Guardian 27,411 / Picaroon

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Apologies for the late post – work stress over the past weeks and calendar incompetence combined meant that I totally forgot I was meant to be posting about this one. Anyway, I thought this was a very nice puzzle – quite easy for a prize, but that never bothers me, and there are some lovely clues here. In particular I liked …

… INTERSTATE, SUGGESTIVE and PUB CRAWL. I think the only possibly obscure answer was PANDARUS, which I could get despite not knowing because it was a hidden answer. Thanks, Picaroon for a fun solve.

Across

8. Leave fox, say, by lake (8)
FURLOUGH
FUR = “fox, say” + LOUGH = “lake” (the Irish equivalent of “Loch”)
Definition: “leave” – FURLOUGH is a military term for a leave of absence

9. Struggle with compilers, reading the Spectator (6)
VIEWER
VIE = “struggle” + WE = “compilers” + R = “reading” (as in “the three Rs”)
Definition: “Spectator”

10. Small vehicle, one not supposed to be working (4)
SCAB
S = “Small” + CAB = “vehicle”
Definition: “one not supposed to be working” – a scab is someone who works during a strike

11. Lacking will to adopt Republican way in US (10)
INTERSTATE
I really like this clue: INTESTATE = “Lacking will” (as in “dying intestate”) around R = “Republican”
Definition: “way in US” (“way” meaning a road)

12. Hodgepodge of newspaper gossip rejected (6)
RAGBAG
RAG = “newspaper” + GAB = “gossip” reversed
Definition: “Hodgepodge”

14. Force feeble soldier to show rhythmic steps? (8)
FLAMENCO
F = “Force” + LAME = “feeble” + NCO (Non-Commissioned Officer) = “soldier”
Definition: “rhythmic steps?”

15. Partner’s a dolly bird, ultimately flighty (3,4)
OLD LADY
(A DOLLY D)* – the D in the anagram fodder is from [bir]D = “bird, ultimately”
Definition: “Partner”

17. Notice overlapping left back is pugnacious (7)
STROPPY
SPY = “Notice” around PORT = “left” reversed
Definition: “pugnacious”

20. Reckon this person’s invested in property (8)
ESTIMATE
I’M = “this person’s” in ESTATE = “property”
Definition: “Reckon”

22. Where you might be putting healthy food (6)
GREENS
Double definition: “Where you might be putting” (as in “putting” in golf) and “healthy food”

23. Hinting at hanky-panky, give guests shivers (10)
SUGGESTIVE
Great surface reading and anagram in this clue: (GIVE GUESTS)*
Definition: “Hinting at hanky-panky”

25. Language of Native Americans gathering round lake (6)
CREOLE
CREE = “Native Americans” around O = “round” + L = “lake”
Definition: “Language”

26. Wood bust, barrel tipped over (8)
CHESTNUT
CHEST = “bust” + TUN = “barrel” reversed
Definition: “Wood”

Down

1. Having lead over British by a stroke, where many rounds are likely (3,5)
PUB CRAWL
Nice surface, perhaps referring to an early Ryber Cup: UP = “Having lead” reversed + B = “British” + CRAWL = “stroke” (as in swimming)
Definition: “where many rounds are likely”

3. Mathematician being revolutionary, ignoring Newton (6)
TURING
TURNING = “being revolutionary” without N = “Newton” (the SI unit of force)
Definition: “Mathematician”, referring to Alan Turing

4. Isolated and quiet university? Swell! (4-3)
SHUT-OFF
SH = “quiet” + U = “university” + TOFF = “Swell”
Definition: “Isolated”

5. Going topless, paramour’s shy and gloomy (8)
OVERCAST
[l]OVER = “Going topless, paramour” + CAST = “shy” (in the sense of “throw”)
Definition: “gloomy”

6, 24. Top worker kept for rendezvous, when things start to go bad (4-6,4)
BEST-BEFORE DATE
BEST = “Top” + BEE = “worker” around FOR + DATE = “rendezvous”
Definition: “when things start to go bad”

7. Some cancel tickets for 2 (6)
CELTIC
Hidden in “[can]CEL TIC[kets]”
Definition: “[CLUB]” referring to Celtic Football Club

13, 2. Intimidation not unknown by academic staff in Oxford group (10,4)
BULLINGDON CLUB
BULL[y]ING = “Intimidation not unknown” + DON = “academic” + CLUB = “staff” (as in cudgel)
Definition: “Oxford group”

16. Racer’s outfit on TV has beaten rest (8)
DRAGSTER
DRAG = “outfit on TV” (TV here meaning transvestite) + (REST)*
Definition: “Racer”

18. Literary procurer caught by cop and a Russian (8)
PANDARUS
Hidden in “[co]P AND A RUS[sian]”
Definition: “Literary procurer” referring to Pandarus in Troilus and Cressida

19. Accompany guards about entrance (7)
BEWITCH
BE WITH = “Accompany” around C = “about”
Definition: “entrance” (if you don’t get it, put the stress on ‘trance’)

21, 24 across. Conventional wood treatment that’s reasonable (6,4)
SQUARE DEAL
SQUARE = “Conventional” + DEAL = “wood”
Definition: “reasonable”

22. Faces of great, glacial mount? (3-3)
GEE GEE
“Faces” of “great” and “glacial” might be their first letters, which are both GEE
Definition: “mount?” referring to a horse

22 comments on “Guardian 27,411 / Picaroon”

  1. Thanks, mhl, for the blog.  PANDARUS was the LOI for me, not being at all familiar with the name, which I now learn is also to be found in Chaucer.  I agree about INTERSTATE and SUGGESTIVE.

  2. Thanks for the blog, mhl and well done: I wouldn’t like to have to start a blog from scratch a week later!

    I agree with the favourites, too.

    Many thanks to Picaroon for another enjoyable puzzle.

  3. Thanks to Picaroon and mhl. Enjoyed this a lot withe some lovely clues. Got held up a bit due to carelessly putting bar crawl for 1d but eventually sorted it out. Last ones in for me were greens and gee gee though I am not sure why looking at them now. I agree not overly taxing but also not overly easy, thanks again Picaroon and mhl.

  4. Thank you mhl and Picaroon.

    A most enjoyable puzzle. I only spotted the hidden PANDARUS after entering it from the crossers, so well hidden!  FURLOUGH was a familiar term to me, often used in former British colonies by missionaries etc..

    My favourites were also INTERSTATE, SUGGESTIVE and PUB  CRAWL, as well as SQUARE DEAL, which was my last in, so obvious…

  5. I enjoyed this a lot. I suppose this was relatively easy for a Prize but certainly none the worse for that. Nice to see a mathematician which wasn’t Euclid -especially when U was the second letter! I liked STROPPY and SCAB, and actually got PANDARUS before seeing it was a hidden word!
    Thanks Picaroon.

  6. I’d missed the last few prize puzzles, so this was an enjoyable one to resume with. Some nice clues – I agree with others about PUB CRAWL and INTERSTATE. My last in was FLAMENCO, which I made hard for myself by putting SHUT OUT for 4d, thinking vaguely – if implausibly, in retrospect – that a TOUT might act like a SWELL. But I got there in the end.

    Thanks, Picaroon.. Thanks, mhl.

  7. Many thanks mhl and Picaroon.
    First prize in a few weeks I got all the way through so a good start to the Tabloid Era.
    Like Peter Aspinwall above I too entered PANDARUS without spotting the very well hidden word clue (my weak parsing had P = Policeman and RUS = Russian !)

    ref Tabloid Era
    – the header just says ‘cryptic crossword ‘ where it used to say ‘Prize crossword ‘ – and oversight ? Or the start of a sinister plot to remove the prize element ?

    – the grid is bigger (good) but clues same size. If ‘Yesterday’s Solutions’ were slightly rearranged then the Prize crossword could completely fill the lower section and the font for clues nudged up a point or 2 ?

  8. @Eileen: at least this was a fairly easy one to solve in a rush 🙂 For the Christmas double crossword it took me hours to even write the post, let alone the huge solving time – forgetting I had to do that one would have been a nightmare!

  9. An enjoyable puzzle with lots to admire and no dodgy wordplay or definitions. “Shivers” at 23@ was a new to me anagrind that added to the clever surface.
    Thanks to Picaroon and mhl.

  10. Epeesharkey @7 I did the same parsing as you for PANDARUS. It’s only since reading the blog that I realise it’s a hidden word. I am always so slow at seeing hidden words! *sighs*

    Thank you Picaroon for a very enjoyable puzzle and Mhl for the blog, especially revealing that hidden word.

  11. Beautiful puzzle with Picaroon’s typically smooth surfaces and clever wordplay.

    I didn’t know PANDARUS (LOI) either, even though pander came to mind early from “procurer”, and got it from a false parsing, not noticing it was hidden whole till mhl pointed that out (thanks!). I read: AND A RU (Russian, ISO), caught by PS=cop (police sergeant), with poetic/setter’s license in the word order, then googled Pandarus. I wonder how and why Homer’s “energetic and powerful warrior” was transformed in into Chaucer’s (and thence Shakespeare’s) contemptible(?) figure?

  12. I was even more foolish at first before I spotted the hidden PANDARUS, having bunged the answer in from the crossers I thought of PANDA for policeman – a “panda car” replacing the “bobby on the beat”…

  13. Thanks to Picaroon and mhl. I much enjoyed this puzzle. GEE GEE and especially BULLINGDON CLUB took me a while and I was slow catching on to GREENS, but I did get through. On 1 down Ryder Cup has become Ryber.

  14. Neat, well-written clues as usual from this setter.  My favourites were SUGGESTIVE (great anagram – I wondered whether the alternative “Hinting at hanky-panky gives guest shivers” might be better but it’s much of a muchness), TURING, DRAGSTER and BEWITCH (all good surfaces).

    STROPPY is a word that used to be very popular in England when I was younger.  I’m not sure if it still is (I haven’t lived in the UK for over 20 years).  Always reminds me of the Lion Tamer sketch by the Pythons – Palin dreaming of taming lions at night in a lighted hat “when they’re less stroppy”!

    Thanks, Picaroon and mhl

    P.S. I think the definition for SQUARE DEAL is “treatment that’s reasonable” rather than just “reasonable”.

  15. Oh, I forgot to mention that the only bit of the puzzle I queried was whether STAFF and CLUB are synonymous.  The former seems more of a ceremonial or a walking stick, and the latter more like a weapon.  Not sure there’s really much overlap.

  17. I thought this was an excellent puzzle – unfamiliar with PANDARUS (like many others) but I didn’t even bother to look the bloke up – he seemed so obvious a fit!  OLD LADY is, perhaps, a wee bit sexist but Mrs L is willing to forgive – so no probs!

    As to today’s from Paul – OK no spoilers, but blimey!  Talk about needing a bit of GK…..  Mrs L and I had to work together on this.

    Thanks to Pickers and Mhl.

     

  18. A very enjoyable puzzle at just the right level for a casual solve.   Of course, a US solver like me might not have heard of the Bullingdon Club, although it seemed to ring a vague bell.   But it was ‘dragster’ that proved the toughest to crack.

  19. A week is a long time – I can now barely recall my thought processes as I solved this, but I do remember enjoying it!
    Sorry you have had a stressful week, mhl; we in your solving community forget sometimes that our bloggers have a whole other life too, so your dedication to task is admirable. Your clear, detailed and interesting solves are always appreciated.
    Totally agree with you, mhl (and others) re 11a INTERSTATE, 23a SUGGESTIVE and 1d PUB CRAWL as particular “likes”, to which I added 15a OLD LADY (maybe not PC as Laccaria says, but still funny), and 22a GREENS.
    You were right, vinyl1@18, I have never heard of the BULLINGDON CLUB 13,2d. Ditto PANDARUS 18d. I had to google both to confirm. Not complaining: always great to learn new things.
    I thought 6,24d BEST BEFORE DATE rang a bell, but now think it was actually USE BY DATE that we had in a recent puzzle.
    Many thanks to Picaroon for a good time.

  20. BTW, I was impressed by some alternative solving suggestions for 18d PANDARUS, especially those from Tony@11 and Cookie@12…
    JinA

  21. Enjoyed this one, mostly quite straightforward by Picaroon standards, but PANDARUS was unfamiliar to me too (always feel guilty about admitting my ignorance of things Shakespeareann).

    Thanks to Picaroon and mhl

  22. I only attempted my (physical paper) copy of this one last night, so this blog came at a very apposite time for me. But I too am glad that it wasn’t my responsibility to blog it! 🙂

    I had felt pleased with myself for completing Saturday’s prize grid last night, but then I noticed that it was last week’s, so I wouldn’t be able to post it off for the prize draw. Typical! My favourite clue was 23a (SUGGESTIVE), and my LOI was 19d (BEWITCH). It took me flippin’ yonks to see which version of ‘entrance’ was being asked for (also typical).

    Luckily (and astonishingly), after completing this one I then managed to do this Saturday’s grid AND the Everyman in the same evening session.
    I guess this shows that my brain must be far less worn-down by the daily grind of a weekend 😀

    My thanks to Picaroon, and to mhl.

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