Everyman 3635

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Sound stuff from Everyman.

 

 

 

Abbreviations
cd  cryptic definition
dd  double definition
(xxxx)*  anagram
anagrind = anagram indicator
[x]  letter(s) removed

definitions are underlined

Across

1  Mad dogs in rather hard bargaining
HORSE-TRADING
(DOGS IN RATHER)*

9  Accommodated increase
PUT UP
A dd.

10  Porcelain‘s single feature covered by book article
BONE CHINA
An insertion of ONE and CHIN in B and A.

11  Sorry about piece inhibiting endless fun
REMORSEFUL
RE for ‘about’ followed by an insertion of FU[N] in MORSEL.

12  Source in good health
WELL
Another dd.

14  Stupid, miles behind inspector
DIM
A charade of DI for (detective) inspector and M.

15  Not on, cruelly dismissing verse in bossy style
OFFICIOUSLY
A charade of OFF and [V]ICIOUSLY.

17  Bottle with nothing inside irritated northern film star
SOPHIA LOREN
Everyman likes this kind of stuff.  It’s PHIAL plus O inserted in SORE, followed by N.

19  Right account about estate?
CAR
A reversal of R AC.

20  Spoils sound of stringed instrument
LOOT
A homophone of ‘lute’.

21  Card from old English poet filled with love
PASTEBOARD
Not a word I’d come across before, but it’s PAST, E and O in BARD.

24  Guess clue wrongly in rush
SPECULATE
An insertion of (CLUE)* in SPATE.

25  Time occupied by leading pair in return match
AGREE
The ‘leading pair in return’ are RE.  Put that in AGE and you’ve got your answer.

26  The art involved in cookery is awesome
BREATHTAKING
An insertion of (THE ART)* in BAKING.

Down

2  Choose mother to protect one? That’s best
OPTIMUM
An insertion of I in OPT and MUM.

3  Individual in charge following us up very fast
SUPERSONIC
SU is ‘us up’.  You need to put PERSON and IC after that.

4  Story about British chart
TABLE
An insertion of B in TALE.

5  Presenter can run one ragged
ANNOUNCER
(CAN RUN ONE)*

6  Desire degree? No pressure
ITCH
[P]ITCH

7  Top tips for explorer in good small aircraft
GLIDERS
An insertion of LID and ER, which are the outside letters of ‘explorer’ in G and S.

8  Big early bid, working with energy, to make military crossing
BAILEY BRIDGE
(BIG EARLY BID E)*

9  Broadcast serial, top sad epic
PARADISE LOST
(SERIAL TOP SAD)* for Milton’s work.

13  Spot empty space at close range
POINT BLANK
A simple charade of POINT and BLANK.

16  Guy with role became unable to cope
FELL APART
Another charade, of FELLA and PART.

18  Saw traveller in lead
PROVERB
‘Saw’ in its ‘adage’ sense.  ROVER in PB for the chemical symbol for ‘lead’.

19  Facial expression after tea showing dissatisfaction
CHAGRIN
A charade of CHA and GRIN.

22  Handle danger, disposing of hydrogen
TREAT
T[H]REAT

23  Pretty odd members of club, then?
CUTE
The odd letters of ClUb ThEn.

Many thanks to Everyman for this morning’s puzzle.

16 comments on “Everyman 3635”

  2. Thanks for the blog, Pierre. This was a nice – not too taxing – diversion. I had to guess SOPHIA LOREN from the crossers so thank you for parsing that for us.

  3. Thank you Everyman and Pierre.

    I enjoyed this puzzle, but got tied up trying to decide whether to enter LOOT at 20a, with PROVERB at 18d, or LUTE with POTHERB – “Saw” brier being a potherb, and parsing “traveller” as OTHER (fear of the “other”) in PB.

  6. I found it more difficult to get started than I usually do with an Everyman, and it took me a long time to parse GLIDERS and FELL APART. Other than that, a standard enjoyable Everyman. Favourites included SPECULATE, BREATHTAKING and CUTE.

    Thanks, Everyman and Pierre.

  8. Just noticed that this is the 500th entry for Everyman, 3,136 being the first as far as I can tell. Worthy of note I’d say!

  9. Not too hard but absolutely none the less enjoyable for that.

    Pasteboard was a bit of a guess, got the bOard but missed the PastE.

    Just not sure about Treat = Handle in 22D?

    Otherwise all good, thanks Pierre and Everyman, good luck Andy Murray.

  11. Yes enjoyed this one. Hadn’t heard of pasteboard either. Don’t understand 6 D . Itch = degree?
    Otherwise all enjoyable.

  12. Perhaps pitch = degree.
    Mixed up loot and lute and got potherb. Last one in Pasteboard.
    Thanks to Pierre for the parsing.
    Quite a tricky puzzle but intriguing and fun.

  13. I thought pitch = degree like the pitch of a roof. Am sure it is possibly true in physics speak
    did anyone else optimal instead of optimum and then ground to a halt with 14 ac
    I really dont understand the RE in 25ac didnt get that explanation at all? Can anyone explain clearer than given reason?

  14. Vanessa, I think by “leading pair” he means the first two letters. I.e. The re of return. I found it confusing too.

  16. Apologies, I should have explained RE in AGREE better. Audrey has made it clear.

    Barrie, TREAT for HANDLE is okay, I think: to treat a situation with care/to handle a situation with care.

    Watching Murray in the final is on the agenda today. Not as exciting as England v New Zealand at cricket, but I’ll have to wait a bit for that …

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