The usual accessible cryptic from Everyman, with all the trademark elements included. I have nothing more to add, but I’m sure we’ll hear what the regulars and new contributors thought.
Abbreviations
cd cryptic definition
dd double definition
cad clue as definition
(xxxx)* anagram
anagrind = anagram indicator
[x] letter(s) removed
definitions are underlined
Across
1 Day in a western state: or 54 southern ones
AFRICA
An insertion of FRI in A and CA for California. The insertion indicator is ‘in’.
5 Tax idiots, son
ASSESS
A charade of ASSES and S. ‘All empty properties will be assessed/taxed at 45%.’
8 Heap sitting coiled?
SPAGHETTINI
(HEAP SITTING)* and a cad. My last one in; couldn’t see it for ages.
11 Was that infuriating? Don’t be ridiculous
ARE YOU MAD
A kind of dd.
12 In the direction of Kentucky, reaching old capital
TOKYO
A charade of TO, KY and O.
13 In bed, Sally’s twisted
BRAIDED
An insertion of RAID in BED. The insertion indicator is ‘in’.
14 Ernest rang Ethel – a little odd
STRANGE
Hidden in ErneST RANG Ethel.
15 Propriety, almost ideal!? Complete mess!
MODESTY
A charade of MODE[L] and STY.
17 ‘Hardly commercial’, describing episode in paper
NOTEPAD
An insertion of EP in NOT AD. The insertion indicator is ‘describing’.
20 Once more, fortify bottom before getting married
REARM
A charade of REAR and M.
21 Ban #8
BLACK BALL
A dd. The second reference is to the game of pool. The octothorpe is referencing the number: the 8-ball in pool is the black ball.
22 Twitching poet to board warship
TORPEDO BOAT
(POET TO BOARD)* with ‘twitching’ as the anagrind.
23 Trump, snubbed, is to be arrested: that’s stating the obvious
TRUISM
An insertion of IS in TRUM[P]. The insertion indicator is ‘to be arrested’.
24 Wanting some, dreaming of erstwhile errand-boys?
GOFERS
Hidden in dreaminG OF ERStwhile.
Down
2 Couple on extreme diet getting increasingly nippy
FASTER AND FASTER
A dd cum cd.
3 Where letters are sorted (to put it briefly)
IN A WORD
Another dd cum cd.
4 In regrettable manner, May lashed out
ASHAMEDLY
(MAY LASHED)* with ‘out’ as the anagrind. She was never one to lash out as PM, but has been getting exercised in the Lords recently about the Assisted Dying Bill.
5 Pretended to have served well with time invested
ACTED
An insertion of T in ACED. The insertion indicator is ‘with … invested’.
6 Nightcap perhaps when retiring – retired with some Bass?
SNIFTER
A reversaL if RET and FINS, which would be part of a bass the fish rather than the beer. SNIFTER is a bit outdated these days, I fancy; I always associate it with Dennis Thatcher, who was known for taking one or two before bedtime.
7 Cover wounds with this lipstick – strange, strange
STICKING PLASTER
(LIPSTICK STRANGE)* with ‘strange’ as the anagrind.
9 Primarily, cannelloni; alternatively, rye bread?
CARB
The initial letters of the last four words of the clue and a cad.
10 Went on horseback where you may travel loudly
RODE
Aural wordplay (‘loudly’) for ROAD.
14 Collective musical activity getting ganglions tingling
SINGALONG
(GANGLIONS)* with ‘tingling’ as the anagrind.
15 Bare Everyman: concerning!
MERE
A charade of ME and RE.
16 They carry swords in aquariums – no question that’s dodgy
SAMURAI
(A[QU]ARIUMS)* with ‘dodgy’ as the anagrind.
18 Remove parody
TAKE OFF
A dd.
19 Crossword setter ran flipping fancy food emporium
DELI
A charade of I and LED reversed.
21 Display of delight about river fish
BREAM
An insertion of R in BEAM. The insertion indicator is ‘about’.
Many thanks to Everyman as always for this week’s puzzle.
Thank you Pierre. Pretty fair crossie this week I thought.
Liked the surfaces for SINGALONG and FASTER AND FASTER. Not at all sure what the surface of REARM is alluding to.
NOTEPAD was LOI. Trying to shoehorn OPED. Had forgotten EP for episode and not.happy about the definition paper.
[Remembered to select all and copy this morning Oz time. The site is playing up something special, but it may be running programs overnight UK time. As Admin/kenmac has asked, we just need to be a little patient.]
paddymelon @1 I agree about the definition being poor for 17. A notepad by definition has multiple pieces of paper surely? I had also parsed it differently as “NOT PAID” minus the I for “hardly commercial” and then E for episode inserted (but I think Pierre has it right and I was off beam there).
Thanks to Everyman & Pierre.
Liked AFRICA, SPAGHETTINI, FASTER AND FASTER and IN A WORD.
Thanks Everyman and Pierre.
REARM
paddymelon@1
Strengthening the glutes? Not sure what the surface says. Someone
will get to the bottom of it.
Is anyone else doubtful about the definition for 1? I agree that Africa has 54 ‘(fully recognised sovereign) states’ but they are very definitely not all ‘southern’; a whole heap of them are north of the equator. Or is this a piece of crosswordland convention I have not run across before?
KVa@4. 🙂
GrahamInSydney@5
AFRICA
I think your point is valid. Despite having lived in Africa (just north of the equator) for a few years,
it hadn’t occurred to me that the def was not accurate.
(Is there an acceptable explanation for the ‘southern’?).
GIS@5 and KVa@7. There have been several clues where Everyman’s sense of geographical awareness has been questioned. This may be another example. Funny, as these are one of his trademark clues.
Does ‘southern’ just mean ‘south of the UK’?
The ‘Global South’ is a generic term for less developed countries regardless of latitude.
Failed to get “black ball” for 21A. I guessed it was “black mail”, even though that’s one word usually, but couldn’t make sense if it!
I agree with both KVa@9 and angus@10 and maybe Everyman simply meant southern hemisphere.
Sorry – @ 9, I meant regardless of latitude °N/S
Hi everyone,
Amateur Everyman enthusiast here who wants to ask about the move to the Observer. Me and hubby are finding the new interface really tiresome with no anagram helper as well as several other buggy bits. Reading some of the comments on this website it seems as though they are aware the UI isn’t great, but is there a way I can submit my detailed list of grievances to them? Working in tech myself I know they nothing gets done without specifics – and I have a bunch of them to provide. I acknowledge I am probably asking this in the wrong place but did search this website and couldn’t find anywhere else where I could ask so please redirect me if needed.
Angel @14 – you may have better luck posting your question on the General Discussion thread (under the “Share Your Thoughts” menu item). Very few people read the individual crossword blogs more than a day after they are published.
Thank you! I couldn’t see how to post there but after your comment took another look and found out I had to scroll to the bottom. All posted Cheers!
I don’t understand 13a. Why raid for sallys ?
@Holly Anderson
Sally can mean to raid an enemy territory. Sometimes the setter will use a capital letter in the clue . Also , a setter may use an apostrophe “s” after a clue word.
1A: Ca is the western state and so the 54 southern ones are relative to Ca – as the clue reads. It works geographically. The most southern latitude of California is 32.5°N and although Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia and Libya have land north of 32.5°N, they all have land south of 32.5°N. So, Everyman is more correct than has been suggested.
Too many silly clues and dodgy definitions today.
I agree with Barrie@20. Found this puzzle basically impossible. Got it all out, barring one error, but with very heavy use of wildcard dictionaries,
I put “branded” rather than “braided” for 13 across, thinking of Sally Rand for Sally. That of course doesn’t really fit with “twisted”.
I’m sorry you didn’t like it Barrie – I found it fun. Liked ARE YOU MAD, BLACK BALL, REARM, MODESTY.
There seems to be a lot of discussion about 1A – just my luck that I recently watched a Chaser with how man states are in Africa !
For NZH readers today’s Styx is quite good.