A tricky solve in parts, with some parsing only worked through when writing up the blog. Favourites 14ac, 19ac, 28ac and 29ac. Thanks to Brendan
There is a theme that I suspected while solving, but am not very familiar with – after some research [wiki] I saw just how much Brendan has managed to fit in, and I may well still be missing more.
Today is the birthday of writer Julian Barnes (“Julian” in surface of 21ac, “barns” in surface of 26ac). His works include ELIZABETH FINCH, METROLAND, The SENSE of an ENDING (which won a Booker Prize, hinted at in the the surface of 1dn), ARTHUR & GEORGE, PULSE, THE MAN IN THE RED COAT, The Pedant (surface of 3dn) in the Kitchen, and Keeping an Eye Open (OPEN EYED) – edit: and Porcupine (wordplay in 13ac – thanks to AlanC). He has written more than one CRIME STORY under the pseudonym Dan Kavanagh, and he has worked for the OED (wordplay of 14ac).
| ACROSS | ||
| 9 | ELIZABETH |
Hungarian saint containing the blaze I mishandled (9)
|
| definition refers to Elizabeth of Hungary [wiki]
anagram/”mishandled” of (the blaze I)* |
||
| 10 | OTAGO |
Love label linked with old wine-producing region (5)
|
| definition: a region of New Zealand know for its wineries
O=”Love” (zero in tennis) + TAG=”label” + O (old) |
||
| 11 | FINCH |
Bird presented in last part of French chapter (5)
|
| FIN=’end’ or ‘ending’ in French=”last part [of / in] French” + CH (chapter) | ||
| 12 | RECONVICT |
With repetition of first part, contrive changes to sentence again (9)
|
| anagram/”changes” of ( c contrive)*, with a repetition of the first letter C-[ontrive] in the anagram fodder | ||
| 13 | PORCINE |
Large rodent, hard to handle, not keeping up like pig (7)
|
| PORC-up-INE=”Large rodent, hard to handle”, minus the “up” | ||
| 14 | LOCATED |
Found pound and ounce, say, in abbreviated dictionary (7)
|
| L (Latin ‘libra’, “pound”), plus CAT=”ounce, say” inside OED (abbreviated form of Oxford English Dictionary)
an “ounce” is a snow leopard, a type of CAT |
||
| 17 | LUCID |
Endless fortune I had put together, that’s clear (5)
|
| LUC-k=”Endless fortune” + I’D=”I had” contracted/”put together” | ||
| 19 | RED |
Like the Chairman’s little work (or books in general, we hear) (3)
|
| reference to Chairman Mao’s ‘Little Red Book’ [wiki]
sounds like/”we hear”: ‘read’=”Like… books in general” |
||
| 20 | ICE IN |
Don’t allow to leave with odd characters out of discretion (3,2)
|
| odd letters removed / taken out of d-I-s-C-r-E-t-I-o-N | ||
| 21 | EMPEROR |
Agent in European capital backed Julian, say (7)
|
| Julian was a Roman emperor [wiki]
REP (representative, “Agent”), in ROME=”European capital”; all reversed/”backed” |
||
| 22 | ELEVATE |
Increase organised valet parking in large parts of East End (7)
|
| anagram/”organised” of (valet)*, inside the capital letters/”large parts” of E-ast E-nd | ||
| 24 | METROLAND |
Encountered Oliver’s friend in London suburban area (9)
|
| a term for suburban areas to the north-west of London [wiki]
MET=”Encountered” + ROLAND=”Oliver’s friend” – reference to the title character and his friend in The Song of Roland [wiki] |
||
| 26 | TITHE |
It’s put in the kind of barns churches once found helpful (5)
|
| reference to ‘tithe barns’ [wiki] where churches would store produce that had been taken as a tithe
IT is put in THE=”It’s put in the” |
||
| 28 | SENSE |
Become aware of things smelt, heard but not seen (5)
|
| homophone but not homograph (not spelled the same), so “heard but not seen”, of ‘scents’=’things smelt’ | ||
| 29 | INNER TUBE |
Part of bicycle that doesn’t make it to 24 across? (5,4)
|
| INNER TUBE could describe the Tube / London Underground in the central parts of London, not reaching METROLAND | ||
| DOWN | ||
| 1 | REEF |
Booker? With prize ultimately secured, trim one’s sails (4)
|
| REF=a referee e.g. in football, who can ‘book’ players for fouls=”Booker”, around priz-E | ||
| 2 | PINNER |
Power of the mind seen in part of 24 across (6)
|
| definition: Pinner is a London suburb [wiki], part of the METROLAND area
P (Power) + INNER=”of the mind” (e.g. ‘inner strength’) |
||
| 3 | PATHFINDER |
If pedant is confused about hard recipe initially, he seeks way to proceed (10)
|
| anagram/”confused” of (If pedant)* around H (hard), then plus R (recipe initially) | ||
| 4 | GEORGE |
One of six in charge of our land, one a so-called farmer (6)
|
| definition: there have been six British kings known as George, and George III was known as ‘farmer George’ | ||
| 5 | SHACKLED |
Restrained, cut line in second edition (8)
|
| HACK=”cut” + L (line), both in S (second) + ED (edition) | ||
| 6 |
See 7
|
|
| 7, 6 | MAN IN THE MOON |
Imaginary character, one of the first two Wells wrote about (3,2,3,4)
|
| H. G. Wells wrote The First Men in the Moon [wiki], about the “first two” men in the moon | ||
| 8 | COAT |
Part of painter’s work starts off collection of art treasures (4)
|
| definition as in a coat/layer of paint
starting letters of C-ollection O-f A-rt T-reasures |
||
| 13 | PULSE |
Beat seed (5)
|
| double definition | ||
| 15 | CRIME STORY |
Novel form in old verse penned by Conservatives (5,5)
|
| RIMES=”old verse” inside C + TORY=two ways to shorten Conservative=”Conservatives” | ||
| 16 | DONNE |
Letters from London nearly delivered for poet (5)
|
| definition: poet John Donne [wiki]
hidden in Lon-DON NE-arly |
||
| 18 | CAPSTONE |
Coping partly with limited capital, just under fifteen pounds (8)
|
| definition: “Coping” can be a noun meaning the bricks/stones used to make up the top part of a wall, and part of this might be a CAPSTONE
CAP-ital shortened/limited, plus STONE=unit of mass equal to 14 pounds=”just under fifteen pounds” |
||
| 19 | RARA AVIS |
Deity repeatedly upset another — that’s very unusual (4,4)
|
| definition: a term for a rare species of bird
RA + RA=Deity of ancient Egypt, repeated; plus SIVA=Hindu deity reversed/”upset” |
||
| 22 | ENDING |
Denouement that’s heart-rending? Not half (6)
|
| half of [heart-r]-ENDING removed | ||
| 23 | ARTHUR |
King or president (6)
|
| double definition: King Arthur of legend, or US president Chester A. Arthur | ||
| 24 | MUSE |
Source of inspiration and great power in the writer (4)
|
| US (United States)=”great power” on the global stage, inside ME=Brendan, “writer” of this crossword | ||
| 25, 27 | OPEN-EYED |
Old author I’d pronounced woke? (4-4)
|
| O (Old) + PEN=”author” (as a verb) + EYED as a homophone of “I’d” | ||
| 27 |
See 25
|
|
I was able to twig the theme early getting ELIZABETH FINCH and METROLAND early on. I was a big fan of Julian Barnes in the 80s but I’m not so familiar with his later works. I found the works listed by manehi and would also include PORC(UP)INE. Favourites were SHACKLED and RECONVICT. Another marvellous challenge from the setter.
Ta Brendan & manehi.
Oh and thanks for explaining ROLAND.
This was quite tough especially the bottom half. I didn’t see the theme but not being familiar with the author, it wouldn’t have helped. Having been born in NW London and growing up there I quickly got the suburbia clues. Thanks to Brendan and manehi
We got through this, but some of it was a bit obscure, especially if you don’t know the outer parts of London, the details of Roland who blew his horn, little known US Presidents, the Siva spelling of Shiva… Oh well, it is mind expanding. No idea of the theme (not being a Julian Barnes fan). Thanks, Brendan and manehi.
Fine puzzle! Missed the theme totally although I’m a fan of JB. Struggled over our farmer-ruler chap for far too long.
Thanks Brendan and manehi
Defeated by the AVIS part of RARA AVIS! So what’s that, a 98.5% success? But then I didn’t spot the theme, having read History of the World… and Flaubert’s Parrot, neither of which were any use to me today. The puzzle was the delight I expect from Brendan and plenty of smiles accompanied its solve. Favourites included: RECONVICT, PORCINE, ELEVATE, TITHE, INNER TUBE, PATHFINDER, CAPSTONE and OPEN EYED.
Thanks Brendan and manehi
Thanks manehi for the theme – I was disappointed not to see it, for the first time with a Brendan (I did spot Elizabeth Finch, and googled that in case it was significant, and it revealed Julian Barnes, but still didn’t give me a theme).
Otherwise I found this fairly straightforward, no obscurities for this state educated, Oxbridge, left wing Guardian reader (with sandals): thanks Brendan
Arthur Scargill once President of the NUM was called King Arthur, mainly by the press
Theme straight over my head, nho Metroland or Pinner but enjoyed googling them after gridfill … interesting history. Ditto St Elizabeth of Thuringia … know bugger all about saints, but an interesting look-up. And dnk that porcupines were rodents. Otoh, did know tithe barn, from the superb one at Bradford-on-Avon. So a mixed ginfian effort, but Brendan ever enjoyable, and ta manehi.
I’ve read most of his books yet somehow, even after getting METROLAND and thinking “oh, yes, that’s a JB novel”, failed to spot the numerous other themed clues. Thanks to Manehi for pointing them out!
Didn’t spot the theme, I should hsve googled METROLAND, not thought Betjeman and moved on, rather than look harder for a theme, as I know Brendan always has one. And another who took ages to spot GEORGE, with a thudding PDM as we’ve seen a similar clue before.
Thank you to manehi and Brendan.
Can anyone see why Brendan didn’t simply write “fourteen pounds” in 18D, rather than “just under fifteen pounds”? The actual wording is longer and not particularly accurate (14 pounds 15 oz is “just” under 15 pounds). Normally with something like this one can see the setter seeking a compromise between a smooth surface and a strictly accurate definition, and managing it very elegantly, so this caught my eye. Does fifteen pounds have some special relevance when running a business? Thanks as ever to Brendan and manehi.
Well I’ve read Sense Of An Ending and seen the film but was totally ignorant of the theme until I came here. I found this went in reasonably quickly for me despite that.
Favourite was PORCINE for the neat rodent not keeping up.
Thanks Brendan and manehi
Ditto Matt @10. FOI was METROLAND (accidentally – I thought I was reading 24d!). It made me laugh and suggested a JB theme, which I promptly forgot about, despite having read several of the others.
PORCINE was another major grin, and there were several other favourites.
I didn’t know President Arthur, but quite a lot of the others might have been equally as obscure for US solvers.
ICE IN is a bit of a stretch for “don’t allow to leave”? I know it could mean that ( and we are at the moment), but it’s hardly common usage, is it?
A few things I didn’t like: “containing” seems odd in 9a; “just under fifteen pounds” is unnecessarily overcomplicating the clue without making it any harder – “fourteen pounds” would be more elegant; ENDING is a weak clue.
Fairly easy for Brendan and beautifully constructed as ever. I only knew Pinner because I worked in Wembley for a while and the theme was wasted on me even though I’ve read a couple of the novels.
GinF @ 9: I have a dictionary of saints. They’re all barmy, bizarre, bonkers and barking!
Thanks M&B.
[We crossed, Sagittarius @12]
A theme about which I know nothing, so I didn’t see it, though after getting ELIZABETH, GEORGE and ARTHUR I wondered about a different possibility. METROLAND, INNER TUBE and particularly PINNER seem rather unkind to non-Londoners, but then all GK (of which this puzzle has quite a bit) is unkind to those who don’t know it.
Missed the homophone of SENSE and the PORC(up)INE. Liked CAPSTONE and RARA AVIS.
Pleased especially to have got RARA AVIS, having been totally stumped by it on a recent Indy puzzle (Filbert??).
The theme, alas, went right over my head.
Thanks Brendan and manehi..
And a happy birthday to Julian Barnes.
Brendan probably didn’t write “fourteen pounds” because to those raised pre-decimal (which a lot of us were), it says “STONE” in enormous flashing neon lights. Too obvious.
Thank you very much manehi. I’ve read a couple of his, and liked his writing very much, but am too lazy to read the others. How weak is that? I will now visit Norwich library today and get another. So, Mr Greer, hats off as ever: job done.
Pinner seemed a bit unfair to non-English solvers. There is always some vagueness about what is general knowledge for English speakers, but “in charge of our land” seemed questionable. I suppose “our” could mean “The Guardian”. Most English speakers live in countries that have been ruled by at least one King George but many would prefer not to be reminded of it.
I stood no chance of spotting the theme even if I had looked for one.
Is Flaubert’s Parrot a RARA AVIS?
Another who had no idea of the theme, although I knew there would be one. Not familiar with Julian Barnes’s works though I did know Betjeman’s. Reassuringly, no knowledge of the theme was needed to complete the puzzle, so well done Brendan.
Liked PORCINE, TITHE & CRIME STORY. Typical solid stuff from Brendan – if this was a cake it would be madeira
Cheers B&M
Distracted by looking for a bird theme – RARA AVIS, FINCH, TIT(HE) EMU(SE), but clearly that wasn’t The Only Story CAPSTONE was my favourite.
Loved it, CAPSTONE my favourite too!
I thoroughly enjoyed the puzzle – but totally missed the theme, alas.
Many thanks, as ever, to Brendan and RR.
A nice solve this morning.
Knew all about PINNER as Elton John was born and raised there.
Like others, my fave was PORCupINE.
But I can never come to terms with SCENTS and SENSE being homophones.
These days, the ELIZABETH line is in the INNER TUBE.
Thank you Brendan and manehi.
Despite having, it seems, a very similar educational background to 7, I have not read anything by Julian Barnes so didn’t see a theme, though assumed there was one. I have never heard of an ounce as a snow leopard. The Roland in 24a was obscure to me: I thought of Twist, Hardy, Jamie etc but the Song of Roland never occurred to me. But once I got the M at the start of the word I was able to guess it being familiar with Betjeman’s work. I lived in Harrow so Pinner was not obscure to me, but recognize it would be to many. I also disliked “in charge of our land” for GEORGE. I don’t think RARA AVIS is a familiar enough Latinism. I’m becoming a bit unhappy about the number of foreign language words and phrases creeping into the puzzles recently. I liked PORCINE (despite not knowing that a porcupine is a rodent) CAPSTONE, EMPEROR & CRIME STORY.
For the second half of RARA AVIS I needed external assistance, but wouldn’t have got it without. ICE IN to mean ‘don’t allow to leave’ is a bit stretchy. Liked CAPSTONE for the misdirection and INNER TUBE for the clever definition. Theme whistled over my head as per.
Thanks both!
This one was tougher than it looked, and some clues remained evasive. Hadn’t heard of RARA AVIS and spent too long looking for something ‘rare’. Barely managed to summon Roland and Oliver from some distant memory, and hadn’t known of a farmer George. INNER TUBE was our pick of the bunch – thanks Brendan.
revbob @29: ‘ounce’ is a setter’s favourite so definitely one to add to the memory banks for future puzzles. And a stunning creature, to boot.
I didn’t spot the theme, and I should have done. I really should have done. Oh the shame…
(Barnes is one of those writers – Hilary Mantel and Alan Hollingsworth also spring to mind – with a rare gift of being able to write sentences that are so beautifully balanced I go back and re-read them several times over, just to enjoy the sound of them rolling about in my mind.)
Many thanks to Brendan for a classy homage to a classy author, to manehi for the blog – and many happy returns to Julian Barnes!
Hollinghurst! I really must learn to type accurately…
Failed 2d, 4d, 25/27. I was not on Brendan’s wavelength today and needed google for the GK so it was not an enjoyable experience for me.
Of the ones I solved I did not parse:
11ac
7/6
24ac ROLAND = Oliver’s friend
26ac IT in THE but I did not know why barns is in the clue
28ac – why ‘but not seen’? Still don’t get it
1d why does BOOKER = ref?
18d
New for me St Elizabeth; President Chester A. Arthur (23d); RARA AVIS; ICE IN; METROLAND, CAPSTONE.
Thanks, both.
Missed the theme.
Vince Pinner was a character (played by Paul Nicholas) in the 1980s BBC sitcom “Just Good Friends”. If Brendan had used that reference to clue 2d, the howls of ‘Unfair’ from Down Under would have been heard around the world.
My favourite was rara avis today, but my educational path (US high school to Oxbridge) was paved with Latin so perhaps I am biased. Not heard of many of Julian Barnes’ works but very much enjoyed the puzzle nonetheless.
Thanks to Brendan and manehi!
Had no idea about the theme as usual, and the Roland and Oliver epic was one of my favourite stories as a child, so that helped with 24ac. Things slipped in fairly swiftly and satisfyingly, without me being too fussed about how some of them worked – RECONVICT, PORCINE and MAN IN THE MOON, for instance. GEORGE and MUSE last two in. Liked the disguised Coping used in CAPSTONE. Whenever I see the word METROLAND, I think of John Betjeman rather than Julian Barnes…
Found this great fun without seeing the theme, and think that being a Londoner, a fan of Julian Barnes, and even knowing a bit about George the Third from my Weymouth connections all gave me a bit of help.
Gladys@19, you’re spot on about 14 pounds shouting STONE to those of a certain age. Can still chant the lists I learned at primary school.
I havent read any of his stuff which did not prevent me from thoroughly enjoying the puzzle.
I loved INNER TUBE and MET ROLAND.Great gridfill.
I really cant fault this puzzle. Love Brendan puzzles
Thanks everyone.
Brendan’s impressive grid-filling a nice tribute to JB.
After I had finished, I Googled GEORGE, ARTHUR and ELIZABETH and came up of course with GEORGE VI – not even a close miss. I wrestled with some of the ‘G’K – I would have thought not many know of ELIZABETH of Hungary, although I suspect the Pope does. Luckily, I knew of PINNER as part of METROLAND.
Like many others, I loved PORCINE and enjoyed the simple REEF for the Booker Prize, which JB has won.
Thanks Brendan and manehi.
Thanks both.
A miserable DNF, defeated by GEORGE, CAPSTONE and the parsing of PORCINE, all very annoying. I propose (with downcast eyes) that if we separate the ‘just under fifteen’ from the ‘pounds’ we get fourteen pounds and the only ‘ounce’ we need worry about is the ubiquitous (in Crosswordland) snow leopard.
How anyone spotted the theme is beyond me, as was spotting the theme – I’ve been 7/10.5-way through ‘History of the World…..’ for some years now. (I’m reminded of Groucho Marx telling an author “Once I put your book down I couldn’t pick it up”.) (Exits backwards, genuflecting. (Not easy.))
I parsed 17A as “endless LUC(re)”, which I would argue also works.
Enjoyable as ever from Brendan. No theme for me, despite having read quite a few JB novels. Pity that the London district of Barnes is in the SW, and therefore outside METROLAND.
No obscurities for me, like Dave E @7 (whose self description applies equally well to me, bar the sandals 🙂 ).
RARA AVIS is an expression from the Roman poet Juvenal: Rara avis in terris nigroque simillima cygno (a bird as rare upon the earth as a black swan. Juvenal had obviously never visited Australia 🙂 )
Thanks to S&B
I got all of this except RARA AVIS, which is completely outwith my ken. NHO Julian Barnes, but I never look for a theme anyway – they strike me rather as a setter’s mental exercise rather than an entertainment or aid for the solver – so I don’t feel disadvantaged by that, but I suppose some knowledge of Barnes might have given me a chance of parsing METROLAND. I certainly couldn’t find a friend of Oliver Twist or Oliver Hardy who would fit, though I spent quite some time trying. Thanks to setter and blogger, as ever.
You can always rely on Brendan for accuracy, breadth of reference and care over the clues’ surfaces. A rare slip at 12ac: there’s a marked difference, in UK legal systems at least, between convicting someone and sentencing them (though of course neither takes place without the other).
Alphalpha@42 – that is very clever; thank you. I agree that 14 is just under 15! Showing that Brendan (of course) did find an elegant way of not being too obvious, as per gladys@19, while not giving a sloppy definition, which was my quibble with the way I thought the clue worked. As so often, one had to separate out the words with care and without preconceptions.
How does REEF mean trim one’s sails, please anyone?
A very tricky solve for me, but thoroughly enjoyed it. Fave was the six Georges. Missed the theme despite having read Julian Barnes in the past. Thanks both.
trish
On a sailing ship, if the wind is too strong to be managed, the sails are reduced in size. This is called “reefing”.
Aah. Thank you muffin. I was going down the other route of trimming one’s sails as an idiom. Hadn’t heard of reefing.
Rather than trying to think of a friend Roland of Oliver Hardy, Twist, etc., I was wondering if Roland Rat had a friend called Oliver
In case anyone was wondering, the mini CV @7 was in response to a comment on The Guardian site by AndyDoyle1
[Bear @51: that does remind me rather delightfully of the clip that is doing the rounds of the hapless quiz contestant who, when asked the question, ‘Homer referred to nectar as the drink of the Gods and to which other substance as their food?’, confidently replied ‘Donuts! I know he likes donuts. I think I’m going to go with … donuts’]
Thanks manehi esp for making sense of 28a: Michelle@35 if still unclear, it is because “things smelt” are SCENTS, this word sounds like SENSE but doesn’t look like it (homophone not homograph, as noted by loonapick). The extra clarification was what confused me too, maybe that was the point (also the surface suffers without it)!
I think Brendan was quite helpful in other places eg “initially” in 3D, and I got lucky with GK again (and have Brendan himself to thank for the Farmer, from a previous puzzle). Enjoyed this and was amused to spot the theme upon completion on the assumption that there had to be something else going on – read A&G not long back and thoroughly enjoyed it, “Eng,Eng” not so much, and can beat Alphalpha@42 in having not made it past the first chapter of HotW in a few attempts: thanks Brendan.
[Bear of little brain@51: I am clearly also of little brain as I started wondering about Roland out of Grange Hill. I knew the definition somehow so had to google to confirm the slightly higher-brow source required. PostMark@53 I think that’s a perfectly reasonable answer although modern Homer would presumably consider Duff to be the nectar of the gods.]
Thanks Brendan. I knew there must be a theme but it was beyond me. I missed PINNER and GEORGE; I got RECONVICT from the wordplay but it really doesn’t mean to “sentence again.” One’s sentence is the punishment after the conviction; they are not synonyms. Favorites included LOCATED, LUCID, RED, RARA AVIS, and OPEN-EYED. Thanks manehi for the blog.
tic @ 48 / muffin @ 49
Reefing sails is also the origin of the term ‘reef knot’.
I think that might have come up here the other day?
Thanks for the blog, AlanC hits the top yet again, I make that 2-2 for this year . Booker was quite novel for our familiar ref .
PATHFINDER could have been a Mars clue, perfect views this week while swimming.
Gervase @44: I just read your comment as I pulled in to…erm Barnes on the train. Now that is one hell of a coincidence, wouldn’t you say! Is that the gauntlet Roz @59?
[AlanC I am counting Cyclops and Azed this year. The Guardian is not fair, I only do the puzzle on my journey home ]
Rattled through this, must just have been on Brendan’s wavelength today. Was umming and ahhing a bit about ICE IN but it was fairly clued. PORCINE induced a grin. Many thanks Brendan and Manehi.
[Roz @61: journey in maybe? The morning is the only time my brain works and then I swim].
[Journey in is no good , I cannot use this Chromebook until I finally get home . It is also my way of completely switching off after work . ]
Thanks, Brendan – marvellous puzzle, and a theme dear to my heart. I agree with Wellbeck @33 – great writer.
Funny seeing RARA AVIS so recently after it appeared elsewhere (per Morello @18) – not so rare after all.
Thanks for the blog, manehi.
Sagittarius @12 – is it perhaps an American stone?
A DNF for me today disappointingly as RARA AVIS was totally new to me and couldn’t think of Siva from the wordplay. Otherwise an enjoyable if tough solve with a few lightbulb moments eg GEORGE and PORCINE. I knew there had to be a theme but again sadly it was lost on me knowing little of the author. Ah well, we try again tomorrow!
[Roz: Missed you yesterday on the blog for Guy’s gem in the FT. One of the clues had a definition of “subatomic particle” which certainly would have caught your attention.]
RARA AVIS defeated me as did the theme. In fact, I have never even heard of Julian Barnes. I need themes like characters from the Magic Roundabout.
Brendan almost qualifies for ‘I should co-co’ status when it comes to doing his puzzles, but this was much more approachable than usual.
A few that I could not parse, many thanks to Manehi for bringing light to where once was dark.
Thanks to B. too.
Thanks to both! Was tough but v rewarding. Wish Brendan appeared more regularly
A RARA AVIS is not so much literally as a rare kind of bird as figuratively anything that is rare or uncommon or hard to find.
Chester Arthur is one of those presidents of whom I (and I suspect most of my compatriots) can say “Oh, right, he was a president” …
Thanks to Brendan and manehi.
Hopelessly beaten with this one. Gave up 2/3rds of the way through. Must try harder as my teachers used to say.
Thanks both
No theme for me. Think I read a METROLAND but by Waugh or is Margot Metroland a character…?
ICE IN as others bit strange to me. RARA AVIS was new, literally “rare bird” which is obvious now.
Thanks both
Valentine@70: I admit to resorting to a list for Chester ARTHUR.
[Valentine @70: With the exception of Teddy Roosevelt, US presidents who came into office as the result of assassination have had difficulty being memorable.]
Thanks Tony@67, I missed this one. I do not do the FT every day, Wednesday was snowy so I had to go out to play.
HYD@68 , you of all people should have known RARA AVIS.
Defeated by GEORGE and COAT, which is unforgiveable for a regular Everyman solver. I thought of RARA early, then vacillated to ‘rare’, but I use RARA AVIS in speech a fair bit so I was able to get there in the end.
Never heard of Julian Barnes so no help there!
[Tony Santucci @74: Lyndon Baines Johnson]
Like Mark @6 I had 98.5% of this correct, and I think AVIS was lurking in the memory banks but I ran out of patience. Otherwise plain sailing today and no need to REEF the topsails. I knew Elizabeth of Hungary from one of CS Forester’s stories – it’s in Admiral Hornblower, if anyone’s interested. Never read any Julian Barnes, though.
Was there a theme? 🙂
Thanks to Brendan and manehi
tim tlt @72 – in Decline & Fall or possibly Vile Bodies, I forget which, Margot Beste-Chetwynde marries Viscount Metroland to become Lady Metroland. She also appears in A Handful of Dust.
A typical Brendan, where it’s lots of fun even if you don’t know the theme, and more fun if you do. I was in the former group this time, not having read any of Julian Barnes’ novels. I didn’t see any clues that required knowledge of the theme in order to solve them. Brilliant clueing as we have come to expect from Brendan.
I am a bit surprised at the number of complaints about 20a ICE IN. Anyone who has read anything about Arctic or Antarctic exploration (pre-global warming) would know exactly what was meant.
Thanks Brendan and manehi for the fun and some necessary parsing help.
Apparently, Elizabeth George writes crime stories (the Inspector Lynley ones). Not sure if this is mentioned above. Apologies if so. Thanks blogger and maestro.
Gazzh@54 – I suspect Michelle (like me) had got that from the blog, but was complaining that scents does not in fact sound anything like sense 😉