Everyman 3,868

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The puzzle may be found at https://www.theguardian.com/crosswords/everyman/3868.

I found this considerably easier than last week’s Everyman, but with rather too many questionable details.

ACROSS
1 TRENCH COAT Hector can’t change into outerwear (6,4)
An anagram (‘change into’) of ‘Hector can’t’.
6 TORI Equivalent to ‘rings’? Largely! (4)
A hidden answer (‘largely’) in ‘TO RIngs’, with an extended definition.
9 LYING AWAKE Worrying down pork pies before an all-night feast (5,5)
A charade of LYING (‘down pork pies’? Apart from the grammatical disparity, I would not have said that lies are downed – more like brought up) plus A WAKE (‘an all-night feast’ Perhaps originally – and etymologically – an all-light-night affair).
10 ABET Sinfully help gambler regularly getting tense (4)
A charade of ABE (‘gAmBlEr regularly’) plus T (‘tense’).
11 COOLING TOWER Notice glow or blast in industrial facility (7,5)
An anagram (‘blast’; a questionable anagrind, at least for preceding fodder) of ‘notice glow or’.
15 TIME COP This iconic movie embraces chronologically oriented paradoxes, initially! (4,3)
First letters (‘initially’) of ‘This Iconic Movie Embraces Chronologically Oriented Paradoxes’. I had not come across this film (with title Timecop, treated as one word) before, so that, for me at least, the ‘iconic’ in the clue detracts from its &lit nature.
16 EMBRACE A cuddle? Flipping Everyman wants two! (7)
A charade of EM, a reversal (‘flipping’) of ME (‘Everyman’, as the setter of this crossword) plus BRACE (‘two’).
17 ATLANTA Capital cartel cannot pay regularly (7)
Alternate letters (‘regularly’) of ‘cArTeL cAnNoT pAy’, for the capital city of the State of Georgia, USA.
19 PRETEEN Confused peer: ‘Ten … twelve … or less‘ (7)
An anagram (‘confused’) of ‘peer ten’.
20 STAYING POWER What resident does when doctor has expressions of pain and uncertainty, seeing guts (7,5)
A charade of STAY IN (‘what resident does’ – I am not convinced by IN) plus GP (General Practitioner, ‘doctor’) plus OW ER (‘expressions of pain and uncertainty’ respectively).
23 IPAD Painted a picture, retrospective displays a tablet (4)
A hidden (‘displays’) reversed (‘retrospective’) answer in ‘painteD A PIcture’.
24 MARIONETTE One-time art involved this? (10)
An anagram (‘involved’) of ‘one-time art’, with a rather strained extended definition.
25 SHED That woman would get rid of Slough (4)
Triple definition, if you regard the first as having an apostrophe, SHE’D.
26 RINGO STARR Sorting out arranger for musician (5,5)
A charade of RINGOST, an anagram (‘out’) of ‘sorting’; plus ARR (‘arranger’).
DOWN
1 TALE Story‘s end read aloud (4)
Sounds like (‘read aloud’) TAIL (‘end’).
2 E-CIG Drug dispenser using ingredients in decigrammes (1-3)
A hidden answer (‘ingredients in’) in ‘dECIGrammes’. The ‘drug’ for once is not E, but most likely nicotine.
3 COGNOSCENTI Those who know iodine component has no odour at first (11)
A charade of COG (‘component’) plus ‘no’ plus SCENT (‘odour’) plus I (chemical symbol, ‘iodine’); ‘at first’ gives the order of the particles.
4 COWSLIP Primrose causes dismay with impertinence (7)
A charade of COWS (’causes dismay’? Not very close, I think) plus LIP (‘impertinence’). Primula veris, in addition to being in the primrose family, is sometimes known as the cowslip primrose.
5 ASKANCE Unmask ancestor a little suspiciously (7)
A hidden answer (‘a little’) in ‘unmASK ANCEstor’.
7 OX-BOW LAKES After a steer, confused bloke was finding water (2-3,5)
A charade of OX (‘a steer’) plus BOWLAKES, an anagram (‘confused’) of ‘bloke was’. Even though ‘water’ can be an unmeasured item, I do not think it sits happily with the plural LAKES.
8 INTERREGNA Rising fury about time not indicating, initially, breaches in continuity (10)
A reversal (‘rising’ in a down light) of ANGER (‘fury’) plus RE (‘about’) plus T (‘time’) plus NI (‘Not Indicating, initially).
12 TABLE TENNIS Pill given to Team GB champ for game (5,6)
A charade of TABLET (‘pill’) plus ENNIS (Dame Jessica Ennis-Hill, ‘Team GB champ’).
13 STEAMSHIPS Second crews in second boats (10)
A charade of S (‘second’, the first) plus TEAMS (‘crews’) plus HIP (‘in’) plus S (‘second, the second).
14 AMALGAMATE Combine, in the morning, seaweed and chum (10)
A charade of AM (ante meridiem, ‘in the morning’ plus ALGA (‘seaweed’) plus MATE (‘chum’).
18 AFGHANI Dog’s got one tongue (7)
A charade of AFGHAN (in full Afghan hound, ‘dog’) plus I (‘one’). The tongue – that is, language – is more commonly known as Pashto.
19 PROVING Demonstrating procedure on Bake Off (7)
Double definition, the second being the testing of yeast in bread-making.
21 ETNA Mountain of Vietnam (4)
A hidden answer (‘of’) in ‘ViETNAm’.
22 PEER Announced seaside structure for aristocrat (4)
Sounds like (‘announced’) PIER (‘seaside structure’).

 

image of grid

29 comments on “Everyman 3,868”

  1. Thanks PeterO. In LYING AWAKE I took ‘down’ as part of the definition.
    Although it is not a direct synonym, I was OK with ’causes dismay’ for COWS.
    Thanks Everyman.

  3. Gonzo @1

    I think you are right over 9A LYING AWAKE, with ‘worrying down’ as a cryptic definition, and LYING as a gerund.

    Gonzo @2

    I did not follow it closely, but Gaufrid did put in a site revision.

  4. I thought “blast” was fine as an anagrind, but the same queries as PeterO for LYING AWAKE. (In the blog, all night has become all light.) There several I had not parsed, so thank you to PeterO for those.
    [I too had noticed the website change. For me not having the quick links to the categories is a loss as I often look at the website a fee says later.]

  6. A pleasant diversion, though I can’t remember much that stood out. NHO the ‘Team GB champ’ – which says a lot about the coverage of the Olympics (assuming I am right in vaguely remembering that ‘Team GB’ was a term used for the UK’s Olympic team). I have seen those (increasingly boring) games covered in both Australia and the UK in different years, and you would not believe you were watching the same event. Some things – that the broadcasting country isn’t all that good at – get no coverage, others (you guessed it – the country has a star) get blanket coverage. So who Dame Whatsit is, is still a mystery to me.

  9. I’m surprised that no-one has mentioned TORI (plural of torus) as being slightly obscure. Maybe it’s a common word that has somehow missed me. Maybe I don’t move in the right tori. Also, INTERREGNA is not exactly a common word either. I’ve not been enjoying Everyman as much recently, too many loose definitions I think. I did like the Ringo clue though. Thanks.

  10. Largely good Sunday solve.

    Beobachterin @4; I think PeterO’s intention was that it would have been better as ‘blasts’ (or blasted, although that wouldn’t fit with the surface). I liked the clue for STAYING POWER, although I was convinced for a long time that ‘doctor has’ was an anagram of ‘has’ to be incorporated into the answer.

    Phil @7; someone was confused about whether the answer was PEER or pier, so they compromised with PEIR!

    Thanks Everyman and PeterO.

  12. PeterO: I took STAY IN as something a hotel resident does.  Stay/reside in the hotel as opposed to remain indoors which was my first interpretation

    gladys @5: nice point about O level Geography – that and crosswords are the only times I have ever encountered OX BOW LAKES.  Funny how often posters on fifteensquared refer to O Level knowledge given that, for many of us, those studies were some time ago!

    Davy @9: I’ve encountered Torus as ring in science fiction/fantasy novels and so the jump to TORI as a likely Latin plural wasn’t too difficult for me.

    Overall, I think TassieTim has summed it up for me with his comment @6: “A pleasant diversion, though I can’t remember much that stood out.”

    Thanks Everyman and PeterO

  13. Both Chambers and Collins define AFGHANI as “the standard monetary unit of Afghanistan”. Neither mentions the Pashto language. “Dog’s got one coin” would have been better.

  14. Agree with Davy re the loose definitions. Got it all, with a little help from a friend (she inducted me into the joys of Everyman many, many years ago, eternal gratitude despite occasional frustration) but neither of us could work out why for quite a number. Am always grateful for the explanations, but sometimes still end up thinking that the level of obscurity is tipping a little too far……

  15. gonzo @2 – if you are using an iPad or iPhone you need to ask for the desktop version of the webpage to see the menu on the left hand side.
    Either I am getting better at crosswords or Everyman is getting easier?  This was pretty much a write in except for 8d which took a little help.

  16. I thought the surface for MARIONETTE was a tad iffy. I agree puppetry can be a skilled and awe-inspiring art (Indonesian shadow puppets, the National Theatre’s Warhorse, Royal de Luxe’s giant puppets…) but “one-time”?
    Then again, SHED was neat, and INTERREGNA and COGNOSCENTI were rather pleasing.
    I, too, figured “resident” in this instance was somebody “staying in”: loose, but acceptable.
    And, like Davy at 9, I clearly don’t move in the right TORI either – thank heavens for google!
    Seeing RINGO STARR described as a musician brought to mind Lennon’s reputed reply when asked if Ringo was the best drummer in the world: “he isn’t even the best drummer in the Beatles.”
    Thanks to Everyman and PeterO

  17. Hey Wellbeck @16

    I will probably get castigated for going off-topic but I hope you are not questioning Ringo’s drumming ability. You can ask many of the great drummers and they will all cite Ringo as an influence. As to Lennon’s remark, many people have denied that he ever said this. I looked for it a while back on youtube but was unable to find it although I’m sure I’ve seen the film.

  18. [SimonInBxl@15: the category list has gone from the LHS in desktop view as well, to be replaced by Recent Posts. No hardship, there’s a drop-down menu on the RHS.]

  19. Another mixed bag (seems the norm lately), and agree, at the more strained/obscure end of the Everyman spectrum; as oft noted of late, style & difficulty continue to evolve, for better/worse.

    No doubt Sil would be unimpressed by cluing of TORI.

    LYING AWAKE: Concur re incl of “down” in defn.

    COOLING TOWER: Agree w/DuncT, re “blast” as noun (i.e. explosion).

    MARIONETTE: Think entire clue needs underlining? Per extended discussions a couple weeks back, the placeholder alone (“this”) can’t really be seen as adequate defn by itself. Either way, a weak clue to me.

    PROVING: Surely a ref to the popular TV show (Great British Bake Off), where contestant results often depend on the quality thereof.

    PEER/PEIR: Yes, clearly an error in the interactive puzzle… tho did spur a check re peir as an alternate spelling, leading to the delightful (in an exquisitely revolutionary way, if swapping peer/peir): “Mony speshie o peirs can be etten”… from https://sco.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peir

    Nods to setter/blogger/commenters…

  20. Wellbeck @ 16 / Davy @ 17

    I think Ringo Starr was the perfect drummer for The Beatles, but I don’t think that necessarily makes him a great drummer.

  21. Anybody taking any answer John Lennon gave to any question in an interview seriously might well be making a mistake (if he said it as all).

  22. An enjoyable puzzle with a few DNF and one or two quibbles. Talking with some bakers and they use the term ‘Proofing’ rather than ‘Proving’. Are there any other bakers out there with a view on this. Thanks Peter and Everyman.

  23. Liked STAYNG POWER

    Did not parse COGNOSCENTI

    New TIME COP (movie) – which should be written as one word not two

    Failed 6a

    It woud suit me fine if the Everyman puzzles were a bit easier. I solved 8 clues of the new one (6 Dec) and gave up. I don’t want to spend hours on a puzzle on Sunday. I am prepared to spend extra time on the Saturday Prize puzzle but not the Everyman.

  24. “The present Everyman compiles some very clever clues, but the explanations and feedback in here suggest there are too many others which are questionable. The ‘Notes for Setters’ relating to the Listener Crossword give valuable advice on clue-writing and clueing errors, and following these could lead to a significant improvement.”

     

  25. Please! Give the compiler a chance. Very difficult to come up with new puzzles all the time. There are harder cryptic crosswords than the Everyman.

  26. Since it is January 16 here in Auckland, I expect Norman D Smith @ 15 has got his crossword from somewhere other than the NZ Herald.
    I’m afraid these clues have too many parts to them for my liking and are too complicated. The directions in the NZ Listener mentioned by Michael Kindred @ 24 would not be much help in unravelling these clues either. Added to that are the foreign words this setter often uses e.g. 3D. Plus unfamiliar words like tori which many of us have never heard of. It used to be a crossword for beginners, but not any more.

  27. I agree with Audrey. Ox Bow Lakes? Really? When I read how easy some of the contributors found this puzzle it made me doubt my solving ability!
    Let’s see what next week produces.

  29. Another DNF for me. Lots of clues very easy — trivial actually — and others impossible. Particularly did not like “proving” (19 down). Testing of yeast in bread making??? How obscure can you get?

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