Guardian Cryptic 29,615 by Qaos

63 comments on “Guardian Cryptic 29,615 by Qaos”

1. Clangers!!!
   Yay, the theme’s based on one of my favourite Oliver Postgate creations.
   Soup Dragon, Moon, Iron Chicken, Broadcasts, Music Trees…
   Probably more.
   A fun crossword: thanks Qaos and Shanne for a stressful blog

2. Oh goodness – I did think Clangers – but it was something my younger sisters watched, and my daughter is too young.

3. Thanks Qaos and Shanne
   I thought there was a bit of “that’ll do” sloppiness in places – the S in CLANGERS isn’t well placed, the “with” and the “in” in 25 and 28 are odd, and of course there’s the usual misuse of Roman numerals in 24.
   The theme is CLANGERS. There’s the MOON and the SOUP DRAGON, but I’m not familiar enough with it to see any others.
   I loved the clue for MOON.
   There’s the story of the zoo in which every cage had only a small dog. It was a ???? ZOO.

4. AT LARGE I had as
   One=a
   Time=t
   Great=large

5. Wellbeck @1: yes, I believe the Clangers eat Green Soup and Blue String Pudding. Lots of fun.
   2d: A (the indefinite article = one) + T (abbreviation for time) + LARGE (great = big).
   Thanks Qaos and Shanne.

6. Thanks for stepping in , enjoyable puzzle , I did actually notice the CLANGERS but got DRAGON very near the end to go with SOUP and did not look for any others.
   USAGE I think the SEW is removed “for” US .
   I always feel more amorous when I drink ABSINTH .

7. Thanks Shanne and Qaos. I think 2 down is A t (one time) plus large = great. (Please forgive my clumsy explanation!)

8. Thanks for stepping in Shanne and thanks to Qaos

9. Not keen on this grid , three unchecked letters in a row in two places. although both clues were very fair.

10. For anyone too young or old to have watched The Clangers (the original version is stratospherically better than the recent remake, btw) here’s a little taster:-

    https://youtu.be/SVxj4kdrgbI?si=GJth7pCdo_jcr4gv

11. Thanks Qaos for a set of very good clues. I particularly enjoyed POSSESS, VICTORIA, MOON, AT LARGE (liked one-time = AT), GREEN, and SHIH TZU. I couldn’t fully parse PUDDING and I was totally unfamiliar with the theme. Thanks Shanne for the blog.

12. Thanks to Shanne and to Qaos. I really enjoyed this crossword, despite never having heard of CLANGERS. I feel better now knowing that I wasn’t just being obtuse in not being able to spot the theme.

13. The CLANGERS came too late for me to be watching children’s TV and decades too early for me to have children to watch it by proxy, as it were – they were Backyardigan and Balamory kids. So why I am so familiar with the lunar whistlers, right down to the dietary items mentioned by Quirister @5, is a mystery, but I cottoned on very early and it did help with some clues – I was on the lookout for DRAGON and SOUP, and after BLUE the STRING and PUDDING had to follow.

14. Surprised to see a grid with triple unches.

15. Some good clues but (a) a terrible grid, hard to believe this remains in the Guardian library with its triple unches and multiple underchecked cells, and (b) a couple of clues that exercised my eyebrows: IRON is allusive rather than grammatically logical (Apple don’t make e.g. iPhones for phones or iPads for pads, so why does ‘for Reagan’ make sense, except in a rather loose way?); and this has been said before but 99 in Roman numerals is not IC!

    Apart from that it was entertaining so thanks both 🙂

16. Another lunchtime solve – of course a US solver is not going to see the theme, as Clangers was never shown in the US. But not hard, with no difficult vocabulary. I had to bung in soup as a guess – really, half of super?

17. I thought Clangers might relate to the TV programme, but knowing only the title (I’m also in the too old and children too young bracket) I didn’t know any of the other references. I thought BLUE MOON might be something thematic, but obviously there was nothing else in that genre. However, it was a pleasant enough puzzle without knowing the theme. Like others in the Guardian comments I expected an e on the end of ABSINTH, but it was clearly clued. Liked COWARDICE and NON-CARBONATED. Thanks to Qaos and to Shanne for stepping into the breach.

18. A relatively gentle Qaos.
    I agree with the suggested parsings for AT LARGE.
    I took SOUP to be “so up” where up is expressing delight.
    Thanks to both for the fun.

19. In 19a, there’s no need to have an unindicated text speak as ‘see’ is an accepted spelling for the letter C.

20. US solver here, and yes the theme eluded me. Enjoyed it nonetheless. NON-CARBONATED is a bit less common perhaps (I’m more likely to say “uncarbonated”, or “still”). Thanks Qaos and Shanne!

21. “Still” is much commoner here too, Nakamova, as is “absinthe” (as in the well-known “Sailors in the drink” clue).

22. Like others here my heart sank on seeing 4d and 20d with their triple unches – something I’d shrink from. My guess is that Alan Connors is more easy-going than Hugh. Incidentally it seems that the rule about ‘library grids only’ is now defunct – can anyone confirm? According to Boatman, in Hugh’s time setters weren’t even allowed to transpose a library grid…

    Anyway, back to the puzzle. Not too taxing this one, and some fun with Qaos’s trademark ‘numericals’ (only one this time alas!). I’m not sure whether “IC” for 99 is orthodox Roman nomenclature, shouldn’t it be “XCIX”? Again, perhaps someone can correct me. I recall that in some places the year 1999 was shown as “MIM”, but in others, “MCMXCIX”.

    I’d heard of the CLANGERS but they were well after my time, so none of the names in the theme clicked. Ah well, can’t win ’em all! With luck the next Qaos will host a familiar theme…

    Faves? The long one NON-CARBONATED especially because of the surface (speaking as a cyclist I find it very apposite what with all the treacherous potholes and bumps everywhere!) Also perhaps ticks for CLOSURE, MOON (bit of a giveaway!), POSSESS (who else remembers that silly Lone Ranger joke?), LAGGARD.

    Thanks to Qaos, and Shanne especially for standing-in.

23. [Laccaria @22
    The rule for subtractive numbers in Roman numerals is that the number being subtracted must be at least a tenth of the number it is subtracted from; hence XC is valid, but IC isn’t. 99 is, as you say, XCIX.]

24. Laccaria @22 Yes, you’re right about the Roman numerals, but he won’t stop doing it.

25. Two Mondays in one week? Remarkably gentle for a Qaos (I found) but good fun. The only trademark alphanumeric clue was for MUSXCIX ( 🙂 ) which was a slight disappointment. I did make a desultory scan for a theme, but without success, though I do remember the knitted characters with the Swanee whistles.

    ‘Flat’ is fine for NON CARBONATED in the wordplay of a crossword, but as Nakamova @20 remarks, not so good for ordering in a restaurant: ‘flat’ describes a carbonated beverage which has lost its gas rather than one which has never been charged with carbon dioxide.

    Thanks to Qaos and Shanne

26. Echoing Atlanta Dave @8 and others, thanks for stepping in, Shanne. Without wishing to pry, and whoever the Blogger was to have been (but mindful of Eileen’s recent remarks here), I hope it’s not anything for us to worry about.

27. Gervase@25 When I ask in my local pubs for my pint to be pulled without the sparkler to get the beer in a more natural state, the reply is always”Oh, you want a flat pint”. They don’t seem to understand what produces the head.

28. Laccaria@22, this grid is in the Guardian library (no. 74) though I believe Hugh wouldn’t allow its use. My understanding is that only the Independent allows setters free rein when it comes to grid design.

29. …and Zoot @24, I trust Qaos won’t stop doing his other trick of Arabic numeral sequences which break down into Romanesque numbers, or even a medley. Lovely.

30. Fun puzzle.

    Favourites: AT LARGE, PUDDING.

    New for me: alternate spelling of ABSINTHe.

    I did not see the theme but after I completed the puzzle, I picked up what it was due to a spoiler on the Guardian blog. Would not have helped as I never heard of this TV show anyway. I was a child in 1969 but I suppose this show did not make it to Oz.

    I parsed AT LARGE in the same way as Staticman1@4.

31. Today I was pressing the refresh button every hour or so, and ended up #31. Interesting. Whoever was originally in line to blog today, I hope it’s nothing serious.

    Not much else to say, other than What the h*** are the Clangers? No, don’t answer, I can look them up!

    I agree with RobT@15 that the logic behind IRON leaves a bit to be desired, although it didn’t really interfere with the solving.

32. Thanks for stepping in Shanne.

    Thankfully, not too much trouble from me with the parsing today. For what it’s worth I parsed USAGE and SOUP identically to you.

    Not sure if I am getting better or Qaos was in a kind mood when setting this.

    Liked: CLANGERS (both the clue and tv series) and MOON.

    I’ve nicknamed the mother-in-law Soup Dragon. Thankfully the wife is a few years younger so doesn’t get the reference.

    Thanks Qaos and Shanne

33. I thoroughly enjoyed the Clangers theme; I’m just young enough to have watched them as a kid, and sort of rediscovered them about 30 years ago. My late husband would have loved it. Thanks to Qaos and Shanne.

34. 27a – where does TON come from? I’m sorry if this is a silly question. It’s the most sensible one I have.

35. Steffen @34 – for 27A the clue is:

    27A Adult exits station, not about to leave eating posh dessert (7)

    Adult exits (that bit means we’re taking A away from whatever we’re using)
    station (Paddington station) – so far we’ve got P-DDINGTON,
    not about to leave – not about is TON – to leave means we take it off – P-DDING
    eating posh – eating U (posh) = PUDDING
    dessert (7) = PUDDING

36. Hi Steffen@34, the “ton” is from Paddington (a station). The clue instructs us to remove the “a” and remove the reversal of not (ton). Then add a u. It’s a bit convoluted, I know, but have I been able elucidate it at all? I admire your curiosity and persistence.
    Sorry Shanne, I see we crossed here and you gave a better explanation.

37. Very late to the party but couldn’t not contribute my twopenn’orth to comments on a puzzle by one of my favourite setters. By the time the blog came out – thank you, Shanne – I was on my way to a celebratory family gathering for my grandson’s engagement.
    This morning, as for Welbeck @1, CLANGERS immediately rang a bell (!) as a favourite Oliver Postgate creation for my children and me but it stayed muffled until I’d completed the grid. On the way, I ticked, for various reasons, 14ac TEENAGERS,1ac YELLOW, 24ac MOON, 9dn NON-CARBONATED, and 18dn SHIHTZU.
    And then I turned to Qaos’ blog – where he usually gives a hint – and found
    “Whistle whilst you work on my latest Guardian crossword” which confirmed the delightful theme.
    Wellbeck and Qurister have identified all the references I found – but there may, of course, be more.
    Huge thanks to Qaos for the nostalgia – I always intended to have a go at knitting the CLANGERS!

38. Me @ 37
    Please substitute 19ac COWARDICE for ‘1ac YELLOW’ – inexplicable: too much celebratory prosecco. 😉

39. 7d reminded me of the legendary clue – gegs (9,4) which some think is the greatest clue ever and others think should never have been allowed. Those of the former persuasion might like to solve- I elect Republican with ecstasy (8,11).

40. Roz @6 it’s well known that ABSINTH makes the heart grow fonder

    Cheers S&Q

41. Pino @39, I think it’s a myth that the gegs clue ever appeared in a cryptic crossword. It was a joke from Guy Jenkin and Andy Hamilton in their sitcom Drop the Dead Donkey (I think one of the characters, Henry, was exasperated by the clue in the crossword he was doing). I can’t make sense of that other clue yet.

42. We‘ve all been sitting on the doorstep today! But Steppie @26, what recent remarks by Eileen? I too hope there is nothing to worry about.
    When we were waiting, I thought I could just about do it. But I didn‘t spot the theme and I would have objected about AGE not being half of garbAGE, although admittedly it does seem to be half of sewAGE…..
    Amyway, with time on my hands I thought I’d like to look up an old contributor that I have always missed, Hedgehoggy, and here he is (if I have done this bit right) with a lovely Qaos puzzle from 2013. He took such trouble everyday to explain why he didn‘t like the clues he didn’t like, and although I by no means always agreed with him I wish I could do the same. But perhaps not! Because so many otherwise perfectly civil forum members are being so school-playground HORRIBlE to and about him. I‘m glad to say Qaos himself then puts in an appearance at to try and smooth things over.
    Many many thanks to Shanne and Qaos and I do hope original blogger ok.
    Qaos2013

43. I found this an absolute joy. Loved the surface for GREEN, one of two (I think) clues which required a first step to work out the letters and then a second step to solve the anagram. It’s complicated, but fair I think. COWARDICE was the last one in, with a slight Wildean feel. Other favourites were SHIH TZU, POSSESS (another lovely surface), MOON (mainly because I have finally learned to think of cows when seeing ‘low’ or ‘lower’). PUDDING fell into place quickly, but took a ‘hard stare’ to work out the parsing. Thanks Wellbeck@1 for setting out the theme. Thanks to those who added to my knowledge of crossword science with the discussion of triple inches; the grid just passed me by. Thanks Qaos for the fun and Shanne for stepping in to do the blog and making a fine job of it. .

44. unches of course, not inches …

45. Pino@39 E.D.?

46. For 18d SHIH TZU, The “Anagram of (THIS)* (criminal) around H (Husband)” could be SIHT around H – S(H)IHT, rather than $#!+ around H – $#!(H)+
    [Maybe Qaos wants to remind us of the Dad joke, and (THIS)* $#!+ ZOO in China.]

47. Thank you 35 & 36.

48. [Caroline @42, I’m relieved to see that Eileen has now posted @37 & @38, so no need for me to elaborate, but I do of course share your concern for the original Blogger].

49. Late to this, but nevertheless. As soon as I entered CLANGERS I thought it might be related to the theme. So went looking for SOUP and DRAGON. Etc etc.
    But there was enough meat left with the non-theme clues, and the parsing, to make it a fun solve.
    I met one of the clangers once, with Bagpuss, Firmin and Postgate. A joyful night.

50. [Hornbeam @49
    From when our daughter was small, we have three of the mice from Emily’s Mouse Organ sitting on our piano. For some strange reason, instead of the fourth one we have a Clanger!]

51. Just to add my thanks to Shanne for stepping in – definitely above and beyond. Your parsing of SOUP works better than mine… It’s good to see Eileen @37 is hale and hearty and, as is so often the case, I cannot better her comments. Thanks and much kudos to Qaos. The theme was so subtly done that I didn’t notice it until I got CLANGERS shortly before I’d completed, despite loving the programme. I do hope nothing serious has had to the original blogger.
    Two final thoughts if anyone reads this. (1) Hasn’t the theme featuresd before? and (2) Pino @39, I could do with a hint please 😎

52. FrankieG@45
    That’s it. Well done
    Paulne in Brum@51
    I elect Republican wth ecstasy…..it makes a chap no good in bed.(8,11)

53. Halfway through, I figured the theme must be some British TV or music thing that I was never going to get. Never heard of the Clangers. Couldn’t parse AT LARGE, SOUP, or USAGE, although I thought that sewage had to be lurking in the background of the last one somehow.

54. Not sure anyone will come back to this, and I did post this on site feedback – the scheduled blogger came back later last night to say they’d had to deal with a work issue and the blog got missed.

    I’ve also updated the theme information and the parsing of the clue I didn’t get.

    I’m not sure why I missed The Clangers, because I know Bagpuss well enough to have paid to see a couple of celebrations for the 50th anniversary earlier this year/late last year: one live, one online – with Sandra Kerr. I do remember Pogles Wood, Ivor the Engine and Noggin the Nog, all Oliver Postgate productions. I suspect The Clangers was shown when we had no TV at home and I wasn’t as good at finding friends with TVs to visit and watch stuff, unlike my younger sisters.

55. Shanne
    Years ago I bought this LP of John Faulkner and Sandra Kerr performing folk songs. I was delighted when later they both voiced characters in Bagpuss!

56. I remember watching the first episode of Bagpuss , one of my earliest memories that I can now actually date. My mother would get me up to dance every time there was a folk interlude, she said I was like the little mice.
    It was the 50th anniversary one year ago today, the Guardian crossword ignored it despite numerous other dreary themes.

57. [Shanne@54: well, I came back, to acknowledge your updated introduction and Blog. I’m sure some here will share my relief that the OB’s was “only” a work, rather than medical, diversion].

58. Just to put all the clarets theme words in one place:
    SOUP DRAGON
    MOON
    IRON CHICKEN
    BLUE STRING PUDDING
    CLANGERS
    BROADCASTS
    MUSIC TREES
    At least, those are the ones I can identify. All we need now is a Magic Roundabout theme.

59. Gliddofglood @58
    I would be better on Magic Roundabout, I think. Did you know that Eric Thompson never listened to the French text; he just watched the animations and made up his own stories?
    I even know the original French names of most of the characters, as we got a French book for my daughter. My favourite is Dylan was “Flapy”!

60. same as Steppie@57. Thanks Shanne.

61. Pino @52, only just found your reply. Many thanks, I have got it now. I’ll add it to my list of classic clues 😎

62. [Shanne @54, thanks for the update. Gliddofglood@58 and muffin @59, I seem to recall the marvellous Magic Roundabout has been done… I once set a pub quiz round about it (pun intended) which included some questions on Le Menège Enchanté. Given the expectation that we are all fluent in Franglais these days, perhaps if the theme is repeated the setter may include some questions on that to make it harder? ]

63. Second completion in a row. Enjoyed this

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