Guardian Cryptic 28,603 by Matilda

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Matilda's Monday morning misdirections

Sorry for the short blog this morning, but I am a bit short on time.

This was a fun puzzle to solve, with some clever devices. I don't think I've come across STEP RATE before, nor the spelling of SADDHUS that the setter has used, but everything fell into place eventually. I don't know if there's a theme as such, but the MAGNIFICENT SEVEN DEADLY SINS make an appearance. There was a portmanteau comedy film of that name made in the early 70s.

Thanks, Matilda.

ACROSS
1. Would-be barber on the rampage — all hide! (7)
DELILAH

*(all hide) [anag:on the rampage]

5. Things found in yachts regularly after back-to-back parties (7)
DOODAHS

(y)A(c)H(t)S [regularly] after DO + <=DO ("parties", back to back)

9. First service at 10 (5)
AMASS

A MASS ("first service") presumably compared to B MASS , which may be second mass?

10. Fancy pickles to stash (9)
STOCKPILE

*(pickles to) [anag:fancy]

11. Missed having part exchange reviewed (6,4)
LOOKED OVER

OVERLOOKED ("missed") having its "parts exchanged" would become LOOKED OVER

12. Long short time (4)
YEAR

YEAR(n) ("long", short)

14. Hotlines got crossed for student of culture (11)
ETHNOLOGIST

*(hotlines got) [anag:crossed]

18. Wonderful publication: Guardian, finally providing Matilda with little money! (11)
MAGNIFICENT

MAG ("publication") + (guardia)N [finally] + IF ("providing") + I (Matilda, today's setter) + CENT ("little money")

21. Crimes contributing to everybody’s insecurity (4)
SINS

Hidden in [contributing to] "everybody'S INSecurity"

22. A girly boot design is essential (10)
OBLIGATORY

*(a girly boot) [anag:design]

25. Outstanding underground network in having no leader (9)
UNSETTLED

SETT ("underground network") in UNLED ("having no leader")

26, 6. More than half a dozen trees found in Kent (9)
SEVENOAKS

SEVEN ("more than half a dozen") + OAKS ("trees")

27. Be quiet about a theologian and American holy men (7)
SADDHUS

SH ("be quiet") about A DD (Doctor of Divinity, so "theologian") + US (American)

A sadhu or saddhu is a Hindu mendicant or holy man.

28. Stress fractures overwhelming writer’s family members (7)
SISTERS

*(stress) [anag:fractures] overwhelming I ("writer")

DOWN
1. Absolutely empty lavatory is lethal (6)
DEADLY

DEAD ("absolutely") + [empty] L(avator)Y

2. Bully the French soon (4,2)
LEANON

LE ("the" in "French") + ANON ("soon")

3. Left most of Essex with liver upset — worse things can happen (6,4)
LESSEREVIL

L (left) + [most of] ESSE(x) with *(liver) [anag:upset]

4. Should the East stop ignoring borders? (3,2)
HAS TO

(t)H(e) (a)AS(t) (s)TO(p) [ignoring borders]

5. Stressed at first, man hoovered shoddily (5,4)
DROVE HOME

*(m hoovered) [anag:shoddily] where M is M(an) [at first]

6. See 26

7. Still taking no sides, refer to uprising (8)
AKINETIC

(t)AKIN(g) [no sides] + <=CITE ("refer to", uprising)

8. Running cadence of horse mostly circling donkey (4,4)
STEPRATE

STEE(d) ("horse", mostly) circling PRAT ("donkey")

13. No-hopers mislaid baggage containing uniform (4,6)
LOST CAUSES

LOST ("mislaid") + CASES ("luggage") containing U (uniform)

15. Trouble with Cats? Musical rubbish (4,5)
HAIR BALLS

HAIR ("musical") + BALLS ("rubbish")

16. Has an evening meal, including potatoes, and crashes (5-3)
SMASH-UPS

SUPS ("has an evening meal") including MASH ("potatoes")

17. Diagnose problem that expressed mental stress (8)
AGONISED

*(diagnose) [anag:problem]

19. They say you are each in love with this museum (6)
LOUVRE

U + R ["you are", they say) each in LOVE

20. Personified sleep getting endless hype? Not so! (6)
HYPNOS

[endless] HYP(e) + NO(t) + S(o)

23. Hindus take off clothing and start to swim here? (5)
INDUS

(h)INDU(s) [take off clothing] and [start to] S(Wim)

24. Computers etc starting to cause headaches and irritation (4)
ITCH

IT (Information Technology, so "computers etc") + [starting to] C(ause) H(eadaches)

54 comments on “Guardian Cryptic 28,603 by Matilda”

  2. Fun puzzle.

    Favourite: SADDHUS, LOOKED OVER.

    New: AKINETIC.

    Thanks, both.

    * I had not noticed the theme of Sevens. There was a film called The Magnificent Seven, and I guess that Sevenoaks and the Seven Deadly Sins also fit the theme.

  4. Noticed all the seven refs after finishing. Seven STEP(s) movies as well. I really liked SMASH UPS and LOST CAUSES

    Ta Matilda & loonapick

  5. Lots of fun with good clueing, I thought. Missed the themes as always. AKINETIC held me up at the end; loved DOODAHS, LOOKED OVER and MAGNIFICENT. Many thanks to Matilda and loonapick.

  6. Quite liked this but it felt like a slog. Perhaps not spotting the theme didn’t help. Small quibble, but on 23dn I didn’t see the point of taking the s off only to put it on again! Thanks to Matilda and loonapick.

  7. A delightful and refreshing set of surfaces.
    Trouble with Cats, girly boots, a little money for Matilda among the best!
    Ta Matilda (a nicely Oz moniker), keep ’em coming.

  8. Pretty much what Chinoz said @7.

    Love all the 7’s but missed them while solving.

    Parsing of UNSETTLED & LOOKED OVER eluded me so, thanks, loonapick.

    Never considered sup to refer uniquely to the evening meal but I suppose it must be.

    Most enjoyable change for a Monday morning, many thanks, Matilda.

  9. Cadences to me are plagal and … perfect, is it? … ie musical. How did get they get into running I wonder. Not t’worry, a nice little doctor’s waiting room number from Matilda this Monday, keep ’em waltzing along cobber, and ta loonapick.

  10. Thanks Matilda and loonapick. Lots to enjoy here – can only echo what Chinoz @7 said re the surfaces. 15d got a proper LOL from me when I read the clue. Completely failed to parse 9a – bamboozled by the smoothness of the surface. Didn’t notice the sevens theme until after I’d finished.

  11. Struggling with the near-countywide liverishness this morning, but nevertheless wanted to record my appreciation.

    HAIR BALLS and SMASH-UPS just lovely, the latter reminding me of this. I wonder if there’s a story behind MAGNIFICENT?

    I had the SEVENs and the ITCH, so 12ac had to be YEAR!

    William @8: ‘We’ll sup before we go?’

    Pedants’ corner: can HAS TO = ‘should’?

    Thanks Matilda and loonapick.

  12. Thanks loonapick, that spelling of SADDHUS held me up for a while too, as did the definition of HYPNOS which I had to look up, with STEP RATE a plausible but not entirely confident bung. Overall enjoyed this with plenty of smooth witty misdirection.
    As well as the theme items mentioned, rugby sevens maestro Waisale SEREVI appears in the solution to 3D which gets my prize today, thanks Matilda.

  14. gif @9 – earliest recorded citation for this meaning of cadence in the OED is related to rhythm of verse (Chaucer), but extended to dance by 1605 and later any rhythmical movement, eg marching. I mostly know it in relation to cycling, meaning the number of pedal revolutions per minute.

    Seems to be unrelated to the musical meaning, though they share the same etymological root.

  15. What Chinoz said, with the addition of the would-be barber and the no-hopers.

    Many thanks, Matilda and loonapick.

  17. Great start to the week/seven days – thanks Matilda & loonapick for help with UNSETTLED.
    Neat anagram at 17d, and I really enjoyed DOODAHS and the surface for 1ac.

  18. re grantinfreo @9. I know what you mean about cadences. But it’s definitely the word horsey people use to describe the rhythm and tempo of the footfalls of a horse. Four beats for a walk, a trot is 2 (both diagonals together) and a canter weirdly 3 (one, diagonal together, last single) and a pause. Is there a horse person amongst us who can elucidate further?

  19. Thanks to Matilda and loonapick for an excellent blog, even if it was written quickly.
    The saddhus took me back to my time in Tiruvanamalai, I used to see them queuing up for food at one of the ashrams. They all wore yellow.

  20. Enjoyed this – sufficiently easy for a novice like me but with a few new bits to ensure I keep on learning. As ever, missed the theme. And even after I got UNSETTLED in, it took me a while to parse; had a little chuckle when I finally saw SETT as ‘underground network’.

    I did have a similar thought as JerryG @6 regarding the removal and readdition of the S on INDUS, but I think because it made the &lit in the surface very neat and clever it should be allowed!

    Highlights for me were MAGNIFICENT, SMASH-UPS and LOUVRE. Thanks Matilda and loonapick!

  22. Found this a real challenge this morning, with each corner of the puzzle almost having a life of its own. The NE was particularly tricky, I thought, and took me a while to fathom out AKINETIC, STEP RATE and also DROVE HOME. However, took me almost until the last gasp to see DELILAH and therefore the last two in LEAN ON and AMASS, with the neat connection between the 9 and 10 across clues. Which felt perhaps like the perfect way to finish off. Thanks to Matilda and Loonapick.

  23. Quite hard for a Monday, for me, but fun. I don’t usually like clues with a lot of elements in them, but today my favourite was MAGNIFICENT. I don’t mind the subtraction/addition of the S in INDUS, but the surface seems slightly odd, since the Indus flows mostly in Pakistan, where presumably few naked Hindus are swimming in it?
    Thanks Matilda and loonapick.

  24. Yes, a bit more gnarly than some Monday puzzles but hugely enjoyable.

    I forgot to check the setter – just assumed it was Vulcan et al – so when I got to Matilda’s money, I just thought that was I CENT as in Australia. Solutions went in steadily with the bottom half finished first, and the NE last to yield. I liked a lot of clues, including those for DELILAH, DOODAHS, MAGNIFICENT, AKINETIC and LOST CAUSES.

    Thanks to the waltzer and loonapick.

  25. As a beginner with Cryptic crosswords, I am pleased that I can add Matilda to the list of those I can have a stab at solving. It’s a short list so far, with Vulcan the only other one on it. I particularly liked Doodahs and Delilah.

  26. The top right corner was a bit of a struggle, with both AKINETIC and STEP RATE being rather above the normal Monday level I thought. I liked HAIR BALLS, very amusing.

    essexboy @11: “X has to resign!” = “X should resign”?

    Thanks Matilda and loonapick.

  27. Thanks for the suggestions, Lord Jim @26 and Gazzh @16. Like Gazzh I was thinking about sporting contexts too, although more in a ‘needs to’ sense. ‘For the batsman to be out lbw, the impact HAS TO be / should be in line with the stumps’?

  30. Excellent, enjoyable and a few lol moments. MAGNIFICENT, SMASH-UPS, DELILAH, and DOODAHS (which just makes smile regardless).

    Thanks Matilda for putting a smile on my face so early in the week and loonapick for a clear and terse blog produced under time constraints.

  32. 2a I think “LIVER” is reversed rather than an anagram in LESSER EVIL

    Lord Jim@27 If somebody should resign, they may or may not do it. If they have to resign, they have no choice.

    Ple3asant morning, thanks to Matilda and loonapick.

  33. AKINETIC (LOI) was a new one, and I didn’t know that you could spell SADDHUS like that, but this was another nice one from Matilda. Sorry to say I missed the various sevens, but I did like MAGNIFICENT – Matilda has certainly earned her little money.

  34. After wonderful prize puzzles this weekend (Brendan, of course, and Buccaneer aka Picaroon in the FT) I was ready for a letdown so I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed this. I ticked 15d (HAIR BALLS) before I even solved it due to its most clever surface. Also fun were the short ones like YEAR and HAS TO. I didn’t get AMASS and I still don’t get it but that didn’t spoil my enjoyment. Thanks to both.

  35. Thanks for the blog , missed all the sevens of course, a lot of neat clues here , many mentioned above and UNSETTLED my favourite.
    Is AKINETIC a word ? it sounds plausible but not sure, will check later.
    MrEseexboy @ 27 you know even less about cricket than me. Impact for LBW can be outside the off stump if the batter does not try to hit it.

  36. Great to see Matilda on a Monday with a splendid puzzle. The sevens completely passed me by, of course. Nothing to add that hasn’t already been said, except that I’m with essexboy @11 and Valentine @32: ‘should’ is a recommendation, HAS TO is an obligation.

    Thanks to S&B

  37. 12 @gazzh: That’s a great spot!

    Finished it, although AKINETIC was new (almost went with akenesis but realised ‘cite’ backwards fit the spaces too) and didn’t spot the theme. 2d was my final, which given I use ANON in everyday speech, should have been earlier. UNSETTLED was a DNP but obvious from the crossers.

    My $0.02 on the cadence issue: my grade V theory tells me there are 4 cadences (perfect, imperfect and … the other two), but these days it’s definitely used much more widely for ‘rhythm’, especially for non-musical beats, like speech and movement. I noticed it cropping up a lot in the commentary of the Grand Tour cycling this year, in the sense of how many rpm the cyclists were putting out, and I believe it’s used for rowing too.

  38. Reasonably chewy for a Monday I thought, also quite enjoyable.

    I was with EB, Valentine and Gervase until a few minutes ago when I checked Chambers and in the second entry should is also must, will have to and is to etc.

    It appears I should have known better. 😉

  39. jvh @29: if she was just going to nitpick, she didn’t need to. 😉

    Your post prompted me to re-read the story, which reminded me that DELILAH is generally thought to be a female Philistine. Is 1ac the setter’s coming-out clue? Could this be a picture of home life chez Matilda?

  40. Roz @35: touché (wrong sport, I know)

    On AKINETIC, Wikipedia lists akinesia (inability to initiate voluntary movement) as one form of hypokinesia (decreased bodily movement), which is a symptom of Parkinson’s Disease.

  41. Thank you , I have just checked my Chambers and it is very similar, no direct reference to AKINETIC and not sure it would mean “still” in this medical sense.

  42. No mention at all in Collins , it sounds like it should exist and should mean no motion, maybe someone will find it.

  45. AKINETIC is in the current Chambers app, as the adjective from akinesia.

    Re ‘should’ & ‘has to’, many people have been saying recently that the ‘Prime Minister’ & other dodgy politicians have to resign, but they show no signs of doing so.

  47. Very enjoyable, just 7d for a DNF. Not a word I’m familiar with and I made the parsing far too complicated.
    Thanks both..

  52. Thanks Ong’ara, I see that AMASS means to stockpile but I didn’t fully understand the “first service” portion. I guess if you pull “first service” apart, A = 1st, as in alphabetical order, and mass = service.

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