The puzzle may be found at https://observer.co.uk/puzzles/everyman/article/everyman-no-4127 in the interactive form and at https://cdn.slowdownwiseup.co.uk/media/documents/obs.everyman.20251123.pdf as a pdf.
Everyman is keeping up the good work, with the usual features: the rhyming pair at 8A MAGNIFYING GLASS and 22A SNAKE IN THE GRASS; the self-reference at 24A MEAN; the geographical reference at 14A NEPAL; the one-word anagram at 14S NOSTALGIA, and the ‘primarily’ clue announced as an acronym, for an acronym, at 5D BOGOF. All of these are highlighted in the grid.
| ACROSS | ||
| 1 | ORAL |
Otherwise lying about the French exam (4)
|
| A charade of OR (‘otherwise’) plus AL, a reversal (‘lying about’; ‘lying is superfluous to the wordplay) of LA (‘the French’). | ||
| 4 | PUBS |
Round houses? (4)
|
| Cryptic definition with play on a round of drinks. | ||
| 8 | MAGNIFYING GLASS |
Detective’s helper having gang sign; family’s worried (10,5)
|
| An anagram (‘worried’) of ‘gang sign family’s’. | ||
| 11 | SIROCCO |
Gentleman, wanting company, reflected: It brings warmth (7)
|
| A charade of SIR (‘gentleman’) plus (‘wanting’) OC CO (‘company reflected’; I suppose the idea is that with a mirror one can see both the original and its reflection); a sirocco is a warm Mediterranean wind off the Sahara. | ||
| 12 | OFFENCE |
Crime of stolen goods’ receiver (7)
|
| A charade of ‘of’ plus FENCE (‘stolen goods’ receiver’). | ||
| 13 | SAMARITAN |
Airman sat about: he was once good, they say (9)
|
| An anagram (‘about’) of ‘airman sat’; a reference to the Biblical parable of the Good Samaritan. | ||
| 14 | NEPAL |
High state and somewhat saturnine pallor (5)
|
| A hidden answer (‘somewhat’) in ‘SaturnNE PALlor’; high as in the Himalayas. | ||
| 15 | AMASS |
Collect collection of glam assistants (5)
|
| A hidden answer (collection of’) in ‘glAM ASSistants’ | ||
| 16 | GLOSS OVER |
Explain away, before stint of bowling, England’s third defeat (5,4)
|
| A charade of G (‘EnGland;s third’) plus LOSS (‘defeat’) plus OVER (‘stint of bowling’ cricket, would you believe), with ‘before’ indicating the order of the particles. | ||
| 19 | SHAMPOO |
Scratching backsides of stain, low-quality bathroom product (7)
|
| SHAM[e] (‘stain’) plus POO[r] (‘low-quality’) with both words minus their last letter (‘scratching backsides’). | ||
| 21 | AT A LOSS |
Confronted with a puzzle – for no monetary gain (2,1,4)
|
| Double definition. | ||
| 22 | SNAKE IN THE GRASS |
Small, almost bald, with dignity regularly stripped, that man: tell-tale treacherer (5,2,3,5)
|
| A charade of S (‘small’) plus NAKE[d] (‘bald’) minus its last letter (‘almost’) plus INT (‘dIgNiTy regularly stripped’) plus HE (‘that man’) plus GRASS (‘tell-tale’, informer). | ||
| 23 | WEEP |
Small – minimal amount of money – sob! (4)
|
| A charade of WEE (‘small’) plus P (penny, ‘minimal amount of money’). | ||
| 24 | MEAN |
Stingy Everyman starts to audit nibbles (4)
|
| A charade of ME (‘Everyman’ as the author of this crossword) plus AN (‘starts to Audit Nibbles’. | ||
| DOWN | ||
| 2 | RAILCARDS |
Train-users’ conveniences: bars containing source of merriment (9)
|
| An envelope (‘containing’) of CARD (‘source of merriment’, an amusing person) in RAILS (‘bars’). In the UK, |
||
| 3 | LAYS OUT |
Exhibits floors (4,3)
|
| Double definition. | ||
| 4 | PONTOON |
Boat 21 (7)
|
| Double definition, the second being an alternative name for the card game. Any connection with 21A AT A LOSS is purely coincidental. | ||
| 5 | BOGOF |
Acronymic bargain offering, gratis, other fare? (5)
|
| A variant of the ‘primarily’ clue (‘acronymic’) requesting the first letters of ‘Bargain Offering Gratis Other Fare’. The slightly dubious-sounding acronym is “Buy One Get One Free”, for an &lit definition. | ||
| 6 | AMUSES |
Australian engages in deep thought; causes hilarity (6)
|
| A charade of A (‘Australian’) plus MUSES (‘engages in deep thought’). | ||
| 7 | AS WELL |
Besides a balloon (2,4)
|
| A charade of ‘a’ plus SWELL (‘balloon’). | ||
| 9 | GARAM MASALA |
Spicy mix: Frenchmen embraced by Australians: sadly, tabloid up for describing them? (5,6)
|
| A double envelope (’embraced by’ and ‘describing them’) of M M (‘Frenchmen’; M for monsieur) in A A (‘Australians’ again) in GARSALA, a reversal (‘up’ in a down light) of ALAS (‘sadly’) plus |
||
| 10 | ANNA PAVLOVA |
Dancer crashed a van twice; Opel (not electric) (4,7)
|
| An anagram (‘crashed’) of ‘a van’ plus ‘a van’ (‘twice’) plus ‘Op[e]l’ minus the E (‘not electric’). | ||
| 14 | NOSTALGIA |
Daft analogist’s rose-tinted view (9)
|
| An anagram (‘daft’) of ‘analogist. | ||
| 15 | ASSIST |
Back up donkey in pole position? (6)
|
| A charade of ASS (‘donkey’) plus IST (1st., ‘in pole position’, motorsports). | ||
| 16 | GROWN-UP |
Adult joke, curt oath, good to recall (5-2)
|
| A reversal (‘to recall’) of PUN (‘joke’) plus WOR[d] (‘oath’ – “I give you my word’) minus its last letter (‘cut’) plus G (‘good’). | ||
| 17 | ON A WHIM |
For fun, circle that guy that’s eaten pasty up (2,1,4)
|
| An envelope (‘that’s eaten’) of NAW, a reversal (‘up’ in a down light) of WAN (‘pasty’) in O (‘circle’) plus HIM (‘that guy’). | ||
| 18 | RESIST |
Confront second attempt at exam about Sweden (6)
|
| An envelope (‘about’) of S (‘Sweden’ IVR) in RESIT (‘second attempt at exam’). | ||
| 20 | PIECE |
Heard last word of Silent Night: sidearm? (5)
|
| Sounds like (‘heard’) PEACE (“Sleep in heavenly peace” ‘last word of Silent night’ – more particularly, the last word of the first verse, which may be reprised at the end). Alternative version:
|
Thanks. It was a fun puzzle.
A small correction: in 9D, “RAG” instead of “SUN” and an even smaller one: in 2D, “railcards” in place of “railcars”
Thanks for the sheet music 😆
Have a nice Sunday all.
Didn’t realise there was a version of Silent Night by John Cage! Thanks PeterO and Everyman. Am slightly miffed to find that we now have to create an account to access the Observer online. But at least they aren’t charging, which does help to mitigate my miffedness.
Good Everyman. I liked the PUBS round houses, the train-users conveniences that were RAILCARDS, GARAM MASALA with the Frenchmen embraced Australians, the GROWN-UP with his joke, and pasty that guy ate ON A WHIM.
Thanks Everyman and PeterO.
Moh @3, I avoided the account faff by following PeterO’s link to the interactive form, where you hit the pen icon and use a finger as stylus. Bit messy, but ok. Use two-fnger contact to scroll, clean up/correct with the eraser icon.
moh, 3:
Yet.
No idea why ‘treacherer’ is used in 22a instead of any of the more usual alternatives (traitor, betrayer, etc. etc.). I even had to look it up to check it wasn’t a misprint.
Thanks Ginf@5 – very neat!
Etu @6 – well, indeed. We shall have to wait and see…
MOH @3
I already had set up an account, but had to reset the password today. Then no interactive grid appeared, and I had to download the .pdf to do the puzzle. Tried again after reading Grantinfeo@5’s post, then the interactive grid appeared after a few moments delay so I could submit what appeared to be a write-in! IT, eh?
Enjoyed this one as far as I can remember, pleasantly free of obscurities. Big tick for 16a for it’s timing!
I can get this week’s pdf, but it looks like I’ll have to create an account if I want to submit my answers online and stand a chance of getting that book token.
Thanks PeterO and Everyman
It seems to me that having opened an account successfully, I am barred from using the on line solving app until I open a subscription.
Feels very much as though a lifelong friend has pulled off a mask revealing Dick Turpin. My wife thinks she can print a PDF.
A nice Everyman; I didn’t know the expression “snake in the grass” and spent much time on it. CARD I knew from another recent puzzle… thanks Everyman and PeterO!
moh, 8:
I seem to remember Private Eye, perhaps in their “Street Of Shame” column, suggesting that the likely plan was to move to that in due course.
I can’t remember the edition, I’m afraid.
It seems that if you now want to access the online Observer crosswords, you have to pay £16 or £12 a month (depending on how you pay). This of course allows access to the online paper as well.
Everyman has now disappeared behind a paywall. Pretty much to be expected, I suppose, but I won’t be subscribing so that’s the end of that little Sunday pursuit, it would appear. Mind you, their online experience wasn’t a patch on The Guardian’s. It even forced me to use an English keyboard. Most apps let you use the one you generally use (Swiss, in my case).
All fairly woeful and sad.
Bah!
Bell Alex 15:
I was invited to “register for free” today.
I did so, and I’m still able to print off the print version. Or so I was this morning.
On checking just now, all seems accessible for no charge?
I had to register today, but then was able to access the interactive crossword without paying anything. I wonder if this will remain the case?
@#16 & @#17
I was required to create an account a week ago or so and did. But today this seems to make no difference. I am encouraged to start a trial for £1 which I assume I will forget to cancel and the bills will start to arrive. No thanks. I can’t get beyond that offer to start the crossword.
It’s no real criticism. Journalists and producing a paper don’t come cheap and it’s not unreasonable to ask people to pay but other crosswords are available and I’ll just have to skip Everyman. A pity – it was about my favourite crossword.
Bell Alex 18:
Why not close/delete that account and start again with the free offer?
I found this a good puzzle, as usual there were a couple of clues that caused a fair bit of head-scratching at the end, before pennies dropped.
I too was initially taken aback by the demand to register. Having done so I was able to download the .pdf and print it out as I always did, without having to pay. I don’t care for the online entry method, I like to be able to scribble notes in the generous margins!
Good solid crossword today. Loved the references to the recent Ashes series!
No real favourites but enjoyable bring able to finish it with no quibbles.
Thanks all!
Liked many here – my faves were the short ones ; at a loss, weep, bogof and ‘as well’
But some quibbles
4ac don’t see how pub is a synonym for a round of drinks
22ac naked does not mean bald only at a stretch
Shampoo too obscure as was garam masala
I initially had ‘else’ for 1ac but could not work 2d or 4d so realised it had to be wrong
Anyway enjoyed sitting in the shade with this happy new year all !
Not bad but using Australian for A was a bit OTT.
I liked MAGNIFYING GLASS and SNAKE IN THE GRASS and SAMARITAN. Didn’t think much of 7d or 4a ( even with the question mark)
Not sure if it was an ashes reference Pip, as it was published on Nov30
Don’t like 1A with the fodder being after the reversal indicator. The WP clues ROLA or possibly OLAR. Sloppy.
As well as we did, it was a swell puzzle.
Liked a lot but troubled.by 9d Garam Marsala. The answer.was relatively gurlessable.but the parsing was so obscure. We don’t really want to be “guessing the answer from the letters” people, or do we?
Vanessa @22
4A PUB: You seem to be trying to treat the clue as a double definition, whereas it is one of the better cryptic definitions, with ’round’ as an attribute – not a synonym – of a pub; as an example, cf. “bell tower” – the tower is not a bell.
22A SNAKE IN THE GRASS: NAKED for ‘bald’ reminds me to the naked mole rat; I see nothing wrong in a less common but valid synonym – indeed setters often make such a choice as part and parcel of their cryptic armoury.