The puzzle may be found at https://www.theguardian.com/crosswords/cryptic/28593.
A delightful crossword from Qaos, with a theme, a couple of days late for Halloween, so pervasive that almost the entire grid is coloured, including the title of Washington Irving’s Legend of Sleepy Hollow (OK, the “of” is not there). The legend concerns the nighttime appearance of a headless horseman, a Hessian soldier decapitated by a cannonball, and its sighting by the central character, Ichabod Crane, which may or may not be a deception set up by his rival, Brom Bones.
| ACROSS | ||
| 7 | DECEPTION |
US party political switch in social trick (9)
|
| RECEPTION (‘social’) with the R changed to D (Republican to Democrat, ‘US party political switch’). | ||
| 8 | BONES |
Doctor has odd brown beds (5)
|
| ‘Odd’ letters of ‘BrOwN bEdS‘. | ||
| 9 | MANDARINS |
Fruity bureaucrats? (9)
|
| Punning definition. | ||
| 10 | GHOST |
Film in shadow (5)
|
| Double definition, the first being a 1990 production with Patrick Swayze. | ||
| 12 | SLEEPY |
Former prime minister’s upset, ultimately very tired (6)
|
| A charade of SLEEP, a reversal (‘upset’ – more common in a down light, but not here) of PEEL’S (Sir Robert, ‘former Prime Minister’s’ – quite a bit former, 1834-35 and 1841-46); plus Y (‘ultimately verY‘). | ||
| 13 | INNOCENT |
Pub requires no money for a sort of smoothie? (8)
|
| A charade of INN (‘pub’) plus O CENT (‘no money’), with a definition which definitely needs the question mark. | ||
| 14 | HESSIAN |
Cloth manufactured by a German and a Scotsman (7)
|
| A charade of HESS (‘a German’) plus IAN (crossword’s token ‘Scotsman’). | ||
| 17 | CATHODE |
Terminal at Heathrow initially breaks rules (7)
|
| An envelope (‘breaks’) of ‘at’ plus H (‘Heathrow initially’) in CODE (‘rules’). | ||
| 20 | WELL-TO-DO |
Rich duke wears spectacles after springtime? (4-2-2)
|
| A charade of WELL (‘spring’-) plus T (-‘time’) plus ODO, an envelope (‘wears’) of D (‘duke’) in O O (‘spectacles’). | ||
| 22 | HORROR |
‘Preach to choir!’ minister to roar, ultimately in shock (6)
|
| Last letters (‘ultimately’) of ‘preacH tO choiR ministeR tO roaR‘. | ||
| 24 | OMEGA |
Love playing game to the end (5)
|
| A charade of O (‘love’) plus MEGA, an anagram (‘playing’) of ‘game’, for the end of the Greek alphabet, or other metaphorical end. | ||
| 25 | EDELWEISS |
’e led Wise’s production of a song (9)
|
| An anagram (‘production’) of ‘e led wise’s’, for the song from The Sound of Music. | ||
| 26 | CRANE |
Derrick‘s bird (5)
|
| Double definition. | ||
| 27 | RELOCATED |
Moved judge jails old king over daughter (9)
|
| A charade of RELOCATE, an envelope (‘jails’) of ELOC, a reversal (‘over’) of COLE (‘old king’, from the nursery rhyme) in RATE (‘judge’); plus D (‘daughter’). | ||
| DOWN | ||
| 1 | DETAIL |
Feature in how to turn a cat into a man (6)
|
| To make ‘man’ from MAN[x] (‘a cat’) you would DE-TAIL it. | ||
| 2 | HEADLESS |
He’s about to reform Slade without leader (8)
|
| An envelope (‘about’) of ADLES, an anagram (‘to reform’) of ‘Slade’ in ‘he’s’. | ||
| 3 | STARRY |
Principal’s lines are sparkling (6)
|
| A charade of STAR (‘principal’) plus RY (railway ‘lines’). | ||
| 4 | MOONLIT |
Erratic motion around Lagrange point as revealed by satellite (7)
|
| An envelope (‘around’) of L (‘Lagrange point’) in MOONIT, an anagram (‘erratic’) of ‘motion’. | ||
| 5 | GOTHIC |
Romantic grasped style, doffing cap (6)
|
| A charade of GOT (‘grasped’) plus [c]HIC (‘style’) minus the first letter (‘doffing cap’). | ||
| 6 | SEASONED |
Experienced uplifting drugs like 1 down? (8)
|
| A charade of SE, a reversal (‘uplifting’ in a down light) of ES (‘drugs’) plus AS (‘like’) plus ONE (‘1’) plus D (‘down’)/ | ||
| 11 | INCA |
Contents of tin can once found in South America (4)
|
| A hidden answer (‘contents of’) in ‘tIN CAn’. | ||
| 15 | EVERMORE |
Always move different sappers to protect the Queen (8)
|
| An envelope (‘to protect’) of ER (‘the Queen’) in EVMO, an anagram (‘different’) of ‘move’ plus RE (Royal Engineers, ‘sappers’). | ||
| 16 | AHOY |
A cyclist’s greeting, in the main (4)
|
| A charade of ‘a’ plus HOY (Chris, ‘cyclist’). | ||
| 18 | HORSEMAN |
Hard Viking decapitated rider (8)
|
| A charade of H (‘hard’) plus [n]ORSEMAN (‘Viking’) minus the first letter (‘decapitated’). | ||
| 19 | SOLDIER |
Sunday? That’s right, man (7)
|
| A charade of SOL (‘sun’-) plus D (‘-‘day’) plus I.E. (‘that’s) plus R (‘right’). | ||
| 21 | LEGEND |
Star setter’s raised to finish (6)
|
| A charade of LEG, a reversal (‘raised’ in a down light) of GEL (‘setter’) plus END (‘finish’). | ||
| 22 | HOLLOW |
75% of prison is empty (6)
|
| HOLLOW[ay] (‘prison’, now closed) minus the last two letters of the eight (‘75% of’). | ||
| 23 | OYSTER |
Fabulous story involves English travel card? (6)
|
| An envelope (‘involves’) of E (‘English’) in OYSTR, an anagram (‘fabulous’) of ‘story’, The Oyster is a stored-value card for travel in the London area. |
Solved NE corner last. For once, I knew all the UK GK. I still have an OYSTER card from my last trip to London in pre-covid era.
12ac SLEEPY reminded me of the photo of current UK PM unmasked and asleep at COP26 while sitting next to 95 year old David Attenborough.
Favourites: HEADLESS, RELOCATED, SOLDIER, DECEPTION, SEASONED (took me a while to parse it but I enjoyed the way it worked).
After solving the puzzle, I spotted the theme as the Tim Burton film SLEEPY HOLLOW (based on book mentioned by PeterO, but I am more familiar with the film than the book). I would add WELL-TO-DO (Van Tassel family). Also STARRY and MOONLIT possibly refer to certain scenes in the movie. It’s a good film, I might rewatch it tonight.
Thanks, both.
Vaguely remembered that Sleepy Hollow was a thing so guessed the theme post-solve (actually a dnf, used the check in the NE corner). Horror not my cot, so it wouldn’t have helped much anyway. And what sort of smoothie is innocent? Ah, looked it up, a brand name. Thought derrick might be drill (yes, well, birds are like fish .. called just about anything); looked up drill bird and found a weird joke-article. Thanks to Mother Goose for the merry old soul who called for his … whatever it was; haven’t thought about him for many a decade. Edelweiss, too, was an old memory .. had a German gf who used to hum it. So, lots to reminisce and enjoy, thanks P and Q.
Easier than usual from Qaos. Lots of write-ins. Perhaps I’ll sleep now.
Thanks to Qaos and PeterO.
Oh yes, the Oyster card. Like michelle, we had them last time in London, well before covid though, 2008. [Covid aside, and nwst welcoming rels and mates, can’t quite crank up to travel these days…]
This was a very pleasant companion to go with my lunchtime coffee. Thanks Qaos.
For once, even I managed to spot the theme although Michelle saw a lot more than I did. I still have my Oyster card from a London visit too and that did help.
Thanks for the unravelling PeterO.
Unlike Auriga @3, I found this harder than usual for Qaos. I could see the theme had something to do with the supernatural and saw SLEEPY HOLLOW but couldn’t put it all together. Thanks for explaining SEASONED which I couldn’t work out.
I don’t think it’s giving the game away, but if you haven’t done it and would like to tackle something that didn’t appear “a couple of days late” you could do worse than try the Methuselah in the Indy last Sunday. But, be warned, it’s no write-in.
Thanks to Qaos and PeterO
Re 1 down, a Manx cat has no tail. Am I missing something subtle here?
SueB @7
I think the parsing means that you de-tail the word MANX, not to de-tail a tailless Manx cat.
As an aside, I have two tailless black cats, not Manx but a local variety of domestic shorthair cats with no tail.
Early 4.30 wake up by the bin collectors outside so why not? I twigged the theme about halfway and like michelle @1, I was more familiar with the Tim Burton film. (Christopher Walken looks scary in any film). I liked DETAIL and smiled at the clue for HEADLESS (Slade without Noddy Holder, unthinkable). I’m lucky enough to have an over-60 Oyster card, which gives me freedom to roam all over the smoke. Another gem today.
Ta Qaos & PeterO
LOI = DECEPTION and many thanks to PeterO for parsing this; I’d never have got there myself. Must read the LEGEND of SLEEPY HOLLOW. Many thanks for a fun start to the day Qaos.
Thanks PeterO for such a thorough exploration of the theme (and for parsing the solutions of course!). I recall studying American Lit at University and encountering this Washington Irving short story though I couldn’t recall all the 1d DETAIL(s). [However I also remember recalling that Gothic tale when I travelled to Concord in Massachusetts in 2019 and visited the cemetery which is called Sleepy Hollow Cemetery – not sure if that is coincidental.]
I found the top half of this one much harder than the bottom half, but I liked the puzzle very much, so thanks to Qaos.
Embarrassingly, I did have to check the spelling of EDELWEISS at 25a. The OYSTER card (23d) was unfamiliar to me but that clue was gettable. Overall a fun solve.
[I also have enjoyed the comments so far, especially the Noddy Holder reference by AlanC – thanks to all contributors and PeterO for the interesting and lively chat so far.]
[P.S. I didn’t understand the “INNOCENT” smoothie at 13a so thanks to gif@2 for looking it up.]
Delightful, as PeterO said. Like ginf I’m not a fan of the HORROR genre but even I got SLEEPY HOLLOW.
I can think of at least one regular contributor here who’ll be pleased at the appearance of the Lagrange point. I think it’s fair even if you’re not familiar with L1, L2, L3 etc because, as per PeterO, L is one of the (end) points of the word. It also gave me my earworm for today (well, it was either that or Noddy 😉 ).
With PMs I always start with the 2000s and work backwards, and once I hit the 19th century I begin to worry, so I was greatly relieved when I got to Peel!
Last one parsed was SEASONED – a lovely PDM. Thanks Q and P.
Tricky in places, but accessible, I only twigged the theme right at the end as detail and then sleepy were last in.
Initially I missed the ‘s at the end of prime minister, so tried to think of 5 letter PM’s with an E and could only come up with Ted Heath.
On the subject of themes, I think that’s how they should be done, no knowledge of the theme was required to solve,and it led to a lovely PDM when it finally revealed itself.
Thanks Qaos and PeterO.
[Wordplodder@6 is right about the Methuselah from Sunday, it’s definitely worth a try! Be warned there is one error in 11A in which the number 28 should be 30.]
[eb@13 : great earworm. Bizarrely, I’ve just read that Billy Gibbons appeared in the US TV show, BONES. Spooky, in line with today’s theme]
Thanks Qaos and PeterO.
The ‘That’s’ in 19d was puzzling me as I’d parsed it as SOL (Sun) DIE (Latin for day) and R (Right). Thanks for the clarification.
One man’s meat, as they say. Unlike Auriga @3 and others, I found this quite a slog.
If you happened to recall the film Ghost, 10a worked; if you didn’t, it didn’t. An awful lot of clues which, once you’d guessed the word, showed you were probably right, rather than offering wordplay which led you to the word.
I’m not convinced that clues that require you to be familiar with UK brand-names (INNOCENT) or features of London’s transport system that are far too good to be wasted on hicks in the sticks (OYSTER) are fair on solvers outside the UK.
SEASONED and RELOCATED were good, though.
Almost my LOI was SLEEPY, which prompted the wistful thought that Peel split the Tory Party and ensured they were out of power for a generation. Those were the days.
Thanks to Qaos and PeterO
Sorry, WP@6 and NH@17. It’s that inexplicable “wavelength” thing.
Good crossword, finished it before 8.30, totally unaware of the theme but then I don’t usually think to look for one unless it is extremely obvious. Thanks to Qaos and to PeterO for early parsing!
But I am always astonished that the Guardian (an English newspaper) has so many solvers from ‘abroad’ who seem surprised that the GK will be English! Surely it could only be otherwise if some of the setters were from other countries, and even then only now and again. I have never tried a crossword in another country (apart from France, in French but cryptic crosswords don’t exist in their culture) but if I did I would expect the GK to relate to the local not the international. Just saying.
Good blog too, thanks all!
[SinCam – looking at the comments so far, our Aussie and Kiwi friends all seem quite happy with the OYSTER card – michelle, ginf, Mystogre all remembered it from visits to London, and JinA said the clue was gettable – and I’m pretty sure I recall comments from them in the past to the effect that they naturally expect a certain amount of UK-centricism in a UK paper. Btw we do have at least one setter who lives abroad (Brendan) and I think sometimes his clues have a slightly US flavour (or maybe Irish!)]
Innocent is a brand of soft drinks which manufactures fruit smoothies.
Like some others I found this tough going, and almost gave up with the NW corner unfinished. Eventually got there but wasn’t sure whether 7a was DECEPTION or somehow DEFECTION (political switch). Lots to enjoy, including WELL-TO-DO and MOONLIT. Many thanks to Qaos and PeterO.
Thanks Qaos and PeterO
I used to be a fan of Qaos’s puzzles, but I;ve gone off them, probably, as with this one, I don’t see themes.
I don’t like his trademark x% clues, and I thought 25a was very lazy.
Isn’t “chic” “stylish” rather than “style”?
Favourites MOONLIT and EVERMORE.
This was a slog for me and DNF due to NE corner. On reflection it was a good crossword and entirely fair. I didn’t see the theme but that’s par for the course. Thanks Quos and PeterO.
(AlanC@9 is correct but Dave Hill still tours as Slade whilst Noddy lives in blissful retirement a few miles away from here, in the same village that Corries Jim McDonald has his shop. Excellent ear worm essexboy@13. I’m going to crank up some old ZZ Top.)
Didn’t twig the theme – as usual, so found this a rather uninspiring if fairly pedestrian solve. But having read the blog and the enthusiastic subsequent comments I realise I have rather missed out on the LEGEND of SLEEPY HOLLOW experience. As with NeilH@18, the horror theme not top of my entertainment list…
Took a while, but got there in the end, although I did not fully comprehend the theme, being unfamiliar with the Washington Irving story. Some of the parsing was a little tortuous, but a very satisfying puzzle overall.
Interesting clue for 26ac, as Derrick Bird was the taxi driver who committed the Cumbria Shootings in 2010.
I solved this without a great deal of enthusiasm and despite having seen the film had no idea there was a theme. I know I keep banging on about themes but………… well enough said. Anyway thank you Qaos for the solving experience and PeterO for the early blog
I’m another who found this a bit tricky – it’s the Grauniad’s most unfriendly grid, with only three initial letters that are crossers – but got there in the end. I even saw the theme, but only post-solve.
MOONLIT and SEASONED were my favourites. DETAILED is strangely self-referential, with Manx cats being tailless, as several posters have remarked.
[I don’t consider ‘The Sound Of Music’ to be Hammerstein’s greatest success as a lyricist. The song EDELWEISS contains the line: ‘small and white, clean and bright’. A very poor description of Leontipodium nivale. Oscar was probably thinking of a saxifrage].
Thanks to S&B
Found this one easier than yesterday’s but still needed the blog to parse a couple.
Liked the double definitions especially CRANE and also LEGEND, SOLDIER, CATHODE, WELL-TO-DO
Thanks Qaos and PeterO
[… yes, eb @20, and besides, whether antipodean republicans (and I’m one) like it or not, we were a product of the Mother Country and the love of British idiom runs deep, from Chaucer and Shakespeare to Z cars and Brideshead, to choose the merest smatter … ]
Gervase @29: Agreed…nasty grid and sooo many crossers which were unhelpful vowels!
Still, elegant crozzie with, as PeterO observed, a highly pervasive theme (which I missed of course).
SEASONED pick of the bunch but don’t really understand INNOCENT. Perhaps someone will help a thickie.
I remember with a whince EDELWEISS sung by Engelbert Humperdink who was plain old Gerry Dorsey until he, for some bizarre reason, changed his name to that of the Hansel & Gretel composer sometime in the 60s I think. Dreadful schmatlz.
Super crossword, many thanks both.
[William @32
As GinF mentioned earlier, “Innocent Smoothie” is a brandname – probably the leader in the UK. A bit naughty in a Guardian puzzle?]
muffin @ 23: chic can also be a noun.
muffin @23 re: ‘chic’, usually yes – but you can hear it used as a noun, typically in combination with something else. Shabby chic, radical chic, that sort of thing. Think it gets a pass!
Confused by 1d as the Manx cat didn’t occur to me; I was just thinking you need to do more than just remove the tail to turn a cat into a man! Lateral thinking not switched on enough. Thought MOONLIT was particularly good.
Thanks Qaos and PeterO!
SEASONED is a bit of an ask but I mostly enjoyed this. Quite tricky in parts esp with that grid.
INNOCENT was early in -parsed but i couldnt quite match the def
Quite a GOTHIC puzzle
Thanks for blog Peter O and thanks Q
[Engelbert Humperdink was on at the King’s Club in Preston, summer 1967. I didn’t go, not my thing, so don’t know if he did Edelweiss, but I hear you re white, clean and bright, Gervase @29]
[William/ginf – this is how Engelbert Humperdinck got his name]
essexboy @38: Love that man! Always makes me laugh. Thanks eb.
It’s Qaos but I forgot to look for the theme, which I don’t know about anyway. I still enjoyed the solve with the NW last to fall for me.
I liked CATHODE, WELL-TO-DO, RELOCATED and SEASONED. I didn’t see the SOL/D for Sunday, thought that the ‘old’ was just unclued and a mistake, doh! Yes, to me ‘upset’ is a reverser for Down clues, not Across clues unless you hold the paper up in a strange way.
Thanks Qaos and PeterO.
Re themes: I think the reason I so rarely pick them is that once I’ve finally cracked a clue, I then forget it – often so thoroughly that I have to come here just to remind myself of all the mental gymnastics I must have been going through an hour or so previously. When I do discover, one way or another, that there was a theme that had passed me by it’s (almost) like finding an extra treat at the bottom of an empty packet. Such is the case with this one.
[Gert @41
Exactly my problem with themes; once I’ve written in an answer, I forget it.]
Very enjoyable, no quibbles – don’t know what to say really. I thought DETAIL represented a wonderful logical spiral once I saw the proper parsing (“man” for me representing the Isle of that ilk – wrong!). For a moment I thought INNOCENT was a synonym for “smoothie” in the sense of “He’s a bit of a smoothie” but it couldn’t work. I sort of spotted the theme once GOTHIC and HORROR revealed themselves but wide of the mark as usual.
I didn’t need an earworm once EDELWEISS showed – I’ll be humming it all day now (purest hell).
[Nice to see Beery Hiker re-appearing yesterday – seems to me it’s been a while]. [And haven’t seen cookie in a while either – I know she has been busy attending to important research but a wave would be reassuring.]
Thanks for the blog and all the information on the theme which I totally missed . Do not like the grid but did enjoy many clues, MOONLIT , SOLDIER and DECEPTION are very good.
SLEEPY is simply wrong for an Across clue but did not spoil things, I wonder if the whole grid was switched over and this was originally a Down clue.
When I have time I will add a little on Lagrange points to General Discussion, do not all rush at once, the test will be next week.
19D is a bit sexist isn’t it unless I’m missing something? Plenty of female soldiers out there.
I got quite a few from the definition today and failed to parse some.
A bit like yesterday for me: slow start, tough but doable. The grid made it harder, barely connecting the quadrants.
Thanks PeterO for explaining the parsing and theme so thoroughly.
Thanks Qaos for a thoughtful puzzle.
[eb@38 a classic – thanks 🙂 ]
Innocent Drinks being a company that produces smoothies was way over my head. I solved it via the clue INN+O+CENT without understanding it was a brand thing.
Roz@44 – does upset have to denote a reversal in a down clue? Could it be an indicator of an anagram in an across (or down) clue? Although SLEEP is a reversal, it is also, obviously, an anagram of PEELS.
Qaos’ puzzles always have a theme but I didn’t know this one, so would never have seen it.
That didn’t stop me enjoying the puzzle, of course. I liked DECEPTION, WELL-TO-DO, HORSEMAN (especially when the theme was explained), SOLDIER and HOLLOW.
Thanks to Qaos and PeterO.
pdp @48 , it would be the most INDIRECT of anagrams, the words PEELS is nowhere in the clue.
I know Lord JIm is more liberal than me for these cases but I doubt even he would approve, I would be interested to see his views.
There was a long discussion on GD quite recently, it is probably still there.
Roz@50 does PEELS need to be in the clue? Is it permissible for the letters of an anagram to be derived from (part of) the clue, which in this case would be former PM (gives PEEL) and ‘s (gives S) then upset (agitate) those letters to produce answer.
It seems any verb that implies agitation can be an anagram indicator even if it can also be a more specific ordering indicator.
Delightful ??puzzle from Qaos, loved the humour and the theme. All that was missing was Johnny Depp
Thanks to PeterO for his blog.
There are a range of views on this issue, MrEssexboy is the most hardline .
Have a look on General Discussion , starting with Lord Jim @ 58
pdp11 @51
You are defining what’s known as an indirect or “ghost” anagram. Not completely unheard of, but much frowned upon in solving (and setting?) circles!
Not only did I get the theme (a rarity) but early enough to help with several clues. I’m sure I was helped by the fact that for 25 years I would commute to work either through or around the town of Sleepy Hollow (depending on traffic). When I started that route the town was called North Tarrytown, but then renamed in honour of the story/author.
pdp11 @51; what you are talking about, as Roz points out @50 is an indirect anagram, a no-no. If you think about ‘upset’ as a reversal indicator, the ‘up’ is a good clue to the direction. 😉
[Pdp11@yesterday Sorry I missed you. I have found that to make “subtraction” in Google queries give you semi-accurate counts you would have to subtract e.g. not only pig but all pig-related words. So last night I tried a deep learning approach ( see for example here). To cut a long story short, “sty” in the Internet is very closely related to porcine senses, very far from ocular. For “stye” it’s a much closer contest, with ocular winning slightly.]
I forgot to mention that 14ac doesn’t need the Scots chestnut. ‘Cloth manufactured by German’ would suffice, as a HESSIAN is someone from the state of Hesse.
Cabby @45; you are correct, but ‘man’ as used here is a generic. The ODE gives the following: (men) ordinary members of the armed forces as distinct from the officers: ‘he had a platoon of forty men to prepare for battle’.
Muffin@54 – Ghost Anagram appropriate to the theme perhaps? Although I do think that’s Qaos’ intention. I read it as upset being backwards, and that didn’t bother me.
I have just finished, needing another go to crack the top right. SEASONED came to me (parsed afterwards, and I loved it). I had spotted the Sleepy Hollow theme, but not liking horror stuff it didn’t help much. But it did mean that when I finally got BONES & GHOST it reassured me they were right.
don’t, not do!
[Moth @60
It’s amazing how often a “n’t” disappears from my posts too. I wonder if there is some random filter!]
I was so convinced that upset was only a reversal in a down clue, and indirect anagrams were a no-no, that I tried to make BLEARY work for SLEEPY. Well, if you took Blair’s eye out and gave him an e, he’d be upset, wouldn’t he. Fortunately, reason, crossers and the theme, convinced me otherwise. eb@38 great stuff. I also wondered whether Edelweiss was actually a tune that Morecambe and Wise mangled, but I don’t think so.
muffin@54 thank you for the explanation, which I wasn’t aware of.
Robi@56 the key is if. Of the eight definitions in Chambers for upset , none indicate direction but some indicate agitation. I understand that there’s a convention that some solvers expect but conventions can be broken (see below) 🙂
Roz@53 thank you for the link. I see I’ve stepped into a hornet’s nest!
Having read the thread, I’m inclined to say that providing the setter can avoid the combinatorial explosion (which is somewhat applicable in other cases too when there are synonyms aplenty), there’s nothing wrong with this type of clue.
Off the top of my head (as a relative novice), setters need think of only one question in a crossword: can the “average solver” in their target audience be reasonably expected to find the solution. If the answers is yes, then anything goes! That may mean, to compensate, adjusting the definition or wordplay in order to “lose gracefully” (as a recent blogger poetically put it).
Conventions are fine as a general rule but there’s a place for innovation.
[Dr. WhatsOn@57 interesting, thanks. I did an online course on ML/DL with Python during lockdown, which really exercised the grey matter (especially the maths). Did you work the sty/stye usage out programmatically?]
I considered umbra for 10. There are several films with that title (I discovered) so it fits the clue, but none of them seemed well known enough to justify the vague definition. Ghost is definitely better.
pdp @11; perhaps we are doing this to death but the first definition in Chambers is overturn, which does show a direction. This use of upset did give an issue as you can see in Petert @63. I would recommend that you purchase the Chambers Crossword Dictionary, which has many useful pieces of information, including the indicators that are commonly used in cryptic crosswords. Alternatively, you could look at this, which shows the indicators normally used in Down clues (asterisked).
[eb @38, great clip, ta. I thought Gee he reminds me of a young Julian C, googled them together and … lo! Of course…!]
Robi@67 – overturn = “to throw down or over” indicates vertical or horizontal movement to me 🙂 However, let’s put that quibble and the other meanings to one side. There’s no doubt that some (many) people expect upset to mean a specific thing. Does a setter have to satisfy that expectation if the word has other meanings in plain English? Some of the playfulness of setters comes from subverting expectations. Today, Qaos does it elsewhere in 6D when he refers to “1 down”, which parses to ONE D and not 1D the clue, as one might expect.
The sentiment: “I expected A but it turned out to be B” might mean one’s thinking needs to be more flexible rather than the setter needs to change their clueing!
Thank you for the Chambers Crossword book and link references 🙂
My first meeting with Ichabod Crane was via the Disney version, which probably ruined it for me – I’m sure Tim Burton did it better, will have to lookit up.
I too still have an Oyster card, a happy reminder of the days before I broke my back and I could still walk as far as a bus stop…
Like a few others, I wasn’t overly pleased with this, in spite of the delight at finding the theme. I’m with NeilH @17, though I’d agree it’s probably “that wavelength thing”. Nevertheless, thanks to Qaos and PeterO – I’m sure it was very clever, just probably too much for me today.
As usual I only twigged the sleepy theme on completion.
MOONLIT is lovely, and SEASONED a pdm.
I also like the thematic use of ‘decapitated’ in HORSEMAN and ‘doffing cap’ in GOTHIC.
Thanks Qaos & PeterO
pdp 11 @69 – your comment is very unfair for those who were perturbed by the usage of “upset” in an across clue and have properly marked their own upset by standing on their heads, now being unable to access the keyboard to type a reply.
Thanks Qaos and PeterO. I found this enjoyable and mostly pretty straightforward, except for SEASONED, so thanks for the parsing on that. The theme completely passed me by. Like others, MOONLIT is my favourite today – excellent clue. DETAIL was groan of the day, when the penny finally dropped.
Re ‘upset’ as a reversal indicator, I generally take it to be read as ‘set upwards’ in this context, which is why, strictly speaking, it only works for down clues. But I don’t think it’s too much of a stretch to broaden it to mean ‘overturned’ in any direction – at least, I’m not going to lose any sleep over it.
pdp11 @64 – ‘upset’ is often used as an anagram indicator, but for the reasons already mentioned, that doesn’t seem likely to be Qaos’ intention here.
This was an odd mix for me. Relatively straightforward solve, with a theme I spotted about half way through. Very cleverly put together
Thought CATHODE was the stand out clue.
Sadly the parochialism of INNOCENT, OYSTER and HOLLOW(AY) put me off. Each of these could have been clued so much better.
So thanks mostly to Qaos, and thanks to PeterO
VW@72
I was just thinking about Irving, Rip Van Winkle and Knickerbockers!
Spooky?
VW@72 😀 thank you for adding some much needed levity to a storm in a tea cup.
widdersbel@73 – my speculation @48 of upset as an anagram indicator today was before muffin@54 enlightened me on the indirect anagram and how it’s taboo in some circles. In my comment @69, I suggested overturn can apply vertically and horizontally.
[Pdp11@65 yes I wrote an app some time ago to do vector algebra on words.]
A thought about upset, Chambers and all the rest: since dictionaries try to reflect usage, and cryptics are a form of usage, might there come a time when some sense listings are specifically aimed at cryptics? Probably not, but it would be wonderfully circular if that were to happen.
Michelle@8 I used to have a tailless non-Manx black cat too. His name was Pie. We haven’t seen “Manx” as an indication of de-tailing a word for some time, I think.
Julie@11 There may well be a Sleepy Hollow Cemetery in Concord, Massachusetts, but the village of Sleepy Hollow is in the Catskill Mountains in the Hudson Valley in New York State. “Sleepy Hollow” was a regional name within the town of Tarrytown. and in 1996 the village adopted the name. The cemetery there is also the Sleepy Hollow Cemetery, which adopted that name at the request of Washington Irving, who is buried there.
eb@13 Who are those earworm people?
On UK GK — of course a British puzzle will have British reference, and I’ve learned about Oyster cards from this puzzle. London landmarks are fine too. There’s GK and there’s obscure GK. I’ve never heard of Innocent drinks and I bet most other non-UK solvers here haven’t either.
I enjoyed the puzzle, the theme’s location is a couple of hours west of me, and the Hudson Valley to me is extended home territory. Thanks, Qaos, and also thanks PeterO.
It’s not the case here, but it always irritates me when Manx cats are referred to as “detailed”. Unlike some dogs, they don’t have their tails removed; they are born that way.
muffin@79 – could the “detailing” have been done by breeding or some other way of bringing about genetic mutations? A stretch but not necessarily illogical, if true?
Many thanks to Michelle @8 for explaining the parsing of the Manx cat! (I really struggled with the (horrific) idea of detailing a cat and how that became a man?? Then thought ah – Manx cat – Isle of Man? Didn’t follow through to see the – obvious now, and far kinder – detailing of the word Manx.
Many thanks to Michelle @8 for explaining the parsing of the Manx cat! (I really struggled with the (horrific) idea of detailing a cat and how that became a man??) Then thought ah – Manx cat – Isle of Man? Didn’t follow through to see the – obvious now, and far kinder – detailing of the word Manx.
[Valentine @78: the extravagantly bearded one is Billy Gibbons, who is normally one-third of ZZ Top. (You may have come across them in Crosswordland before; the letter combination ZZ has occasionally been clued ‘topless rockers’.) His almost as extravagantly bearded bandmate Dusty Hill died recently; drummer Frank Beard was for a long time the only one who didn’t have a beard… until he did.
They had a hit with ‘La Grange’ in the 70s; however, in the version I linked to @13, which I actually like better, Gibbons is playing with Daryl Hall (of Hall and Oates fame) and others.]
Thanks PeterO, I could not fathom DECEPTION and did not realise the full extent of the specific theme, having thought it was just a vague Hallowe’en effort. I found this hard with some unobvious definitions eg GOTHIC and tricky parsing (SOLDIER, SEASONED) but much satisfaction on realisation. Innocent smoothies (I think sold out to Coca Cola or similar) now available in CH and surely elsewhere so not quite so UK centric as thought. But MOONLIT a fantastic clue, grim memories of the 3 body problem in Dynamics lectures offset by essexboy’s great link, thanks QAOS.
I spotted the theme before finishing for once, but it didn’t help me in the northeast corner where I really struggled with GHOST and SEASONED. I think the latter is a beautiful clue with its super referential misdirection. Wish I’d solved it! My fave was MOONLIT, for the “revealed by satellite” definition. Which reminds me… @widdersbel, thanks for the reference to the clue in the Tees puzzle yesterday (one I didn’t try unfortunately). “Dropped a little lower” is indeed another fine definition.
After putting BONES as my first one in, I guessed we might be in for a Star Trek theme, but it weren’t to be.
Thanks, P and Q.
‘Film in shade’ might have been more to the point, maybe?
Yes agree was a belting theme which helped only a little after I looked for it last night.
Well done QAOS and PeterO for the early post…but not early enough for me to be an early poster.
Thanks both.
Gazzh@84 I can hardly believe you wrote GRIM , tut tut. They should really be called Euler points, he found the first 3 solutions , Lagrange only found the fourth and its partner.
The James Webb Space Telescope is the successor to Hubble and launches in December , it is going to L2, Very complicated procedure and I am very doubtful of success.
A brisk solve shortly after midnight & very enjoyable too. As per the theme completely passed me by. Plenty difficult enough for the likes of me but surprisingly straightforward for a Qaos puzzle.
Thanks all.
Spotted the vaguely Hallowe’eny theme, but am not familiar with the actual theme. Didn’t spoil a very enjoyable crossword though.
Anyone else have CHASE for GHOST? I needed Google to confirm it is a film, and the definition felt like a big stretch, but hey, it fits!
Fiery Jack @90. Yes I pencilled in CHASE for a while.
[Thanks, essexboy@83.]
[Gazzh@84 if you’re still reading (or anyone else who knows) where and what is CH?]
Valentine@90 Switzerland?
[Valentine@92, Petert@90 yes Switzerland.]
Fiery Jack@90 I had a lot of trouble with that clue, checking IMDB it seems like pretty much any 5 letter word has at some point been the title of a film, however obscure!
Did not get the theme so missed DECEPTION. I had DEFECTION or DESERTION then thought about the D/R switch. Replace one in “social” to get “trick”.
Valentine@92 – .CH is the web domain for Switzerland. So it could be referring to the country.
A rare occasion where I not only spotted the theme, but got an answer from it, i.e. saw HEADLESS, HORSEMAN and HOLLOW, so realised that SLEEPY must have been somewhere.