Guardian Cryptic 26,825 by Rufus

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Very nice from Rufus – I especially liked 10ac, 12ac and 8dn.

Across
1 ADDICTS Drug users did wrong, breaking laws (7)
(did)*, breaking into ACTS=”laws”
5 COUPLE Pair left in sports car (6)
L[eft] in COUPÉ=”sports car”
9 ARTFULLY Paintings entirely acquired in an ingenious fashion (8)
ART=”Paintings”, plus FULLY=”entirely”
10 SPORTS Good fellows left on board (6)
PORT=”left”, “on board”=>inside ‘ship’=>in S[team]S[hip]
12 WINNING SCORE The best points of an attractive orchestration (7,5)
WINNING=”attractive”  plus SCORE=”orchestration”
15 APOPLECTIC Infuriated, when pact with police is broken (10)
(pact police)*
17 ADD Sum up a cleric (3)
A plus D[octor of] D[ivinity]=”cleric”
19 ASH Growing or burnt timber (3)
=”Growing… timber” or =”burnt timber”
20 FAST BOWLER He’s quick to take over (4,6)
cryptic def – “take over” as in to bowl an over in cricket
22 TURNING POINT Crisis at the bus terminus? (7,5)
Two definitions, the second cryptic – “at the bus terminus” is the point for buses to turn around
26 LIEDER Songs the Führer sang? (6)
LIEDER sounds like ‘leader’=”Fuhrer” when sung. Not sure that “sang” works in the role of a past participle.
27 CARAPACE Vehicle takes a step to become a hardtop (8)
CAR=”Vehicle”, plus A PACE=”a step”
28 ATLAST Where the cobbler may be found, after some delay (2,4)
A cobbler may be found AT [the] LAST, a model of the foot on which shoes are made or repaired
29 INTERIM One kept in during school break (7)
I=”One”, inside IN TERM=”during school”
Down
1 AWAY A direction to be off (4)
A plus WAY=”direction”
2 DATA Arranged a takeover, having inside information (4)
Hidden inside [Arrange]D A TA[keover]
3 CRUCIBLE Crib clue for “melting pot” (8)
(Crib clue)*
4 SALON Girl working in a beauty parlour (5)
SAL[ly]=”Girl”, plus ON=”working”
6 OPPOSE Work attitude to resist (6)
OP=”Work”, plus POSE=”attitude”
7 PARDONABLE Fellow in moral tale is not beyond redemption (10)
DON=”Fellow”, inside PARABLE=”moral tale”
8 EASTENDERS Long-running TV programme possibly needs a rest (10)
(needs a rest)*
11 INSIST Emphasise sin must be cast out — it’s wrong! (6)
(sin)* plus (it’s)*
13 TARANTELLA Dance with a sailor before everybody turns up (10)
TAR=”sailor”, plus ANTE=”before”, plus ALL=”everybody” reversed/”turns up”
14 MOTHERWELL Dam source of water found in the Clyde valley (10)
=a town in Scotland. MOTHER=”Dam”, plus WELL=”source of water”
16 CHARGE Payment required with order (6)
double definition – the second being a military “order”
18 DOWNCAST County players dejected (8)
DOWN=”County” in N. Ireland, plus CAST=”players”=actors
21 BICEPS Manifestation of armed power (6)
cryptic definition
23 OKAPI Initially agreed, a mixed-up type of animal (5)
OK=”Initially agreed”, plus A, plus PI=alternative spelling of pie=”mixed-up type” in typography/letterpress printing [edited for clarity]
24 FAIR Just for fun! (4)
double definition, the second as in fun fair
25 BEAM Wide smile gives support (4)
double definition

33 comments on “Guardian Cryptic 26,825 by Rufus”

  1. This mostly went in very quickly for me – I usually get stuck on some Rufus DD clues. LOI was BICEPS, a typically dodgy Rufusian clue! But all good fun. Favourites were LIEDER, APOPLECTIC and INSIST. Thanks to R and m.

  2. We thought for 21d that sinews was the answer . Is biceps better? Simarly for 22a we had turning round. But here turning point wins. Motherwell was our last in. Great clue

  3. Thanks Rufus and manehi
    Entertaining, with ADDICTS my favourite.
    I didn’t understand the PI bit of OKAPI, and I still don’t – is the mixed up type PI or PIE, manehi, and if the latter, where does the E go?

  4. Forgot to say… LIEDER are, originally at least, songs sung in German, as the Fuhrer would do, so there is an &lit component.

  5. Muffin – pi is an alternative spelling of pie, and means printing type that has been mixed up. I’ll edit later to make it more clear.

  6. Thanks manehi and Rufus – some delightful clues here. Especially liked OKAPI which is a mixed-up type of animal and PI of course is an alternative spelling of PIE as in printers’ pie.

  7. Thanks for the clarification – never come across PI/PIE in that sense before (and presumably the term is now redundant?)

  8. Thank you manehi, needed your PI explanation.

    One of his better offerings, I thought. Admired DATA, INSIST and the cleverly &lit-ish CRUCIBLE.

    Not terribly convinced by WINNING SCORE, however. Clear enough how the clue works but it just seems a little clunky.

    Nice week, all.

  9. Thanks manehi and Rufus
    The pi/pie idea of mixture occurs in everyday use as ‘pied’ for a horse or piper and magpie.
    An enjoyable puzzle.

  10. Thanks Rufus and manehi.

    I enjoyed this puzzle being able to solve all the clues in a reasonable time. I particularly liked SPORTS, APOPLECTIC, LIEDER, CRUCIBLE, OKAPI, TARANTELLA, BICEPS and DATA.

  11. Rufus has been off form for the last couple of outings but this was a goodie. BICEPS was LOI for no particular reason- I never thought of “sinews”!
    I liked FAST BOWLER.
    Thanks Rufus.

  12. FAST BOWLER was very witty, because it is normally the slow bowlers who get through their overs quickly.

  13. Thanks Rufus and manehi

    Rufus back on form … with an enjoyable solve during lunch time.

    Had little issue with any of the cd’s or dd’s today

    Liked OKAPI the best – just think that it looks like a mix up of a giraffe and something else – and another instance of Rufus finding the lesser known definition of a common word as a part of the construction !!!

  14. really happy to get this rufus after the trials and tribulations throughout last week. Had to look up Lieder and Tarantella, but by and large was able to solve this with a reasonable amount of comfort.

  15. Mostly straightforward, though FAST BOWLER and BICEPS took a bit longer than the rest.

    Thanks to manehi and Rufus

  16. I must give Rufus his due today – I have usually been disappointed by the ‘rushed’ nature of his offerings. He might have been a bit unlucky today to have allowed two possible answers at 21D: BICEPS / SINEWS, as pointed out by apple granny @2. I quite enjoyed this puzzle and am glad to have learned the meaning of ‘pi/pie’ (a component of 23D).

    Like John E @12, I also spotted the irony that slow bowlers get through their overs quickly – fast bowlers do not. But the clue works a treat!

    My only gripe is that 12A (WINNING SCORE) is an example of two words put together to make a meaningful phrase but not a recognised one for a crossword. Others might disagree.

    Thank you Rufus and manehi.

  17. 21 dn: SINEWS isn’t really a very apposite answer because sinews are located in several other parts of the body whereas BICEPS is uniquely army.

  18. On reflection, cholecyst (@17), of course you are right about BICEPS (which I got, incidentally, having not thought of ‘sinews’) – this would have been a poor clue for ‘sinews’ for the reason you give.

  19. Thanks to Manehi and to Rufus. A Rufus puzzle is a reason for looking forward to Mondays. I particularly liked TARANTELLA, CARAPACE and MOTHERWELL

  20. I enjoy most Rufus puzzles, and this was no exception. My favourites are SPORTS, CARAPACE, MOTHERWELL and BICEPS (which, as cholecyst wrote @17, works better than “sinews” as it is specific to arms).

    Thanks, Rufus and manehi.

  21. Thanks to Rufus and manehi. MOTHERWELL was new to me (though clear from the clues), and I took a while getting OKAPI and BICEPS, but I enjoyed the process.

  22. Also SINEWS are related to strength, not to power, anchoring the biceps so that it can do its work.

  23. It’s all been said by the time I get here, but just wanted to drop in to say that I thought this was Rufus in very good form. FAST BOWLER was my favourite (but then I’m a cricket fan – come on England and the Barmy Army from tomorrow).

    Thanks to manehi for the blog.

  24. Thanks all
    Usual Monday fare.
    I found it difficult to prefer change or charge, If order was a verb……..

  26. Well apparently this was mostly well received.

    Life is full of surpises 😉

    Thanks to manehi and Rufus

  27. I enjoyed this Rufus like everyone else. Failed to get biceps. Too Rufusy for me. I had ss for saints at 10ac with left/port in the middle but then I had no definition. Glad to sort that one out. Thanks all.

  28. Very easy Rufus and yet, perhaps, more enjoyable than on some other occasions.
    Meanwhile I share manehi’s reservations about 26ac (LIEDER) but, at this very moment, I cannot see an alternative that would have the same effect.

    While a great anagram, I thought the definition gave the game away in 8d’s EASTENDERS.
    Still a fine clue.
    24ac is an splendid example of how smooth and natural a Rufus clue can be – easy [first one in] and wonderful at the same time.

    Many thanks to Rufus and manehi.

  31. Either this was a gentler Rufus or I’m improving. Thank you, manehi, for explaining ‘LAST’ in 28a and ‘PI’ in 23d. Both new terms to me.

  32. aw rufus you always make me feel cleverer than i probably am. a very witty and rewarding crossword. thankyou rufus and thanks to blogger.

  33. After a string of unsatisfying puzzles, this is Rufus back on top form with some witty and elegant clues.

    ADDICTS, COUPLE, SPORTS and ASH were all high quality. I had EASTENDERS as my favourite. Simple? Yes. But great surface.

    Thanks manehi and Rufus.

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