Since Everyman is in general so Ximenean I’m surprised that he allows the grid to contain two entries with less than 50% checking. But they’re long ones and perhaps it’s not really that important. The crossword as a whole was mostly very satisfactory, with the usual characteristics, which are highlighted in the grid, until I came to a little group (described below) where I found it hard to finish. I have done, but hope I’ll be told how these clues really work, for I’m not convinced.
Definitions in crimson, underlined. Indicators (homophone, hidden, containment, anagram, juxtaposition, etc) in italics. Anagrams indicated *(like this) or (like this)*. Link-words in green.
The group that slowed me down at the end was 13dn, 22dn, 23ac and 25ac. The across clues were just tricky and I got them in the end. But 13dn and to a lesser extent 22dn I’m still not convinced by.
| ACROSS | ||
| 1 | PARLIAMENTS |
Those passing laws showing regrettable paternalism (11)
|
| *(paternalism) — Everyman’s characteristic full anagram | ||
| 9 | OUT OF IT |
No longer working in computing in La-La Land (3,2,2)
|
| out of IT — out of = no longer working in (not sure exactly how, but that’s it I think), IT = Information Technology = computing | ||
| 10 | DENSEST |
Doofus on backside in comfy room with TV, as thick as can be (7)
|
| den se([Doofu]s)t — den = comfy room, set = TV | ||
| 11 | LOIRE |
French banker investing nothing in Turkish capital (5)
|
| L(0)ire — the banker is a river (as we often find in Crosswordland, because it has banks) — lire = Turkish capital (ie its currency) | ||
| 12 | EGG TIMER |
Alarm triggered by poacher? (3,5)
|
| CD where you have to see the poacher as the person or the kitchen implement which is poaching an egg | ||
| 14 | FIRST-CLASS |
Terrific group taught after the register? (5-5)
|
| In a school the register is typically taken in the morning and then the first lesson immediately follows it, so it is the first class | ||
| 15 | BRAG |
Boast of fancy clothing you’ve sent back (4)
|
| (garb)rev. — garb = fancy clothing | ||
| 17 | HYMN |
That man’s recited a song of praise (4)
|
| “him” — him = that man | ||
| 19 | ENDANGERED |
Finish up less serene and under threat (10)
|
| end angered — end = finish up, angered = less serene — or perhaps we have to read it as one phrase: ‘finish up less serene’ = ‘end angered’ — much the same, really | ||
| 21 | DISCRETE |
Unattached: that’s prudent, you say? (8)
|
| “discreet” | ||
| 23 | NEGEV |
Renege – viciously, somewhat – and desert (5)
|
| Hidden in ReNEGE Viciously | ||
| 25 | CHAPTER |
Part of society that moves the narrative along (7)
|
| 2 defs, the first one not the most obvious one, but as Collins says a chapter is a branch of a society or club, the second one referring simply to what a chapter in a book does | ||
| 26 | ARSENIC |
Races in to treat poison (7)
|
| (races in)* | ||
| 27 | ASSIDUOUSLY |
After training, son, you’d sail around America in diligent manner (11)
|
| *(s you’d sail) round US — s = son, US = America | ||
| DOWN | ||
| 1 | PITHIER |
Shorter jetty to harbour: this short (7)
|
| pi(thi[s])er — pier = jetty — disregard the colon — my first thought was ‘pettier’, which I justified as pier round [j]ett[y], with ‘this’ referring to ‘jetty’, and short indicating unsoundly that one removes both the first and last letters, but Everyman wouldn’t commit such a crime — and anyway pettier doesn’t really mean shorter | ||
| 2 | REFLECTS |
Considers what a still lake does (8)
|
| If a lake is still, ie has an unruffled surface, it will reflect | ||
| 3 | IOTA |
Greek character reading Riot Act (but not in full) (4)
|
| Hidden in RIOT Act — I don’t think Everyman would have ‘reading’ as part of the hidden, so I’ve assumed that ‘reading’ is a link-word. Rather unsatisfactory? | ||
| 4 | MADAGASCAR |
18 curtailed shipping commercial silver somewhere in Africa (10)
|
| m(ad Ag)ascar[a] — 18 is MASCARA, ad = commercial, Ag = silver, the symbol — curtailed the indicator that the last letter is missing, shipping the inclusion indicator | ||
| 5 | NONET |
The bravest trapeze artists perform with this group (5)
|
| The bravest trapeze artists perform with no net — the classical music group of nine players | ||
| 6 | STEAMER |
Boat’s second crew with sign of uncertainty (7)
|
| s team er — s = second, team = crew, er (as in ‘er’ or ‘um’) = sign of uncertainty | ||
| 7 | ROLL OF THE DICE |
Risky attempt, forced ‘hello’; it wavers (4,2,3,4)
|
| (forced hello it)* | ||
| 8 | STORAGE DEVICE |
Expressed anger after abrupt halt: electric vehicle to freeze; it’s the computer’s memory (7,6)
|
| sto[p] raged EV ice — stop = halt, raged = expressed anger, EV = electric vehicle, ice = freeze (verb) | ||
| 13 | ILL-NATURED |
Sullen Everyman’s going to drive across the countryside (3-7)
|
| ‘I’ll d’ around ‘nature’ — I’ll = Everyman’s going to, d = drive, nature = the countryside — but so far as I can see there is no entry in either Chambers or Collins telling us that d = drive — it looks as if Everyman is choosing D as a part of abbreviations like HDD (hard disc drive) or the A, B. C, or D drive in a computer, which isn’t very convincing — the self-referential clue | ||
| 16 | AGONISES |
Feels the strain, so easing off (8)
|
| (so easing)* | ||
| 18 | MASCARA |
Cosmetic with which, at first, my Aunt Agatha will conceal blemish (7)
|
| (m[y] A[unt] A[gatha]) round scar — scar = blemish | ||
| 20 | REGENCY |
Period genre recreated with hints of cravats and yestermorns? (7)
|
| (genre)* c[ravats] y[estermorns] — ‘hints of’ is a way of telling us to take the first letters — at least I don’t have to look up ‘yestermorns’, of which I’ve never heard although its meaning is clear enough | ||
| 22 | ROTAS |
After some resistance, Oscar sat up: there’s work to be done (5)
|
| R O (sat)rev. — R = resistance, O = Oscar — the definition looks a bit loose to me, but I suppose it can be seen as a summary of work having to be done | ||
| 24 | IAGO |
Primarily insidious antagonist goading Othello? (4)
|
| The first letters &lit. clue |
D is drive on a transmission console. Non-tech. Prob not in Chambers. Enjoyed the blog John, and the puzzle, thanks Everyman.
HI John, Have you got a subscription? Some of us have tried to logon, already registered, and jump through the hoops, without success, (many times in my case) with the recent changes on the Observer site. It might be a little lonely, or a ROLL OF THE DICE, but thanks for your blog.