I think this is the fourth Puck Genius that I have blogged, from Genius 136 way back in Nov 2014, through 160 and 190, approximately every two-and-a-bit years. Always a pleasure to ‘shake hands with an old face’, as my grandfather used to say!
The preamble states that:
“In 15 clues the wordplay (or a second definition) leads to a solution after someone has been 8, the definition for which has gone missing but turns up as a solution elsewhere. Letter counts for the 15 clues are for the solutions before 8; but in 10 cases the required grid entry is the solution after 8. All grid entries are normal words and phrases or, in one case, an acronym.”
Once I had re-read that a few times to try and get my head around it, I hit lucky with PDM pay-dirt almost immediately in my initial scan of the clues, when I spotted that (in)famous firefighter Red ADAIR at 12D, intersected with the equally famous ‘life-saver’, the ‘MAE WEST‘ inflatable life jacket at 16A. That looked like it had to lose three letters, with the M ‘fixed’ by the A of ADAIR, and EWE looked a likely candidate. This was soon followed by ‘COWARDS’ at 19A, with the ending RDS again ‘fixed’ by the R of ADAIR, so COW looked most likely to be dropped.
So, we seem to be looking for 3-letter farm animals (PIG, HEN, RAM?) to remove from answers? This was borne out by the ‘knotty art’ of 14A MAC-RAM-E (of which I have some long-suppressed childhood memory of being taught the rudiments, but failing to get the hang of!), 27D DI-SOW-N, and 4D S-PIG-OT.
At some point, with a few helping crossers, I managed to get TAKING STOCK at 8D (which I parsed as a reverse engineer from the solution, rather than the other way around), which made sense of the disappearing livestock, and RUSTLING at 3D. S-COW-LING and REN-EWE-D continued (with repeats) the 3-letter ‘rule’, and then SANDRA (BULLOCK) caused a guffaw as the first exception to the rule!
Back to the preamble – which says that only ten of the fifteen have the ‘stock’ taken before entry, which implies that there are five that don’t, and this reminder helped with finding the partially word-played BULL-ET, LAR-BOAR-D and A-RAM-IS. PIG-EON and the split-out TIT-TUP took a bit longer to find, but eventually I had these five, and nine of the others.
It took me a while to reverse-parse METAPHOR, and then my LOI, by a long way, was C-LAMB-AKE, which came to me in a moment of clarity lying awake at around 4am, after frustratedly putting the unfinished puzzle down just before I had gone to sleep a few hours earlier…my initial attempts had included TUPPER-WARE, which could be a ‘picnic set’, but had nothing to do with the ‘US seaside’, and also didn’t fit the enumeration!
So, there we have it – mostly (apart from that pesky Tupperware CLAMBAKE!) solved on the day of publication, which was, conveniently, a Bank Holiday, so no work to get in the way!
On going to submit my entry a few days later, I realised that I had mis-solved 18A COWS-LIPS as OX-LIPS, as I misread the enumeration as 6. Ultimately it didn’t affect the result, as LIPS was the entry, and in fact OX-LIPS are defined in Chambers as ‘large, pale, cowslips’, so they match the definition of ‘yellow flowers’ as well.
Talking of submitting entries – the form and the instructions were not very clear – should the removed stock be included, to match the enumerations, or should one just submit what would have been in the grid, if the Genius allowed grid submission? (If only!) There was some discussion around this area a while back and, if I remember rightly, there was some feedback from the editor which said that entries are not ‘machine-read’/checked before being put in the virtual hat, and winning entries are selected and checked by a human. (I assume they don’t check every entry, they just select one and either award it the prize or discard it and pick another if they find an error?) So presumably there is some leeway in how submissions are made, as long as the aforementioned human understands what you are trying to indicate in your submission… In this case, I chose to include the stock in brackets – so C(LAMB)AKE, S(COW)LING, LAR(BOAR)D…and, separately, TIT and (TUP). Fingers crossed as to whether that was a sensible move, although if I don’t win I will probably never know!
Anyway, I digress – back to the puzzle. I thought this was an enjoyable and amusing puzzle, with a clever device, maybe on the easier end of the Genius spectrum – and the Puck spectrum? As well as the ‘knotty art’ of MACRAME, I particularly liked the ‘greenish-yellow car’ of CITRO(E)N at 29A, the ‘three creatures with three toes’ at 22D ARAMIS, and the giant cat having ‘a good meal’ at 17A MAGOG. The jailed Italian banker lacking cojones for CAPON at 15D would have made Cyclops proud…
Going back to Red ADAIR, around the same time as this I was also solving Puck’s April 3D puzzle, from the excellent 3D Crossword Calendar project, which also features ADAIR – clued very differently, but whichever one I solved first meant it was in recent memory for the other,
(I don’t think this is a spoiler, as entries for that puzzle should have closed on 30-April…if you haven’t already given them a go, it is well worth a visit to the site. I have bought the calendar for several years, but more as a ‘worthy cause’ donation than intending to solve them. They seemed a bit daunting at first, but I recently decided to give them a go, and am now hooked. The February Araucaria tribute special nearly blew my mind! The puzzles can be individually downloaded for free, but you can buy a physical calendar/make a donation if you get some worthwhile enjoyment out of the mental exercise…useful Christmas present idea – hold that thought!)
Many thanks to Puck – see you again in 2023? – and I hope all is clear below:
| ACROSS | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clue No | Solution / Entry (+/- amendments) |
Clue | Definition (with occasional embellishments) / Logic/Parsing |
|
| 4 | SANDRA (-BULLOCK) | US actress appearing as French novelist and artist … (6,7) | thematic – US actress / SANDRA BULLOCK is a US actress (aren’t they called actors, these days?…); and after ‘taking stock’ (BULLOCK): SAND (Georges Sand, French novelist) + RA (Royal Academician, artist) |
|
| 5 | (+BULL)ET | … one getting fired in a 13 film (6) | thematic double defn. / a BULLET gets fired; and after taking stock (BULL), ET is a 13 (Sci-Fi) film |
|
| 9 | ITSELF | One of Santa’s little helpers goes after one 8, originally going by this alone (6) | if something goes by this (itself) then it will be alone(?!) / I (one) + TS (original letters of 8D – Taking Stock) + ELF (one of Santa’s little helpers!) |
|
| 10 | ATTEND TO | Deal with a tot misbehaving when fed by nurse (6,2) | deal with / AT_TO (anag, i.e. misbehaving, of A TOT) around (fed by) TEND (nurse) |
|
| 11 | C(-LAMB)AKE | US seaside picnic set (8) | thematic double defn. / a CLAMBAKE is a US seaside picnic, or an outdoor meal including seafood!; and after taking stock (LAMB): to CAKE can be to set hard |
|
| 13 | SCI-FI | Literary genre providing some flipping terrific scenarios (3-2) | literary genre (the acronym referred to in the preamble) / reversed hidden word, i.e. ‘providing some’ and ‘flipping’, in ‘terrIFIC Scenarios’ |
|
| 14 | MAC(-RAM)E | Knotty art of master wizard (7) | thematic – knotty art / MACRAME is a knotty art!; after taking stock (RAM): M (master) + ACE (wizard) |
|
| 16 | MA(-EWE)ST | Potential lifesaver providing food in a forest for pigs (3,4) | thematic double defn. / a MAE_WEST is an inflatable lifejacket, or ‘potential life-saver’; and after taking stock (EWE): MAST is food on the forest floor for snuffling pigs |
|
| 17 | MAGOG | One of a pair, a giant cat after a good meal (5) | one of a pair, a giant (re. Gog and Magog) / M_OG (cat) around (taking in, or having a meal of) A + G (good) |
|
| 18 | (-COWS)LIPS | Cuts head off yellow flowers (8) | thematic – yellow flowers / COWSLIPS are yellow flowers; after taking stock (COWS): ( |
|
| 19 | (-COW)ARDS | Chickens, when crossing road (7) | thematic – chickens / COWARDS are chickens; after taking stock (COW): A_S (when) around (crossing) RD (road) |
|
| 21 | TETRA | Fish meal’s about 40% trout (5) | fish / TE_A (meal) around TR (40% of TR |
|
| 23 | REN(-EWE)D | Made fresh tear (7) | thematic double defn. / RENEWED = made fresh; and after taking stock (EWE): REND = tear |
|
| 24 | ETHIOPIC | Outdated language spoilt the life-story movie no end? Just the opposite (8) | outdated language / ETH (anag, i.e. spoiled, of THE) + ( |
|
| 26 | AT ODDS | Straying women leaving two dads on bad terms (2,4) | on bad terms / anag, i.e. straying, of T( |
|
| 28 | (+PIG)EON | One-off flyer arriving with post? (6) | thematic – flyer arriving with post / a PIGEON might arrive with the post; and after taking stock (PIG): EON = anag, i.e. off, of ONE! |
|
| 29 | CITRON | Greenish-yellow colour of car that’s French, not English (6) | greenish-yellow colour / a French car – CITRO( |
|
| DOWN | ||||
| Clue No | Solution / Entry (+/- amendments) |
Clue | Definition (with occasional embellishments) / Logic/Parsing |
|
| 1 | INDECENT | Early part of last month going between home and hospital department, when off colour (8) | off colour / IN (at home) + ENT (Ear, Nose & Throat, hospital department), around DEC (early part of DEC |
|
| 2 | CROFTS | Scottish farms initially can’t refrain offender from 8 (6) | Scottish farms / first letters, i.e. initially, of ‘Cant Refrain Offender From Taking Stock (8D)’ |
|
| 3 | RUSTLING | Reddish-brown fish which leaves sound when blown by gentle breeze? (8) | leaves’ sound when blown by gentle breeze / RUST (reddish-brown) + LING (fish) |
|
| 4 | S(-PIG)OT | One’s often drunk from tap in US (6) | thematic double defn. / a SPIGOT is a tap or faucet, US usage; and after taking stock (PIG), a SOT is often drunk! |
|
| 6 | LINUM | Found in muesli, numerous flaxseeds derived from plant of this genus (5) | flaxseeds derived from plant of this genus / hidden word, i.e. found, in ”muesLI NUMerous’ |
|
| 7,25 | TIT | Little bird that might be long-tailed lark? (6) | thematic double defn. / to TITTUP is to frolic, or lark about; and after taking stock (TUP), a TIT is a small bird, of which long-tailed tit is a variety. |
|
| 8 | TAKING STOCK | Devon town involving a description of Henry VIII, say, rather than VI (6,5) | rustling (defined by 3D) / undefined – TA( |
|
| 12 | ADAIR | Firefighter arguably dressed aptly in red, primarily (5) | firefighter (Red Adair) / first letters, or primarily, of ‘Arguably Dressed Aptly In Red’ |
|
| 15 | CAPON | Italian banker in jail is big chicken, lacking balls (5) | big chicken, lacking balls (castrated rooster!) / CA_N (jail) around PO (Italian river, or ‘banker’) |
|
| 17 | METAPHOR | Son of Welsh mother’s upset about being black sheep of the family, say (8) | being ‘black sheep of the family’, say / MET_HOR (anag, i.e. upset, of MOTHER) around AP (prefix in Welsh surnames, indicating ‘son of’) |
|
| 18 | LAR(+BOAR)D | Fat sailor’s port formerly (8) | thematic double defn. / LARBOARD – the opposite of starboard? – is an obsolete nautical term for left, or port; and after taking stock (BOAR), LARD can be fat. |
|
| 20 | S(-COW)LING | Showing displeasure, when left in one wing of New York prison (8) | thematic – showing displeasure / SCOWLING is showing displeasure; and after taking stock (COW): S_ING (one half, or wing, of Sing-Sing, New York prison) around L (left) |
|
| 22 | A(+RAM)IS | Famously one of three creatures with three toes (6) | thematic double defn. / ARAMIS was ‘famously one of three’ (musketeers); and after taking stock (RAM), AIS are creatures (sloths) with three toes |
|
| 25 | (+TUP) | See 7 (3) | see 7D / see 7D |
|
| 27 | DI(-SOW)N | Deny making a racket (6) | thematic double defn. / DISOWN is to deny; and after taking stock (SOW) a DIN is a noise, or racket |
|
18A is more straightforward than that. To lip something means to cut the head off, so “cuts head off” is a direct definition for LIPS. Thanks to Puck and mc_rapper67.
Thanks Puck and mc_rapper67.
I am new to Genius and this is my third puzzle, with most success so far.
Thought of COWSLIPS, but convinced it was LOPS and was stuck there.
Had TAILGATE for US seaside picnic set, as a cryptic definition; of course TAIL for animal (?) didn’t work.
Online dictionary says: tailgate
“North American
host or attend a social gathering at which an informal meal is served from the back of a parked vehicle, typically in the parking lot of a sports stadium.
“Lot 16E is reserved for alumni who wish to tailgate before the game”.”
Happens in beaches, too.
Didn’d get MAST. That was too tough for me.
This was my first attempt at a Genius, and was very surprised to complete it. A bit worried at the suggestion that it was on the easy side, but I’ll still have a go at the next one! I took 18ac to be COWSLIPS, remove COW and remove head (first letter of) SLIPS leaving LIPS as the answer. Don’t suppose it matters too much as long as we get to the same result.Thanks to Puck for the fun and to mc…. for the thorough and entertaining blog. (My experience with the calendar is similar – except that I haven’t got beyond looking at it and blanching!)
Thanks to McRapper – I agreed with you about 18a – LIPS = cLIPS, head off.
We approached it almost in the opposite direction, we got the key 8d early on, with 11a and 16a stubbornly refusing to be solved for several days, although we got most of it in the first day (which is quick for us!)
This was fun once we got our heads round it, though I thought the part of the preamble that said “… has gone missing but turn up as a solution elsewhere.” was confusing (and inaccurate – LAMB and others don’t appear in the grid at all) – at first I read this to mean the definition for one clue was actually the answer to another, (possibly reversed) so thought it was going to much harder than it turned out to be.
Thanks for the prompt comments and feedback!
Cineraria at #1 – I can’t seem to find ‘lip’ in either Chambers or Collins as meaning to chop the head off something…do you have a source, or is it a regional/dialect meaning?
ilippu at #2 and norbrewer at #3 – great to see some new names in here – keep at it…that £100 prize will (may?) be yours one day!…
Mr Beaver at #4 – I read the ‘gone missing‘ part of the preamble as referring to the definition for 8D alone, not for the other thematic clues.
The Oxford Universal Dictionary on Historical Principles 3rd ed. rev. with addenda (1955), third definition, “Middle English – 1607” with a dagger for “obsolete”: v. trans.: To cut off (the head of an animal); to prune (a root); to shear (a sheep). It also lists “cf. LOP.” More like an Azed clue, I admit, although TITTUP and LINUM are not exactly everyday words, either.
Or perhaps I am misreading that entry, and your interpretation of the clue is the intended one. “Lip” may have meant to cut something off the head of an animal (such as horn buds or the like). Your reading of the clue also had occurred to me, but the extra bit of business means that the clue does not quite work like the other theme clues.
Hi mc_rapper 67
I disagree that 13 across sci-fi is an acronym, it is not. The only acronym I can see is the answer to 19 across ARDS which is a medical condition.
An acronym is made up of the initial letters of each word in a phrase, and forms a pronouncable word, such as NATO.
Thanks to Puck and you
On the subject of how to complete the Genius forms, some general advice as how best to complete them would be welcome.
As well the specific question with this one on whether to enter the stock or not (I didn’t), you have solutions spanning more than one grid entry (eg should one enter TIT at 7d, and TUP at 25d, or TITTUP at 7d, and nothing at 25d?), two-word answers (should 8d be entered as TAKINGSTOCK or TAKING STOCK?) and so on.
I hope (as McRapper does) that they are marked by a human who would apply commonsense and accept all of the above, but it would be nice to have confirmation from the cross word editor – one would hate to lose £100 for the sake of space character!
I really enjoyed solving this. I got the theme idea pretty quickly as some of the clues were very helpfully straightforward in terms of definition, but it wasn’t a case of “themo collapso” as so often happens and some of the later ones (“clambake” and “lips” for me, the latter requiring me to convince myself the definition was “cowslips” and “[c]lips” was the wordplay and not the other way round) still required significant time, thought and play. All very cunning and cleverly put together, especially with “rustling” popping up as the definition elsewhere. I’m with Gordon on “ards” as the acronym (and I’ve mentioned before my pet hate of people calling things like “BBC” an acronym, when it does not make a pronounceable word).
Deep thanks to Puck for a clever, entertaining and diverting puzzle, and to mc_rapper for a blog that clearly required the hours to be put in, not just the brain power – it is appreciated!
More thanks from me mc_rapper67, another fine blog with colourful animation too (but I agree with Gordon@8 that ARDS is the acronym).
Along the way you have highlighted my failure: I asked an American friend about picnics on the beach etc, which led soon enough to my LOI CLAMBAKE, and I then lazily (c)lipped off the CLAM, reasoning that these were probably farmed like pretty much all other seafood these days, and thus counted somehow as stock. What a wally!
But this has not detracted (much) from my enjoyment of another Genius puzzle right in my Goldilocks zone, and as well as previously mentioned clues and the central “device” would like to highlight METAPHOR as a favourite, thanks Puck.
[And for those new to the Genius I would recommend February’s puzzle by Karla as a very enjoyably clued start although it does involve some UKGK. I have enjoyed all those in 2021 so far but this was the most approachable I think.]
Cineraria at #6 – you got me there – that is one heck of a source!
Gordon at #8 (and others) – I did have a slight existential crisis over whether SCI-FI was the acronym… Chambers defines ‘acronym’ as ‘a word formed from or based on the initial letters or syllables of other words‘ – no mention of pronounceability – which works for SCI-FI and I couldn’t find anything else that looked like one! Chambers (again, sorry!) has ARD (capitalised) as a medical condition – not sure it can be pluralised? – and ‘ard’ (lower case) as a primitive plough, a usage I was familiar with, so I just saw the plural there. Anyway, unless we have a pronouncement from Puck, I am splitting hairs and I am out-voted 3-1 so far, so I will concede gracefully!…