Paul is the setter this morning.
I'm glad I got up early this morning, because in my experience, Paul puzzles take a long time to solve and almost as long to blog. The former was definitely true, although the parsing was mainly OK. This has many Paul trademarks (references to POO and GUANO, answers split across two entries, clever and witty surfaces, etc). I think I managed to parse everything, although I'm not 100% convinced by TOWEL.
I wouldn't be able to pick a favourite clue from the puzzle, but if forced, I'd plump for either HANDBAGS AT TEN PACES, VEEP and BRAISE.
Thanks, Paul, although I now doubt whether I have any mental capacity left to see me through a day at work…
| ACROSS | ||
| 1 | BABY-SIT |
Risky food passed round not later than end of Christmas – mind the sprouts! (4-3)
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BAIT ("risky food", if you are a fish, for example) passed round BY ("not later than") + [end of] (Christma)S |
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| 5 | COVFEFE |
Stupid effin’ old man’s twittering nonsense? (7)
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*(eff) [anag:stupid] in COVE (chap, or "old man") and semi &lit. Early in the morning of May 31, 2017, Donald Trump posted something on Twitter that included this obvious typo, which may have been intended to be "coverage". He removed the tweet a few hours later, but not before it had gone viral. |
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| 9 | AMIGO |
Could I be fit for comrade? (5)
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AM I GO ("could I be fit") |
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| 10 | WOLVERINE |
Gluttonous beast, cruciverbalist after missing starter opens booze (9)
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(s)OLVER ("cruciverbalist", after missing starter) opens (as in separates) WINE ("booze") |
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| 11 | SALADPLANT |
Fellow has blueprint written in day for rocket, say (5,5)
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LAD ("fellow") has PLAN ("blueprint") written in Sat. (Saturday, so "day") |
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| 12 | POOH |
Drop a log on head of hungry bear (4)
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POO ("drop a log") on [head of] H(ungry) |
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| 14 |
See 17 Down
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| 18 | ELASTOPLAST |
Possible requirement when cut in trade reversed, better finally (11)
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<=SALE ("trade", reversed) + TOP *"better") + LAST ("finally") |
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| 21 |
See 2 Down
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| 22, 16 | HANDBAGSAT TENPACES |
Steps taken after worker gets near figure in minor skirmish (8,2,3,5)
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PACES ("steps taken") after HAND ("worker") + BAGS ("gets") + AT ("near") + TEN ("figure") |
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| 25 | CHOPPED UP |
Tripped during competition – in bits (7,2)
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HOPPED ("tripped") during CUP ("competition") |
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| 26 | GUANO |
Initially gung-ho, unusually aggressive, now official is dropping matter (5)
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[initially] G(ung-ho) U(nusually) A(ggressive) N(ow) O(fficial) |
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| 27 | SHELTER |
Safeguard rank defending lieutenant (7)
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SHEER ("rank", as in "utter" or "absolute") defending Lt. (lieutenant) |
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| 28 |
See 24 Down
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| DOWN | ||
| 1 | BRAISE |
Cook sounds like an ass, did you say? (6)
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Homophone/pun/aural wordplay [did you say] of BRAYS ("sounds like an ass") |
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| 2, 21 | BRILLO PADS |
Great work and promotions for cleaners (6,4)
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BRILL ("great") + Op. (opus, so "work") + ADS ("promotions") |
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| 3 | SWORDSMITH |
Weapons manufacturer in cahoots in the end with writer (10)
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(cahoot)S [in the end] with WORDSMITH ("writer") |
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| 4 | TOWEL |
Where water might be taken, not quite drier (5)
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[not quite] TO WEL(l) ("where water may be taken") Water is taken FROM a well, but I suppose it could be argued that it is first taken to the well by an aquifer or spring? |
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| 5 | CALENDULA |
Nude dancing in ring with a marigold (9)
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*(nude) [anag:dancing] in CALL ("ring") with A |
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| 6 | VEEP |
Pence under vainglorious egomanic, evidently all kicking off – for him previously? (4)
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P (pence) under V(ainglorious) E(gomanic) E(vidently) [all kicking off] Mike Pence was the Vice-President in Trump's first stint as the US President. |
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| 7 | EPISODIC |
Serialised copies I’d adapted (8)
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*(copies id) [anag:adapted] |
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| 8 | ELEPHANT |
Charger where mobile finally rested, one having left phone plugged in (8)
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(mobil)E [finally] + LEANT ("rested"), with PH(one) ("phone" with ONE having left) plugged in |
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| 13 | ACUTE ANGLE |
A lovely fish – is that not quite right? (5,5)
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A + CUTE ("lovely") + ANGLE ("fish") |
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| 15 | LAPLANDER |
Nordic jewel’s back, and pearl lost (9)
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(jewe)L ['s back] + *(and pearl) [anag:lost] |
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| 16 |
See 22 Across
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| 17, 14 | WARDROBE MALFUNCTION |
Uncomfortable in bust after minor design failure (8,11)
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*(uncomfortable in) [anag:bust] after WARD ("minor") |
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| 19 | ASTANA |
A Kazakh__ capital in actuality? (6)
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A + (Kazakh)STAN + [capital in] A(ctually) and &lit. |
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| 20 | STROLL |
Constitutional guarantees ultimately something of a myth? (6)
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(guarantee)S [ultimately] + TROLL ("something of a myth?") |
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| 23 | DEPOT |
Store soaked up (5)
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<=TOPED ("soaked", up) |
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| 24, 28 | SPOT THEBALL |
Screwing originally, what snooker player would do in type of competition (4,3,4)
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S(crewing) [originally] + POT THE BALL ("what snooker player would do") "Spot the ball" competitions used to be a regular fixture in tabloid newspapers, but I can't recall seeing such a thing for quite a while? |
Three cheers for 17,14 .. to all intents, an &lit, although correctly split by our host, to whom, thanks, and to Paul for the workout.
Yes, I thought water would be taken from a well, but a brave attempt to justify, loonapick! WARDROBE MALFUNCTION elicited a smile.
That’s it, no more attempts at Paul puzzles for me. I threw it away after third solution, TOWEL.
Excellent imo. Clever. Needed the blog to clear up a few parsings, the check button to confirm, or not, rather too regularly and the reveal button for the Trump meme which I read on Google is some kind of acronym and that ‘a small group of people’ know exactly what he means. Well, you could say that about anything he says. But I enjoyed this puzzle very much. A big thank you to Paul. ACUTE ANGLE, the ‘minor skirmish’, and 17/14 among my favourites. Many thanks to loonapick of course.
Many thanks to loonapick for a wonderful job. Generally a tough, but fair crossword, but with one exception. I’m sorry, 5a is just not acceptable. Why not the neologisms and onomatopoeias of James Joyce next time?
Czech Rod@5 It does fit the definition perfectly though – it is a bit of twittering nonsense by a stupid effin old man!
All I can do is echo the immortal words of Artemus Ward: for those who like this sort of thing, this is the sort of thing they like. Thanks anyway to Paul, and especially to loonapick.
“Good Day M,James Bond here.I’m afraid I can’t crack the code today.Maybe we could enlist the help of a Greek interpreter because that’s what it seems to me.”
40 minute wrestle ended up with all bar 5 ac in the grid, couldn’t think of anything for it at all or even see a way into it. Couldn’t parse 1ac but had to be the only possible answer. All makes sense now. Highlights for me: 17/14 and 3. Thanks Paul and loonapick.
And I thought that 5A was just an ordinary American crossword clue. Great puzzle by Paul. I got a chuckle out of HANDBAGS AT TEN PACES which I had to Google since that phrase has not yet made it to the parts of the States where I have lived. I will have that one in my back pocket next time the occasion for use arises. I also liked 20D STROLL. Thanks to Loonapick for a great blog which cleared up the parsing I missed on 1A.
Finally, something a bit more straightforward this week, back to a standard solving duration.
I liked ELASTOPLAST, WOLVERINE, LAPLANDER and SPOT THE BALL.
Thanks Paul and Loonapick
Not as tricky as it first seemed, I enjoyed this immensely with so many clever misdirections. POOH is obviously not to everyone’s taste but it did make me chuckle. I thought WARDROBE MALFUNCTION was quite brilliant along with ELASTOPLAST, GUANO, ACUTE ANGLE, SPOT THE BALL (I remember posting my entries to the Belfast Telegraph every Saturday evening as a teenager) and HANDBAGS AT TEN PACES. BRAISE was a nice homophone and COVFEFE a shrug.
Ta Paul & loonapick.
I liked HANDBAGS and ELEPHANT for the extended mobile phone surface. Shame about TOWEL, which I didn’t see the problem with, when I solved it. I had to remind myself to trust the wordplay for COVFEFE.
Never heard the expression HATP but I found it is common, and probably originated, in commentary on soccer/football and has also been used in politics and elsewhere. Apart from the obvious, and not uncommon, custom of denigrating men for acting like women, I think it’s just plain wrong.
Has anyone seen or felt what goes in some handbags? I’d rather take my chances that someone might miss with other weapons.
I see from the comments that Paul continues to be the Marmite of setters. Personally, I always enjoy his puzzles, though I know I’ll have a struggle and need some lateral thinking. I’m not always familiar with some of the usages either, I’ve never heard ‘drop a log’ as a euphemism, but the answer brought a smile when I finally saw it. Had almost forgotten about COVFEFE so that was my LOI (perhaps more obviously nonsense than his other nonsensical utterances). BRILLO PADS was a blast from the past for me, though I suppose they still exist. Liked WARDROBE MALFUNCTION for the anagram. Thanks to Paul and loonapick.
It’s a Paul – slightly dodgy equivalences (“at” for “near”?), scatological references, something which doesn’t quite work (I’m looking at you “towel”) and a very British expression (“handbags…”). All we are lacking is a dodgy homophone because, “braise” was lovely.
If it were a Ximenes puzzle I’d enter into debates about whether something is &lit, but this is Paul who more often supplies clues where the wordplay and definition divide fairly but the wordplay also encompasses something of the answer. “Astana” and “Wardrobe Malfunction” (and “covfefe” for those who had heard of it) were superb examples.
Many thanks Paul and loonapick.
Czech Rod @5 I am sure that TATTARRATTAT featured somewhere a while ago. I think both are fine personally.
Oh, so that’s how WARDROBE MALFUNCTION parses. Thanks loonapick! Daunting at first sight, but not as impossible as it looked, though I haven’t met HANDBAGS AT TEN PACES before and struggled to identify the weapon. Favourites SPOT THE BALL, ASTANA, CALENDULA, ACUTE ANGLE and my last in, ELASTOPLAST. I agree that you don’t take water TO a well!