It’s time for my biannual Guardian Genius blog and this time Vlad is the setter
The preamble stated "Fourteen solutions are derived from seven common word pairs, each having a single letter interchanged. Clues for these contain the wordplay and letter count for the entry at that number but the definition contained is for the other derived air member. Fourteen further clues contain single superfluous words, which when correctly paired, give seven two-word definitions of the original word pairs. The seven remaining clues are normal"
In this type of puzzle I tend to try and decipher the wordplay first and then, if the definition in the clue clearly doesn’t relate to the wordplay I scan the other clues for a suitable definition. Once or twice, the entry rang some bells as to the likely form of the pair.
Having said all that, it was the superfluous words that began to fall the fastest with sex (8 across) and publishing (10 across) becoming apparent fairly quickly.
For me, the easiest pairings were SLIP & TACKLE (6d & 2d) and DARK & RIPE (14d & 17d) The most troublesome was BILLS & MOON (9a & 27d) until the penny finally dropped that all the required letters for the swap were already there. For a while I was looking at MOOR & HILLS and getting nowhere with two-word definitions
It’s not necessary to show evidence of knowing the correct well known phrases or evidence of associating the two-word definitions with the right phrase when submitting a competition entry, but for a blog it has to shown. I’m not 100% sure of associating the two-word definitions correctly but what I have done makes sense to me. Perhaps SLAP & TICKLE could be defined by sex play and KISS & TELL by private revelations. Possibly MILLS & BOON could be defined with sex as one of the words though I guess the company would prefer the word romance.
| Pairs of Entries | Well known pairing | Two-word definition |
| BILLS & MOON (9a & 27d) | MILLS & BOON | publishing people (10a, 29d) |
| RAW & OLDER (18a & 30a) | LAW & ORDER | civil obedience (21a, 16d) |
| YALE & HEARTH (1d & 23d) | HALE & HEARTY | very well (13d, 19d) |
| SLIP & TACKLE (6d & 2d) | SLAP & TICKLE | private play (31a, 25a) |
| KITS & SELL (3d & 28d) | KISS & TELL | sex revelation (8a, 19a) |
| DARK & RIPE (14d & 17d) | PARK & RIDE | transport system (15a, 8d) |
| LAKES & ACE (24d & 20a) | CAKES & ALE | Somerset book (11a, 7d) |
CAKES & ALE is a book by W Somerset Maugham
This was a puzzle that definitely got easier as it went on but it was a good challenge to get started.
| Across | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Clue | Link | Extra word | Wordplay | Entry |
|
8
|
Make a big thing of sex aid master broke (9)
|
|
sex
|
Anagram of (broke) AID MASTER DRAMATISE* |
DRAMATISE (make a big thing of) |
|
9
|
Book troubles Phoebe (5)
|
27 down
|
|
B (book) + ILLS (troubles)
|
BILLS (definition from 27 down: posters; they may advertise)
|
|
10
|
Publishing report jolts Arab leaders (7)
|
|
Publishing
|
SHEIKHS (sounds like [reports] SHAKES [jolts])
|
SHEIKHS (Arab leaders)
|
|
11
|
Get lost in South Somerset with nag (7)
|
Somerset
|
S (South) + CARPER (one who nags; nag)
|
SCARPER (run away; escape; get lost)
|
|
|
12
|
Games maker‘s new plan at Olympic opening (8)
|
|
|
N (new) + INTEND (plan) + O (first letter of [opening] OLYMPICS)
|
NINTENDO (Japanese computer company that designs and manufactures games and games consoles)
|
|
15
|
Handle transport working for hotel (6)
|
|
transport
|
HILT (handle) + ON (working)
|
HILTON (reference the HILTON hotel chain)
|
|
18
|
Earlier appeal head disregarded (3)
|
30 across
|
|
DRAW (appeal) excluding (disregarded) the first letter (head) D
|
RAW (definition from 30 across: green [inexperienced; RAW] or red [RAW as of red meat])
|
|
19
|
Shock revelation – money for image promotion suspect (7)
|
|
revelation
|
SURPRISE (shock) with M (money) replacing (for) PR (public relations; image promotion) SURMISE |
SURMISE (suspect)
|
|
20
|
Round city are places for water sports (3)
|
24 down
|
|
(EC [post code for the City of London] + A [are, unit of area]) reversed (round) (A CE)< |
ACE (definition from 24 down: one)
|
|
21
|
Elsie mentioned in song with civil partner – sweet! (6)
|
|
civil
|
LC (sounds like [mentioned] ELSIE) contained in (in) DUET (song performed with a partner) DU (LC) ET |
DULCET (sweet)
|
|
22
|
Hotel man’s drunk alcohol (8)
|
|
|
Anagram of (drunk) HOTEL MAN METHANOL* |
METHANOL (methyl alcohol)
|
| 25 |
Play Lincoln or Derby, say? (7)
|
|
Play
|
ABRAHAM (reference ABRAHAM DARBY [1678 – 1717], member of an important Quaker family in England] sounds like [say] DERBY) I think that’s the correct parsing but I’m open to better suggestions |
ABRAHAM (reference ABRAHAM Lincoln, former President of the United States)
|
|
28
|
Bird nothing to look at, as we heard earlier (3,4)
|
|
|
SEA (sounds like [we heard] SEE [to look at]) + DUCK (zero score in cricket; nothing) ‘Earlier’ signifies that SEA comes before DUCK
|
SEA DUCK (bird)
|
|
30
|
Green (or red) file fellow’s mislaid (5)
|
18 across
|
|
FOLDER (file) excluding (mislaid) F (fellow)
|
OLDER (definition from 18 across: earlier)
|
|
31
|
They’re offered round at private Lisbon dances (9)
|
|
private
|
O (round shape) + an anagram of (dances) AT LISBON O BLATIONS* |
OBLATIONS (things offered in worship)
|
| Down | |||||
| No. | Clue | Link | Extra Word | Wordplay | Entry |
|
1
|
Race round right away – where’s the fire? (4)
|
23 down
|
|
RELAY (form of competitive race) excluding (away) R (right) and then reversed (round) YALE< |
YALE (definition from 23 down: university)
|
|
2
|
Mistake upsetting two animals (6)
|
6 down
|
|
CAT (animal) reversed (upsetting; down clue) + ELK (animal) reversed (upsetting;down clue) giving upsetting two animals TAC< KLE< You could also look at it simply as (ELK + CAT) all reversed – TACKLE< |
TACKLE (definition from 6 down: set about)
|
|
3
|
Make acceptable cycling parody (4)
|
28 down
|
|
KITS (SKIT [parody] with the first letter S cycled to the end)
|
KITS (definition from 28 down: strips)
|
|
4
|
Joins in middle of week (4)
|
|
|
WEDS (joins in matrimony)
|
WEDS (Wednesday, middle of the week) double definition
|
|
5
|
One’s moving Table 4, in case (8)
|
|
|
A (one) + an anagram of (moving) (TABLE and IV [Roman numerals for 4)] A BLATIVE |
ABLATIVE (case in grammar)
|
|
6
|
Set about grabbing large drink? A little one (4)
|
2 down
|
|
SIP (drink) containing (grabbing) L (large) S (L) IP |
SLIP (definition from 2 down: mistake)
|
|
7
|
Disaffect with surprising set book selection (8)
|
|
book
|
Anagram of (surprising) SET + RANGE (selection) EST* RANGE |
ESTRANGE (disaffect)
|
|
8
|
Director wanting to know about cleaner system (5)
|
|
system
|
D (director) + (NOSY [wanting to know] reversed [about]) D YSON< |
DYSON (brand of vacuum cleaner)
|
|
13
|
One very welcome to hold onto post (5)
|
|
very
|
NEWEL (hidden word in [hold onto] ONE WELCOME)
|
NEWEL (upright post at the end or corner of a stair handrail)
|
|
14
|
First to display chest … ready (4)
|
17 down
|
|
D (first letter of [first to] DISPLAY) + ARK (chest or coffer)
|
DARK (definition from 17 down: not fair)
|
|
16
|
Threat regularly produced obedience in school (5)
|
|
obedience
|
TRA (letters 1, 3 and 5 of [regularly produced] of THREAT) + IN
|
TRAIN (school)
|
|
17
|
Rent’s close to extortionate – not fair (4)
|
14 down
|
|
RIP (tear; rent) + E (last letter of [close to] EXTORTIONATE)
|
RIPE (definition from 14 down: ready)
|
|
18
|
Sky expert back broadcasting – old job in the end protected (3,5)
|
|
|
DB (last letters [in the end] of each of OLD and JOB) contained in (protected) (REAR [back)] + ON [broadcasting]) RE (D B) AR ON |
RED BARON (BARON Manfred von Richtofen, widely known as the RED BARON, was a German fighter pilot with the Imperial German Army Air Service during the First World War; sky expert)
|
|
19
|
Well! Guide (female) take Henry inside for a date (8)
|
|
Well
|
SHE (female) + ( [PER {for a} + D {date}] containing [take … inside] H [henry; unit of inductance] SHE (P (H) ER D) |
SHEPHERD (guide)
|
|
23
|
End of research centre at top university (6)
|
1 down
|
|
HEART (centre) + H (final letter of [end of] RESEARCH) this is a down clue so we can put HEART on top of H
|
HEARTH (definition from 1 down: where’s the fire?) |
|
24
|
One visionary poet’s not British (5)
|
20 across
|
|
BLAKE’S (William BLAKE [1757 – 1827] was known as the visionary poet) excluding (not) B (British)
|
LAKES (definition from 20 across: places for water sports)
|
|
26
|
Priggish types essentially lacking in culture (4)
|
|
|
RUDE (central letters of [essentially] PRUDES [priggish types])
|
RUDE (lacking in culture)
|
|
27
|
They may advertise second leg (4)
|
9 across
|
|
MO (moment; second) + ON (descriptive of the leg side in cricket)
|
MOON (definition from 9 across: Phoebe is a MOON of Saturn)
|
|
28
|
Strips off with women – great (4)
|
3 down
|
|
SWELL (great) excluding (off with) W (women)
|
SELL (definition from 3 down: make acceptable)
|
|
29
|
People suspicious of us – we don’t know what they are up for (4)
|
|
People
|
Anagram of (suspicious) OF US UFOS* |
UFOS (Unidentified Flying Objects; we don’t know what they are up for)
|
Duncan, thanks for the blog – an admirably clear presentation of a complex puzzle.
With this type of puzzle I find the most difficult part is working out which species each clue is. The compensation is that the wordplay is mostly fairly gentle when you’ve worked out what’s what.
The added complication here was having to solve clues in pairs to be sure of the solutions.
Anyway, we got there in the end. First in was OBLATIONS.
We had Slap & Tickle as Sex Play, Kiss & Tell as Private Revelation, but on reflection your arrangement is probably better.
This was an excellent brain workout which took me a long time to figure out. Very clever setting. I love puzzles which last a long time and this is among the best I’ve ever tackled with so many different parts to it. Gave me a little frisson of delight each time I found a matching pair and its definition. Somerset had me stumped for a while till I found Cakes and Ale as I had Mills and Boon as Book People at first. Thank you!
Thanks Duncan. I agree that this was an excellent puzzle that was challenging and fun to solve.
I do have a slight reservation that one of its elements – the extra word pairs – wasn’t required for the solution. I made a mistake in thinking that “earlier” was an extra word in 28a, and had 15a marked as one of the “straight” clues (with a highly questionable parsing of H for handle and ILT possibly standing for Inner London Transport). As a result I couldn’t complete the pairings and I don’t really feel that I completed the puzzle. The fact that I was still able to submit a correctly filled-in grid doesn’t feel quite right somehow.
But this is a very minor quibble with yet another high quality Genius crossword – many thanks to Vlad.
Agreed, it was good fun. I liked the extra word pairs – they provided welcome confirmation that you were on the right track (or not, as the case may be!)
It was fun! Thanks for the guide, Duncan.
I was pretty much there. I had “sex play” and “private revelation” as Mr Beaver did. And I thought “earlier” was superfluous, like DuncT, and hadn’t spotted “civil” as superfluous in 21A… so had “earlier obedience” for LAW and ORDER which doesn’t make sense (I told myself “law and order” was an archaic phrase :-/). But good to know I got everything right in the completed grid despite that.
The only clue I didn’t understand was 20A – I knew it must be ACE but couldn’t parse the clueing. I hadn’t heard of or thought of A for are as a unit of area.
Almost certainly my fastest ever completed Genius, a few initial answers filled in one evening and then 4 or 5 hours straight work on it the following evening and I was there… found it fun, not frustrating as I occasionally do other Geniuses. A good level of challenge for me.