Everyman 3,921

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This is one of the best Everyman crosswords that I’ve blogged. The clues are apparently (with the odd exception, which is quite possibly because I’m missing something) sound, none of them are incredibly difficult, and the surfaces are often very good.

Definitions in crimson, underlined. Indicators (anagram, homophone, hidden etc) in italics. Anagrams are indicated *(like this) or (like this)*.

 

ACROSS
1 FLAT REFUSAL
Cryptically artful. False? That’s a big no (4,7)
*(artful false) — I’m never really comfortable with ‘cryptically’ as a definition of ‘anagramatically’, but it’s quite common and I suppose OK
9 ORANGES
Ultimately pomelo varieties? (7)
[pomel]o ranges — ranges = varieties —the details are a bit of a mystery, but it does seem that oranges are varieties of pomelos, and if that’s so then the clue is a very nice extended definition
10 TORNADO
It’s travelled fast, leading to hurly-burly? (7)
torn ado — torn = travelled fast, ado = hurly-burly, extended definition
11 NUKES
In microwave, reheats a little nightcap: nobleman’s losing head (5)
n[ightcap] [d]uke’s — not a very common term for reheating in a microwave but I did see it in an American film once (I think Back to the Future)
12 RYE BREAD
Pumpernickel, reportedly dry, raised (3,5)
“wry bred” — wry = dry, bred = raised
14 IN-YOUR-FACE
On cue, fairy might become confrontational (2-4-4)
(On cue fairy)*
15 ETCH
Eat some ketchup (4)
Hidden in kETCHup — to etch is to eat away at something
17 GOON
Last imbecile (4)
If you last you go on
19 CORDON BLEU
EU backs protective measure, British pound for French food (6,4)
cordon B L EU — cordon = protective measure, B = British, L = pound (as in LSD, stands for libra, which refers to weight and balance, originally a pound’s weight of silver), EU as is
21 EMIGRATE
In Qatar, perhaps good to leave the country (8)
Qatar is an example of an emirate (so ‘Qatar, perhaps’ is an emirate); put g inside it — g = good
23 RATED
Valued – or scolded (5)
2 defs — they both can mean ‘rated’
25 DRABBLE
Rowling initially overwhelmed by Potter: she writes adult novels (7)
R[owling] in dabble — dabble = potter — Chambers has for ‘dabble’ ‘to do anything in a trifling or small way’, and for ‘potter’ ‘to busy oneself in a trifling or desultory way with trifling tasks’, so they’re close enough — the reference is to Margaret Drabble
26 FRESHER
First-year student‘s increasingly amorous (7)
2 defs. A first year student is a fresher; if you are increasingly amorous you are more fresh
27 ILLUSTRATES
Is later worried about sin, provides images (11)
(Is later)* round lust — worried is the anagram indicator, lust is the sin (one of the seven deadly ones)
DOWN
1 FRANKLY
Honestly cunning to hide class (7)
f(rank)ly — fly = cunning, rank = class
2 AUGUSTUS
An unrivalled governor: unofficial supremo, then ubiquitous sovereign, primarily? (8)
The first letters clue, which is an extended definition. As so often a good one
3 ROSE
Flower is one of eight, we’re told (4)
If you’re one of eight you may be in a rowing eight, in which case you row, and rows = is one of eight =, so it’s “rows”
4 FATTY ACIDS
They’re seen in cells, tubby policemen eating a bit of shortbread (5,5)
(fatty CID) round a, s — fatty = tubby (??), CID = policemen, a as is, bit of shortbread = s[hortbread]
5 SCRUB
Abandon husband becoming cold in Bush (5)
shrub with its h becoming c — scrub = Bush, h = husband, c = cold — I’m not sure why it’s Bush not bush as it certainly doesn’t help the surface
6 LEANEST
Most barren meadow where birds found (7)
lea nest — lea = meadow, nest = where birds found
7 COUNTING HEADS
Sound teaching, organised, taking register (8,5)
(Sound teaching)* — I wouldn’t have said that counting heads was the same as taking the register, but maybe in a fanciful way it is
8 COLD-SHOULDERS
Ignores discomfort when wearing tank top? (4-9)
If wearing a tank top one might (hence the ?) have cold shoulders
13 EFFORTLESS
Easy displaying softer self (10)
*(softer self) — one may not think of displaying as much of an anagram indicator, but Chambers has as its first definition of ‘display’ ‘to unfold or spread out’, which is more or less what goes on in an anagram
16 ANGRIEST
Strangely, inert gas is most likely to combust (8)
*(inert gas)
18 ORIGAMI
Everyman’s getting a cheque returned: what’s needed is folding stuff (7)
(I’m a giro)rev. — the Japanese art of paper folding — I’m = Everyman’s [yes you’re right Valentine@23, thanks], a giro = a cheque — Everyman’s regular appearance
20 LATCHES
They’re seen at doorways, somewhat flat-chested (7)
Hidden in fLAT-CHESted
22 REBEL
Sideways look offered up, taking in bold defiant figure (5)
B in (leer)rev. — leer = sideways look, the reversal in a down clue is indicated by ‘offer up’, B = Bold (as in type)
24 AFAR
A group of airmen takes to the skies, covering great distance (4)
a (RAF)rev. — RAF = group of airmen — the reversal in a down clue is this time indicated by ‘takes to the skies’ — I’m not quite sure about afar = covering great distance: perhaps there’s some sense in which they’re equivalent, but I should have thought that afar meant more ‘at a great distance’; over to you

36 comments on “Everyman 3,921”

  1. Failed 17ac.

    New for me: FLY = cunning (for 1d); NUKES = reheats in microwave (but ironically, that is why I never use microwave ovens!)

    Thanks, both.

  2. Nukes for microwave is very common in the states.
    I though 5d ambiguous as it is arguably either shrub or scrub and the c/h is not checked by a crosser.

  3. As a former teacher, John, I can assure you that counting heads, and finding the full number, is an excellent, short-cut way to take the register! This was HEADS and SHOULDERS above – er, well, maybe I should say it was very good. Thanks, Everyman and John.

  4. Thanks for the blog and totally agree that this was very good indeed.
    I also queried Bush , decided the capital B was just a misprint.
    FRESHER was my favourite, a very apt clue.
    No rhyming pair or alliteration but I see Tassie Tim @3 has given us HEADS and SHOULDERS.

  5. Lovely puzzle.

    My favourite was ILLUSTRATES. Also liked COLD SHOULDERS (made me smile) and FRESHER.

    Like Michelle did not get 17a. Thought it had to be goon or goof but couldn’t see how either was *last*

    Thanks Everyman and John

  6. I thought it was SHRUB, but I can see why I was wrong, and don’t think the clue is ambiguous. NUKES? Really? Well, if it’s common in US usage it must be OK, but it’s new to me.

  7. Fiona Anne@5: it is alleged that in its very early days a BBC announcer described Spike Milligan and company as the Go On Show – which is how I got 17a.

  8. Many thanks Everyman and John – entirely agree with the blog.

    Like John I had a question mark over AFAR, but thought maybe ‘to roam afar’ = ‘to roam, covering great distance’?

  9. Thanks John, agree that this was a top notch Everyman, all very enjoyable. I especially liked ORIGAMI, though I wonder if younger solvers will be familiar with a ‘giro’ – or even a ‘cheque’!

    ATP @2 – the direction of the swap is clearly indicated in the wordplay: ‘H[usband] becoming C[old]’

  11. I have heard nuke used in the U.K. “just nuke it for a minute in the microwave”
    Never heard of rated meaning scolded.

  12. Like Gladys@6 I went to Shrub having thought the capital Bush was to indicate this as the answer and the resst of the clue as instructions to remove the c from scrub and replace with h, otherwise I too coldnt see whyy B was capitalised. I find youyr parsing of teh clue, however, to be more natural and accept Scrub as the answer, bu overall I still find this clue somewhat ambiguous. Thanks Everyman fopr an intrtesting puzzle and John for your blog

  13. I also first came across NUKES = “reheats in microwave” in an American film – in my case I think it was Twins with Danny DeVito and Arnold Schwartzenegger. I’ve heard it quite a few times since.

    copmus @10: the current Everyman has commented a few times on this site and made it clear that he/she is an individual rather than a team.

    Thanks Everyman and John.

  15. I found this a little more difficult than usual, but none the worse for that.

    I thought that TORNADO was just a cd, but see from John that it has some wordplay. I started with shrub but then realised that it must be SCRUB. I’m not an expert but according to Wiki pomelos are distinct from oranges and are not usually that colour. Despite the explanation above, I don’t really understand how ‘one of eight’ can be rows. Perhaps someone can explain in more detail.

    Thanks Everyman and John.

  16. Chardonneret @11. The last time ‘rated’ = ‘scolded’ came up, I offered this snippet from Shylock’s speech to Antonio in The Merchant of Venice, Act I, scene 3:

    Signor Antonio, many a time and oft
    In the Rialto have you rated me
    About my money and my usances.
    Still have I borne it with a patient shrug,
    For sufferance is the badge of all out tribe.

    ‘Berated’ is now more recognisable.

  19. Robi @15 the clue to 3dn is nice in that the homophone applies to the whole of ‘is one of eight’. The temptation is to think that ‘is’ is just a link-word.

  21. ‘Nuke’ for ‘reheat in a microwave’ is pretty common usage in Australia too, although there are times that we seem to be vying to be the 51st State of the USA, so not that surprising.

  22. Robi, the Wikipedia article says that oranges are a result of cross-breeding pomelos and mandarins, so ‘varieties’ indeed.

  23. The clue for LEANEST would be better with “where birds are found,” since it’s not about birds finding (or founding) anything.

    In ORIGAMI, Everyman’s = I’M, not I. You need the M.

    Thanks, Everyman and John.

  24. I liked this too. However, despite Johns attempts, I’m not yet buying 3d – one of eight is surely a “rower”? It’s true that a rower rows, but the homophone indicator points at the person not what he does. Rowers are lined up in a row too, but that requires 16 (2 boats of 8) at least to get to “rows”.
    Copmus @10, I was informed recently on this blog that Everyman is still a single person.

    Thanks to Everyman and John for the blog

  26. As a UK student in the 80s, I was buying ready meals to ‘nuke ‘n’ serve’, so it’s not at all uncommon.
    An enjoyable Everyman.

  27. I don’t see the ambiguity in 5d. The husband is becoming cold, not the other way around, so the cryptic indication must involve turning the H into a C.

    I wasn’t familiar with GIRO cheques, not because I’m young, as widdersbel @9 suggests, but maybe because I’m American. But the clue was very gettable anyway, and now I’ve learned something.

    I thought this was a highly enjoyable Everyman. I particularly liked 14ac (in-your-face), 17ac (goon), and 16d (angriest). The latter anagram seems like it must have been used many times before, but if I’d seen it I’ve forgotten.

  28. Could it be 8 rows on a chessboard, nothing to do with rowing teams?
    I took Bush to mean the Australian outback which makes more sense than a husband sitting in just one bush.

  29. I (a chess enthusiast) originally read the “eight” in 3 as referring to chess, but concluded the crew interpretation is more likely, “ranks” being the preferred chess term for rows.

  30. I agree with John that this is one of the best Everymans ever. Took a long while for the penny to drop on a lot (most) of the clues, but when the penny *did* drop it was very satisfying. Couldn’t/didn’t bother to parse “illustrates” (27across) completely, but the answer was obviously correct.

    Thanks to Everyman and John.

  31. Crikey, was this the same setter who produced the last few weeks’ pretty ordinary crosswords? This was head and shoulders the best Everyman for ages. Circled 16 and 18D as good, not sure about the upper case B as already commented on but pretty much everything else was on point. This must seriously be a different setter notwithstanding previous assurances in this blog that Everyman is a sole setter.

    Nuke is common parlance in NZ – bit ironic as we are nuclear-free.

  32. Perhaps we will get knees and toes next week. Very enjoyable thanks Everyman, John and all of the blog contributors.

  33. I agree it was the best crossword for ages, but I think it was the same setter. It still had the Everyman clues 18d, and still the same Primarily type clues 2 d. The clues weren’t so convoluted though and better put together. Perhaps, he’s just got better.

  35. Pretty good crossword.
    Parsed it over 2 gin and tonics.
    Liked it because no iffy clues – that’s the test of a really good puzzle.

  36. Great crossword! Cold Shoulders; Cordon Bleu; Rose; Nukes; Origami – all great clues, v enjoyable. Thank you!

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