I didn’t know what to expect after a quite remarkable week of puzzles, so, before I went to bed, I sneaked a look at the Guardian website to see who awaited me in the morning. Brummie! – so I then peeped at the 15² archive to refresh my memory re recent puzzles and was reminded that the most recent ones had been themed around the Gormenghast books and Woody Allen films. ‘Oh dear’, I thought, and went to bed to [try to] sleep before my paper arrived in the morning – always so much more comforting to solve in the paper than on a print-out!
As expected from a Brummie, this was enjoyable in a different way from the other puzzles this week. As one who delights in smooth, witty surfaces, I knew not to expect them here, so I wasn’t disapponted, but there were some nicely constructed clues and a few aha moments. In several cases, the answer came from the definition and the crossers, with the parsing coming later [or not, in a couple of cases].
One thing to expect from Brummie is a theme, and I spotted this one about two thirds of the way through – indicated at 18ac*. I’ve probably missed some, but you can fill them in.
As I said, a quite remarkable week of very different styles pf puzzle. I’ve enjoyed them all, so many thanks to the Editor – and, of course, to Brummie, for rounding it off so well.
Across
1 Crook who operates in Australian shed? (7)
FLEECER
Double / cryptic definition
5 Bopping manual restriction (7)
CUFFING
Another double / cryptic definition, cuff and bop both meaning a light blow and cuffs slang for handcuffs
9 Hero Elsie had declared (2,3)
EL CID
Sounds like [?] [declared] ‘Elsie’d’
10 Wallpaper line spoilt curtains (9)
LINCRUSTA
L [line] + an anagram [spoilt] of CURTAINS
I never knew the name of this wallcovering but its appearance is familiar enough
11 What might follow mock electric outlet spur (6,4)
TURTLE SOUP
Anagram [electric?] of OUTLET SPUR – one of Brummie’s more bizarre surfaces
12 Skirt backing, say, removed from sign (4)
*MINI
geMINI [sign] minus reversal [backing] of eg [say]
14 Relief rupture unit (11)
SUBDIVISION
SUB [relief] + DIVISION [rupture]
18 Wheels out awful modern artworks after one (11)
AUTOMOBILES
A [one] + an anagram [awful] of OUT + MOBILES [modern artworks]
21 Flower people not hippies, originally (4)
IRIS
IRIS[h] [people] minus h[ippies] – now that is a nice surface!
22 Swinging a putter in waste water? Keep going! (10)
PERPETUATE
Anagram [swinging] of A PUTTER in PEE [waste water] – and that one’s not so bad, either
25 Tree associated with common colour (4,5)
LIME GREEN
LIME [tree] + GREEN [common – as in village green]
26 Know instinctively time’s gone for the people (5)
INUIT
IN[t]UIT [know instinctively] minus t [time]
27 Form of grape that’s bolted in short (7)
CURRANT
RAN [bolted] in CURT [short]
28 Seaweed-draped motor home holiday area (7)
ALGARVE
RV [recreational vehicle – motor home] in ALGAE [seaweed]
Down
1 Contemptuous cries raised at carnival (6)
*FIESTA
FIES [contemptuous cries] – not usually seen in the plural but this is Crosswordland + a reversal [raised] of AT
2 Retailer disposing of capital — right time for company (6)
*ESCORT
[t]ESCO [retailer minus its capital] + R [right] T [time – again]
3 Cold model used to be otherwise — nicely plump (10)
CUDDLESOME
C [cold] + an anagram [to be otherwise] of MODEL USED
4 Levels subs etc (5)
*ROLLS
Double definition? I can’t quite see this one: level as in rolling pastry, perhaps but I don’t know about the subs – over to you
5 Bun in oven initially jarred when entering state of matrimony (9)
CONNUBIAL
Anagram [jarred] of BUN IN O[ven] in CAL [state] – this has the makings of a nice surface but doesn’t quite do it for me
6 Doctor of climbing is cross (4)
*FORD
Reversal [climbing] of DR OF
7 Where there’s proof to be determined, though not actually there (2,6)
IN SPIRIT
Cryptic definition, referring to the strength [proof] of alcoholic spirits
8 Bank to let, including sink (8)
GRADIENT
GRANT [let] round DIE [sink]
13 Possibly the Big Bang fright isn’t over (5,5)
FIRST THING
Anagram [over] of FRIGHT ISN’T
15 Stronghold of those believing fervently in the USA (5,4)
BIBLE BELT
Crypticish definition
16 Swine sickly at a cold Gironde commune (8)
*CADILLAC
CAD [swine] + ILL [sickly] + A C [cold – again]
17 Temperature resistance in stew might be an aid for the gardener (8)
STRIMMER
T [temperature] + R [resistance] in SIMMER [stew]
19 Animal keeper has no way to enter vessel (6)
*JAGUAR
GUA[rd] [keeper minus rd – road {way}] in JAR [vessel]
20 Insect, source of sugar, having large enzyme openings (6)
*BEETLE
BEET [source of sugar] + first letters [openings] of Large Enzyme
23 What makes English pop an endangered species? (5)
*PANDA
P AND A spells PA [English? ‘pop’]
24 *Granada’s offbeat and retiring as a city (4)
AGRA
I can’t see how this one works, either, but I know someone will soon tell me, so I won’t hold the blog up any longer while I think.
Hi Eileen – thanks for the blog.
In 4, I think SUB = ROLLS in the sense of a Sub[marine] Roll as purchased from Greggs, Subway, etc.
24 is GRANADA with AND ‘retiring’ (removed) and an anagram of what’s left.
AGRA = Anagram (offbeat) of Granada with ‘and’ missing (retiring)
Thanks Brummie and Eileen for enjoyable crossword and blog. 4d Subs as in “Sub Rolls”, sandwiches. 24d Anagram of Granada with “and” retiring
Thanks Eileen and Brummie –
24d removes ‘AND’ from GRANADA (‘and retiring’) – then scrambles what’s left (‘offbeat’).
I can’t say this was my favourite crossword this week (I have a native mistrust of any puzzle that feels the need to resort to parochial obscurities like 10a) – but at least it didn’t require a knowledge of Welsh geography. Definitely not dull.
Thanks, all. I knew it wouldn’t take long. Isn’t this a wonderful site?
I don’t think I’d ever have seen 4dn but I should have seen AGRA. I have to say I much prefer Donk’s clue in yesterday’s Indy puzzle:
‘Indian city Upper Sixth vacates’. 😉
Thank you Eileen – loved the intro!
Found this tough but fair.
I think rolls referred to as ‘subs’ originated in the US where a long roll would be split and filled and resembled a submarine in shape.
Did not enjoy being reminded of LINCRUSTA. We moved into a house once which was covered in the wretched stuff and proved impervious to all known means of removal.
Is WHEELS used in this way a synechdoche?
I usually fail at least to some extent with this setter so was pleased to round of the week with a full set.
Nice weekend, all.
Thanks Brummie and Eileen.
This puzzle was great, don’t know where to begin with favourites, IN SPIRIT, IRIS, PERPETUATE, MINI…
Needed help with parsing FORD and PANDA, the short words often catch me out.
4d, all I could think of was that when one SUBS (subscribes) one enters one’s name in a list of contributors, i.e. on an official list or register, a ROLL. The sandwich sounds more likely!
There are two other cars, the Tata IRIS and the EL CID Citroen Mehari kit car.
Hi William
“Is WHEELS used in this way a synechdoche?”
Well, yes – but fairly well known slang for ‘car’, I think.
Thanks Brummie and Eileen
I think the levelling aspect of ROLLS possibly has more to do with a cricket pitch than pastry: with the latter aren’t you trying more to spread it out than flatten it?
I liked 11 very much, a good spot on Brummie’s part.
Thanks, Eileen. You’re quite right of course…just interested is all.
Me too, William – I had to think for a moment whether it was synecdoche or metonym. 😉
I wouldn’t say that 10ac is fair for those solvers who like to complete a puzzle without resort to aids. I had to check my Chambers to see which of LINCRUSTA or “luncrista” was the correct arrangement of the anagram fodder after I decided any other arrangement was less likely.
Thanks Brummie, a steady but enjoyable solve not aided by LINCRUSTA.
Thanks Eileen, I thought the BIBLE BELT clue was a bit weak, but I liked IN SPIRIT.
Synechdoche reminded me of the film of that name that we watched one New Year’s Eve – highly thought-of by some critics, so I believe. I thought it was one of the worst films ever. So, if you get the chance, avoid it! Other views are of course permissible.
Synechdoche xxxxxx!
Edited by Admin to remove a term that is classified as “vulgar slang”.
FLS – I see that I also had to edit your last comment, posted in October 2012, for a similar reason. Please desist from using vulgar or offensive language on this site.
LINCRUSTA is not in the OCED. I suppose because it is a trade name, but linoleum is given (both are made with linseed oil). I remembered the word from the book Excellent Women by Barbara Pym. The Learned Society’s lecture room had a ‘lincrusta’ ceiling. I stupidly assumed that meant moulded plaster.
Can’t say I really enjoyed this, but it worked out in the end. LINCRUSTA and STRIMMER were hard going as I hadn’t heard of either before this puzzle – I had to look up both online to check that the wordplay was giving me the right solutions!
It struck me that the denizens of 15d wouldn’t be happy with the Big Bang being described as 13d. I wonder whether Brummie had some mischief in mind with that juxtaposition! 🙂
Many thanks to Brummie and Eileen.
Cookie @15: Wallpaper on the ceiling? Surely that’s a rarity! (Or have I just led a very sheltered life?)
Abhay @17, exactly, that is why I assumed it was plaster! Quoting, ‘The room was very high with a lincrusta ceiling and an elaborate mantelpiece of brawn-like marble.’
[Abhay @16, wonder what 15d would think of 7d?]
Wallpaper on the ceiling! Oh yes done it many times. Even used Lincrusta. But mainly common or garden woodchip. The main purpose being to hide the cracks in old ceiling before applying emulsion. But a definite art form and prone to many slips and accidents and much amusement for on-lookers
Hi TOPSie
Certainly haven’t *done* it many times but the ceilings of my Edwardian home are woodchipped throughout. Far too laborious to remove, so they’ve just been painted over – several times. Since it’s over thirty years since we moved in here, I pity the poor people who think of removing it!
[William @6, no wonder you could not get rid of the LINCRUSTA. The architect A.S.G. Butler reminiscing about his work as a building inspector in war damaged London wrote of ‘the triumph of lincrusta,’ adding ‘I do not mean aesthetically, but quite the opposite, in a military sense. No material, I think, has stood up to blast so stoutly.’]
Thanks, Eileen.
I’m afraid I found this a bit of a slog: too many clunky clues and clumsy surfaces, and not (IMHO) up to Brummie’s usual standard. I’m usually pretty indulgent when it comes to wobbly homophones, but 9a made me wince (though the solution was obvious from the enumeration). And in what sense is ‘pa’ ‘English pop’? Both these paternal hypocorisms are much commoner in American usage, surely?
Sorry.
However, I did like IRIS, ESCORT and IN SPIRIT.
Hi Gervase
I agree with all your reservations [hence my question marks in each of the two clues you mention] except the ‘bit of a slog’. In spite of the clunky clues, which, as I said, are, on the whole, to be expected from Brummie, I did still enjoy it.
Oh dear, I find the comments harder than the crossword today, and feel uneducated classically (or is it classically uneducated), hypocorisms, synecdoche, metonyme…none recognised by the spell check.
At least Gaufrid is being lenient with the maths, 1 + two = ?
I wonder if 23d PANDA refers to Panda Pops, a brand of fizzy pop that used to be popular back in the 1970s and ’80s?
Didn’t really like this, felt like a bit of a slog, and not sure if Brummie can really write like some of the other compilers.
I don’t think LINCRUSTA was fair as an anagram, too obscure.
Amazing what a good night’s sleep will do. I started this last night (here in the U.S. central time zone, the puzzles usually go up at 6 p.m.; last night, though, I started at about 9). Several of the longer clues eluded me, and I went to bed. Then I woke up this morning, and finished the half-or-so that I had left in less than fifteen minutes.
Well, except for one: I had never heard of Lincrusta.
The Bible Belt clue doesn’t seem very cryptic at all to me. Sure, “in the USA” is placed in such a way to make it possibly seem like the believers are super-patriotic, not super-religious, but that’s the less plausible reading.
Cookie @25, synecdoche and metonymy (which the spell checker is fine with) are similar figures of speech; most people of my acquaintance had to learn the difference at some point in high school, and almost all of them promptly forgot as soon as the class was over. One of them is “the part to represent the whole,” and the other is “an attribute of a thing to represent the thing itself.” Except that both can also work vice versa. I just looked up, not ten minutes ago, which was which, and–well, dang, I’ve already forgotten again.
Also: there’s a movie called “Synecdoche, New York.” (I haven’t seen it, but it’s directed by the always excellent Charlie Kaufman.) That, of course, is a pun on Schenectady, New York.
[Thanks mrpenney, even after that my spell checker won’t accept synecdoche, but it is now OK with metonymy. It is on English English, won’t accept color.]
Never heard of Lincrusta, but from the above comments it seems my life has not been diminished by the lack! I’ve always thought words like that are better clued as charades as using an anagram makes it rather like shooting at an invisible target.
Talking of invisible, there seems to be an extra blank line in the the blog for 10. Presumably it would have read l + (curtains)*
I really struggled with this – I just wasn’t on Brummie’s wavelength today at all, and would never have finished it without the Check button. Last in was SUBDIVISION. LINCRUSTA was also new to me and far from obvious even with the fodder and crossers. Didn’t help myself by writing FIRST NIGHT either (should have realised that that made no sense). So quite a humbling experience (in fact this took me longer than the Picaroon on Tuesday) – though in restrospect it is all quite fair.
Thanks to Brummie and Eileen
still don’t get SUBDIVISION
Quite right, Derek @31: fixed now – but I’ve messed up the spacing.
Amazing – everyone was so hung up on the answer that not one noticed I’d somehow deleted the parsing! [I’ve googled it again and found that it costs nearly £150 a roll. Perhaps some of us are just not posh enough.]
Hi Eileen
“… but I’ve messed up the spacing.”
Spacing corrected.
keith thomas @ 33: I thought Eileen’s explanation was quite clear. SUB = relief, as in a substitute taking over; DIVISION = rupture, as in a division in the ranks. A SUBDIVISION is a unit.
Hi keith thomas @33 – you posted while I was editing.
It’s just a charade of SUB = relief* + DIVISION = rupture to give the definition ‘unit’. The surface is unintelligible to me.
*I wasn’t ever so happy with this but thought it must be in the sense of a substitute, someone who takes over. I’ve just looked up ‘relief’ in Chambers, which gives: ‘a person who releases another by taking his or her place’
Many thanks Eileen & Brummie.
The house in which I was born had LINCRUSTA on the ceiling of my bedroom and I recall following its patterns when I was in my cot.
It’s my earliest memory!
Thanks, Gaufrid, as ever. 😉
And thanks Abhay @36 for a more succinct explanation – you posted while I was consulting Chambers!
“Relief” for a substitute makes most sense to me in a military context (“your relief is on the way”) or in a baseball one (when the starting pitcher is replaced by a sub, the replacement is called a “relief pitcher”). But since baseball is practically a foreign language in this context, I’m sure he was thinking of the army one.
But I agree with Eileen that it’s a little iffy either way. In “relief pitcher,” the word is being used as an adjective; and in the military sense, I don’t think you’d ever actually call them subs anyway.
And while we’re on that annoying word “sub,” I should mention my peeve with 4d: I can certainly go down to the store to buy a sub roll, but I wouldn’t call those rolls, collectively, “subs.” A sub roll is a roll for making a sub(marine sandwich). So “subs” are sandwiches, not rolls.
–M.
Not only have I learnt about LINCRUSTA but I’ve also found out that CONNUBIAL has two Ns. And I thought I could spell.
Never saw the theme or else I might not have entered PAUILLAC at 16d. There were enough obscurities to lead me to think there might have been a pig called a pau. Should have checked.
I really didn’t like this at all – I agree entirely with Gervase. Maybe it is because my brian is slow today through having a head cold.
I too put FIRST NIGHT, which ruined the BR.
Failed to notice the theme, too, which would have helped if I had.
mrpenny, I have never been able to get my tongue round Schenectady – how do you pronounce it?
[Bryan Clough @38, the house where I was born had walls of jute cloth with paper on because of earthquakes, but the curtains were dark green with a twirly cream lincrusta-like pattern, and they are my earliest memory.]
Cookie @22 Ha-ha! Absolutely my memory of the wretched stuff…blast proof.
mrpenney@28 and abhay@16: is it not the case that many in the BIBLE BELT (not a very cryptic clue incidentally) accept the Big Bang, indeed square it perfectly with Genesis? One book on this is called ‘God: the Unauthorised Biography by one Harriger, as I recall.
Dave Ellison @43: Schenectady is Ska-NECK-ta-dee (the first and third vowels are schwas; so “It’s Schenectady” is an exact homophone for “It’s connected, E!)
And molonglo @46: one feature of conservative American Christianity is that it comes in many, many flavors. While many Bible-thumpers from the Bible Belt have no problem with the Big Bang or Darwin or {name your other favorite scientific truth}, many others certainly do. I would say that the majority actually welcome the Big Bang, at least, as proof that the universe in fact had a moment of creation.
Of course, I’m speaking for a group of tens of millions, of which I’m not even a member (I’m culturally Catholic but vaguely atheist in beliefs–so, sorta like half the people in France or Italy, I guess–and I live well north of the Bible Belt anyway).
I often have trouble with Brummie’s puzzles and surprise,surprise, this was no exception. If I’d spotted the theme before reading the blog, it would have made things easier but needless to say-. Many of these were hard to parse; some were impossible. INUIT was FOI and LINCRUSTA was LOI. I’ve never heard of it although it was clear it was an anagram but I had to resort to guesswork once the crossers were in.
I probably agree with FLS about SYNECDOCHE but I don’t want to introduce “vulgar abuse” to the site!
What could he have said?
9ac only works with Latin American Spanish. In Castilian Spanish it is pronounced EL THITH, with the first TH unvoiced and the second voiced.
Apart from the odd clunky clue and the apparently non-cryptic 15D this was a reasonable puzzle.
I didn’t find it as difficult as some to have done.
Not one of Brummie’s finest but still a good challenge for a Friday.
Thanks to Eileen and Brummie
I thought that this was a slog & I can’t believe that the setter is being let away so mildly with 18d.
I dread to think of the reaction if Otterden had submitted this puzzle.
Shhh, but there is no 18D.
Thanks Brummie and Eileen
Always enjoy puzzles by Brummie and did with this one was as well, notwithstanding an unusual number of unusual words – LINCRUSTA, STRIMMER, PANDA (as the drink) and CADILLAC (in this sense) – needed a bit of electronic help with them .
Eventually tracked down PANDA COLA drink made by Nichols plc (see http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nichols_plc ).
Liked a lot of the clue constructions such as AGRA, ALGARVE, JAGUAR and CONNUBIAL. Thought that IN SPIRIT, which was my last one in, was the best of the lot.
Cannot believe that I didn’t spot the theme!
Reading this blog certainly increases my enjoyment of doing these puzzles–as if that is possible! In addition to learning new words such as strimmer (my autocorrect did not like that!) and lincrusta I was reacquainted with synecdoche and learned metonymy.
I find Brummie hard but I can usually get there in the end. But I totally missed the theme, so thank you all for that!
Thanks to Brummie and Eileen from Ilene.
engineerb@51
I assume you are referring to 18A. If so there is nothing I can see wrong with it.
Shorter Oxford English Dictionary has
wheel
….
3
a A bicycle; a tricycle; the wheel, cycling. Chiefly US. l19.
b In pl. A car. slang. m20.
…
See 3b
I’ve very little spare time currently (even my lunch ‘hours’ are rarely spent alone) so chances for feeding my crossword habit must be snatched when they happen by. This week I saved the Indy puzzles to enjoy over the weekend – a true delight of my week…..
I am also visiting fifteensquared less frequently. And now I feel almost as though I am purposefully being ousted from this site.
Yet again a solution (AGRA) has been given from a crossword I’ve yet to attempt (the Indy’s Donk of this week). Why oh why must certain people act with such selfish thoughtlessness?
“Isn’t this a wonderful site?” is written @5. Well I thought it was; I viewed it as a warm, welcoming and rare corner of internet kindness. As a means of improving, not loutishly removing, the enjoyment of our wonderful hobby. And please, Eileen, do not aver that this is normal or acceptable. If you’ve scant respect for other solvers (or site rules) couldn’t you at least only cite another puzzle’s clue when so doing doesn’t disclose its solution?
Fifteensquared had been a source of pleasure. But now I’ve been unfairly banished, in spite of my repeated pleas, for fear of having another puzzle spoiled. So sad.
William F P @56, being one of the certain people who have acted with selfish thoughtlessness, I feel I must say something in Eileen’s defence. She puts so much time and care into her blogs, this past week two days running, that it is we who should be thoughtful on her behalf. It must be very tiring work, and then once it is posted she has to be alert to comments. Her night had not been very restful, she probably got up early, and by late morning must have been rather tired: so easy to make a slip.
William F P @57
“But now I’ve been unfairly banished, …”
No one has banished you, unfairly or otherwise. I think the term you should have used is “self-imposed exile”.
😀
Cookie@58 I had not realised that any other than the blogger and site administrator would be likely to read such a late comment. As you are someone who invariably displays courtesy and understanding kindness (as well as many interesting anecdotes of your rich and well-travelled life) how can I not respond to your comment, that I have only just seen? I do agree with every word you have written (as ever) but I hope you will see that my comments were made from a standpoint of disappointment and frustration. Owing to pressures of time I sometimes (increasingly this year) am forced to save much of my crossword solving for weekends. When I’ve a handful of printed puzzles, I won’t necessarily tackle then in strict order and those I expect to be the least straightforward – or from a particular favourite setter – are those I most look forward to. Occasionally, one can derive some fun from finding the first purchase when the climb is tricky and if one has been handed a solution in advance, the pleasure of reaching the summit is denied one. Of course, this doesn’t matter with most crosswords but for those of us who don’t solve puzzles on the day they are published enjoyment can be lost. As you know, this has been a bugbear of mine and, as the site policy was yet again being ignored, I’m afraid I allowed my frustration to get the better of me (though the tone of my ‘attack’ was at a rare extreme for me, I let it be as more gentle pleas in the past have had no affect)
Having said this, I hasten to make clear that in no way were my comments meant as a personal slight to Eileen, nor her fantastic blogs. Indeed, I have on a number of occasions praised Eileen for her sterling work in such regard.
I also hope I have not upset you personally (and I praise you for rushing to Eileen’s defence). I realise that one cannot make real friends online (one of the reasons I shun Facebook where possible) but insofar as one can know people ‘cyber-wise’ I know that some regular users of fifteensquared such as yourself (and, purely by example, Bert and Joyce) would be folk in whose company I would likely delight. I sincerely hope I have neither upset, nor alienated, either you or Eileen.
With continued respect…..
William FP
After steadfastly ignoring your comments for a couple of months now and after a day pondering how / whether to reply to your latest jibe, I have finally decided that enough is enough.
The opening sentence of your comment, “I had not realised that any other than the blogger and site administrator would be likely to read such a late comment” [I had noted that several of your comments tended to be posted at ‘off-peak’ times] finally gives the game away and reveals your later remarks, ‘ Having said this, I hasten to make clear that in no way were my comments meant as a personal slight to Eileen” and “I sincerely hope I have neither upset, nor alienated, either you or Eileen”, as the travesty that they are.
Your comment @ 56 was clearly, of your own admission, directed exclusively at me. In addition to previous references to my ‘shortcomings’, including ‘lack of knowledge / intellect’, I am accused of acting selfishly, thoughtlessly – and even loutishly! – by referring to a brilliant clue in a puzzle in a different paper on the previous day, when I ought to have considered that you [uniquely, it seems, since there has been no comment from anyone else] had not got round to doing that puzzle. And the answer to one clue, which was not part of a theme, completely ruined it for you. And I am being selfish?
You talk of ‘certain people’ being guilty ‘yet again’ of this crime but I can find no other instance of this, apart from Cookie’s [very oblique] reference to a butterfly, for which she seems to have been [quite rightly] completely absolved. I just cannot understand why I have been singled out for such opprobrium.
This comment of yours purports to be in reply to Cookie’s but, of course, again, is obliquely directed at me.You have several times presented yourself as being a person of good manners. If you consider the remarks you have made about me as being within those limits, I can only be grateful that you haven’t yet chosen to be rude.
As already noted, it is highly unlikely that anyone else – even you – will see this comment but I want it here for the record. I don’t intend to make any further contribution.