The puzzle may be found at https://www.theguardian.com/crosswords/cryptic/29594.
Envelopes left and right, up and down, even paired. Not the easiest crossword, but it is the end of the week, and another gem from Picaroon. A delight throughout, with 26A my pick as primus inter pares.
| ACROSS | ||
| 1 | GREENHOUSE GASES |
Politician chats about parliament and means to maintain warmth (10,5)
|
| An envelope (‘about’) of HOUSE (parliament’) in GREEN (‘politician’) plus GASES (‘chats’ – the form GASSES is perhaps more common as a synonym for ‘chats’, but not for the answer). ‘Means to maintain’ passes muster, but sounds more appreciative than (one hopes) is intended. | ||
| 9 | OJIBWAS |
Amerindians from the east observed life, inhaling joint (7)
|
| A reversal (‘from the east’) of SAW (‘observed’) plus BIJO, an envelope (‘inhaling’) of J (marijuana ‘joint’) in BIO (biography, ‘life’). Chambers and Collins like this spelling of a people of the Great Lakes (and thereabouts) region; Wikipedia plumps for Ojibwe, Longfellow for Ojibway and there are other variations (not to mention the alternative Chippewa). | ||
| 10 | RALLIED |
Picked up ring for starters, getting married (7)
|
| A charade of R (‘Ring for starters’) plus ALLIED (‘married’). | ||
| 11 | BYE |
Extra purchase picked up (3)
|
| Cricket, lovely cricket. Sounds like (‘picked up’) BUY (‘purchase’). | ||
| 12 | RALPH LAUREN |
Guy flogging clobber in run-down park near Hull losing a thousand (5,6)
|
| An anagram (‘run-down’) of ‘par[k] near Hull’ minus the K (‘losing a thousand’). | ||
| 13 | RATION CARD |
Might it get you reduced fare in new train? Do without other transport (6,4)
|
| An envelope (‘without’) of CAR (‘other transport’) in RATIOND, an anagram (‘new’) of ‘train do’. ‘Fare’ as food, with reference to wartime and postwar shortages. | ||
| 15 | SWAP |
Substitute heads in super winner above Pickford (4)
|
| First letters (‘heads’) of ‘Super Winner Above Pickford’. | ||
| 18 | SOFT |
Like certain drinks loudly ingested by drinker (4)
|
| An envelope (‘ingested by’) of F (forte, ‘loudly’) in SOT (heavy ‘drinker’). | ||
| 20 | SCREENSHOT |
Stop people from seeing small, erotic image (10)
|
| A charade of SCREEN (‘stop people from seeing’) plus S (‘small’) plus HOT (‘erotic’). | ||
| 23 | SINGLES CLUB |
Where to seek romance? Blessing in disguise includes brief hint (7,4)
|
| An envelope (‘includes’) of CLU[e] (‘hint’) minus the last letter (‘brief’) in SINGLESB, an anagram (‘in disguise’) of ‘blessing’. | ||
| 25 | UGH |
Hard to move in embrace that’s unpleasant (3)
|
| HUG (’embrace’) with the H moved to the end (‘hard to move’). | ||
| 26 | ONTARIO |
City in the Americas is, oddly, not a city in the Americas (7)
|
| A charade of ONTA, an anagram (‘oddly’) of ‘not a’; plus RIO (‘city in the Americas’). | ||
| 27 | SPECIES |
Kind of frozen liquid, less cold, put into glasses (7)
|
| An envelope (‘put into’) of I[c]E (‘frozen liquid’) minus the C (‘less cold’) in SPECS (spectacles, ‘glasses’). | ||
| 28 | HUCKLEBERRY FINN |
Faceless rock’n’roller pens foreign article and European novel (11,4)
|
| A charade of HUCKLEBERRY, an envelope (‘pens’) of LE (‘foreign article’) in [c]HUCK BERRY (‘rock’n’roller’) minus the first letter (‘faceless’); plus FINN (‘European’). | ||
| DOWN | ||
| 1 | GAOLBIRDS |
They’re often inside gold bars smelted around India (9)
|
| An envelope (‘around’) of I (‘India’ – not their IVR) in GAOLBRDS, an anagram (‘smelted’) of ‘gold bars’. | ||
| 2 | EXIGENT |
Demanding one gets hosted by guy who’s had a sex change? (7)
|
| An envelope (‘gets hosted by’) of I (‘one’) in EX GENT (‘guy who has had a sex change?’). | ||
| 3 | NEW BROOM |
Everton’s inverted wingers love stopping West Brom’s innovative sweeper (3,5)
|
| A charade of NE, a reversal (‘inverted’ in a down light) of EN (‘EvertoN‘s wingers’) plus WBROOM, an envelope (‘stopping’) of O (‘love’) in W (‘west’) plus ‘Brom”. A reference to the proverbial “A new broom sweeps clean”. | ||
| 4 | OUSEL |
Thrush biting insect with its head down (5)
|
| LOUSE (‘biting insect’) with the initial L moved to the end (‘with its head down’ in a down light). | ||
| 5 | SURCHARGE |
Even more cash to fork out daily? Rush to limit it (9)
|
| An envelope (‘to limit it’) of CHAR (‘daily’ – we have has some discussion here recently about these terms for a cleaning lady) in SURGE (‘rush’). | ||
| 6 | GILEAD |
Guide serving American introduces Biblical region (6)
|
| A charade of GI (‘serving American’) plus LEAD (‘guide’), with ‘introduces’ indicating the order of the particles. | ||
| 7 | SKID ROW |
Steinbeck not content, I would argue, to show place of poor Americans (4,3)
|
| A charade of SK (‘SteinbecK not content’)plus I’D (‘I would’) plus ROW (‘argue’). | ||
| 8 | SEDAN |
Silhouette of svelte, sometimes fancy fellow in US saloon (5)
|
| A charade of SE (‘silhouette of SveltE‘) plus DAN (‘sometimes fancy fellow’; a reference to the character Fancy Dan in some Marvel Comics); for the type of car. | ||
| 14 | COCKSCOMB |
Since getting hold of fashion label, swan around East End in denim headgear (9)
|
| A charade of COCKS, an envelope (‘getting hold of’) of CK (Calvin Klein, ‘fashion label’) in ‘COS (informal for “because”, ‘since’); plus COMB, another envelope (‘around’) of M (‘east end of deniM‘) in COB (male ‘swan’). | ||
| 16 | PITCHES IN |
Does one’s bit, with urges to wear jewellery (7,2)
|
| An envelope (‘to wear’ – here the normal version, with the jewellery on the outside) of ITCHES (‘urges’) in PIN (‘jewellery’). | ||
| 17 | SNOBBERY |
Acting superior in station, drained by crime, runs away (8)
|
| A charade of SN (‘StatioN drained’) plus [r]OBBERY (‘crime’) minus the first R (‘runs away’). | ||
| 19 | FANATIC |
Wild supporter of Chelsea, say, taking against entertaining article (7)
|
| A double envelope (‘taking’ and ‘entertaining’) of A (indefinite ‘article’) in ANTI (‘against’) in FC (Football Club, ‘Chelsea, say’). | ||
| 21 | HOUDINI |
Chap who escaped commotion in hotel certainly heard in Paris (7)
|
| An envelope (‘in’) of DIN (‘commotion’) in H (‘hotel’) plus OUI (‘certainly heard in Paris’). | ||
| 22 | FLORAL |
Learner admitted to poor grade on exam, exhibiting bloomers (6)
|
| An envelope (‘admitted to’) of L (‘learner’) in F (‘poor grade’) plus ORAL (‘exam’). | ||
| 23 | SLOTH |
Reason for doing very little crack and heroin (5)
|
| A charade of SLOT (‘crack’) plus H (‘heroin’). | ||
| 24 | LASER |
Some light parsley oddly scrubbed and held in hands (5)
|
| An envelope (‘held in’) of ASE (‘pArSlEy oddly scrubbed’) in LR (left and right, ‘hands’). |
Yep, terrific puzzle, ta P and P. Only a few easies at first, like swap, soft and species. But some fun constructions like (not)* a Rio, and the Chuck Berry one (to follow BB as in King in robing i bb). The Pirate is deffo up there with the best.
8d SEDAN pre-dating Marvel: “fancy Dan slang (orig. U.S.). 1943– A dandy; a showy but ineffective worker or sportsman.
1943 Fancy Dan (a pitcher good in practice but sour in a game; also a dressy player). American Speech vol. 18 107″
Very enjoyable, as usual with Picaroon’s oeuvre. I didn’t understand the “Dan” in 8d, never having come across Marvel comics, and I was unaware of the other American meanings, thank you FrankieG. I floundered parsing COCKSCOMB, despite remembering the usual setters’ trick of “cob”. I thought for a moment that I’d need to know about run-down parks near Hull, but you wouldn’t do that to us Antipodeans, would you Pickers?
Fun puzzle, ONTARIO and HUCKLEBERRY FINN the faves.
[I was amused to read 15a because I’d just watched one of this week’s PL matches (EVE-AVL) in which Pickford did indeed let one in (but all the other details were wrong).]
I wondered, with Ralph Lauren and Calvin Klein, if there was a fashion theme, but apparently not.
Round here we call a fancy Dan a show pony.
Also, ONTARIO is a province so not a city in the Americas
Thanks both. As usual, Pic too hard for me so PeterO much needed
Liked the idea of Chuck Le Berry and EXIGENT my tops for the guy who changed sex. Ontario City in California? Thanks both.
Thanks for pointing out the error DaveE@6. Perhaps a confusion with TORONTO. However, I (and I think a lot of other solvers) didn’t notice it. A difficult test from Picaroon today, cheered up initially by HUCKLEBERRY FINN. Learnt that an OUSEL was a kind of thrush. Liked EXIGENT when I finally saw it. GAOLBIRDS took me too long to work out the anagram. Thanks to PeterO and Picaroon.
I don’t think it is an error, Tomsdad@8. It’s a further part of the clue, in addition to the explanation PeterO gave: oddly, not a city in the Americas. There seem to be at least 10 Ontarios in the US.
Very tough, almost seemed impenetrable after solving only 10 clues it looked like I might need to give up. Glad I persevered and was able to finish it.
Favourites: UGH, HOUDINI. SLOTH, EXIGENT.
New for me: GREENHOUSE GASES; OJIBWAS, OUSEL; the fact that Ontario in Canada is a province not a city.
I could not parse 26ac; the fancy Dan bit of 8d; and the COMB bit of 14d.
13ac – considering that ration cards no longer exist, this was an interesting clue from a historical perspective.
Thanks, both.
Super puzzle from top to bottom. Best of the week. Even with a raised eyebrow for ONTARIO. Dave Ellison @9 makes a valiant attempt to justify it but that half of the clue is WP which would mean it would be serving as both WP and definition with the first part of the clue serving no purpose.
Too many good clues to pick a favourite – maybe HUCKLEBERRY FINN for the Chuck Berry spot.
Thanks Picaroon and PeterO
Dan was the only head scratcher and it took a while to click the J in OJIBWAS. I’m another who thought HUCKLEBERRY FINN was head and shoulders, although SCREENSHOT was also great. Like Dr WhatsOn @4, I was looking for other vastly overpriced fashion designers. Superior puzzle.
Ta Picaroon & PeterO.
Hard work but rewarding. I got into a muddle trying to parse COCKSCOMB with the COB round the whole word instead of the last bit and didn’t quite get there, though I spotted C(alvin) K(lein).
Likewise couldn’t parse FANATIC, for which I had FRANTIC which sort of fits for “wild” but wouldn’t parse either – I see my problem was trying to shoehorn supporter=FAN into the parsing. Picaroon does like insertions.
Nice to see Chuck Berry and HOUDINI, also enjoyed GAOLBIRDS, RATION CARD and the EX (I) GENT. Thanks Picaroon and PeterO.
By the way, the link for Fancy Dan isn’t working.
Thanks Picaroon and Petero
The week was building up to this and Picaroon did not disappoint. Great puzzle with real complexity but great humour. So many great clues. Huck Finn was a work of art.
Hate to be picky, but isn’t the novel called “The Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn”? Huckleberry Finn is the main character, not the book.
Yes this was a lot of fun, though not a pushover by any means. Previous posters have covered most of my favourites, though I also ticked 23a SINGLES CLUB and 17d SNOBBERY. I’m very fond of Picaroon’s puzzles even though without the blog I’d still be left scratching my head about how to parse some solutions fully. Much appreciated, Picaroon and PeterO.
I wonder if the setter’s a closet Everton fan. Two references in 15ac, as noted by Dr. W @4 and the clue to 3d.
PeterO, were you being sarcastic when you said ‘Cricket, lovely cricket?’ I did chuckle.
This helped pass the time most satisfactorily on a 4 hour flight from Perth to Hobart. Lots to like. I only knew the general ‘fancy Dan’ phrase, not the Marvel one. Huck Finn the definite standout for me, though plenty of other great clues (OJIBWAS, SINGLES CLUB, SKID ROW for the Steinbeck reference) – I could go on. Thanks Picaroon and PeterO.
I do think Picaroon is at his best when he turns the difficulty dial up a bit. I only knew fancy Dan as a term used by football coaches to deride players with more talent than them 🙂
Loved the RALPH LAUREN definition & RATION CARD
Cheers P&P
Ps: it’s JAILBIRD – don’t argue with Primal Scream!
Thanks Picaroon and PeterO
In contrast to most above, I didn’t think this was Picaroon at his best. After writing in GREENHOUSE GASES (how have you remained unaware of them, Michelle?) I went to the downs with first letters. Three of the eight used the same “drained” trick, as did 17d – a bit repetitive.
Several unparsed – 12, 23, and 14.
Lots to like, though. Favourites EXIGENT and (C)HUCK(LE)BERRY FINN (despite Crispy’s valid objection).
A few too many convoluted clues for my taste, but enjoyable none the less. Favourites OUSEL (nice concise clue) and H FINN (I don’t share Crispy@15’s issue with definition – surely most people would say ‘Huckleberry Finn is one of my favourite novels’ rather than use the full title. A pity about ONTARIO, which I didn’t parse, assuming ‘not a city in the Americas’ must be the definition.
Thanks PeterO and Picaroon.
Excellent as usual from Picaroon who is the master of smooth and cleverly misleading surfaces. My favourites were the brilliant NEW BROOM and HUCKLEBERRY FINN. (Crispy @15: well, I don’t think anyone would object to “Othello” for example as a Shakespeare play, although the title in the First Folio is “The Tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Venice”.)
I think for ONTARIO the intention is for it to be a sort of clue-as-definition, referring to the fact that it is both a city (in California) and not a city (in Canada). Otherwise why “the Americas”?
Many thanks Picaroon and PeterO.
Great surfaces for RALPH LAUREN and NEW BROOM. I thought the definition for GREENHOUSE GASES was a bit of a stretch. A means seems to imply a deliberate intention rather than a catastrophic side effect.
Very few clues solved on my first pass, but they were just enough to add more one buy one, until I gave up due to impatience on 9a and 2d. The tribe may be obscure but fairly clued, and the whole was very satisfying.
Technically speaking, could it be argued that 2d should have had “woman” instead of “guy”?
Another super puzzle from Picaroon, apart from the (surprising) definition for GREENHOUSE GASES, where I agree with Petert @23.
My ticks were for RALPH LAUREN, SINGLES CLUB, HUCKLEBERRY FINN (I agree entirely with beaulieu @20 and Lord Jim @21), SURCHARGE, FANATIC and HOUDINI.
Thanks to Picaroon and PeterO.
I loved this puzzle.
For ONTARIO, I missed the ‘onta’ and ‘rip’. My take on it was that Ontario in California is a city and Ontario province in Canada is not a city. Both are in the Americas. Maybe not right, but it worked for me. I see Lord Jim had this take as well.
I missed the parsing for EXIGENT and RALPH LAUREN. Thanks for explaining, PeterO.
My favourite was HUCKLEBERRY FINN. Ticks also for SCREENSHOT, HOUDINI, SINGLES CLUB, COCKSCOMB.
Thanks, Picaroon and PeterO.
Splendid puzzle. A steady solve for me; thankfully I knew OJIBWAS and the phrase, but not the character, Fancy Dan.
ONTARIO is a great construction – I like Lord Jim’s rationalisation @22. I loved ‘East End in denim’ and ‘certainly heard in Paris’.
Long list of favourites, notably EXIGENT, RALPH LAUREN, NEW BROOM, SINGLES CLUB, RATION CARD, HUCK FINN (which I confess I got from just the enumeration and the final N, not being a systematic solver).
Many thanks to the Pirate and PeterO
[“That oh, so merry, [c]HUCK(LE)BERRY Huckleberry…” (1958-1964)]
Excellent. Thanks both.
Impeccable throughout, with witty and misleading surfaces and few if any obscurities (I remembered OJIBWAS). Such a contrast to yesterday.
The average clue length is just a wee bit over the conventional limit of 8 words. Although I generally value concision in clueing, the imaginative wording and clever surfaces in this crossword far outweigh any possible quibbles I might have had about verbosity.
What’s the fuss, Ontario, eg Ontario in California, is a city in the America’s. And as per @1, it is (not)* + a + Rio [which is] a city in the America’s. Smooth as silk and clever too 🙂
Ignore the ownership apostrophes in the Americas
I’m pleased there are very few complaints about the ‘obscurity’ of OBJIWAS – they are one of the most numerous Native American peoples, and the ones depicted in Longfellow’s ‘Song of Hiawatha’, as PeterO hints. The only quibble might be the spelling… 🙂
gratinfreo@32 No fuss, I was just saying I missed the correct parsing but somehow created another, less smooth and clever, explanation for Ontario. 😂
Ultimately found this too tough, though first things first – did think HUCKLEBERRY FINN an excellent clue. However, thought that SCREENSHOT had to be that, but couldn’t fathom out the parsing, and did manage to get the obscure (for me) OJIBWAS. Couldn’t manage the NE corner, so hit the reveal button there with a DNF. Enjoyed solving the ones I did get, but this generally too wordy and complicated for me today…
Even with your help 14d is too much for me. As were many more. Thank you so much for this blog. I don’t know what I would do without you. Give up, I think.
The first Guardian crossword for over a week that I actually enjoyed completing!
I chuckled at Huck Le Berry, and liked Ralph Lauren being described as just a “guy selling clobber”. Which, of course, he is.
Sloth, Species & Houdini were delightful, too.
Thank you PeterO for the explanations: I’ve never encountered fancy Dan – in any context (I’m not overly into Marvel) – so that was merely a guess based on the crossers, though fortunately I have heard of the Ojibwas.
Thank you Picaroon for the fun.
I knew the expression Fancy Dan when I was young. I think it was taken up in Marvel comics rather than invented there – OED gives the first reference as 1943, whereas Marvel Comics (as thus called) didn’t start until 1961.
Another good ‘un from the pirate. He certainly likes his envelopes.
I liked the anagram for RALPH LAUREN and the partial one for RATION CARD. I also liked HUCKLEBERRY FINN for the faceless rock’n’roller, the innovative West Brom sweeper for NEW BROOM, HOUDINI being certainly heard in Paris, the SURCHARGing daily, and the East End headgear of COCKSCOMB. A quibble: does ring for starters really give R?
Thanks Picaroon and PeterO.
Lord Jim @22. Yes, but the RSC lists the play simply as Othello. All lists of Twain’s novels I’ve found give the full title. IMHO, some indication of the colloquial title should have been included
Re GREENHOUSE GASES; I think that they are a means to maintain warmth – without them the earth would be a frozen planet. It’s the overproduction by burning fossil fuels that has led to the problem of global heating.
Excellent puzzle. Wound up working from the bottom to the NE quarter last, RATION CARD not coming to mind and GAOLBIRDS catching me out on that spelling for the first time in a while. [I remember some past puzzle where some of the American solvers wound up with JAIL for GAOL by way of the Spanish artist Jil Love, who I’m sure every single one of us had to Google.] LOI EXIGENT, spent a while trying to think of a man’s name that could have an M and F swapped and was happy it turned out not to be that device! Thanks Picaroon and PeterO.
Crispy@41: Huckleberry Finn seems almost as common to me as Alice in Wonderland; the word “Adventures” has a way of disappearing.
[I’d like to nominate this for today’s earworm. I first heard it on the Mekons cassette New York whose compiler somehow turned it into a folk song called “Not Long Ago”–you can find that on Bandcamp if you search it up.]
I was on Picaroon’s wavelength for this. It wasn’t a romp, but i got there in the end. Pleased to remember that OUSEL is a kind of thrush — I think this bird flies around a lot in cryptics….
I’m having a stinker but have quickly scrolled past the blog itself to make sure everyone knows how happy I am to see the Albion in a clue – too much reference to Wolves and Villa round ‘ere before now 😉
Happy Friday! I’m sure I’ll get to the end of this today, Picaroon 🙂
Robi @42. Spot on re. GREENHOUSE GASES. Everything in moderation.
How on Earth does one make the leap from being reasonably competent at, for example, Vulcan’s puzzles, to something like this or yesterday’s Paul?
Practice can’t be the answer, because practising complete failure every day doesn’t get anyone anywhere.
gladys @13
Thank you for pointing out the slip. The link is now corrected.
AlanC @17
No sarcasm intended; I was merely quoting a song that I dredged up from one of the dustier corners of my memory.
Robi#42 I still think a “means” implies some sort of intentionality. Buying a Ralph Lauren shirt might be a means to impress your friends but is a way rather than a means of wasting your money. Unless you think there is some intelligent design behind it all??
Ta PeterO, cute song.
Petert @50: It seems that some of the religious right in the US see global warming as a prelude to the Day of Judgment, so the release of GREENHOUSE GASES is a means to accelerate the process. Drill, drill, drill 🙁
MrChigley @ 48
Practice, practice, practice is indeed the path to improvement, along with not being deterred by failure to complete much, or any, of a puzzle.
We all started as a blank sheet of paper and worked up to where we are now.
I remember how daunted I used to feel when I saw Araucaria or Bunthorne as the setter of a puzzle, but persevered and eventually managed to solve a few. I still remember the immense feeling of satisfaction I got when I first completed an Araucaria puzzle.
It’s well worth the struggle, believe me.
MrChigley @48: How to make the leap from, for example, Vulcan’s puzzles, to something like this or yesterday’s Paul? It’s probably not a leap – it certainly hasn’t been for me – more of a slow, slow, meander with many false steps along the way. I’ve been at it over 60 years and think I’m now a fairly strong solver. Even so, I do still struggle – or fail! – with some cryptics in The Guardian, such as yesterday’s Paul.
The keys to progress for many solvers are to persist, routinely look at the solutions and think why the answers are what they are. You could also practise with Quiptics. Hang in there for the slow ride!
Favorites included 12A, 23A, 28A, and 10A for the misdirection of “picked up”.
James Brydon, aka Picaroon / Rodriguez / Buccaneer has been appointed Deputy Puzzles Editor at the Daily Telegraph, for which many congratulations are in order.
Sadly for us, though, it means that these setting guises will be taking an extended holiday 🙁.
Thank heavens, genuine quality has reappeared in The Grauniad. crossword – for a day at least. ‘Ojibwas’ rang a faint bell, so I was fairly confident of the answer that I constructed from the wordplay.
Perfect antidote to the last two. A tiny bit easier, perhaps, but a lot more fun.
[I was interested to see HUCKLEBERRY FINN make an appearance in the crossword. I am currently reading Percival Everett’s novel “James”, a retelling of the Huck story from the perspective of Jim, the escaped slave.]
Interesting how subjective solving these puzzles is. I found this fairly straightforward (but needing some thought) while yesterday’s was impenetrable for me.
I hope it’s not the case that Picaroon is unable to set for the Guardian going forward. I was on his wavelength from the off here, so didn’t find this as hard as recent Kites and Pauls. ONTARIO, NEW BROOM, SKID ROW, RATION CARD and HUCKLEBERRY FINN were my highlights, each of them absolutely superb.
I agree, Mandarin. Except for the infrequent Arachne, Picaroon is by far my favourite current setter.
It is the case that Picaroon and his alter egos won’t be seen other than in the Telegraph. I had it from the horse’s mouth.
Out of interest, do the Telegraph and the Times now identify the setter? I haven’t seen either for ages, but neither used to.
Apart from OJIBWAS which completely stumped me (I wrote in OTTAWAS but couldn’t parse), I got this done – eventually. (How many Amerindian peoples does one need to be familiar with in Crosswordland? Couldn’t we at least get more familiar ones like Cheyenne, Inca, Maya, Navajo, Lakota, Toltec, Sioux etc….?)
Although pretty easy FOI, I liked BYE. Also ticks for SCREENSHOT (I tried BLINDFOLD but it doesn’t fit), SPECIES, HUCKLEBERRY FINN, GAOLBIRDS (note: India is I in NATO alphabet); GILEAD, SEDAN (nice bit of misdirection); HOUDINI; COCKSCOMB; FANATIC; RATION CARD.
But can’t really fault any of them. As only to be expected from Pickers!
Thanks to Picaroon and Peter.
Agree with Gervase@31 (perhaps though not by osmosis 😉) on both counts- yes these are wordy clues but that wordiness makes guessing which bits are straight and which are cryptic more difficult, a worthy misdirection tool. Long solve but rewarding and fun so no complaints, thank you and so long Picaroon (or whatever the opposite of ‘Ahoy’ is), very best wishes for the new job. Thanks too PeterO.
Re 28a HUCK FINN (my pick for COD), Crispy@15 says “I hate to be picky…” – I don’t think he/she does. 😉
I got to 26a ONTARIO in the same way as LordJim@22 (perhaps because it is my province), whether that parsing is correct or not.
Robi@42 makes a good point about 1a GREENHOUSE GASES. And Petert@50, without getting into a discussion of “mens rea”, I would argue that the noun “means” does not necessarily imply intentionality.
I’m very sad that to learn that we have seen the last of Picaroon/Buccaneer, who is in my short list of favourite setters. This puzzle illustrates why.
I take a very liberal approach to anagrinds, but even I couldn’t see “run-down” (12a) as one.
Thanks Picaroon for the delightful puzzle, and PeterO for the excellent and much-needed blog.
I’ve just shown this puzzle to my daughter, a part-time solver. She pointed out that SWAP is a far better clue than I recognised, as Jordan Pickford is the Everton and England goalkeeper! (Another Everton reference?)
Sorry, I see that has been pointed out before.
I had to google Native American tribes (different spellings) and find a synonym/subspecies of thrush (gutted that I didn’t see LOUSE but I would have had to double check anyway). Everything else went in slowly but steadily. Still can’t quite understand ONTARIO but I don’t care – I spent ages trying every second letter combinations of “notacityin”. Didn’t really parse RATION CARD or NEW BROOM.
Further to this week’s conversation, I think Picaroon is my favourite setter after a year of really trying hard to do the Guardian Cryptic. 🦜
COTD: SURCHARGE
Hi @muffin 64
Yes and no….The Telegraph Toughie has the setter’s pseudonym but not the back page puzzle. The Times cryptic is still anonymous but the Quick Cryptic has the setter’s name.
[Thanks baerchen]
Simon S @56 and 63
Delighted for James, of course – he’s been a top favourite of mine ever since I blogged his first Guardian cryptic in 2012 (!) – but, like Cellomaniac @67 and, I know, very many others, deeply saddened.
I’m just hopeful that we’re going to be seeing more of Arachne.
Simon S @ 63, no more Picaroon? This is the end of the world as we know it 🙁
OMG, this is very sad news. 😭😭😭
I almost exclusively solve James’s puzzles so this is a major bummer. My pathetic life revolves around waiting for Picaroons, buccaneers and Rodriguezs. I’ve solved, with the help of this wonderful site, every puzzle of his I can find.
I got a subscription to the telegraph when I found James was setting puzzles there. There is a site called bigdave44.com where they blog crosswords. You can do a search for Robyn to find all of James’s crosswords. Even though daily cryptics don’t have the setters names the blog will help you find them. I find the daily cryptics set by Robyn to be of the level of Guardian Quiptics though. Very quick solves. Only the Toughies and Prize crosswords are are of the level we’re more used to.
James if you’re reading this post I’ll buy you a beer or two if I ever get to meet you in person. Very sad indeed 😭😭😭
After ignoring my misgivings about attempting a Paul yesterday and ploughing on to the bitter end, I started this but gave up – too Paul and desperate to embrace new devices
Very sorry to hear that we are going to be deprived of Picaroon in future: one of my favourite setters and a big loss to the Guardian and the FT.
muffin @ 64 (& baerchen @ 70)
The Times doesn’t identify the setter, but does now allow them to identify themselves on social media.
Unfortunately not a lot of setters have migrated to bluesky from the now-abominable used-to-be-twitter.
Similarly, the Times has relaxed its rules on no living people bar the monarch.
I knew, positively KNEW, that I would come here and find someone griping that ONTARIO is a province, not a city, and would then find someone else pointing out the existence of the one in California. As I said the last time this came up, Ontario is the home of the LA area’s #2 airport after LAX (measured by total operations; if only passenger volume is counted, Long Beach is #2). Burbank is fourth by any measure (despite being no farther from downtown LA than LAX is). (Funny–literally no one who isn’t contractually required to do so calls LAX by its full name.)
The OJIBWAS clue is even better because they are an eastern tribe, so the “from the east” part points not only the letters but the solver in the right direction. One could object that names of tribes are rarely pluralized in English: they are the Ojibwa. But “rarely” doesn’t mean “never”, so he’s in the clear. Of course, we had to learn the names of many tribes in school, so that one is familiar to most Americans. But if you learn your Native Americans from watching westerns (as I expect is true across the pond), you won’t know that one because they’re eastern.
Otherwise, deeply saddened that Picaroon is taking an indefinite sabbatical here. He is one of the best–challenging, witty, yet never, ever unfair.
In addition to losing the pirate crew, we won’t have Serpent, Basilisk and Jack either as Jason is now the Times Crossword Editor
I know! – it’s great for them but … 🙁
Picaroon has been my favourite setter of recent years. As I think I said earlier, “the master of smooth and cleverly misleading surfaces”. All the best in your new job, Mr Brydon, but maybe it won’t be for ever. Haste ye back.
(Does the Guardian possibly have a stockpile of unpublished Picaroons they can continue to use?)
Lord Jim @81 – let’s fervently hope so!
Wasn’t going to post today because it was so late. Having seen the news I felt I should.
My congratulations Picaroon 🎆. Heartfelt thanks. You’ve given us so much pleasure and fun over the years, but all good things must come to an end. I am sure you’ll enjoy this new chapter.
Thank you to PeterO for the brilliant blog, I needed your help parsing. Top favourite HUCKLEBERRY FINN.
Eileen@ 72, I really hope so too 🤞
I had not heard the news about Picaroon/Buccaneer: it’s extremely sad for me; he is undoubtedly one of the very best compilers, but I wish him all the best in his new role.
I’m also sad that Picaroon is leaving us, and Jack. It’s a good indication of health though for the puzzling community, and the future of cryptics. that two eminent setters will be editors of puzzles in daily papers. What’s interesting is that, according to Simon S@56, James Brydon, aka Picaroon / Rodriguez / Buccaneer has been appointed Deputy Puzzles Editor at the Daily Telegraph. I infer from this news that the Tele has both an Editor and a Deputy Editor of puzzles. Puzzles must be seen then as reaching an audience and good for business.
paddymelon @ 85
I’m told that Chris Lancaster, Puzzles Editor of the DT, has Motor Neurone Disease, so it’s possible that a successor is being lined up, with an overlap.
Sad for him
Oh, that is sad Simon S. My father had MND. Very sad. That makes it even more special where and when James Brydon is leaving us. I don’t know him personally of course, but he comes across as such a wonderfully kind, intelligent and humorous person in his crosswords. I couldn’t think of anyone better to fill that role.
As someone who lived through WW2 (albeit at a young child) we always referred to ration BOOKS rather than ration CARDS.
I absolutely love Picaroon. The best surfaces among the setters that I see, and wonderful misdirection. Another gem today; it took me a second sitting to complete, as I expect from a Friday puzzle. Too many favourites to name here, but OUSEL was especially satisfying as a new word to me that I could get from the wordplay. Very sad to hear from comments above that we will see no (or little) more of Picaroon in the Guardian, which is my go-to online puzzle. Thank you Picaroon for the many hours of fun and fulfilment while square-filling. Thanks PeterO for the blog.
LordJim@81: we have seen rather a lot of Picaroon in the Guardian lately: if the editor does have a stockpile of his crosswords he seems to be using them up while he is still allowed to do so.
Congratulations and farewell to Mr. Brydon and many thanks for all the fun you have given us.
Picaroon will be sorely missed for his Quickcryptics which have been a great intro for newbies. Never dumbing down, respectful, entertaining, and educative.
I didn’t post on here yesterday as I’m away and I’d solved late and when I checked there were already lots of comments on the blog and I don’t always comment (honestly) it it’s all been said.
Just to say I really enjoyed this, found it chewy, but entertaining and, as usual with Picaroon, if I followed the instructions I got there, it’s just identifying the instructions.
Thank you to Picaroon for all the amazing puzzles – you will be missed from the Guardian stable and thank you to PeterO for the blog
Heartfelt thanks to Picaroon for all the fun, and best wishes.
Cheers all.
Like Shanne, I was away from the blog for much of the day and, catching up this morning, I just wanted to note my own sadness at seeing the imminent departure of Picaroon from these pages. Without doubt, one of the very best of the G setters and the Telegraph’s gain (sort of) is definitely our loss. Thanks for all the fabulous puzzles.
And please do not forget (although not pertinent to the Fifteen Squared discussions) that Lavatch (Picaroon)will no longer be compiling for the Spectator.
I can proudly claim that I was the first editor to publish James’ crosswords — in “1Across” magazine (Araucaria’s privately produced monthly offering) and soon after this I invited him to join the Spectator team. James then went on to compile for the dailies, but he began his career under my tutelage when we lived only about 15 miles from one another.
Oh so close. Thought 10a might include ALLIED, but couldn’t find the R. If I had, I’m sure I would have landed SURCHARGE! Very clever (dastardly?) to use “Picked up” as the definition, making us look for a homophone or reversal
Full disclosure, though, I did use the check button to correct RATION DIET to CARD, which gave me COCKSCOMB, my loi before retiring
This is a puzzle that rewarded persistence amply
Like the rest of the world, I’m very sorry to lose Picaroon from the Guardian. His puzzles have been outstanding — but you don’t need me to tell you that. Thank you Doc/Maskarade/Gozo for getting him started!