Guardian Cryptic 29,558 by Picaroon

by

The puzle may be found at https://www.theguardian.com/crosswords/cryptic/29558.

An enjoyable outing, and not as taxing as Picaroon can sometimes be, in part because I found the keystone clue, 25D CLUB, yielding readily. That answer appeared in many clues in cleverly varied guises.

ACROSS
9 HORSE RACE
Test of speed or another drug right before whizz (5,4)
A charade of HORSE (‘another drug’, heroin) plus R (‘right’) plus (‘before’) ACE (‘whizz’).
10 JUROR
One of twelve leaders in junta uselessly rowing over roles (5)
First letters of (‘leaders in’) ‘Junta Uselssly Rowing Over Roles’.
11 RAVER
One in the 25 in Republican state (5)
A charade of R (‘Republican’) plus AVER (‘state’, verb).
12 TRIOXIDES
Attempts to pen bovine I had in compounds (9)
An envelope (‘to pen’) of OX (‘bovine’) plus I’D (‘I had’) in TRIES (‘attempts’).
13 HIRE CAR
Traveller lets this setter run in 9 the wrong way (4,3)
An envelope (‘in’) of I (‘setter’) plus R (‘run’) in H (HORSE from ‘9’) plus ECAR, a reversal (‘the wrong way’) of RACE (the remainder of ‘9’).
14 SATIRIC
Mocking woman who’s educated about parting thus (7)
An envelope (‘parting’) of ATIR, a reversal (‘about’) of RITA (‘woman who’s educated’, a reference to the 1983 British film, Educating Rita) in SIC (‘thus’, indicating that a quote is eactly as recorded, albeit incorrect or surprising).
17 ME TOO
Join the 25 of opera company with Otello, but not Rossini hero (2,3)
A charade of MET (The Metropolitan ‘opera company’ of New York) plus OO, ‘O[tell]O’ minus (‘but not’) TELL (‘Rossini hero’ – William Tell should be familiar to Everyman solvers, but as presented here is best known for his overture).
19 IVY
According to Carol, Holly’s partner gives name of London 25 (3)
Double definition: the Christmas carol, and the CLUB (’25’).
20 GONER
One’s finished strategic game? Swot hasn’t finished (5)
A charade of GO (‘strategic game’) plus NER[d] (‘swot’) minus its last letter (‘hasn’t finished’).
21 SIGNS UP
Cat about to drink mixed gin joins the 25, perhaps (5,2)
An envelope (‘to drink’) of IGN, an anagram (‘mixed’) of ‘gin’ in SSUP, a reversal (‘about’) of PUSS (‘cat’).
22 CURATES
Clergymen you shouldn’t have over tucked into treats (7)
An envelope (‘tucked into’) of AT, a reversal (‘over’) of TA (‘you shouldn’t have’ as a thank you) in CURES (‘treats’ – medically not quite synonymous).
24 WITH CHILD
Comedian gets hot, berated drinking litres in the 25 (4,5)
A charade of WIT (‘comedian’) plus H (‘hot’) plus CHILD, an envelope (‘drinking’) of L (‘litres’) in CHID (‘berated’, past tense of chide). The CLUB (’25’) is of the pudding variety.
26 OGRES
Periodically dodges arrests about intimidating people (5)
An envelope (‘arrests’) of RE (‘about’) in OGS (‘periodically dOdGeS‘).
28 BANTU
Some languages don’t allow you to translate into French (5)
A charade of BAN (‘don’t allow’) plus TU (‘you to translate into French’). Bantu is a family of languages.
29 OVERDOSED
Ever so odd maverick made a quantitative error? (9)
An anagram (‘maverick’) of ‘ever so odd’.
DOWN
1 CHAR
Daily paper ignored by rocker, say (4)
A subtraction: CHA[i]R (‘rocker, say’) minus the I (‘paper ignored’ – see Wikipedia here or here if you are not familiar with the paper)
2 DRIVER
One who shouldn’t be drinking in 25 (6)
Double definition.
3 DETRACTORS
They’re critical of French players, including right back (10)
An envelope (‘incluing’) of TR, a reversal (‘back’) of RT (‘right’) in DE (‘of French’) plus ACTORS (‘players’).
4 BATTER
Cricketer’s 25 (6)
Double definition – CLUB (’25’) as a verb.
5 REMISSLY
Girl enters bank in a careless manner (8)
An envelope (‘enters’) of MISS (‘girl’) in RELY (‘bank’, verb).
6 AJAX
Mythical warrior’s 25 (4)
Double definition, the CLUB (’25’) being the Amsterdam soccer club.
7 GRIDIRON
Key part of a crossword 25’s framework (8)
A charade of GRID (‘key part of a crosswor’) plus IRON (’25’ – golf CLUB). GRIDIRON has various meanings, including the overhead framework from which stage lights are suspended.
8 ARMS
Maybe supplies with 25 members (4)
Double definition.
13 HUMPS
Idiot’s striking head, showing swollen areas (5)
A subtraction: [c]HUMPS (‘idiots’) minus the first letter (‘striking head’).
15 TIGER WOODS
Expert using 25s in row about good 25s (5,5)
A charade of TIGER, an envelope (‘about’) of G (‘good’) in TIER (‘row’); plus WOODS (golf CLUBs. ’25s’, also in the definition).
16 CARDS
Comedians in 25s, say (5)
Double definition.
18 TIGHTENS
Parisian in donning hose tenses up (8)
An envelope (‘donning’) of EN (‘Parisian in’) in TIGHTS (‘hose’).
19 IMPRISON
Troublemaker running round upset teacher is put in detention (8)
An envelope (’round’) of RIS, a reversal (‘upset’ in a down light – or an anagram anywhere, but here that would make for a derived anagram) of SIR (‘teacher’) in IMP (‘troublemaker’) plus ON (‘running’).
22 CUDGEL
Food for e.g. Jersey girl who’s upper-class in 25 (6)
A charade of CUD (”food for e.g. Jersey’ cow) plus GEL (‘girl who’s upper-class’). CLUB (’25’) as a verb or noun.
23 THRASH
Party in 25 (6)
Double definition.
24 WEBS
Flycatchers with wings in wreckage and rubbish (4)
A charade of WE (‘wings in WreckagE‘) plus BS (‘rubbish’).
25 CLUB
Youngster in pride embraces liberal society (4)
An envelope (’embraces’) of L (‘liberal’) in CUB (‘youngster in pride’ of lions).
27 SODA
In America, follower of 25 in ground close to Atlanta (4)
A charade of SOD (‘ground’) plus A (‘close to AltantA‘). CLUB (’25’) SODA is a primarily US and Canadian beverage otherwise known as soda water or seltzer for example.

picture of the completed grid

75 comments on “Guardian Cryptic 29,558 by Picaroon”

  1. Nice puzzle. One of those where if you get the theme early you are on the lookout for various instances. For me it worked for IRON and WOOD but failed for SUIT. Despite AJAX, no pangram.

    I agree with PeterO’s misgivings about treat=CURE. At least as I use them, treating is a medical action with the hope of curing. I know, I know, there’s probably a dictionary out there etc etc.

  2. I always solve in order, so I got several (METTO, IVY, AJAX) without the aid of CLUB.

    TIGER WOODS and OGRES the last ones in – couldn’t see WOODS for trees for ages, but so obvious after.

    Thanks PeterO and Picaroon

  3. Liked HORSE RACE (‘another drug’, ‘whiz(z)’), OVERDOSED (nice def and surface) and CUDGEL (‘girl who’s upper-class’).
    Thanks PeterO and Picaroon.
    Dave Ellison@2
    couldn’t see WOODS for trees for ages 🙂

  4. I would have thought that the traveller rents the HIRE CAR, while it is the car company that lets it. In 9a, ‘whizz’ is also a slang term for amphetamines – a nice touch. Fortunately, CLUB fell easily, and it was fun looking for the varieties of club. Thanks, Picaroon and PeterO.

  6. 13ac was too much of a ‘second derivative’ for me, so DNF the 13s. Even after the reveal, I found it a bit inelegant from a setter I generally enjoy? Maybe on anther day it wouldn’t have held me up. Thanks to Picaroon and PeterO.

  7. I’m not keen on keystone clues as I dislike the repetition; though this was easy to work out. I can’t recall Picaroon using one before (at least not to this extent) but someone may have a better memory. I might have guessed this was by Paul had I not known. Anyway, there were many fine clues. With thanks to Picaroon and PeterO.

  8. Good challenge and the theme word CLUB was helpful as I solved it very early. I like the way that the setter used the theme word in its various different meanings

    Favourite: ME TOO.

    I couldn’t parse 13ac apart from rev of RACE or 22ac even though at one point I thought of both TA and aww for ‘you shouldn’t have’.

    Thanks, both.

  9. Some high culcha, like the Rossini overture, went over my head. But I did know the i because a great i journo, Ian Dunt, is a contributor to Late Night Live on ABC radio. Fun puzzle, ta P and P.

  10. Held up by the 22’s and 23. Realised that Jersey meant a cow, but spent ages looking for types of animal feed, and didn’t think of ‘cures’ for ‘treats’ to give me CURATES. Other than that I got CLUB quickly, so my experience was similar to others who enjoyed working out the type of ’25’ the clue referred to. Laughed at ‘ME TOO’. Thanks to Andrew and Picaroon.

  11. Thank you PeterO. Agree, not too taxing.
    Like Tassie Tim@4, for me it was fun looking for the varieties of club.
    Totally misdirected by the clue for CUDGEL. I’m on the lookout for CI (Channel Island/s) when I see Jersey,
    Know both jersey cows and cud, although it’s not the usual idea of food, something that’s been regurgitated. And gel just escaped me.
    Favourite was WTH CHILD, which I was expecting. 🙂

  12. Like nuntius @7 not a fan of keystone clues but this one was straightforward enough. Quite fun working out the different applications though golf may be slightly overdone.

  13. A puzzle from Picaroon is always a pleasure for me, and this was no exception. Many thanks to Picaroon and Peter O.

  15. I was fortunate to get the theme early which helped a lot, but this was a challenge for me nevertheless. I struggled with the shorter words. With ARMS spent ages trying to think of terms for members of a club. Also, the HIRE part of HIRE CAR for the same reason as TT@4. My LOI was BANTU, because WEBS gave me more trouble than it should have (didn’t think of BS for ages…). I do think BANTU is a brilliant clue because of the misdirection. Other favourites were HORSE RACE, JUROR, WITH CHILD and CUDGEL.
    Like Dr WhatsOn@1, I did wonder if there could be a pangram.
    Thanks to Picaroon for stimulating my sluggish brain and to PeterO for the elucidation.
    pm@11, me too with expecting 😎.

  16. I too got CLUB early on, after solving IVY. It helped to a huge degree with much of the rest -though, as with Pauline in Brum @15, it was by no means an easy solve.

    Worth it though.

  18. I’m no good at remembering the characteristics of each setter but I’m sure I must have praised Picaroon’s perfect pitch previously, and the clever misdirections of their surfaces. I’d just repeat that here, and thank PeterO for the blog.

  19. One of those puzzles, where if you didn’t solve CLUB first thing, which I did, then the rest would be a bit of a mystery. I thought this was brilliant from start to finish. Another near pangram after Fed’s teaser yesterday. Nice one paddymelon @11. Favourite was TIGER WOODS.

    Ta Picaroon & PeterO.

  20. Thanks Picaroon and PeterO
    I generally don’t like puzzles that rely on solving a particular clue but, as others have said, CLUB was an easy solve. Clever how it was used in different ways. I had heard of The Ivy as a restaurant, but didn’t know it was also a club.
    I took CURE = TREAT as you might do to prepare gravadlax from salmon, for instance.
    I’m another who doesn’t think the definition for HIRE CAR quite works.

  21. I’m not at all fond of interdependent clues/solutions; too many in one puzzle, ( particularly if the “source” solutions are toughies), and it can get tedious.
    Here, the source 9ac HORSE RACE begets 13ac, HIRE CAR…..which is a weak subsidiary wordplay and solution.
    What’s the point?
    Mercifully, CLUB (25) was a shoe-in, ( capital P in Pride might have disguised it a tiny bit?), but the 15 derivative clues weren’t very inspired, as a result, for me.

    The best clue is 14(ac), SATIRIC, wherein the setter is not straining to swing his Club. I rest my case.

    An interesting experiment, though, and certainly some very good stuff in the “stand-alone” clues.

    cheers, PicarO & PeterO

  22. I’m with AlanC above, nicely constructed puzzle.

    I usually solve in order but, seeing ’25’ appearing so often, dug my spade into the SW corner and worked steadily home anticlockwise from there.

    Like some others, not usually keen on the key word type of crozzie as the répétition can become tedious, but this had enough wit to avoid this.

    Many thanks, both.

  23. Good fun. I am impressed that Dave Ellison @2 resisted the temptation to dash to 25dn, which I’m sure most of us did – not a difficult clue, as Liberal could only be L, leaving three letters for ‘youngster in pride’. I enjoyed teasing out the different meanings of CLUB.

    I agree with TassieTim @4 that ‘hire’ and ‘let’ are opposite roles in a transaction – and shouldn’t ‘9 the wrong way’ be ECARH? And PeterO is right that ‘treat’ and ‘cure’ are not the same, though there is a semantic link, and I confess it didn’t occur to me at the time.

    My favourites were ME TOO, BANTU, CUDGEL, WITH CHILD and SODA.

    Thanks to the ever dependable Pirate and PeterO

  24. Picaroon can usually be relied on for his smoothly witty and cleverly misleading surfaces, but the “key clue” nature of this meant that some clues didn’t really live up to that (“Cricketer’s 25”, “Mythical warrior’s 25”, “Comedians in 25s”, “Party in 25″…). But even so there were some really nice ones, and I think my favourite was the lovely lift-and-separate of “Jersey girl” in 22d.

    Many thanks Picaroon and PeterO.

  25. Well, like Dave Ellison @2, I did resist the temptation and stuck doggedly to my custom of tackling the clues in order – hard though it was, when I saw that ’25’ must refer to 25 down. (When Picaroon has a theme, he usually buries the key well into the second half of the puzzle!)

    Others enjoyed hunting down the clubs, having solved 25 early but I had just as much pleasure in struggling to find a connection between the various solutions, which came only just before reaching the key clue itself – with a big ‘Doh!’ There’s more than one way to skin a rabbit – each to his own. 😉

    As so often, too many favourites to list them all but, like paddymelon @11, I particularly enjoyed 24ac.

    Many thanks to Picaroon and to PeterO.

  26. Picaroon can be much harder than this, but it was hard enough to be a lot of fun, with some amusing surfaces. I don’t solve in order, having neither the discipline nor the ability, so I headed for 25 as soon as possible and fortunately it was straightforward. Of the various meanings, AJAX and the IVY took the longest for the penny to drop. Didn’t fully parse TIGER WOODS or ME TOO, and liked the “flycatchers”.

    [By the way, do the solvers-in-order do all the acrosses first and then the downs, or do they tackle the clues in numerical order regardless of direction?]

  27. Found this tricky, too many I couldn’t parse but had bunged in hopefully. Examples, CHAR and HIRE CAR. CUDGEL fiendishly difficult, I thought, loi. Forgot all about AJAX being a football club, got rather obsessed by what the CHAR might use to brighten things up instead and was perplexed. Challenging, for all its theme

  29. I found this harder than many but got there in the end. LoI 22ac and, like Dr What’s On @1, CURE=TREAT rankles a bit given how often medical treatments fail to cure. But our use of cure has changed and “taking a cure” in the past didn’t come with any guarantee of success. Interestingly the French have retained the older sense and “une cure” is used for any course of treatment, even if taken with palliative intent. Muffin@20’s reading of cure works well also.

  31. I had absolutely no problem with CURE=TREAT. you cure meat by treating it with salt (etc) to preserve it, and similarly you cure leather by treating it with various chemicals (tannin, etc).

  32. gladys @24 For the first and often second passes attempts at clues, I usually do the acrosses first in number order, but for the down clues it depends if I am solving online or on paper.

    On paper I do the downs in number order. Online I do the downs in columns left to right, so in this case 1,13,24,2,… This works for me because the clues are shown automatically, whereas on paper they would jump around the list.

    I don’t always solve in order though, sometimes if there is a long clue in the first column I might see if that yields easily first, or if a key clue becomes apparent I might skip to that.

  33. MattS@29
    In Germany if you are sent on a ‘Kur’ by your doctor or Krankenkasse it usually amounts to a jolly for several weeks in a spa by the side of a lake. Not necessarily any treatment involved, just a long time out.

  34. Enjoyable puzzle as ever from this setter. Liked HORSE RACE, CURATES and (my CotD) BANTU. (I think treat=cure works better as a culinary reference than a medical one.)

    Struggled with (and still not entirely convinced by) HIRE CAR and agree with muffin@20 that THE IVY is a restaurant rather than a club.

    Thanks to Picaroon and Peter O.

  35. I might be alone in finding 15D just a tad clumsy in that we have two uses of 25, both in the sense of golf club.

    Anyway, Picaroon usually matches my wavelength and today was no exception. Like Eileen I work Across then Down for a first pass, so I had several references to 25 solved before getting to the keystone itself, with which I struggled more than most it seems.

    Bonus points for the rarely-seen past perfect of chide.

  36. And no ‘order’ in sight after yesterday’s CLUB/ORDER debate! Did anyone else get held up by pencilling in FODDER for ‘food for eg Jersey’? I was hoping for a bit more football and a bit less violence in the CLUB clues, but I do enjoy the ‘keystone’ puzzles (though it sounds like I’m in a 15sq minority that way). As regards order of solving, I once heard (on a TV crossword documentary) that Down clues are generally easier than Across clues because setters start with the ‘clever’ Across ones then ease off by the time they set the Down ones. That always feels true, but maybe just in my imagination? Thank you Picaroon and PeterO!

  37. Wow! Picaroon at his gentlest but still loads of fun to be had. The theme word helped immensely and was a gimme.

    Liked ME TOO

    thanks Picaroon and PeterO

  38. muffin @20, and others: ‘Cure’ and ‘treat’ are perhaps semantically closer in the context of leather or gravadlax, but still not identical – such things are treated in order to cure them. One is the action, the other is the result.

    [gladys @26: It always amazes me that some people tackle the clues in order. It’s a crossword, after all. You wouldn’t complete a jigsaw puzzle in this way 🙂 . My approach is to attempt the first few across clues and, if they don’t yield, the first few downs, then use the crossing letters to start to build it up.

    Adrian @36: You may be right, but I’ve observed that the clues near the end of the puzzle often seem easier, perhaps for the same reason. If I can’t make much sense of the top half of a crossword I often try working up from the bottom ]

  40. This was mostly a fun one. Can anyone please help me out with the char=daily (English not being my native language may be an additional hurdle there; though it did help with Ajax as that was the first football team I went to watch when I was growing up).

  41. Adrian @36: I tried FODDER.

    Whether I enjoy a keystone puzzle depends entirely on whether I get the keystone right away, without crossers. In this case I did. With Paul’s I usually don’t.

  42. This was mostly a fun one. Can anyone please help me out with the char=daily (English not being my native language may be an additional hurdle there; though it did help with Ajax as that was the first football team I went to watch when I was growing up)?

  43. gladys @26: I tend to try and solve from the lower half of the grid and work upwards, building it up like a scaffold of sorts. Of course it doesn’t always work out like that, and as often as not is about combing the clues just to see what answers I can get at any stage.

  44. Erik @40 (and 42!): “char” and “daily” are both terms for a cleaning woman.

    [Sorry, off-topic, but is the Quick Crossword getting more cryptic? For example a few days ago we had “Eat it in the parlour (3,5)”, and today there’s “No one knows if it’s anyone’s (5)” and “Lacking French (4)”, all of which would not I think be out of place in the Monday cryptic.]

  45. I always try across and down clues in the first row and column that give first letters first. Didn’t work today, though – CHAR, HUMPS, and WEBS were later entries!

  46. Fun puzzle even though I echo others’ sentiments about interdependent clues. Always tickled by the way Picaroon manages to hide whole phrases in his clues, eg in CURATES.

    Sadly DNF having tried to stuff LEV????Y into REMISSLY and also not knowing how char=daily. Also missed Rita, perhaps I should watch the film.

    Thanks Picaroon and PeterO

  47. I enjoyed this once I got CLUB and many of the derivative clues made me smile. Very inventive I thought.

    Favourites included: WITH CHILD (lovely word chid) SODA, SATIRIC, GONER, DETRACTORS, CUDGEL

    Thanks Picaroon and PeterO

  48. LordJim@44 – I agree about the quick crossword becoming more cryptic. I used to race through it but lately I’ve had to ponder some of the clues.

  51. I did race to 25 and found the CLUB quite easily.

    It was fun to find the different types of CLUB, but I thought AJAX was a bit obscure as one. I liked SATIRIC, SIGNS UP, WITH CHILD, and DETRACTORS.

    Thanks Picaroon and PeterO.

  52. Enjoyed this very much. I’m of the “Get one answer and try to work with crossers as much as possible” school rather than “work them in order” and fortunately was able to get CLUB itself and work around from there. Technically a DNF because I had to reveal ARMS, whose first definition I only just got as “maybe supplies with [a] club” as opposed to “supplies” being “club arms” or something. Also confess I don’t really get how “in the club” translates to “with child” in a way that involves pudding?

    Many clues to praise here but particular kudos for avoiding the “girl” = name trap by supplying a specific indicator for RITA and having the other “girl” be the equally generic MISS.

    Did anyone else put in LUMPS for 13d? Perhaps I am because, although some searching suggests that Dr. Smith called the robot various sorts of “clump” on Lost in Space, it is not generally a synonym for “idiot.”

    Thanks Picaroon and PeterO!

    [BTW 27d “club soda,” is not quite the same as seltzer; club soda has some minerals added which make it somewhat saltier, and seltzer can be flavored.]

  54. Grizzlebeard @34
    As ArkLark @39 pointed out, The Ivy is a club as well as a restaurant; I did put a link in the blog, but with CHAR in capitals it was perhaps not obvious, so here it is again: https://the-ivyclub.co.uk.
    Gervase @38
    My approach to a crossword is similar to yours. Indeed, if I can solve the first across clue cold, I am fairly sure that I am in for an easy ride.
    Adrian @36
    With the crossing D for 22D in place, my first thought was FODDER, but it made no sense of the rest of the clue.

  55. After two breezy days, this was a slog for me, despite the keystone helping a lot.

    Thanks Lord Jim @44 for explaining the char/daily connection, luckily it went in easily enough without knowing.
    The comments suggest this was easy for Picaroon. I’m still only starting to grasp which setter is which, but I’ll bear this in mind.

  57. I found that difficult and getting CLUB so early didn’t really help.
    I normally enjoy Picaroon’s puzzles, but not today.
    Thanks both.

  59. Erik@42
    Char / charlady is British slang for a cleaning lady (who often comes daily?) Char = daily crops up quite often in crossswords.

  60. Martin N @55 – Picaroon varies his difficulty a lot – when he sets in the Quick Cryptic or Quiptic slots, most people agree that he’s accessible. When he sets in the Cryptic or Prize slots he dials up the difficulty. He also sets as Rodriguez and Buccaneer in the other GIFT papers and they can be easier than the Guardian Picaroon Cryptics.

    I’m another who answers in order, across and then down – and I’d cold solved a number of the CLUB clues, which made more sense when I got to 25D. I’m irritated that I missed RITA in SATIRICAL as my daughter studied Educating Rita for GCSE, so I’ve read it and seen it, and TA in CURATE, although the answers had to be that.

    Thank you to PeterO and Picaroon

  61. I confidently put in WHITES for 4d, being vaguely aware of the ‘gentleman’s’ club in London, so it seemed to fit. That held us up for a while, but eventually realised it must be something else.
    Apart from that, we found it refreshingly accessible for Picaroon, it’s not often we get to finish on the same day.

  62. An improving solver, I’m having a good week. Today was tough and I didn’t cop the keystone clue until halfway through. I couldn’t think beyond 25th December, 2025 for starters, looking for a Christmas/New Year theme…. Then I tried XXVs, then silver anniversaries… In retrospect, CLUB was obvious but “pride” and “liberal” had me thinking along other lines. These setters really are mind controllers!
    LOI was REMISSLY and I’m especially pleased with myself because I eventually saw that “rely” ≈ “bank”. Thanks Picaroon and PeterO.

  63. I found this fairly typical difficulty for Picaroon, and highly enjoyable as always. As well as the many clever uses of CLUB, my favourites were the elegantly constructed REMISSLY and the fine surface for BANTU.

  64. gladys @26,
    I solve in reverse order, starting with the last of the downs. Good approach today, as I solved CLUB before I even knew there was a theme.
    Fun puzzle, but defeated by the CHAR parse (I was stuck on Chart for paper).
    Thanks, PPO.

  67. Gobsmacked that some people didn’t try and solve 25, which was so blatantly obvious, first. Appreciate that everyone has their own approach but how could you resist?. Baffled tbh.

  68. AlanC @67
    Yes – I’d like to ask Eileen which “25s” she had solved before getting to CLUB. Most would seem to be rather incomplete clues without “club” being included!

  69. muffin @68: like you I’m sure, I thought, how many variations can we get with this simple word and off you go. Idle boast but I did finish this quite quickly because of the key. Heyho

  70. I wouldn’t normally comment the day after; the puzzle is done and dusted. But I spent yesterday travelling and only finished the puzzle late at night. It felt too late to comment.However, having just solved Friday’s G, I don’t think I shall be commenting on it and would rather post late on this one. A puzzle which shows how a theme can be done brilliantly. Such a simple word and so many different treatments/interpretations of it. The brain was fairly tinglingly the time I’d got to the end. For me, this was one of Picaroon’s best in quite some time.

    Thanks Picaroon and PeterO

  71. muffin @68

    Well, as far as I remember (that was yesterday!),19ac (first), 21ac (‘joins’), 6dn (I had J and X – football?), 7dn (first half), 4dn, 8dn (both from crossers) …

  73. AlanC @67 I find that if I don’t solve the clues in order I sometimes miss clues that I could have solved. It’s more of a problem in the larger special crosswords, but sometimes happens in a standard fifteen squared. It depends on how quickly I can solve a clue. I won’t linger over a clue in the early stages because solving a crosser often makes it easy on the 2nd pass. When I run out of steam, I will look for key clues or review the grid looking for useful crossers. So in this case I didn’t go straight to 25 and only gave the clues referring to it a quick glance because I was making progress with the rest. Then when I ground to a halt I took a closer look at 25, which by then had a crosser to assist, and the linked clues.

  74. Many thanks
    Lord Jim @44 and CaymanCanuck @59; that’s very helpful re-char, which I associated more with (whisky) casks or something fishy; good to know it comes up more often in the daily meaning as I’ll try to store it in my brain somewhere. Apologies for the double post earlier; not sure how I managed to do that.

  75. Very late commenting as I was only able to look at this puzzle this morning. My uncle would have loved 20ac as he was a massive GO NERD, as well as being a dedicated crossword fiend and aficionado of this blog. Thank you Picaroon and PeterO.

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