Guardian Cryptic 27,891 by Vulcan

by

The puzzle may be found at https://www.theguardian.com/crosswords/cryptic/27891.

A gentle and amusing start to the week, with a host of double definitions.

Across
1 PENSIVE Thoughtful writers I have to follow (7)
A charade of PENS (‘writers’) plus I’VE (‘I have’).
5 LIFT OFF Leave the ground: why I have to use the stairs? (4,3)
Double/cryptic definition; if the lift is off – out of service …
10 TOBAGO Also about to seize island (6)
An envelope (‘about’) of BAG (‘to seize’) in TOO (‘also’).
11 INSOMNIA This has one in mansion tossing and turning (8)
An anagram (‘tossing and turning’) of I (‘one’) plus ‘mansion’, with an extended definition.
12 LAG Delay girl’s return (3)
A reversal  (‘return’) of GAL (‘girl’).
13 POPEYE Religious leader you once made into cartoon character (6)
A charade of POPE (‘religious leader’) plus YE (‘you once’).
14 HOARDING Stockpiling a large display board (8)
Double definition.
15 CYNIC From fancy niche one takes a jaundiced view (5)
A hidden answer (‘from’) in ‘fanCY NIChe’.
16 FIREWATER Incompatible ingredients in strong spirit (9)
FIRE and WATER would be the ‘incompatible ingredients’.
19 MAKE READY Prepare to forge currency (4,5)
Definition and literal interpretation.
21 DOVER Daughter finished the port (5)
A charade of D (‘daughter’) plus OVER (‘finished’).
24 RIPOSTES Sharp replies to stories circulating about parking (8)
An envelope (‘about’) of P (‘parking’) in RIOSTES, an anagram (‘circulating’) of ‘stories’.
26 ANGELA An upper-class girl? A girl (6)
‘An’ plus GEL (‘upper-class girl’ – in pronunciation) plus ‘a’.
27 TOR The high point of a Devon holiday (3)
Cryptic definition, although TOR is not specific to Devon (eg. Mam Tor).
28 NO LONGER Just this big? Not any more (2,6)
Double definition.
29 PLIERS Supports holding large implement (6)
An envelope (‘holding’) of L (‘large’) n PIERS (‘supports’).
30 AFFRONT Insult a political organisation in speech (7)
Sounds like (‘in speech’) A FRONT (‘a political organization’).
31 SLEEPER One inactive as supporter of the railway (7)
Double definition.
Down
2 ECONOMY Prudent management shows class of airline (7)
Double definition.
3 SPARE TIME Period one could see as emptier (5,4)
An anagram (‘one could see’) of ‘as emptier’.
4 VIOLET Flower — love it to bits (6)
An anagram (‘to bits’) of ‘love it’.
6 IN SPADES Emphatically how contract may be reached (2,6)
Definition and literal interpretation; the ‘contract’ is in bridge.
7 TUMID Swollen stomach: girl’s knocked up (5)
A charade of TUM (‘stomach’) plus ID, a reversal (‘knocked up’) of DI (‘girl’).
8 FAIENCE Pottery smashed by fiancee (7)
An anagram (‘smashed’) of ‘fiancee’. ‘By’ seems extraneous.
9 LIGHT INDUSTRY Unsightly dirt spread by producers of consumer goods (5,8)
An anagram (‘spread’) of ‘unsightly dirt’.
17 ALONGSIDE Hypotenuse is close (9)
A LONG SIDE (of a right angled triangle, ‘hypotenuse’).
18 PENTAGON A regular figure in defence of America (8)
Double definition.
20 A BIT OFF Small reduction is unfair (1,3,3)
Double definition.
22 ENLARGE General change is swell (7)
An anagram (‘change’) of ‘general’.
23 CARPAL In fish, a length of bone (6)
A charade of CARP (‘fish’) plus ‘a’ plus L (‘length’)
25 ODOUR Old and sullen by repute (5)
A charade of O (‘old’) plus DOUR (‘sullen’).
completed grid

32 comments on “Guardian Cryptic 27,891 by Vulcan”

  1. I’d agree with PeterO, except after Saturday’s workout I’d put it a bit differently: a gentle and amusing end to the weekend.

    Thanks.

  2. This was a fun puzzle to solve. My favourites were NO LONGER, LIFT OFF, A BIT OFF, MAKE READY, INSOMNIA.

    Thanks Peter and Vulcan

    Dr. Whatson@1 – I was amazed that I could finish the Prize puzzle – I was ready to give up on it.

  3. Smiled at firewater, tumid and a long side. Nice easy Monday. Haven’t tackled the Enigma yet, so we’ll see. Thanks P and V.

  4. Good luck with the prize grantinfreo @3. It’s a beast. Still struggling with the east side.

    This was a good example of how to use CD and DD – most went in unambiguously and I thought “alongside” worthy of being in any puzzle. For me, “popeye” was slow to yield (yes, I feel daft now…). “Insomnia” doesn’t strictly work in that there are too many anagram indicators and “in mansion” has nothing to do with the definition, so it’s not a proper &lit, but I liked it and thought it a decent example of a tpye of clue we’ve often seen of late, where if you pick it apart you realise that it does not follow all the rules but, nevertheless, it is solvable uniquely and meaningfully. I think that makes it a fair clue with a sort of extended definition and wordplay.

    Many thanks Vulcan, and PeterO for the blog. Let’s see if this month’s Genius is any easier than last month, which I got almost nowhere with!

  6. Thanks to Vulcan and PeterO. Glad to get back in the saddle today with a crossword that was not too taxing and a bit of fun.

    For a while I had an unparsed MONACO at 10a but it didn’t feel right, so I rethought my islands.

    I ticked 1a PENSIVE, 13a POPEYE, 21a DOVER and 18a PENTAGON. Like michelle@2, I also enjoyed (!) 11a INSOMNIA (yes, I have jet-lag).

    [Should I try the Prize or wait a couple of days until my brain is no longer fudge?]

    [Back from my US holiday. Yes we travelled cattle class, so I appreciated the “unclassy” 2d ECONOMY! I have missed my daily diet of crosswords and this forum, but had a great trip. I thought of you when I was on Long Island visiting my son, PeterO. And you too, Valentine, when I was in Concord and Boston.]

  7. Yes, quite a contrast to Enigmatist’s offering on Saturday! JinA@6 – Good luck with it: I only finished it with dogged determination and after consulting Mr Google a few times.

  8. Ta Vulcan and PeterO for a steady start to the week.

    In regard to 2d, I think that most would consider economy travel as occurring within airPLANES, rather than airLINEs (at least from this side of the world — welcome back JinA). But budget carriers do also exist.

    Thanks for 25d, which led me to a new understanding of ‘odour’. Gal and gel also noted together in the x-word. Making more of the ready, 19a, best for the day.

  10. My LOI was also FIREWATER with all the pesky vowel crossers.

    Good start to the week. I guess as PeterO says MANSION sort of works as an extended definition.

    The BRB has ODOUR = repute (figurative) but perhaps someone can provide the context. I ticked LIFT OFF and IN SPADES.

    Thanks Vulcan and PeterO.

  11. Robi @10 The expressions “to be in good odour” and “bad odour” mean to be good or bad repute with someone e.g. “Since I saved his cat from the tree, I’ve been in good odour with my neighbour”

  12. Chinoz @ 8 Can I include myself in the ‘few’ who think that ‘economy’ as ‘class of airline’ makes perfect sense but as ‘class of airplane’ it makes almost none.

    Thought this was a good crossword, liked hypotenuse and insomnia (oddly), didn’t know faience.

    Thanks Vulcan and PeterO.

  14. Thanks PeterO – I agree about FAIENCE at 8; “Fiancee smashed pottery” would have been a better clue. Otherwise, agreeable enough Monday fare, so thank you to Vulcan.

  15. Thanks both. Enjoyed this

    Cookie @ 13 – I would need “CREAM” before it to make it a high point of a Devon holiday!

  16. Thanks to Vulcan and PeterO. This mostly went in quite readily, but then I got held up by a couple in the NE. The last ones were firewater and in spades which took me a lot longer than they should have. I parsed 27a as referring to Torpoint in Devon, which I used to live close to, but maybe just overthinking it. Favourites were alongside, no longer and firewater. Thanks again to Vulcan and PeterO.

  17. I, too, had enormous fun with this – and in a host of delightful clues my faves were POPEYE, FIREWATER and ALONGSIDE. (I did, however, get a teeny bit bogged down with 11A, as my anagram brain-cells weren’t functioning too well this morning and for a while the only appropriate word I could make from the obvious i+mansion was “onanismi”…..)
    Thanks to Vulcan and Peter O

  18. Thanks to Vulcan and PeterO.

    Very enjoyable and applause for LIGHT INDUSTRY, SPARE TIME (I do like a good anagram) and POPEYE. I suppose if one is in Devon it’s compulsory to climb a TOR, but I found that a little weak. [Tea would have been weaker again (nothing worse than weak tea).] Great surface for TUMID.

  19. To JinA @6: the Prize was definitely doable, but when I’d finished I was reminded of Douglas Adams’ description of the pan-galactic gargle blaster: its effects are similar to “having your brains smashed out by a slice of lemon wrapped round a large gold brick.” Sounds like you may be already there.

  20. My only quibble is that the “emphatically” meaning of IN SPADES derives from the fact that spades are the highest-ranking suit in contract bridge, so that the two definitions in the clue are almost one. Otherwise a thorough pleasure. Thanks, Vulcan and Peter.

  22. I had SPACE TIME as well but I was going to keep quiet about it! A nice puzzle nonetheless. I particularly liked POPEYE. When I lived on Merseyside many years ago,I remember someone had painted” God save our Pope” in a Catholic part of the town. This was almost immediately altered to read ” God save our POPEYE” and stayed like that for years..Indeed it might be still there!
    Thanks Vulcan.

  23. I’m another still struggling (or given up) with the prize and who enjoyed this one much more. (Definitely not one to tackle with fudge brain JinA). FIREWATER was our loi as well and I also particularly liked ALONGSIDE. Thanks to Vulcan and PeterO.

  25. As PeterO said, a nice gentle introduction to the week. I particularly liked ALONGSIDE – clever, that. Thanks to PeterO and Vulcan, and congratulations to everyone who still has a sense of humour after Saturday’s offering !!

  26. A very pleasant treat for us after a horrid M6 journey back from the Cotswolds to Cheshire. Very interesting to see that some elder statesmen thought the Saturday prize offering was shockingly hard. So did we: think we’ve completed, but lots not properly parsed, if at all. This was much more our speed – with PENSIVE in immediately, and LIFT OFF moments later, the world was good again. Thank you Vulcan and PeterO.

  27. Thanks P & V for a great puzzle.
    We wondered, would the strictly more correct ‘incompatible elements’ have made 16a too obvious?

  28. Thanks to PeterO and Vulcan

    I seem to be in a minority of one, but I don’t understand 27a at all. What has “holiday” got to do with the price of haddock? Is it possible there is a homophone indicator missing (what!, a misprint in the Guardian, surely not), and we are to read “holiday” as “tour”, and substitute a Devonian pronunciation for the the more common “twoer”.

    Probably not, but I can’t parse the clue as it stands.

  29. I reply  to Robert@8 that we might learn something about words.

    First of all, I make no reference to planes themselves being economy. What I meant is that the economy seats are to be found within them – rows 10 to 22 (for your average 737) are the economy seats, while the first class/business seats are up the front. This is the physical actuality.

    Your airline (QANTAS, BA etc.) will sell economy “seats” (or tickets for), which in time will be realised by a person settling (?!) into a seat on a plane. (And granted, the airline may alter the designation of a seat from one flight to another, but the passenger does not know this.)

    Where then the economy? Theoretically, in the sale of the ticket, or actually, in the pax boarding the plane to realise the seat promised them, or actually, actually, that group of seats found behind those at the front of the plane?

    Lastly, I will point out Vulcan’s wording again – “a class OF airline”. Two senses for the word ‘of’ (among more) from Chambers (1988, physical copy) include ‘from among’ and ‘characterised by’. Are we talking about some airlines that are economical (others are not), or are we describing a property that pertains to all (most?) ? For this clue I’m pretty sure that most solvers went with the latter, but useful to see the possibilities of interpretation.

    Enough to start you thinking lawyers are underpaid…

  30. Dansar @28: As 27 is a CD, I took “holiday” as deliberately chosen to go with “high point” to mislead.  The clue looks like it  means “the best thing you’d do on a holiday in Devon,” but of course really means “something high you’d see on holiday in Devon.”

    “The high point of Devon” is neater, of course, but pretty much loses the cryptic element.

  31. VinnyD@20 — IN SPADES and its clue may be almost one to those w ho know that spades rank highest in contract bridge, but to the rest of us it’s just an expression meaning “and how!”

  32. Thanks cruciverbophile @30, I’m sure you’re right but it didn’t quite sit well with me. I go to Devon for at least a few days every year and I can’t recall ever coming across a tor. I also visit the Peak District regularly and I seem to bump into one round every corner!

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