Thank you to Paul. Definitions are underlined in the clues.
Across
8. Country India commended? (8)
DOMINICA : Anagram of(-mended /repaired) INDIA COM-.
Defn: …, officially the Commonwealth of Dominica, an island in the Caribbean.
9. Booty I see lying back in bath (3,3)
HOT TUB : Reversal of(… lying back) [ BUTT(one’s buttocks/booty in slang) + OH!(like “I see”, an expression acknowledging understanding of what someone has just said) ].
… what the clue says.
10. Hounds gone to the dogs — with bare paws? (6)
UNSHOD : Anagram of(… gone to the dogs) HOUNDS.
Defn: …/not wearing shoes and thus having bare feet.
11. See 2
12. Spare item cut (4)
THIN : “thing”(an item/object) minus its last letter(cut).
Defn: …/with no excess fat.
13. Fifth in Crufts, I’m amazed obedient dog moped, say (3-7)
TWO-WHEELER : 5th letter of(Fifth in) “Crufts” + WOW!(an expression of amazement/I’m amazed!) + HEELER(one, usually an obedient dog, that responds to the command, “Heel!”).
Defn: An example of which/say, is the moped.
And Crufts, of course, is the largest dog show.
15. Put out present in elevated position (2,5)
UP THERE : Anagram of(… out) PUT + HERE!(used to indicate that one is present at a roll-call).
16. African animal, howler gobbling bird with wings pulled off (7)
GIRAFFE : GAFFE(a howler/a blunder) containing(gobbling) “bird” minus its 1st and last letters(with wings pulled off).
18. Material popped up: three books with real worth initially condemned (6,4)
BUBBLE WRAP : Anagram of(… condemned) [UP + BBB(3 x abbrev. for “book”) plus(with) REAL + 1st letter of(… initially) “worth” ].
Defn: Packaging material of plastic with air bubbles that can be popped/burst.
19. Ladies and gentlemen relaxed briefly (4)
LOOS : “loose”(relaxed/physically slack) minus its last letter(briefly).
Defn: …/the toilets.
20. You smooth figure! (8)
THOUSAND : THOU(an archaic form of “you”) + SAND(to smooth with sandpaper or a mechanical sander).
Defn: …/a number.
22. Hot first of all in equatorial region, opposite then is cold (6)
EROTIC : 1st letters, respectively, of(first of all in) “equatorial region, opposite then is cold“.
Defn: …/arousing sexually.
23. Swear, finding head of pigeon on shelf (6)
PLEDGE : 1st letter of(head of) “pigeon” plus(on) LEDGE(a shelf/a narrow horizontal projecting surface).
Defn: …/to make a solemn promise.
24. Holding swallow tail in fist, pluck bird (5,3)
GREAT TIT : [ EAT(to swallow, usually food) + last letter of(tail in) “fist” ] contained in(Holding …) GRIT(pluck/courage).
… that great tit.
Down
1. Help out when gold potty lost in bathroom? (4,3,8)
DOWN THE PLUGHOLE : Anagram of(… potty) HELP OUT WHEN GOLD.
Answer: Figuratively, describing something that has been lost; and literally, how you might lose something small in the bathroom.
2, 11. Where might one find each, so at least possible? (6,3,6,2,6)
WITHIN THE BOUNDS OF REASON : Cryptic defn:. “ea”(abbrev. for “each) may be found within the 1st and last letters of(WITHIN THE BOUNDS OF) “REASON“.
3. Small flat dish: slip in fruit (4-1-5)
PIED-A-TERRE : PIE(a dish/a baked food item) + [ ERR(to slip/to make an error) contained in(in) DATE(the fruit of the date palm) ].
Defn: …/apartment kept for occasional use.
4. Author taking month to pen a novel that’s half-hearted (7)
NABOKOV : NOV(abbrev. for the month of November) containing(to pen) [ A + “book”(possibly a novel) minus one of its inner letters(that’s half-hearted) ].
Answer: Vladimir, author of “Lolita”.
5. Short table for fish (4)
CHAR : “chart”(a table of specific information) minus its last letter(Short …).
6. What one might say about sweet jar that seems sensible to some people (2,5,3,5)
IT TAKES ALL SORTS : Cryptic defn: A sweet jar may take/it may contain all-sorts, a mixture of liquorice sweets.
Answer: There are different kinds of people in this world with their different concepts of what is or is not sensible – I think.
7. Drop a brick on toe: sit up if not broken (3,4,4,2,2)
PUT ONE’S FOOT IN IT : Anagram of(… broken) ON TOE: SIT UP IF NOT.
Defn: …/make an indiscreet or embarrassing remark.
14. Musical compositions, those going over some people’s heads? (10)
HAIRPIECES : HAIR(a rock musical that opened in Broadway in 1968) + PIECES(compositions/pieces of creative work, of music or poetry, say).
Defn: …/patches of false hair to augment a person’s natural hair
17. Genius running oxygen tunnel into nose (7)
PRODIGY : [ O(symbol for chemical element, oxygen) + DIG(to tunnel/to break and remove earth, making a hole in the ground) ] contained in(into) PRY(to nose/to enquire too closely in one’s personal affairs).
21. War god somewhat miserable after uprising (4)
ARES : Hidden in(somewhat) reversal of(… after uprising) “miserable“.
Defn: … in Greek mythology.
Just brilliant.
Ta Paul & scchua
2,11 has ea (each) and so within bounds of reason
Well that was hard – got a lot from crosses and description – and couldn’t parse more than a few.
Of those I got and parsed I liked TWO-WHEELER, GIRAFFE (made me laugh), THOUSAND, NABOKOV
Thanks Paul and scchua
bagel@2: I parsed it your way.
Re 19 ac: Loos, strictly speaking are ladies’ and gentlemen’s
I thought the same as bagel @2 that “so” was part of the wordplay. It was a clue I liked as well as my 3 favourites: DOMINICA for the clever anagrind, HOT TUB for the Pauline Booty and TWO WHEELER for the nicely deceptive definition.
Fun puzzle. Thanks Paul and scchua. In 2, 11 the def is “at least possible” with both ‘ea’ and ‘so’ between r and n
bagel@2 and AlanC@4. I’m interested in, but don’t understand your take on WITHIN THE BOUNDS OF REASON and how that’s different to scchua’s. There has to be something that you’ve both twigged to. Otherwise it’s a very weak clue.
within the bounds of rEA-SOn
Looks like a very interesting clue to me. Of course, it takes all sorts! 🙂
Ah, others have posted , including the ‘so’. Thank you.
[KVa@10. LOL. My favourite sweet. Do any of the younger generation know all sorts, or all day suckers? ]
Epeolater @@5, I don’t think attributive nouns require apostrophes.
KVA @10 and paddymelon @12, I originally had All Types instead of All Sorts until the penny dropped.
Ah yes, Epeolater@5. I love a good apostrophe, but I don’t think the sign writer had that in their stencil box when painting the doors of the LOOS. Loo itself is an anglicised version of a foreign word, These days there are no words, just confusing, often culturally inappropriate or anachronistic graphics.
FrankIy, I have to look to see whether I fit into the one with the wheelchair or the baby change table, or both. And if there’s a queue outside the Ladies, I might try the one with the trousers. I’m wearing them, and usually quicker to get in there. 🙂
Thank you scchua as I was puzzled by 3D thinking that there was some sort of dish called a Pierre, though I agree with bagel@2 et al on the long one. Nicely illustrated as usual! I thought this was brilliant, full of highlights if that makes sense, all the usual Pauline wit with care taken over the surfaces and instructions (eg “…of all in…” in 22a, as you note), just a pity it is all over, thanks Paul.
Finished a Paul and only 17th to comment (at time of writing 🙂 ). This must be a record. Looked impossible at first then the answers kept popping out like 18A. My kind of puzzle.
Thanks Paul and scchua.
It took me longer than it should have to parse Parus major, given that I’m a birder, but otherwise straightforward and fun. Might have helped that I’ve been to Dominica too.
paddymelon@15 According to QI the other night LOO is not actually derived from Gardez-l’eau or from lieu but from Waterloo a brand of WC. Nice puzzle. I liked PUT ONES FOOT IN IT among others.
This was fun for the most part…but…
Never heard of booty for one’s bum. Is that local to somewhere?
WITHIN THE BOUNDS OF REASON is an interesting clue construction but the sentence is bonkers to my mind.
Loved the India com – mended gag.
Excellent blog
puzzle OK
Excellent puzzle
Blog OK
My habitual initial sense of panic when coming to a Paul puzzle. The multi word answers required, the grid in this case, the wordy, complicated looking clues. However…
This yielded quite rapidly once I had got going with the TWO-WHEELER. Thought DOMINICA was simply wonderful once I had twigged what was going on there. Loved THOUSAND as well. Couldn’t quite parse GREAT TIT, but this was great fun while it lasted….
I spent ages trying to make DOMINICA an insertion clue: something IN DIA – which coincidentally gave me the right first and last letters. Took a long time to realise which word I really needed to lift and separate.
Paul rarely fails to entertain and never loses his freshness. We are so lucky to have him; how does he keep on doing it?
Many thanks, both and all
At last a Paul puzzle almost free of split entry solutions! I enjoyed this a lot. Ingenious constructions and some good surfaces (though several tend to Araucarian surrealism). A well chosen grid allowed Paul to fit in some of his beloved catchphrase solutions without having to dot them about randomly. I particularly liked the clues for DTP and POFII. Other favourites were NABOKOV and DOMINICA.
Biggest smile for me was for the passerine, clued without the ribaldry that would have been too obviously Pauline.
Petert @19: The Waterloo derivation for LOO seems the most plausible, given the timing of its first recorded appearance, but it remains officially ‘etym. dub.’
Many thanks to S&B
Some very clever, fiddly and frustrating parsing here: GREAT TIT, PIED A TERRE, NABOKOV, BUBBLE WRAP (liked the definition). Along with that, some good fun: IT TAKES ALL SORTS, WITHIN THE BOUNDS OF R(EA SO)N, DOWN THE PLUGHOLE. But my favourite I think was the neat little UNSHOD.
I enjoyed this, and finished a cryptic for the first time since Monday. The long down clues helped me get a foothold early on. Loved the clueing of IT TAKES ALL SORTS, PIED À TERRE, BUBBLE WRAP, TWO-WHEELED and THOUSAND.
I thought the splitting of the anagrind and part of the anagram in com-mended was very sneaky. I got DOMINICA from the crossers but had to check this blog to see the parsing. LOI was HAIRPIECES, as I’d fallen for the trick of reading ‘musical compositions’ as a phrase not two separate things.
A very satisfying solve, so thanks both.
William @20 — ‘booty’ meaning bottom is US English in origin but has definitely made its way into British English among the younger generation.
Excellent, enjoyed it enormously!
PeterT@19. re WATER/LOO. Didn’t see QI. But found this on OUP Oxford Etymologist. I think the jury is still out.
https://blog.oup.com/2007/04/loo/#:~:text=Water%2Dloo%20became%20a%20tolerably,loo%20is%20related%20to%20Engl.
Great fun. Loved BUBBLEWRAP & DOWN THE PLUGHOLE. Missed the bird and the French flat.
Thanks scchua & Paul.
William@20. A bit sketchy, but you need to go to 2 minutes in to see what shaking your BOOTY really means.
American as much as I know. Haven’t heard of it elsewhere.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l3fZuW-aJsg
Another great Pauline treat. I’m not sure how I managed to dredge 2D from the depths of my mind. 1D had me thinking of a Status Quo song..
I have a soft spot for Paul. Many years ago Uncle Yap from the Singapore Times (IIRC)
treated me to an audience with John at the Grauniad headquarters (I’d helped him out with a number of cryptic answers for his column) but unfortunately a very uncommon London snowstorm prevented him from being there too.
I actually won the night’s prize of a bottle of M&S “champagne” with the answer RUSBRIDGER, but I don’t recall the actual clue…
Brain a bit dormant today, so a bit of a slog. The mending of India com was cute, but only woken up to after biffing. Now that you say, scchua, the dog show rings a bell, but not while solving. And that thou+sand trick’s been worn smooth with age, but an age is what it took me … dim. Ditto Hair … saw it in Sinny, ’71, got the vinyl, know the tunes, but nothing rang. I sound like Fred Neil [Burnt my fingers on the coffee pot, toast was cold orange juice was hot..], so I’ll stop moaning and bugger off. Ta P and s.
A lovely morning thanks to my favourite setter. Stuck for too long on TWO-WHEELER taking the bait on dogs and defining the expression of amazement as the yiddish OY, leaving me looking for toy breeds. NABOKOV showed me the error of my ways, but then I took the bait yet again on moped until the penny dropped. Couldn’t parse GREAT TIT but the rest fell in quite well. Loved DOMINICA amongst many others. The clue for EROTIC reminded me of one of the late Eric Chappell’s deathless lines from Rising Damp:
Rigsby, teasing the younger man’s lack of worldliness, “You don’t even know where the erogenous zones are”. “Yes I do , they’re near the equator.”
Thanks Paul for something intelligent and witty today to cheer up Guardian republicans.
[Actually, I think Hair in Sydney was ’69 … bit of a blur…]
Thanks for the link paddymelon @31. Chambers has it as Ety. Uncertain. I’m slowly coming to the opinion that if QI says something is true, it probably isn’t as certain as they make out.
Whatever its origin, I much prefer it to “rest room” which unfortunately is creeping in here in Aus. Rest is the last thing I do when in there.
Excellent example of Paul at his best. Witty challenging and fun. Ticks for NABOKOV, GIRAFFE, DOMINICA, 1dn, 2dn, 6dn, and 7dn.
Thx to scchua for blog and images.
Some real crackers here – TWO WHEELER, the long ones – though I was another TYPES until the eroticism showed through. Even now, though, the parsing for GREAT TIT seems a stretch. William @ 20 – Booty is not so much a geographical term as an age one, I think.
[gif @37 – Hair in Sydney was a definite ’71 for me]
Thanks, scchua and Paul.
An enjoyable and entertaining puzzle. From time time to time it’s nice to tackle crosswords with a generous helping of long answers. I try to get those as soon as I can and then build on the crossing letters. As I hoped and expected, I had some success with this strategy, and the puzzle was a pleasure to solve.
Thanks to Paul, and to scchua for the blog and illustrations.
[Ok, TT @40, I’ll take your word for it. Btw, I think we’ve done this before, re Pentangle at the Town Hall…but again, I could be wrong 🙂 ]
lenmasterman@36 I’m glad to hear there are Guardian republicans. Thought it was just me!
Great crossword! Looked pretty daunting but the long downs turned out not so difficult and gradually yielded giving all those lovely crossers. So unlike yesterday’s grid, this one was a real help.
Apart from those long ones, favourites were BUBBLE WRAP and THOUSAND.
Up the republic! (Under Charles III)
Thanks Paul and scchua
Woke really early. Looked at the crossword and thought my brain wasn’t ready. Then a couple of the long ones popped into my head and I was off and done by 7. I can only add to the praise already posted but then I’m a huge fan of Paul’s. Thanks scchua too.
(I’m not particularly bothered about the monarchy, although I’m happy to celebrate Her Maj’s 70 years of service to this country. She shines like a beacon compared to the incompetent, self-serving idiots that comprise our government.)
Much to like in this one; echoing the enjoyment of many of the clues as expressed by others. Many thanks to Paul for a terrific puzzle. Thank you to scchua for the blog.
TimC @38. At least you don’t have to look for the non-existent bath in the “bathroom”
William @20
Try this, from Bloom County.
Tough puzzle. I solved only 3 clues on first pass.
Liked PIED A TERRE.
Did not parse 8ac, 24ac, 1d, 2d/11ac.
Thanks, both.
[gif@42 – Hair ran ’69-’71, so we could both be right. Pentangle was ’72, I think – when I actually lived in Sydney.]
Took a few re-visits to get there, but I did. This is par for the course for a Paul crossword for me, which is why I love his crosswords so much. I managed to convince myself there was a dish called Chicken Pierre (it comes up when you google Pierre Dish), but Pie Date with Err In makes much more sense.
May I suggest to FionaAnne @3 that if you can spare the time (and I know not everyone can or wants to) that going back a few times to a clue you can’t parse, and then getting it eventually is very rewarding.
Peak Paul. Daunting at first, even with all the long down clues, but then I tuned in to Paul’s wavelength; a succession of pleasing penny-drop moments followed, with DOMINICA the last, and in fact my favourite, just pipping PIED-A-TERRE at the post.
Once I surveyed the completed puzzle, I found I didn’t have a single uncertainty to check on here, despite the struggles I had gone through to get there.
Lovely stuff from one of my favourite setters, and thanks to scchua for the customary Fifteensquared excellence.
Moth @ 51
Good advice – I think I just wasn’t on the right wavelength this morning and certainly when I read the blog there were some I might have got if I had been a bit more patient and done as you suggested.
A good puzzle for a Bank holiday – Paul can be quite impenetrable at his worst, so I was pleased to finish, and also pleased that it wasn’t over in 20 minutes!
An excellent blog as well, thanks to scchua. My only query is why did you have doubts (…”- I think”…) about 6d? Am I missing something (humour?) or is it because in its longer form, “It takes all sorts to make a world”, it was very common in my childhood?
Thanks for the blog, AlanC straight in at number 1 yet again, I never make the top 40 .
Another fine puzzle and not much actual jumping around for all the longer entries.
BUBBLE WRAP , PIED-A-TERRE and GIRAFFE put together very neatly, many more I could mention.
As always a Paul delight. Some very clever clues . It’ll be interesting to hear
others views on tonight’s zoom!
[“Bare paws” seems to be referring to an unshod quadruped. Makes me remember my dog Banjo. My brother, who lived in Alaska then, brought him some “booties” (in the footwear sense), which people in Alaska put on their dogs’ bare paws so they don’t get painful clumps of snow between their toes. We put them on Banjo’s paws, and he obviously thought he was standing in something mucky, because he kept lifting one paw after another to get out of it. My brother and I had to lean against the wall laughing so hard. He never did learn to heel, though.]
[1d makes me think of the music hall song, “Your baby ‘as gone down the plug ‘ole. Anybody else?]
Thanks to Paul and scchua.
Thanks scchua & Paul. Smashing crossword, lots of fun, though I completely failed to spot the trick in DOMINICA – that kind of thing is a blind spot for me. That aside, I can only echo William F P @25
navidier @34 – I don’t know about Status Quo, but this the song it brings to mind for me:
https://youtu.be/0kCw7W3DmdU
– still makes me laugh, though quite horrific when you think about it (if it happened today, social services would be paying a visit!)
(I see Valentine @57 had the same thought)
Very enjoyable
Thanks Paul
And thank you also scchua. A few clues I got but wasn’t certain why. Now I know.
Paul in top form with so many great clues — UNSHOD, BUBBLE WRAP, THOUSAND, PLEDGE, PIED-A-TERRE, LOOS, and WITHIN THE BOUNDS OF REASON (despite its klunky surface) were all favourites. I couldn’t parse DOMINICA or GREAT TIT — thanks scchua for the blog.
paddymelon @33: Clever find! Many thanks.
[ All this jubilee nonsense and now the cricket is on radio 4. There is no room dark enough to lie down in , ]
Roz @62
[ There is always BBC sounds – I like “more or less” and listen to “Ukraine Cast” when I can bear to. And a few others.]
[Roz@62, although I am enjoying TMS right now, I sympathise, but would you rather have joined the happy throng in the scrum at your local airport?]
Very late showing up here tonight but couldn’t resist a second dose of Paul this week.
Lots of helpful long answers of which DOWN THE PLUGHOLE was my pick.
Interestingly, I see that Paul’s alter ego, Mudd, had GIRAFFE in the FT this week, too, with much the same device.
Too many favourites to list at this late hour.
Thanks to Paul and Scchua.
Paul in fine form. Favourites were DOMINICA, GREAT TIT, DOWN THE PLUGHOLE (marvellous anagram!), WITHIN THE BOUNDS OF REASON (but only, as bagel @2 points out, because “as so” is within the bounds), PUT ONE’S FOOT IN IT (another marvellous anagram), but there really isn’t a duff clue in here anywhere.
Thanks to Paul and scchua.
[ Thank you Fiona Anne and a very good point Gazzh, unfortunately our radio is Long Wave only. At least I will get the Shipping Forecast. }
Had to reveal 8a and 4d, apart from that a nice grapple with Paul. I was unaware that. COMMENDED = COM, but I still don’t think I would have twigged it.
A few inspired guesses, and a few parsings to check.
Thanks both.
Roz @67 – I owe you an apology. I though your allusion to me being a donkey the other day was a reference to my ability to do cryptic crosswords. Today, the penny dropped that it was simply a reference to my name. Doh!
I apologise.
HYD @69 no problem , I was a bit confused because I thought your name had found fame in the puzzle.
8AC is a Playtex , separate commended to form INDIA COM MENDED , an anagram of INDIACOM.
Roz @70 ah thanks, COM-ENDED, makes sense now, thanks
Valentine@57 This song makes an unlikely appearance in the Disraeli Gears album by Cream as “Mother’s Lament”.
I wonder if Paul thought about cluing DOMINICA by reference to india.com?
Great crossword. Only failed on erotic – always feel stupid when miss a first letter clur :(.
My wife sent me on a Paul course at the Guardian and always says waste of money if I get nowhere!
At least I had no problem with explaining Dominica
Very little evidence of jubilee celebrations here in the people’s republic of merseyside.
Giles @74: I may not be reading clearly – I’ve had a glass or two – but wanted to commiserate with you on your erotic failure but I am pleased you had no problem explaining Dominica to your wife.
Did I get that right?
Re me@34: Just for the curious: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZUOAtDU5yFY
I was pit-crew at the Manx GP in the early noughties, and thought my colleagues’ obsession with SQ was a bit OTT, but then I’m a Moody Blues kind o’ guy.
I was going to write “it takes all kinds” at 6d, as the song of that name by Aimee Mann is a favourite of mine, but then I remembered the ‘sweet jar’ in the clue, so SORTS it had to be.
After yesterday’s horror-fest from Vlad, it was great to be on the setter’s wavelength once again. Best moment was realising what he had done to get the fodder for DOMINICA – brilliant! Araucaria would have loved it.
Thanks to Paul and scchua.
Mark @75. I haven’t read Private Eye for a decade or three. So, “explaining Dominica” is the new way of saying Ugandan discussions? (Apologies to Giles @74 – hope you don’t mind.)
Heeler for ‘obedient dog’ is a bit tenuous, isn’t it? Otherwise the crossword is genius.
I failed to finish it because I didn’t get Nabokov which I now see is a brilliant clue!
Simon @79. Yes, maybe a bit tenuous in the sense that it’s not in any dictionaries. But it’s a device that Paul has used many times before, and I got it straight away (which doesn’t happen very often 🙂 ). Two steps: ‘obedient dog’=>one who obeys the command “heel!”=>HEELER. (Seeing one of my neighbours being dragged along the street every day by his dis-obedient dog might have made it easier for me.)
Lots of fun; waited until the afternoon here to do it, so y’all have already moved on. I had never heard of a candy called all-sorts, so IT TAKES ALL SORTS was a BIFD for me. I agree with the sentiment that for once it’s nice to see Paul not having multiple sets of linked entries. Cheers to the Queen on her Jubilee; of course I’m neutral on the subject.
Surprised to see that BOOTY=hindquarters is unknown to some. Sure it’s American, but it’s not especially new (Webster says 1926), and we’ve been bombarding you folks with it for a long time now–the word has appeared in songs and such ever since it first started to be deemed appropriate to sing about body parts, so the late 60s-ish? And the relentlessness of the American cultural-export machine (aren’t we awful that way?) should have made it hard to duck.
Now I have this stuck in my head. Dangit.
Simon@79 sh @80 For what it’s worth a HEELER is a breed of cattle dog. I’ve no idea how obedient they are. See this.
sheffield hatter@80 Heeler is in C2014 as “a dog that herds livestock by following and barking at their heels (Aust.)”. I know it’s not defined explicitly as obedient but it’s a strong implication given all those UK and NZ sheepdog shows I’ve seen.
Crossbar @82 My thoughts as well including the red version as in the film Red Dog.
very enjoyable. Made surprisingly quick progress until the last four clues had me scratching my head and staring like a Laurel-Paddington hybrid. Got there in the end, but needed scchua for several parsings. Favourites were HOT TUB, PIED A TERRE, and NABOKOV (my LOI). Thanks Paul and scchua
Crossbar & Tim C. Nice GK, but I’m pretty sure Paul didn’t have that type of dog in mind. Surely he’d have clued it differently if he had.
Well I finished it…but BOOTY! and com-mended weren’t to my liking.
Thanks both
…and butt and booty both slang from where? USA mostly I guess. And isn’t HOT-TUB something in the garden? You could bathe in one but does that make it a bath?
Oh yes and HEELER?
That’s it I’m done