The puzzle may be found at http://www.theguardian.com/crosswords/cryptic/26215.
I found this harder than most Rufus puzzles, not helped by some definitions that I find doubtful. He seems to be on an envelope kick.
| Across | |||
| 7. | Girl has an unusual idea of earthly paradise (7-2) | ||
| SHANGRI-LA | An anagram (‘unusual’) of ‘girl has an’. | ||
| 8. | Agree the score (5) | ||
| TALLY | Double definition. | ||
| 9. | University takes two scholars in exchange (4,5) | ||
| ALMA MATER | An envelope (‘takes … in’) of MA MA (‘two scholars’) in ALTER (‘exchange’; Chambers gives change as an obsolete meaning of exchange). | ||
| 10. | Go round twice at speed (5) | ||
| OOMPH | A charade of OO (’round twice’) plus MPH (‘speed’). | ||
| 12. | Darwin’s crafty dog (6) | ||
| BEAGLE | Double definition, nearly. | ||
| 13. | Gathering round about a friend (8) | ||
| RALLYING | An envelope (‘about’) of ALLY (‘a friend’) in RING (’round’). | ||
| 14. | A burnt-out pantomime character? (7) | ||
| CINDERS | Cryptic definition. | ||
| 17. | A course in writing may bring fortune (7) | ||
| MASCOTS | An envelope (‘in’) of ASCOT (‘a course’) in MS (‘writing’). I think the definition is rather loose. | ||
| 20. | Criticise article about Rome’s Hall of Fame (8) | ||
| PANTHEON | A charade of PAN (‘criticise’) plus THE (‘article’) plus ON (‘about’), with a cryptic definition. | ||
| 22. | Complete exposure of corruption in Dundee (6) | ||
| DENUDE | An anagram (‘corruption’) of ‘Dundee’. | ||
| 24. | A picking-up point (5) | ||
| PRONG | Cryptic definition. | ||
| 25. | Allowing real distress (9) | ||
| SUFFERING | Double definition; ‘real’ seems irrelevant, but could go with ‘distress’. | ||
| 26. | Pushing forwards gets all-round credit (5) | ||
| SCRUM | An envelope (’round’) of CR (‘credit’) in SUM (‘all’). | ||
| 27. | Carried by lawyer for a short trial? (9) | ||
| BRIEFCASE | A charade of BRIEF (‘short’) plus CASE (‘trial’; I think not an exact synonym, so the clue might be better regarded as a play on ‘brief’). | ||
Down |
|||
| 1. | Gradually descend to procrastination? (6) | ||
| SHELVE | Double definition (but SHELVE is a verb, ‘procrastination’ a noun). | ||
| 2. | Big finish about to be made bigger (8) | ||
| ENLARGED | An envelope (‘about’) of LARGE (‘big’) in END (‘finish’). | ||
| 3. | Talk about kitchen finally being decorated (6) | ||
| ORNATE | An envelope (‘about) of N (‘kitcheN finally’) in ORATE (‘talk’). | ||
| 4. | Fast scoring rate (7) | ||
| ALLEGRO | Cryptic definition. | ||
| 5. | Flier eating chop and banger (6) | ||
| JALOPY | An envelope (‘eating’) of LOP (‘chop’) in JAY (‘flier’). | ||
| 6. | Granny, say, has problem on undergarment (8) | ||
| SLIPKNOT | A charade of SLIP (‘undergarment’) plus KNOT (‘problem’). | ||
| 11. | Call for energy in mountain climb (4) | ||
| PLEA | An envelope (‘in’) of E (‘energy’) in PLA, a reversal (‘climb’, in a down light) of ALP (‘mountain’). | ||
| 15. | One certain to be replaced immediately (2,1,5) | ||
| IN A TRICE | An anagram (‘to be replaced’) of |
||
| 16. | Grass blown in the wind? (4) | ||
| REED | Double definition. | ||
| 18. | Close agreement (8) | ||
| CONTRACT | Double definition; ‘close’ does not look very close. | ||
| 19. | Wreck aground, despite exercising caution (2,5) | ||
| ON GUARD | An anagram (‘wreck’) of ‘aground’. | ||
| 21. | Mouth organ held in silence (6) | ||
| TONGUE | Double definition. | ||
| 22. | It’s challenged, if raised in a legal document (6) | ||
| DEFIED | An envelope (‘in’) of FI, a reversal (‘raised’) of ‘if’ in DEED (‘a legal document’). | ||
| 23. | Describing Hamlet and his difficulty (6) | ||
| DANISH | An anagram (‘difficulty’) of ‘and his’. Rather neat. | ||
Re the comment under 18d.
When the muscles of a sphincter contract, the sphincter is closed.
PS: In captcha, I have to multiply one by 4 times. I would have found the other way much easier – four multiply by 1.
Yes, a little loose in places, not helped by a grid that all but created four separate puzzles. When clueing is loose, you lose confidence that eventually you’ll be able to work out the answer from the clue itself, which tempts you into using the check button just to eliminate words that *could* be right if push came to shove.
REED could easily have been WEED.
MASCOTS aren’t there to bring fortune, are they?
Is a KNOT actually a problem? Isn’t the undergarment on the problem rather than vice versa?
Why is SHELVE ‘gradually descend’? (And PeterO’s comment)
I usually defend setters and indeed dodgy grids on these pages but this one shook my confidence in terms of explaining to my grown-up kids that all puzzles at this level can be solved forensically if you think long and hard enough…
…but how rude of me. Thanks anyway to setter and blogger; it’s entertainment, engagement and enjoyment and I do it online so it’s also free. I couldn’t set a crossword at this level, at least not at a rate that could ever make it anything other than poorly paid hobby!
Thanks Rufus – a gentle start to the week. Back to the Listener !
Thanks Rufus and PeterO
I too found this much more difficult than a typical Rufus, and I did use the “Check” button several times to confirm my answers.
A few of the definitions were loose (or virtually non-existent in the case of MASCOTS and PRONG). I did like ALLEGRO and REED (referring to a woodwind instrument).
Tim Phillips @2 – if a beach has a shallow slope it could be said to “shelve gently into the sea”?
@muffin…but presumably it could also shelve steeply…
Good point, Tim
Cool. I’m in work right now and I’m a little bit borred, so… 🙂 Thanks!
Thanks Rufus and PeterO. I didn’t get PRONG or MASCOTS – for 24ac I could only think of BRRRING as the point at which one picks up the phone!
Reading the blog I realised that I had failed to fill in ‘prong’, so I have to admit to a dnf. I really must remember to check the grid, but I regret to say the puzzle, although a little trickier than the usual Rufus fare, failed to hold my interest today, despite the fact that there were some very good clues (such as 2 and 21d).
Should 6d SLIPKNOT have been in a Down slot? For the Across slot, should it have been rewritten?
The grid from hell, full of clues where only a minority of letters are checked, plus two barely-linked halves.
Not quite sure even though I would agree it was a harder than usual Rufus. I say this despite having technically made an error, with CRANE for PRONG, but with a clue that loose I beg to be excused.
Thanks PeterO. I agree with you about the looseness of some of the definitions. These held me up for a while and the grid didn’t help.
But there were some lovely Rufus moments. I particularly liked OOMPH and 23dn for its sheer elegance.
I’ve just re-read the blog and spotted a slight error for 15d, PeterO – it’s an anagram of “I certain” (the I being indicated by “one”).
This one stretched the grey matter a little more than some Rufus puzzles, although the unhelpful grid was part of the reason.
I can find plenty of dictionaries that contain a definition of SHELVE as “to slope gradually”, so the only problem I have with 2dn is what the “?” is doing at the end of the clue.
I didn’t like 17ac because there is nothing in the clue to let the solver know that the answer is a plural, the very loose definition notwithstanding.
I had the most trouble in the SW and SCRUM was my LOI, although in fairness it was a very good clue.
Rishi @1
Certainly the contraction of a sphincter can produce a closing; but the contraction of other muscles – some of those around the lips, for example – can produce an opening.I think that defining contraction as closing (or opening) is a stretch.
muffin @ 14
Thanks for the note; now corrected.
Now it would help if I had twelve fingers…
Thanks, PeterO
I can’t say that I found this a lot more tricky than most Rufus puzzles. However, there are several rather loose definitions here and the grid (a Rufus favourite, for some reason) doesn’t help. I failed to get PRONG (cryptic def, 3 ‘unches’, including the first letter, and only 2 crossing letters).
Although a granny knot may slip under tension, it certainly isn’t designed as a SLIPKNOT.
Mostly straightforward, though one or two of the cds held me up and PRONG was last in. Couldn’t see anything too ambiguous this time. Ticked DANISH, OOMPH and SCRUM.
Thanks to PeterO and Rufus
Thanks PeterO and Rufus
Like many others, I did not like the grid both for its division of the puzzle into 4 and because of so many words without crossed first letters. My LOI (prong) took too long to see as a partial result of this.
Some clever cryptic and double defs none the less as one expects from Rufus.
Thanks Rufus & PeterO
Re 18, you contract (or sign a contract) when you close a deal/agreement, so I think it works.
Otoh, in 6 I think the undergarment is on the problem, rather than vice versa
6d. A granny knot is not strictly a slip knot, but a mis-tied reef knot (which may slip under pressure). A slip knot is meant to slip…..a granny knot is not ..
Rishi @ 11
“Should 6d SLIPKNOT have been in a Down slot? For the Across slot, should it have been rewritten?”
It is but it still should have been.
Definitely a curate’s egg, but the excellent parts were really excellent I thought.
He seems to be able to come up with a limitless supply of top-notch DDs and CDs, and some of today’s were lovely.
DANISH was elegant too.
Thanks to both.
Although this was pretty iffy in places, the usual Rufus fare is often much much worse. So why did this one provoke so much criticism?
There were no non-cryptic clues and even some nice ones. 9A for instance.
Thanks to PeterO and Rufus
Sue and I found this a fair workout by any standards.
I liked the surprise use of “complete” as a verb in 22a, and it made up for the old chestnut ALMA MATER.
Thanks one and all.
Good start to the week (apart from mascot – couldn’t parse that so didn’t write it in). I’m old, so Rufus is part of my week – actually miss him when someone else does Mondays now!