A real treat this week for the many fans of Everyman [that includes me].
Not just this ‘regular’ crossword – which was as ever safe and sound – but a delightful Jumbo as a generous extra.
Definitions are underlined wherever possible and/or appropriate.
| Across | ||
| 1 | TRENCH | Ditch fish in river? On the contrary (6) |
| R (river) inside TENCH (fish), instead of the other way round | ||
| 4 | STRATEGY | Time for example consumed by random plan (8) |
| T (time) + EG (for example), together inside STRAY (random) | ||
| 9 | OUTCRY | Protest in error about railway (6) |
| OUT (in error) + C (about) + RY (railway) | ||
| 10 | CRACKPOT | Eccentric joke, best around (8) |
| CRACK (joke) + reversal [around] of TOP (best) | ||
| 12 | BEATRIX POTTER | Author of tales with exhausted villain possessing one unknown power (7,6) |
| BEAT (exhausted) + ROTTER (villain) around {I (one) + X (unknown) + P (power)} | ||
| 14 | NOTED | Famous sign of assent to protect tribe’s borders (5) |
| NOD (sign of assent) around T[rib]E | ||
| 15 | EPHEMERAL | Brief record, hot gem mostly (9) |
| EP (record) + H (hot) + EMERAL[d] (gem, most of it) | ||
| 17 | SOMMELIER | Wine waiter right after start of meal in a certain lounge (9) |
| M[eal] inside SOME (a certain) + LIE (lounge), followed by R (right) | ||
| 19 | ASPIC | Film to follow while making jelly (5) |
| AS (while) + PIC (film) | ||
| 21 | BRAVE NEW WORLD | Learner in tangled web overdrawn in dystopian novel (5,3,5) |
| L (learner) inside (WEB OVERDRAWN)* [* = tangled] | ||
| 24 | INTIMATE | Private signal (8) |
| Double definition | ||
| 25 | FIDGET | Move restlessly following identification and capture (6) |
| F (following) + ID (identification) + GET (capture) | ||
| 26 | FORETOLD | Predicted worry about ring, antique (8) |
| FRET (worry) around O (ring), then OLD (antique) | ||
| 27 | PERNOD | Drink during supper, no doubt (6) |
| Hidden answer [during]: supper no doubt | ||
| Down | ||
| 1 | TROMBONIST | Player isn’t robot designed to cover miles (10) |
| (ISN’T ROBOT)* around M (miles) [* = designed] | ||
| 2 | EXTRACT | Passage further north of court (7) |
| EXTRA (further) + [north of] CT (court) | ||
| 3 | CARTRIDGE | Case in which vehicle goes over top of roof? (9) |
| CART (vehicle) + RIDGE (top of roof) | ||
| 5 | TURBOCHARGED | Bought red car, newly equipped to be more powerful (12) |
| (BOUGHT RED CAR)* [* = newly] | ||
| 6 | ASCOT | Racecourse firm in days gone by, not soft (5) |
| CO (firm) inside {PAST (days gone by) minus P (soft)} | ||
| 7 | EMPEROR | Ruler with energy, politician with heartless delusion (7) |
| E (energy) + MP (politician) + {ERROR minus the R in the middle} | ||
| 8 | YETI | Legendary creature still on island (4) |
| YET (still) + I (island) | ||
| 11 | EXPERIMENTAL | Fellows supporting one in authority with a line that’s tentative (12) |
| {I (one) + MEN (fellows)} inside EXPERT (authority), followed by A + L (line) | ||
| 13 | ELUCIDATED | Very happy about central element in inquiry detectives explained (10) |
| ELATED (very happy) around {[inq]U[iry] + CID (detectives)} | ||
| 16 | MEANWHILE | New mail he sorted at the same time (9) |
| (NEW MAIL HE)* [* = sorted] | ||
| 18 | MOBSTER | Medium crustacean, not large? Criminal (7) |
| M (medium) + {LOBSTER minus L (large)} | ||
| 20 | PARAGON | Standard earlier name for model (7) |
| PAR (standard) + AGO (earlier) + N (name) | ||
| 22 | ADMIT | Acknowledge commercial with mass appeal (5) |
| AD (commercial) + M (mass) + IT (appeal, sex) | ||
| 23 | TIFF | Able to rise above loud argument (4) |
| Reversal [to rise] of FIT (able) + F (loud) | ||
*anagram
I keep visiting hoping for a commentary on last week’s Prize — but still no sign despite now ones for both Everymans.
Thanks both. Usual good quality Everyman
(Flavia @ 1 – I think that the blog will appear when the entry date for the Prize has expired – around Wednesday or Thursday)
Yes, I enjoyed both puzzles.
Today’s seems more difficult than normal.
Can we have an Easter Jumbo please Everyman?
Thank you Everyman and Sil van den Hoek.
An enjoyable crossword, but, having got TRENCH, I rushed in with TROUBADOUR at 1d before realising that it would not fully parse.
Happy New Year to all.
Thanks Eveyman and Sil
in 5D, I had the definition as ‘equipped to be more powerful’ (if fitted with a turbo), with the anagrind simply ‘newly’.
Flavia @ 1: as Shirl @ 2 points out, entries for the Maskarade jumbo are open till Jan 3, so it would be inappropriate for a blog to be published yet.
Me @ 5: that’s ‘Everyman’, of course. Lazy Sunday Afternoon…
You’re right, Simon, re 5d. Now corrected.
Happy New Year to everyone.
Surprised to be the first Kiwi. Suppose some are still on holiday. Some great clues in this one. Liked 18d and 20d especially.
Thanks Everyman and Sil
Thanks to Everyman for the puzzle (a highlight of my weekend) & Sil for your help to understand the clues.
Surprised at the lack of NZ input this late on a Sunday afternoon.
To get the first letter of ‘Potter’ in 12 across, should that explanation also include ‘P’ (power) with {I (one) + X (unknown)}?
You’re absolutely right, Dexter etc.
Just a slip (which nobody seems to have noticed, including myself!).
Now corrected.
Wow! What an enjoyable crossword. Easily the best in quite some time. Some superb clues.
I only just finished it off though admittedly I started late Sunday evening. The gorgeous weather we’re having has meant I am spending more time outdoors and less indoors hence my crossie solving suffers 🙁
So, as I’ve done before, I took it into work and I’ve been taking bite size chunks out of it. Enjoyed Sommelier, Beatrix Potter, Elucidated, Paragon, Trench and Outcry.
Only a couple of sleeps till the next one. 🙂