Another tricky one from Paul, where I had to look up a couple of unfamiliar references. I nearly gave up hope of explaining 15 across, but it came to me just in time. Thanks to Paul for the fun.
| Across | ||||||||
| 1 | OYSTER | World of possibility unknown in nurse short of capital (6) Y (mathematical unknown) in [f]OSTER; from the expression “the world’s your oyster”, which is a slight misquotation of a line from The Merry Wives of Windsor |
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| 4 | NUTMEG | Spice girl on the ball (6) NUT (testicle, ball) + MEG |
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| 9 | ZERO | Australian’s arrested on backing loser (4) RE (on) in OZ, reversed |
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| 10 | TAIL-ENDERS | Trouble entering bids, those finally going in (4-6) AIL in TENDERS |
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| 11 | GOBLIN | Pooka chowin’ down in the audience? (6) Sounds like gobblin’ – a pooka is a kind of goblin in Irish mythology |
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| 12 | TRINCULO | Fool in cult, or out (8) (IN CULT OR)* – Trinculo is a jester in The Tempest |
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| 13 | INFANTILE | Voguish, cooler hat for a baby (9) IN (fashionable, voguish) + FAN (a cooler) + TILE (hat) |
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| 15 | INCA | Empire builder where 2 is, with 25 at the 25, say? (4) If you put REAR (25d) on the REAR of this, it sounds a bit like “in Korea”, which is where Seoul (2d) is |
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| 17,23 | LAUREL AND HARDY | Couple on trail of solitary tree, perennial also able to survive wintry conditions (6,3,5) LAUREL (a perennial) + AND (also) + HARDY (able to survive wintry conditions) – a reference to L & H’s singing of The Trail Of The Lonesome Pine,, which reached the UK singles chart in November 1975 |
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| 21 | DIRT ROAD | Reversing, run free over old, unpaved track (4,4) O in DART (run) + RID (to free), reversed |
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| 22 | EXHORT | Prompt review of other banking times (6) X (times, as a mathematical symbol) in OTHER* |
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| 24 | DAVID BOWIE | Pop star sees passionate violin player in decline (5,5) AVID (passionate) BOW (violin player) in DIE (to decline) |
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| 25 | REAR | Lift up buttocks (4) Double definition |
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| 26 | HIKING | Good day, man, for outdoor pursuit (6) HI (hello, good day) + KING (chess man) |
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| 27 | ARGYLE | Not all there, unlikely granny will return diamond (6) Hidden in reverse of unlikELY GRAnny. Argyle is a diamond pattern, so maybe the definition is a little loose |
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| Down | ||||||||
| 1 | ONE DOWN | It’s done now, having been worked out (3,4) (DONE NOW)* – “it” refers to the clue itself, so I think this qualifies as an &lit |
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| 2 | SEOUL | Asian capital someone discussed? (5) Sounds like “soul” |
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| 3 | EXTINCT | Dead nice, oddly, poking something akin to a dead parrot? (7) Odd letters of NiCe in EX-TIT (another dead bird) |
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| 5 | URETIC | Sent up, quote on sporting union – leaked? (6) Reverse of CITE + RU (Rugby Union) |
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| 6 | MEDICINAL | Fed narcotics originally, rum I claimed – having similar effect? (9) N[arcotics] in (I CLAIMED)* |
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| 7,16 | GORILLA SUIT | Case against thug in fancy dress? (7,4) A legal case against a thug might be a GORILLA SUIT |
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| 8 | PISTOLS AT DAWN | Spat with in-laws to put right, day breaking – what then? (7,2,4) D[ay] in (SPAT IN-LAWS TO)* |
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| 14 | A BIT THICK | Quite slow, though not cricket? (1,3,5) Double definition |
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| 16 | SPINACH | Drive a coach that’s emptied – then leaves (7) SPIN (a drive) + A C[oac]H |
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| 18 | ROE DEER | Public school short of an emergency room for Eurasian native (3,4) ROEDEAN (girls’ public school) less AN + E.R. |
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| 19 | NARRATE | Describe vermin in trap having lifted lid (7) RAT in [s]NARE |
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| 20 | BONBON | Sweet VIPs on the rise (6) Reverse of two NOBs |
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A very well crafted puzzle, I thought; pretty much quibble free and one which exploited Paul’s signature devices in moderation. I was almost shocked by the lack of cheekiness until I came (late) upon NUTMEG, though there was also REAR.
Despite getting OYSTER right from the get-go, it was slim pickings until I reached the SE corner from where I was able to get moving. 25a REAR was my second one in, yet INCA and SEOUL which depended upon it had to wait until near the end. Paul requires patience!
Faves were ONE DOWN, MEDICINAL and EXHORT. OYSTER was on the verge of being sublime; if only that “in” could somehow have been a “to”!
I confess that TRINCULO was a guess, having fortunately avoided Shakespeare’s comedies at school. And I didn’t know the lonesome pine reference, but I assumed the context. I did think that GORILLA SUIT was a bit tricky (the gorilla bit at least); is it that much of a thing, as opposed to other types of fancy dress suits? But in any cass it was a fair clue, what with the G and A checkers.
Good fun. Thanks both.
As usual Paul takes us from the sublime – LAUREL AND HARDY is just delightful – to the ridiculous – INCA will not be making it into my little black book of fave clues.
Thanks both
[AP @1: I’m not sure how much of a Thing gorilla suits are today but they were immortalised by the Pink Panther movie from the year I was born! This clip is the classic car chase.]
That was quite a buzz – thank you Paul, and thank you Andrew. I just could not get 1A OYSTER, so I cannot claim to have completed it – but previously when I’ve tried a Paul I’ve got nowhere, literally no answers at all, so this is much better. It’s really quite a different style from other setters, some clues/answers are more associations than literal connections, I think – for example, 5D URETIC, I wouldn’t say “uretic” is “leaked” (or even, “leaked?”, really), but I get the association.
Terrific crossword – and I would never have parsed 15 so many thanks, Andrew. V small typo in 4
DNF due to the unknown fool and the dodgy (imho) ‘leaked’. Pity, as the rest was fun. Thanks both.
On 27A, ARGYLE is a kind of diamond, for example the https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Argyle_Pink_Jubilee
The OYSTER reference is fair enough, given the ubiquity of the “world’s my oyster” expression. However, if one thinks about the phrase it’s simply meaningless – in what sense is the world an oyster? – unless one adds the next line “which I with sword will open”, and realise that the character intends to become a mercenary soldier. At this point it becomes a powerful metaphor, because using a blade to open an oyster would have been very familiar to a late Elizabethan Londoner in days when oysters were more widely eaten than now.
Sagittarius @8: I take it to mean that an oyster can take a bit of grit and turn it into a pearl. In other words, perhaps, where there’s muck, there’s brass.
The bottom half was reasonably straightforward but I struggled for eons in the top half with INCA (groan), loi. I thought that ONE DOWN was brilliant as was LAUREL AND HARDY and PISTOLS AT DAWN. Funny that we have TRINCULO after MIRANDA earlier in the week from Imogen, both Tempest characters and moons of Uranus.
Andrew, you have a slight typo in NUTMEG.
Ta Paul & Andrew.
I must have an overly clean mind. I had NUT as a ball bowled in cricket: ‘a good nut.’
Great fun, and surprisingly straightforward.
Loved DAVID BOWIE, GORILLA SUIT and INCA
Thanks Paul and Andrew
EXTINCT came to mind as soon as I saw dead parrot, it was just a matter of justifying the parsing. “Gone to meet ‘is maker” didn’t fit
Held up by putting AMMAN for SEOUL. Usually, when I get an alternative answer there’s something that gives me an inkling of doubt, but not today. It seemed so right.
EXTINCT made me think of the classic Monty Python dead parrot sketch, although the word was not actually used by John Cleese.
https://youtu.be/4vuW6tQ0218?si=4agyoTUYKx0Qwh7E
Guessed INCA without parsing, and now I see why. This simply doesn’t work for me as IN KOREA sounds nothing like INCA REAR. Usual Paul of course. I also had to reveal OYSTER. ONE DOWN on the other hand raised a smile, so there’s that.
Argyle diamonds are a type of diamond with a pinkish hue, that were mined exclusively from the (recently closed) Argyle Diamond Mine in Western Australia.
I spent ages over 15A, largely because I was convinced that rear at the rear must be Paulesque in some way and tried dodgy homophones for many slang words for buttocks. Eventually my subconscious’s screaming INCA REAR got through to my conscious.
That was a fun workout, 1A was my LOI, I just couldn’t see it until I had all the crossers and a tea tray moment As I think someone suggested above, I’ve always heard Pistol’s line as an aggressive one wherein he threatens to take what he wants by force, although the phrase now has pretty much the opposite meaning.
I feel like I’ve had a medicinal hike in the Blue Ridge Mountains,
with the charming LAUREL AND HARDY and clever PISTOLS AT DAWN.
And good to have a second character from ‘The Tempest’ or satellite of Uranus this week.
Thanks to Paul, Andrew & PostMark for links
As usual with Paul, some really good ones like the couple on the trail of the lonesome pine and PISTOLS AT DAWN after the row with the in-laws. Paul isn’t the best at surfaces, but that is a good story-telling one. But also some peculiar ones like the ex-tit, and some downright OUCHes like INCA-REAR.
I missed ROE DEER from its rather wide and vague definition, and didn’t spot ARGYLE lurking backwards. URETIC was a jorum, and I had forgotten TRINCULO. Favourites ONE DOWN and the cheery hiker greeting the monarch with HI KING!
Got through it but didn’t enjoy it as much as I usually do with a Paul.
Couldn’t pars INCA
Must be getting old.
toujours gaie archy toujours gaie
I’ve just noticed the connection between OYSTER and PISTOLS AT DAWN, “The world’s mine oyster” being said by Pistol in the Merry Wives.
The expressions I’ve heard involving culo are much ruder than jester.
It’s Paul, so a liberal use of Onelook.com and back-parsing by me to get to the end. I liked the reversing in DIRT ROAD, the passionate violin player for DAVID BOWIE, the well-hidden granny for ARGYLE, and the good anagram with the spat with in-laws for PISTOLS AT DAWN. I didn’t realise that Oz could be used for Australian as well as Australia, so ZERO was LOI.
Thanks Paul and Andrew.
Postmark @3 – also in Morgan: A Suitable Case For Treatment https://film-authority.com/2021/01/03/morgan-a-suitable-case-for-treatment/
COVID’s been doing it’s rounds down here and have self-isolated for the past few days. What a tremendous week for Guardian crosswords! Thanks to setters and parsers for keeping me pleasantly busy. It’s done now, but this one not down
.. it’s rounds …
Can anyone explain why “a bit thick” is not cricket?
Know Laurel and Hardy, but I’ve never heard of the Trail of the Lonesome Pine.
Never would have parsed INCA, so I’m glad I didn’t try. The explanation reminds me of President Kennedy and his Boston accent — he pronounced “career” like “Korea” and “Korea” like “career,” adding extraneous r’s like some Brits.
Thanks, Paul and Andrew.
“A bit thick” and “it’s not cricket” are (or were once) both ways of saying something isn’t fair or right.
A GORILLA SUIT plays a starring role in what has been described as “one of the most famous psychological demos ever”, see here.
Like PeterT@14, also initially had AMMAN for SEOUL. It’s crazy how well it fitted.
Better than normal for a Paul crossword. Failed on the jester from The Tempest and a few parsings to check.
Thanks both.
Hello, first time poster here. Enjoyed this crossword although I did not finish. Could someone explain why in 14 down ‘a bit thick’ is ‘not cricket’ other than the fact that both ‘thick’ and ‘cricket’ contain the letters ick?
Many thanks to Paul – I always enjoy your dodgy homophones though I failed on today’s one. And thanks too to Andrew for the explanations.
Several I couldn’t parse, either. INCA and A BIT THICK for two. Couldn’t make head nor tail of 11ac GOBLIN, so strictly a dnf today. Though apart from that I thought I did comparatively well up to that point for a Paul puzzle.
Took a long time but I finished which fir me is an achievement for a Paul !
Very enjoyable, great workout and great to see Stan and Olly and the incomparable Ziggy get mentions. Unlike some I thought Inca was genius even though it was my LOI and I had virtually given up until the penny finally dropped.
Thanks as always to Andrew and Paul.
Walrus@34 see above #30
I usually look forward to a Paul with sleeves figuratively rolled up and head down… “hard but fair”. And so it was. FOI was TRINCULO, which gave some idea of of the level of GK expected. Had to look up what a Pooka was, though. The L&H clue in particular was a gem, also PISTOLS… and A BIT THICK (memories of Bertie Wooster coming in handy there). LOI was ZERO, I wasn’t convinced the meaning fitted, but I guess “zero to hero” is that kind of usage.
Many thanks to Paul for a rewarding challenge, and to Andrew for clearing up parsings.
Ronald @34 – “(it’s) a bit thick” and “(it’s) not cricket “, possibly followed by “old chap” being more than slightly archaic versions of “a bit dodgy”.
Neeeearly did it, but I had RESO (LOSER backwards without the L – cut short because of “arrested”) instead of ZERO, assuming it must be some sort of cuddly marsupial. Sadly no such critter exists.
Good, fun crossword, though. ARGYLE was a great clue – hidden word is often the unloved outsider of the clue family but when they’re done as well as this, there’s a lot to enjoy.
If you’ve read PG Wodehouse then I’m sure you’d have come across “a bit thick”. A hundred years later we’d probably say “not cool” – is that progress?
Also had Amman for 2d which threw me out for a bit – also 11ac , as a Pooka (Harvey anyone?) is a shapeshifter wasted time trying to find an anagram of chowin!
I thought RESO might be Aussie slang for an arrest but found it was a reservation.
Just finished. Took me most of the day and more crossword solver than should be allowed. No complaints- you know what you’re in for with Paul. Congratulations to anyone who filled in Trinculo straight off the bat.
Thanks for the blog – I did better than I usually manage with a Paul crossword, but I still need a lot of help with these.
It would have helped if I didn’t misread 10A as “Trouble entering biRds” – I had DERS at the end and was trying to do something with WADERS or EIDERS.
1D was just beautiful.
Great fun. Always love a Paul and this was no exception. Favourites LAUREL AND HARDY, GOBLIN and ONE DOWN.
We once saw an amazing version of The Tempest in candlelight at the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse at the Globe … very memorable and certainly helped with TRINCULO.
Had to reveal INCA, and don’t think I would have ever got it. The rest I was able to work my way through in two sittings, one this morning and then just earlier, and the gap helped to make some of the remaining ones clearer. Then again, so did Word Wizard, but I’m pleased with one clue short of completion when it’s Paul on a Friday.
A doable (but not easy) Paul puzzle tends to make up for those of his that are really beyond me.
Enjoyed this one, particularly ONE DOWN, DAVID BOWIE, & PISTOLS AT DAWN. Took me a while to parse INCA, &, weirdly, to get REAR.
PM@4 one of the best chase sequences ever! Thanks for post the link
Thanks both (and particularly for INCA).
Although Paul plays with us, caring not whether to enrage or entertain, I think ONE DOWN is classic trickery – it is an &lit for sure and admirable for that but that it is the answer to 1d, for me anyway, raises it up to a different level.
I could imagine an entire crossword made up of such, but it wouldn’t entertain: 23a Extra man needed for naked field game here (8).
I’ll open the game up to others, but you won’t beat 1d. Or…..
Here in the Land of OZ,
9A, 22A & 25A were linked in my thoughts with a News Headline in the G Aus Edition.
‘Westpac staff member back paid $56,000 after $5m in underpayments uncovered’.
Reading that at a glance, skipped the ‘why me’ and had a good laugh.
Thanks Paul.
Nothing in particular to add here, except to say that this seemed slightly gentler than Paul can be. And it wouldn’t be a Paul without a sketchy non-rhotic homophone (which I entered unparsed). INCA was just not cricket!
DerekTheSheep #38. I interpreted ZERO similarly, only the phrase I’m familiar with is usually the other way round, from hero to zero, a massive fall from grace.
Loved it as always. Wrote in but did not parse INCA (despite it being my only train of thought almost since the beginning), but rather than groan at the explanation, I thought it was absolutely hilarious and wanted to doff my cap yet again to the master. Thank you, Paul!
Jordan Pickford’s and David Raya’s clean sheets sound like zeros but not losers . I rest my case.
Otherwise OK
I enjoyed this but couldn’t comment last night as the site was down. I had to Google Shakespeare’s fools and pooka but other that that it went smoothly. I also saw the NUT as a cricket ball which is weird as my mind’s in the gutter. To me In Korea and INCA Rear sound very similar and it helped me. Thanks all.
Solved most of the bottom half and very little of the top half. Very slow going most of the time. I agree with mrpenney@51 about the non-rhotic soundalike
Enjoyable as usual with Paul, although URETIC is a bit of a stretch from Leaked, and Australian should be Ozzie rather than Oz.
INCA made me smile when it came to me, those suggesting In Korea and Inca Rear don’t sound similar must have very strange accents.
Good restraint from Paul to keep 11A clean.