Everyman 4,087 by Everyman

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The puzzle may be found at https://www.theguardian.com/crosswords/everyman/4087.

It looked to me at first as if this one was going to be at the harder end of Everyman’s range, but it all fell out in the end, with the usual rhyming pair (chartreuse in the grid), ‘principally’ clues (blanchedalmond), self reference (cyan) and geographic reference (lightpink).

ACROSS
1 TSAR
Principally revere a saint that’s rejected Russian despot (4)
A novelty – Everyman adds some extra wordplay to the ‘principally’ clue (but if you like it neat, there is a  version at 23A FTSE): a reversal (‘rejected’) of RAST (‘principally Revere A Saint That’. At first glance, I thought the clue might involve Rasputin.
4 MEAN
Everyman, alternately canny and stingy (4)
No, ICNY is not a jorum. A charade of ME (‘Everyman’) plus AN (‘alternately cAnNy’.
8 BERTRAND RUSSELL
Return ball-dress after alterations for philosopher (8,7)
An anagram (‘after alteration’) of ‘return ball-dress’. I had not before thought of Bertrand Russell as Pron Queen.
11 ECUADOR
Relaxed educator spending time somewhere in S America (7)
An anagram (‘relaxed’) of ‘educa[t]or’ minus the T (‘spending time’). Note that Everyman avoids the formation, to which some object, of using just ‘in S America’ to indicate a place.
12 GANACHE
Grand, skipping starter of zest and truffle mixture (7)
A charade of G (‘grand’) plus ‘[p]ANACHE’ (‘zest’) minus its first letter (‘skipping starter’), for chocolate melted with cream (and maybe other flavourings) and cooled to become semisolid, which may be used in a truffle with a coating of cocoa powder.
13 TIDDLIEST
Slurred ‘Let’s did it!’ being most tipsy (9)
An anagram (‘slurred’) of ‘let’s did it’.
14 BRAVO
I’m next to Charlie, hurrah! (5)
Double definition, the first referring to adjacent entries in the NATO phonetic alphabet.
15 STOOD
Lived with Rose (5)
Double definition; the best I can think of for the first is “I can live with/stand that”.
16 ALGORITHM
Al Gore is the MC, repeatedly failing to finish instructions (9)
A charade of ‘Al’ plus ‘Gor[e] i[s] th[e] M[C]’ minus the last letter of each word (‘repeatedly failing to finish’). Note that ‘Al’ is not docked.
19 ORIFICE
Some hector if I celebrate opening (7)
A hidden answer (‘some’) in ‘hectOR IF I CElebeate’.
21 AWAKENS
Rouses, as a snake coiled round head of wombat (7)
An envelope (’round’) of W (‘head of Wombat’) in AAKENS, an anagram (‘coiled’) of ‘a snake’. Alternatively, you can treat the first ‘a’ as transferred directly fron the clue to the answer, rather than part of the anagram. If that makes you happier.
22 HUSTLE AND BUSTLE
Business listing two things enjoyed by Victorian conwoman? (6,3,6)
Double definition, the second being rather fanciful, and thus meriting the question mark.
23 FTSE
Fruitfully traded shares evaluated, initially? (4)
First letters (‘initially’) of ‘Fruitfully Traded Shares Evaluated’, with an &lit definition. Actually it is the Financial Times Stock Exchange (100) initially.
24 NEAT
How some like their screwdrivers tidily arranged (4)
Double definition, the first referring to the ‘screwdriver’ as a mixture of orange juice and vodka; NEAT often refers to a spirit drunk without any mixture, but here acknowledges that there are many variations on the basic screwdriver (such as a Harvey Wallbanger, with the addition of Galliano).
DOWN
2 STRADDLED
Went both sides of alders sprayed with DDT (9)
An anagram (‘sprayed’) of ‘alders’ plus ‘DDT’.
3 RUN FREE
Cricket score coming at no cost: go wild! (3,4)
A charade of RUN (‘cricket score’) plus FREE (‘coming at no cost’).
4 MR. RIGHT
Dreamboat didn’t follow directions, you say (2,5)
Sounds like (‘you say’) MISSED A RIGHT.
5 ARSON
Kindle Crime? (5)
Cryptic definition.
6 OBJECT
Thing – or have a thing (6)
Double definition, with the first having the stress on the first syllable, the second, on the second.
7 CLUEDO
Crossword setter’s stock-in-trade: con game (6)
A charade of CLUE (‘crossword setter’s stock-in-trade’) plus DO (‘con’).
9 ROUND ROBINS
Obese superhero’s sidekick’s getting letters from many (5,6)
A charade of ROUND (‘obese’) plus ROBIN’S (‘Superhero’s sidekick’s’, the superhero in question being Batman).
10 ENCHANTMENT
Wronged: then can’t men appeal? (11)
An anagram (‘wronged’) of ‘then can’t men’.
14 BARRACUDA
Voracious fish finding something to chew: American by Hebridean island (9)
A charade of BARRA (Outer ‘Hebridean island’) plus CUD (‘something to chew’ particularly if you happen to be a cow) plus A (‘American’).
15 SOOTHE
That woman embracing excessively rising calm (6)
An envelope (’embracing’) of OOT, a reversal (‘rising’ in a down light) of TOO (‘excessively’) in SHE (Who Must Be Obeyed ‘that woman’).
16 AVERAGE
Mature years welcoming: Vera and Norm (7)
An envelope (‘welcoming’) of ‘Vera’ in AGE (‘mature years’).
17 GLADDEN
Good boy, Warren? Cheer up (7)
A charade of G (‘good’) plus LAD (‘boy’) plus DEN (‘warren’).
18 MISTER
Sir and Madam I stereotype to an extent (6)
A hidden answer (‘to an extent’) in ‘MadaM I STEReotype’.
20 ISLET
Reported little hole in key (5)
Sounds like (‘reportedly’) EYELET (‘little hole’), with ‘key’ as in the Florida Keys.

picture of the completed grid

40 comments on “Everyman 4,087 by Everyman”

  1. Thanks PeterO for your elucidating and illuminating blog, as ever.. Slight typo in your amusing comment about Bertrand Russell. I assume you meant Prom Queen.

    HUSTLE AND BUSTLE my pick for the Victorian conwoman.
    I don’t think FTSE works as an &lit. The answer is nounal, but we have ‘fruitfully traded’ and no real definition. Is the QM meant to indicate the &lit, or that Everyman is aware that it isn’t?

  2. Pdm@1: I don’t remember anybody questioning the primary letter clue before. I second your pick oh HUSTLE AND BUSTLE, made me laugh.
    I needed two goes at this. The second time,as often happens, it all came together quite quickly. I wish I could say the same about Saturday’s Prize.
    Thanks both.

  3. My faves: TSAR and ARSON.
    FTSE (pdm@1)
    The whole clue seems associated with FTSE
    Fruitfully traded shares—yes
    shares evaluated initially (before inclusion in the index)—yes
    If not &lit, then can we call it an extended def?

  4. Thanks for the blog, good set of clues . I did raise an eyebrow at NEAT for screwdriver but I think your explanation works.
    For ALGORITHM the Al looks just like AI but I suppose it had to be AL because of the Gore.
    [ Nicbach@2 being stubborn is a virtue , you have a whole week . ]

  5. Roz @4 and nicbach @2

    I think I am going to need a full week for yesterday’s prize. Thank goodness for Julius in the FT.

    Enjoyed the Everyman – another fan of HUSTLE AND BUSTLE

    Thanks both.

  6. Thanks for a great blog and a great puzzle. Frustratingly I couldn’t get MR RIGHT and wrote in MY RIGHT, without having logic. Otherwise all present and correct, and a good fun solve. I personally liked GLADDEN

  7. I loved ISLET. Were all the tsars despots? Last one for me was HUSTLE AND BUSTLE.. Stared at it, with all the crossers, for ages before the penny dropped.
    For SOOTHE, i tried in vain to put TTO, i.e. OTT in reverse before realising the error of my ways.

  8. Entertaining puzzle although I do remember hesitating over both MR RIGHT and MISTER both being in the down clues, before I shrugged and filled it in. I’m with the others enjoying HUSTLE AND BUSTLE.

    Thank you to PeterO and Everyman.

  9. I am another fan of the Victorian conwoman. Roz@4 I like the idea of an Artificial Intelligence Al Gore out there countering all the climate change denying bots.

  10. Peter@9 I was thinking of AI ( Ai) Gore in another sense , with a fake capital G .
    [ Fiona@5 a full week is fine , 20 minutes here and there. ]

  12. Top half easier for me.

    New for me: BARRA = Hebridean island (14d).

    23d I am not a devotee of Collins but it lists this abbreviation as FT-SE 100 Index. I guess common usage is now FTSE and Collins is out of date?

  13. I jumped to BENBECULA for 14d before I got to AWAKENS. I ended up misspelling the island just to make it fit. It would have been a better answer than the voracious fish!

  14. FT-SE 100 Index is listed as an abbreviation in Collins. In Chambers we have FTSE, FT-SE 100 or FT-SE (it also gives Footsie in that context, and play footsie in another).

    New Times rules are allowing acronyms (OPEC, RADA etc) but not abbreviations. No flirting with those as yet.

  15. Another pleasant Sunday solve. I liked the zest and truffle mixture for GANANCHE, Al Gore failing to finish instructions in ALGORITHM, the MR RIGHT dreamboat, and the good anagram for ENCHANTMENT.

    Thanks Everyman and PeterO.

  16. Enjoyed this a lot. Liked HUSTLE AND BUSTLE, but ALGORITHM was my favourite for the clever construction.

    I wondered if US solvers would struggle with CLUEDO as I think the game is simply called CLUE there?

  18. First time poster, but long time reader here. Thanks as always for the blog. Although I got HUSTLE AND BUSTLE, I am struggling to see the link with business. Is that an alternate spelling for busyness, that I cannot find in an online dictionary? I see no obvious link to business’s usual meaning, but other posters seemed to like it so assume I am missing something?

  19. PRB @18 , always good to see comments from new people . The key thing is CONwoman , HUSTLE is the business carried out by confidence tricksters.
    You are right about busyness , this has the alternative spelling of business in Chambers93.

  21. Chambers/Collins are the main large single volume dictionaries for crosswords. I do not know about online , but someone may comment later with the details.
    If you want a paper copy then there are second-hand editions of Chambers available for less than £5 and in mint condition. I am on my second Chambers93 , the first fell apart after 30 years of use for crosswords .

  22. I also liked HUSTLE AND BUSTLE and ALGORITHM, didn’t much like either of the definitions for STOOD, and laughed when the penny dropped for BRAVO.

  23. I always thought ROUND ROBINS were from one to many, not from many to one/many. Or should I take it as letters from many who are too otherwise occupied to correspond with their friends on a personal basis?

  24. Pete @ 23 The original round robin was, in simplified terms a sort of written vote of confidence by, I think, a ship’s against their captain. So that he couldn’t identify the ringleader from the first signature and take reprisals it was signed round the edge so that it was impossible to see which was first. It may even have been circular (hence ‘round’).

    So it was indeed a letter to one from many.

    The twentieth century version inverted this for it to become those “Aren’t my family doing well” cliché-laden missives that used to arrive every December, so by then to many from one.

  25. Simon Hoggart used to satirise them in The Guardian , he collected them in a book – The Cat That Could Open The Fridge .

  28. A top notch Everyman. My favourites were MR RIGHT, ALGORITHM, SOOTHE, ENCHANTMENT and HUSTLE AND BUSTLE. Did query NEAT. MEAN took far too long!

    Did not know the history of Round Robins, and was of the same view as Pete@ 23, until Simon @24 explained – thanks.

    I really enjoyed the blog, PeterO, it’s very entertaining.

    Ta to PeterO and Everyman.

  29. 24ac is a poor clue. Neat vodka isn’t a screwdriver, nor any other kind of cocktail.

    6d is pretty weedy as well. Object to and have a thing about, fine, but they’re pretty weak synonyms without the trailing prepositions.

    HUSTLE AND BUSTLE raised a smile, though.

  30. Lovely homophones in this. Mr Right very enjoyable in particular.

    Maybe it’s my mucky brain, but was there some innuendo meant here? Mr Right straddled? Orifice awakens?

    A spot of hustle and bustle and footsie?

    Oo err missus!

  31. Thank you Everyman and Peter, there were several I didn’t get but this was still very enjoyable.

    I appreciate the precision of the writing in the blog, and this elegant sentence made me think of what we are losing now that we have AI language models replicating average writing rather than the best writing. “Double definition, the second being rather fanciful, and thus meriting the question mark.”

    I’m a fan of Chat GPT and use it a lot but suspect it will never produce a sentence like that.

  32. I found this a good, enjoyable Everyman, even though it was a DNF for me: I couldn’t spot CLUEDO even with all the crossers. I could cite TanTrumPet @16’s observation as a justification: where I’m from, the game is called simply “Clue”. But in fact I did know that you lot call it CLUEDO, so I should have spotted it.

    I only knew the tournament meaning of ROUND ROBIN, and I’m sorry to say my knowledge of Hebridean islands is weak, but I did manage to work out those clues anyway.

    5dn (ARSON) had the common cryptic-definition problem for me: the actual meaning was the first thing I thought of, so it didn’t seem cryptic. I’m honestly not sure what the cryptic reading is meant to be, although I guess it must be some sort of crime having to do with the e-reading device.

  33. BRAVO; HUSTLE AND BUSTLE; ALGORITHM our top picks this week. Took a coffee top-up to get through to the end but no complaints, love our Saturday brain challenge! Happy daylight savings weekend to all in Aotearoa.

  34. Had no idea daylight saving ends this weekend.

    Ok crossword, Bravo was nice, stood and neat were not. A screwdriver is a cocktail i.e. a mixture, how can it be neat?

  35. I’m with you on both of those Barrie. Didn’t find arson quite convincing either. Mr Right and tiddliest made me laugh out loud.. and hustle and bustle was pretty good too.

  36. A rather poor puzzle. I got it all out, except for screwing up “islet”. (I put in “inlet” thinking a key might be an “in let” since it lets one in. Pretty stupid really. ) Anyway, a lot of the answers were extremely wobbly. I agree with the criticisms expressed by others, e.g. neat, stood, ftse, round robins. I sill don”t get “object” meaning “have a thing”.

    Thanks to PeterO for explaiing a plausible parsing of “stood”.

  37. Did enjoy this
    On 16ac am puzzling why it’s ok to cut short every word except Al
    Thought that clue clumsy
    I thought 6d a great clue someone in my office ‘has a thing’ about how the dishwasher is stacked
    Yes agree how can a cocktail be neat — without the OJ it’s no longer a screwdriver
    But was glad to finish when I thought I wouldn’t get half way

  38. I thought this was a very pleasant stroll in the park, which conincidentally is what Sage the dog and I are in the middle of now, as I sit on a bench to read the blog. Thanks all for an entertaining interlude.

  40. Are there any accepted set of dictionaries to understand the parsing?

    Is it OED and Chambers and Collins?

    Sorry for the newbie question.

    Thanks again to the bloggers, and the one causing the blogs – you folks are fantastic.

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