Another pleasing puzzle from Everyman with the usual trademark clues. I have the sense from comments in recent weeks that some of our solvers outside the UK are having difficulty accessing the Everyman puzzle, but I hope they have found a way round that so that they can contribute their thoughts on this one.
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 Biff’s one that’s odd when alone
SOCK
A dd. The second definition refers to ‘an odd sock’: the one that loses its partner in a remote part of the laundry cycle and then is mysteriously reunited with it several weeks or months later.
3 Dig in pit – bone part fragments – run away
BON APPÉTIT
(PIT BONE PA[R]T)* with ‘fragments’ as the anagrind. A reflection perhaps of British attitudes to food that the French have Bon appétit, the Spanish have ¡Que aproveche!, the Dutch have Eet smakelijk, and we have ‘dig in’.
9 Research – but seemingly no development – in S African money?
RAND
This is referencing the fact that Research and Development is often abbreviated to R&D; so this parses as R AND [D].
10 Date skin: it’s cooked for restrictive regimens
ATKINS DIET
(DATE SKIN IT)* with ‘[i]s cooked’ as the anagrind.
12 Taking forever?
KLEPTOMANIA
A cd.
15 Total including seabird’s bone
STERNUM
An insertion of TERN in SUM. The insertion indicator is ‘including’.
16 About 50 wanted to be annoyed
NEEDLED
An insertion of L in NEEDED. The insertion indicator is ‘about’.
17 Relative mostly visible with snake – let go!
UNCLASP
A charade of UNCL[E] and ASP.
19 Idolater almost concealing cunning manner of thinking
LATERAL
Hidden in IdoLATER ALmost.
20 Comic actor Rod: you led me astray
DUDLEY MOORE
(ROD YOU LED ME)* with ‘astray’ as the anagrind. A comic actor, an often profane double act with Peter Cook, but also a very gifted pianist.
23 No help – that’s scuppered contest
HEPTATHLON
(NO HELP THAT)* with ‘[i]s scuppered’ as the anagrind.
24 Fantasias describing most of humanity
ASIA
Hidden in FantASIAs.
25 Starts off nine optics
INCEPTIONS
(NINE OPTICS)* with ‘off’ as the anagrind.
26 Slice of memory: snack picked up
BYTE
Aural wordplay/soundalike (‘picked up’) for BITE.
Down
1 Deletes with a sweep of the pen – or leaves
STRIKES OUT
A dd.
2 Summit where you find a pear
CONFERENCE
Another dd. Conference is a variety of pear.
4 ‘Best’? ‘Select’? Everyman is!? Um …
OPTIMUM
A charade of OPT, I’M and UM.
5 French city’s answer: their refusal, German setter Victor rebuffed
AVIGNON
A charade of A and NON, G, I and V for the NATO alphabet ‘Victor’ all reversed.
6 Stopgap team’s assembled: it’s stuck in the corner
POSTAGE STAMP
(STOPGAP TEAMS)* with ‘assembled’ as the anagrind. Expensive business this year for those that still stick these on the corner of their Christmas cards.
7 Dog story related
TAIL
Aural wordplay/soundalike (‘related’) of TALE.
8 Lacking shred of compassion, twice cut up ballerina’s clothing
TUTU
[C]UT[C]UT reversed (‘up’, since it’s a down clue).
11 Classic song – hit – source of illumination
STANDARD LAMP
A charade of STANDARD and LAMP. SOCK in 1 across and now LAMP in this clue. There’s a bit of hitting going on today.
13 Sir, you’ll go off in magnificent style
GLORIOUSLY
(SIR YOULL GO)* with ‘off’ as the anagrind.
14 With no hint of nervousness, taunt leader that’s corrupt, corrupt
ADULTERATE
(TAU[N]T LEADER)* with ‘that’s corrupt’ as the anagrind.
18 Unwisely, I had most of pâté stir-fry
PAD THAI
(I HAD PAT[E])* with ‘unwisely’ as the anagrind.
19 Act dishonestly, getting stuffing for duvet – then do this?
LIE DOWN
A charade of LIE and DOWN, with the definition alluded to in the first part of the clue.
21 Primarily cinnamony, hot Asian infusion?
CHAI
The initial letters of the last four words of the clue and a cad.
22 Huge eerie deathcap fungi: panic, ultimately
EPIC
The last letters of the second, third, fourth and fifth words of the clue.
Many thanks to Everyman for this week’s puzzle.
The usual gentle solve but, as one of the “solvers outside the UK” Pierre alludes to, I found the puzzle hidden behind a paywall and was only able to get to it thanks to a generous contributer on here who put up a link to the .PDF wersion. Many thannks to Jay!!
The problem seems to have gone away this week, though, provided you have registered and sign in. Hope it lasts……
Thanks Everyman and Pierre
Why “forever” in 12a? Yes, it makes more sense in the surface, but I can’t see it fits the CD.
Here’s the link to this week’s PDF:
https://cdn.slowdownwiseup.co.uk/media/documents/obs.everyman.20251214.pdf
After being unable to get to last week’s puzzle online without the paywall intervening (despite being very much inside the UK), this week I got in with no problems.
muffin @2, re 12a: I read ‘forever’ as ‘continually’, as in ‘he’s forever stealing stuff’.
Thanks E & Pierre
Thanks MOH @3 – I suppose that sort of works.
[muffin @4, when I worked at the Guardian, the style guide was very insistent on the difference between ‘forever’ and ‘for ever’. The former was used in the sense, as here, of ‘continually’, as in ‘he’s forever eating chocolates’. The latter was reserved for the sense of ‘permanently’.]
[Fare thee well! and if for ever,
Still for ever, fare thee well]
Thanks for the explanation MOH @4 – I wasn’t aware of this distinction, although I read “forever” as you did. I liked the puzzle; had no idea of DUDLEY MOORE but it was the only option from the clue and the crossers. Thanks Everyman and Pierre!
Dudley Moore was an organ scholar at Magdelen (Oxford) before finding fame in Beyond The Fringe. He still make me laugh: https://youtu.be/GazlqD4mLvw?si=botbTPRdV9lvFeTU
You beat me to it, poc – I love Dud’s Colonel Bogey!
NW corner scuppered me this week – couldn’t get to KLEPTOMANIA and that might have unlocked the last couple. Thanks to Everyman and to Pierre.
I am in the UK though an admitted technophobe, and have failed miserably to access the Everyman Crossword in recent weeks. I have tried repeatedly to set a password with no success. They either time me out or refuse to recognise the reset. So I am greatly indebted to the kind contributors who send the link to the PDF version. I used it last week but it would not refresh so I had to wait till MOH #3 sent this week’s link before I could access. But unless this happens every week, I am afraid it will be goodbye to Everyman after years of acquaintance and I will have to satisfy my cruciverbalist urges with the Guardian Quiptic each Sunday.
RM @ 10
The link should work if each week you simply adjust the yyyymmdd numbers as necessary
[Rev Marjorie @10
I haven’t tried, but I suspect that you can just change the date in the title of the .pdf.
For example, the URL of today’s finishes:
obs.everyman.20251214.pdf
i.e. 2025 12 14
So next week it should be 20251221, I expect.]
Thank you Simon S #11 and muffin #12 for such prompt assistance. I did admit to technophobia but will certainly give that a try next week. My post-church Sunday relaxation can be restored!
Here’s an alternative clue for KLEPTOMANIA: ‘Pinching problem is a trousering issue.’ No? OK, I’ll leave it to the experts!
Big Maz @14
How about:
Taking cooked pink oatmeal
I can’t find the rhyming pair this week. Any thoughts?
CH @ 16
Assuming you are talking about 4129 (you shouldn’t be talking about 4130 till next Sunday) it’s POSTAGE STAMP and STANDARD LAMP.
Oh, obviously. Didn’t spot that pair. Thank you.
s I’ve said before, I have no problems accessing the crossword directly from the URL and adding 1 to the end number each week. Today’s is https://observer.co.uk/puzzles/everyman/article/everyman-no-4130
Here in NZ we (well, I anyway) wait patiently for the newspaper to arrive and solve it unelectronically.
Rather enjoyed today’s. 4 and 5D were a bit silly and it felt slightly anagrammy but better than some Everyman of recent weeks.
Pete n Dud were irreverently very funny.
Great brain workout on a wet n windy Saturday morning, mid summer here in Tamaki Makarau. KLEPTOMANIA and STANDARD LAMP top picks here.
Take care everyone in Aotearoa NZ, thinking of all those affected by the shocking weather this week.
Thanks Everyman for some much-needed distraction .
Kleptomania was my favourite too, here in Ohinerau Remuera Tamaki Makaurau Auckland Aotearoa New Zealand 😉
Failed on TAIL so didn’t get Bon Appetit. Dig in is not In my vocabulary.
I liked Dudley Moore ( twice over) KLEPTOMANIA, HEPTATHLON, ATKINS DIET and NEEDLED
Really good puzzle this week. Nice start to a holiday Monday.