Guardian 26,405 by Boatman

by

An enjoyable, fairly straightforward solve with a nice theme (with little extra parallels across some of the thematic clues, e.g. 10ac/20ac, 2dn/16dn and 13dn/27 dn.) Favourites were 13ac and 19d.

Across
9 A BIT OF A DO
Social animal’s head nibbled a filling form of food (1,3,2,1,2)
=”Social” event. A[nimal] plus BIT=”nibbled” plus A inside=”filling” (food)*
10 PANDA
Clue to father of animal? (5)
=”animal”. Not sure how to parse this – P AND A, which spells out PA=”father”?
11 TIGER
Animal of rank eating half a horse (5)
=”Animal”. TIER=”rank” eating G=”half a horse”=gee[-gee]
12 ABERRANCE
It’s not normal to make dancing bear caper without money (9)
=”It’s not normal”. (bear)* plus [p]RANCE=”caper” without p[enny]=”money”
13 BANSHEE
Has-been, broken spirit, lamenting (7)
=”spirit, lamenting”. (Has-been)*
14 UTILISE
Employ uniform — form of cover is covert (7)
=”Utilise”. U[niform] plus TILE=”form of cover”, with IS inside i.e. “covert”
17 ACCRA
Caracas: not as exotic as an African capital (5)
=”African capital”. (Carac[as])* without the “as“
19 AVE
A welcome approach? (3)
=”A welcome” in Latin; =”approach” in the sense of AVE[nue]
20 DOGMA
Teaching of animal by its parent (5)
=”Teaching”. DOG=”animal” plus MA=”parent”
21 DAWDLER
Waddle about with right loafer (7)
=”loafer”. (Waddle)* with R[ight]
22 PRAISED
Pressure intensified and produced hail (7)
=”hail”. P[ressure] plus RAISED=”intensified”
24 CAR DRIVER
Amusing chap, Don: perhaps he might join AA? (3,6)
=”perhaps he might join AA”. CARD=”Amusing chap” plus the RIVER Don in Yorkshire.
26 MOOCH
Making an animal noise, children hang around (5)
=”hang around”. MOO=”Making an animal noise” plus CH[ildren]
28 MULES
Animals given quarter in hovel, with hindsight (5)
=”Animals”. E[ast]=”quarter” (compass direction) in SLUM=”hovel” reversed i.e. “with hindsight”
29 RETRACTOR
Misguided terror legislation introduced — it maintains an open wound (9)
=”it maintains an open wound”, a surgical instrument. (terror)* around ACT=”legislation”
Down
1 CAME LAST
See 24
2 PIGGIN
Animal spirit of small wooden vessel (6)
=”a small wooden vessel”, a pail or bowl. PIG=”Animal” plus GIN=”spirit”
3 FOURTH WALL
Dramatic split worth a full apology? (6,4)
=”Dramatic split”. (worth a full)* – not seen “apology?” as an anagram indicator, is it standing in for “sorry”?
4 CANAPE
Container to take animal food (6)
=”food”. CAN=”Container” plus APE=”animal”
5 MOLECULE
Animal clue: odd little thing (8)
=”little thing”. MOLE=”Animal” plus (clue)*
6 SPUR
Prompt small audible noise from animal (4)
=”Prompt”. S[mall] plus PUR which sounds like ‘purr’ = “audible noise from animal”
7 UNENDING
Slaughter of gnu in den without respite (8)
=”without respite”. (gnu in den)*
8 MALE
Produced from animal earmarked as a potential father (4)
=”a potential father”. Hidden in “aniMAL Earmarked”
13 BEARD
Animal with a number of whiskers (5)
=”whiskers”. BEAR=”animal” plus D=”number”, 500 in Roman numerals
15 INDIAN MEAL
Take wild animal and dine on hot food (6,4)
=”hot food”. (animal dine)*
16 ELAND
Animal spirit, ultimately wild (5)
=”Animal”, a South African antelope. ÉLAN=”spirit” plus [wil]D
18 COWARDLY
Animal only just taking off head of chicken (8)
=”chicken”. COW=”Animal” plus [h]ARDLY=”only just[,] taking off head”
19 AARDVARK
Animal, one last pair to appear, God willing, on vessel to save them (8)
=”Animal”. A=”one”, plus the last pair of letters of [appe]AR, plus D[eo] V[olente]=”God willing” in Latin, plus ARK=”vessel to save them”
22 PIRATE
Boatman, cruel to put animal in oven dish (6)
=”Boatman, cruel”. RAT=”animal” in PIE=”oven dish”
23 STOATS
Way to get food for animals (6)
=”animals”. ST[reet]=”Way” plus OATS=”food”
24,1 CAME LAST
Failed animal in role of team leader (4,4)
=”Failed”. CAMEL=”animal” plus AS=”in role of” plus T[eam]
25 ROSE
Mounted headless horse in horror (4)
=”Mounted”. ([h]orse)*
27 HARE
Animal with pronounced whiskers (4)
=”Animal” / =&lit. HARE sounds like ‘hair’ i.e. “pronouced whiskers”

46 comments on “Guardian 26,405 by Boatman”

  1. Thanks, manehi. For Boatman, this was remarkably straightforward, I agree.

    I had the same problem as you with the PANDA: thought perhaps this was some convoluted way of clueing PA’s DNA but I think, now that I’ve seen it, your parsing is correct.

  2. Thanks manehi. Delayed only in the top left with eg FOURTH WALL which you don’t define. I got and liked P&A = both dad and the animal. Didn’t like ave/nue nearly as much. But it was pretty good.

  3. I think the definition for 22 is “produced hail” not just “hail”.
    I agree about P-and-A as a clue to father.

  4. Thanks Boatman and manehi
    Although this was very clever, I find this type of puzzle, with all the repeats (“animal” in this case), a bit tedious. I did like CAR DRIVER.

  5. Thanks Boatman and manehi, enjoyed this and found the blog helpful.

    Think NeilW @1 has an ingenious “parsing” for 10a, I like it even if it is not “correct”.
    FOURTH WALL was new to me, had to Google.

  6. Thanks Boatman for an enjoyable solve.

    Thanks manehi for a good blog. I got a bit tied up with the parsing of AARDVARK as I didn’t know the DV bit. FOURTH WALL and PIGGIN were also new to me.

    I liked A BIT OF A DO for the misdirection of ‘social animal.’ No ants or bees to be found there.

    I suppose the ‘Rolain’ and ‘Kelse’ are coincidental, rather than NINAs. 🙂

  8. Neil – I really like your alternative explanation for PANDA. Just because it’s “not right” doesn’t stop it being funny! And (Cookie) I’m very happy to hear that a stray parrot wandered in.

    Glad everyone didn’t find it excessively easy – I thought you deserved a couple of relatively straightforward puzzles after some tricky ones recently. We’ll be back to normal soon enough …

  9. After the dire warnings during the week, Boatman has come up with a diverting but not too taxing puz.zle; thanks to him and manehi. Unlike muffin, I enjoyed the animal theme.
    20A reminds me of a bumper sticker I once saw which announced “My karma just ran over your dogma”.

  11. I groaned slightly as the theme emerged, as ‘animal’ is not a very helpful definition; but in the end had quite a happy solve, as there were many clever and attractive clues on offer.

    So, thank you both, and thanks for dropping by Boatman.

  12. Whew – back to normality again after my hopeless attempt at the Enigmatist puzzle. I enjoyed this – thanks to Boatman and Manehi.

  13. Thank you, Boatman and manehi.

    Molonglo notes the absence of definition of “fourth wall”. It’s “dramatic split,” the separation between audience and actors on a proscenium stage.

    Where are kea and rolain?

  15. Thanks all
    Gladys @3 and muffin @4, I agree with both
    yes enjoyable but rather tedious repetition of theme word with no real benefit!

  16. peterjohn @10. I wish the National Association of Dyslexics had existed 40 years ago. At that time there seemed to be no official or unofficial body able to give advice or help to parents.
    The DNA NeilW @1 is referring to is the deoxyribonucleic acid found in animal cells, mostly in the nuclei. It can be used for paternity testing.

  17. As promised, a bit of an animal! Found it much easier than the last couple by Boatman, probably the second easiest (and possibly the most enjoyable) of the week. Last in was AVE, least familiar word PIGGIN. AARDVARK had to be right but I couldn’t parse the first part so thanks for that.

    Thanks to Boatman and manehi

  22. Went out, did the shopping, saw mother, put shopping away, had lunch, settled down. Would I, I wondered, have any chance of finishing this promised beast? Then in went A BIT OF A DO from the enumeration alone.

    Thanks Boatman for teasing us. You have put the wind up many members of the solving community for the best part of a week. Sometimes anticipation isn’t everything …

  23. Thanks Boatman and manehi. I enjoyed this, happily finding it a bit easier than expected following the foreboding comments of the last few days.

    My only gripe was with the anagram indicator ‘apology’, which I don’t think works as a substitute for ‘sorry’ in that context. I’m quite surprised no-one else here has questioned it apart from manehi.

  27. “My only gripe was with the anagram indicator ‘apology’, which I don’t think works as a substitute for ‘sorry’ in that context. I’m quite surprised no-one else here has questioned it apart from manehi.”

    I expect the people are too polite to criticise.
    “Apology” is just lazy cluing It’s as it the setter has found “worth a full” as anagram fodder and thought: “I’ll add apology, that goes nicely and it sounds vaguely like it might be an anagram indicator”. And “dramatic split” is a contentious definition to say the least. Isn’t the point of FOURTH WALL that it’s a theoretical barrier? Not a “split” as such. Very unfair if you’ve not come across the phrase.

  28. I’d never heard of FOURTH WALL. It is apparently the imaginary wall between the stage and the audience where the stage is a prosperous arch. I enjoyed this after expecting another workout a la Enigmatist-“bit of an animal”indeed! I particularly liked CAME LAST.
    Thanks Boatman

  29. Hi

    A bit off topis, as I have not done this puzzle just yet [I live in USA].

    I am trying to submit the solution to this month’s Genius, but all I get is an error 404 page. I have contacted Guardian but no response yet. I believe that is a Guardian website problem, but deadline is tomorrow, and I was wondering if someone in UK could check their own link to see if they get the same error message, so I know it is not just my US Internet provider.

    Sorry to barge in and I hope you understand. I read all your comments and know that most of you will understand.

    I’m looking forward to this Boatman puzzle later.

  30. Well after the Wednesday mauling, I expected something similar, but no, don’t think I’ve got so many cold solved on first pass in a long time.
    Thanks Boatman now I have to find things to do on the rest of the train home.

  31. Gordon@29, I can access this month’s Genius with no problems using Safari and Firefox. I haven’t try the Submit option just now, as I can’t submit again myself.

  32. Hi Pandean

    Thanks for the response. I can’t get to it using Firefox or IE, and the same from different computers as well, although I can access 135 or earlier. I’m confused, but I’ll go to a friends house to try there.
    Thanks again

  35. This may have been a lightweight or whatever Boatman crossword but we really liked it.
    Apart from one or two things (like ‘apology?’ – but there’s always something, isn’t it?) Boatman behaved himself very well.
    I mean, nothing outrageous today, just fun.

    Our setter tells us that he will be back to normal soon.
    I’d better prepare myself already for that! 🙂

    Funny, this discussion on PANDA (10ac). It’s not the first time that a setter wants us to look at a word that way.
    Lots to enjoy with (for me) 24ac (CAR DRIVER) one of the best with its misdirecting use of Don plus a fine surface.
    [I was actually thinking of the mighty Don in Russia]

    Thanks manehi, and, of course, Boatman.
    For us, solvers, a tasty dessert after Enigmatist’s main course.

  36. Sil – Splendid! Always a pleasure to receive your seal of approval. I too was thinking of the larger, rather than the local, Don, but I’m happy with either.

    Cookie@26 – You noticed well! You’ve nearly enough answered my question, so here’s the original form of the clue in full:

    Animal, one in Germany, eating half a horse

    I thought that was rather fun, but Hugh wasn’t happy …

    It could even have been “eating two monkeys” but that would have been just wilful!

  37. Elizabeth @ 33, I believe Boatman is treating both words as near-synonyms for “climbed”? (Nearer in a dictionary, though, than in actual usage, I would think – I can’t come up with any examples where you could substitute one directly for the other in a sentence without sounding silly . . .)

  38. This was nowhere near as tricky as I had feared, and as has been said elsewhere in the comments this was Boatman going easy on us. PIGGIN went in from wordplay with fingers crossed, and I don’t recall having come across FOURTH WALL before but it was the only logical answer from the perceived definition and anagram fodder. The only small quibble I have is with the clue for 26ac where “making an animal noise” suggests “mooing” rather than “moo”. If “making” is there just to improve the surface reading I don’t like it.

  39. #36 – I also assumed that the Don referred to was the local River. That is, the one in Aberdeen.

    I’ve only really come across ‘fourth wall’ in the expression ‘to break the fourth wall’ – where an actor speaks directly to the audience. On that basis, though, it would certainly qualify as a split in a dramatic setting.

  40. Hi Gaufrid

    Thanks @34 for confirming what Pandean also said. I still cannot get on and still get the same error message that is clearly generated by the Guardian website, not my browser or similar. Despite my knowledge of IT, I cannot explain it. I have had no response from Guardian ‘tech’ support either [other than to clear my cache] which they seem to think is the answer to any technical problem every month with the Genius.
    I’ll try again tomorrow morning and then go to another friend’s house.

  41. Hi Gordon @40,

    I’ve had a problem recently with this. In my case, the answer was to add the Guardian website to the Exceptions List in Java, under the Security tab. Perhaps that’s the cause?

  44. dagnabit @37 and Elizabeth @33: how about “As the temperature mounted…” = “As the temperature rose…”?

  46. Thanks Boatman and manehi

    Put this off till early today … then found it an enjoyable, but surprisingly straightforward puzzle from this setter. Even so, there were a few clues that I could not properly parse:
    1a. – couldn’t see A BIT – seems so simple when you it is explained.
    12a. – got the BEAR, had CA[P]ER – and then couldn’t find the N – just wouldn’t have seen [P]RANCE.
    19d. – had the R from ‘appear’, found Deo volente and the ARK, but could make no case for AA – again so simple when you see it !

    A couple of new terms with PIGGIN and FOURTH WALL.

    Finished in SE corner with PIRATE the last one in.

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