Guardian Cryptic N° 25,942 by Brendan

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The puzzle may be found at http://www.guardian.co.uk/crosswords/cryptic/25942.

A thoroughgoing exploration of the song by Cole Porter (21A, 2D), Lets do it, lets fall in love (6D, 12A, 6D, 22A). Among the items which precede the refrain DO IT (12A) are 9A, 24D, 14A and 23D, 4D (in old Amsterdam), and 16D/26A. There are various versions of the lyrics, and I am not sure which originate with Cole Porter. In any case, the theme was not much of an aid for me to solve the puzzle: I think I even hummed snatches of the song during the solving, but it was not until my last entry, 12A, that it dawned on me how pervasive the references were. Thanks to Brendan for an impressive and enjoyable puzzle.

Across
1. Obstructed editors going after troublemaker (7)
IMPEDED A charade of IMP (‘troublemaker’) plus ED ED (a pair of ‘editors’).
5. House records for believers in complex systems (7)
HOLISTS A charade of HO (‘house’) plus LISTS (‘records’).
9. Attempts to capture queen and rooks, perhaps (5)
BIRDS An envelope (‘to capture’) of R (‘queen’) in BIDS (‘attempts’).
10. Record supporter during play, having run wildly into disorderly battle (9)
TURNTABLE An envelope (‘into’) of URN, an anagram (‘wildly’) of ‘run’ in TTABLE, an anagram (‘disorderly’) of ‘battle’.
11. Spotting part of problem is hinge (10)
BLEMISHING A hidden answer (‘part of’) in ‘proBLEM IS HINGe’.
12. Thing of little value — copy many answers here without a break (4)
DOIT The definition is the least well-known part of this – a Dutch coin of minimal value. DO IT is the refrain of the theme song.
14. Comic annual is hit for some Europeans (11)
LITHUANIANS An anagram (‘comic’) of ‘annual is hit’.
18. Practical, as one is prone to be, facing garden? (4,2,5)
DOWN TO EARTH Definition and literal interpretation, with a play on ‘prone’ as face down.
21. General name for group of plants as fuel, we hear (4)
COLE A homophone (‘we hear’) of COAL (‘fuel’). Cole is members of the cabbage family.
22. What young man may do in spring or autumn with current novel’s revision (4,2,4)
FALL IN LOVE A charade of FALL (‘autumn’) plus I (‘current’) plus NLOVE, an anagram (‘revision’) of ‘novel’.
25. Sign pointing towards hotel not on? Absolutely (2,3,4)
TO THE HILT A subtraction – TO THE HILT[on] (‘sign pointing towards hotel’) without ON (‘not on’).
26. Soundly beats it as a source of irritation (5)
FLEAS A homophone (‘soundly’) of FLEES (‘beats it’).
27. Stops some who believe in creator taking son in (7)
DESISTS An envelope (‘taking … in’) of S (‘son’) in DEISTS (‘some who believe in creation’).
28. Foreigner occupying street, striking (7)
SALIENT An envelope (‘occupying’) of ALIEN (‘foreigner’) in ST (‘street’).
Down
1. Consume minute fish that is put outside (6)
IMBIBE An envelope (‘put outside’) of M (‘minute’) plus BIB (‘fish’, the pout, of the cod family) in IE (‘that is’).
2. Queen holding up one drink or another (6)
PORTER A charade of PORT (‘one drink’) plus ER (‘Queen’). The ‘another’ is another drink, of course.
3. Whisky, for instance, I even now put in fruit (10)
DISTILLATE An envelope (‘put in’) of ‘I’ plus STILL (‘even now’) in DATE (‘fruit’).
4. Partner speaking slangily in European language (5)
DUTCH Double definition.
5. A lot of grim vexation about university lecturer who’s aggressive? (9)
HARANGUER An envelope (‘about’) of U (‘university’) in HAR[d] (‘a lot of grim’) plus ANGER (‘vexation’).
6. Provides accommodation and reasons for reserving? (4)
LETS Definition and cryptic definition: in tennis, a let requires a re-serve.
7. Part of a reckoning, but a lot’s going wrong (8)
SUBTOTAL An anagram (‘going wrong’) of ‘but a lots’.
8. Most pleasant minute in second trial (8)
SWEETEST An envelope (‘in’) of WEE (‘minute’) of S (‘second’) plus TEST (‘trial’).
13. Not appreciating multinational group taking a lot of fuel around hospital (10)
UNTHANKFUL An envelope (‘around’) of H (‘hospital’) in UN (‘multinational group’) plus TANKFUL (‘a lot of fuel’).
15. Ways of treating broken heart with culinary treats (9)
THERAPIES A charade of THERA, an anagram (‘broken’) of ‘heart’ plus PIES (‘culinary treats’).
16. Learned gold coin in river turned up (8)
EDUCATED An envelope (‘in’) of DUCAT (‘gold coin’) in EED, a reversal (‘turned up’) of DEE (‘river’).
17. Centuries for MCC, for example (8)
TWELFTHS Cryptic definition: MCC as a Roman numeral is 1200.
19. Stick together with male in centre (6)
COHERE An envelope (‘in’) of HE (‘male’) in CORE (‘centre’).
20. County with indefinable quality in which one may live (6)
BEDSIT A charade of BEDS (Bedfordshire, ‘county’) plus IT (‘undefinable quality’).
23. Neighbours of 14 or 6, say (5)
LETTS A homophone of LETS (‘6’ down).
24. Busy people in great musical trio, so-called (4)
BEES Definition and cryptic reference to the Bee Gees. I was operating on quite the wrong plane – it is the three Bs – Bach Beethoven and Brahms.

36 comments on “Guardian Cryptic N° 25,942 by Brendan”

  1. Thanks, PeterO. “Ditto” for the point at which 12 solved and the penny dropped. Very clever!

    I think some may complain about the obscurity of the word DOIT, though.

  2. The intended reference in 24down is to the 3 Bs’ — Bach, Beethoven, Brahms (see under B in Chambers)

  3. I enjoyed this puzzle even though I failed to solve 12a and I also did not see the theme!

    My favourite clues were 15d, 25a, 17d, 1a, 9a, 5d & 20d.

    I was unable to parse 24d & 6d.

    Thanks for the blog, PeterO.

  4. Brendan@2
    thanks for the explanation of 24d. And thanks for a great puzzle which was enjoyable even without seeing the theme.

  5. Doh! Was stuck on 12a as didn’t see the theme. Very clever, and so obvious once you know! Thanks to Brendan and Peter O.

  7. I had “hoot” for 12A and thus failed to spot the theme, or is that the other way around? And, on further reflection, BEES for the Bee Gees is a bit of a stretch, is it not?

    Thanks, Brendan (that one) and thanks, PeterO.

  8. Thanks, PeterO.

    I found most of this strangely straightforward for Brendan and had completed it apart from 12a, when I stood back to look for the characteristic links or Ninas that this setter often incorporates. That’s when I spotted the Cole Porter theme and was able to solve DOIT.

    Cleverly done, and added a smile to a gentle but enjoyable solve.

  9. Many thanks, PeterO, for the comprehensive blog, and Brendan for a most engaging puzzle.

    I can add nothing to Gervase’s comment, which mirrors my experience exactly.

  10. Thanks to PeterO for the blog. You explained a couple of cases where I had the right answer without understanding the reason.

    I failed to spot the theme therefore it is not surprising that I failed on 12a 🙁

  11. Many thanks PeterO & Brendan

    Even though I lived in The Netherlands for 5 years and I like Cole Porter, I missed the theme.

    For 12a I opted for HOOT – never having heard of DOIT but then Cole did say that it was ‘The Dutch in Old Amsterdam’.

    Very clever and very enjoyable!

    I shall be host to a Dutch lady and her partner next Monday and I shall certainly ask her if she knows what a DOIT is.

    I do like to show off!

    Tot ziens!

  12. Thanks Brendan (that one) and PeterO.

    My only defence is that my youngest, who is 2-and-a-bit, is not a big fan of night-time at the moment and so wants the whole house to be awake and sharing it with him. Really struggled today, through no fault of the setter who once again has produced a quite outstanding puzzle. Utterly beat me in terms of the theme – I knew it couldn’t simply be various Europeans, but even though I had solved COLE, PORTER, BIRDS, BEES, EDUCATED, FLEAS, LETS and FALL IN LOVE (but not DOIT – a very rare complete failure on my part) the theme remained obscure. Bravo Brendan – wish I had taken this one on after a little bit more sleep.

  13. Brendan @2

    Thanks for putting me straight on 24D, and raising the entire tone of the proceedings.

    It seems the consensus is that the theme is hard to spot, not much aid in solving, but none the worse for that.

    I had a suspicion that DOIT is Shakespearean, and I have tracked it to The Tempest II 2:

    Trinculo: … they will not give a doit to relieve a lame beggar …

  14. Thanks Peter O and thanks to Brendan for another superb puzzle.

    For once, I spotted the theme and fairly early on — after I’d solved COLE and FALL IN LOVE. Then, after googling the lyrics, I was able to get LETTS, which I didn’t know, and eventually DOIT which was my last one in — like a lot of others on here!

    Great fun 🙂

  16. BillyK @15

    I think you are new to my corner of 225, so welcome. I might have made my idea of 17D clearer: a twelfth of 1200 is 100, so that TWELFTHS are ‘centuries’.

  17. Can anyone explain ‘lecturer’ in 5d? Like many others, couldn’t manage 12a, though as a classical musician, the Beegees didn’t make it onto my radar in 24d!

  18. DP – like PeterO I took “lecturer who’s aggressive” to be the full definition of HARANGUER.

  20. Great crossword as usual from Brendan – the master of the themed crossword IMO.
    Thanks to him & PeterO.

    I knew there had to be a theme – and that 12ac was the key to it given that the second part of the clue referred to “many answers here”. However I had to cheat to get 12ac I’m afraid and even then it took quite some searching and time before the penny dropped – quite brilliant setting.

    But I still don’t fully understand the second part of 12ac – “copy many answers here without a break” – why “copy” & “without a break”?

    Can someone enlighten me? Thanks in advance.

  21. Ellis @ 20

    In my reading, if you copy many of the answers (e.g. Lithuanians and Letts) and add the common “do it” (not spelled out), and then remove the break – DOIT.

  22. Thanks Brendan and Peter0.
    Could someone please explain why, in 22a,”I” stands for “current”? I had “IN” and, of course, found myself with an “N” too many!

  24. Re I = Current.

    It was lifted into English from the French the ‘strength of the flow’. In physics the I stands for Current Intensity in equations.

  25. Intensité de courant somehow disappeared in the sending. I enclosed it in chevrons as the French quotation marks. Wonder which board that’s ended up on?

  27. I am a big Brendan fan, no doubt about that.
    Today only being defeated (like many others) by 12ac was a real disappointment – even more so as it was the gateway clue.
    Unfortunately, I do not get the theme at all.
    12across is just as cryptic as Peter O’s explanation @21.
    Perhaps it’s just me (although joined by my PinC).

    I/we saw Cole Porter and ‘Let’s fall in love’, also ‘birds and bees’. But, yes, but, yes, but.

    Being a Dutchman, I have never come across DOIT – so Bryan, do not make any effort as it’s pointless.
    However, it is in the ODE (but not in Chambers), so no complaints.

    I/we found this a very fine non-thematic crossword.
    But, perhaps, someone more clever than we are can really explain the theme to us?
    So far, it wasn’t clear enough (for us).

    Enjoyable crossword, no doubt about that.

  29. Dear Sil (at 27)

    Let me recommend Woody Allen’s movie “Midnight in Paris” which features the song, and re-watching which gave me the idea for the theme.

    I generally avoid obscure words, except that sometimes I let them in for the sake of the theme. DOIT is in my old edition of Chambers, as well as Concise Oxford, and Collins. I thought people would get it from the theme.

  30. It took quite a while, but I get it now!
    Thanks to Brendan (@29) and to PeterO’s preamble which I didn’t read carefully enough.
    Unfortunately, even now the theme song does not ring a bell …
    In that sense, I am clearly in the minority.
    On the other hand, in my appreciation for this crossword, I am in the majority 🙂 – as I should be!

  31. On second thoughts, DOIT does make sense to me now (as a Dutchman). DOIT is how Englishmen would pronounce ‘duit’. In a similar way as UK people pronounce Kuyt as Koyt.
    ‘Duit’ is commonly used in the Netherlands for ‘money’, especially in a number of idiomatic expressions like ‘een bom duiten’ (a lot of money) or ‘een duit in het zakje’ (literally, a coin put into a pocket, money in pocket, but mainly used as ‘a contribution (to something)’.

    As to the Cole Porter song, tonight my PinC confessed she knew the song and found it, in hindsight, a fairly obvious theme.
    Well thanks, dear girl, for pushing me even further into the minority :).

    Despite my ignorance about the theme, I must say that Brendan is the absolute master of themed crosswords, even if Tramp comes close (but for another reason).
    This crossword was just another corker.

  32. Sil, It’s a shame that ‘Let’s Do It’ rings no bell for you. (And recently you indicated that ‘eigenvector’ did!)

    Some crosswords might be described as ‘list-themed’. There are a great many songs suitable for such. Cole Porter wrote several “list songs”. Let’s Do It, Anything Goes and You’re the Top are outstanding examples of the genre. I Get a Kick out of You is a list of only three but is also a wonderful demonstration of Porter’s skill with rhyme.

    Another superb list song is These Foolish Things (Maschwitz and Strachey). Bryan Ferry’s version has nice sound effects.

    There’s so much more to popular music than the kind of thing that you and PaulB enjoy.

  33. “There’s so much more to popular music than the kind of thing that you and PaulB enjoy”

    What does that mean?
    Well, I think I know what you mean, and you’re probably right.

    But you must also realise that I am quite familiar with music that I actually do not like very much.
    Cole Porter perhaps falls into that category.
    Alas.

    It didn’t prevent me from finding this another great crossword by Brendan – which is what it’s all about essentially.

  34. As far as the quality of Brendan’s puzzles go, we are at one. For me it goes without saying. My last word.

  35. I liked this puzzle a lot, despite being lost at sea over 12a. Yes, I am one more person who completely missed the theme for the trees.

    Now that I see it, this goes from “nice little puzzle” to “tour de force”!

    That little key at 12 was, in retrospect such a great way to “define” the theme, since it is not mentioned anywhere else. It must have been difficult for Brendan to avoid 21,2 “Author of 6,12,6,22” (4,6) but I am glad he did.

    There is a glimmer of a chance I would have noticed the theme if my early solutions consisted of just, say, 21,2,6, and 22.

    I ticked 11, 18, 26, but my COD has to be 17. It took me a long time to get my smattering of cricket knowledge out of my head once I had all the checked letters and noticed that not much except TWELFTHS could fit.

    Wonderful construction, Brendan, thank you, and thanks to PeterO and the rest of you for the blog.

  36. Thanks Brendan and PeterO

    Believe it or not, I did actually start this one on the day that it was published. I called time on it after month number 40 as the printed copy was becoming severely tattered and torn – having pulled it out from time to time to try and crack the theme which was the only way that I thought that I could solve 12a. Had even found DOIT in a word finder … and still could not find COLE PORTER that now stands out like a beacon !!! The other options were NOWT and HOOT … so not to be !! A very good effort by him once the theme was known all of the same.

    It made me ponder the fairness of a puzzle in which recognising the theme or working out an obscure word was key in finishing the grid. However, I recently completed a Puck puzzle which was very similar where I was eventually able to stumble on a little known band, THE INCREDIBLE STRING BAND, to finish the last answer.

    Nice clues along the way from what I can remember 3 years on throughout the rest of the puzzle. And now it is gone !!! 🙂

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