Everyman 3,872

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The puzzle may be found at https://www.theguardian.com/crosswords/everyman/3872.

When this blog comes out, we will be in the New Year, so let us hope for something a little better (can’t get much worse). Everyman, at least, continues with the usual ‘primarily’, and SCENTs all around the edge.

ACROSS
1 EFFERVESCENT Animated, showing nerve, effects reform (12)
An anagram (‘reform’) of ‘nerve effects’.
9 IMPASSE Dead end: Everyman’s old hat (7)
A charade of I’M (‘Everyman’s’) PASSÉ (‘old hat’; diacritics are generally ignored).
10 THITHER Most of the Third Form moving to that place (7)
An anagram (‘form’ and ‘moving’? Perhaps ‘moving’ as the anagrind, and ‘form’ just pointing out the anagrist) of ‘the thir[d]’ minus its last letter (‘most of’)
11 CHILI Ingredient that can be hot or cold, reportedly (5)
Sounds like (‘reportedly’) CHILLY (‘cold’).
12 NAME-DROP Try and obtain leverage with a handle? (4-4)
Cryptic definition. I suspect that Everyman used ‘try and’ rather than the better ‘try to’ to give the impression that there might be more to the clue than just a CD.
14 NIHILISTIC ‘Northern Ireland’ on agenda after ‘Welcome’; in charge you’ll find cynic (10)
A charade of NI (‘Northern Ireland’) plus HI (‘welcome’) plus LIST (‘agenda’) plus IC (‘in charge’). ‘Cynic’ can be, and, for the definition, must be an adjective.
15 SNUB Such noses? Upturned & blunt, primarily! (4)
First letters (‘primarily’) of ‘Such Noses Upturned & Blunt’. Note the ampersand to blunt the objection that it is not included in the primary letters.
17 EDDY Go round and round wasting time in underwear (4)
A subtraction; [t]EDDY (‘underwear’) minus T (‘wasting time’).
19 PICNICKERS Those dining out make choice of something to wear, we’re told (10)
Sounds lioke (‘we’re told’) PICK (‘make choice of’) KNICKERS (‘something to wear’).
21 CAMBODIA Help old boy with computer that’s backfired in the country (8)
A reversal (‘that’s backfired’) of AID (‘help’) plus OB (‘old boy’) plus MAC (‘computer’).
23 ERASE Get rid of Teresa, toppling leader that’s lame (5)
An anagram (‘that’s lame’) of ‘[T]eresa’ minus the first letter (‘toppling leader’).
25 NO SWEAT What Duke of York claimed is easy (2,5)
Double definition; the first coming from the interview given by Prince Andrew in November 2019, in which part of his rebuttal of sexual charges depended on his claim that at the time he was medically unable to sweat.
26 BETWIXT Liz eats chocolate biscuit; it’s ‘to be found within‘ (7)
An envelope (‘eats’) of TWIX (trade name, ‘chocolate biscuit’ – a chocolate covered biscuit, more or less) in BET (‘Liz’ – both abbreviated versions of Elizabeth). The rest of the clue seems superfluous.
27 CONVALESCENT Nuns drinking beer, and drop of cognac that’s ‘reviving‘ (12)
An envelope (‘drinking’) of ALES (‘beer’ – a doubtful plural) plus C (‘drop of Cognac’) in CONVENT (‘nuns’ – not such a doubtful plural).
DOWN
2 FOPPISH Opposed to wearing soles, perhaps affectedly dressy (7)
An envelope (‘wearing’) of OPP (‘opposed to’) in FISH (‘soles’, perhaps’),
3 ENSHIELD He’s lined pants to provide protection (8)
An anagram (‘pants’ – how did the word get the meaning of rubbish?) of ‘he’s lined’, for an uncommon formation.
4 VIEW We will be rising before four for the scenery (4)
A reversal (‘will be rising’) of ‘we’ plus IV (Roman numeral, ‘four’). I think it is reasonable to include both particles in the reversal.
5 SITUATIONS Changing into suits, needing introduction in applying for jobs (10)
An anagram (‘changing’) of ‘into suits’ plus A (‘introduction in Applying’).
6 ELITE Very best among pre-Raphaelites (5)
A hidden answer (‘among’) in ‘pre-RaphaELITEs’.
7 TEHERAN Earthen crocks in Persian city (7)
An anagram (‘crocks’) of ‘earthen’.
8 PREPUBESCENT Immature pup intoxicated with beer aroma (12)
A charade of PREPUBE, an anagram (‘intoxicated’) of ‘pup’ plus ‘beer’; plus SCENT (‘aroma’).
9 INCANDESCENT Fiery, being of S American lineage (12)
A charade of INCAN (‘S American’) plus DESCENT (‘lineage’) – as separate words or, if you prefer, as a phrase.
13 ASPIDISTRA Wasp: ‘I distractedly go around houseplant‘ (10)
A hidden answer (‘go around’) in ‘wASP I DISTRActedly’.
16 ECLECTIC Catholic Church upset seeing Celtic half back (8)
A charade of EC, a reversal (‘upset’ in a down light) of CE (‘Church’) plus LECTIC, which is ‘Celtic’ with the first half reversed (‘half back’).
18 DEMI-SEC Dying ‘bit’ from comedian’s a little dry (4-3)
A charade of DEMISE (‘dying’ as a noun) plus C (‘bit from Comedian’). Of a wine, DEMI-SEC generally means distinctly sweet.
20 ELATION Delight as family member runs away (7)
A subtraction: [r]ELATION (‘family member’) minus the R (‘runs away’).
22 OCEAN Louche fauns regularly seen in water (5)
Alternate letters (‘regularly’) of ‘lOuChE fAuNs’.
24 ABLE Clever Biblical character bringing up learner (4)
ABEL (‘Biblical character’, son of Adam and Eve, murdered by Cain) with the L moved up one place in the down light (‘bringing up learner’).

 

image of grid

31 comments on “Everyman 3,872”

  1. I failed on this one – could not get NAME DROP (I was fixated on the second word being GRIP – and also annoyed by the ‘try and’ not ‘try to’), PICNICKERS (fixated on DINNER being in there, even though I knew it didn’t nmake sense for it to be, given ‘dining’ in the clue). The third fail was ECLECTIC – I saw the half TIC, but no more). I liked the SCENTs, BETWIXT and THITHER (both lovely words) and the cleverly hidden ASPIDISTRA (echoes of George Orwell). Thanks for the explanations, PeterO, and the Everyman.

  2. Thanks Everyman for the aromatic crossword, and PeterO for the blog. This one was fun. Favourites were the four boundary clues.

    Because I was looking for them I found 5 clues that, though they didn’t bother me, could be offensive to certain groups:
    23a “Lame” as the anagrind could offend the physically differently-abled.
    3d “He’s lined pants to provide protection” seems like a reference to people suffering from incontinence.
    6d equates “elite” with “very best”, which could offend members of disadvantaged groups in a class system.
    7d Crocks as the anagrind could be seen as ageist.
    9d “Fiery, being of S American lineage” can be read as a racist stereotype.

  3. Liked IMPASSE, FOPPISH, CHILI, INCANDESCENT, NO SWEAT, CAMBODIA, PICNICKERS.
    Did not parse DEMI SEC but the definition was obvious to me.

    I loved “Wasp: I distractedly go around houseplant” because I often forget how to spell ASPIDISTRA. This might help me remember!

    Thanks, P+E

    Happy New Year to everyone!

  4. Fun puzzle, ta P and E. Is teddy bear rhyming slang for underwear, or is there a garment called a teddy?

  5. grantinfreo @4

    Chambers: teddy(2) A one-piece undergarment for a woman combining panties and chemise (also teddie) [Perhaps a use of teddy(1)]

    teddy(1) being teddy bear. Thus you might be right on both counts!

  8. Couldn’t get into this last Sunday and only got one of the SCENTs but returned to it during the week and got the rest of them straightaway and rapidly finished except for NAME-DROP which I could not get. Also could not parse DEMI-SEC.

    Especially liked the SCENTs, ASPIDISTRA, ECLECTIC, IMPASSE

    Thanks to Everyman and PeterO

    And Happy New Year to everyone

  9. Thanks Peter. I failed on NAME-DROP, like Tim above, I was sure the second word was GRIP and I never really understood the wordplay.
    I found this trickier than normal.

  10. I enjoyed INCANDESCENT, but I wasn’t keen on the extra E in the middle of the alternative spelling of TEH(E)RAN.

    Thanks to Everyman and PeterO.

  11. I laughed out loud at NO SWEAT, what a razor sharp piece of clueing. And PICKNICKERS brought a smile to my face. Thanks, Everyman, for a fun puzzle

  12. Entertaining puzzle with the four SCENTs.

    I particularly liked PICNICKERS, ENSHIELD and INCANDESCENT.

    I thought the ‘Form’ in 10A was just there for padding, and the clue would have read perfectly well with it omitted. I thought ‘lame’ was a pretty lame anagrind.

    Thanks Everyman and PeterO.

  13. cellomaniac @2: hard to tell whether you are being tongue in cheek; not your usual style or approach. I have noted commenters elsewhere finding grounds for offence where I’m fairly confident none was intended which must make it somewhat of a minefield for the setters. That being said, my Sunday morning was turned upside down by the idea of nuns drinking beer and cognac which is surely insensitive to both those pursuant of a higher calling and those attempting to banish the demon drink.

    Lots to like including Jandra’s NO SWEAT, Penfold’s INCANDESCENT (despite the above), Fiona Anne’s ECLECTIC and most folks’ ASPIDISTRA. As TassieTim observes, BETWIXT and THITHER are both beautiful words (we don’t seem to be coming up, any more, with neologisms deserving of the description ‘beautiful’) and, for myself, I rather enjoyed FOPPISH. I did, like Penfold, query the extra E in TEHERAN but it’s there as an alternative in the sources so I shahn’t complain.

    Thanks Everyman and PeterO

  14. [PostMark @13 ‘shahn’t complain’!
    You’ve obviously got a Ayatollah-nce of Persian puns than the rest of us.]

  15. Like others for 12 ac I got a grip, when for once I shouldn’t have, but eventually the penny *r*pped. Does Persian City, rather than Iranian, indicate an old spelling of TEHRAN?

  16. Thanks PeterO and Everyman
    Nice puzzle. INCANDESCENT was favourite.
    I entered NO SWEAT from the definition, but had no idea of the Andrew connection, as I ignore all things royal-related. At least I guessed that it was probably him rather than the Grand Old one!

  17. cellomaniac @2 and PostMark @13: By taking part in Every”man”[sic] one waives all right to be offended by PC redefinitions.

    Thanks Everyman for your highly SCENTED puzzle with NO SWEAT my favorite (apologies to all sufferers from Anhidrosis)

  18. [Penfold @14: how do you do it? That must be one of your best and I doff my cap in admiration. They don’t Khamenei better than that.

    cosmic @17: touché. To be clear, I was waiving not downing.]

  20. A fun puzzle – though I, too, am in the platoon who failed on NAME-DROP. I did consider “name” as a synonym for handle, but couldn’t see how name-dropping would help with leverage – so settled on GRIP instead. (Looking at it a week later, I suppose if one were to mention one’s golfing partner was the Chief Constable, it might get one off a speeding ticket…)
    PICNICKERS and NO SWEAT made me chuckle, VIEW was neat, and it’s always nice to see another variant on the INCANDESCENT clue.
    (I had to explain the underwear-sense of “Teddy” to my partner, who clearly needs to get out more…)
    Thanks to Everyman and PeterO

  21. Penfold @14 Shiraz eggs are eggs, we’ll get more puns. It Isfahan obler to resist, but why else would I Qom here?

  24. Quite an entertaining puzzle, with the aromas very nicely blended, and some entertaining comments too. I was another not sufficiently into NAME-DROPping, so failed (by attempting, rather weakly, to TAKE a GRIP).

  25. PostMark@13: You got it, the key phrase of my remark was “Because I was looking for them”. After posting I noticed that scchua had made the same point on Friday’s blog, so my little dig was somewhat infra.

    Iran late with this post, trying to think of a decent pun (failed again).

  26. I’m embarrassed to have failed to finish this puzzle. I foundered on BETWIXT, although it’s a perfectly fair clue, and indeed one of my favorites now that I see it. I also liked INCANDESCENT. I didn’t remember the sordid details of Prince Andrew’s saga, so I failed to parse NO SWEAT, but now that I’m reminded of it that clue definitely made me laugh.

  27. DNF on rather a few, some of which I should have got: eddy, betwixt, eclectic.

    Name drop and picnickers were nice.

    Lame certainly is a lame anagrind.

  29. Tough puzzle for those who don’t eat chocolate biscuits, and certainly don’t know Twix – clearly we nust try harder.

    Was glad to finish, even after 2 days. Sometimes the best puzzles are those that take the longest.

    But not happy with 12ac. One of those weak clues that still doesn’t make sense!

  30. Found the top half very easy, struggled with the bottom half. Couldn’t think of “eclectic” as a synonym for “catholic”, never heard of “Twix” biscuits; never heard of “teddy” as underwear (and didn’t think of the rhyming slang idea suggested by grantinfreo@4), and just plain foundered on “demi-sec”. (Forehead-slapper when I saw it with the help of a wildcard dictionary.)
    Lots to like; I think my fave was “picnickers”.
    Had no trouble with “name-drop”.

    Thanks to Everyman and Peter O (esp. for the explanation of “no sweat”, which I got from the cross letters easily enough, but had no idea what the Duke of York had to do with it).

  31. This one took me a couple of days with frustration in the middle, but satisfaction in the end. Some great clues esp Picnickers. Name Drop was a superb literal definition. Thanks Peter & Everyman et al for entertaining comments.

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