Guardian Cryptic 29,297 by Anto

by

The puzzle may be found at https://www.theguardian.com/crosswords/cryptic/29297.

Not as gentle as some Mondays. The long acrosses, 11 and 20, pair off.

ACROSS
1 THE MET
Force subject to go ahead of time (3,3)
A charade of THEME (‘subject’) plus (‘to go ahead of’) T (‘time’), for the Metropolitan Police Force.
5 MOPISH
Somewhat dejected from constant involvement in wild dancing (6)
An envelope (‘involvement in’) of PI (mathematical ‘constant’) in MOSH (‘wild dancing’).
8 CHANNEL
Approach station guide (7)
Triple definition.
9 DENMARK
Study target country (7)
A charade of DEN (‘study’, the room) plus MARK (‘target’).
11 NO SPRING CHICKEN
Elderly are proceeding cautiously about publicity, being nervous (2,6,7)
A charade of NOSPRING, an envelope (‘about’) of PR (public relations, ‘publicity’) in NOSING (‘proceeding cautiously’); plus CHICKEN (‘being nervous’).
12 OBOE
Instrument that hurt lover, so they say (4)
Sounds like (‘so they say’) OH (‘that hurt’) plus BEAU (‘lover’).
13 SLIDE RULES
They help calculate some playground regulations? (5,5)
When was the last time you saw one of those? Definition and literal interpretation.
17 IN EVIDENCE
Touring Venice, Enid gets present (2,8)
An anagram (‘touring’) of ‘Venice Enid’.
18 INCA
Old Americans needing some skincare (4)
A hidden answer (‘needing some’) in ‘skINCAre’.
20 AS OLD AS THE HILLS
Rampant ill health’s so sad at this great age (2,3,2,3,5)
An anagram (‘rampant’) of ‘ill healths so sad’.
23 EXTRACT
Take out more? Cashpoint is empty (7)
A charade of EXTRA (‘more’) plus CT (‘CashpoinT is empty’).
24 NOSTRUM
Ignore hipster’s essentially strange solution for everything (7)
A charade of NOST (‘igNOre hipSTers essentially’) plus RUM (‘strange’).
25 APE-MAN
Call father back to meet a distant relation (3-3)
A reversal (‘back’) of NAME (‘call’) plus PA (‘father’).
26 SADIST
Cruel type displays a disturbing piece (6)
A hidden answer (‘piece’) in ‘displayS A DISTurbing’
DOWN
2 HEADSTONE
Chief’s approach that shows where one is lying (9)
A charade of HEAD’S (‘chief’s’) plus TONE (‘approach’ – not an obvious synonym).
3 MANTRA
It catches fellow removing parking slogan (6)
A subtraction: MANTRA[p] (‘it catches fellow’) minus the P (‘removing parking’).
4 TELL NO LIE
Be straight and count on rising position (4,2,3)
A charade of TELL (‘count’ eg money) plus NO, a reversal (‘rising’ in a down light) of ‘on’ plus LIE (‘position’)
5 MEDIC
Major episode demands intensive care – initially from her? (5)
First letters (‘initioally’) of ‘Major Episode Demands Intensive Care’, with an extended definition.
6 PUNDITRY
Joke attempt to trap detective giving expert opinion (8)
An envelope (‘to trap’) of DI (‘Detective’ Inspector) in PUN (‘joke’) plus TRY (‘attempt’).
7 STARK
Basic trail switches left to right (5)
A substitution: STALK (‘trail’) with the L changed to R (‘switches left to right’).
8 CONSOLIDATE
Unite worried following argument against firm (11)
A charade of CON (‘argument against’) plus SOLID (‘firm’) plus ATE (‘worried’), with ‘following’ indicating the order of the particles.
10 KINGS RANSOM
It’s a lot of money for customised snoring mask (5,6)
An anagram (‘customised’) of ‘snoring mask’.
14 DECKHANDS
Knock down deals for ocean travellers (9)
A charade of DECK (‘knock down’) plus HANDS (‘deals’ at cards).
15 LANDLORDS
Letters set down on ground (9)
A charade of LAND (‘set down’) plus LORDS (cricket ‘ground’).
16 WIND FARM
Surprising find in approachable energy supplier (4,4)
An envelope (‘in’) of INDF, an anagram (‘surprising’) of ‘find’ in WARM (‘approachable’, of a peraon’s temprament).
19 PHASED
Staggered and troubled when overheard (6)
Sounds like (‘when overheard’) FAZED (‘troubled’).
21 ON TAP
Performing dance that’s easy to get? (2,3)
A charade of ON (‘performing’) plus TAP (‘dance’).
22 SET ON
Determined to have some music that’s uplifting (3,2)
A reversal (‘that’s uplifting’ in a down light) of NOTES (‘some music’).

picture of the completed grid

65 comments on “Guardian Cryptic 29,297 by Anto”

  1. My faves:
    OBOE and SLIDE RULES (you are right PeterO, ages…).

    AS O A T H: Looks like there is a part of speech mismatch. No?

    Thanks Anto and PeterO!

  2. 13 ac last seen at school in the ’60s, Peter, before calculators took over (amid much debate about degrading mental abilities etc!). Nice puzzle, nothing radical, ta AnP.

  3. It seemed pretty gentle to me. I never really took to SLIDE RULES (though I liked the clue), preferring to use log tables. Very apt anagram fodder for AS O A T H. If the definition is great age, I don’t see a mismatch. Thanks, Anto and PeterO.

  4. Not so tough as some Anto’s, I thought.

    Last saw my slide rule about a week ago, when I was showing my grandson my old one from the early 60s. I use it once a year to show my current maths students a museum piece.

    Couldn’t parse NOSTRUM, so thanks for that and the rest of the blog, PeterO

    Thanks Anto, too

  8. [ginf @2 end of 1st year uni exams in 1973 you could only use slide rules. Pocket calculators only came in in the 70s. I wish I still had my slide rule, just to show the grandkids.]

  9. Thanks Anto for a very satisfying crossword with MOPISH, NO SPRING CHICKEN, AS OLD AS THE HILLS, APE-MAN, STARK, and KINGS RANSOM being my top picks. I also liked SLIDE RULES mainly because it reinforced the geriatric mini theme. [Tim C @8: You can have mine if you want it. I have no plans to use it again.] Thanks PeterO for the blog.

  10. Solid Monday puzzle. I’m not generally a huge Anto fan but little to complain about with this one. EXTRACT, MANTRA and DECKHANDS my favourites.

    Thanks both

  12. My fav was MANTRA, although I wouldn’t have thought that was a slogan in its original meaning, granted in more recent usage. As the lama said to me, remember to remember to remember.

  14. KVa @1 I agree with grantinfreo @5 in seeing no problem with “someone has to be at this great age/AS OLD AS THE HILLS/NO SPRING CHICKEN to remember using a SLIDE RULE – I did at school, also preferring log tables, but calculators came in part way through. No one’s heard of log tables either, now.

    Thank you to PeterO and Anto.

  15. Thanks Anto and PeterO
    I doubt that anyone will say “easier than the Quiptic” today! One of Anto’s best.
    I think he missed a chance of a better clue for DECKHANDS as a “deck” is a term for a pack of cards.

  17. Monday morning service has returned. I normally struggle with Anto and started very slowly today; but all came together very nicely.

    Didn’t much like triple definition Channel but loved the two matched 15 letter clues

    Thanks Setter and Blogger

  18. AS O A T H (grantinfreo, TassieTim and Shanne):
    The def underlined in the blog is adverbial and the solution is adjectival. Correct me if I am wrong.
    No such mismatch in case of NO S C and elderly (both adjectival).

  19. Tough and enjoyable.

    Favourites: LANDLORDS, SLIDE RULES (I used them in the 1970s), MANTRA, HEADSTONE, CONSOLIDATE.

    New for me: TELL = count.

    Thanks, both.

  21. Michelle@19 and muffin@20
    Most often in ATM, or Automatic Telling Machine, surely? As in a teller behind the counter in a bank?

  22. Anto on top form. The elderly clues were great including the dreaded SLIDE RULES. I also liked THE MET (obviously), MANTRA, SADIST, KINGS RANSOMand WIND FARM. I also went for Windfall at first, paddymelon @11.

    Ta Anto & PeterO.

  24. KVa @18, I took the ‘at’ to be filler to make the surface work. I took ‘this great age’ to be the definition.

  25. Really liked this one but just got a bit worried that Anto was playing to our majority demographic with the two long ones (or should that read “long in the tooth” ones?). Lots of enjoyable clues. I slowed down in the NW and so ticked all three of my last ones in – 1a THE MET, 2d HEADSTONE and 3d MANTRA.
    With gratitude to Anto and PeterO.

  26. Charles@21
    a minor correction: Automated Teller Machine.
    a teller in a bank is what our blogger considered too (counting money).
    You may be aware (I learnt today- while searching for other contexts
    in which ‘tell’ is used in the sense of ‘count’-that there are tellers in
    the UK election officers (or wherever votes are counted).
    Chambers says ‘to count(votes)’.

    Andrew Sceats@24
    Noted your version. I am still not sure.

  28. Happy to say I finished it, although with a couple of guesses. I couldn’t parse 8d. (In which world does “worried” become “ate”) . Only when I had the letter K from 7d was I able to think of NO SPRING CHICKEN because “the elderly are” had me looking for something that old people are doing. Found it odd from the comments that some had difficulty with TELL. I guess there are not many human tellers in the banks these days. Favourites were SLIDE RULES and HEADSTONE. Thanks Anto and PeterO.

  29. oakvillereader@28, I think worry = eat is in the sense of something can worry one, or eat at one. It’s often used in crosswords and someone else may be able to explain that more clearly.

  30. Ah, slide rules. Along with well-thumbed books of log tables.
    Actually, we used our slide rules as toys: rifles or trombones for some, though my brother and I preferred making them into planet-to-ship communicators (Beam me up, Scotty!). In our defence, calculators had just started being allowed in class and we were only 9 or 10 at the time.
    I agree with Julie in Aus @25: this was deffo skewed toward an older demographic. Not just 11A & 20A (a fun pairing, btw) and antediluvian maths equipment, but also HEADSTONE and even those funky modern guys the Incas and the Apemen.
    Maybe the balance will be redressed with a future crossword containing Tik Tok, Marvel Avengers, Gaming, Garage and staying up long past your bedtime…
    Many thanks to Anto for the entertainment and PeterO for an enjoyable blog

  31. The NW corner held me up as well and the clever THE MET (doh!) was last to fall.
    SLIDE RULES made me laugh but then I’m also in the target group, NO SPRING CHICKEN. I also liked MANTRA, PUNDITRY, KINGS RANSOM and NOSTRUM. This time I remembered the ‘essential/ly’ device.
    Thanks for the puzzle Anto and the blog Peter O.

  32. I seem to be one of the few here who is too young for slide rules. While I am NO SPRING CHICKEN, I’m not AS OLD AS THE HILLS. (49.)

    I agree with the sentiment that this was chewier than Anto often can be, but nothing too frightening either.

  33. I like having a variety of setters on Mondays, as seems to be the new policy. I enjoyed this one – some clever clues with entertaining surfaces. I particularly liked the expensive snoring mask in 10d.

    oakvillereader @28 and SueM48 @29: eat = worry is in both Chambers and Collins (as informal). Think of “What’s Eating Gilbert Grape?” (a good film by the way).

    Many thanks Anto and PeterO.

  36. Thought this a very classy Anto offering throughout. Though I couldn’t get a tune out of the oft occurring OBOE when I tried to parse it. And it’s been a quite while since I was involved in a moshpit…

  37. Though Anto is a somewhat whimsical setter, I enjoy his crosswords. My fave was 1ac . Did not encounter slide rules when in primary school in the 70s but read about them as our education system was British.

  38. Just right for a Monday morning, helped by a friendly grid. Favorites were the two long across clues.

    Thank you Anto and PeterO

  40. WearyB@39
    As PeterO mentions in the blog, it’s an extended def. The whole clue points towards a MEDIC. Not just ‘her’.

  41. WearyB @39 – why shouldn’t the MEDIC be a woman?

    There’s a riddle that throws lots of people, where following a car accident in which a child and father are injured. When they arrive at hospital the child has to be rushed into theatre to save their live. When the surgeon sees the child, they respond that they cannot operate as it’s their son. How can this be?

    It works because most people immediately think of a male surgeon and don’t think of surgeons as women (or gay men who are parents).

  42. WearyB @39
    Arachne and Nutmeg always referred to unspecified people as “her”, and the practice seems to be spreading.

  43. Not an old-style Monday for sure, but very doable and only the parsing of LANDLORD, my LOI, escaped me after I had scratched my head for a while to find any other word to fit the crossers. Many thanks PeterO and Anto.

  44. Who else remembers the Magic Brain calculator (which you worked with a little metal stick)? And, come to that, the Type-scale! Happy days! Harmless fun in black and white

  46. Enjoyable stuff from Anto today

    The great thing about the slide rule was that it forced you to ask yourself “roughly what am I looking for?” As opposed to the far easier-to-use calculator, with which kids blithely write down whatever the thing offers as the answer, regardless of any common sense. I despair sometimes. And another thing….

    … I’ll get my coat.

  47. KVa@1 No part of speech mismatch. AS OLD AS THE HILLS = “at this great age.”

    Pleasant puzzle. I didn’t think of LORDS as a “ground,” and have never heard MOPISH.

    Thanks, Anto and PeterO.

  48. gif@2 et al. When I started engineering in 72 , I was issued a new slide rule (a log-log type) and my college had precisely one scientific calculator, which had sufficient precision for surveying, unlike the main university computer. Now every 12 year old has one in their pocket!

  50. SLIDE RULE definitely brought back memories of UCL in the early 60s – so efficient after the ubiquitous log tables in high school. Also glad to see “her” as part of the clue for MEDIC, having been told at same uni by a prof that he would ensure I would fail as women “should not be majoring in physics”. Oh, and my mum was a GP too, so not thrown by the common assumption either.

  51. PHASED instead of “fazed” is a common error in these days when we type and use a spellchecker instead of writing on paper. (It even slips by newspaper editors occasionally.) I only got it when I wrote out the letters and spaces horizontally, having been stuck on CHASED, which fits the homophone and the crossers but was otherwise obviously wrong.

    [I still have my SLIDE RULE bought in 1973, as well as my father’s from his career as a draftsman in the motor industry. When I first worked in a betting shop in 1972 the tills and adding machines were all mechanical.]

    Some of Anto’s synonyms were worthy of Paul or Tramp, so very challenging for a Monday, but enjoyable throughout.

    Thanks to Anto and PeterO.

  52. I thought this was tricky by Anto’s standards. No complaints, perhaps a pair of raised eyebrows for oh=hurt (surprised would be better) and tone=approach but neither is unfair. Much to enjoy, particularly the fine anagram and surface for 20ac and the deceptive definition for LANDLORDS.

  53. Thanks Anto & PeterO.
    I too still have my slide rule from University. Such a satisfying device to use; it felt like juggling and funneling numbers into a neat completion.

  54. Thanks for the blog, great to see Anto on a Monday , a bit of an AlanC theme.
    PHASED was very neat and NOSTRUM was clever wordplay , I remember when hipsters were sexy jeans , not boring men with beards who knit their own yoghurt.

  55. Grand entertainment for a Monday; thanks both.

    I recall being told by my maths teacher that I was on no account to use my (brother’s) SLIDE RULE(S). On reflection it was possible that teacher didn’t know how to use one. They seemed (to me) to appear suddenly (1969) only to be replaced in short order by calculators (on or around 3 April 1976).

    oakvillereader@28: I’ve always thought ‘the dog ate the bone’=’the dog worried the bone’ but others offer a more enlightened view whereby the bone might eat the dog…..

    Roz@54: I agree: no yoghurt-knitter was ever a hipster.

  56. The original hipsters were the jazzers (musicians and their fans) of the 1940s (Dizzy Gillespie et al) and not the jeans nor the boring beardies.

  59. I tend to struggle with obscure synonyms (or indeed with more obvious ones!) so didn’t enjoy this greatly, though looking back there were some nice clues too.

  60. Can someone explain why the middle two letters, which is only 4 out of the 14, is “essentially”. I’d have thought essentially would mean most of.

  61. In crosswords essentially usually means the heart of a word. For odd letter words a single middle letter , for even the middle two.
    This clue takes the middle TWO of each of the first two words separately.

  62. I enjoyed this puzzle, particularly 20ac (AOATH), 26ac (SADIST), and 10dn (KINGS RANSOM).

    I didn’t notice the part-of-speech problem in 20ac. I think KVa is right that the most natural readings of the two phrases are different parts of speech, but with a bit of mental gymnastics you can make them both adjectives. Others, particularly Shanne @14, have given examples. I’m in favor of giving the setter flexibility of this sort.

    I’m having a little trouble getting “approach” and CHANNEL to match, but I’m sure it works somehow.

  64. Very enjoyable and great fun. Thank you, Anto. I thought this was fairly easy. Normally I cringe when most responders call a puzzle I found difficult easy. For once, I suspect bing in my 80s gave me an edge!

  65. Sardanista@64. Reminds me of the Beatles song which you may remember.
    Go you! i’m not that far behind you.

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