An entertaining puzzle from Pangakupu to accompany the festive preparations
As usual from this setter, a nice variety of clue types, with neat constructions and meaningful surfaces, raising a few smiles. My favourites were 11ac SCHOOL TERM, 22ac UNREST, 23ac CARMELITES, 24,10 MUTE SWAN, 4dn ORPHEUS, 6dn GENTRIFIER, 13dn AGRONOMIST and 18dn BESOTTED.
As usual, I will leave it to those who have some idea of what they are looking for to hunt down the customary Nina.
Many thanks to Pangakupu for an enjoyable puzzle – and my best wishes for a very Happy Christmas to everyone who will be celebrating it.
Definitions are underlined in the clues.
Across
8 Bit of drink to convey threat to Aussie, supposedly (4,4)
DROP BEAR
DROP (bit of drink) + BEAR (convey)
I’d never heard of this creature and was fascinated by what I found out – ‘supposedly’, because it’s a hoax
9 Glimpse gold-plated seat missing rear (6)
APERCU
PERC[h] (seat, minus its last letter – missing rear) in AU (‘gold-plated’)
11 Son unenthusiastic about hospital call when he should be studying? (6,4)
SCHOOL TERM
S (son) + COOL (uninterested) round H (hospital) + TERM (call, as a verb)
12 Very, very good occupying tavern, but to no effect (2,4)
IN VAIN
V (very) + A1 (very good) in INN (tavern)
14 Interplay of tide and dune not checked (8)
UNEDITED
An anagram (interplay) of TIDE and DUNE
15 Draw US lawyer to right law (7)
ATTRACT
ATT (attorney – US lawyer) + R (right) + ACT (law)
17 Conservative guy, not too bright, seen around Republican festival (7)
CHRIMBO
C (Conservative) + HIMBO (guy, not too bright) round R (Republican) – a jorum for me: with very little confidence, I looked up HIMBO and found ‘an attractive but empty-headed young man’ – obvious now, of course: a male bimbo
I wouldn’t ever use CHRIMBO but, if I did, I wouldn’t include an h – it’s in Collins but not Chambers
20 Trick sign containing Government name (8)
COGNOMEN
CON (trick) round G (Government) + SIGN (omen)
22 Rector intervening in University accommodation protest? (6)
UNREST
R (rector) in U NEST (University accommodation)
23 Nuns and monks initially among the very best groups of motorists? (10)
CARMELITES
M[onks] in CAR ELITES (fancifully, the very best groups of motorists)
There are also Carmelite monks
24, 10 Trumpeter’s accessories provided by pale relative of trumpeter? (4,4)
MUTE SWAN
MUTES (trumpeter’s accessories) + WAN (pale) – a clever clue: see here for an explanation of the definition
25 What Admiral’s found in hold? (6)
NELSON
Double definition – a nelson is a hold in wrestling
26 Good for France, back under governance – such as the aristocracy? (8)
ENNOBLED
A reversal (back) of BONNE (good for France) + LED (under governance)
Down
1 Fishing accessory, crude, left covered by overturned canvas (5,3)
TRAWL NET
RAW (crude) + L (left) in a reversal (overturned) of TENT (canvas)
2 Tournament going ahead, accommodating training during 11? (4)
OPEN
ON (going ahead) round PE (Physical Education – training during SCHOOL TERM)
3 Common sense in scripture lessons supported by a disciple (6)
REASON
RE (Religious Education – scripture lessons) + A SON (a disciple)
4 Classic musician’s musical work twice interrupted by King and ambassador (7)
ORPHEUS
R (king) and HE (His / Her Excellence – ambassador) – separately, in OPUS (musical work)
5 Comment about a new central heating that uses very small components (8)
NANOTECH
NOTE (comment) round A N (a new) + CH (central heating)
6 Information provided in Rhineland city for ‘improver’ of community (10)
GENTRIFIER
GEN (information) IF (provided) in TRIER (Rhineland city)
7 Gain account with regret (6)
ACCRUE
ACC (account) + RUE (regret)
13 Someone skilled in the field – and margins too, possibly (10)
AGRONOMIST
An anagram (possibly) of MARGINS TOO
16 Understand policy about introduction of military service (8)
COMPLINE
COP (understand) round M[ilitary] + LINE (policy)
18 Desperately in love, French are excessive in sexual activity (8)
BESOTTED
ES (French for are, second person singular) + OTT (excessive) in BED (sexual activity)
19 Second article all but elsewhere (7)
ANOTHER
AN (article) + THER[e] (elsewhere, all but)
Edit: A + NOT HER(e) – thanks, KVa @3
21 Sanctioned ‘natter’ to turn up in dictionary (6)
OKAYED
A reversal (to turn up, in a down clue) of YAK (natter) in OED (Oxford English Dictionary)
22 Bear’s second to enter water (6)
URSINE
S (second) in URINE (water)
24 Way of working ascribed to American musician (4)
MOBY
MO (modus operandi – way of working) + BY (ascribed to)
How did 8a fail to jump out at me ? After all, it is what they are supposed to do around here
Another tough one, the Guardian aren’t getting in the Xmas spirit with some simple solves.
Enjoyed CHRIMBO (although I do roll my eyes when people say it), DROP BEAR and MUTE SWAN.
Spotted toronga koporo on the 1st and 11th row which Google tells me means extension cord. I guess that’s something Christmassy. There may be a better translation or more to it but will leave that to those with the slightest inkling of knowledge about the Māori language.
Thanks Eileen and Pangakupu.
Merry Christmas to everyone at fifteensquared as well.
ANOTHER
Could it be like this?
A+NOT HER(e)
Thanks Pangakupu and Eileen
I think you’re right, KVa – I wasn’t too happy with that one. No wonder: I hadn’t accounted for the O! I’ll amend now.
CARMELITES, MUTE SWAN and AGRONOMIST my podium today. Thanks to KVa for parsing ANOTHER, to setter for the puzzle and to Eileen for the blog. Happy Christmas all
I’m feeling smug this morning because I spotted toron*a and thought if that’s a Maori word the missing letter is probably G. That gave me gentrified and opened up the remainder for me.
Unfortunately google gave me possible meanings being intestines, spindle, or conflagration. The latter was maoridictionary.co.nz, so that seems likely. I’ll have to await pangakupu’s explanation of a link to the next number.
Had to reveal three answers. Not even the magic cup of green tea could help me see the solutions. No complaints though – all three were fairly clued.
I did get CHRIMBO without fully parsing, thank you to Eileen for introducing me to the word HIMBO. Well, I say thank you . . . 😊.
The online Maori dictionary I’m looking at has log as a translation of kopora and burning for toronga, which would give us a festive symbol.
Thanks to Pangakupu and Eileen
Thanks staticman @2 – I didn’t spot koporo. That seems to mean log so with my previous comment we presumably have conflagration log. Maybe Yule log? Perhaps it’s not numeric this time.
I think we’re up to 43 for Pangakupu’s Guardian cryptics, and he did comment he was researching the number after 42 and life, the universe and everything. I got “extension lead” too, which didn’t make sense.
Fun puzzle, thank you to Eileen and Pangakupu.
Pangakupu has commented about 43 on the Guardian site.
Thanks for explanation of ANOTHER: I had it as AN OTHER, but I wasn’t happy with the OTHER.
Thanks P for the crossword.
Thanks P and E. Meri Kirihimete!
Thanks Pangakupu and Eileen
CHRIMBO is a horrid word, and I too have only seen it without the H. Apart from that, an enjoyable puzzle, with CARMELITES favourite.
I had never heard of a DROP BEAR. I wonder if they were inspired by the jagulars in Winnie-the-Pooh? (“I’m looking down!”)
I’m Australian but DROP BEAR was new to me!
Also new for me: CHRIMBO (and I’m not surprised it is not a popular word); MOBY = American musician.
I could not parse the BO=not too bright bit of 17ac – oh I see, I never heard of HIMBO before, very funny 😉 I had only got as far as C+R in HIM = guy. And I see that I did not parse 19d correctly.
But where is Maskerade‘s Bank Holiday Special? What has happened ?
There’s *a* Christmas Crossword here
It’s has a ‘special’ address but isn’t showing on the Specials page for me – a pal found it by googling.
Caroline @15: try Araucaria’s 21×21 2012 offering ( prize 25826 ) …
[Me @13
I’ve just seen that today is the 100th anniversary of the publication of the first Pooh story.]
18d, I question whether ‘are’ can be described as second person singular; in English the second person singular, although archaic, is ‘art’ (which would actually make an interesting clue).
Enjoyed this aside from the repugnant C(H)RIMBO, but have nho DROP BEAR and the crossers were no help. I liked COGNOMEN, SCHOOL TERM, MUTE SWAN and APERCU among others.
As Trier is some 130 km from the Rhine and on the River Mosel, it’s a bit of a stretch to call it a Rhineland city. Yes, it’s in the state of Rheinland-Pfalz, but nobody in Germany would describe the Mosel valley as “the Rhineland”. Surely Pangakupu has exceeded geographical cryptic licence here!
Excellent puzzle from one of my favourite setters. Another that hadn’t heard of DROP BEAR, I liked MUTE SWAN, CARMELITES, NELSON and GENTRIFIER. The explanation for 43 is actually quite disappointing but perhaps he finally painted himself into a corner. Merry Xmas all.
Ta Pangakupu & Eileen as ever.
Togs @19
18d, I question whether ‘are’ can be described as second person singular
I don’t understand: French ‘tu es’ = English ‘you (singular) are’, surely?
I’m glad to see that others share my revulsion re C(H)RIMBO.
vicktim @21
I thought that, but Wiki says “It is one of the five “central places” of the state of Rhineland-Palatinate.”
[I’ve been there. Well worth a visit. (A friend from Cologne had arranged our visit and a place to stay. She told us “it’s very cheap and clean, but there’s no ensuite”. When we got there, we discovered we were staying in a monastery!)]
Muffin@24
I love Wiki, but calling Trier “central” to the Rhineland is imaginative, as it is almost in Luxembourg!
Incidentally, a friend and I stayed in the very same accommodation a few years ago. I seem to remember being woken early by bells.
Our black10s are far from 24, and are famous for (sort of) helping Popper falsify “All 10s are white”. Meanwhile, a bit surprised– as one of the putatively threatened — that I’d nho drop bear. Nhho Chrimbo, otoh, was no surprise at all. Quite fun, ta Eileen and Panga, and Season’s best to all.
NHO DROP BEAR, CHRIMBO (ugh), MOBY or COMPLINE, – had to look up all of these. Other than that, very enjoyable as usual with Pangakupu. I even guessed that “toronga koporo” refers to Yule Log before looking up his answer in the Guardian, though I’d failed to understand its relation to 43. Liked CARMELITES, SCHOOL TERM, ORPHEUS, ENNOBLED and many others.
Further to muffin@24, the wiki entry for Rhineland also lists Trier. Thanks Pangakupu and Eileen!
Glad to learn about the drop bear. In Liverpool, it’s Chrimbo every year, I can assure you.
Defeated by NHO Chrimbo and the parsing for nanotech (CH for central heating, is that a thing?). But lots of fun with the inconvenient hospital call and the car elite!
Thanks Eileen and Pangakupu, and meri Kirihimete!
Comment #30
An exercise in futility best describes this mess.Thanks for nothing!
This was a relief after yesterday, and I had all the requisite GK (and not-so-G K). As a pom I had been warned about the drop bears – both as a threat, and as a hoax played on visiting poms.
Chrimbo strikes me as a particularly Melbourne (Melbo?) piece of slang where, it seemed on my visits there, almost anything could be shortened in the same way, e.g. ambo for ambulance. I’m pretty sure we have some Melbourne residents here who can comment?
COMPLINE and COGNOMEN were the new ones for me. I wouldn’t use CHRIMBO myself, but to take offence to it is setting the tolerance level quite low considering 99% of what is happening in the world.
Thanks to MVP KVa for sorting out ANOTHER. I liked OKAYED, ENNOBLED and ORPHEUS.
Thanks Pangakupu and Eileen.
Happy Crimbo everyone, and humbug if that’s your preference! 🎄😄 Ha! Emojis too, English is dead!
Crocodile Dundee @31
Please see ‘Site Policy’ under ‘Policies’ at the top of this page.
Why in 18D is bed used to mean sexual activity?
I go to bed every night, to sleep!!
CHRIMBO had to go in without parsing, so my thanks to Eileen for the explanation. What with that, MOBY and DROP BEAR, Pangakupu seems to be nudging the Graun’s crosswords away from their old happy hunting grounds of cricket, Oxbridge and small English towns.
(Drop bears I knew from Terry Pratchett’s The Last Continent.)
Thanks both!
Nice puzzle, nice blog.
Ed@35 Take someone to bed, maybe?
I know about Drop Scones, Drop(ped) Catches, costly ones by the current England team Down Under. But have never come across a Drop Bear. Nor did I know COGNOMEN. And I’m another who winces rather at the mention of the word C(H)RIMBO. Just like yesterday, I didn’t solve many today. But I did read up about John Halpern (aka Paul for his Guardian puzzles) meanwhile and he seems a really good egg, if I may describe him so. Endlessly proficient and imaginative, seems a shame he sometimes gets vilified on here.
Hoping everyone who contributes on here and has added to my own personal daily pleasure and knowledge has a good festive time of it over the next few/several days…
Calabar Bean@29: CH is often used in estate agents’ descriptions:
“A stunning 2-bedroom house, in a much sought-after location, with an incredible view over the thriving epicentre of Shepton Mallet. Double glazing throughout, water from its own well, and full gas CH.”
Great puzzle except that I had to reveal CHRIMBO – truly horrible!
muffin’s Pooh link hit a paywall,too bad. Thanks anyway, muffin.
Where is the explanation for Pangakapu’s 43?
Thanks, Pangakapu and Eileen — and, Eileen, I hope your day with the Christmas trees went well — I think I recall that you help with a tree festival this time of year?
I hope everybody’s December 25 is an outstanding day whether or not you celebrate the holiday.
[Valentine @41
That’s odd – it was a BBC news item. Can you usually see those?]