Guardian 27,628 / Pan

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A near-perfect start to the week, I thought, from Pan.

 

 

I really enjoyed this puzzle, with its meticulous cluing and meaningful and often witty surfaces throughout. My only quibble is the use of E for Europe twice [at 1ac and 23dn], an abbreviation which I can’t find anywhere – I believe it has raised discussion before.

There are several animals scattered around the grid but not enough to constitute a theme, I think.

Many thanks to Pan for an entertaining puzzle.

Definitions are underlined in the clues.

Across

1 Signalling system delivered by horse trained to carry chart to Europe (9)
SEMAPHORE
An anagram [trained] of HORSE round MAP [chart] + E [Europe] – see preamble

6 Worry amongst gangs today (5)
ANGST
Contained in gANGS Today

9 Victoria’s last daughter given gold and navy dress (5)
ADORN
[victori]A + D [daughter] + OR [gold] + N [navy]

10 Change not starting with article on time in care facility (9)
ORPHANAGE
[m]ORPH [change, not starting] + AN [article] + AGE [time]

11 Mail handler tore stamps apart (10)
POSTMASTER
An anagram [apart] of TORE STAMPS

12 Boats heading off to fish (4)
EELS
[k]EELS [boats]

14 Quip about animal eating companion in farmyard? (7)
EPIGRAM
A reversal [about] of MARE [animal] round PIG [mare’s companion in farmyard]: I’m so used to seeing this word clued as a combination of PIG and RAM that it took a minute or two to work out where the E came from – and how the clue fitted together

15 Manuscript back with different cover (7)
SMOTHER
A reversal [back] of MS [manuscript] + OTHER [different]

17 Trump losing papers here? (7)
PRESENT
PRES[id]ENT minus id [papers]

19 Took pint to stop row with editor (7)
ADOPTED
PT [pint] in ADO [row] with ED [editor]

20 Kind of dessert served at end of luncheon (4)
NICE
[luncheo]N + ICE [dessert]

22 Attractive man married to queen crashed in squat (6,4)
HUNKER DOWN
HUNK [attractive man] + [married to] ER [queen] + DOWN [crashed]

25 Brief up on new medicine (9)
IBUPROFEN
An anagram [new] of BRIEF UP ON

26 Weak sides leaving embarrassing 17 (5)
AWARD
A[wk]WARD [embarrassing] minus the first and last letters [‘sides’] of ‘weak’

27 People in A&E returned to get liquid injected (5)
ENEMA
A reversal [returned] of MEN [people] in A and E

28 Conductor chosen by staff close to Birtwistle (9)
ELECTRODE
ELECT [chosen] + ROD [staff] + [birtwistl]E

Down

1 Southern European leaving station returning for trophy (5)
SCALP
S [southern] + a reversal [returning] of PLAC[e] [station] minus e [European] – which is fine!

2 Criminal homes in on illicit booze (9)
MOONSHINE
An anagram [criminal] of HOMES IN ON

3 Animal in minaret forced into cage (4,6)
PINE MARTEN
An anagram [forced] of MINARET in PEN [cage]

4 Problem after soggy food given to old retarded animal (7)
OPOSSUM
SUM [problem] after a reversal [retarded – hmm: retard means to slow down or delay – I suppose that could be taken as ‘put back’?] of SOP [soggy food] + O [old]

5 Ruler‘s letter to crowd (7)
EMPRESS
EM [letter] + PRESS [crowd]

6 Greek hero in first part of Aeneid listened to sailors (4)
AJAX
A[eneid] + JAX [sounds like – listened to – jacks {sailors}] – I particularly liked this, because Ajax does feature in the first part of the Aeneid, my favourite Latin work

7 Government stock in favour (5)
GRACE
G [government] + RACE [stock]

8 Precious safe pinched by tramp (9)
TREASURED
SURE [safe] in TREAD [tramp]

13 Old flour ground in shed is resistant to the elements (6,4)
COLOUR FAST
O [old] + an anagram [ground] of FLOUR in CAST [shed]

14 Dear old flame and VIP seen dancing (9)
EXPENSIVE
EX [old flame] + an anagram [dancing] of VIP SEEN

16 Photo doctored to rubbish manifesto’s last controversial topic (3,6)
HOT POTATO
An anagram [doctored] of PHOTO + TAT [rubbish] + [manifest]O

18 Time to put out chocolate? (7)
TRUFFLE
T [time] + RUFFLE [put out] – the question mark indicates definition by example

19 Question a new civil engineer suspiciously (7)
ASKANCE
ASK [question] + A N [new] + CE [civil engineer]

21 Fire reported in water slide (5)
CHUTE
Sounds like [reported] shoot [fire]

23 Push tip of dart into weapon turned on Europe (5)
NUDGE
D[art] in a reversal [turned] of GUN [weapon] + E [Europe]

24 Swimmer in ocean race crossing Atlantic to start with (4)
ORCA
Initial letters [starting] of Ocean Race Crossing Atlantic

59 comments on “Guardian 27,628 / Pan”

  1. I enjoyed this even though I failed to solve 26a, 1d and 20a.

    At least it was easier than today’s “Quiptic”!

    Thanks Pan and Eileen

  2. Thanks for the helpful blog – hesitated over (K)eels for boats, and missed the a(wk)ward parsing – stuck on r(e)d and couldn’t see where the awa came from. Nicice puzzle, good surfaces as you say.

  3. Thanks Pan and Eileen

    I really struggled with this, not helped by trying to solve 22a as 4,6! The NE was blank for ages, and I can’t believe how long it took me to see ANGST.

    I thought that the R of ADORN had been clued twice – OR and RN – but I did find N as abbreviation for Navy in Chambers.

    SEMAPHORE was favourite. I thought I would share this.

  4. Thanks Eileen and Pan.

    This solve started as what I have heard others call a “write-in” – the first four across clues completed fairly easily – but after that I slowed down and I had to put my thinking cap on.

    I liked 9a ADORN but appreciate what you are saying about it @3, muffin.

    I can recall circling “NICE” (20a) in the work of past students and writing “poor adjective”, so I still bristle when I see it used in anything other than in the sense of “precision”.

    I totally resisted filling in EELS at 12a (my LOI), as the sailor in me insists that KEELS are not boats!

  5. [Thanks for that link, muffin. I think I have seen the semaphore “Wuthering Heights” before, but I liked the Aldis Lamp, Morse Code and smoke signals that were added in. Enjoyed that tangent a lot.]

  6. Not a boatie but I felt exactly the same about keels, JinA. Otherwise a steady solve, nice surfaces, not too much head scratching. Thanks Eileen and Pan.

  7. What should have been a gentle Monday somehow tripped me up, Couldn’t see COLOUR FAST for the life of me and was determined for far too long to fit in an unparsed FLUME for 21d.

    Having learnt a new word over on the Indy today, would the use of ‘keels’ for boats be classed as a meronym?

    Thanks to Pan and Eileen

  8. Hi Julie in Australia [and muffin] – I had the same thoughts about N and checked it.

    I’ve had the same history as you, JinA, re ‘nice’ [a losing battle for the most part]. I know I use it quite a bit here, though – tongue-in-cheek, often – but I do often apply it to clues in its proper sense!

    I also always  have the same uneasy feeling about ‘keels’, so, once again, I checked it: ‘a flat-bottomed boat’ in both Collins and Chambers. I think it’s a metonym – or do I mean synecdoche? 😉

  10. Thanks Eileen and Pan.  I agree with most of what JIA says above, except for her last sentence.

    Here in Newcastle (upon Tyne, not NSW) we’re well used to keel meaning boat:  they were used to ferry coal from the shore to the bigger boats in the Tyne.  We still have the Keelmen’s Hospital and, of course, the famous folk song “The Keel Row”.

    As I came thro’ Sandgate,
    Thro’ Sandgate, thro’ Sandgate,
    As I came thro’ Sandgate,
    I heard a lassie sing:
    ‘O, weel may the keel row,
    The keel row, the keel row,
    O weel may the keel row
    That my laddie’s in.’  etc

  11. Sorry, Doofs @7 – I spent so long typing that we crossed. And I forgot to say thanks for the amusing link, muffin.

  12. Doofs@7: Yes, it is indeed a meronym I would say. keels is also listed as literary for boats etc. Thanks for a  challenging start to the week, Pan, and for the explanations, Eileen, always appreciated.

  14. What struck me about this was the abundance of wonderful clever ‘surfaces’ not usually seen on a Monday.

    I’ve always been wary of using ‘nice’ since being criticised for it in my boyhood. However it is so often just the right word to use.

    Nice crossword!

     

     

  15. I have a vinyl of Kathleen Ferrier singing it, cholecyst. And michelle@1, you reminded me that I did scratch my head at 26a, until I noticed the ’17’ which was on the next line in my printout.

  18. I think it’s the latter, Eileen. Metonym: waitress says to boss “The ham sandwich left without paying”.

  19. Thanks Pan for an entertaining crossword.

    Thanks Eileen for a good blog. I suppose retarded can mean backward when used about mental abilities. The keel in Collins is given as a poetic word for ship. I also can’t find any justification for E = Europe.

    I always want to put two Ps in OPOSSUM, but the derivation is: Early 17th century: from Virginia Algonquian opassom, from op ‘white’ + assom ‘dog’.

  20. Thanks to Pan and Eileen. A good start to the week. I had the same reservations about keels = boats but now know better – ditto for race = stock – and took a while before getting OPOSSUM, my LOI.

  23. Perfect for a Monday…and the first of the month too. Not too hard, not too tricky, but juuust right!
    Thanks Pan. You can start every week : )

  25. Thanks to Pan and Eileen. Very enjoyable crossword with some nice clues. Another who hestitated with eels, but I really liked orphanage and hunker down. Most else had been said and a nice start to the week. Thanks again to Pan and Eileen.

  26. muffin @3:  Wonderful!  I’d forgotten that.

    Best Monday puzzle for ages, I thought.  Still going after the Shreddies!

    Thanks both, nice week, all.

  27. Great crossword and blog; many thanks both. Eileen and grantinfreo, Kathleen Ferrier – “Klever Kath”- is a heroine of mine (sorry muffin I know from previous discussions you don’t enjoy her voice).  Her singing of the Agnus Dei from Bach’s B minor Mass always brings tears.

    Lots of great clues and impeccable surfaces, prehaps my favourite was that for HUNKER DOWN.

  28. Many thanks muffin @3 for the Python clip’ hilarious.

    Are we not about to leave the EU (European Union)  surely enough justification for E = Europe!

  30. [S.Panza @27 – actually, if you recall, I think she had a wonderful voice, but still managed to sing very unmusically, rather like an indifferent bower and scraper playing a Strad.]

  31. muffin @ 30 I could not disagree more, but without being profoundly rude to you I think we should agree to differ!!

  32. Quite a pleasant Monday puzzle, with one or two that needed a bit of thought.

    Thanks to Pan and Eileen

     

     

  33. Thanks Pan, Eileen

    Quite good fun.  Not nearly so much criticism as Pan’s last – a non-stick Pan, perhaps.

    Thank you.

    Moving on, is chocolate an example of truffle?  Truffle is certainly an example of chocolate.  I wondered if it should be put in the paint/emulsion set, where each one of a pair is an example of the other.  But I think chocolate is just a plain definition for truffle.  It’s not the only definition, but you don’t have to indicate an example for one of a selection of definitions.

     

  37. Very enjoyable Monday crossword!
    How gratifying to see Sir Harrison B, perhaps our finest living composer, making an appearance in 28A.
    Muffin@30, I’m not sure what part of Ferrrier’s output you think unmusical (I’m not a fan of classically trained singers in folk music at all) but her recording of Das Lied von der Erde with Walter is some of the most extraordinarily beautiful singing I know.

  38. DP @37

    I have that recording on vinyl somewhere. I’ll take your word and listen to it again.

    I think I’ve also got her singing in Gluck’s Orpheus and Eurydice.

    I still wince every time Blow the wind southerly is played on the radio, though!

  39. Muffin@38. I’m not with you about Blow the Wind…. but I know what you mean!
    I hope the Mahler won’t disappoint. With the changes in period performance practice of recent decades, I’d have thought her rendition of What is Life will sound very odd to our ears. I’ve not heard it in ages.

  40. I really didn’t enjoy this and, like Muffin, I struggled with some. I simply couldn’t see PRES(ID)ENT and only got it by working back from AWARD.I didn’t know KEELS were boats and I wasn’t at all sure about OPOSSUM..SCALP was LOI despite having the crossers. Not one of my better efforts!
    I see we’re back to Kathleen Ferrier again. I still admire the lady and her version of Blow the wind southerly is a favourite of mine and has been since my childhood. Unfortunately the remastered version does manage to remove most of the magic from the recording.
    Anyway,thanks Pan

  41. DP @ 37:  I could not agree more.  Yes styles change but KF was a truely beautiful singer and Das Lied, Orpheus and the B minor Mass, Agnus Dei live on as testament to this.  Sadly she died in ’53 when I was just 6 so I never heard her live, but by the miracle of recording she and other great musicians can now live on forever!!

  42. There are always some people who won’t agree that Kathleen Ferrier was the greatest singer in the history of recording. To them I say – listen to her singing Schubert’s Die junge nonne and Gretchen am Spinnerade. Ah well – but actually her Keel Row is not her at her best. In spite of working with the great Geordie W.G. Whittaker, she didn’t get the accent right. She was from Blackburn after all.

  43. Plotinus@35 re Red Sails in the Sunset reminds me of the wonderful Guardian headline when a Soviet warship got tangled up in Cowes Week – “Reds Sail with the Fun Set”

  44. I parsed 24 d as swimmer in ocean(def) ; race (Tolkien’s humanoid ORCs) + crossing(on top of) + Atlantic to start with (A). Less elegantly though. “Orc” for “race” makes more sense to fantasy gamers …

  45. Thanks Eileen! I thought I got plenty of sleep over the weekend but apparently not enough to let me parse a lot of these answers – PRESENT and AWARD especially.

    I also thought keels = boats to be unusual but didn’t give it much thought.  I knew of keelboats but only from childhood memories of Disney World of all things – a ride now mercifully defunct because oh so boring!

  48. Great puzzle. Although, I didn’t know a keel was a boat as opposed to a part of a boat, the clue was sufficient to guide me (with a note to look in a dictionary). Without the explanation, (cholecyst @10), I would not have realised that a keel row in the ditty was other than a generic line of boats.

    I concur with those who are fans of Kathleen Ferrier (some great examples given in earlier posts) – a uniquely beautiful singing voice; also, btw, apparently a beautiful speaking voice, since legend has it that she was runner-up in the original contest to voice the UK speaking clock.

  50. By some strange coincidence, when I sat down to solve this I’d just been listening to Birtwistle’s The Triumph of Time.

  51. Isn’t there a general discussion section, where all you music fans can go to compare opinions and/or egos?

  52. Once again I’m a tad late to the party – but I was held up by not knowing that a keel can be a boat as well as part of a boat, that an eel can be called a fish, that retard has meanings other than slow-witted and delayed. Like others, I wasn’t wild about E being used twice to indicate Europe. My favourites were Enema and Electrode (I share the delight at Harrison Birtwistle’s inclusion – very classy!).
    Thanks to Pan, huge thanks to Eileen for her ever-informative blog – and thanks too to Muffin for reminding me of my favourite Wuthering Heights send-up!

  53. A complliment to Eileen @6 down: in your classes it was surely the case that the opening line of Book 2 held sway:

    Conticuere omnes, intentaque ora tenebant

  54. Thank you, Harhop @53 – most charming, though not always appropriate! As it was a girls’ school, I appreciate  your amendment of the adjective – it makes just as much sense attached to ‘ora’.  😉

  55. I didn’t appreciate this as much while solving it as I did when led to reconsider by comments here. Thanks to Pan and Eileen. My first memory of Kathleen Ferrier was of her singing “He was despised” from Messiah. Those amazing low notes! She was a true contralto. I was going to add that it is a voice we don’t here often these days but on reflection we never did.

  56. Thanks Eileen and Pan. Is ‘ice’ generally accepted for dessert? Nobody else has mentioned it, so I guess it must be. Hunker Down 🙂

  57. I’m late with this puzzle, having been travelling for a week.  I’ll post for whoever’s checking back, and Eileen.  Thank you for the bog, Eileen.

    “Meronym” was new to me, so I looked up that and “metonym” and “synecdoche.”  The latter asks to be in jokes, at least in the northeastern US, because it sounds like Schenectady, a medium-sized city in Upstate New York.  When I googled the word I found that there’s a play called “Synecdoche NY!”

    My own favorite example of a meronym or Schenectady (ske-NECK-ta-dy) I found when I went through the Panama Canal in a sailboat.  In the canal, small boats have to have five lines held by crew members and secured at the top of the lock, so canal staff call a small craft a hand line.

    I’ve long given up on “nice,” but I still keep struggling with the current usage of “willy-nilly.”

  58. Were you desperate, Valentine? It’s fortunate that Eileen had a bog for you!

    (British slang for loo, if that needs explaining…)

  59. muffin, in case you ever read this —

    I do know the meaning of “bog” in the UK.

    My keyboard is having trouble with the letter l, and I don’t always catch its omission.  Blog is bog, clover is cover, lipstick is ipstick.

     

     

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