We found this puzzle quite tough, largely due to only getting the theme clue (14) very late. There were lots of fun clues here, anyway – thanks, Paul!
Across
1. No fortune for 14 (7)
PEANUTS
“peanuts” can mean “a paltry sum of money” (Chambers)
Definition: 14 [COMIC STRIP] – the classic Charles Schulz strip
5. A god eating five or one helping (7)
ADVISOR
A DIS = “god” around V = “five” followed by OR
Definition: “one helping”
9. Interpreter of music outlines case of leading composer (5)
ELGAR
EAR = “Interpreter of music” around L[eadin]G = “case of leading”
Definition: “composer”
10. 14 to damage instrument that’s cracked? (9)
MARMADUKE
MAR = “damage” + MAD = “cracked” + UKE = “instrument” (short for “ukelele” “ukulele” Thanks to Tony for correcting my spelling 🙂)
Definition: 14 [CARTOON STRIP]
11. Within limits of taste, he had to bite tongue in 14 (3,3,4)
THE FAR SIDE
T[ast]E around HE’D = “he had” around FARSI = “tongue”
Definition: 14 [CARTOON STRIP]
12. Fruit, cool or hot? (3)
HIP
Triple definition: “Fruit” (as in “rose hip”), “cool” (trendy) or “hot” (also trendy)
14. If maybe so, not dizzy in a spin? (7,5)
CARTOON STRIP
The clue that’s the key to the theme, and quite a tough one: (SO NOT)* = “so, not dizzy” in CAR TRIP = “spin”
Definition: “If maybe”, referring to Steve Bell’s cartoon “If…” in the Guardian
18. Leave one spaced out about vote, as a mission of Nixon’s era (6,6)
APOLLO ELEVEN
(LEAVE ONE)* around POLL = “vote”
Definition: “a mission of Nixon’s era”
21. Tailless fish turns back (3)
FRO
ORF[e] = “Tailless fish” reversed
Definition: “back” (as in “to and fro”)
22. Pandemonium a degree among Yorkshire city gents, perhaps? (10)
HULLABALOO
A BA = “a degree” in HULL = “Yorkshire city” + LOO = “gents, perhaps?”
Definition: “Pandemonium”
25. Shout curtailed with cricketing trophy beyond English batters? (9)
EYELASHES
YEL[l] = “Shout curtailed” + ASHES = “cricketing trophy” all after E = “English”
Definition: “batters?” i.e. “things that bat” – you might bat your eyelashes
26. Might a girl be put out? (5)
ISSUE
ISSUE can mean a son or daughter, so I suppose “Might a girl be” fits that…? Thanks to everyone (PeterO being the first) who pointed out this should be “IS SUE?” for “Might a girl be […] ?”
Definition: “put out?”
27. Backing singer detailed with papers for 14 (7)
DILBERT
TREBL[e] = “singer detailed” + ID = “papers”, all reversed (“Backing”)
Definition: 14 [CARTOON STRIP]
28. 14 — are you free to erase one? (7)
RUGRATS
RU = “are you” (in text-speak) + GRAT[i]S = “free to erase one”
Definition: 14 [CARTOON STRIP] – a slightly strange one – as far as I can tell from Wikipedia, the animated series predated the comics version I’ve linked to, and really it’s best known as the animation rather than a cartoon strip. I don’t know either though, so *shrugs*
Down
1. Quite right, inessential clothes (6)
PRETTY
One of those clues where it was completely clear how the clue worked, but I couldn’t think of the right synonym for “inessential”: R = “right” in PETTY = “inessential”
Definition: “Quite”
2. Waiter sportingly poking spleen with base of utensil (6)
ANGLER
ANGER = “spleen” around [utensi]L = “base of utensil”
Definition: “Waiter sportingly” – anglers do spend quite a lot of time waiting for fish to bite
3. Urbane lad turned page ultimately — it’s garbled (10)
UNREADABLE
(URBANE LAD)* + [pag]E
Definition: “garbled”
4. Wells has a problem with empty pages (5)
SUMPS
SUM = “problem” + P[age]S = “empty pages”
Definition: “Wells”
5. Where planes seen investing energy in new road, where must that road end? (9)
AERODROME
E = “energy” in (NEW ROAD)* + ROME = “where must that road end?” (referring to “All roads lead to Rome”)
Definition: “Where planes seen”
6. Reportedly yucky bottle (4)
VIAL
Sounds like “vile” (“yucky”)
Definition: “bottle”
7. Relative Arthur’s dad punches — that’s to the point? (8)
SOUTHERN
SON = “Relative” around UTHER (Pendragon) = (King) “Arthur’s dad”
Definition: “to the point?” (as in a compass point)
8. Deeper ranges, good parts for the contrabassoon, perhaps? (4,4)
REED PIPE
(DEEPER)* around PI = “good” (“ranges” is the anagram indicator, “parts” indicates that PI should be inserted, i.e. it “parts” what’s come before)
Definition: “parts for the contrabassoon, perhaps?” – I don’t think you have a “reed pipe” in a bassoon (it’s part of an organ), so I guess this is meaning that both the reed and a pipe are part of a contrabassoon? See the discussion in the comments about this – BNTO points out that one definition of REED PIPE in the OED is: “A wind instrument made from a piece of reed or cane, or (usu. in pl.) from several pieces bound together, such as the pan pipes. Also: a wind instrument containing a reed, a reed instrument.” Also a couple of people say that “contrabassoon” is the name of a stop on an organ, if I understand correctly. The surface reading of this clue is lovely.
13. Building a shambles when put up, gaudy stuff (10)
ASSEMBLING
A followed by MESS = “shambles” reversed followed by BLING = “gaudy stuff”
Definition: “Building”
15. War machine, the brute out to catch leader in conflict (9)
TREBUCHET
(THE BRUTE)* around C[onflict] = “leader in conflict”
Definition: “War machine”
16. 14 raising newspaper above competitors (8)
GARFIELD
RAG = “newspaper” reversed + FIELD = “competitors”
Definition: 14 [CARTOON STRIP] – if you haven’t seen it, I recommend “Garfield Minus Garfield”
17. Get lost in good play, with end uplifted? (2,2,4)
GO TO HELL
Great clue: G = “good” + OTHELLO = “play” with the end (“O”) raised 4 places
Definition: “Get lost”
19. A king mixed food up, almost entirely in a state (6)
ALASKA
A K = “king” + SALAD = “mixed food” all reversed, but without the D (“almost entirely”)
Definition: “a state”
20. Lane in 14 passes round outskirts of village in 14 (4,2)
LOVE IS
LOIS = “Lane in [CARTOON STRIP (Superman)]” around V[illag]E = “outskirts of village”
Definition: 14 [CARTOON STRIP]
23. Failure stood leaderless between political wings (5)
LOSER
[r]OSE = “stood leaderless” in L[eft] and R[ight] = “political wings”
Definition: “Failure”
24. Held up by queen, a jocular 14 (4)
JANE
Hidden reversed in “queEN A Jocular”
Definition: 14 [CARTOON STRIP] – an old cartoon strip from the Daily Mirror
Thanks for this mhl, and Paul…certainly more enjoyable than Enigmatist last week!
I too struggled with 14ac but got there by getting 1ac, which then opened things up.
I’m still not convinced by 8dn…the answer is not defined in the clue and not sure where the ‘anagram’ and ‘around’ words are for deeper.
Did enjoy 17 & 18 though.
Thanks again Paul.
Thanks mhl. With PEANUTS in early and then 11A I had the theme, but imagined it to be all-American, especially with the Nixon reference and the state in 19D. Google not needed except afterwards to verify Arthur’s dad and the last two (non-American) strips. Good stuff as always from Paul.
Thanks to Paul and mhl.
MTB @1
In 8D, the anagrind is ‘ranges’, the envelope indicator is ‘parts’, and the definition is ‘contrabassoon, perhaps’.
mhl
In 26A, “Is Sue?” comes from ‘Might a girl be?’.
Thanks to Paul and mhl. At my first try I got almost nothing, then midweek I spotted THE FAR SIDE and many things fell into place. I did not parse FRO (Orfe as fish was new to me – and to my spell-checker), and I took a while spotting GO TO HELL even though I was teaching Othello at the time. LOVE IS was also new to me, and my LOI was JANE which I only managed to fill in today. Still, enjoyable once I finally got started.
For 26a “might a girl be put out” I erroneously put “maybe”.
Thanks mhl. I agree with MTB that this was much more enjoyable than last week’s offering and with PeterO that ‘might a girl’ = is Sue?. Like you, It took me a long time to work out the theme but not too much longer after that. My LOI was 17d and I had spent some time earlier trying to reconcile the crossing letters with possible anagrams. As far as I can find out, a contrabassoon is a pipe that does contain a reed.
I really enjoyed this – got 14a after getting THE FAR SIDE but once that was in place it was all relatively straight forward. I really liked 8d as the contrabassoon is an organ stop, which makes it a reed pipe. Wasn’t sure aboit RUGRATS as I only knew this from the animated series but it was fairly clued.
Didn’t know about the orfe.
Thanks Paul and mhl
Thanks Paul and manehi
I got DILBERT (my favourite strip) and wrote in “CARTOON STRIP), only later realising that I hadn’t made any attempt to parse it!
I agree that the REED PIPE is a stop that makes a sound like a contrabassoon, perhaps.
A very enjoyable puzzle from Paul, once again. Tough, as mhl says, because so many clues hinged on the clever, but rather maddening 14a. I finally got the theme via 16d, GARFIELD, upon realising “raising newspaper” could be GAR.
ACD@4 You would have heard of the ORFE if you’d ever solved Paul’s first ever cryptic crossword (pdf), where 10a is “One hears the Queen’s off fish (4)” (HM would pronounce “off” as “orfe”).
I read 8d, CONTRABASSOON and 26a, ISSUE the same way PeterO@3 did. Also, the CONTRABASSOON, being pitched one octave below the regular bassoon is indeed good for parts with deeper ranges. As BIGGLES A@6 says, it is a pipe with a reed.
In 13d I had BLING in mind for “gaudy stuff” and noticed “building” contains those letters, which sent me off on the wrong track. In fact I only got ASSEMBLING after resorting to crosswordsolver.org.
I also struggled with 20d, LOVE IS, with its double reference to the key clue but finally got it from check letters and the theme, only then understanding “Lane”.
PS @mhl It’s ukulele, not ukelele (a very frequent misspelling)
I actually did this just to keep my hand in and see if any editing was in place yet. 😉
Quite a pleasant stroll although I got the theme quite quickly. Some of the “strips” were a little obscure but I managed to drag them up!
No problem with 8D as OED has
reed pipe
…
2. A wind instrument made from a piece of reed or cane, or (usu. in pl.) from several pieces bound together, such as the pan pipes. Also: a wind instrument containing a reed, a reed instrument.
So definition of “contrabassoon, perhaps?” is fine.
Nice one. Good to have a theme where I knew of some of the solutions, but not so well that I could just write in the answers from the enumeration and the odd crossing letter.
JANE was the last in. I had heard of it but it just didn’t come to mind and I kicked myself when I spotted it hidden in the clue.
Thanks Paul and mhl.
PS I thought “is Sue” as well for 26.
Sorry – mhl, not manehi
Thank you Paul and mhl.
It took me a while to get CARTOON STRIP, Steve Bell’s “If…” is not in the Guardian Weekly, so was unknown to me. PEANUTS went in early on with the help of the crossers, then MARMADUKE which gave the theme away. Even so, I failed to get RUGRATS and the answers to several other clues, one of which was EYELASHES, now my favourite after reading the blog..
EYELASHES
apologies for the extra EYELASHES, was going to start a list of favourites, but for me this still beats the other answers.
I read the definition in 8D as referring to a reed pipe in a pipe organ- which could be a contrabassoon reed pipe.
Another toughie from the maestro! Took an age to get CARTOON STRIP and even then I had problems. I’d never heard of MARMADUKE or LOVE IS although the clever use of LOIS-Lane from the Superman strip- made the latter easy to get. I’d forgotten THE FAR SIDE and I didn’t notice IF. On the whole, I’m better on American comics than newspaper strips. REED PIPE was a guess- it had to be write and I couldn’t be bothered to look it up.
Thanks Paul.
This was actually one of my faster solves, all in one SUn afternoon.. I stumbled over the theme early on (completely missed the If… what a strange comic that used to be !)
Need a list from WIki to help with some of the obscure ones (Marmaduke, Rugrats — cannot ever recall seeing those anywhere).
My LoI was eyelashes, non-thematic but fun bit of misdirection with the batters definition!
By a bizarre co-incidence later that evening I went to a concert one of my kids was playing in; one section featured a bassoon ensemble, with a musician playing a very strange looking contraption, which I was able to deduce (despite 0 musical knowledge) must be a contrabassoon
Thanks Paul, mhl and all on the board.
Thanks everyone for the great comments – hopefully I’ve now corrected the various things I missed or typoed in the blog post.
I”m sure everyone has moved on. I just did this–the website version wasn’t working for me when I tried last Saturday. Really quick solve for a prize puzzle.
I had never heard of JANE as a comic strip–the only one here that doesn’t (or didn’t) appear in U.S. papers. But the clue was simple and clear.
Also, the orfe is a new fish for me.
I surprised myself by solving this in less than two hours – and that includes time wasted trying to make an anagram out of “If maybe so not” at 14a, with “dizzy” being the anagind. Nice piece of misdirection there – especially as a couple of early crossing letters were supporting my mistaken theory.
All in all, a very enjoyable puzzle – and such a welcome relief after the previous week’s prize effort.
Thanks to both Paul and mhl.
Sorry for the late comment here, but since nobody else has mentioned it I thought I should point out one small quibble with the blog. In the parsing for 5D, “NEW” should not be included in the anagram fodder. (It’s the anagrind.)
As for the puzzle, it took me forever to pick up on the theme, but once I did it things fell into place fairly easily. Thanks and compliments to Paul and mhl.