch Euripides play on vacation (4)
Outer letters of EuripideS PlaY – i.e. they are emptied or “vacated”
27. AGGRESSORS Gorse and grass running wild — they will become belligerent (10)
(GORSE GRASS)*
Down
1. BIND Offer to acquire new tie (4)
N[ew] in BID (offer) – again, “acquire” is unusual as an insertion indicator, but makes sense
2. YELP Cry out for the old record format (4)
YE (old “the”, as in Ye Olde Gifte Shoppe – of course the Y should actually be a thorn) + LP (long-player)
3. UP YOUR STREET Insult nurse in conversation — that’s fine for you? (2,4,6)
UP YOURS (an insult) + TREET (homophone of “treat”, to nurse)
4. STOAT Small but perfectly formed animal (5)
S + TO A T – the “but” is needed to make the cliché, though it doesn’t make much sense in the wordplay
5. LATE RISER Busy retailers rarely see one when they open (4,5)
RETAILERS* – if you’re a late riser then you won’t get to the shops until after they’re open
7. DOOR-TO-DOOR Type of salesman providing non-stop transport service? (4-2-4)
Double definition, though door-to-door transport needn’t be non-stop: “direct” might have been better
8. SECOND-RATE Back rank is just not good enough (6-4)
SECOND (back) + RATE (rank)
11. LEATHERNECKS American marines sent here lack preparation (12)
(SENT HERE LACK)* – I didn’t know this nickname for the US Marines: it probably comes from an old protective piece of their uniform
13. APOSTROPHE It’s often abused by grocers dealing with multiples (10)
Reference to the grocer’s (or greengrocer’s) apostrophe, as seen on signs such as “apple’s and pear’s”
14. BUBBLE WRAP Purchase protection, but may get popped eventually! (6,4)
Extended definition – bubble wrap can protect your purchases, and you might want to pop it afterwards
16. GETS GOING Wins with standard moves (4,5)
GETS (wins) + GOING (standard – as in “the going rate”, I suppose)
21. SATYR Very tasty piece raised spirit (5)
Hidden in reverse of veRY TASty
22. CLIO She inspired historians starting to chart life in Oxford (4)
Initial letters of Chart Life In Oxford – Clio is the Muse of History
23. PROS Short text describing benefits (4)
PROS[E]

67 comments on “Guardian 28,238 – Anto”

  1. I was helped on 11d by knowing the 1951 Nicholas Ray film FLYING LEATHERNECKS, starring John Wayne. Occasionally shown on TV. Interestingly, it was not retitled for transatlantic release – but that happens more often in the other direction.

  2. There’s a John Wayne film called The Flying Leathernecks. Liked 12 and 15. Thanks to Andrew and Anto, particularly for giving us bubblewrap.

  5. I agree, an enjoyable Monday solve from Anto. I liked 12a BUSTER KEATON as I am actually quite a fan of clever Spoonerisms like that one (a much discussed topic on a recent forum). I also ticked 9a NIL BY MOUTH, 15a PLUS SIGNS, 13d APOSTROPHES and 14d BUBBLE WRAP. I thought 7d DOOR-TO-DOOR was barely cryptic so wasn’t as fussed on that one. Thanks to Anto and Andrew.

  6. .. enjoyed the puzzle, though for some reason it felt a bit like driving on a foggy day. Looking back, nothing all that vague…fog probably in my head. Liked s’to a t’, and the Spooner (echoes of Little Big Man), and bubble wrap. Hadn’t heard, or don’t remember, leatherneck, but no prob from the grist. Thanks to A and A.

  7. It took me a while to get on Anto’s wavelength, but I think that’s more Monday morning’s fault than his!

    I got it all but 19A where I just lazily assumed it was something to do with ground (turf). Hadn’t heard of 13D, particularly enjoyed 4D.

    Thanks to both.

  8. Like you Andrew, I haven’t been a fan of Anto’s puzzles in the past but I agree that he/she is improving. I needed your help to parse 4D; I’d like to claim I was thrown off track by the “BUT” – but it was really just brain fog! So many thanks to you for an excellent blog and to Anto for an entertaining puzzle.

    PS In 5D I think you want an anagram indicator for RETAILERS.

  9. 15a PLUS SIGNS I remember  Brendan once had a similar reference to a structure in his grid – a letter H, I think.

     

    Thanks Andrew and Anto

  10. I found this quite tricky. Especially the SW corner. I didn’t see the PLUS SIGNS at all I was looking for something in the word answers. It took forever to see BUBBLE WRAP. Ialso couldn’t parse STOAT but now see that is quite clever.
    Thanks Anto and Andrew

  11. A gentle work out this morning, which is just fine for me to get the week going. Though I didn’t much care for BE YOURSELF, which doesn’t quite work.
    Thanks to Andrew for explaining where
    the PLUS SIGNS were, I couldn’t see the wood for the trees.

  12. Thanks for the blog, Andrew – I agree with your preamble. Anto’s Quiptics came in for some stick here at the beginning: s/he seems better suited to the Cryptic slot. I remember enjoying the last one, too.

    I have ticks for 6ac ODDS, 15ac PLUS SIGNS, 19ac TURNED OUT (I always like a clever use of ‘ground’ as an anagram indicator), 26ac ESPY, 4dn STOAT and 22dn CLIO.

    I’m one of those not keen on Spoonerisms, unless they make perfect sense both ways, as the excellent 12ac does. It’s not the first time I’ve seen it but that doesn’t imply plagiarism: setters’ minds often run along the same track and, in any case, there’ll always be solvers who haven’t met the clue before – or, like me, have forgotten it until reminded.

    Many thanks to Anto for a good start to the week.

     

  14. To Dan O at 7 if I can count on a Monday morning? For all of us, if we take a while to get on the setter’s wavelength, then we’ll done Anto. Certainly not a fault at all. Thanks to Anto and Andrew.

  15. From the way I started, I thought this was going to be over before I’d even finished my cup of tea. But I slowed down with about two-thirds done. LEATHERNECKS, fairly clued, was a piece of general knowledge I lacked. I particularly liked PLUS SIGNS, APOSTROPHE and BUBBLE WRAP.

    Thanks to Anto and Andrew.

  16. Thanks Anto and Andrew. Some nice double definitions. I loved the self reference to the grid pattern, no. 72 in the Guardian grid library and I rather like it

  17. Liked BUSTER KEATON, STOAT, UP YOUR STREET.

    Did not parse  APOSTROPHE, PLUS SIGNS.

    New TORC.

    Got 2d wrong as I entered YELL but could not parse the LL bit of it.

    Thanks to Anto and Andrew.

  20. 10 Munromad and 13 Ronald stole my words.

     

    STOAT only struck home after seeing it again in 13 – Andrew’s explanation about “but” was a total distraction.

    Still learning e.g. on vacation 26a being used in two senses (if it means playing “I (e)spy” with the kids en route en holiday as well as ‘catch’ sight.)

    Thanks Anto, this was the best one yet for me. New words (TORC), and techniques (PLUS) and a lot of variety in the cluses.

    I got Buster very quickly but expected Keaton to start with a C which made it trickier for me at least. Full marks!

     

  21. Munromad @10 – I’m with you on the PLUS SIGNS – that took ages and a lot of convincing afterwards!

    Eileen @12 – I love a good Spoonerism and that was deifinitely one of them.   Actually, it reminded me of the great Count Arthur Strong (which then had me weeping at the cancelled tickets I had)…

    Took me a while to tune-in to Anto but got there in the end – that was a three cup-of-coffee one.

    FOI was BE YOURSELF – strictly a DNF as LEATHERJACKS needed a bit of searching out (but Paul said “it’s OK to Google!” so I did).

    Thanks Anto and Andrew for the Monday wake-up!

  23. 24A: Something Blue ran three times on the flat as a two year old filly in 1996, but never at Epsom. The best she managed was eighth in a field of twelve. She retired from the racecourse after finishing last of 14 at Catterick, but was much more successful as a brood mare. Her progeny of ten horses won 51 races between them.

  25. I didn’t know leatherneck as slang for a US marine, but I was sure I’d heard of leatherneck sea turtles, which are clearly marine animals (it’s leatherback, of course). Anyhow Wikipedia does explain the origin of the slang: “On September 5, 1776, the Naval Committee published the Continental Marines uniform regulations specifying green coats with white facings (lapels, cuffs, and coat lining), with a leather high collar to protect against cutlass slashes and to keep a man’s head erect. Its memory is preserved by the moniker “Leatherneck”, and the high collar on Marine dress uniforms.”

  26. A nice Monday puzzle. Like many others, I especially liked PLUS SIGNS, and found the Spoonerism – not my favourite type of clue – to be a delight. Technically a DNF, as I overlooked that I had not solved STOAT before I came here (kick self in backside). Thanks, Anto and Andrew.

  27. I very much enjoyed this, particularly LATE RISER, YELP and BUSTER KEATON. An excellent Monday puzzle, I thought. Thanks to A and A.

  28. Good, entertaining Monday puzzle.

    I think ‘acquire’ is fine as a container and it’s in the Chambers’ list. However, ‘given’ is usually a juxtaposition indicator and I don’t think it works as a container.

    I liked the STOAT and the BUBBLE WRAP.

    Thanks A ‘n A.

  29. Three cheers to Anto for creating a Spooner clue that’s actually worthy of the original gentleman’s distinctive muddles! Most “spooner” clues are just lame swapped-letters, are neither funny nor memorable, and generally the sight of them makes my heart sink. This one, however, was delightful.
    As was the rest – but I’m clearly being slow on the uptake, for although I correctly guessed STOAT, I’m afraid I still don’t understand the parsing….
    Other than the S being “small“, I suppose.
    Hey ho
    Thanks to Anto and Andrew

  34. As a habitual denigrator of Spoonerisms, I have to say that BUSTER KEATON was both amusing and gettable, so thanks to Anton for that. A good crossword in that there were some easy ways in (plenty of anagrams!) and some tricky wordplay that gave pause for thought. I thought “given to senior” was fine as an inclusion indicator.

    As always (or nearly always) on a Monday, there were a number of cryptic definitions, some of which worked better than others. BE YOURSELF worked better than DOOR TO DOOR, I thought. The PLUS SIGNS in the grid were amusing. Managed to get 23d wrong – MS for text, and ARMS sound like (describing) alms; somehow unable to get short=AR. Ah well.

    Thanks to Andrew for the parsing of 16d, which escaped me.

  35. Thanks Andrew, I didn’t see why STOAT had to be right and was hoping there wasn’t a word “-O-T” meaning perfectly formed and leading to some obscure creature unknown to me. Also for clearing up TURNED OUT (where I made the same lazy error as DanO@7 but think it is a very good clue now it is explained).

    I am definitely a little fuzzy-headed this morning and took a long time to click with Anto’s particular wit on the dd/cd clues but enjoyed them once I did, favourites the Spooner, PLUS SIGNS (once I saw why) and UP YOUR STREET.

    Am i missing something or are the ellipses in 18A+19A just there to mislead/hint at a common surface? Anyway Thanks Anto and I hope to see him/her in action again soon.

  36. Gazzh@35. I first thought that senior… …evicted was an instruction to remove the inner letters, even though ‘Sr’ is in itself a valid abbreviation.

  37. I no longer cringe on seeing Anto’s name above a puzzle, and this one did not disappoint. Easy but fun. Faves included PLUS SIGNS, TURNED OUT, and UP YOUR STREET. Having criticized a recent Spoonerism, I should say that I thought this one was quite good. The cryptic definitions for TUDOR and BUBBLE WRAP seemed weak to me while I was solving, but on second look they’re better than I gave them credit for. Like HarpoSeaks @11, I doh’t think BE YOURSELF quite works, but it was obvious enough to let the rest of the solve proceed pleasantly. Thanks to A&A.

  38. A bit late to the post today – an unexpected school run and early video calls so the Monday fuzz that afflicted other posters was well and truly banished by the time I sat down to Anto’s offering.  I wouldn’t go so far as DaveinNC @37 and admit to cringing at the appearance of Anto’s name as setter; rather I’d note that I now find I’m happy whoever’s name appears at the top.  All of our Monday setters have upped their game of late, I feel.  Indeed, the last couple of occasions I’ve been critical it has been of other, more established setters.

    Today marked a bit of a return to Double Definition Monday but, on the whole, I enjoyed them.  NIL BY MOUTH, TUDOR and APOSTROPHE all earned a tick.  Otherwise, I mirror Eileen’s likings and echo the appreciation of the Spoonerism and the witty homophone in UP YOUR STREET.

    Thanks Anto and Andrew.  i like your suggested improvement to the DOOR-TO-DOOR clue.

  40. That was a curate’s egg of a puzzle. After solving a few cryptic definitions I found myself launching into a football chant “Are you Vulcan in disguise?” I kind of admire PLUS SIGNS even though its clue is rather more like that of a treasure hunt than a crossword, while the one for APOSTROPHE is not so much a clue as a moan, albeit a justified one: only this morning during my perambulations I passed several signs advising that a local road would soon be “closed for 4 day’s (sic) for resurfacing”. Thoughtlessly I’d left my Tippex at home.

    I enjoyed the disguised anagram in TURNED OUT, 3D was up my street and – Oh, Reverend Spooner, you’re early this week! Dare I politely suggest that your visits to our humble 15×15 abode are becoming a trifle too frequent? Still, you have surpassed yourself with today’s amusing offering.

    Good fun overall, and certainly not a 8D puzzle.

     

  41. crypticsue @22: one of these days I’m anticipating finding that you’ve posted before Eileen.  I’m convinced it will be one of two formats.  Either an insightful analysis of the puzzle, a generous list of favourites, some constructive acknowledgments of other posters, and an interesting reference or classical/literary allusion.  or it will read “What Eileen’s going to be saying later”. 😀

  42. Good fun from Anto this morning.

    Needed Andrew’s excellent blog for the PLUS SIGNS explanation.  (Andrew, you may be lacking an anagram indicator at LATE RISER).

    “Insult nurses in conversation…” you’d better not in today’s climate.  I wonder if now would be a good time to ask our esteemed government for a decent living wage…where will all the eulogies and rainbows be then, I wonder?

    Many thanks, both.

  43. Thanks Anto and Andrew

    DE @ 19 & Andrew @ 24: as well as the two you cite, there was another puzzle using the H grid with the lights in column 1 running A to G in sequence. Can’t remember the setter (Puck?), though I think Eileen may have blogged it.

  44. Like Andrew, I have not generally been a fan of Anto’s puzzles, but I thought that this one was much better, and I thought that 4d was a very good clue – concise and witty.

  45. Needing a break from Paul’s prize which I may never complete, I enjoyed Anto’s crossword especially BUSTER KEATON; I usually find Spoonerisms forced and unfunny but this was an exception. Also amusing was BUBBLE WRAP and the concise STOAT. NIL BY MOUTH was new for me — I’m familiar with “nil per os” or “nothing by mouth” but I hadn’t seen this mix of Latin and English before.Thanks Andrew for parsing.

  46. 45 Tony, congratulations on your health – you have clearly not been an inpatient for a long time.

    Or perhaps you are not in the UK where it has been in use 60 years or more that I can recall :O)

     

    Perhaps up north they might “nought by gob” – my experience is down south.

  47. A mixed bag of some clever clues and others that were bit clunky.  The APOSTROPHE clue belongs in a quick and not a cryptic crossword. The PLUS SIGNS seemed clunky and odd appearing in a Guardian crossword.

    27’s surface needed more work to make it cogent, something along the lines of ‘…They may invade your land.”

    As a fan of the much maligned Spoonerism, I enjoyed BUSTER KEATON.  Other favourites were UP YOUR STREET and TURNED OUT, simple but elegant.

  48. You are right in my view not to be a fan of this setter and I find myself in disagreement with the general approbation here. Dubious clues are too many to list but would include 1ac (why?) 4d (?) 11d (lived and worked in US: never heard the term) 13d (sloppy clue). Spoonerism OK but obvious from Custer. 17ac (why specifically suburbs?) 7d (poor clue).

    He should go back to Quiptics. Bring back Vulcan.

  49. Hello Eileen at 32 and Robi at 33: thank you for the explanation to the parsing of STOAT!
    Of course, once it had been spelled out in such precise detail, I understood. The expression did ring the vaguest of distant bells: a grandparent used to describe a steak as having been “done to a tea” (which is how my child’s mind always heard it) but it certainly isn’t a phrase I’ve encountered lately. Not that that’s a criticism: the failing is all mine.

  50. MadMax @46: Your guess that I’m not in the UK is the correct one. I’ve worked in hospitals for decades where we always posted NPO signs for patients having certain procedures. I guess in the UK that would be NBM.

  51. Hi Tony Santucci @50

    As you suggested earlier, it’s quite illogical to have ‘nil by mouth’, rather than ‘nil per os’ or ‘nothing by mouth’. I can’t see NIL BY MOUTH without thinking of what turned out to be (as a number of us suspected – I see I couldn’t bring myself to comment) of Araucaria’s valedictory puzzle.

    Simon S @43 – I’m afraid it doesn’t ring any bells for me. 🙁

  52. Is part of the word play in 1 ac that if you go unsuited to a fancy dress party, you go as yourself? STOAT was clue of the day for me. @pnin Mock-Tudor houses are considered to be a suburban architectural style.

  53. Some of us were born at just the right time to remember a short-lived Marvel war comic, Captain Savage and his Leatherneck Raiders. You take your general knowledge where you can get it!

  54. I remember the Airfix catalogue in the 60s referring to the US Marines model soldiers as ‘the famous Leathernecks’ .

  57. Bodycheetah @56: GO COMMANDO would be a fine answer. And the time to worry about yourself is when you stop thinking like you do!

  59. Great puzzle for a newbie like me. First encounter with Anto – enjoyed it. I now know more about Custer than India before ! Thanks all.

  60. Andrew@24 Thanks for spotting that one – I think it is the one I remembered, but I missed it on my first trawl searching for “aitch”.

    Simon S @ 43  – I had another quick look but couldn’t spot anything by Puck (there are several other Guardian Cryptics by other setters, but I didn’t look at them as I was really looking for Brendan)

  62. Pentman@47. Looking “clunky and odd” was, it seems to me, the point of the clue. It reads like a rubric for someone else’s puzzle, so when the true meaning dawned it was a cue for a smile or raised eyebrow at least. Sorry it doesn’t seem to have tickled your ribs. (Glad you enjoyed BUSTER KEATON, though.)

  63. Petert @52. I’m pleased to see someone trying to get their head around BE YOURSELF. Yes, I saw it as bad advice for a shy person (“just be yourself, what can possibly go wrong” – “well, just about everything!”) and also for someone attending a party where “being yourself” is exactly what you’re not supposed to be! Perhaps it was a clue that is only understandable if you are/have been shy, and/or hate dressing up. Excellent clue.

    [Be Yourself was a track on Hawkwind’s first (eponymous) album, btw. I saw them perform it at University College London in 1971. I don’t know if Half Man Half Biscuit have covered it. Probably not.]

  64. bodycheetah@58 No, but if I’m ever peckish in St Leonard’s-on-Sea.

    sheffield hatter@63 I’ve always liked Hurry On Sundown. No Hawkwind covers for HMHB. The nearest thing would be a mention for Michael Moorcock who wrote material for and appears on several Hawkwind albums.

  65. Meant to mention this earlier w.r.t. the parsing of 5D.    I thought the whole clue was the definition here with ‘busy’ being the anagrind. “Busy retailers rarely see one when they open.”  to mean that busy retailers don’t see late risers when they open their shops.

  67. Nice puzzle. When Maskerade did a themer on Guardian setters, Anto was the one I hadn’t heard of.

    I got PLUS SIGNS from the def and anticipated understanding the ref later … then forgot about it, so thanks, Andrew.

    Eileen, I had the same thought about NIL BY MOUTH when it went in.

    Essexboy, thanks for the Elvis. Superb.

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