Guardian Cryptic 29,364 by Picaroon

by

The puzzle may be found at https://www.theguardian.com/crosswords/cryptic/29364.

I have hardly had time to stand back and admire this crossword, after spending far too long in an unsuccessful hunt for the wordplay for 26A ROTTEN BOROUGH. Doubtless, someone will be able to fill that gap in short order.

ACROSS
1 HARBOUR MASTER
Person managing port in other bars with a rum shot (7,6)
An anagram (‘shot’) of ‘other bars’ plus ‘a rum’.
10 APPLIER
Jobseeker right behind tech company, receiving its trademark letter? (7)
An envelope (‘receiving’) of I (‘its trademark letter’ – referring to Apple, iPad etc) in APPLE (‘tech company’) plus R (‘right’).
11 TOY WITH
Casually treat husband after i.e. pinching guy’s bottom (3,4)
A charade of TOYWIT, an envelope (‘pinching’) of Y (‘guY‘s bottom’) in TO WIT (‘i.e.’); plus H (‘husband’).
12 ELIOT
English books absorbing love poet (5)
An envelope (‘absorbing’) of O (‘love’) in E (‘English’) plus LIT (literature, ‘books’).
13 CAESAREAN
Delete account over a new delivery method (9)
A charade of CAESARE, a reversal (‘over’) of ERASE (‘delete’) plus AC (‘account’); plus ‘a’ plus N (‘new’).
14 IOTAS
Scraps of paper I’m obliged to include in sort of map (5)
A charade of I (‘paper’ – a British newspaper) plus OTAS, an envelope (‘to include in’) of TA (thank you, ‘I’m obliged’) in OS (Ordnance Survey, ‘sort of map’).
16 FAIR TRADE
Show jazz inspired by heavy metal – it’s what good consumers prefer (4,5)
An envelope (‘inspired by’) of AIR (‘show’) plus TRAD (‘jazz’) in FE (chemical symbol, iron ‘heavy metal’ – but not as heavy as some)
18 THEME SONG
Refrain from TV? Seem agitated in skimpy undies (5,4)
An envelope (‘in’) of EMES, an anagram (‘agitated’) of ‘seem’) in THONG (‘skimpy undies’).
19 RISHI
Teacher from the east greeting wise person there (5)
A charade of RIS, a reversal (‘from the east’ in an across light) of SIR (‘teacher’) plus HI (‘greeting’), In the definition, ‘there’ is ‘from the east’.
20 RED ALERTS
Threats of attacks from Salah et al defending poorly later (3,6)
An envelope (‘defending’) of ALERT, an anagram (‘poorly’) of ‘later’ in REDS (‘Salah et al’ – Mohamed Salah plays for Liverpool, the soccer team nicknamed The Reds)
23 SPROG
Kid close to Ayers Rock (5)
A charade of S (‘close to AyerS‘) plus PROG (Progressive ‘Rock’).
24 ENTHRAL
When uncovered, unearthly changes are captivating (7)
An anagram (‘changes’) of ‘[u]nearthl[y]’ minus its outer letters (‘when uncovered’).
25 LATVIAN
European city with Scot going on the tube (7)
An envelope (‘going on’) of TV (‘the tube’) in LA (‘city’) plus IAN (‘Scot’).
26 ROTTEN BOROUGH
If not upset, BBC presenter loses face in dodgy poll here (6,7)
I do not have the slightest idea about the wordplay, so here is a bit about the answer: at one time, some parliamentary boroughs with fixed boundaries had dwindling populations, and effectually returned a member of parliament at the discretion of a powerful patron; they were known as rotten or pocket boroughs.

Thanks to Dr. WhatsOn @1, the first to fill in my blind spot. It is a charade of RO, a reversal (‘upset’) of OR (‘if not’) plus [a]TTENBOROUGH (Sir David, ‘BBC presenter’) minus his first letter (‘losing face’).
DOWN
2 APPOINTEE
Take off last of cellophane, packaging item one’s put in post (9)
An envelope (‘packaging’) of POINT (‘item’: POINT has a list of meanings as long as your arm, and this is among them) in APE (imitate, ‘take off’) plus E (‘last of cellophanE‘).
3 B-LIST
12 with 1 pound raised for certain celebs (1-4)
A reversal (‘raised’ in a down light) of TS (Thomas Stearns ELIOT; the answer to ’12’ Across) plus I LB (‘one pound).

Omission added.
4 UGRIC
Occasionally vulgar, essentially tricky languages (5)
A charade of UGR (‘occasionally vUlGaR‘) plus IC (‘essentially trICky’), for a group of languages including Hungarian.
5 MOTHERING
Taking care of how one works on operas (9)
A charade of MO (modus operandi, ‘how one works’) plus THE RING (of the Nibelung, ‘operas’ by Richard Wagner)
6 SPYMASTER
Yes, Tramp’s cryptic is for one with much intelligence (9)
An anagram (‘cryptic’) of ‘yes Tramps’.
7 EXILE
Half of 11 divided by 11 for one far from home (5)
An envelope (‘divided by’) of XI (Roman numeral ’11’, the second one) in ELE[ven] (‘half of 11’).
8 CASE HISTORIES
That man’s entertained by sleeve on the blues records (4,9)
An envelope (‘entertained by’) of HIS (‘that man’s’) in CASE (‘sleeve’) plus TORIES (‘the blues’).
9 CHANGE RINGING
Caught northern Spice Girl draped in curtain, making church music (6,7)
A charade of C (‘caught’) plus HANGERINGING, an envelope (‘draped in’) of N (‘northern’) plus GERI (Halliwell, ‘Spice Girl’; her nickname, Ginger also makes an appearance as an anagram – not that that has much to do with anything) in HANGING (‘curtain’).
15 SMELL A RAT
Fish without batter? Sense it’s fishy (5,1,3)
An envelope (‘without’) of LARA (Brian, ‘batter’ in cricket) in SMELT (‘fish’).
16 FLOOR PLAN
Architect may make this bad pastry dish for Spooner (5,4)
A Spoonerism of POOR FLAN (‘bad pastry dish’).
17 ASSERTING
Swearing hair’s put up with voguish silver rings (9)
An envelope (‘rings’) of SSERT, a reversal (‘put up’ in a down light) of TRESS (‘hair’) plus (‘with’) IN (‘voguish’, as a change from popular or the like) in AG (chemical symbol, ‘silver’).
21 DITTO
Going too far, I had to retreat? You can say that again (5)
A reversal (‘to retreat’) of OTT (Over The Top, ‘going too far’) plus I’D (‘I had’).
22 SALVO
Surrey’s opener, supported by Oval, bats a barrage of shots (5)
A charade of S (‘Surrey’s opener’) plus ALVO, an anagram (‘bats’) of ‘Oval’.
23 SET-TO
Fight is tense, having fixed boxing ring (3-2)
A charade of SETT, an envelope (‘having … boxing’) of T (the first one, ‘tense’) in SET (‘fixed’); plus O (‘ring’).

picture of the completed grid

74 comments on “Guardian Cryptic 29,364 by Picaroon”

  1. In some contexts, “if not” = “or”. Reverse that and you get RO, to be added to david aTTENBOROUGH. It took me a few minutes.

  2. I wasn’t expecting a theme, and didn’t find one, but two MASTERS and three kinds of music had me wondering. Anyway, I found the whole thing a delight.

    I sympathize with those who are not fans, but once again many weekend (and other) hours spent watching football paid off, for RED ALERTS. I don’t follow cricket, but do remember LARA from right here, a few months ago.

    Thanks P&P

  3. Yes I regretted revealing 26 as I thought I wouldn’t have a chance of getting the presenter, but he’s well known and much loved in our household.
    Should have guessed as we nickname him Rabbit Burrow

  4. Isn’t the spoonerism in 16d faulty? “Poor flan” would correspond to either “For plan” or “Floor pan”, surely. Don’t we have a superfluous “L”? Or are spoonerisms supposed to be a bit flexible?

    [I’ve decided that spoonerisms are so mainstream in Crossword Land that I shall hereafter forgo the capital letter, much as I have for the verb “to photoshop”.]

    My NHO and “Huh?” lists were bigger than usual for a Picaroon. Didn’t know “prog”, never heard of CHANGE RINGING, Mohamed Salah, nor knew I that Liverpool were the “reds”. Had to reveal IOTAS, which I didn’t understand with its various UK references. The convoluted wordplay for CHANGE RINGING was too much for me. I hadn’t heard of UGRIC, ROTTEN BOROUGH or this meaning of RISHI. I can see that point/item is legit, but I didn’t like it much.

    So I didn’t enjoy today’s as much as I usually do Picaroon’s, but still, most of it was fun. Thanks for the blog PeterO. By the way, the BBC presenter, PeterO, is Sir David Attenborough. [Edit: just saw someone beat me to it.]

  5. I’d noticed the two crossing APPS with the I in the NE so got in the Apple groove when it came to IOTAS. Missed this I for the paper and looked up IOS which is an Apple map apparently. Picaroon leading me down another rabbit hole.

  6. Agree GDU @4. I cant see or hear the spoonerism either. Surely Picaroon couldn’t have made a mistake.

    So glad to have your blog up nice and early PeterO which has clarified a few for me. Thank you.

  8. Ditto GDU and pdm re the L in the spooner. And I too forgot about I the freeby paper, so iotas was a shrug. Remembered rotten borough from Modern Britain, school textbook. Wondered when cases are sleeves; not really for records, so for pillows, maybe? All part of the fun, ta PnP.

  9. THEME SONG and RISHI in the same row? I don’t know enough about British politics but I do know Mr Sunak got up Australia’s nose about so-called FAIR TRADE. CHANGE -RINGING, the other meaning? Something ROTTEN in Denmark?

  11. And RISHI on China and Russia. RED ALERTS?
    Gonna have a nana nap now before the world comes to an end.

  13. I also questioned the Spoonerism in FLOOR PLAN with the ‘L’ being left where it is as well as being transposed.

  14. FLOOR PLAN
    FLOOR PAN would have worked. I thought that would be something lav’ish! 😉

    floor pan (Collins)
    in American English
    NOUN
    a solid bottom, found in some types of automobiles, that adds rigidity to the structure and serves as the base for the seats

    RISHI: Quite an interesting surface. RISHIs were gurus/teachers too. RISHI greeting RISHI!

    Loved ROTTEN BOROUGH and CHANGE RINGING.
    pdm@various! Liked the connections you tried to make.

    Thanks Picaroona and PeterO!

  15. Thanks Peter for explaining IOTAS, and how B-LIST relates to ELIOT, which escaped me. So did FAIR TRADE because I thought FAIR=show and then of course couldn’t sort out the rest. A similar problem with CEASE=delete in CAESAREAN. I had AFFIRMING instead of ASSERTING for a long time, which didn’t help, and only deduced that Salah must play for a team of Reds after getting RED ALERTS.

    But despite this tale of woe I enjoyed the MO of the opera producer, the HARBOUR MASTER drinking port and rum in the bar, SPYMASTER and EXILE.

    I used to do some CHANGE RINGING in my younger days, and felt very smug years ago when someone did a campanology-themed crossword that provoked howls of protest about its obscurity from nearly everyone else.

  16. I was completely baffled by 14a as well as 26a, but despite being an anti-sports person I did get the ‘batter’ in 15d. I also have an acquaintance who is a long-time bell ringer, so was familiar with 9d, which happens in the Colonies as well as in Blighty. I skated over the spoonerism without noticing the stray L.

  17. I parsed everything except ROTTEN BOROUGH, so thank you to Dr WhatsOn @1. I thought IOS for maps, too much geocaching with electronic maps. Neat spot that CAESAREAN starts with erase ac initially

    Thank you to PeterO and Picaroon.

  18. I forgot to solve 26ac. I probably would not have gotten it but I do love David Attenborough 🙂

    New for me: UGRIC.

    Favourites: EXILE, LATVIAN, FLOOR PLAN, MOTHERING.

    I did not parse 3d, 15d. and I needed help from google to work out why Salah et all = reds. I see they wear red sportswear!

    Ah, I see the problem with 16d now…

    Thanks, both.

  19. I’m another who didn’t think the spoonerism worked. Easy enough to get the answer with the suggestion, but I found the extra ‘L’ rather spoilt the clue. A quibble in an otherwise excellent crossword. CAESAREAN took me too long as I forgot about that type of delivery. I think the meaning of RISHI has cropped up before in Guardian crosswords. I’m surprised that ROTTEN BOROUGH caused problems for overseas solvers. Surely David Attenborough is known beyond the shores of the UK? Thanks to Picaroon and to PeterO for the usual clear blog.

  20. I missed the POINT in APPOINTEE, but it seems fair enough. I liked HARBOUR MASTER, MOTHERING and ROTTEN BOROUGH.

  21. Found this very tough at first, perhaps rather put off by the overwordy clues. Struggled my way through eventually with the last two in the similarly connected APPLIER and APPOINTEE. I did/do know about PROGressive rock, but am never quite sure about the nature of the beast…

  22. I also couldn’t parse ROTTEN BOROUGH. Very enjoyable puzzle. If I had a quibble it is that I have not heard of iron described as a heavy metal before; if I recall my school chemistry correctly it is a transition element and the heavy metals (uranium etc.) are much further down the periodic table. I agree with Grant@10 Lots of ticks, including IOTAS (now that PeterO has explained it for me), B-LIST and CASE HISTORIES. Many thanks as always to Picaroon for the brain exercise and to PeterO for the blog.

  23. My understanding of spoonerisms is that it’s the sounds that are transposed, so what works when spoken doesn’t necessarily appear to work entirely when written down. A certain amount of flexibility is therefore allowable in crosswords which are after all a written medium. Floor plan – poor flan works for me.

  24. I have to go out to a meeting soon and so I was almost disappointed (!) to see it was a Picaroon puzzle, fearing I might not have time to finish it. Now that I have, like PeterO, I’m standing back in amazement – but have no time now for detailed comments.

    Many thanks, as ever, to Picaroon, for a brilliant start to the day and to lucky PeterO for the blog.

  25. Brilliant and I’ll even forgive the dodgy FLOOR PLAN. Favourites were CAESAREAN, THEME SONG, SPYMASTER and SPROG (one for you Roz). Dave Ellison @12: I was also thinking of the disgraced National treasure, Frank Bough, until I twigged the everlasting National treasure. Ronald @21: a bit of Prog https://youtu.be/HKIkzGGAG9s

    Ta Picaroon & PeterO.

  26. Really enjoyed this, as usual. I eventually parsed ROTTEN BOROUGH, but does ‘upset’ really reverse in an across clue? That and FLOOR PLAN were the only things to raise my eyebrows in anything other than awe.

    CAESAREAN was cracking.

    Thanks Picaroon & PeterO.

  27. I agree with jackkt@23 Spoonerisms are essentially a verbal error so floor plan / poor flan seems like the kind of thing the good doctor might have said

    UGRIC was a TILT but obvious from the wordplay. Top ticks for THEME SONG, ROTTEN BOROUGH & SMELL A RAT for the cricket reference. TBH I could have ticked almost everything

    Cheers P&P

  30. I’m another who enjoyed the challenge and agree that spoonerisms are general confusion of spoken words so Floor Plan is fine.

    And Tomsdad@19 – I’m sure most contributors here know of David Attenborough, that wasn’t the difficult part. I rejected ROTTEN BOROUGH at first as an extremely unlikely name for a place.

  31. AlanC@25…ha! Many thanks for that, in the beginning was Genesis. Or at least, half a century ago. Though I’ve always been more of a Blues Rock fan…

  32. Thanks Picaroon and PeterO
    I had more unparsed than usual, but several favourites – particularly ASSERTING and LOI MOTHERING. UGRIC was a real jorum.
    I thought the I ceased to be a physical paper, just online, but I may be confusing it with the Independent.

  34. Thanks Picaroon & PeterO – super stuff.
    I liked the cryptic Tramp, the TV refrain and THE RING cycle.

    AlanC@25 – thanks for the link to maybe their best album. I confess to liking the moderated prog immediately post (angel) Gabriel’s departure in A Trick and Wind &W just as much.

  35. Excellent puzzle from Picaroon as usual. Favourites were THEME SONG for the brilliant definition (“refrain from TV”), and LATVIAN for the great “TV Ian” (“Scot going on the tube”).

    12a had to be ELIOT but I couldn’t parse it because I was fixated on OT being “books” and didn’t understand why LI was “love”. D’oh!

    Many thanks Picaroon and PeterO.

  36. Not a Apple user, but IOS is the name of their mobile operating system. Nothing to do with maps per se. I wasn’t aware that they had trademarked the letter ‘i’.

    I found this pretty hard, but nonetheless fair. Many clues were quite gettable but in the end I couldn’t finish (or lost patience).

  37. [PaulH @33: Although I’ve heard of all the bands and other names in this article, I was not aware of Kevin Ayers so thanks for that. wynsum @ 33: me too but I gave up on them after And Then There Were Three]. ronald @31: you’ll like Rory Gallagher then.

  38. A slow solve for me as I’ve just had a cataract removed so no reading glasses yet (but they will be needed). Thanks everyone for the parsing of a couple, especially the rotten borough and Case Histories. Very clever stuff.

  39. [AlanC @37
    There was a quote in a letter to the Guardian a few days ago. When Jimi Hendrix was asked what it was like to be the world’s best guitarist, he said “Ask Rory Gallagher”]

  40. Well that was chewy. I always go for the long ones first and, being a coastal born Private Eye reader, didn’t have any problems with 1A and 26A. Like others, I’m relaxed about Spoonerisms. Ah, the Canterbury Scene! So many good bands, Gong, the Softs, Caravan 😍loved em then and love em today. My fave Kevin Ayres track is ‘Song from the bottom of a well.’ Been there, but definitely can’t reach such low notes. Thanks for the memories, PaulH@33 and to Picaroon and Paul O for the hard work.

  41. [I do remember that one muffin. I saw him as a callow 15 yr-old in Belfast, when few bands were willing to come during the troubles. He definitely crossed the religious divide].

  42. Excellent cluing as ever, although I had to BIFD (bung in from definition) a few and parse later.

    I think jackkt @23 and others have nailed the Spoonerism, which is spoken rather than written. Lots to like: all the long ‘uns; SPY MASTER for the surface (I’m feeling smug now); and the wordplays for TOY WITH (liked the TO WIT), CAESEREAN, RED ALERTS, ROTTEN BOROUGH, APPOINTEE, and SMELL A RAT (some needing UK/sports knowledge).

    Thanks Picaroon and PeterO.

  43. I think PeterO and Eileen have captured my thoughts perfectly – amazing and deserving admiration. Thank you Picaroon. Gladys@15, I went for FAIR too, so I was struggling to see how E was a heavy metal. I also agree with those who have said it’s a stretch to describe Fe as such. The other I couldn’t parse was 15D. I’d not heard of the fish and cricket ain’t my thing. However, these are minor quibblets, given the overall brilliance. My favourites were EXILE and DITTO, small but beautiful; plus ROTTEN BOROUGH which is a delight. Very many thanks to PeterO for your help with parsing. Finally, thanks to all for the prog rock thread, especially AlanC @25 for the link. Such a great song, which is as apposite now as it was then (sadly). Have a great day everyone. 😎

  44. A delightful puzzle, many misdirections. While I did finish it, the wordplay of several clues needed explaining. I knew ROTTEN BOROUGHS from school history and yes, we do know David Attenborough in Oz, I just didn’t see the connection. I appreciated explanations for APPOINTEE (missed the point), IOTAS (paper and map), RED ALERTS (Reds), SMELL A RAT (batter). The spoonerism made sense to me.
    I liked MOTHERING, CASE HISTORIES, ELIOT, CAESAREAN, SPROG.
    Thanks Picaroon and Peter O.

  45. Thanks for the blog , much better without the theme, some very clever wordplay, a great spot for ROTTEN BOROUGH using the wonderful David, CHANGE RINGING was very neat and MOTHERING a great idea , also liked TO WIT for i,e.
    Are there really teams called The Reds ? I never knew football clubs could be so imaginative , almost Kafkaesque in the use of magic realism.

  46. AlanC@37…oh, yes, I shall never tire of listening to Rory G. Though the only time I saw him performing in the flesh was with Taste at the 1970 Isle of Wight Festival. What a line up that weekend, too ..

  47. Heavy Metal – it really refers to density and the cut-off point is 5000kg/m^3 which is arbitrary and includes iron. I would shift it to 10000 , excluding most common metals, it would then start with lead and go up to gold, iridium etc.

  48. On first sight of the grid I wondered if the two large crosses might be a nod to St George. Alas, it seems not.

  49. [ AlanC @25 I cannot view your link , if you want the probable start of prog it is perhaps The Nice playing America, often shown on Sounds of the 60s and should be easy to find.
    Ronald @46 I was at IofW Featival 1969 , minus 8 months old, got in for free. Bob Dylan , The Who and many others. ]

  51. The parsing of 14A defeated me, and having seen PeterO’s explanation, I forgive myself. ‘I’ for ‘paper’ will never stick in my mind. ‘Tense’ reduced to ‘T’ in 23D also escaped me. Some of the initialisms in Grauniad crosswordland do seem a bit arbitrary.

    Otherwise, good fun.

  53. Good fun. I didn’t like FLOOR PLAN either. Also, thanks for parsing CHANGE RINGING – not exactly a Spice Girls aficionado myself!

  54. Roz@…taking up with your minus eight months theme, have just discovered some (filled in by still attached slim pencil) dance cards from a late December 1946 military post-victory Ball at the Miramare Castle, Trieste. Attended by my Mum and Dad. Suddenly realised that I was there too, born exactly 4 months later in Kent. On your scale therefore, minus 4 months, already moving to the waltz and maybe the quickstep…

  55. [ AlanC @50 many thanks , I will look later when I have IT support.
    Ronald@54 a lovely story especially your memorabilia .My mother still has the tickets and the programme, King Kong on the cover for some reason. she tells me endless stories of bands she took me to “see” before I was born . ]

  56. [The only gig I remember taking my daughter to before she was born was Santana, because I got kicked, a lot. Thinking about it she was present at quite a few gigs.]

  57. Didn’t get CASE HISTORIES or ROTTEN BOROUGH so a DNF for me. Didn’t like the Spoonerism. Otherwise an enjoyable puzzle.
    Some clever surfaces…couldn’t parse “Mothering” which is my facepalm moment for the day.
    Thanks to Picaroon and PeterO.

  59. Curious has some parsings jump out but others are, what we call in this house, giraffe’s farts, apologies for any upset etc etc.
    ROTTEN BOROUGH leapt at me almost immediately. Several others didn’t.
    The joy of crosswords.
    First half straightforward, second half had to be left to stew in my subconscious for four hours before a return and completion.
    Thanks to Peter and Picaroon

  60. Lots to like here from Pickers. Took me a while and not the easiest.

    Like others, my only gripe, if I must have one, has to be FLOOR PLAN in which the esteemed Reverend doesn’t quite cut it for me – I keep stumbling on the superfluous ‘L’ (FL-LAN?). Moreover, isn’t a FLOOR PLAN more the work of an interior designer than an architect? Hmmm…

    I needed a few crossers for ROTTEN BOROUGH but the parsing came to me easily enough (sorry Peter!) – all credit to Sir David who’s just a few days shy of his 98th birthday… I used to live very close to one of the most notorious Rotten Boroughs: Gatton in Surrey, which until the Great Reform Act 1832 boasted two MPs elected by just seven voters.

    Today the place is just a bit of fine walking country on the slopes of the North Downs.

    Come to think of it, isn’t the US Senate still on a similar rather non-equitable system, where states like Wyoming and Alaska can return the same number of senators as Texas and California? Am I allowed to mention it?

    Special mention for IOTAS, TOY WITH (brilliant!), SPROG, EXILE, CHANGE RINGING (is this stricrly speaking, ‘music’?), SALVO, and SET-TO. But the rest are just as good.

    Thanks to the ‘P’s – Peter and Picaroon.

  62. Tramp @58: your comment got me to thinking whether there is a pecking order amongst the setters. I imagine you won’t comment, but I think you’re all masters/mistresses? of a sort.

  63. [ AlanC@50 , spot on , the one with the knives . I do not want to see the S & G one, I love that song too much . ]

  64. [14a IOTAS – The i newspaper recycles four-year-old Independent puzzles, but when I tried to access today’s online, all I got was a 7×7 grid with only 6 clues. Shame.]

  65. AlanC: just because someone gets published does not mean they’re a master. For every act on Top of the Pops, there will be people who like them: that doesn’t make them great acts.

    Picaroon writes exceptional puzzles: I can’t imagine many setters arguing with that.

  67. Gladys@15: in case you pop in again – the change ringing puzzle was one of Araucaria’s. 35+ years ago?? It was brilliant.

    Great puzzle today – thanks to Picaroon & PeterO

  68. Spot the answer and try to justify the tortured parsing, throw in a couple of obscure words. Too Paulished for me.

  69. Very good as always, but quite tricky. Needed the blog for the parsing of SMELL A RAT (even though BC Lara is my favourite ever “batter”) and had SCRAG for 23ac. DITTO was my favourite today.

  70. Sorry, no no no – everyone’s being admirably benevolent but, for me, a setter as meticulous as Picaroon really can’t be forgiven for trying to get away with calling that a Spoonerism.

    The joy in spotting a genuine specimen is generally found in the incongruity of the notion conjured up by exchanging the specific initial (pre-vowel) sounds of the solution. Once you start loosening the conventional formula, you dilute the effectiveness.

    The likes of Ed Sheeran might provoke a resigned shrug on rhyming ‘time’ with ‘mine’ in one of his venerated and critically acclaimed pop songs, but such sloppy imprecision would be anathema to Messrs Gilbert, Coward, Porter, Sondheim et al, among whose stellar company I’ve been hitherto content to include His Piratical Highness.

    Tantrum over. Otherwise it was a glorious puzzle.

  71. Ah, Picaroon twice in three puzzles. Thankfully the old pirate was in a considerably more amiable mood than on the Saturday just gone – about which I won’t speak further for the present ! Another fine puzzle, it is already a pleasure to solve his offerings even if I do have to come here for some of the parsings afterwards. Thanks to PeterO and to Picaroon.

  72. Cluesau@70 et al, the Reverend Spooner was not as precise as you in his construction of malapropisms. It always amuses me when people create their own definitions and then complain when something doesn’t conform.

    People often complain about themes that they don’t like in puzzles. I know nothing about prog rock, so I should complain about the theme of the comments here, but I won’t. (I did get 23a SPROG, my RCOD – Roz clue of the day.)

    Thanks, Picaroon, PeterO and all the prog rockers for today’s fun.

  74. Spooner never uttered a spoonerism in his life. He got his words muddled and this led to him being made fun of. What he did was much morr interesting. He confused not letters but ideas. “Tell me,” he said, meeting an undergraduate in the college, “Was it you or your brother who was killed in the war?”

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