The Observer crossword from December 19, 2021
It’s Boxing Day today and so my sincerest Season’s Greetings to all solvers (and to Everyman, of course).
Let’s hope 2022 will be a somewhat better year.
But didn’t we say a thing like that a year ago?
Despite a handful (but not more than that) of semi-critical remarks below, I thought this was all in all a good and enjoyable crossword.
I am pretty sure many solvers will agree, and certainly those who thought Everyman was on the up in previous weeks.
Today we had a rhyming couple at 11ac, 20ac.
It wasn’t a spectacular one in my view but I did highlight it in the blog.
| ACROSS | ||
| 1 | CONFIDENCE |
Secret kind of trick (10)
|
| Double definition | ||
| 6 | LUSH |
Sumptuous drunkard (4)
|
| And another one! You don’t see that very often, a crossword starting with two double definitions. |
||
| 9 | MANICURING |
Chap, one drying and cutting fingernails etc (10)
|
| MAN (chap) + I (one) + CURING (drying, of meat, fish, tobacco etc) | ||
| 10 | VIEW |
Six women accepting European opinion (4)
|
| VI (six, Roman numerals) + W (women), together around E (European) | ||
| 11 | DEAD OF WINTER |
Coldest moment, shivering, waited for end … (4,2,6)
|
| Anagram [shivering] of: WAITED FOR END | ||
| 15 | SUNBEAM |
… amen! Bus turned up – source of joy (7)
|
| Anagram [turned up] of: AMEN + BUS For me, ‘turned up’ is not a proper anagram indicator and certainly not in an Across clue. But it is what it is. |
||
| 16 | ROTTERS |
Beasts, river creatures with webbed feet (7)
|
| R (river) + OTTERS (creatures with webbed feet) | ||
| 17 | ALERTED |
A little wheeler-dealer tediously given a warning (7)
|
| Hidden [a little] in: WHEELER-DEALER TEDIOUSLY | ||
| 19 | ZAMBIAN |
Zimbabwean, Angolan, Malawian, Botswanan included among neighbours, primarily? (7)
|
| It’s that device again (and quite long this time)! Take the starting letters [primarily] of the first seven words in the clue and you’ll get what the clue tells you it is. But I haven’t checked it on a map of Africa ….. |
||
| 20 | HAROLD PINTER |
Top hard-liner, radical who wrote The Birthday Party? (6,6)
|
| Anagram [radical] of: TOP HARD-LINER The definition is such a giveaway that the wordplay is more or less superfluous. I don’t think the clue needs a question mark. |
||
| 23 | YETI |
Hitherto, one hairy beast (4)
|
| YET (hitherto) + I (one) | ||
| 24 | RESTRAINED |
Calm son acquired new skills going around (10)
|
| S (son) with RETRAINED (acquired new skills) going around it | ||
| 25 | SIDE |
Perhaps Man Utd expressed exasperation audibly (4)
|
| Homophone [audibly] of: SIGHED (expressed exasperation) | ||
| 26 | REASSESSES |
Has another think about Spooner’s women who see future (10)
|
| Spoonerism of: SEERESSES (women who see future) | ||
| DOWN | ||
| 1 | COMA |
Alpha male, old and cold, sent upstairs for deep sleep (4)
|
| Reversal [sent upstairs] of: A (alpha) + M (male) + O (old) + C (cold) | ||
| 2 | NONO |
What’s reverse of acceptable, feasible? (2-2)
|
| Reversal of ON (acceptable) + reversal of ON (feasible) The clue as a whole is the definition, a CAD as it were. |
||
| 3 | INCREMENTAL |
In crèche, not half furious, getting up gradually (11)
|
| IN + CRE (only half of CRECHE) + MENTAL (furious) | ||
| 4 | EARLDOM |
Cockney’s flung those things in Wessex? (7)
|
| Sounds like HURLED THEM (flung those things) as pronounced by a Cockney, or perhaps HURLED ‘EM | ||
| 5 | CONIFER |
What fir cone might become! (7)
|
| Anagram [what … might become] of: FIR CONE Indeed, another CAD. |
||
| 7 | UP IN THE AIR |
Stratospheric – or uncertain? (2,2,3,3)
|
| Double definition | ||
| 8 | HOWARDS END |
Expression of pain in difficult Post novel (7,3)
|
| OW (expression of pain) going inside HARD (difficult) + SEND (post) Howards End is a 1910 novel by E.M.Forster, in 1992 turned into a film by James Ivory featuring Anthony Hopkins, Vanessa Redgrave and a host of other British stars of the silver screen. |
||
| 12 | INTEMPERATE |
I meet parent that’s agitated, passionate (11)
|
| Anagram [… that’s agitated] of: I MEET PARENT | ||
| 13 | ISAAC HAYES |
Yeah, Cassia massaged a soul singer (5,5)
|
| Anagram [massaged] of: YEAH + CASSIA One of the giants of soul music: Isaac Hayes (1942-2008) |
||
| 14 | UNDERRATED |
In France, an old sin’s admitted, sold short (10)
|
| UN (an, in French) + DATED (old) with ERR (sin) going inside | ||
| 18 | DEPLETE |
Exhaust in deep-felt dancing, skipping foxtrot (7)
|
| Anagram [dancing] of: DEEP-FELT minus the F (foxtrot, in radio communication) | ||
| 19 | ZENITHS |
It’s getting hard to support Eastern religion’s highest states (7)
|
| IT’S going around [getting] H (hard), then together below ZEN (Eastern religion) This clue only works if you’re happy with just ‘getting’ as the containment indicator. After reading comments on last Monday’s Quiptic blog where Hectence did something similar not everyone apparently is. But turn to the Chambers Thesaurus and you see loads of words that may justify its use. To get = to obtain = to acquire = to receive = to catch (a disease) etc.etc. |
||
| 21 | INNS |
Everyman regularly finding oneness in hostelries (4)
|
| I (Everyman) + a regular choice of letters from ONENESS I see what Everyman wants us to do but I am not happy with the position of the word ‘regularly’ in this clue. Perhaps, he should have written it immediately after ‘oneness’. Or is the word ‘finding’ a bit unfortunate? It only works properly if you take ‘regularly finding’ as one phrase – but I have difficulty to do that. |
||
| 22 | ODES |
Some modest verses (4)
|
| Hidden [some] in: MODEST |
I enjoyed this and solved it quite quickly for me. Didn’t manage to parse REASSESSES although I was sure it was something to do with seers.
Favourites were: UNDERRATED, HOWARDS END, SIDE, ROTTERS, EARLDOM (made me smile)
Thanks Everyman and Sil
Well, the Spoonerism requires a quirky pronunciation of SEER as two syllables, I would have thought. And I agree with Sil that HAROLD PINTER was a giveaway. Other than that, no real quibbles form me. Good fun. Thanks, Everyman and Sil.
I thought this was very well done though I couldn’t work out the Spoonerism. No problem with “regularly finds”. If “turned up” had been in a down clue, I would have read it as a reversal indicator, but in an across clue it worked for me as a synonym of mixed up. Thanks to Everyman and Sil. Hope everyone has had a good Christmas.
Thanks for the blog and all the other blogs this year, I agree that this maintains the recent standards
I picked out ROTTERS and UNDERRATED like Fiona Anne.
Tassie Tim@2 I certainly say SEER with two syllables , do not know if that is normal?
SUNBEAM – we turn up the soil, and Chambers gives “disturb” so fine for an anagram for me.
ZENITHS – get=receive as you say so no problem for me.
I’m not the best solver but I found this far too easy. No struggle at all over the last few clues which is the norm with me.
Still enjoyable though. Thanks to Sil and E.
Thanks Sil, season’s greetings to you too, and I appreciate the Christmassy colour scheme!
TT/Roz – I would pronounce reassess as /ri:ə’sɛs/ and seeress as /sɪə’rɛs/ – so a slight difference in both the length and the quality (‘tense’ v ‘lax’ – it’s the beet v bit distinction) of the initial vowel. But ‘tis the season of goodwill, so I’m not going to complain 🙂
On getting = receiving = containing, I was one of those who queried it in Hectence’s recent Quiptic – though as Sil pointed out at the time, she actually used ‘getting… in’ which is much better.
I think it’s one of those cases where A can (sometimes) be substituted for B, and B can (sometimes) be substituted for C, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that A and C are interchangeable.
One of the meanings of ‘receive’ is to ‘give admittance to’/’permit to enter’, but you wouldn’t use ‘get’ that way. (There’s also ‘receptacle’, from the same root, meaning container.) If you have ‘received sustenance’, the nourishing thing has definitely gone inside, but if you’ve just ‘got food’, you’ve probably bought it from the Coop but not eaten it yet.
Minor quibbles aside, I enjoyed the puzzle, so thanks Everyman.
[Roz: congratulations on your successful launch yesterday! We’ll be thinking of you while you’re sitting at L2, whizzing through Azeds and cursing the dodgy wi-fi signal 😉 ]
One of the easiest Everymans for a while, but I failed to parse 17ac.
Thanks, both.
MrEssexboy @ 6 , I also say them slightly differently but the same number of syllables and close enough for a Spoonerism.
I will GET/RECEIVE my booster jab on Wednesday , works for me.
[ The launch was the easy bit. Ten days of unfolding now, terrifying. After a month a very tricky engine burn to get stable in L2 ]
Thanks Sil and Everyman, and best seasonal wishes to everyone. Another strong outing from Everyman.
‘Seer’ is (for me) one of those ‘one and a half syllables’ words – not quite two distinct syllables but definitely more than one. Close enough for the clue to work for me.
essexboy @6 – you raise a good general point. The one that always mildly bothers me whenever I see it in crosswords is ‘without’ – which means outside in the sense of ‘beyond’ rather than ‘surrounding’. But I don’t think you can make the same objection for ‘getting’ as used by Everyman here (or indeed by Hectence last Monday) – getting=receiving=taking possession of works fine for me. As Sil says, there are enough different meanings of ‘get’ that you can make at least one of them work.
It’s not about the Everyman puzzle, but isn’t there an analysis of the Maskarade “bumper” one from last week? Or have I missed it?
NNW @ 11 The Maskarade puzzle was in the nominal christmas Prize slot, which always had an extended entry period, so the blog isn’t due yet (I think).
Simon S is correct , my paper copy says closing date is 30th December, suspect it will be next Saturday for the blog ??
Roz and widdersbel @9/10, thanks for responding, and I do ‘get’ what you’re saying (which I suppose means that I’m ‘taking it in’!)
My problem (-ette) is this. Imagine that a big house is getting a new grand staircase. That would definitely go inside the building. But it could also get a new roof, or a new basement, or a new extension (on either side), or a new coat of paint (all the way around the exterior). So A ‘getting’ B could logically mean B inside A, A inside B, A to the left of B, A to the right of B, A on top of B, or B on top of A… which perhaps makes it not the most satisfactory of insertion indicators? 😉
[By the way, is it just me, or do the pictures of the JWST when fully unfurled give it a slightly Barbarella look?]
Simon S. Thank you.
Another good effort from Everyman (as is today’s), in that it was enjoyable and not too difficult for its niche. I wonder if anyone sighed at yet another homophone at 25.
[EB @14 it looks like a death ray from something like Dan Dare or Flash Gordon.
Azed today 11D, right up your street, took me ages, had to get all the letters first. ]
@northnorthwest Simon S & Roz: The online version of Maskarade’s bumper xword has now got active the check and reveal buttons …
I suppose that must be an error? Nobody changed the default programming.
Probably your error suggestion is correct Lin. I have my paper copy and it says by first post on 30 Desember ( sic ) . I would guess it is too late now anyway. Monday and Tuesday are Bank Holidays so no post .
Lin @ 18 It’s not the first time. In recent years the graun has posted the solutions to a holiday prize before the closing date at least once.
Roz @ 20 Do they still offer the fax option?
Simon S @21 yes it says fax to 0121 742 13 13 by 30 Dec.
Some pretty borderline clues in this one.
Occasionally the Everyman passes muster, just about, but not today for me.
To each their own, Sheilagh.
I myself am not the biggest Everyman fan in the world either but I wonder if you could give me (and probably others) some examples of these ‘borderline clues’.
I am really curious now.
Pretty straightforward, but none the worse for that.
Playing catch-up after time in the bush.
I had 2d as a dd (get it?)
No-no = unacceptable
No no = feasible
Overall I found this an enjoyable and fairly straightforward solve to get back into the swing of things.
Thanks Sil & Everyman.
An enjoyable solve this morning. I am curious to know how my fellow Kiwis get on with the Kropotkin. I cut my teeth on British cryptics which by and large stick to the rules. I find Kropotkin (RIP) much less compliant and often incredibly obscure. Can others get on his wavelength to be able to enjoy the puzzles consistently?
Duane@27. I have never managed to do even half of Kropotkin. Too obscure for me.
I enjoyed this puzzle today though. Much more my level than others in the past. Thank you Everyman , and also Sil.
Duane@27: generally I find Kropotkin too difficult, and don’t bother to tackle the puzzle. Once or twice in the distant past I’ve managed to get a Kropotkin out, but usually I can’t even get started, and so I have said to hell with it.
Duane – not really, no, but I did attend Rex’s birthday party at Galbraiths a few years ago and he certainly has or had his followers. I made a bit of an effort that day and solved it after wrestling for an hour or so but it wasn’t really very rewarding. Have only done a few since.
As for today’s Everman I thought it on the easier side. Conifer was good, Man U less so.
Good to see some discussion of Kropotkin. Invariably it takes me several days to complete and includes words that I can deduce but have never heard of, only being rescued by Google. By comparison Everyman is usually very straightforward, especially today’s.
Sil @ 24 the borderline clues for me were:
8d Post for ‘send’ – to me, Post with capital letter is only a ever a noun
19d I think ‘getting’ as a containment indicator is a bit of a stretch
but all in all some great solves so I wouldnt be complaining about this week’s offering, just wondered if these might be among the borderline clues Sheilagh @ 23 is referring to
my faves were Yeti, Lush, Coma and Up in the air
Duane@27 I’ve tried the kropotkin a few time but just found it too hard to break into. I switched to doing Everyman online since The Herald slipped even further behind which opened a Pandora’s box of wonderful Guardian daily cryptics. Kropotkin seems to be more on the level of obscurity of the weekly Azed – both well beyond my comprehension.
Who the hell is Isaac Hayes??
Rob.
Rob, he died in 2008 but pretty well known by musos.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theme_from_Shaft Is one of his better known scores.
This was a great way to ease into a cyclonic weekend here in Auckland. However we really failed with the Spooner clue, otherwise all good for us.
@Duane – no Kropotkin here but am a Wordle & Nerdle fan!