The puzzle may be found at https://www.theguardian.com/crosswords/cryptic/28436.
A puzzle which seems to have strayed in from the Quiptic slot. It is a surprise to find it here, but it serves well at its level.
| ACROSS | ||
| 1 | DISREGARD |
Reads grid, wrongly showing neglect (9)
|
| An anagram (”wrongly’) of ‘reads grid’. | ||
| 6 | HOSTS |
Entertains multitudes (5)
|
| Double definition. | ||
| 9 | SLEEPING PARTNER |
Foolishly presenting pearl to investor (8,7)
|
| An anagram (‘foolishly’) of ‘presenting pearl’. | ||
| 10 | ONLY |
Regularly downplays exclusive (4)
|
| Alternate letters (‘regularly’) of ‘dOwNpLaYs’. | ||
| 11 | DERELICT |
Abandoned European souvenir in outskirts of Detroit (8)
|
| An envelope (‘in’) of E (‘European’) plus RELIC (‘souvenir’) in DT (‘outskirts of DetroiT‘). | ||
| 14 | FEROCIOUS |
Savage female promises to accept returned Apple component (9)
|
| An envelope (‘to accept’) of EROC, a reversal (‘returned’) of CORE (‘apple component’) in F (‘female’) plus IOUS (‘promises’ to pay). | ||
| 15 | OCHRE |
Colour of old church, not quite red (5)
|
| A charade of O (‘old’) plus CH (‘church’) plus ‘re[d]’ minus the last letter (‘not quite’). | ||
| 16 | NACHO |
Is able to return home without me for food (5)
|
| A charade of NAC, a reversal (‘return’) of CAN (‘is able to’) plus ‘ho[me]’ ‘without me’. | ||
| 18 | DUNGAREES |
Greyish-brown grease ruined clothing (9)
|
| A charade of DUN (‘greyish-brown’) plus GAREES, an anagram (‘ruined’) of ‘grease’. | ||
| 20 | ADORABLE |
Fuss by half-hearted mob is precious (8)
|
| A charade of ADO (‘fuss’) plus RAB[b]LE (‘mob’) minus one of the middle Bs (‘half-hearted’). | ||
| 21 | SPAM |
Returned plans for tinned meat (4)
|
| A reversal (‘returned’) of MAPS (‘plans’). | ||
| 25 | TAKE INTO ACCOUNT |
Make provision for nice cat aunt took abroad (4,4,7)
|
| An anagram (‘abroad’) of ‘nice cat aunt took’. | ||
| 26 | CODES |
Fish regularly sense ciphers (5)
|
| A charade of COD (‘fish’) plus ES (‘regularly sEnSe’). | ||
| 27 | DESCENDED |
Went down in action involving special constable before finale (9)
|
| An envelope (‘involving’) of SC (‘special constable’) plus END (‘finale’) in DEED (‘action’). | ||
| DOWN | ||
| 1 | DISCO |
Dance record leading to love (5)
|
| A charade of DISC (‘record’) ls O (‘love’). | ||
| 2 | SPELLER |
Queen after time is a charmer (7)
|
| A charade of SPELL (‘time’) plus ER (‘Queen’). Something has gone wrong here: the answer on the Guardian site is STELLAR – a perfectly respectable word, but not the answer to the clue. | ||
| 3 | ESPY |
Spot English agent (4)
|
| A charade of E (‘English’) plus SPY (‘agent’). | ||
| 4 | AUNT |
Relative is haggard — not good! (4)
|
| A subtraction: [g]AUNT (‘haggard’) minus the G (‘not good’). | ||
| 5 | DEPRESSING |
Gloomy journalist returning to be dealt with immediately (10)
|
| A charade of DE, a reversal (‘returning’) of ED (‘journalist’) plus PRESSING (‘to be dealt with immediately’). | ||
| 6 | HORSEWOMAN |
Centaur’s daughter somehow ran off (10)
|
| An anagram (‘off’) of ‘somehow ran’. | ||
| 7 | SUNFISH |
Newspaper angle for swimmer (7)
|
| A charade of SUN (‘newspaper’) plus FISH (‘angle’). | ||
| 8 | SPRITZERS |
Press agitated about hotel serving watered-down drinks (9)
|
| An envelope (‘about’) of RITZ (‘hotel’) in SPERS, an anagram (‘agitated’) of ‘press’. | ||
| 12 | ACROBATICS |
Whale upset by one caught in crazy gymnastic performances (10)
|
| A charade of ACRO, a reversal (‘upset’ in a down light) of ORCA (killer ‘whale’) plus BATICS, an envelope (‘in’) of I (‘one’) plus C (‘caught’) in BATS (‘crazy’). | ||
| 13 | GOLD-PLATED |
Good antique piece of tableware initially declared secure (4-6)
|
| A charade of G (‘good’) plus OLD (‘antique’) plus PLATE (‘piece of tableware’) plus D (‘initially Declared’). | ||
| 14 | FANTASTIC |
Amazing fizzy drink gets a lot of criticism (9)
|
| A charade of FANTA (‘fizzy drink’, trade name) plus STIC[k] (‘criticism’) cut short (‘a lot of’). | ||
| 17 | CLOCKED |
Saw Charlie secured (7)
|
| A charade of C (‘Charlie’, radio code) plus LOCKED (‘secured’). ‘Saw’ as noticed. | ||
| 19 | EXPOUND |
Provide a detailed account of old money (7)
|
| A charade of EX (‘old’) plus POUND (‘money’). | ||
| 22 | MUTED |
Dirt around middle of step becomes softened (5)
|
| An envelope (‘around’) of TE (‘middle of sTEp’) in MUD (‘dirt’). | ||
| 23 | TAPS |
Adopt a pseudonym to cover exploits (4)
|
| A hidden answer (‘to cover’) in ‘adopT A PSeudonym’. | ||
| 24 | ACHE |
Smart leaders of American college hiding expenses (4)
|
| First letters (‘leaders’) of ‘American College Hiding Expenses’. |
Well I don’t usually engage in the “Good for a Monday”-type discussions because in this part of the world we get the puzzle the day before the UK, so the whole notion seems a little silly. [Right now it’s Monday here!]
The trickiest part of this puzzle, aside from the STELLAR/SPELLER glitch, was convincing myself that the setter really meant what I thought were a couple of rather weak synonyms.
In the pain world, smart means sting, quite the opposite of ACHE.
In FEROCIOUS, I wouldn’t have said the core is a component of an apple, rather a part. Component suggests physically distinct. I am assuming it is the fruity apple that is intended, where the capital-A Apple (whose processors are cores!) is in the clue as a misdirection.
Like Dr W, I had to choose between Stellar and speller. However, an entertaining crossword but more suitable for a Monday.
Thanks to Carpathian and Peter O
Yep, easy even by quiptic standards. (Just as well Roz’s stopped the dailies, she’d be scathing 🙂 ). Didn’t think of the core of an Apple computer, Dr. Wh, that adds a bit of curl to it. And thought the same about ache and smart, totally different sensations. Quite liked horsewoman, a smile when it clicked. Thanks both.
Not challenging but still entertaining — SPRITZERS (great surface), FEROCIOUS, and AUNT were favourites. Thanks to both.
Very enjoyable, Quiptic-like puzzle.
Thanks to both.
I thought that nothing could be less challenging than yesterday’s puzzle, but as often, I was wrong …
PS: As I continue to plow through early-century prize-cryptics, I dropped across a superb one set by 2003, set by Pasquale (#22,863). I usually like to solve at a single sitting, but realizing that it was not possible, had to allow several sittings over several days. What a treat, extremely slow-going at first but gradually picking up the pace, and a feeling of triumph at the finale – it was also an anagram-solvers paradise. If you try it, read the instructions very carefully (I didn’t, alas) … ….
The odd thing was that the very next prize puzzle was by the master himself (Araucaria (#22,869) and the comparison was jaw-dropping – at under 25minutes, the latter was all-but a write-in – so sometimes even the very very best of setters like to give us an extremely easy day. Knowing that makes me a little more forgiving of today’s offering.
Felt no pain as I didnt check the answers
So a double editing glitch-as well as the wrong answer,. putting a quiptic in the Tuesday cryptic so
Apart from SPELLER, of course, and trying for far too long to start 26a with SNE.. or ES… (duh!) this gave me no trouble. I liked FEROCIOUS, E-SPY, HORSEWOMAN and ACROBATICS, and share the doubt over whether ACHE=smart in any part of the world. Tuesday has become the day when I have no idea what level of difficulty to expect: anything from near-Quiptic like this to seriously tough. Where’s Roz when we need her?
Not too hard, that is true, but rather pleasant. CLOCKED in that sense must be Pommy slang, I think – it rung a vague bell from my times there, but I don’t think I have ever heard it here. I had SPELLER and never even thought of ‘stellar’ (or checked, as I was sure). Like gif @3, I thought HORSEWOMAN was the standout. Thanks, Carpathian and PeterO.
How would STELLAR parse? I’m struggling to see it but folk feel it was a valid solution….?
I was puzzled by having SPELLER rejected and although Anna Regina was also a queen i could not see how STELL was time… So I am relieved to see it must be an error. Otherwise that was pretty much a write in, but fun, with some lovely clues, as others have said. And an early blog! Many thanks both! Have a good Tuesday.
Yes easier than expected, but that is fine – balances the ones that are harder than expected.
Favourites: NACHO, FANTASTIC, FEROCIOUS, CODES, AUNT
Thanks Carpathian and PeterO
An interesting discussion. The irony of the smart/ache debate for me is that what make this easy was that most of the definitions were so straightforward that they stood out on first read. I did still enjoy it. Thanks Carpathian and PeterO.
I suppose the day after the bank holiday is what actually feels like the “Monday” of the week – no complaints here for a gentle start. Thanks to Carpathian and PeterO.
Hmmm . . . . too Mondayish for me, but I see that some others are happy with it. I liked HORSEWOMAN. Thanks to C & PeterO.
Nice little jaunt. Agree with others that HORSEWOMAN stood out above the rest.
Ta Carpathian & PeterO
I ticked FEROCIOUS FANTASTIC & ACROBATICS but possibly because they were the only clues that took longer to solve than read. Funner than Vulcan tho. Cheers
As for what day it is, it feels like Groundhog Day, especially as yesterday’s lousy Bank Holiday weather gave me time to do the Quiptic and the Telegraph. Whoever we get tomorrow will certainly be a shock to the system. Nothing to add apart from the obligatory acknowledgment of HORSEWOMAN as winner by a short head.
The answer to 2D has been corrected to SPELLER on The Guardian site.
Charmer=speller seems a bit weak; maybe stellar was a late change added as an improvement and wires got crossed.
Morning all, I used to post here regularly but fell out of the crossword habit so I’ve not been round these parts for a while. Trying to pick it up again now though, and had to check in to see if I was going mad and missing something stellar about this one… glad to see fifteensquared is still going strong.
Being out of practice, I’m glad of an easy one on any day of the week – at least I get the satisfaction of being able to complete. Also enjoyed some of the wordplay – it’s not so bad being this easy when it makes you smile, though I share some of the reservations already expressed.
Delighted that The Graun continues to offer the whole spectrum of difficulty. So easy to slip into exclusive “clubiness”.
This, however, was one I wish I hadn’t bothered with. I wonder if we should adopt the Easy/Moderate/Difficult/Diabolical classifications that our friends in the Sudoku world use. Perhaps not as, with our type of puzzles, one man’s “fiendish” is another man’s “doddle”.
Hey-ho, leaves more time for the garden, ‘spose.
Many thanks, both.
I agree, PeterO, with your comment. I haven’t come across an easier cryptic, or quiptic for that matter, in the past 5-6 years that I have been a Guardian solver.
Very straightforward but satisfying. I enjoyed DUNGAREES and SPRITZERS. I also had SPELLER although I’ve never heard the word used for a caster of spells. Thanks Carpathian and PeterO
Thanks Carpathian and PeterO
Carpathian is my favourite Quiptic compiler, but this seems to be one of those. Perfectly enjoyable, apart from 1d and 7d, where part of the clue means the same in the solution and the wordplay (a discotheque is a place where discs are played; a sunfish is a fish).
I remember a film in the late Sixties with the title If It’s Tuesday, This Must Be Belgium. Felt quite disorientated today with this Monday difficulty level offering. Maybe it’s the Bank Holiday Weekend effect…
Does anyone have insight into why “Gold-plated” means “secure”? I associate gold plating with making things prettier, corrosion-resistant or overengineered and nothing to do with security as such. The corrosion resistance thing seems the most plausible thing but still dubious.
DUNGAREES, SPRITZERS and ACROBATICS were great. Thanks Carpathian and PeterO
Thanks PeterO, agree with comments on relative ease and most of the stand-out clues already mentioned, but I thought ESPY was a little weak (nice word but not too different from SPY in meaning) as well as SUNFISH (a fine beast though).
Dudley@27, I have only come across GOLD-PLATED in this sense when involved in tedious discussions on how we should satisfy various regulatory/compliance directives at work. If any process etc to be implemented is deemed to go beyond the bare minimum of box-ticking then it is said to be “gold-plated” which indicates that we are producing something shiny with a bit more going on than might be necessary, which is thus also supposed more secure and robust against examination by the powers that be. It’s a strange use of the term, I agree, and I had to think about it before entry!
Anyway I think a lot of the ease comes from many smooth surfaces so thanks Carpathian.
Thanks Carpathian and PeterO
I agree with the doubts over the synonymy of ACHE and SMART, but whether we like it or not Chambers Thesaurus gives them in both directions, so the setter is off the hook on that one.
Dudley @ 27: people refer to such things as gold-plated contracts, which are effectively unbreakable other than at great cost, so it equates to ‘secure’ in that sense.
Today’s puzzle was a bonus for a beginner. I was expecting a real struggle. Unlike those of you who found this easy I still had to reveal several, and not in a million years would I have got the parsing of acrobatics – although I got the answer anyway. There were several answers that made me smile, and that’s got to be good.
Dudley @ 27
Some investments are referred to as gold-plated meaning secure or guaranteed
AnnieClem @31: it’s good to see you soldiering on and I’m delighted this was in your Goldilocks zone. All beginners need to have puzzles with which they can make progress to ensure the bug is satisfied. And then, in time, beginners become intermediates and, hopefully, even better than that. It does mean some others – me included – don’t get quite our kick and you are right to remind us to be careful that, in expressing that sentiment, we don’t inadvertently diminish the efforts of those who are still learning. Fortunately, you only have to await the next Nutmeg, Vlad or Paul to see us all covered in egg.
Monday is the day after a holiday, so …
Carpathian’s characteristically good surfaces; I particularly enjoyed FEROCIOUS and the nice anagram of TAKE INTO ACCOUNT. I thought the ‘Centaur’s daughter’ was bound to lead to some classical unknown but the anagram unravelled at the end, and provided another good result.
Thanks Carpathian and PeterO.
PostMark @33. Hear, hear! I was composing a comment along those lines while you were posting yours. You have expressed most of what I was going to say, so I would just add, having cut most of what I had written, that ‘the rush to declare how (ridiculously) easy the writer found a puzzle, to the point of declaring it a waste of time, as one commenter above has ventured, is both unlovely and unhelpful. I know that this sentiment has been expressed before, by other participants and in different terms, but from time to time it bears resurrecting.’
Well, that used up a little time whilst sitting in the waiting room of a local garage as they rumaged under my bonnet to replace my oil-sensor cable loom. Insert your own jokes here please.
Even through the fog of background Radio 2 and the heady smell of new cars, this was a 20-minuter but it made the pain go-away.
Dudley @27: I’ve heard the phrase “gold-plated” as a mockney term-of-endearment – someone who is not as reliable as they may claim to be – but I’ll defer to Fiona Anna @32 (although I thought those were usually called “gilt-edged securities?”).
[PostMark @18: In acknowledgment of your acknowledgment and shared trepidation for the remaining part of the week, I’m sure the stables will be turned on us…]
Thanks to Carpathian and PeterO!
Cruciverbalists face the problem that, since the English language is constantly reshaping the widely-accepted conventions that give it meaning and currency, we are left only with recourse to commercially published reference works as arbiters in matters of definition. A dictionary attempts to draw defining boundaries around the semantics of each word — but a thesaurus does not. So an appeal to a Chambers thesaurus to justify ACHE = ‘smart’ is invalid, I think. (An appeal to a Chambers dictionary isn’t really much justification, either, in my opinion.) My Oxford Dic Of Eng uses the words “sharp, stinging” in its definitions of ‘smart’ noun and verb, and “dull pain” or “intense desire” for ACHE: there is no overlap of semantic elements in the Oxford definitions. But the Oxford lexicographers are actually trying to define the semantics of English, whereas Chambers are just selling a crossworders’ reference manual.
Too easy – I started this and breakfast at the same time; finished this first. Interesting error with SPELLER/STELLAR. I enjoyed SPRITZERS and DUNGAREES.
Wallyzed @38. I would refer the honourable Wally to the remarks made by other honourable members @33 and @35.
I see this puzzle has generated a small crop of the regular “too easy for me” / ” a write in” / “I’m considerably more intelligent than most” type comments with the recurring suggestion, for puzzles judged to be easier, that they should be a Quiptic. Those of us who actually buy the paper based newspaper never get to see the Quiptic as the Guardian editors, in their wisdom, restrict it to just online viewers (along with other interesting features that used to be part of the paper newspaper).
Thus, cryptic solvers need a wide range of different levels of difficulty independently of whether the Quiptic exists or not. This puzzle fits well within this range.
I’d agree this puzzle was easier than some but I found it more enjoyable than a struggle with the harder puzzles where I can sometimes only solve, say, 5 clues and quickly lose interest.
Gorilla68
Yes, the Quiptic is just online, but it’s completely free. You can even solve it online, so there’s no need to print it out.
Probably my quickest-ever solve, has to happen sometime I know, but as I’m in rubbish form at the moment I’ll take it. Really pleased to see Peter Owen @19 as I was a SPELLER guy and wouldn’t want to have lost out on the cruciverbal equivalent of VAR.
Gorillas @41 The Quiptic might be completely free to you but those of us who buy the paper are paying for it without getting it
Sorry, I should have referred to muffin @41
[Julia @43: May I suggest that the Guardian is about more than the crosswords, as fabulous as they are, and that the ‘paper’ both real and electronic are worth subscribing to.
As both a paper and ‘e’ Guardian reader for many years (and before that, when it was a real paper, the Indy which I still miss), I think that £11.99 is amazing value-for-money and supports possibly the last truly editorially-independent media source we have in the UK. Steps down from soapbox.
If you really do need a paper version of the Quiptic, Windows has a ‘snipping tool’ which allows you to select an area of the screen, copy/paste and then print it out.]
Like others, I particularly enjoyed FEROCIOUS, GAUNT and HORSEWOMAN and also the surfaces of SPRITZERS, ACROBATICS and DUNGAREES.
Thanks to Carpathian and PeterO.
I endorse the comments at 33, 35 and 40. 9 (and 45!). To call a puzzle ‘too / ridiculously easy’ is rude to the compiler and discouraging to our newer contributors, which is surely the opposite of what this site aims to do.
For more experienced commenters still wanting more, I heartily recommend today’s FT puzzle by Basilisk.
Sorry, I messed up the link – again. 🙂
I hope its here: https://www.ft.com/content/a770a644-9e12-4328-af5f-1380b0a9437c
Straightforward solve today, pretty well top to bottom, but enjoyable enough even so. Thanks to setter and blogger, as always.
Methuselah’s second outing in the Indy is also worth a crack.
MaidenBartok @36.
No need to defer – some forms of investments are called gilt-edged securities. I just thought that I had heard of some investments being referred to as gold plated (possibly by snake-oil salesmen).
[BTW, you can get a printout of the Quiptic by just right clicking next to ‘Across’ and then selecting ‘print’]
My partner and I both agree with comments 33, 35, 40 and 46. We started trying to solve cryptic crosswords 16 months ago and having solved yesterday’s Vulcan, today’s Carpathian, a few Nutmegs and Paul’s and our very first Vlad last week, we now think we have finally graduated from beginners to intermediates.
Our progression in the cryptic crossword world would never have happened without the gentle reassurance of the occasional solve of our beloved Vulcan and other so called easy setters and the excellent bloggers on this site for their explanations.
Thank you one and all.
Thanks both,
I found myself wondering whether the word ‘daughter’ was necessary in 6d. There are classical depictions of female centaurs so I suppose not. Arachne might well have clued it without ‘daughter.
Is ‘adorable’ the same as ‘precious. Not to me.
Also for me, HORSEWOMAN and SPRITZER were favourites.
A well-constructed puzzle, almost perfectly formed (smart/ACHE being for me the only very slight blemish). Difficulty is often a personal thing – I found Picaroon’s recent German themed crossword fell out relatively easily and wasn’t even the trickiest of the week, but others amongst us found it more of a struggle. However I think we all, from tyro solver to 10th dan, would agree that this one was straightforward – and none the worse for that.
Expert solvers are just the tip of the crossword solving iceberg, which I fear may be rapidly melting under the hot blast of sudoku. I heartily concur with the comments that it is untoward to complain that puzzles are too easy. (I note that one of the serial offenders has left to find challenges more worthy of their superior intellect – deciphering Linear A perhaps?)
Is FANTA a global brand? A bit baffling for overseas solvers if it isn’t. Brand names seem to be cropping up quite often recently.
Appreciate the above comments that we shouldn’t say it was too easy. I did find myself checking I wasn’t on the Quiptic though. A couple of chestnuts but was defeated by TAPS,
Isn’t NACHO a double-step clue? From “is able to” to “can” to “nac”? It’s not an indirect anagram — are indirect reversals okay? Admittedly, it’s a pretty easy one.
I’m glad the nice cat who got a trip abroad. Thanks, auntie! I hope you’re not too haggard.
Same reservations as others about the redundant definitions in DISCO, SUNFISH and ESPY. Also with the difference between “smart” and “ache.”
Yet another trade name, “Fanta”, after several others recently..
Pedro@56 for TAPS, take “exploits” as a verb.
All that said, thanks to Carpathian, especially for a lot of delightful surfaces, and to PeterO for a lively blog.
muffin @55: I think FANTA almost certainly is a global brand. It is owned by Coca-Cola.
Personally, I prefer the highly onomatopeic ‘Pschitt’ brand of lemonade from France but I’m not sure that is widely available any more…
Tyngewick @53: Arachne might have even have clued it as centauride which, apparently, is the female centaur. And centuaress, centaurelle and centaurette “may also occur” according to our friends at WikiP. That’s a lot of female options for the centaurs to choose between. Like picking the winner of the Grand National.
[Gervase @54 …deciphering Linear A perhaps? That would demand a stratospheric intellect which might arrive at either Elan Air or the air lane in which it operates.]
I liked ESPY because it reminded me of the George Herbert poem
“A man that looks on glass On it may stay his eye, Or, if he pleaseth, through it pass And then the heavens espy” which could be a motto for crossword solvers, I feel.
Princess + V @ 52
Agree – and I look forward to the day when I can solve a Vlad or a Paul
I think I am half way between beginner and intermediate.
Feeling proud of myself because I solved and parsed it all without a single trip to google or wordfinders. I even found it quite easy – does this mean I have graduated from ‘beginner’ to ‘intermediate’?
Much of the credit must go to fifteen squared – I’m learning a lot from this blog, thank you.
Fiona Anne @ 61 – I’m a fairly indifferent solver (I’d be cross if Monday defeats me, by Tuesday I’ll take whatever comes) but quite often seem to ‘get’ Paul regardless, so don’t write off certain setters just because they’re generally acknowledged as being hard without giving them a go. You might surprise yourself!
Thought today’s was a fairly typical Carpathian puzzle, and agree with the general feeling that it either escaped from the Monday slots or was perhaps a second start to the week in honour of the bank holiday. I’ve absolutely no issue with that – I’m sure there’ll be a puzzle along shortly that delivers the desired kicking!
A good one for me, although DNF as TAPS just didn’t click.
I’m with Gorilla68 – in the second half of the week I’m down to a handful of answers, looking for the obvious anagrams first and then generally giving up. Hopefully that’ll improve in time but I would still enjoy the early week offerings.
[Fionna Anne @61: About 3 months ago, after at-least 7 months of trying, I solved a Vlad and thought I had finally reached the pinnacle of my abilities. Turned out it was a medium-bad Vlad as opposed to the usual mega-bad fare and the next Vlad was an almightly impaling which I am still reeling from.
I’ve been using the ‘Daily Bites’ feature on the iPhone Crossword Genius app and found them very helpful in learning this particular dark art.]
[Fiona Anne @61: For the last three years I’ve worked the British crosswords after decades of solving the American ones. I always give Paul a chance because I sometimes seem to be on his wavelength. His alter-ego in the FT, Mudd, seems more approachable — the more of those I solve the more I understand Paul.]
I can only see two positives in this puzzle… 😉 .
I was also struck by how quiptic-like this was – almost a definition of the genre. I agree that easier puzzles have their place, but I also think it’s reasonable on this blog to point out that this may have been filed in the wrong bin at Graun HQ. I fully accept the views of those who found this just right in terms of difficulty. I think a case could be made for having both a quiptic and a cryptic every day.
Same feeling as others with the Smart/Ache feelings. My faves were FEROCIOUS (for the Eden-esque surface) and SUNFISH. muffin @25, I don’t follow your objections to this (or DISCO). “Fish” doesn’t appear in the clue.
Tyngewick @53: I see ADORABLE and PRECIOUS as synonymous as exclamations – “that’s so adorable/precious!”.
Good discussion today. Thanks, Carp and Pete.
phitonelly @67
To “angle” is to fish for …. fish?
DISCO is more blatant – a disco is where discs are played.
phitonelly @67: “I fully accept the views of those who found this just right in terms of difficulty.” I came back here late in the commenting day to see if anyone had posted a patronising comment about degrees of solving ability, but you have exceeded all expectations….
Collins dictionary: “If someone patronizes you, they speak or behave towards you in a way which seems friendly, but which shows that they think they are superior to you in some way.”
Thanks to both.
I don’t think I can add to what’s been said other than to half-volley that of Valentine@57 “Isn’t NACHO a double-step clue?” – yes it is and it seems, Valentine, that that makes two of us inclined to baulk at such offerings: it seems we just have to put up.
[rodshaw@6: I cannot find that Pasquale #22,863 no matter what I do with the Guardian search engine (I abstain from using inverted commas out of a sense of, erm, well perhaps it does work for some but not for me and I seem to recall having some success in the (very distant) past) – can anyone help?]
ginf@3: “Roz’s stopped the dailies”: where is this news to be found? Sorry to be a doubting Alphalpha….
I am not impressed by “ABROAD” as an instruction to make an anagram. I suppose it means “none of the letters are to be found in their habitual home” and the joke involves travels with Maggie Smith. Nevertheless a stretch.
Alphalpha @70. If you go to the Guardian archive https://www.theguardian.com/crosswords/search, use the ‘lookup’ facility. Select ‘prize’ from the drop-down list then type the number in – don’t insert a comma!
[Alphalpha @70 – forget the Graun search thingy, just google pasquale 22863 – or click here. Re spoilergate, have a look at Saturday’s blog, plus related comments in GD, although you might wish you hadn’t!]
[Sorry sh, we crossed]
[essexboy – an example of great minds thinking differently?]
sh@72: it’s a prize – that explains it. Got it now. Thanks for the dig-out. (You’d think I could read what the estimable rodshaw said and get to the right conclusion. Some of the explanation is due to the over-shadowing prejudice from failures with this engine – for instance at one point I succeeded in lining up a fine store of Araucaria’s and at another looked forward to an Arachne-filled vacation time – now I have to know what month/year they were published: my feeling is that something has changed?)
A bit of a write-in but lots of very enjoyable surfaces.
And essexboy – we crossed. More reading? Spiffing stuff.
[sh @75 – there are many paths up the mountain… which can be a problem when you’re trying to get down again]
@79. very good:)
and I did the supplementary reading. Thanks for the steer.
Not having got the relevant crossers, I bunged in RAGFISH for 7D, only to find when I checked later that there is indeed a North Pacific fish by that name. So there are two valid solutions to the clue.
Thanks to Carpathian and Peter O.
Rodshaw @6 – I couldn’t resist your Pasquale challenge, and managed to do it in one sitting (but a very long one). Thanks for the tip – it was indeed very good.
pserve_p2 @ 37
Chambers has been published since long before crosswords were invented.
I read Peter O’s introduction and agreed with it. I found it a bit of a chore having to read the same point again so many times here.
Paul too @ 81
If RAGFISH is a valid solution for 7D, what were your equally valid solutions for 6A & 9A?
Simon @85
As I said, it’s a valid solution to the clue. I believe it’s generally accepted that a cryptic clue should have an unambiguous solution without reference to crossers. That’s not the case here.
Double definitions I like. But definitions plus double-wordplay are a bit of a stretch for the barely-awake