The Observer crossword from Sep 2, 2018
The first Sunday in September (well, today it’s the second) and more of the same. That may sound negative but it’s not meant to be like that.
A while ago, some solvers found Everyman’s puzzles a bit ‘run of the mill’. At times, one may get that feeling but, if so, I think that is perhaps because these crosswords are so consistent (in quality). Consistently well-clued, that is. You know exactly what you’ll get. A crossword mostly relatively straightforward and without a trace of iffiness. For which once more many thanks to our setter!
| Across | ||
| 1 | MESS-UP | Cat turned against me in confused situation (4-2) |
| ME + reversal [turned] of PUSS (cat) | ||
| 5 | SUPINE | Our lot, retreating, long offering no resistance (6) |
| Reversal [retreating] of US (our lot), followed by PINE (long) | ||
| 9 | SEBASTIAN VETTEL | A vital test’s been arranged for racing driver (9,6) |
| Anagram [arranged] of A VITAL TEST’S BEEN I had to check the As and Es as I wasn’t sure whether his first name was Sebastian or Sebastien. Anyway, I don’t like Formula One but was familiar with the racing driver. For those who aren’t: more here . |
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| 10 | MISPLACED | Is power held by quiet, retiring editor given to wrong person? (9) |
| IS + P (power), together inside a reversal [retiring] of CALM (quiet), then + ED (editor) | ||
| 11 | TIARA | Crown obtained by one occupying seat of ancient kings (5) |
| I (one) inside TARA (seat of ancient kings) Initially, I thought this might be A inside an alternative spelling of Tyre. But no, |
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| 12 | LOYAL | Large old university, not English? True (5) |
| L (large) + O (old), followed by: YALE (university) minus E (English) | ||
| 14 | PORTFOLIO | Left fine miscellany in collection of representative works (9) |
| PORT (left) + F (fine) + OLIO (miscellany) Olio is also a dish with many different ingredients. |
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| 16 | ADRENALIN | What raises blood pressure? Democrat in realm reversing nothing (9) |
| D (Democrat) inside ARENA (realm), followed by a reversal [reversing] of NIL (nothing) | ||
| 18 | LOSER | Failure in variety of roles (5) |
| Anagram [variety of] ROLES Such a simple anagram, so why did it take me so long to get this? |
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| 20 | EASEL | Comfort leader in last stand (5) |
| EASE (comfort) + L[ast] | ||
| 21 | BRAMBLING | Male swan, bereft of company, wandering bird (9) |
| COB (male swan) minus CO (company), followed by RAMBLING (wandering) Last week someone already mentioned this clue (without explicitly mentioning it). Two birds in one, Pierre must be happy. I had never heard of a brambling (sounds like fruit to me) but here’s one (a male):  |
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| 23 | UNDER LOCK AND KEY | Imprisoned in dark den, lucky one getting free (5,4,3,3) |
| Anagram [getting free] of DARK DEN LUCKY ONE | ||
| 24 | LESSON | Class? There’s not so much about (6) |
| LESS (not so much) + ON (about) | ||
| 25 | DESERT | Leave area without vegetation (6) |
| Double definition Two different pronunciations, of course. |
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| Down | ||
| 2 | EMBASSY | Graduate in chaotic system lacking time for mission (7) |
| Anagram [chaotic] of SYS[T]EM minus T (time), with BA (graduate) inside it | ||
| 3 | SISAL | Part of process is altering fibre (5) |
| Hidden answer [part of]: process is altering | ||
| 4 | PRINCIPAL | Most important pair, batting around middle of innings, supported by friend (9) |
| PR (pair) + IN (batting) + C (around) + [inn]I[ngs] + PAL (friend) | ||
| 5 | SYNOD | Sign of agreement after second year in council (5) |
| NOD (sign of agreement), placed after S (second) Y (year) | ||
| 6 | PLENTIFUL | Abundant input fell disastrously (9) |
| Anagram [disastrously] of INPUT FELL | ||
| 7 | NETBALL | Sport to be announced in ring, first off (7) |
| KNELL (ring) minus the first letter (K), with T.B.A. (to be announced) inside of it Not my last one in but my last one to parse. I was too long focussed on ‘ring, first off’ being [c]ALL. |
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| 8 | ELEANOR RIGBY | Event, initially unprofitable ball, involving outfit with unknown song (7,5) |
| E[vent] + LEAN (unprofitable), followed by: ORB (ball) around RIG (outfit), then + Y (unknown) Another one that wrongfooted me for a while. Having as the second part R???Y, I thought this might be an event in athletics, ‘relay’. An idea supported by the fact that ‘song’ could have been ‘lay’. Wrong. It’s all about this Beatles classic: Eleanor Rigby. The animated version is from the film Yellow Submarine which I actually saw a couple of months ago in the cinema, for the first time in my life! Weird (that I saw it for the first time, and the film too!). |
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| 9 | SIMULTANEOUS | Working on usual items at the same time (12) |
| Anagram [working] of ON USUAL ITEMS | ||
| 13 | LANDLORDS | Innkeepers in line as well as noblemen (9) |
| L (line) + AND (as well as) + LORDS (noblemen) | ||
| 15 | RANSACKED | Tormented about area, north and south, being plundered (9) |
| RACKED (tormented) around {A (area) + N (north) + S (south)} | ||
| 17 | RESIDUE | Live screening beginning to upset balance (7) |
| RESIDE (live) around U[pset] Clever use of Live. Differently pronounced (and therefore having a different meaning) in surface and answer. |
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| 19 | STICKER | Adhesive label with small heart (7) |
| S (small) + TICKER (heart) | ||
| 21 | BROWN | Toast knight after summit (5) |
| BROW (summit) + N (knight, as in chess) | ||
| 22 | BONUS | Extra payment in end for job with responsibility (5) |
| [jo]B + ONUS (responsibility) | ||
I enjoyed this puzzle.
I was unable to parse 7d.
Thank you Everyman and Sil
Thank you Everyman for an enjoyable puzzle and Sil for a super blog.
My last in was LOSER, like Sil it took me an unreasonable time to get, and I could not parse NETBALL. Great anagrams for SEBASTIAN VETTEL, UNDER LOCK AND KEY, PLENTIFUL and SIMULTANEOUS – how does Everyman do it? I particularly like the clue for PORTFOLIO.
TARA immediately came to mind because of the poem set to music and sung, so nostalgic.
PS, I think there is some confusion between the Hill of TARA and Tara Hill.
PPS, just checked Collins Dictionary online and found that they have made an awful MESS UP…
I don’t follow you, Cookie. Can you explain, please. Who is ‘they’ and what’s the ‘mess-up’?
I don’t usually do the Everyman but was away on holiday so had time to spare. Agree with your preamble Sil- a good quality if largely straightforward crossword.
Most of it went in very quickly but was left for a long time with 7, 8 & 11. I didn’t know Tara and couldn’t see NETBALL for some reason, also couldn’t parse it so thanks for that. For 8 I had R?G?Y and so spent a long time on the idea that the ball had to be a rugby ball!
Can I ask where ‘fine’ = F comes from?
Sil, This is the entry you quoted from Collins Dictionary (online?)
“Tara … a village in Co Meath near Dublin, by the Hill of Tara, the historic seat of the ancient Irish kings”
Dublin is nowhere near Co Meath.
Tara Hill and Tara village are in Co Wexford near Dublin. The Hill of Tara, the historic seat of the ancient Irish kings is in Co Meath. The two hills are quite separate – I have contacted Collins .
nobby@6 — Fine, meaning ‘in fine condition’, is abbreviated to F in descriptions of items for sale (e.g. in catalogues issued by booksellers and coin dealers).
F is also used for ‘fine’ pencil lead
Cookie, I copied the information about Tara straight from Collins, 12th ed. (2014) which is on my computer.
Having read a bit more about Tara & Tara Hill, I can only agree with you.
I’ve tweaked the blog accordingly.
Thanks folks – much appreciated!
[Sil, Collins Dictionaries have replied and are going to correct the entries for Tara etc..]
Easy one on the whole but had a brain fade with the swan and messed up the toast. Didn’t fully parse the song or Adrenalin.
Looks like Spring is finally here, gorgeous out. Roll em up Audrey.
Surprised myself finishing this without a single glance at any ref sites that I usually need.First time for a long time-it wasn’t the hardest but plenty of red herrings.
21ac had plenty to confuse and sent me in different directions
I had no idea why netball was netball but in it went
Sim’ly I was sure ‘placid’ might be part of 10ac but wrote ‘misplaced’ in and read up why later
Am glad others can explain
Like Vanessa the answers went in quite easily without parsing. How I enjoy that. I thought 8 d was going to be about rugby too, but no, it was a song.
Barrie, there’s still a bit of a cool wind for bowls. Now Daylight Saving is about to begin, let’s hope we get some warm evenings for my Twilight bowls.
Great crossword.
Had to finish this one up this morning with a bit of help & fresh eyes. All in good time before the rugby. Thanks Sil & Everyman.
Got all the answers but had to check what a male swan was. Could not parse netball, supine or residue. TBA for me has always been ‘to be advised”.
Thought Eleanor Rigby was a great clue in the end although I like others was thinking Relay and Rugby and Rally to add a third one. Got real stuck on Brambling having never heard of it but got there in the end – great crossword. I’m not sure netball would have ever been thought of a an answer by the setter until quite recently when England has started to dominate most countries ( mainly NZ) in the sport.
Thanks to all