I’ve blogged some interesting and challenging Prize puzzles by Brendan in the last couple of years, usually with a theme or a twist to the tale…so what does this one hold for us?…
Well, straight from the off, on an initial run through the clues in order (unusual approach from this self-confessed ‘flitter’, but I do sometimes do so!) it soon became apparent that this was going to be a crossword-y theme – ‘you and I’ answering ‘a type of clue’ at 8A; a ‘great compiler’ at 9A; an anagram indicated by ‘anagram’ at 10A; and a reference to Ximenes at 11A!
And so it went on – many/most of the clues had some sort of cruciverbal reference – clues, solvers, setters, solutions, Araucaria, Torquemada, Brendan – as did a lot of the answers: SETTERS, SOLVERS, ANSWERS, CLEW, (AM)AZED, and CRUCIVERBALISTS.
In a way, this seemed to me similar to Prize Puzzle 29,697 by Kite, which I also had the pleasure of blogging. In that one, the focus was on cryptic clue types, with many solutions being clue types where their clues were of that type…if that makes sense? Here Brendan makes wider references to the setters and the solvers – YOU ME AND US – involved, but it is equally ‘self-referential’, in a cruciverbal way.
Having spotted the theme so early, and being fairly attuned (or inured?!) to this sort of thing, it helped with spotting other material and probably speeded things up a bit. But I would expect that it was perfectly possible to solve the whole puzzle in blissful unawareness…except maybe 9A, where knowledge that Azed is a ‘great compiler’ might be a bit of inside knowledge beyond the ken of less experienced solvers, and/or those who don’t read the Observer?
I guess we will find out the answer to that final ‘?’ in the comments below. My favourite clue was probably the homage to Araucaria at 6D. And a slight quibble over the spelling of CRUELER, which maybe needed indication that it is an American spelling? The De Vil is in the detail (;+>)
My thanks to Brendan for another entertaining workout, with an interesting twist.
[Instead of my usual golfing, I will be travelling to London for the ‘Times Championships’ on Saturday, so may be off-grid for a while (until I get eliminated!) and then in-pub for another while, which is usually longer than the first while…I will try to keep track of comments below, but may need you to talk amongst yourselves, as usual…or, if you are also attending, feel free to give any comments in person!…]
| Across | ||
|---|---|---|
| Clue No | Solution / Entry | Clue (definition underlined)
Logic/parsing |
| 8A | WEAR DOWN | You and I answer right one kind of clue, overcome by persistence (4,4)
WE (you and I) + A (answer) + R (right) + DOWN (a type of clue, not Across!) |
| 9A | AMAZED | Great compiler’s brief self-introduction was astounding (6)
the great compiler Azed might introduce himself briefly as ‘AM AZED’! |
| 10A | STILL NEW | Anagram isn’t well assimilated? Not fully as yet (5,3)
anag, i.e. anagram, of ISNT WELL |
| 11A | ELEVEN | What’s prior to this contribution from Ximenes (before 1000) (6)
the Roman numerals for ELEVEN, XI, ‘contribute’ to XImenes just before the M (1000, in Roman numerals) [the clue number 11 is just prior to the clue, and the number 11 is in the grid, just before this entry!] |
| 12A | CRUCIVERBALISTS | Scrub verticals I wrecked – they’re in column on left (15)
anag, i.e. wrecked, of SCRUB VERTICALS I [the leftmost column of this grid (ignoring the unches) contains SETTERS and SOLVERS, i.e. cruciverbalists!] |
| 15A | YOU ME (AND US) | & 16 12, separately, then together, as expression of our relationship (3,2,3,2)
12A (cruciverbalists) comprise separately YOU (solvers) and ME (Brendan, both from his point of view), together making YOU, ME AND US |
| 16A | AND US | See 15A (3,2)
see 15A |
| 20A | COVERING LETTERS | Explanations for other things posted, not revealing parts of solutions (8,7)
if something is not revealing parts of a solution, then it is COVERING some LETTERS? |
| 21A | EVOLVE | Develop modern car with interior from one who works on things like this (6)
EV (Electric Vehicle, modern car) + ( |
| 23A | TICKETED | Ready to enter, like clues you like, including extremes of theme (8)
TICKE_D (many solvers will put ticks next to their favourite clues, if they are solving on paper, or writing on a screen, as opposed to typing into an interactive grid) around (including) TE (extreme letters of ThemE) |
| 25A | ARCANA | Obscure stuff that’s partly unfamiliar can annoy (6)
hidden word, i.e. partly, in ‘unfamiliAR CAN Annoy’ |
| 26A | ITERATES | A setter I trashed keeps doing the same thing (8)
anag, i.e. trashed, of A SETTER I |
| Down | ||
| Clue No | Solution / Entry | Clue (definition underlined)
Logic/parsing |
| 1D | SETTERS | Creative types who may become rigid, leading to grouse (7)
merged triple definition? Crossword SETTERS are creative types; something that SETS may become rigid; and a SETTER, or pointer, can be a dog which becomes rigid and points towards where a grouse has fallen after being shot… |
| 2D | FROLICSOME | For changing pace endlessly, how like Brendan? Very playful (10)
FRO (anag, i.e. changing, of FOR) + LIC( |
| 3D | NOUN | Pros must cover this part of speech for 15 16, for instance (4)
15A 16A contains proNOUNs, NOUN covered by PRO_S |
| 4D | ANSWERS | Serves what solver wants (7)
double defn – to serve a purpose can be to ANSWER a need; and we solvers are always trying to find ANSWERS! |
| 5D | TAKES A KNEE | Passionately prepares to seek answer, going down (5,1,4)
CD – a suitor seeking the answer to a passionate question (Will you marry me?) might go down on one knee whilst offering an engagement ring… [the old-fashioned/romantic use of the phrase, which has more recently become assiciated with sporting political gestures] |
| 6D | MADE | Finishes off plum Araucaria crossword puzzle as constructed (4)
last letters, or finishes, of ‘pluM araucariA crossworD puzzlE’ |
| 7D | MEMENTO | Reminder from this compiler with short guide (7)
ME (this compiler, Brendan again) + MENTO( |
| 13D | VAMPIRE BAT | Beginnings of brutal misdirection, a trap I’ve contrived for sucker (7,3)
anag, i.e. contrived, of BM (beginnings of Brutal Misdirection) + A TRAP IVE |
| 14D | I RUE THE DAY | Put together halves of fair clue, yet had awfully regretful expression (1,3,3,3)
I_R UE (half each of faIR and clUE) + THE DAY (anag, i.e. awfully, of YET HAD) |
| 17D | SOLVERS | They provide solutions learner in second parts of test needed (7)
S (second) + O_VERS (parts of a test match, in cricket) around l (learner) |
| 18D | EGO TRIP | Journey I can take – after solving hard puzzle really quickly? (3,4)
CD? &lit-ish? EGO (I) + TRIP (journey) [if you solve a hard puzzle really quickly it might boost your ego?!] |
| 19D | CRUELER | With clue, err badly – like Torquemada, but more so (7)
anag, i.e. badly, of CLUE ERR [the more usual spelling is ‘crueller’? The single ‘l’ is more American, so maybe an indication needed here?…cue Brendan saying ‘I didn’t expect the Spanish Inquisition!’…] |
| 22D | LEAR | Clue for King Edward? Clue fair, but oddly characterless (4)
even letters of, i.e. removing odd characters from, ‘cLuE fAiR’ [Edward Lear, or King Lear…] |
| 24D | CLEW | Article which includes this old-fashioned part of crossword (4)
hidden word in, i.e. included by, ‘artiCLE Which’ |
I had 22D as a triple clue: clue for king + edward + the wordplay.
Nice puzzle, as usual from Brendan, but a few clues took me 24+hrs to figure out – good thing we had a week. ELEVEN was LOI, even though it seemed so obvious in hindsight. I never really figured out EVOLVE to my satisfaction, though. (Obvious tx to blog!)
The theme, undisguised this time, was certainly one to warm the hearts of solvers.
The definition part of COVERING LETTERS is what I know as cover letters, but that might be a US thing. They are letters (as in typed pieces of paper) included in an envelope or package to describe/explain the rest of the contents.
Thanks for the wonderful blog mc_rapper67 — I do love a good preamble! For me this puzzle was characterized by my agony over 5d TAKES A KNEE. Fortunately I got it right, but I couldn’t parse it, so I continued to “solve” it long after I was finished! TAKES? MAKES? SAVES? BARES? EASES? FACES? I couldn’t justify any of them. I checked your parsing of that clue first, seeking enlightenment, and still don’t quite get it. Ah well! 18d EGO TRIP was also an odd one, but it seemed to make more sense
The rest of the puzzle was lots of fun. We can count on Brendan for a puzzle with remarkable smoothness even though the theme is referenced throughout. I enjoyed being included in the puzzle with 8a WEAR DOWN (You and I), 15a YOU, ME, AND US, 21a EVOLVE (one who works on things like this), 23a TICKETED (clues you like), 4d ANSWERS (what solver wants), 17d SOLVERS, as well as Brendan’s many self-references. I also especially enjoyed 26a ITERATES for the hilarious surface
Great puzzle. I didn’t notice the spelling of crueler because as a recovering american I can hardly remember which spelling belongs in which place now. Took me a long time to find the parse for ELEVEN but I loved it when I did! The CDs weren’t a strong point IMO but the rest more than made up for it.
Very good … but a nit-pick is that vampires are lappers, not suckers.
I love the way Brendan plays with words. Breezed through most of this chuckling, but discovered this morning I still had a couple of empty spaces, like FROLICSOME and CLEW. Missed what was right in front of me, again!
Agree with GrahamH @1 about the 3 parts to LEAR, which I did see, and liked “oddly characterless”.
The surface for ARCANA made me laugh. Reflective of many posts here and on the G site.
The wording of every clue seems to be theme-related, which is somewhat of a Brendan trademark, although sometimes it applies to the solutions.
Shared the agony of Mig at 3: re TAKES A KNEE: sign of the times that the sporting/political reference filled my thoughts and the old fashioned/romantic was nowhere.
Enjoyed the puzzle. Thanks Brendan.
Very good blog. Thanks mc.
Top picks: YOU ME AND US, COVERING LETTERS, SETTERS, FROLICSOME and NOUN.
TAKES A KNEE
Tried to see if there was any WP considering ‘SEEK A’ was part of the solution.
Of course, it’s a CD.
A treat, as always with Brendan! Particularly liked LEAR and ELEVEN, which was my LOI. But I had TOILETED for 23a (thinking that we tend to like the clues we’ve worked harder on; though I also tick favourite clues when I solve on paper) and ITEM for 24d (didn’t know CLEW); this blog ended my EGO TRIP 🙂 Thanks Brendan and mc_rapper67!
I loved the obvious theme – our shared craft and wonderful hobby! – but in the end solving it proved a right royal stuff-up for me as I foolishly filled in a poorly-parsed FROLICKING at 2d instead of FROLICSOME. That meant I couldn’t get either 15a YOU, ME AND US or 20a COVERING LETTERS except for the LETTERS part, no matter how much I tried. Then I had trouble in the north-east as well, missing 11a ELEVEN and 5d TAKE A KNEE (both of which seem so obvious now!). That’s okay, I still derived a lot of pleasure from many of the clues I did get right. Thanks to Brendan for his usual clever and droll approach which made for a super puzzle, and also to mc_rapper67 for a detailed and fascinating blog.
I noted only that CRUELER is given as an accepted US variant spelling in the ODE, alongside the English spelling, not so in Chambers.
Also, the intended meaning of CLEW is supported in Collins but not Chambers.
Fun puzzle, thanks to Brendan and mc.
3D type of clue is seen less often, where the definition is in the middle of the surface. 11A stood out amongst many good clues.
It’s sad that Bloggers did not get their own entry. Without them, solvers like me would be nowhere.
Great crossword, so thanks to Brendan and mc_rapper 67 for explaining TAKES THE KNEE. Like KVa I was looking for a non-existent anagram…
I thought that 1D was a simple, two part clue rather than three, since the pointing dogs are setters, so I guess it’s up to Brendan to fill us in and set us straight.
Also agree with WordSDrove that BLOGGERS would have been totally apt!
What makes Brendan an amazingly great compiler is that first he creates incredibly ingeniously integrated grids, and then he follows up with wonderfully witty wordplay in his clever clue constructions. He has certainly done it again with this puzzle. Thanks B & mc for the exceptional entertainment.
A sweet and generous effort by Brendan! Solutions emerged slowly but steadily over some ahem days.
I struggled with parsing more than answers in some cases so the blogging of mc_rapper67 is especially appreciated. May success attend his efforts in the Times competition.
Thanks mc for clearing up a couple of questions we were left with.
Is Tim the only one who carelessly put VERB for 3D before there were any crosses? At the time he wondered if 15-16 was really much of a proverb but until Vic put him right that made the northwest a mystery.
Hard work for us until about Tuesday but we got there in the end – thanks Brendan for the challenge.
Andy Luke @14 I also parsed 1d as a DD.
I enjoyed the puzzle but in solving 17 and 21 consecutively the double ‘OLVE’ was quite apparent.
Because of Storm Amy I didn’t fancy a walk to the paper shop last Saturday so, unusually for me, I did this one online.
That means I don’t now have my answers readily to hand but I remember being very impressed with ELEVEN, TICKETED and LEAR.
Super crossword overall and splendid blog by mc_rapper67.
Cellomaniac @15 sums it up perfectly for me.
It’s all been said really but I’ll just add that I always like to see CLEW in a crossword – a reminder of the origin of the word ‘clue’, in the story of Ariadne, Theseus and the Labyrinth https://wordhistories.net/2017/05/15/clue/:
Many thanks to Brendan and mc_rapper67 for a real cruciverbal treat – all the best for the Championships!
I worry when the theme is cruciverbal because my knowledge of Guardian setters only goes back a few years, supplemented by a few legends who are regularly mentioned. So, as I battled with 11a, I was down to ELEVEN or Exeter, which sounds a bit like Ex Setter, but I realised Ximenes’ role in the end. I had the same thought as GrahamH @1 about King Lear and Edward Lear.
EVOLVE from solver with SOLVERS literally crossing it seemed unnecessary, but who am I to judge? This is a top setter.
COVERING LETTERS was my favourite.
Thanks all.
An impressive and playful paean to cruciverbalism and the symbiotic relationship between setters and solvers.
Thanks to Brendan and mc_rapper67.
I thought the clue for 23 across was a little unfair. I’m sure many solvers do tick the clues as described but if you’re not one of them, nor have ever heard of anyone doing that, then that part of the clue is completely impenetrable.
Unfortunately I’d never heard of CLEW to get a helpful crossing letter so ended with that corner unfinished.
simonc @23. Being an online solver. I certainly don’t tick clues, and even if I were a paper solver I don’t imagine I would. However, bloggers and fellow-solvers here frequently write, ‘I had ticks for X’ or ‘I had double ticks for Y’. Have you really never seen that?
I really liked this; great compiling from Brendan as is usual.
I was sure at the beginning that 5 was ‘bends A KNEE’, but the crossers put that right. I liked the AM AZED, the XI before Menes for ELEVEN, the FROLICSOME Brendan, and the fair clue for I RUE THE DAY.
Thanks to Brendan and mcr for a super blog and explaining the grouse in 1.
Enjoyable for the most part, but I failed on TAKE A KNEE, an expression I’ve only ever seen in American usage (and fairly recently at that, though maybe that’s just me), and not in Chambers.
Like Martin @21, I also worried at first that this would be far too cliquey for me, my knowledge of historical setters being pretty limited. Fortunately I had at least heard of Araucaria and Ximenes (and maybe Torquemada was another setter – not that that hindered the solving of the clue) so this ended up being slightly easier for me than many Prize ones. Which must, of course, mean that Brendan was being more gentle, this time…
ELEVEN was a little cracker! LEAR was good, too.
Thanks Brendan and mc_r
Splendid puzzle, splendid blog. Like others I had trouble deciding between TAKES and MAKES for5D. I did go for TAKES in the end but I couldn’t remember either option as a common phrase (“going down on blended knee” came to mind, but otherwise it was just sporting protests). And I am amazed that my LOI was SETTERS, having tried for a while to force ‘beaters’ into the word play. We all have our blind spots. Best of luck, mc!
Like Simon@23 I was stumped by CLEW, and “like clues you like” didn’t make me think of TICKED, so all I had there was the first and last letters of ‘theme’!
I found parts of this puzzle pretty clunky, which is not like Brendan. Is STILL NEW a standard phrase? Is it TAKES or BENDS at 5d? 18d seemed obvious, but with so much extra verbiage that I was left wondering. LEAR was also obvious but again the clue went on forever. And 15/16 was the clunkiest of all – is Brendan getting sentimental? We love you too, Brendan!
As always, thanks to setter and blogger.
Thanks to Brendan for such a clever and witty treat. It was a bit of an ego trip for me as I managed to complete more solutions than usual on a first read through. I soon bumped back down to earth and never did get ELEVEN, EVOLVED CLEW or TICKETED – even though I had mentally ticked so many clues, AMAZED my favourite. Thanks to mc and good luck in the Champs.
An excellent puzzle. Sadly, I had two failures, one downright silly (me too, KeithS @28), the other being C?E? My ancient copy of the SOED defines CLUE simply as “later form of CLEW”. Grateful to mc_r for explaining my failures and the cluing for 2d, my LOI after resorting to a word finder.
I gave 3 ticks to 13ac (not a word that I ever use but very pleased to work out the big anagram), 2 ticks to 9ac, 23ac (of course), and 14d, and one tick to a few others. More an expression of my interaction with the clue than an absolute measure of quality. I noted the US spelling in19d, but it was the obvious answer. US solvers might have struggled with the cricketing reference in17d.
Mig@3
5d Going down on one knee in preparation for an answer to a proposal of marriage and taking a knee as a political gesture (or, wiki tells me, a time-wasting tactic in football) are two different things and I don’t think one can be clued as the other.
I don’t really know why but I feel a bit uncomfortable with clues that require special crossword knowledge.It’s almost as though using 15sq gave one an unfair advantage.
Even so there was, as usual, lots to like. Thanks to Brendan and mc_rapper67
Thanks mc_rapper67 for the explanation.
I couldn’t see the relevance of “(before 1000)” in 11. It was a fine clue amongst many in a very enjoyable crossword. I didn’t really spot the probable missing L in 19d. But having spent many years trying to ensure consonants were correctly doubled in papers I have authoured only to find that US (sub-)editors scrupulously removed them prior to publication, perhaps I have become inured.
Pino@32 My other best option for 5d was BARES A KNEE for “Passionately prepares”, with wordplay following. Just couldn’t make it work!
Thanks everyone, especially mc_rapper67 for meticulous analysis. I’ve been in the US 25 years (now in war-ravaged Portland), hence CRUELER, for which I apologize. After 20 years I stopped saying, when someone said “I’m good”, “yes, I know you’re good, but are you well?”.
[ Eileen@20, for a breakfast puzzle this morning I went to the archives and 28a up an old Brendan from 2013 (#26,026). It was another brilliant grid-fill, with a series of clues going from black to white, and it was blogged by you. Who could ask for anything more? ]
Balfour @24, I’ve never seen bloggers and fellow-solvers write, ‘I had ticks for X’ or ‘I had double ticks for Y’, as though I’ve been doing crosswords for many years, I’ve only just started reading blogs about them. I’ve never ticked a clue and never known anyone else do so, so we didn’t finish that corner either. Never mind! Loved the crossword, and really enjoy these blogs and fellow-solvers’ comments. I might even start ticking clues.
“dreaded by the younger boys, a bully and a brute”. At the school he was widely known for the pleasure he obtained from caning the boys in his charge” Quote from Wikipedia page on Ximenes.
Guy @37 Three solvers used it just yesterday when commenting on Fed’s puzzle. there was AlanC @1 (“Such a brilliant puzzle with ticks for the whole lot.), then Bodycheetah @19, and Cellomaniac@81 (“double ticks”)
Cellomaniac @36 – thanks for the memory: another super puzzle. 😉
Balfour @39, ah, ok, we only usually do the prize crossword, and then look forward to fifteensquared’s blog for any we couldn’t get (like TICKETED!) or to find out about the parsing of some of the answers. Will look out for ticks.
Wonderful – I can hardly add anything new to the comprehensive blog or the discussion so far. At the start, it seemed to me a bit chewy, but my partner who accepted my 5 down many years ago was on fire, (not passionately), especially with anagrams from the important blockbuster 12 to the ‘crueller’ 19.
I love ‘multiple’ clues and feel that we were treated to triples in SETTERS and LEAR and, arguably, a quadruple in ELEVEN!! Our last in was the ‘easy’ CLEW and the last one explained had to EVOLVE. Too many ‘ticks’ to list, so many thanks to Brendan and mc_rapper67.
Did anyone else think there might be a second part of the theme? With TAKES A KNEE and YOU ME AND US, I thought we were going to learn that two CRUCIVERBALISTS were going to be tying the knot, or had even already MADE their vows. The SETTERS and SOLVERS were going to be left of the aisle in the church, for some reason, separated from those who found that all ARCANA. Hopefully nobody would go on to RUE THE DAY…
Looking at the completed grid again there really isn’t much to justify this, but imagination is a funny thing.
CLEW was my LOI and elicited a groan when I realised it was staring me in the face! A very enjoyable crossword.
Thanks for all the comments so far, much appreciated, as usual – especially Brian/Brendan for dropping in at #35.
[My jaunt up to London resulted in 19th place in both the qualifying round and the semi-final – about my level, as I have been there or thereabouts for 10+ years – not quite good enough to trouble the upper echelons, but good enough to be invited back the next year!]
No too much of note in the comments – a few musings about double/triple definitions, TAKES A KNEE, ticking of CLEWs and VAMPIRE BATs not being suckers…but it seems this was generally well received and any queries were mopped up by your fellow commenters.
A great puzzle. Many thanks, Brendan. I had BEATERS in lieu of SETTERS but otherwise made it. ELEVEN, MEMENTO and AMAZED were my favourites.