The puzzle may be found (behind a paywall) in interactive form at https://observer.co.uk/puzzles/everyman/article/everyman-no-4143 ,or as a pdf at https://cdn.slowdownwiseup.co.uk/media/documents/obs.everyman.20260315.pdf.
We have the usual Everyman trademarks, the rhyming pair at 2D CLARIFIED BUTTER and 7D MIND IN THE GUTTER; the self reference (going beyond his frequent self-deprecation) at 5A ASSUME; the geographic reference at 8A ARCTIC OCEAN, and the ‘primarily’ clue at 19D SESH, all highlighted in the grid. Perhaps we might add the repetitions in the clue for 21A GOLF CLUBS – it is a device he has used before.
| ACROSS | ||
| 1 | ICARUS |
A little vicar used to be high-flier (for a while) (6)
|
| A hidden answer (‘a little’) in ‘vICAR USed’. Even if you know about Daedalus and Icarus, you might well, like the peasants in the picture, not be aware of his presence in Landscape with the fall of Icarus attributed to Pieter Breughel the Elder. Icarus is the pair of flailing legs splashing down in the lower right corner of the painting.
|
||
| 5 | ASSUME |
Take as read: Everyman first and foremost twit; secondarily, buffoon (6)
|
| A charade of ASS (‘twit’) plus U (‘secondarily bUffoon’) plus ME (‘Everyman’), with ‘first and foremost’ indicating the order of the particles. | ||
| 8 | ARCTIC OCEAN |
Much water wanting vigorous aeration, carbon thrice (6,5)
|
| … and a lot of ice. An anagram (‘vigorous’) of ‘aeration’ plus CCC (chemical symbol, ‘carbon thrice’). | ||
| 11 | WHITE FLAG |
Ashen prisoner accepting fine, showing sign of submission (5,4)
|
| An envelope (‘accepting’) of F (‘fine’) in WHITE (‘ashen’) plus LAG (‘prisoner’). | ||
| 12 | SEIZE |
Take control of waters, as dictated (5)
|
| Sounds like (‘as dictated’) SEAS (‘waters’). | ||
| 13 | MOISTEN |
Perhaps lick fourth of stamps: it’s one that’s damaged (7)
|
| A charade of M (‘fourth of staMps’) plus OISTEN, an anagram (‘that’s damaged’) of ‘it’s one’; or, if you like, one big anagram. | ||
| 14 | NON-STOP |
Steadily, at pool table, sinks last of seven … on … on a roll (3-4)
|
| A reversal (‘on a roll’) of POTS (‘at pool table, sinks’) plus N (‘last of seveN‘).plus ‘on’. | ||
| 15 | REDACTS |
Censors in Communist legislation (7)
|
| A charade of RED (‘Communist’) plus ACTS (‘legislation’). | ||
| 17 | BUCKETS |
Receptacles for pelts (7)
|
| Double definition, the second a verb, rains heavily. | ||
| 20 | WOUND |
Tightened injury (5)
|
| Double definition. | ||
| 21 | GOLF CLUBS |
Where Woods would use woods – or woods? (4,5)
|
| Double definition, the first a reference to Tiger Woods, and the second an indication by example. | ||
| 22 | TALENT SCOUT |
I’m seeking that special someone in foreign consulate, time and time again (6,5)
|
| An anagram (‘foreigh’) of ‘consulate’ plus T T (‘time and time again’). | ||
| 23 | ERRATA |
Mistakes rare at resorts (6)
|
| An anagram (‘re-sorts’) of ‘rare at’. | ||
| 24 | ROSTRA |
Extract of intro’s transcribed as lecturers talk here (6)
|
| A hidden answer (‘extract of’) in ‘intRO’S TRAnscribed’. | ||
| DOWN | ||
| 2 | CLARIFIED BUTTER |
Explained: goat maybe ingredient for frying (9,6)
|
| A charade of CLARIFIED (‘explained’) plus BUTTER (‘goat maybe’). Clarified butter, with milk solids removed, better withstands high heat, and thus is more generally suitable for frying than plain butter. | ||
| 3 | RICHEST |
Most intense potpourri chests will contain (7)
|
| A hidden answer (‘will contain’) in ‘potpourRI CHESTs‘. | ||
| 4 | SKI-PLANES |
Avoid narrow streets in cold-weather vehicles (3-6)
|
| A charade of SKIP (‘avoid’) plus LANES (‘streets’). | ||
| 5 | ALONG |
By the side of a pine (5)
|
| A charade of ‘a’ plus LONG (‘pine’, verb). | ||
| 6 | STEP-SON |
Relative in cowboy hat having change of heart (4-3)
|
| STETSON (‘cowboy hat’) with its middle letter amended (‘having change of heart’). | ||
| 7 | MIND IN THE GUTTER |
Rude intent might – possibly – give you this? (4,2,3,6)
|
| An anagram (‘possibly’) of ‘rude intent might’. | ||
| 9 | SWIM |
Small worm, exhausted, clenching – first to crawl? (4)
|
| A charade of S (‘small’) plus WIM, an envelope (‘clenching’) of I (number one, ‘first’) in WM (‘WorM exhausted’). The question mark is there for the indication by example. | ||
| 10 | KEEP |
Tower: look up (4)
|
| A reversal (‘up’ in a down ligt) of PEEK (‘look’). | ||
| 14 | NEBULISER |
Spray blue rinse all over the place (9)
|
| An anagram (‘all over the place’) of ‘blue rinse’. | ||
| 15 | ROWS |
Disputes files (4)
|
| Double definition. | ||
| 16 | CEDILLA |
Provençal character? (7)
|
| Cryptic definition: it is the twiddly bit under the C in ‘Provençal. | ||
| 18 | CYCLOPS |
Monster, one I only mentioned? (7)
|
| ‘One I only’ sounds like (‘mentioned’) ONE EYE ONLY. | ||
| 19 | SESH |
Primarily slangy expression signifying hangin’? (4)
|
| First letters (‘primarily’) of ‘Slangy Expression Sighifying Hangin’, with an &lit definition for a colloquial abbreviation of session (but hangin’ may be a bit of a stretch). | ||
| 21 | GENOA |
Are you familiar with that woman delivered in Italian port? (5)
|
| If spoken sloppily, it might sound like (‘delivered’) “d’you know her” (‘are you familiar with that woman’). |
Thank you, PeterO, I needed your explanations for a couple of the answers. The rest was fairly plain sailing.
I’ve managed to find the puzzle each week since the Observer changed hands but I drew a blank today in spite of the fact that I’ve registered. (I’ve deleted the cookies.) From what you say above, only the pdf is available without paying but how do I obtain the link to the pdf each week? I would be grateful to anyone who can help.
Didn’t finish this one, as I had “barrels” instead of BUCKETS in 17a and couldn’t get the monster (which is a smart clue) because of this. A good puzzle if a little more difficult than usually; I liked GENOA. Thanks Everyman and PeterO!
Me @ #1
I live abroad so can’t buy the Observer as I used to.
[ I read in the weekly email from the Observer puzzles editor, that this weekend’s paper includes an eight-page puzzle supplement which includes a “special Jumbo Everyman”. Paper only. Part of 100 years of puzzles at the Observer. ]
Thanks for the blog , pretty good overall , MIND IN THE GUTTER is very neat .
The Breughel painting for ICARUS leads to a famous poem by Auden .
I am not keen on the clues for NON-STOP and GOLF CLUBS but that is just me .
Layman@2 , I had barrels as well thinking a clever link to pelts in terms of speed . Had to rethink when I tried to put CYCLOPS in .
Jay@4 , this has been advertised in the Guardian this week with a half-price coupon .
https://observer.co.uk/topics/everyman
@1 Crosser this is the link I use every week for free. I print the pdf but can only access from my laptop. Not phone. Hope this works for you.
Cara @#6 thank you for your help but I just get the interactive version. I’ve tried adapting the link given by PeterO by changing to today’s date but that doesn’t work. It looks as if I’ll have to wait for fifteen squared next Sunday to access today’s puzzle!!
Crosser@1. The link seems to work this week, for the first time in a while. The link Cara@6 provided is another way in, but if that fails, try this (just update the date each week.):
https://cdn.slowdownwiseup.co.uk/media/documents/obs.everyman.20260322.pdf
Further to Jay@4 , have got my paper now , not impressed with the supplement .
A jumbo Everyman plus things of no interest to me , I was hoping for a re-printed Torquemada .
vannucci @#8 Thank you for your help but when I tried that I got an error message with 20260322 crossed out!
Roz@9 thanks, I may not bother with the supplement in that case.
Crosser try this…
https://tinyurl.com/everyman4144
@Admin, comment #11 is mine. It contains a link which would help Crosser.
@Crosser, go to the Everyman 4144 thread at Crossword Solver .org for the link you are looking for.
I wouldn’t call a cedilla a character (it’s a diacritical, like an accent or umlaut), but no doubt some think so and Chambers seems to allow it. And of course the ‘sound-alike’ in 21d doesn’t work for me and quite a few others.
Really enjoyed this one. Thanks Everyman. Couldn’t parse a couple so thanks for that Peter O.
Jay@#11&12 Thank you, but on the tinyurl site, I get 4144 crossed out so that didn’t work and when I went on Crossword Solver I could only find a forum similar to fifteensquared but no sign of the puzzle. I think I’ll have to wait for next Sunday! Sorry to those who have tried to help.
Crosser@#15 the link Cara@#6 posted worked for me. You’re right that you get an interactive version. Just click on ‘Start’ then when it eventually loads, there are 3 little dots on the top right hand side for more options and there you’ll find one option to print, which can be done either in hard copy or as a pdf
Eureka! Many thanks to everyone and especially to Hugswings whose message finally got me there. I have made a note of that for the future.
Completely lost with GENOA. Had GEN for familiar and tried to think of how woman could be OA but obviously at a loss.
Tried to find a reversal indicator for NON STOP as clearly didn’t realise that ‘on a roll’ meant that.
It was either Tuesday or Wednesday when I finally parsed CYCLOPS!
A good Everyman with everything present and correct.
I wasn’t too familiar with SESH, though I may have heard it before, and you can’t go wrong with an Everyman “primarily” clue. I thought the surface for SWIM was clunky, and I couldn’t see any indicator that the second T at the heart of stetson should be changed specifically to P, in order to make STEP SON, though no other letter would have made sense.
Favourite clue CYCLOPS, a well disguised homonym.
Thanks to E&P.
Why does session mean hanging?
Redvers@20 , it is yoof speak – we are hangin at the pub having a great sesh .
Roz@21 , Thanks. As far as I know, ‘sesh’ hasn’t ever come up on the British TV shows we get here, e.g. Escape to the Country !
Peter@18
Genoa – sounds like “d’ye know ‘er?”
Sounds like: delivered.
“Are you familiar with that woman”
Redvers @20 & Roz @21, I’d interpreted the yoof speak differently. “Hanging” can mean hungover, so I was assuming we were talking about the product of a heavy SESH…
Big thanks to Jay – the full url for the pdf was giving me an error page, but tinyurl seems to be working – huzzah!
A few tricky ones this week but MIND IN THE GUTTER was a satisfying solve and CLARIFIED BUTTER the favourite clue…
Thought 18D would work better with I’d
Also not sold on first = I in 9D
Sesh? Really?
The rest fine, 21 perhaps spoken in an Aussie accent (not Kiwi, thank you)
Great puzzle just my level
Enjoyed Genoa, Buckets , stepson and cyclops
Happy days and sun is shining
Vanessa@27, I agree, like baby bears bed, just right.
Barrie@26, I think 21D was right on the money for a kiwi. I remember as schoolboys with our 7Ds swapping geographic jokes concerning Genoa and Jamaica.
I liked Arctic Ocean, White Flag and Talent Scout.
“Like a talent scout you want some love that’s new. Don’t come back knockin”
Yup. All.good. got barreled by buckets and found racoon inside in horror but no choice…