Carpathian appears in the Tuesday slot again.
We have a neat set of clues, with generally straightforward wordplay and smooth surfaces – ideal for the early part of the week.
I had ticks for 1ac CAVALIER,11ac SUBSIDIARY< 14ac CONFINED, 26ac SARDONIC and 6dn LEGITIMATE.
Thanks to Carpathian for an enjoyable puzzle.
Definitions are underlined in the clues.
Across
8 Sparkling wine left by one former monarch for knight (8)
CAVALIER
CAVA (sparkling wine) + L (left) + I (one) + ER (Elizabeth Regina – former monarch))
9 Taped broadcast for expert (5)
ADEPT
An anagram (broadcast) of TAPED
10 Girl liaises regularly (4)
LASS
Alternate letters of LiAiSeS
11 Navy vessel’s independent logbook assistant (10)
SUBSIDIARY
SUBS (navy vessel’s) + I (independent) + DIARY (logbook)
12 Frail magical creature holding buzzer sent back (6)
FEEBLE
A reversal (sent back) of ELF (magical creature) round BEE (buzzer)
14 Given financial penalty after swindle and imprisoned (8)
CONFINED
CON (swindle) + FINED (given financial penalty)
15 Stout stem (7)
STAUNCH
Double definition
17 College graduate getting axe (7)
CLEAVER
C (college) + LEAVER (graduate – as in a school leaver)
20 Fruit from a very old citrus added dash of spice at first (8)
AVOCADOS
A + initial letters (at first) of Very Old Citrus Added Dash Of Spice
22 Signals British general and police sergeant (6)
BLEEPS
B (British) + LEE (Robert E. – Crosswordland’s favourite general) + PS (Police Sergeant)
23 Defiant about promises to hold ring (10)
REBELLIOUS
RE (about) + IOUS (promises to pay) round BELL (ring)
24 Unconvincing period of time for auditor (4)
WEAK
Sounds like (for auditor) ‘week’ (period of time)
25 Spare from complex trap (5)
EXTRA
Hidden in complEX TRAp
26 Engineered roads in Cuba to be dry (8)
SARDONIC
An anagram (engineered) of ROADS IN C (Cuba – International Vehicle Registration)
Down
1 A garden implement held by favourite bird (8)
PARAKEET
A RAKE (a garden implement) in PET (favourite)
2 Acquires receptacles (4)
BAGS
Double definition
3 Time to produce paper (6)
TISSUE
T (time) + ISSUE (produce)
4 Horse I caught with a drink (7)
ARABICA
ARAB (horse) + I + C (caught) + A
5 Sensible share the French returned (8)
RATIONAL
RATION (share) + a reversal (returned) of LA (the French)
6 Run away with one friend getting sanctioned (10)
LEGITIMATE
LEG IT (run away) + I MATE (one friend)
7 Deprive of sun and, initially, vitamin E (6)
STARVE
STAR (sun) + V[itamin] + E
13 Dish brute chats about (10)
BRUSCHETTA
An anagram (about) of BRUTE CHATS
16 Rotter I ring about car (8)
CADILLAC
CAD (rotter) + I + a reversal (about) of CALL (ring)
18 Impressive impact he amazingly makes (8)
EMPHATIC
An anagram (amazingly) of IMPACT HE
19 Support Sixth Sense getting Oscar call (7)
ESPOUSE
ESP (Extra Sensory Perception – sixth sense) + O (Oscar) + USE (call)
21 One observing sheep right after six (6)
VIEWER
VI (six) + EWE (sheep) + R (right)
22 Doctor orbits dining area (6)
BISTRO
An anagram (doctor) of ORBITS
24 Seduce female with beastly utterance (4)
WOOF
WOO (seduce) + F (female)
Thanks Carpathian and Eileen
Smooth as usual from Carpathian. Favourite FEEBLE.
One question: why does “call” give USE in 19d?
muffin @1 – I thought of call = need = use: ‘I have no call / need/ use for that’?
Thanks Eileen. Not convinced!
Straightforward but nice, neat surfaces as usual for the setter. My favourites were CAVALIER, SUBSIDIARY and LEGITIMATE. Agree with Eileen’s explanation for call = use.
Ta Carpathian & Eileen.
Enjoyable puzzle with lovely clues & surfaces.
Favourites: LEGITIMATE, BISTRO (loi).
Nice puzzle and good blog. Thanks Carpathian & Eileen.
I wondered whether there was some theme of synonyms/antonyms : weak, feeble, staunch; subsidiary, extra; cavalier, rebellious; rational, legitimate. Can anyone explain further? Much enjoyed the puzzle and blog. Thanks to both.
Thanks Eileen.
Carpathian does charades well. LEGITIMATE a good example. Liked having to think twice about sanctioned as a verb or adjective.
Not too many surprises here, but another not convinced by use for ‘call’.
Many thanks, both.
paddymelon @8 I agree – and I was amused to see two oft-quoted auto-antonyms (sanctioned and cleave) in the same puzzle.
An obliquity like call = use becomes clever if it works, and these two are well swappable.
Thanks Carpathian and Eileen, a great puzzle, which wouldn’t look out of place in a quiptic spot
Finally, I have completed a daily “Guardian” cryptic in a timely fashion and checked into the blog in its early stages. What a relief after a disappointing and peripatetic record of solving for me in recent times. Thanks to Carpathian for a puzzle that was accessible enough even for someone who’s been having trouble (for a couple of months now) paying proper homage to my favourite hobby due to the adverse cognitive side effects of medication (as well as fatigue).
And how wonderful that my “return” and hopefully regular re-engagement would coincide with Eileen, my favourite blogger, being on today’s roster!
I enjoyed the unfolding of this puzzle – and yes the aforementioned 6d LEGITIMATE was my top favourite. There is something I find gentle but sufficiently challenging about Carpathian’s setting, so I’m glad I got this one out, as I felt I was on her wavelength today.
A very warm welcome back, Julie – we’ve been missing your comments.
Lovely puzzle – and I agree that there are some lovely charades
Favourites: ESPOUSE, LEGITIMATE, CAVALIER, FEEBLE, REBELLIOUS
Thanks Carpathian and Eileen
[ Welcome back, Julie. I hope that the medications will have less adverse side effects from now on.
I’m off to Gloucester for a day trip and will have lunch with an old school friend from Melbourne, Australia. ]
Similar difficulty to yesterday’s, I thought. Same favourites as Eileen.
Not entirely convinced by ARABICA=drink; ‘coffee’ is certainly a drink, and Arabica is a species of coffee, but it’s a bit too indirect for me – though answer was obvious enough.
Thanks Carpathian and Eileen.
I enjoyed this one. No quibbles from me. I liked PARAKEET, CAVALIER, SARDONIC and BLEEPS.
Across Guardian and FT, STAUNCH has sprung to mind first for a few clues recently, so when it finally had its moment, it went straight in.
Thanks Carpathian and Eileen.
PS. I barely even know how to take a selfie, but I thought I’d add something to distinguish me from my namesakes, at least one of whom has a contrasting outlook to mine.
Muffin@1: I had the same question, and am also unconvinced by Eileen’s explanation.
@10 – “Janus words” ?
Beaulieu@17 I had the same first reaction to Arabica, but my dictionary has it as the species of the plant, the bean of that species, and the drink of that bean. Is that a metonym?
Anyway, nice steady solve, and a smile when LEGITIMATE fell into place.
Thanks Carpathian and Eileen
An entertaining puzzle. My favourite was I think CAVALIER — partly for the sparkling wine not being ASTI.
It’s interesting that ER is “former monarch” in that clue while LEE is just “general” in BLEEPS, though he was around a lot longer ago. Is there some logic as to why we feel the need to specify “former” or “old” in some cases but not in others?
Many thanks Carpathian and Eileen, and a warm welcome back to Julie @13.
Very nicely clued puzzle. I didn’t have a problem with CALL but I’m not convinced about SUBSIDIARY = assistant or ARABICA = drink. I thought STAUNCH was very good.
SUBSIDIARY (also) means an assistant or a subordinate. No ambiguity.
[@13 Lovely to see you back on deck, JinA. Wishing you wellness, ginf]
@Lord Jim – I like to think that the current monarch sent one of his famous hand-written letters reminding the editor that he alone is the king or monarch, and any others should be referred to as old or former monarchs.
He had been waiting quite a while, so I suppose he ought to be able to enjoy the title now he is king.
Nice blog and puzzle. Thanks. No problem with ‘use’ for ‘call’ as the blog has it. I have no call to complain about that.
Welcome back JinA, and thanks to Carpathian and Eileen for an excellent puzzle and blog. My favourite was LEGITIMATE. I guess I particularly enjoy it when the component parts of a charade have a different sound when combined.
Arabica is not a drink. Nobody goes into Costa or any other coffee shop and asks for an arabica. They ask for a type of coffee, not the bean
Nice smooth puzzle from Carpathian. 15a is a classic, but it always takes me a while to remember STAUNCH. Used to have 1d PARAKEETs as pets — they were fun and beautiful. Don’t think I knew 4d ARABICA, but maybe it was lurking in the depths somewhere. Enjoyed picturing the doctor orbiting the dining area in 22d BISTRO
19d ESPOUSE, I too was confused by “call” = USE? Couldn’t find Chambers support for it, and not sure about Eileen’s example @2. I think in that context it may mean “demand” more than “use”. Monty Python’s Cheese Shop sketch:
Well let’s keep it simple, how about Cheddar?
Well I’m afraid we don’t get much call for it around these parts.
No call for it? It’s the single most popular cheese in the world!
Makes for a great surface, though, bringing to mind the spooky “Sixth Sense” movie (“I see dead people” — ooooh!). Seems it got six nominations, but didn’t win any Oscars
Welcome back Julie in Australia!
I agree with the quibble about ARABICA, pace whatever the dictionary says. Especially since nearly all high-quality coffee is arabica! (There also exists robusta, which is used as filler in cheap blends. I don’t think you can buy a bag of pure robusta at retail anywhere.) This means that if for some reason you order “an arabica,” you’re just saying “a coffee.”
I also raised an eyebrow at ring = bell. At least in my dialect, bell is always a noun, and while ring can be a noun or verb, its noun uses don’t mean “bell,” at least not that I can think of. The closest I can get is that they’re both can mean “the sounding of a bell”, but they mean that in different contexts. “First bell” (from school days) can’t be substituted with “first ring” (which is nonsense); “give me a ring” (call me) isn’t “give me a bell” (go buy one at a gift shop?).
Also, welcome back JinA–you were missed!
mrpenney @31 – I share the qualms re ARABICA (which I was expecting. 😉 )
Re ring =bell: I wouldn’t say it myself but ‘Give me a bell’ is a not uncommon expression in the UK – see here:
https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/give-a-bell
Thanks Carpathian and Eileen
Mrpenney @ 31 In UK ‘bell’ can also be used as a slang verb equalling to phone or call: “I’ll bell you later”.
mrp, I think in the UK “give me a bell” can mean “phone me.” (I defer to UK commenters — is that right?)
Glad to see you again, Julie, and I hope the drugs wear off soon.
I’ve seen this TISSUE clue before, haven’t you?
An axe does cleave things, but an axe and cleaver are different things. One lives in the kitchen, one in the tool shed.
Thanks, Carpathian and Eileen — thanks for dropping in to chat with us,, it always brightens up my morning.
Valentine @34 – see me @32 for confirmation. (We crossed, I think.)
TISSUE was in the Kite Prize puzzle that I blogged on Saturday – but with a different meaning. ( Web reveals tense affair (6))
I nearly commented there that it was good to see it not defined, as so often, by something like ‘lies’, which always irritates me: it only means ‘lies’ when in the expression ‘a tissue of lies’!
I agree with you re the difference between an axe and a cleaver – although I associate cleaver with a butcher’s shop more readily than a kitchen.
Enjoyed both the puzzle, despite the same reservations as many of the posters, and the blog.
I was thinking about call/use. Isn’t it more common to hear “I have no use for it” but “There is no call for it”, the subtle difference in usage indicating the subtle difference in meaning?
Dr. WhatsOn @36
I think I’d agree with that – thank you
@mrpenny “I’ll give you a bell” meaning I will call you is quite common parlance around these parts.
Last one in for me was LEGITIMATE, and I had to resort to writing the letters and spaces horizontally in the margin of my Guardian, which helped me to visualise the shape of the word. BAGS was also slow to come to mind.
There was some clever stuff going on here, as has been suggested, but the actual solve was fairly straightforward for me, apart from those mentioned.
I agree to some extent with the challenges for call=use. The words are not directly interchangeable in a sentence without also changing other words, but I think it’s near enough to be an allusive definition.
Thanks to Carpathian and Eileen.
And well done Julie in A for completing this one in time to make a comment! It’s good to have you back.
Highly enjoyable puzzle, with LEGITIMATE my LOI and, as so often in that case, my favourite. Until that point I would have favoured ESPOUSE because of the clever use/ call device. Had the same issue with ARABICA as others. I held off a long time on parsing SARDONIC because I really did not want Cuba = C, but that was my only disappointment. Thanks for the excellent blog Eileen.
Very enjoyable straightforward puzzle .Thanks.
Eileen, there’s a cleaver in my kitchen because my mother had one, and I have it now. I’m not sure what she clove with it, but it’s handy for dismembering chicken.
Valentine @42 – if you’re still there! I only said ‘more readily’, not at all meaning to argue with you (or your mother. 😉 )
I’ve been looking up definitions and pictures of cleavers, which are mostly described as ‘especially’ butchers’ knives.
Interestingly, the Wiki description (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cleaver) illustrates the action of using a cleaver as more akin to that of using an axe than of a knife used for chopping or slicing. Sounds ideal for dismembering chicken – and I think the setter is off the hook!
Eileen @43
Would that be a butcher’s hook?
When I’ve seen Chinese chefs on TV, they always seem to use much “taller” knives than we do, more akin to cleavers.
I should have seen that one coming, muffin!
Very smooth and enjoyable. Favourite is LEGITIMATE.
Unlike many of you, we have no problem with call = bell. Here in Yorkshire I’ll give you a call, and I’ll give you a bell, both mean I’ll phone you.
Thanks to Carpathian and Eileen.
Use = call = bell! 🙂
🙂
I don’t consider an axe and a cleaver to be the same thing at all but one can most certainly cleave with an axe so it’s a cleaver by description if not necessarily definition.
[ Welcome back, Julie@13. I look forward to more of your comments – always amiable and germane. Wishing you good health and happiness. ]
I often smile at McDonald’s ads proudly announcing that they use arabica beans in their coffee because it sounds exotic, when in fact it’s the utter bog-standard variety of which they should be keeping quiet.
Winston Smith @51
As someone said earlier, arabica beans are upmarket from the alternative robusta beans.
Chambers is concise and explicit: BELL (vi) to ring
Thanks, Hector @ 53
I think / hope this was settled some time ago – please see comments 32 to 35.
Eileen, I commented only because nobody had mentioned Chambers, which is my go-to when I’m dubious about a setter’s use of a word. I’m probably old-fashioned.
Thank you all for the clarification on ring/bell. (Work got in the way of saying so sooner.)
Well we enjoyed this… one outlier, seduce female with beastly utterance. we took utterance as being a homophone indicator doing double duty as the answer word, and put in WHOO, the call of the other owl.
Do we get half a mark, Miss?
Eileen, I didn’t take your comment as a reprimand at all, I was just being wordsmithy. As muffin says, my mother’s (and my) cleaver has a much wider (taller?) blade than a knife. It’s also heavier, so a thwack with it does more of a chop. It has a cardboard cover my mother made for it and which is still going at almost 30 years. And yes, an axe does cleave.
24dn I must raise a protest against the purported equivalence of ‘woo’ and ‘seduce’. in Robert Graves’ phrase they ‘ stand as wide apart
As love from lies’
@31 mrpenney.
I drink Vietnamese coffee. It is made from 100% Robusta beans from Vietnam.
I buy it from eBay.
Best coffee I’ve ever tasted
Thanks to 22A I now have Johnny Cash’s The General Lee stuck in my head as a right earworm!
Thanks Carpathian and Eileen
Croc@59: I wholeheartedly support your protest about ‘woo’ and ‘seduce’.