The current Everyman setter is publishing his last puzzle today (20th January), so this one is my last chance to blog him. It’s been a lot of fun.
Abbreviations
cd cryptic definition
dd double definition
cad clue as definition
(xxxx)* anagram
anagrind = anagram indicator
[x] letter(s) removed
definitions are underlined
Across
1 Nervous about meal, lieutenant being secretive
STEALTHY
An insertion of TEA and LT in SHY.
5 Brief batting class
INFORM
A charade of IN and FORM. Where would setters be without cricket? The side who is ‘batting’ is IN.
9 Keep going, having advertised with energy in press
SOLDIER ON
A charade of SOLD and E inserted into IRON.
11 Pick up large gain
LEARN
A charade of L and EARN.
12 Cyclist in good spirits after support, widely distributed
BRADLEY WIGGINS
Our NZ colleagues might have struggled with this: Sir Bradley is well-known here but perhaps not globally. A classic Everyman multi-parter: a charade of BRA, (WIDELY)*, G and GINS.
14 Imperfection in emblem is horrible
BLEMISH
Hidden in emBLEM IS Horrible.
16 Start broadcast outside
OPEN-AIR
A charade of OPEN and AIR.
17 Answer quietly followed by sailor in ceremony
RIPOSTE
An insertion of P for the musical ‘quietly’ and OS for Ordinary Seaman or ‘sailor’ in RITE.
19 Suspense in revolutionary drama is clear
TENSION
A reversal (‘revolutionary’) of NO, IS and NET. NO (or sometimes NOH) is a Japanese drama or play, which comes up quite often in crossies.
21 Straight line dividing facts he mixed with falsehoods
AS THE CROW FLIES
An insertion of ROW for ‘line’ in (FACTS HE)* followed by LIES. The insertion indicator is ‘dividing’ and the anagrind is ‘mixed’.
24 Clumsy in enclosure, reversing into it
INEPT
An insertion of PEN reversed in IT.
25 Airman, in poem, endlessly against ace in battle
BALACLAVA
More multi-part mischief: an insertion of AC for aircraftman or ‘airman’ in BALLA[D] followed by V for versus or ‘against’ and A for ‘ace’. The insertion indicator is ‘in’ and the instruction to remove the D is ‘endlessly’.
26 Kind disposition
NATURE
A dd.
27 Given agreement when dispatched by editor
ASSENTED
A charade of AS, SENT and ED.
Down
1 Appeal for help, nothing being tolerable
SO-SO
A charade of SOS and O.
2 Stretch leg near ground
ENLARGE
(LEG NEAR)* with ‘ground’ as the anagrind.
3 Landowner in retreat supported by daughter
LAIRD
A charade of LAIR and D. ‘Supported by’ works because it’s a down clue.
4 Marine creature found in bay, possibly on small beach, or swimming
HORSESHOE CRAB
A charade of HORSE, S and (BEACH OR)*. The anagrind is ‘swimming’ and a ‘bay’ is a type of horse, hence ‘possibly’.
6 Pale colour of knight, one with hesitation rising in unfinished story
NILE GREEN
A charade of N, I and ER for ‘hesitation’ reversed in LEGEN[D]. Again, since it’s a down clue, ‘rising’ works as the reversal indicator.
7 Company coming up with song involving new instrument
OCARINA
Another down clue reversal indicator: ‘coming up’. CO reversed, followed by N in ARIA gives you the little musical instrument that is played in Crosswordland much more often than in real life.
8 Doctor in Rome sent for soup
MINESTRONE
(IN ROME SENT)*
10 State information available on hot drinks, carrying weight
NEW SOUTH WALES
A charade of NEWS, OUT and W inserted into H ALES.
13 Be gripped by storytelling, ignoring initial irregularity
ABERRATION
Everyman is inviting you to insert BE into [N]ARRATION.
15 Prices not adjusted for auditor
INSPECTOR
(PRICES NOT)*
18 Uncomplaining, long accepting obligation
PATIENT
An insertion of TIE in PANT.
20 One following absorbing account, not precisely correct
INEXACT
A charade of I and AC inserted into NEXT.
22 Enticement to possess constant wealth
LUCRE
An insertion of C for ‘constant’ in LURE.
23 Reported forbidden gang
BAND
A homophone of BANNED.
Many thanks to Everyman for this morning’s puzzle, and for all the others over the past years.
A lovely puzzle to go out on, many thanks to the setter and to Pierre for the blog.
I particularly liked 6d as the surface prompted me to Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, which was a nice little push in the right direction. The multiparters were fine Sunday fare, with the crow and Sir Bradley being my favourites.
Hey Pierre and thanks for your blog. You might like to change the number to 3770. ?.
This was a mix of the familiar and the unfamiliar for me. 10d New South Wales came easily and with a smile as it was my home state. Bradley Wiggins on the other hand, while he rang a bell and came to me surprisingly quickly once I had some crossers, was unable to stir any memories of why I knew his name.
Thanks to our setter too. It will be interesting to wrangle with a new setter.
Thanks for the heads-up Pinky. Number now corrected.
Whoops. Sorry about the misnumbering.
Thank you Everyman and Pierre – I suppose AS THE CROW FLIES does not qualify for a bird link?
Wanted to rush in with SPELLBOUND at 13d, but it would not parse.
I must have heard of Bradley Wiggins since he won the Tour de France in 2012 and the cyclists often pass by near where I live, finally got the name from the clue.
I particularly liked the clue for HORSESHOE CRAB.
Volante @1, the last Everyman puzzle is published today and will be blogged next week by Sil van den Hoek.
Whoops – thanks Cookie. For what it’s worth I enjoyed today’s Everyman as well. 🙂
Thanks Pierre. 3,770 flowed relatively easily, and rewarded with a few smiles. Personally, I found today’s (3,771) to be a much tougher nut to crack (Especially 8d – Our setter must have been saving that little gem!)
Many thanks to Everyman for this puzzle, and for all the others that I have enjoyed over the past years.
Thank you very much to the setter. I wondered if there may be any farewell type messages hidden in there, but haven’t spotted anything.
Incidentally, where did you learn that was stepping down? I’m just curious as to where that was publicised as the setter is never named in the paper.
Kippax @9
See here.
Gaufrid @10. Thank you for sharing the link, only just caught up with this. Very sorry to hear that.
Lovely puzzle for the setter to finish on. Thanks to Colin for supplying these for the last few years. Took me a while to get used to his style. Now I’ll have to start all over again.
Pierre, I had no problem with Bradley Wiggins. He’s probably the only British cyclist I’ve heard of though.
My favourites were 1ac and 5ac. We could do with some of the latter at the moment with India playing NZ here.
Best wishes and thanks to Everyman
Took me a while to start and was worried it was going to stump me but finally got going
I know it pops up often but why does N = knight? (6d)
My favourite clues were 1d, 9ac
Vanessa. N for knight refers to the abbreviation used in chess. I expect it is n because k is for king.
I jumped ahead and did this one online on Waitangi day knowing I’d be away this weekend. Did it just after a cycle ride so nice to see the familiar Bradley Wiggins jump out. Looks like we will have one more from Colin as I think this blog is written a week after the crossword is published in the UK?
I agree that this was a nice puzzle to go out on. Pierre is correct that non-Brits would struggle with Bradley Wiggins; I’d never heard of him. The clue provided enough bits and pieces so that I could piece them together and get it out — once I figured out “bra” for “support”. Duhhh! Googled to make sure; LOI.
Could not/did not bother to parse 9 across (“soldier on”) or 4 down (“horseshoe crab”) but they were “obviously” correct.
Good bye to Everyman. Thanks for ask the wonderful puzzles.
I am sorry to have to say this but I was not overly happy to see a clue for Bradley Wiggins given the doping controversy surrounding him. The sport of cycling is tainted with his type.