Guardian 26,395 by Rufus

by

The puzzle may be found athttp://www.theguardian.com/crosswords/cryptic/26395.

A typical mix of clues from Rufus, but not too heavy on the cryptic definitions, and with some particularly good anagrams and double definitions.

Across
9 LAMPLIGHT
Illumination from a 5,500-watt, 110-volt bulb? (9)
Volts times amps equals watts, so that ‘5,500-watt, 110 volt’ is 50 amp (L AMP) plus LIGHT (‘bulb’).
10 OKAPI
A wild animal but it’s all right, a quiet one (5)
A charade of OK (all right’) plus ‘a’ plus P (‘quiet’) plus I (‘one’),
11 OMNIBUS
Transport a large volume? (7)
Double definition (the ‘volume’ being a book).
12 PAPOOSE
Brave child backed by his mother? (7)
Cryptic definition.
13 SIBYL
Fortune-teller is back with Bill, we’re told (5)
A charade of SI, a reversal (‘back’) of ‘is’ plus BYL, a near homophyne homophone (‘we’re told’) of ‘Bill’.
14 PROTECTOR
Guard for Commonwealth head of state (9)
Double definition, the second being Oliver Cromwell’s title (in full Lord Protector of the Commonwealth of England, Scotland and Ireland.
16 ONE OVER THE EIGHT
Inebriated man in charge of rowing crew (3,4,3,5)
Definition and literal interpretation.
19 TEDDY BEAR
Musical picnicker (5,4)
This takes me back to my favourite song at the age of about 5: “The Teddy bears’ Picnic“.
21 ALTAR
Bert and Jack seen in church (5)
A charade of L AL (‘Bert’) and TAR (‘Jack’).
22 CHARGES
Exacts payment for those in one’s care (7)
Double definition.
23 WEST HAM
Saw them develop into a capital football team (4,3)
An anagram (‘develop into’) of ‘saw them’.
24 CLEAR
Establish one’s innocence but get bound over (5)
Double definition (CLEAR a hurdle).
25 UNCERTAIN
Indefinite truce in an engagement (9)
An anagram (‘engagement’) of ‘truce in an’
Down
1 BLOOD SPORT
Killing game (5,5)
Cryptic definition.
2 AMENABLE
Willing to provide means in support of rising scholar (8)
A charadde of AM, a reversal (‘rising’) of MA (‘scholar’) plus ENABLE (‘provide means’. ‘in support’ indicates the order of the particles.
3 GLOBAL
Comprehensive to throw girl out (6)
An envelope of LOB (‘throw’) in GAL (‘girl’).
4 EGGS
Bird droppings? (4)
Cryptic definition.
5 STEPMOTHER
Second mate who raises the issue? (10)
Cryptic definition.
6 COMPLETE
Engage in competition without money to finish (8)
An envelope (‘without’) of L (‘money’, pounds or lira) in COMPETE (‘engage in competition’).
7 RAGOUT
Serve up fish unacceptable for stew (6)
A charade of RAG, a reversal (‘up’ in a down light) and OUT (‘unacceptable’).
8 FINE
Capital punishment (4)
Double definition.
14 PARCELS OUT
Worried speculator transfers shares (7,3)
An anagram (‘worried’) of ‘speculator’. A fine anagram.
15 RETIREMENT
Quitting work and going to bed (10)
Double definition.
17 VOYAGERS
Go as very inept travellers (8)
An anagram (‘inept’) of ‘go as very’.
18 GET AHEAD
First task when staffing new school is to improve on schedule (3,5)
Definition and literal interpretation (GET A HEAD).
20 DRAWER
Prize returned to person picking the winning ticket (6)
A reversal (‘returned’) of REWARD (‘prize’).
21 ABSORB
Jack’s brother about to imbibe (6)
A charade of AB’S (‘Jack’s’) plus ORB, a reversal (‘about’) of BRO (‘brother’).
22 COCK
Put up a bird (4)
Double definition.
23 WICK
A burning issue here in the Highlands? (4)
Double definition.
completed grid

24 comments on “Guardian 26,395 by Rufus”

  1. Unusual for me to be first on parade! This seemed a bit trickier than the usual Monday offering, so thank you PeterO for a couple of explanations. LAMPLIGHT in particular was a very impressive spot.

    By the way, you’ve left out an ‘A’ in the explanation of 21a.

  2. Thanks Rufus and PeterO
    Enjoyable and entertaining. A couple of very minor points – not even quibbles really. I always wonder why towns at sea-level, such as Wick, are in the “Highlands”, but I know that the administrative area of “Highlands” does include the coast.
    “Bert” for “AL” is not convincing. I inherited a set of handkerchiefs from my father-in-law with R monograms. They were a gift to him from a friend who thought he was called Robert. In fact he was Herbert!
    “STEPFATHER” works as well as “STEPMOTHER” until the crossing letter is entered.
    btw Peter, you seem to invented a new word (homophyne) in your explanation of 13a.

  4. Very pleasant start to the week. Loved lamplight (actually used some knowledge from my degree course some 50 years ago)!. Thanks to both

  5. Thanks Rufus and PeterO,

    Enjoyed this, apart from “The Teddy Bear’s Picnic”…first day out at sea as a child went to the playroom, opened the door, the song was playing and most of the children were vomiting. Pet hate ever since.

    Liked LAMPLIGHT and PARCELS OUT

  6. Thanks, PeterO.

    I found this a bit tricky, as I often do with Rufus puzzles, with the NW quadrant a bit recalcitrant. However, once I had spotted LAMPLIGHT (fantastic clue) it fell into place.

    Full of terse and elegant clues, as ever. I agree with muffin’s comment about ‘Highlands’. WICK is in the Highland Council area, certainly, but in terms of physical geography and culture most of Caithness, and not just the coast, is not strictly Highlands, being low-lying and without the Gaelic heritage.

  7. Thanks to setter and blogger.

    A bit trickier than the usual Monday Rufus, I thought. I particularly liked LAMPLIGHT. “Limelight” would also have fitted, but once you have done the arithmetic, the answer is clear.

    I think there’s slightly more to 12a than just a cryptic definition. A PAPOOSE is a Native American baby, but also “a pouch for carrying an infant on one’s back” (Chambers). Hence “backed by his mother” – a typical Rufus touch.

  8. For some reason I didn’t bother thinking about the mathematical element of 9ac and went for “limelight”, thinking it was some kind of reference to lighting used in a theatre. Yes, I know ………

  9. “Watts = Volts x Amps” hove into view several decades after A level physics. Knew it would be useful sometime.

    My bete noire this time was the NE, courtesy of the misdirection in 5d: I had ‘second’ implying an S at the start, which of course there is, but for all the wrong reasons, so I was looking for a ‘mate’ that went T*****H*R. It took the late dawning of two other clever, typically Rufusian clues, PAPOOSE and PROTECTOR, for the penny to drop.

  10. muffin @2

    You haven’t come across the word homophyne? It’s defined as “a word which sounds rather like another, but I’m not prepared to say that the match is exact” (actually this one is closer than many). Typos now corrected. Some typos now corrected. It comes from trying to use a laptop with a large cat on my lap.

  11. Thanks Rufus and PeterO

    A bit harder than normal today for me as well – completed it as four quadrants – NE, SW, NW and SE last of all – GET AHEAD the last in.

    Liked LAMPLIGHT and the anagrams of 25a and 14d.

  13. Thanks to PeterO for the blog.

    I object to 20d. A clue that says (first part) returned (second part) could go in either way round. You need a crosser to decide! 🙁

  14. chas @ 13
    I agree in principle, but it would be difficult to read this one as clueing “reward”, I think.

  15. Is 8d really a double definition? I thought of it as a cryptic definition – being a punishment that affects your capital (wealth). Or is there a definition of “fine” as “capital” that I don’t know? [Penny drops] Oh, yes, the sense of “What a capital day it is, Jeeves!”

    That was nearly super-capital! (or “over my head”).

  16. Andy B @8 – I made the same mistake (and have no excuse), and suspect that Rufus chose the numbers deliberately to suggest LI. Agree that this was slightly harder than a typical Rufus, but with no major quibbles, so fairly enjoyable. Thought WICK was nice.

    Thanks to Rufus and PeterO

  17. Thank you PeterO.

    I thought this was capital! Some nice clues from Rufus and really enjoyed it.

    I don’t know why, but I’ve always thought the PAPOOSE was the carrier rather than the little chap himself. Had to look it up to check. Hmm, wonder where I got that from?

    Rushed in with STEPFATHER instead of STEPMOTHER which held me up for while.

    Fine job, Rufus.

    Nice week, all.

  18. I found this a little trickier than usual too. I guessed LAMPLIGHT rather than parsing it and got stuck for some reason on CHARGES and COCK which were the last ones in
    Thanks RUFUS

  19. Had a nice encounter with this as the NW corner took longer. Having 4d as ‘dodo’ (animal droppings! ) didn’t help.

  20. A cat is the best laptop!

    How are the instructions for converting electrical units to each other conveyed in 9a? How do you get 50 amps from “5,500-watt, 110-volt”? Yes, 5500 divided by 110 = 50, but how does the clue tell you to do that?

  22. Valentine @20. There is no direct instruction saying to do the division, but the numbers and units are very suggestive, and the ? also gives a hint; and finally, I read the “Illumination” as not only being the definition, but also that you would get enlightenment of the answer from the rest of the clue: “from a 5,500-watt, 110-volt bulb?” Very clever clue all round, a delight.

    For some reason I seem to have gone against the trend this week, and found the Xword quite straightforward, without the usual last few clues giving trouble.

    Thanks PeterO and Rufus.

  24. An enjoyable and surprising offering from Rufus.

    My particular favourite was LAMPLIGHT which was genius! Although the level of knowledge required to see this was not as claimed degree or even A-level. Perhaps not even O-Level! I think every electrician or even boat/caravan/mobile-home owner must know that Watts = Volts x Amps 😉

    Chas @13

    I don’t think 20d is the format you indicate. I read it is as

    (First part) returned to (second part)

    Which I believe is unequivocal!

    However even if it wasn’t there is often the need for “crossers” before an answer can be entered. ( The words “Crossword Puzzle” do give one a hint that this might be the case! 😉 )

    Thanks to PeterO and Rufus

Comments are closed.