The puzzle may be found at https://www.theguardian.com/crosswords/everyman/3684.
A satisfying solve, with enough misdirection to add some spice.
| Across | ||
| 1 | BUFF | Polish enthusiast (4) |
| Double definition. | ||
| 3 | SYNCOPATED | Trained spy to dance in jazzy style? (10) |
| An anagram (‘trained’) of ‘spy to dance’. | ||
| 9 | SCREWDRIVER | Cocktail in company in small club (11) |
| An envelope (‘in’ – the second one; the first just links definition to wordplay) of CREW (‘company’) in S (‘small’) plus DRIVER (golf ‘club’). | ||
| 11 | MUM | Silent majority’s leader with hesitant expression (3) |
| A charade of M (‘Majority’s leader’) plus UM (‘hesitant expression’). | ||
| 12 | ROTATES | Goes round with religious books in classes (7) |
| An envelope (‘in’) of OT (Old Testament, ‘religious books’) in RATES (‘classes, as a verb). | ||
| 13 | LAPWING | Linger, keeping quiet, and capture bird (7) |
An envelope (‘keeping’) of P (piano, ‘quiet’) plus WIN (‘capture’) in LAG (‘linger’). The Northern Lapwing |
||
| 14 | SELF-POSSESSED | Last of riddles pixie had composed (4-9) |
| A charade of S (‘last of riddleS‘) plus ELF (‘pixie’) plus POSSESSED (‘had’). | ||
| 18 | OVERABUNDANCE | Ace vendor not normally keeping a cake surplus (13) |
| An envelope (‘keeping’) of A BUN (‘a cake’) in OVERDANCE, an anagram (‘not normally’) of ‘ace vendor’. | ||
| 20 | STAND-UP | Comic fool endlessly next to Laurel? (5-2) |
| A charade of STAN (‘Laurel’) plus DUP[e] (‘fool’) minus its last letter (‘endlessly’). | ||
| 22 | PALETTE | Old man, character without right range (7) |
| A charade of PA (father, ‘old man’) plus LETTE[r] (‘character’) minus the R (‘without right’) | ||
| 23 | OAR | Rower in love with a river (3) |
| A charade of O (‘love’) plus ‘a’ plus R (‘river’). | ||
| 24 | AMERICAN PIE | Song with an epic air newly enthralling me (8,3) |
| An envelope (‘enthralling’) of ‘me’ in ARICANPIE, an anagram (‘newly’) of ‘an epic air’ | ||
| 25 | FILIBUSTER | One with reserve retiring amid strain, delaying procedure (10) |
| An envelope (‘amid’) of I (‘one’) plus BUS, a reversal (‘retiring’) of SUB (‘reserve’) in FILTER (‘strain’). | ||
| 26 | STUD | Man considered attractive item of jewellery (4) |
| Double definition. | ||
| Down | ||
| 1 | BISTRO | Restaurant‘s tips for sorbet written in pen (6) |
| An envelope (‘written in’) of ST (‘tips for SorbeT‘) in BIRO (‘pen’). | ||
| 2 | FORETASTE | Strong point about Spielberg film for instance in trailer? (9) |
| An envelope (‘about’) of ET (‘Spielberg film’) plus AS (‘for instance’) in FORTE (‘strong point’ e.g. “his forte is making popular films”). | ||
| 4 | YARDS | Measures areas adjoining buildings (5) |
| Double definition. | ||
| 5 | CIVILISED | Sophisticated evil is badly disrupting police department (9) |
| An envelope (‘disrupting’) of VILISE, an anagram (‘badly’) of ‘evil is’ in CID (‘police department’). | ||
| 6 | PARAPHERNALIA | Equipment that’s ruined a plan, I hear, below standard (13) |
| A charade of PAR (‘standard’, with ‘below’ indicating the order of the particles) plus APHERNALIA, an anagram (‘ruined’) of ‘a plan I hear’. | ||
| 7 | TEMPI | Rhythms in music from ancient empire (5) |
| A hidden answer (‘from’) in ‘ancienT EMPIre’. | ||
| 8 | DEMIGODS | Soldier rising in protest starts to denounce some revered figures (8) |
| An envelope (‘in’) of IG, a reversal (‘rising’ in a down light) of GI (‘soldier’) in DEMO (‘protest’) plus DS (‘starts to Denounce Some’). | ||
| 10 | WATTLE AND DAUB | Building material a lad wanted but wasted (6,3,4) |
An anagram (‘wasted’) of ‘a lad wanted but’. |
||
| 15 | PLUMPNESS | Feathers covering extremities of pigeon with singular corpulence (9) |
| An envelope (‘covering’) of PN (‘extremities of PigeoN‘) in PLUMES (‘feathers’) plus S (‘singular’). | ||
| 16 | SWEET SPOT | First worries raised about electronic part of racket? (5,4) |
| An envelope (‘about’) of E (‘electronic’) in SWETSPOT, a reversal (‘raised’ in a down light) of TOP (‘first’) plus STEWS (‘worries’ as a verb). | ||
| 17 | WORSE OFF | Poorer force enemies line up (5,3) |
| A reversal (‘up’ in a down light) of F (‘force’) plus FOES (‘enemies’) plus ROW (‘line’) | ||
| 19 | LEGEND | Famous person‘s stage tip (6) |
| A charade of LEG (‘stage’) plus END (‘tip’). | ||
| 21 | AURAL | Learner overcome by atmosphere of hearing (5) |
| A charade of AURA (‘atmosphere’) plus L (‘learner’). | ||
| 22 | PRIME | Prepare for cardinal (5) |
| Double definition. | ||
My favourites were SYNCOPATED, OVERABUNDANCE.
I could not parse 2d (I should have thought of ET, of course!)
Thank you Everyman and PeterO.
Thank you Everyman and PeterO.
An enjoyable Everyman, lovely smooth surfaces as usual.
I got stuck on 24a, the answer had to be AMERICAN PIE, so I to googled since I do not hear these songs where I live – those of my sons that went to school in England used to bring them home in the holidays, but they are now grown up.
Thanks Everyman and PeterO; great puzzle and blog.
I really liked FILIBUSTER – the ‘filter’ took a long time to see.
Enjoyable as ever from Everyman. The longer answers made this feel tougher than it was, I found, though still finished about par. 10d I managed to dredge up from the depths of my memory – one of those terms you know, but can’t think why.
Had time to sit down and complete this in one sitting. Most enjoyable, and as PeterO says enough misdirection to take somewhat over an hour to complete, especially NW corner and the parsing of self possessed, sweet spot and palette.
Thanks PeterO and Everyman.
Wonder how the Lions will fare tonight and ETNZ tomorrow morning?
Thought this was quite hard so was surprised and pleased when I completed it, though it took me about 2 hours Barrie and not all at one sitting. The last one in was Worse off but I thought that a good clue when I finally worked it out.
Thanks everyone. Like Barrie I am wondering how the two big sporting events will turn out.
I also was surprised to finish since had forced myself to use as little reference material as possible – always feel more virtuous when I try the brain first and e-help next.
Found it tricky but clever. Tempi was a stretch I dont think that word comes up in conversation very often! Fav clues were 17d 15d. Never heard of wattle and daub and took ages to find anything that fitted there
Trying not to think too much about ETNZ.
Vanessa, ‘tempi’ does come up in conversation in musical groups, being the plural of tempo , but of course it’s not an everyday word.
Wow, a toughie and I thought I got it out until I checked the answers. Didn’t get FILIBUSTER or LAPWING. Both were excellent clues. I went for FULLBASKET(?!) and LAPSING … 😉
Oh yeah, ETNZ went well and so did the Lions. The test will not be as one-sided as most anticipate. Lions will use their mauls to good effect and their flat back-line will make it difficult for our backs. Barret will be the key for NZ. He will need to change his tactics and kick more especially with the flat Lions defence.
Got stuck on parsing “foretaste” — couldn’t my head to see “forte” as “strong point” or “as” as “for instance”. Obvious when I read the parsing in Peter O’s blog. Thanks Peter. Feel kind of *duh* now, but.
Overall the puzzle was a challenge, but do-able.
I found this extremely challenging but have to acknowledge that it was one of the better everyman puzzles of recent times. Loved ‘filibuster’ and ‘paraphernalia’ to mention just two but on a number of occasions I was impressed with the way the clue was constructed. An hour didn’t suffice for me either but I enjoyed the time spent. Thanks to all.