The first Everyman I have done in quite some time. This was where I cut my solving teeth a few years ago, and it was fun to go back. If the purpose of these puzzles is to provide a beginner-to-improver level challenge, then I think this fits the bill well.
Nothing too contentious. Plenty of charades. Just the one term that I was completely unfamiliar with, 9down, and part of me wants to go back to that state of blissful ignorance.
| Across | ||
| 1 | TROPHY | Work hard in attempt to get cup (6) |
| OP (work) H (hard) in TRY (attempt) | ||
| 4 | IGNORANT | I allow small number inside, in the dark (8) |
| NO (small number) in I GRANT (allow) | ||
| 10 | REINSTATE | Restore control, say (9) |
| REIN (control) & STATE (say). I like the misdirection with say, particularly as I was trying to use this puzzle to introduce somebody else to the delights of crosswording, and confidently gave it the old “Aha! Mark my words, ‘say’ means that there will be an incorrect spelling of something.” | ||
| 11 | AGREE | A nearly new suit (5) |
| A, then GREE[n] (nearly new) Not 100% sure about this clue. Doesn’t “agree” need “with”, in order to be a synonym for “suit”? Only a minor issue, even if that’s the case. |
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| 12 | OVERT | Evident through time (5) |
| OVER (through) T(ime) | ||
| 13 | PENSIONER | Italian boarding house, right for a senior citizen (9) |
| PENSIONE (Italian boarding house) R(ight) | ||
| 14 | SPECTATOR SPORT | For example, cricket magazine’s left (9,5) |
| SPECTATOR’S (magazine’s) PORT (left) | ||
| 18 | DEAD MAN’S HANDLE | Name of deceased male found in a Tube train? (4,4,6) |
| Double definition: one slightly cryptic, another referring to one of these | ||
| 20 | INTRINSIC | Preparation of ricin isn’t essential (9) |
| Anagram (preparation of) RICIN ISNT* I liked this clue |
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| 22 | NONET | Piece of music individual found amongst books (5) |
| ONE (individual) in (amongst) NT (books – New Testament). I like this word, and I liked this clue. Here is a nonet | ||
| 24 | SPAIN | Tell about a European country (5) |
| SPIN (tell, as in “to spin a tale”) about A | ||
| 25 | ENDEAVOUR | Last always, reportedly, to make an industrious effort (9) |
| END (last) EAVOUR (sounds like [reportedly] always) | ||
| 26 | MANDRAKE | Fellow explorer finds plant (8) |
| straightforward charade: MAN (fellow) DRAKE (explorer) for the plant, associated with numerous weird side-effects and a good deal of peculiar mythology. | ||
| 27 | METEOR | Nothing in measuring device can show falling star (6) |
| O (nothing) in METER (measuring device) | ||
| Down | ||
| 1 | TORTOISE | Wrong French river for this reptile (8) |
| TORT (wrong) OISE (French River). | ||
| 2 | OPINE | Express an opinion in shop in Edinburgh (5) |
| Hidden answer: shOP IN Edinburgh. I feel that “view”, or similar, might have worked better than “opinion” in the clue, which is a bit close to the answer for my liking. |
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| 3 | HESITATED | Thought twice, angry about rest (9) |
| SIT (rest) in HEATED (angry) | ||
| 5 | GREEN CROSS CODE | Set of safety rules old codger screens once rewritten (5,5,4) |
| Anagram (once rewritten) of [OLD CODGER SCREENS]* | ||
| 6 | OKAPI | Some took a picture of rainforest animal (5) |
| hidden answer, from toOK A PIcture, for one of these little chaps | ||
| 7 | AARON’S ROD | Plant high priest has first to ram into turf (6,3) |
| AARON (high priest, this bloke) with R (first letter of Ram) into SOD (turf), for a hairy biennial, apparently. If I was called Aaron, I would use this term liberally. |
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| 8 | THEORY | Ambassador taken in by right-wing supposition (6) |
| HE (his/her excellency = ambassador) inside TORY (right-wing) | ||
| 9 | CARPETBAG STEAK | Dish past age bracket, unfortunately (9,5) |
| Anagram (unfortunately) of [PAST AGE BRACKET] This was my last answer in. I’d never heard of the dish, and googled the correct answer speculatively from the anagram fodder and crossing letters. I was pretty disgusted by what I found: taking two tasty ingredients and spoiling them both by stuffing one inside the other. Some of the pictures look like a gangrenous amputation: https://www.flickr.com/photos/australianflavour/1513810248/in/photostream/ |
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| 15 | EYESTRAIN | Fourth letter in chart – see it any differently? The reason? (9) |
| [SEE IT ANY] and R (fourth letter in chart)* (differently). Decent &lit clue, if maybe a bit contrived. I like the way that the “fourth letter in…” device fits perfectly with the context. |
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| 16 | PLAIN JANE | Though no belle, she’s always on the level! (5,4) |
| Joke(y) cryptic definition. | ||
| 17 | LECTURER | New ruler etc. don provided (8) |
| Anagram (new) of (RULER ETC)* | ||
| 19 | DIM SUM | Turn down quantity of steamed dumplings (3,3) |
| DIM (turn down) SUM (quantity) This clue got me feeling peckish, but 9d quickly cured that… |
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| 21 | INNER | Victor letting slip wife’s secret (5) |
| wINNER (victor) without (letting slip) the ‘w’ (wife). | ||
| 23 | NOOSE | Trap quickly springs back – end of mouse! (5) |
| SOON (quickly) reversed (spings back), then E (end of mouse) I like the surface here |
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*anagram
Thanks Everyman and welcome Matt to this neck of the woods.
Yuk, your picture of CARPETBAG STEAK has put me off my breakfast. Yes, I too had not heard of this concoction. I share your dislike of the clue for OPINE.
Smooth surfaces as ever. I particularly liked DEADMAN’S HANDLE and EYESTRAIN.
A mostly straightforward and enjoyable Everyman puzzle. My one unknown, like Matt’s, was CARPETBAG STEAK which was my LOI and teased out from the anagram fodder. From what I found about it post-solve it sounds like it was a dish popular in Australia and New Zealand for a decade or so between 50 and 60 years ago, so I’m not surprised I had never heard of it. I agree with Matt that it looks atrocious and I hope it is never revived.
It took me to 22a before I got started but once going I didn’t have too many hold ups. 9d also the last in for me (and yuk). Would have thought that 7d would be tricky for a beginner.
AAAaagh!! I see what you mean about the gangrenous amputation!
can anyone explain to me 11 across, agree as a nearly new suit?
I am in opposition to the use of supposition as a definition for theory. In science and philosophy, the term hypothesis is closer to supposition although both hypotheses and theories have a degree of reasoning behind them than a supposition (which is closer to “wild guess” or “assumption”) does.
Thanks for the blog Matt. Quite well done.
Hi Mary Jo,
If ‘green’ = new,
then “nearly” implies that it’s not quite complete (GREE)
The definition is supposed to be ‘suit’, although I think that’s more of a synonym for “agree with” rather than “agree” on its own.
Not sure if this helps?
Thank you, Matt, for a fine first blog, and welcome.
I share your reservations, but I thought this generally was Everyman on good form. No old films this week though …
Matt, thank you very much! I get it now.
Thanks Everyman and Matt for an enjoyable puzzle and blog although I did not solve 7d, 11a and 18a – I only got as far as “Dead man’s”.
My favourites were 26a, 4a, 10a
The tube trains in the London Underground ( in the early sixties) had a short handle/lever that had to be kept pressed down by the driver as a safety precaution and the instant the pressure was released the power was turned off and the train would stop-it was called the dead man’s handle-ie if the driver left his (standing) position for any reason-droppingdead!!-the train would come to a halt. Thanks for the blog Matt.
I don’t get the second definition of Plain Jane as in on the level? I just thought a PJ was just a bit of a mousey number who didn’t get many second glances.
Having been raised in London I knew DMH but didn’t know carpetbag steak came from over here. I hate oysters anyway. Give me anchovies any day but on lamb not beef.
Nice crossword, took just under the hour which is a bit better than usual for me.
Btw has anyone noticed the weekday Herald crosswords are better of late? They seem to come from The Scotsman c2009 so not very new but better than they were.
I agree with you Barrie about there being a marked improvement in difficulty with the Herald crosswords over the last few months although some answers lack the depth of certainty I get with Everyman. I’ve tried and enjoyed 7d with both oysters and camembert cheese-must try a lamb and anchovy dish-new to me.
Took me a while and I didn’t get 11ac, 22 ac, 16 d, or “handle” in 18ac. Thankyou Ian for your explanation of this as I couldn’t understand why it had anything to do with tube trains.
I didn’t know carpetbag steak came from here either, but I had heard of it. Don’t think I’d like to taste it though.
Barrie and Ian,
I agree about the weekday crosswords – a definite improvement.
Enjoyed today’s -18a worked out it had to be dead mans but handle was a lucky guess
Hi Stephanie name=handle (and Barrie I’ve googled some super recipes for lamb and anchovies)
Excellent! The anchovies pretty much dissolve but give a great flavour. We’ll hear next week how they go!
Definitely better than oysters.
Thank you Ian, so obvious as ever when pointed out!!
The rain in Spain falls mainly on the plain. Hence plain Jane is on the level.
Not being of English descent,( a 5th generation kiwi) I didn’t know about a dead mans handle or the green cross code. Got to admit I struggled with 11a, and. 22a. Yes the weekday puzzles are good at the moment, but they don’t make me think as hard as Everyman does.
Ps I of course had no trouble with the steak, don’t knock it until you try it.
Got all except “AGREE”. Another great brain teaser. One of the good things about Everyman is the certainty clues and solutions offer. I had never heard of “dead man’s handle” on the Tube, however, the answer emerged logically from the clue.
Didn’t like “Aaron’s Rod”, the sod to rod a bit messy.
Roll on Saturday.