A rare puzzle by a setter whose puzzles always seem to celebrate a special day.
The theme was World Naked Gardening Day, an event of which Timon and I were previously blissfully unaware, but it does exist as you can verify by googling it. In the Northern Hemisphere it’s celebrated on the first Saturday in May. There were a lot of horticultural references in the clues. I was at first puzzled by the difference in clueing style demonstrated by the clues to 18 down (where the obvious coarse reference was carefully avoided) and 23 down or 27 down (both of which might have appeared in a Private Eye Cyclops puzzle). When I went back to my blog on the first Bogus puzzle I re-discovered that it was a collaboration by Puck, Arachne and Nutmeg, which explains the contrasting styles on display. The first puzzle by this group celebrated World Toilet Day, the second World Smile Day.
All good fun, but this allotment gardener has no intention of adopting this particular style of gardening, although it’s true that real gardeners assess whether the soil is warm enough to sow seed by sitting on it with a bare bottom. If you can do so without recoiling at the cold, then the soil is warm enough (or so they say!).
| ACROSS | ||
| 9 | RARE EARTH |
Thin soil yielding metallic element (4,5)
|
| A straightforward charade of RARE (thin) and SOIL (earth). | ||
| 10 | ASTER |
Late bloomer, briefly behind (5)
|
| ASTER(n) (behind). “Late” bloomer, because asters flower in late summer and autumn. | ||
| 11 | NAKED |
Exposed as ladies with a seedy past? (5)
|
| I assume that this is a reference to the autumn crocus, known as naked ladies. And yes, I know that they are cultivated from bulbs, not from seeds. | ||
| 12 | GARDENING |
Bizarrely, an opening for 11 digger provides job in growth area (9)
|
| *(AN N(aked) DIGGER). | ||
| 13 | DISCORD |
Conflict over replacing article in shed (7)
|
| DISCARD with O for A. | ||
| 14 | ACCEPTS |
Believes book about fungal growth (7)
|
| CEP (fungal growth) inside ACTS (of the Apostles: book), | ||
| 17 | COPRA |
Key work by artist that’s a bit of a nut (5)
|
| C (key) OP (work) RA (artist). It’s part of a coconut. | ||
| 19 | DAY |
One making regular entries in diary? (3)
|
| Alternate (regular) letters in DiArY. A very nice & lit clue, where the definition incorporates the wordplay. | ||
| 20 | WORLD |
Earth turned rapidly, we hear (5)
|
| Sounds like “whirled”. | ||
| 21 | SLIP OFF |
Surreptitiously leave what today’s lady could have taken (4,3)
|
| I think that this is a whimsical reference to a lady gardener wishing to celebrate the thematic day. | ||
| 22 | DRABBLE |
Retiring poet (not a skilful writer) (7)
|
| BARD (rev) (a)BLE. Margaret Drabble, of course, and this clue is certainly not an & lit! | ||
| 24 | TAKE STOCK |
Assess the situation, having deadheaded pot plant (4,5)
|
| (s)TAKE (pot – in gambling parlance, a pot can be a stake) STOCK (plant). | ||
| 26 | SISAL |
Serving of 28s is a likely source of fibre (5)
|
| Hidden in “28s is a likely”. | ||
| 28 | PRUNE |
Cut selectively, purging fruit (5)
|
| Double definition. | ||
| 29 | IN THE BUFF |
Enough said about Beth working out 11 (2,3,4)
|
| *BETH inside INUFF (homophone of “enough”). | ||
| DOWN | ||
| 1 | WREN |
Women’s backsides in border unnerve and frighten bird (4)
|
| W(omen) with last letters (backsides) of bordeR unnervE and frighteN. | ||
| 2 | DRAKES |
Flighty males finally returned tools for today (6)
|
| (returne)D, RAKES. | ||
| 3 | SEED POTATO |
Young Murphy used to make others supply a dope test? Nothing in that (4,6)
|
| O (nothing) in * (A DOPE TEST). Note the use of “supply” in its adverbial sense as an anagram indicator. | ||
| 4 | FRIGID |
Frozen stiff after first of frosts (6)
|
| F(rosts) RIGID. | ||
| 5 | CHARLADY |
Reluctant to house youngster? Here’s one who does (8)
|
| LAD in CHARY (reluctant). Nicely misleading definition, if perhaps a little old-fashioned (but then, so are charladies). | ||
| 6 | BARE |
Heard Stand 11 is empty (4)
|
| Homophone of BEAR (stand) with two definitions (naked and empty). | ||
| 7 | STRIPPER |
One provocatively removing weeds? (8)
|
| Cryptic definition, remembering that “weeds” are clothes. | ||
| 8 | TRUG |
Carrier handy today as Romeo has to pull on clothing … (4)
|
| R(omeo) inside (“clothed”) TUG (pull). | ||
| 13 | DUCKS |
… coarse garments, luvvie, such as 2 go after? (5)
|
| Triple definition. | ||
| 15 | COW PARSLEY |
Source of manure applied sparely for fast grower (3,7)
|
| COW (source of manure) *SPARELY. | ||
| 16 | SEDGE |
Singular blade for cutting marsh plant (5)
|
| S(ingular) EDGE (blade). | ||
| 18 | PRICK OUT |
Identify hedges beginning to require transplant (5,3)
|
| R(equire) inside (“hedged”) PICK OUT (identify). Some setters, especially bearing in mind the theme, might have been tempted to clue this phrase rather differently. | ||
| 19 | DAFFODIL |
Bloomer by lawyer taking raised hat off (8)
|
| DA (lawyer) OFF (rev) LID (rev). | ||
| 22 | DAKOTA |
Sioux pick up good inside information (6)
|
| OK inside DATA. | ||
| 23 | BUSTUP |
Frontal display aroused dissent and division (4-2)
|
| I think that this is a charade of BUST (frontal display) UP (aroused). | ||
| 24 | TOPE |
Smart operator hoarding booze (4)
|
| Hidden in “smart operator”. “Booze” here is a verb. | ||
| 25 | STEM |
South London police going north to make arrest (4)
|
| S MET (rev). | ||
| 27 | LIFT |
Get up from the ground, oddly ignoring oldie with pink organ (4)
|
| Even letters (ignoring the odd ones) in oLdIe, followed by FT (the Financial Times is printed on pink paper). |
Bogus is three setters …
Fortunately did this before being alerted to the spoilers last week (but too late to take advantage of the day!)
One of the most enjoyable and fun crosswords ever. Not particularly tough (as some are bound to complain) once the theme came to light, but a steady solve.
Best of the bunch being the hilarious 18d and 29a (hoe hoe hoe!)
Thanks bridgesong. I had never heard of the theme and shudder at the prospect but managed to get there in the end despite any real horticultural expertise. LOI was ASTER after being fixated on ‘after’ which defied all efforts at complete explanation. I agree with you about 23d, I spent some time trying to deal with dissent and division separately.
Hmm. Bogus – good name for this collaboration
I didn’t know what to expect from this setter, but I like them. The theme elements were very well done and neither contrived nor obvious. I thought the misdirection of SISAL was phenomenal, and the pink organ in LIFT very clever. DRABBLE too very good.
Thanks to Bogus and bridgesong. Lots of fun. I took long time getting TRUG and hadn’t heard of COPRA or COW PARSLEY, but the cluing was there.
One for the unbelievers. Does WNGD exist? Epiphany midway through, it must, and revelations followed. INUFF said. Then at the end, 8D, a leap of faith required. Biffed it, checked holy Google and Yes, TRUG also liveth!
Dr WhatsOn @5. “I thought the misdirection of SISAL was phenomenal.” I took a lot of convincing that it was in fact misdirection, having spotted the letters in the clue very early on. I didn’t write it in until I had all the crossers, because I couldn’t understand why the setter(s) had used ’28’ to attach the possessive S to, when almost any word would do. Yes, OK – PRUNEs are a ‘source of fibre’, but the surface of the clue at 28 tells us that it’s a ‘purging fruit’, so this just makes the surfaces self-reflective. I was left feeling dissatisfied and short-changed. (Would ‘purging’ help? 😉 )
Like Biggles A @3 I was stuck with an unparsed and meaningless AFTER for a long time, until ASTER(n) ‘briefly’ made itself known, and it was only then that I managed to solve the ridiculously easy BARE for my LOI.
Thanks to bridgesong for the blog, and to the setter(s) for refusing easy smuttiness and letting us find it for ourselves in places where it could be deniable – ‘pink organ’ being somewhat concerning until the crossing F made FT obvious. The clue and solution for 7d are both so apt that I would guess that the whole crossword might have been constructed around this.
…plural S rather than possessive, obv.
I think a seed potato is a ‘young Murphy used to make others’.
… yes, 18d had quite enough thematic resonance, cluing it thus as well would have been crass…
It was refreshing to experience a puzzle from a ‘new setter’ (new to me, anyway, and not realising it was a collaboration), and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I was unaware of both the theme and the significant date, and I had to get the phrase word by word as the solutions came to me. I liked the way the theme was referred to in other clues, not overwhelming the nice variety of clues throughout.
Thanks to Bogus and bridgesong.
… meanwhile, enjoyed the quirky theme, but with some subtleties going over my head, like when asters bloom, and that naked ladies are autumn crocuses, and that to prick out means to transplant. Trug the carrier rang only the faintest of bells. Enjoyable, thanks Bogus and bridgesong.
[.. said to my sister in London ‘apparently it’s WNGD’, she said ‘be bloody freezing here!’]
WORLD NAKED GARDENING DAY was new to me and I hope those who celebrate it stay out of rose gardens. In any event, is this current crossword by Bogus a collaboration of Puck, Nutmeg, and Arachne? Arachne? Is our dear Rosa Klebb re-emerging? Hope springs eternal. Favourite clue was LIFT. Thanks to all.
This was right up my street – or, at least, right down on my allotment. A thoroughly enjoyable romp with fun in the clueing as well as the solutions, double entendres scattered here and there, a cheeky theme and some clever devices. Loved it.
Fortunately spoilergate did not ruin this for me. I saw – and was saddened – by the blog late on Saturday, but, for once, had no plans to even look at the puzzle until later in the weekend. As soon as I did, the special instructions gave it away and, tbh, I’m not sure they were necessary. It’s my sole criticism. The gardening theme would have become clear to any solver and I feel we could either have spotted the WNGD connection ourselves or have had the pleasure of discovering it through the blog. As soon as I’d solved DAY, my FOI, I knew what the other three words would be.
I have felt ever so slightly guilty through the week. My post on the blog preceded the spoilers – but did contribute insofar as one of the early comments referred to mine. My “barely having time to post before visiting the allotment” was A) correct and B) absolutely intended to be a reference to WNGD which had been mentioned in the news the previous day. Little did I suspect that such a bizarre topic would be the theme of a Prize puzzle. I had planned to reveal all this week. But then I’m always a little behind.
Thanks Bogus and bridgesong
Truly, one learns so many new things from doing the Guardian crossword! I had never heard of this event, and was reluctant to believe that it could really be the answer to the key set of four clues. But it was, and it really is a thing. Great fun. Thanks to Bogus, whoever they is, and to bridgesong.
Thanks PM @16 for making a clean breast of things.
Hopefully our witty Pen-friend will soon feel like rejoining the fold.
Many favourites, but I think my favouritest was the lawyer who couldn’t keep his hat on. “Oh yes, Colonel, many times… but never before with a DAFFODIL.”
Thanks to B & B
28. 29. With your 18… Perfect!
Another one stuck on AFTER here: wasn’t happy with it, couldn’t parse it, couldn’t think of anything else.
Luckily I had done most of this and found out about WNGD before reading last week’s blog. Who knew? Thanks to the collaborators, tiptoeing carefully through a minefield of naughty references and mostly leaving us to find any dirt for ourselves.
PostMark@16, the fault was not yours, and it wasn’t much of a fault anyway, as the special instructions would have given us the same way into the puzzle. So no need to bare your…soul.
Bridgesong in his preamble reveals Bogus to be Puck, Arachne and Nutmeg. I wonder if it is the same three this time, or did someone sub for the much missed Arachne? Can you enlighten us, bridgesong? And thanks to whomever for the slightly naughty fun.
Cellomaniac @21: I have no inside information as to the identity of Bogus. I only found out last time because Puck posted a response to my blog, and I just assumed that the same setters had collaborated again.
I did this before seeing last week’s blog, but got the theme very quickly, as I was aware of WNGD (not as a participant!). The rest of the puzzle was witty as others have said, and in hindsight it’s clear there are different styles of clueing, which added to the enjoyment. As well as the themed answers, I liked CHARLADY among others.
[In addition to WNGD, the World Naked Bike Ride is a thing. I can’t decide which activity is less suited to doing unclothed!]
[ beaulieu, especially in Scotland – brrr and ouch. ]
…and I forgot to say, thanks bridgesong for your response. I hope one of them posts here again this time.
I don’t think anybody has mentioned that Margaret DRABBLE is the mother of TV (clothed) gardener Joe Swift
I forgot to thank Bogus (whoever you are) and bridgesong.
Many thanks “Bogus” for such a lovely, witty puzzle. WNGD was not a wash-out.
Oh man, wasn’t this fun? I am still giggling about PRICK OUT (my LOI) a week later. I sense Puck’s hand in that bit of grid-filling, with Nutmeg tut-tutting at him from the sidelines.
By the way, I thought this was reasonably common knowledge, but Bogus is a team of Puck, Nutmeg and Arachne.
essexboy @18: I’m not seeking to hide my blushes! Is Penfold in some self-imposed purdah, then? That’s a shame. I actually thought his full Monty Don to be very witty but it all went to pot thereafter. But, by then, I was knee deep in broad beans whilst keeping an eye out for the occasional blue tit.
What a lovely puzzle! When I recognised the name, I knew we were in for some fun.
Jaydee @4 – it was doubly apt for their first puzzle, with the theme of World Toilet Day,
Hugely enjoyable – ‘Nuff said’ (my favourite clue) already.
Many thanks to Bogus (looking forward to the next special Day) and to Bridgesong, especially for revealing the significance of the clue for 1dn. This puzzle really was the gift that went on giving!apart from special thanks to Bridgesong for revealing the hidden relevance of 1dn. 😉
… sorry for the repetition.
Great fun. Thankyou Bogus and bridgesong. I also hope Arachne’s back, but whoever set WNGD it was peachy.
Liked the pairing of 18D and 23D. and the pink organ on the bottom line (my last one to parse). There’s definitely the female touch in the setting. Both Nutmeg and Arachne have a sense of humour and sometimes go close to the bone. The whole thing just made me laugh, the setters inviting you in on the joke, subtly.
SISAL was very clever. Prunes are a source of fibre. A kind of double wordplay. Devious distraction starting with ‘Serving of 28’. A well-hidden hidden.
Thanks Bogus, that was fun! And bridgesong for explaining it all so clearly.
I had started looking at this and got some of the clues, including only ‘DAY’ from the theme, when on going back to last Saturday blog, the ‘hints’ from various contributors made WNGD pretty apparent.
In all fairness,
A) I think the penny would have dropped pretty soon anyway
B) It is a fun activity solving the cross-word, and getting a hint even inadvertently doesn’t actually change that.
Even if WNGD had been spelled out in the grid to start with, there is still so much to enjoy in here. Others have already mentioned the ‘Paul-ine’ levels of smut, and it is true that 18D was a kind of jaw-drop moment, (I am an anti-gardener, I’ve heard of the horticultural meaning of 18D only very indirectly). My favourite clue though, was the non-thematic DRABBLE. Thanks @Shirl @26 for pointing out her gardening connection!
Again thanks to the BOOGUS team, bridgesong and to ALL contributors on here for enriching and amplifying the fun.
What a treat – I enjoyed every minute of it- My top favourite (from a very long list of possibilities) has to be 13d
Thanks to Bogus – roll on the next special day – and if the lovely Spider Lady returned with a whole crossword all on her ownsome, there’d be great rejoicing throughout the land
Thanks also to bridgesong for the blog
PRUNE IN THE BUFF! Not today thank you 🙂
Eileen, I don’t understand your reference to 1dn, which I thought was a non-thematic clue. Am I missing something?
PostMark @16
You say the special instructions ‘gave it away’ – not for me, though! I had to get all four words (DAY and then WORLD being by chance the last two) in order to match my solutions to the theme.
So perhaps I was one of the lucky ones. But then, like you say of yourself, I’m always a little behind, and it is barely noticed.
And thankyou bridgesong for 7D. I didn’t get the full significance of that from down under.
Enjoyed this. Had never heard of WNGD and I reckon without the special instruction the theme would have passed me by.
On the spoilergate front, I normally read this blog on a Sat am, but our habit is to tackle that weekend’s Guardian over a late breakfast on Sunday. So I certainly prefer it if hints of any kind can be avoided.
bridgesong @38 I think it’s the wordplay that’s thematic – I’ll say no more!
Alan B @39: they only gave it away because I’d seen stuff about WNGD on the news the previous day. Four words, of which the last was DAY. And then a glance at the enumeration. So, yes. Believe me, most Special Instructions leave me better informed but none the wiser.
Bodycheetah @42: now I actually read the clue, I see what you mean!
Yes, this was great. Couldn’t parse TAKE STOCK or NAKED – thanks bridgesong. Like others, I hope Arachne will be able to set some more puzzles. I’ve been doing some of her previous ones.
Thanks to Eileen @32 I’ve just spent an enjoyable time looking up Christopher Wren., knowing he was an architect and had something to do with gardens as well. What a polymath!
But can now see what Eileen, bodycheetah and bridgesong are alluding to. However, why should women’s backsides frighten and unnerve another woman? 🙂
[PM @43
Oh, so my little quip was, er, barely noticed. Never mind!]
Great fun especially as I was visiting my beloved Kew Gardens later that day. Favourites were CHARLADY and DRABBLE. I will confess that spoilergate did encourage me to go back to it after initial blank stares but hey ho
Ta Bogus & bridgesong
bridgesong @11a. According to the RHS website colchicum autumnale are propagated from seed or by separating corms so Bogus is in the clear, though I must admit that I would have expected it to be just the latter.
Thanks to you and to Bogus for a fun puzzle. 20a led to 19a and I knew that it was World Gardening Week so 12 came easily. I had to wait for the crossers for11a, helped by knowing that naked ladies are plants.
I’m with Dr. WhatsOn @5 on the misdirection at 26.
[Alan B @47: it was noted 😉 In my book, a little behind is worth striving for.]
bridgesong @38, sorry for the delay – I’ve been away finishing today’s Paul.
Yes, I meant your closing remarks in the preamble, which I’d never heard of before!
A very enjoyable puzzle which fortunately I had done before I saw the spoilers on the Tramp Weekend blog that came in after my post. Thanks to the Bogus collaboration, bridgesong and previous contributors (I am still smiling about the theme of the puzzle a week later, and reading these comments has just added to the fun).
I got it Alan B @ 39 and 47. Don’t feel you are underexposed.
[EpeeSharkey @35. “It is a fun activity solving the cross-word, and getting a hint even inadvertently doesn’t actually change that.” I agree that crossword solving is a fun activity, but after that you lose me, I’m afraid. To me it’s also a challenge, and one I usually do alone. Doing a crossword collaboratively can also be fun, but to overhear someone else doing the same crossword with a collaborator and sharing their penny drop moments with the whole pub spoils the solving experience for me. This is what last Saturday’s Spoilergate was like for me. The fact that it was done quite deliberately, and joined in with and even welcomed by others, sullied the whole thing. I lost not only some of my enjoyment of this particular crossword, but also some of my sense of belonging to this community.]
A crown jewel of a puzzle. Spoiler gate did suggest the gardening theme to me but it didn’t spoil my enjoyment – and from comments above I see it was all kicked off inadvertently.
World naked gardening day? What a load of bollocks.
The cheek of it! Enjoyed this, especially the restraint shown in certain parts.
Thoroughly enjoyed this one, very fine clueing causing plenty of smiles. Rare to have a puzzle where, once the theme is cracked, the remaining themed clues arent too easily guessed.
Big thanks to Bogus(es?) and Bridgesong. (ps. allotment far too wet to test soil temp today…)
I have tried to ascribe clues to the individual contributors and I bet half of them are wrong-I have Arachne responsible for RARE EARTH, IN THE BUFF, BUST UP for example
I have TRUG and DAKOTA for Puckl
COW PARSLEY, SEED POTATO DRABBLE under Nutmeg
Bet theyre all wrong. Good fun anyways
And lovely to see Arachne emerge briefly from her present commitments (I think she only clued and the others did the grid etc
Thanks all.
I got the theme earlier than usual as the event had been previewed in a blog for English speakers living in France. It was a cold and wet day, so there didn’t seem to be many participants. I parsed 11A from another name for naked ladies, belladonna lilies, a name which includes three ladies’ names.
Togs @60: still, however, like autumn crocus, as bridgesong pointed out, developed from bulbs, not seeds. Being non-horticultural by inclination and habits, I had not registered this in solving, but horticultural purists, I suppose, might feel that the clue should read, ‘Exposed as ladies with bulbous parts?’
Thanks Bogus and Bridgesong.
All took root quite quickly (for me), although many unparsed, except for BARE which inexplicably took another three days to twig. Failed on ASTER/AFTER.
Spooner’s catflap @61 & Togs @60. See Pino @49 and this from the RHS website: Propagate by seed, sowing in containers in an open frame when ripe or separate corms when dormant in summer.
There’s a small omission in 22d: it should say OK (rev) inside DATA.
Jamie @64: you’re quite right. At this point in the day, I’m not proposing to amend the blog.
Thanks bridgesong for explaining the subtleties of NAKED and ASTER which were well beyond my gardening knowledge, and for information on the likely setters. I admit to googling to get the precise theme as I had no idea about the NAKED part although the other key entries were fine. Thanks also Pino @49 and sheffield hatter@63 for further justification of this and spooner’s catflap@61 for a plausible alternative!
I did have a minor query on the OK of DAKOTA, not seeing how “pick up” indicates inversion – the inclusion from “inside” is clear of course, and I could see “pick up” as an alternative inclusion indicator easily enough, but not why that would tell me to turn anything upside down. Or is it just “up” for inversion with “pick” as a filler for the surface?
Not that this spoiled my fun, would like to echo the general appreciation of subtle sauce and theme woven in and out of definitions, wordplay, solutions and surfaces, thanks a bunch Bogus.
Hello, forgive the very basic question, but could someone please explain how the Guardian Prize Crossword “works”? How does it differ from a normal Guardian cryptic? What (if anything) is the “prize” aspect? Etc. Thanks in advance!
Chris@67
Before Covid changed everything, there was a prize (a couple of books, I think — it varied from time to time) for the first correct entry drawn from those sent in (on paper) the Friday after the puzzle was published (on a Saturday). The solution was printed after that and the 15^2 blog appeared exactly one week after publication of the puzzle. In order to avoid having to handle potentially infected pieces of paper, the prize itself was suspended last year, so there’s no call to send in your completed solution, but everything else remains the same. In effect, it is currently (and temporarily, one assumes) just the same as the daily cryptic , but you have to wait longer for the solution (and the blogpost on this site and related discussion). There is probably still an expectation that the (nominal) Prize crossword will be harder than the dailies.
Tony @68 – thank you very much!