All the usual trademarks present in this week’s Everyman, accompanied by an apology from me for a slightly late blog.
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 ‘Not fully overhead?’ I’m never overhead!
RHEA
Hidden in oveRHEAd. And a belated Obligatory Pierre Bird Link. The rhea is a South American species, distantly related to the African ostrich and the Australian emu. It’s also known as a nandu, which comes from ñandú guazu in Tupi, meaning ‘big spider’. And of course its main characteristic, shared with its African and Australian cousins and alluded to in the clue, is that it is flightless.
4 Resistance units reported in East End residences
OHMS
A Cockney would allegedly pronounce HOMES as OHMS, so an aural wordplay clue.
8 Bob vs. his uncle, pray
HOPE AGAINST HOPE
A whimsical cd, referencing the comedian Bob Hope.
11 (60% of 3 + 80% of 50) … careful!
THRIFTY
A charade of THR[EE] and [F]IFTY.
12 After degree, fellow ran off, perplexed
BAFFLED
A charade of BA, F and FLED.
13 Not to be sniffed at?
ODOURLESS
A cd.
14 Somewhat inconspicuous, a voyeur in hotel
SAVOY
Hidden in inconspicuouS A VOYeur.
15 Took another exam in Weaponry From The East
RESAT
A reversal (‘from the East’) of TASER.
16 Nominates Liberal for Midwestern state
MINNESOTA
(NOMINATES)* with ‘liberal’ as the anagrind.
19 Relative, crazy; looking back, not so crazy
STABLER
A reversal of REL and BATS.
21 Rats in pasturage
GRASSES
A dd.
22 Employer of Rod on break – getting paid while idle
MONEY FOR OLD ROPE
(EMPLOYER OF ROD ON)* with ‘break’ as the anagrind.
23 Brother, that is mild cheese!
BRIE
A charade of BR and IE for id est.
24 Hypothesis: Everyman cherished …? Not entirely
IDEA
A charade of I and DEA[R]
Down
2 Far-sighted? Not good: reckless, reckless
HEADFIRST
(FARSI[G]HTED)* with ‘reckless’ as the anagrind.
3 Wanting volume, navy seal overturned study
ANALYSE
(NA[V]Y SEAL)* with ‘overturned’ as the anagrind.
4 Books a vehicle in Clapham
OMNIBUS
A dd. The reference is to ‘the man on the Clapham omnibus’.
5 Car exam: providing figure
MOTIF
A charade of MOT and IF.
6 ‘Hullo, I see no weeding tool’, you say?
WHAT HO
Aural wordplay (‘you say’) for WHAT HOE?
7 Excuse me, Doris – boom!
HEYDAY
A charade of HEY and DAY.
9 Spooner’s report of rugby somewhere in Trinidad
PORT OF SPAIN
A Spoonerism of SPORT OF PAIN, which is certainly one description of a game of rugby, of either code.
10 Unaware of Victor – too bilious, seething
OBLIVIOUS TO
(V TOO BILIOUS)* with ‘seething’ as the anagrind.
14 Elks added to resort: run!
SKEDADDLE
(ELKS ADDED)* with ‘to resort’ as the anagrind.
15 Take back précis
RESUME
A dd. The second version would have to have an acute accent at the end.
16 Hurt and depressed, English playwright
MARLOWE
A charade of MAR, LOW and E.
17 Drops of (not exclusively) gin, rosso, orange … naturally, ice!
NEGRONI
The initial letters of the last seven words of the clue, and a cad.
18 Regularly panics elders, displaying divisions in Church
AISLES
The even letters of pAnIcS eLdErS.
20 Blanket for quail in nest?
LAYER
A cd cum dd.
Many thanks as always to Everyman for this week’s puzzle.
A great Everyman; had too look up WHAT HO (and came across this video). Particularly liked HOPE AGAINST HOPE. I’m surprised at no link for RHEA but I guess Pierre is a bit short of time at the moment; thanks Everyman and Pierre!
Thank you. This was a much better and tighter Everyman than last week.
Thank you Pierre. You’re so welcome and appreciated whenever you’re able. Just a tweak to the blog for Oblivious. No underlining of Victor in the definition which you’ve made clear in the explanation.
I liked RHEA, the flightless bird, and the resistance in Cockney OHMS.
Strange mix of eras in the cultural references in HEYDAY. I got Doris DAY straight off, being of that vintage. Took me some time to get HEY for Excuse me.
Never heard of HOPE AGAINST HOPE but figured it out using crossers. Couldn’t parse NEGRONI, didn’t realise it was an acrostic. Similarly, RHEA was LOI, simply couldn’t see it. And I was away on holiday lol!
The OPBL is now added, Layman. Thank you for the prompt.
Loved a lot of these but I really do not think resume means take back!
Enjoyable puzzle.
Emma@6 I also wondered about resume = take back and found this example in my dictionary which made it work for me:
– resume = take or put on again: the judge resumed his seat.