Guardian 26,884 / Paul

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We normally find Paul’s crosswords a breeze, but got very stuck on this one…

I think there was a combination of things that made this tough for us – a few words that were less-than-familiar, like IMARI, BLACKTHORN (except in the context of cider), ROBINIA and FLAMBEAU or bits of slang or phrases that seem rather dated or were just difficult to bring to mind, e.g. STROLL ON, MIDDLE-AGE SPREAD, LIKE STINK. And there were a couple of bits of the cryptic parsing that I found awkward, e.g. “between the two” meaning “in II”, “poem to Chelsea” being BUN SONNET.

Anyway, these were very good clues on the whole – just a bit much for us as a whole!

Across

9. Dirty dog’s ending in no little trouble (3-6)
ILL-GOTTEN
[do]G = “dog’s ending” in (NO LITTLE)* Thanks to jennyk for correcting a typo here
Definition: “Dirty”

10. China in Japan, damage between the two (5)
IMARI
MAR = “damage” in II = “two”
Definition: “China in Japan”; Chambers says that Imari is “a type of Japanese porcelain, richly decorated in red, green and blue”

11. Saving a little time, don’t stay to see opera singer (7)
DOMINGO
MIN = “a little time” in DO GO = “don’t stay”
Definition: “opera singer” referring to Plácido Domingo

12. Union supporter on course to return in Chinese dynasty (7)
MEETING
TEE = “supporter” reversed (“on course to return”) in MING = “Chinese dynasty”
Definition: “Union”

13. Runner caught someone at the top (4)
EXEC
EXE = “Runner” (the river Exe) + C = “caught” (from cricket scoring)
Definition: “someone at the top”, referring to a company executive

14. Straggly branch OK with tall, hollow bush (10)
BLACKTHORN
(BRANCH OK TL)* – the TL in the anagram fodder is from “tall, hollow”
Definition: “bush”

16. Painter, way less than a month through the alcohol (7)
GAUGUIN
AUGU[st] = “month” without ST = “way”, in GIN = “alcohol”
Definition: Painter, referring to Paul Gauguin (whose name, it turns out, I’d been misspelling, thinking it ended ‘gin’…)

17. Picture lover in ecstasy during fling (7)
CINEAST
IN + E = “ecstasy” in CAST = “fling”
Definition: “Picture lover”

19. Drooling, one throwing up during chant (10)
SLOBBERING
LOBBER = “one throwing up” in SING = “chant”
Definition: “Drooling”

22. Shake hands on mammal with flippers (4)
SEAL
Double definition: “mammal with flippers” and “Shake hands on” (I guess as in “to seal the deal” / “to shake hands on the deal”)

24. Bird I adore’s heading for flowering shrub (7)
ROBINIA
ROBIN = “Bird” + I + A[dore] = “adore’s heading”
Definition: “flowering shrub” – I’m terrible at plants wasn’t surprised when this turned out to be a plant I’d never heard of (goodness, there are so many of them)

25, 26. Looking away when gran nude, is it surprising? (7,5)
TURNING ASIDE
(GRAN NUDE IS IT)*
Definition: “Looking away”

27. Leader, the best of the bunch? (3,6)
TOP BANANA
Double definition: “Leader” and “the best of the bunch?”

Down

1. Essentially, fat insects pumped with lead shot, then pared off (6-3,6)
MIDDLE-AGE SPREAD
MIDGES = “insects” around (LEAD)* + (PARED)*
Definition: “Essentially, fat” – I’m not sure what “Essentially” is implying here? Just that the fat would be around the middle of your body? Update: thanks to everyone who pointed out that this is highlighting that MIDDLE-AGE SPREAD is a euphemism, which “essentially” means “fat”

2. Torch, innocent thing in iron and gold (8)
FLAMBEAU
LAMB = “innocent thing” in FE = “iron” + AU = “gold”
Definition: “Torch”; Chambers defines “flambeau” as “a flaming torch; a large candlestick”

3. Certain limit (5)
BOUND
Double definition: “certain” and “limit”

4. Giant captured by boy, well I never! (6,2)
STROLL ON
TROLL = “Giant” in SON = “boy”
Definition: “well I never!” – I’ve never heard “stroll on” used before, but Chambers says it’s “an exclamation of surprise, disbelief (often used ironically)”

5. Briefly witty as some comic, I’m on guard being sent up (6)
GNOMIC
Hidden reversed in “[comi]C I’M ON G[uard]”
Definition: “Briefly witty”

6. Enjoy a furore very much (4,5)
LIKE STINK
LIKE = “Enjoy” + STINK = “a furore”
Definition: “very much”

7. Las Vegas establishment equally popular, business raking it in (6)
CASINO
AS = “equally” + IN = “popular” all in CO = “business”
Definition: “Las Vegas establishment”

8. Noted communication error mine, alert leader in government when trebly confused (7,8)
SINGING TELEGRAM
SIN = “error” + (MINE ALERT GGG)* – the anagram fodder is from MINE + ALERT + GGG = “leader in government trebly” Thanks to woody for correcting the parsing here
Definition: “Noted communication”

15. Spooner’s poem to Chelsea that may go to one’s head? (3,6)
SUN BONNET
A Spoonerism of BUN SONNET = “poem to Chelsea” (referring to Chelsea buns). This seems a bit vague to me; would you ever refer to a Chelsea bun just as a “Chelsea”?
Definition: “that may go to one’s head?”

17. Monument, knock one up in church (8)
CENOTAPH
PAT = “knock” (! though Chambers suggests this is an old sense, saying “to strike (now only to strike gently)”) + ONE all reversed in CH = “church”
Definition: “Monument”

18, 23. A quality detailed, and among the best, as a nation’s aspiration for a better life (8,5)
AMERICAN DREAM
A + MERI[t] = “quality detailed” (de-tailed) followed by AND in CREAM = “the best”
Definition: “a nation’s aspiration for a better life”

20. Leg before wicket partly, one way to get out? (2,4)
ON BAIL
ON = “Leg” + BAIL = “wicket partly” (a bail is one of the cross-piece on top of the wicket in cricket)
Definition: “one way to get out?” as in to get out of prison on bail

21. US property concerned with key industry, ultimately (6)
REALTY
RE = “concerned with” + ALT = “key” + [industr]Y = “industry, ultimately”
Definition: “US property”

33 comments on “Guardian 26,884 / Paul”

  1. Thanks to Paul and mhl. LIKE STINK defeated me, but over the course of the week I managed to fight through the rest of the clues. I did parse IMARI and ROBINIA and then looked them up (I did know BLACKTHORN) but needed help parsing ON BAIL (again the cricket part of the answer eluded me) and never before encountered STROLL ON (though the cluing was sufficient). A puzzle that kept me busy and engaged for a long time.

  2. Thanks mhl and Paul. Another pleasant outing though STROLL ON and LIKE STINK weren’t in my vocab and I didn’t know IMARI either: but all three had to be what they were, so there.

  3. I enjoyed this puzzle, although I failed to solve 13a (EXEC)

    New word for me was LIKE STINK.

    My favourites were IMARI, AMERICAN DREAM, TOP BANANA, SUN BONNET, SINGING TELEGRAM & MIDDLE-AGE SPREAD.

    Thanks Paul and mhl

  4. Paul’s recent puzzles have been a little trickier than usual. This one was quite a challenge, but I did manage to finish it unaided on the train. Plenty of smiles as usual.

    Thanks to Paul and mhl

  5. Thanks Paul and mhl
    I’m a bit surprised that STROLL ON isn’t known – lots of people I know say it (though it would spring to my lips!). I knew LIKE STINK too, though I confess it took me some time to get the STINK (LOI) despite the crossers.

  7. btw currently his blog is listed as “Uncategorized”, so it doesn’t show up under the “Guardian” tab.

  9. Thank you Paul and mhl.

    I had an enjoyable struggle trying to finish this, luckily knew IMARI since I have some of the porcelain, but stupidly failing on EXEC, “runner” for a river not coming to my mind!

  10. I finished this On Wednesday so it couldn’t have been one of Paul’s most difficult puzzles. It was very enjoyable though and I felt like Bill Tutte (he never gets the credit he deserves), when I finished this puzzle. Last two were IMARI and LIKE STINK which sounds like something Billy Bunter might have said. I would have thought that STROLL ON was a common enough phrase especially for an English resident but apparently not.

    Many thanks to mhl and Paul.

  11. Certainly much easier than yesterday’s Paul and much more to my taste. The only delay I experienced was self inflicted- misspelling GAUGUIN-which made SUN BONNET impossible. Once I’d corrected the misspelling-U in:H out- all became clear.
    All in all,a nice puzzle.
    Thanks Paul.

  12. The anagram fodder for 8 down should be mine alert ggg (leader in government when trebly), after sin.

  13. Got this all – eventually – except for SUN BONNET (arggh!) Thanks for putting us out of our misery 🙂

  14. Thanks Paul and mhl

    In 1D I think that ‘essentially’ is referring to the fact that ‘MIDDLE-AGE SPREAD’ is a euphemistic term for what is ‘essentially fat’ that its owners don’t really want to admit to.

  15. Thanks Paul and mhl

    As usual, only looked at this one this morning and the practice of his harder Friday one must have put me in good stead for this. Worked pretty quickly through the right hand side and happy to deduce IMARI (and had to look it up to check) after initially thinking the hidden PANDA was the obvious answer.

    The left hand side was a bit tougher and it wasn’t until the cleverly defined (‘essentially, fat’) MIDDLE-AGE SPREAD was revealed that opened it up. The last few in were STROLL ON (a new term to me), DOMINGO (why does one initially always think an opera singer clue is female?) and BOUND.

    Have said it before but am still amazed that this fellow can produce so many high class puzzles week after week.

  16. Enjoyable and challenging, as a Prize crossword should be. I didn’t know STROLL ON, and LIKE STINK is only slightly familiar, but both clues are fair. I agree with Simon S @14 that for 1d the “essentially” is suggesting that in essence MIDDLE-AGE SPREAD is just a euphemism for “fat”. Favourites include DOMINGO, EXEC, ROBINIA, TURNING ASIDE, TOP BANANA, AMERICAN DREAM and REALTY.

    mhl, for 9a you have “[do]G = “got’s ending”” rather than “dog’s”.

    Thanks, Paul and mhl.

  17. Thanks both. I enjoyed this very much last week. Got stuck on ‘exec’ but eventually it dawned when seeking a solution with friends. Do other people solve crosswords cooperatively? A real pleasure to me.

    Is it time to pension off crossword cliches like ‘banker’, ‘runner’ and ‘flower’ for river? They are a kind of code that excludes the new enthusiast while failing to provide entertainment to the experienced solver. What other cliches would people add to the list?

  18. That depends on the context.

    If the clues REALLY mislead you in the direction of bankers, runners, and flowers, then why not.

  19. Thanks mhl. Put me down as another who pencilled in PANDA for 10a and who couldn’t spell GAUGUIN. I had a bit of trouble reconciling the anagram fodder in 8d and toyed with EDEN for 13a, my LOI.

  21. I have encountered LIKE STINK before, in a 1920s context, but with the meaning “very fast” rather than just “very much” (“the new motorbike goes like stink” says T.E.Lawrence in one of his letters). In any case it is very dated slang – though it’s the sort of thing, like STROLL ON, that might be common currency in your own family so that you don’t realise that nobody much says it any more.

    Anyway, a very enjoyable puzzle. Thanks Paul.

  22. Oh yes, the cliches – one day “winger” will actually mean a footballer and not a bird or butterfly, but it’s very useful for worrying the non-sporting solver!

  23. Tyngewick @17 – for me the reason for keeping the old cliches is that once upon a time I was a new solver and enjoyed all the penny-drop moments when I finally figured them out. They are no longer new to me, but it seems a little selfish to say that because I have seen them all they should be discontinued. New solvers deserve the same pleasure at seeing them for the first time as I did.

    There are plenty of other crosswords one can move onto when the Guardian becomes too easy or too familiar. It is not realistic to expect any newspaper to change to keep pace with one’s own personal development as a solver.

  24. Gladys @22 et al
    It’s not all that rare for such words to be used with their ‘normal’ meanings, and then we can be misled if we are in the habit of assuming that they are being used in those clichéd ways. A “winger” may really be a footballer, and a “runner” may be an athlete or a ski or some other alternative to a river. For the more experienced solver, the “aha!” moments come from those sneaky clues instead of from decoding the clichés as PeeDee describes @23.

  25. Thanks for the comments, everyone – I’ve applied the corrections everyone’s suggested, I think.

    davy said:

    I would have thought that STROLL ON was a common enough phrase especially for an English resident but apparently not

    ha! Despite being nearly 40 and having grown up in the UK, I honestly can’t ever remember hearing it.

    Just for fun, here’s the prevalence of “stroll on” in Google’s ngram corpus from 1800 to 2000:

    https://books.google.com/ngrams/graph?content=stroll+on&year_start=1800&year_end=2000&corpus=15&smoothing=3&share=&direct_url=t1%3B%2Cstroll%20on%3B%2Cc0

    The peak usage in their book collection was in about 1880, although it looks like there’s been a slight pick-up since the mid 1970s. I wonder why….

  26. Of course, those occurrences might be from completely different usages like “they went for a stroll on the beach”, hence “just for fun” 🙂

  28. mhl@26 – if you just plot the prevalence of “stroll” on its own you get a similar peak and trough, so no, unfortunately it doesn’t look like it’s saying anything about the phrase itself. But we do seem to be strolling a lot more these days than we did in the 70s.

    Thanks for the blog, and to Paul for the puzzle.

  29. The other use for “wingers” is to indicate the outer letters of a word: Arsenal wingers = AL…

    No, I don’t think we should do away with the cliches, if only for the reason @jennyk gives: once in a while the setter pulls a double-bluff and it really IS a footballer!

  30. On 12 I think the parsing of EET is “supporter on course” reversed (to return)

    Due to china refs at first thiught Chelsea clue might have referred to the Pottery not a cake!

  31. Thanks mhl and Paul.

    I must have been on the right wavelength because I raced through this starting with ILL GOTTEN (no comment Sil and Brucew – if you read this you know what I mean) and finished with TOP BANANA.

    ROBINIA is a very popular shrub – otherwise known as ‘Red Robin’ – usually grown for it’s colourful foliage rather than its flowers.

    Blackthorn should also be well known to those who like to soak sloes in Gin.

    I must be old because I had no trouble with the two supposedly obscure exclamations.

    Enjoyable.

  32. Ha ha Hamish … at least Paul didn’t bring in the wages – he just talked about the sin 🙂 (Dante post of 5/5 for others)

  33. Thanks Bruce.

    By the way, I’d like to apologise for the complete bollocks I wrote about ROBINIA which has nothing I do with Photinia ‘Red Robin’.

    Unfortunately my brain is very small and sometimes gets disconnected whilst rattling round in the empty space up there!

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