Everyman was my route into solving cryptics, so I always get pleasure from blogging his puzzles in an attempt to help new and improving solvers. I think I have pinned everything down here, although there were one or two trickier clues. But that’s what crossing letters are for, aren’t they?
Abbreviations
cd cryptic definition
dd double definition
(xxxx)* anagram
anagrind = anagram indicator
[x] letter(s) removed
definitions are underlined
Across
1 Disappointment about protest turning personal
COMEDOWN
A charade to kick us off: of C for ‘circa’ or ‘about’, DEMO reversed and OWN for ‘personal’.
5 Device used by ensemble mostly
EMBLEM
Hidden in ensEMBLE Mostly.
9 Priests beginning to understand one cracking jokes
JESUITS
An insertion of U and I in JESTS. Since Everyman hasn’t given us a film this week, I will mention The Mission (1986) with Jeremy Irons, who portrayed a Jesuit priest trying to save a South American native tribe. Good film, although there weren’t many jokes in it.
10 Selection was first preserved
PICKLED
A charade of PICK and LED. As in eggs, onions, herring or various other edible items.
11 Withdraw permission
LEAVE
A dd.
12 Find out about king with policy creating unfriendly state
SURLINESS
An insertion of R and LINE in SUSS, a slang word for ‘find out about’. Also spelled SUS, most notably in the SUS LAW, which in the 1980s controversially allowed police officers to stop and search people. Who turned out to be mainly black and living in Brixton.
13 Music arranged on rack next to comic
ROCK AND ROLL
(ON RACK)* plus DROLL.
Which reminded me of …
Now do you believe in rock and roll?
Can music save your mortal soul?
… for those that have been following the news this week.
17 In fiction, capturing quiet Scottish island
FASHIONABLE
Nicely deceptive clue. An insertion of SH and IONA in FABLE.
20 Removed drink, letting crowd in
STRUCK OUT
An insertion of RUCK in STOUT.
21 Teacher‘s expression of disapproval, nothing right
TUTOR
A charade of TUT, O and R.
22 Terrible liar yet to provide truth
REALITY
(LIAR YET)*
23 Outlaw still missing one meal
BANQUET
A charade of BAN and QU[I]ET.
24 Greek character leading small rebellion
MUTINY
A charade of the Greek letter MU and TINY. As in on the Bounty.
25 Salvage concerning company too
RECOVERY
A charade of RE, CO and VERY.
Down
1 Joy clear after rereading Persuasion
CAJOLING
In fact, CAJOLERY. Thank you to ernie for gently pointing out my muppetry.
(JOY CLEAR)*
2 Self-esteem finally is thing that ignites unequal contest
MISMATCH
A charade of M for the final letter of ‘self-esteem’, IS and MATCH.
3 Urge to take plunge seizing Romeo
DRIVE
An insertion of R for the letter represented by ‘Romeo’ in the phonetic alphabet in DIVE.
4 Show direction on pages followed by Conservative
WEST SIDE STORY
A charade of WEST, SIDES and TORY. And I’m sure an entirely unintentional link to the previous clue, because WEST SIDE STORY was inspired by Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet: two lovers from different sides of the tracks.
6 Chap keeping Duchess of Cornwall apart from a former PM
MACMILLAN
Brilliant clue. An insertion of C[A]MILLA in MAN. Harold Macmillan, PM from 1957 to 1963. He has a number of famous quotations attributed to him. ‘Events, dear boy, events’ is the one I remember best.
7 Flowers in heart of Belize, whoppers?
LILIES
A charade of LI for the middle letters of ‘Belize’ and LIES.
8 Unassuming style on street
MODEST
A charade of MODE and ST.
10 He appears in this chart at number 2
PERIODIC TABLE
My favourite clue this morning. Wonderfully deceptive surface, and a bit of chemistry: what’s not to like? He is the atomic symbol for Helium, which appears after Hydrogen in second place in the PERIODIC TABLE. Abundant in the universe as a whole, but rare on earth and required for scientific and medical research, so don’t buy those helium-inflated balloons, okay?
14 Liking cafe if not in a mess
AFFECTION
(CAFE IF NOT)*
15 Sailor stumped by stratagem hard to understand
ABSTRUSE
A charade of AB, ST for one of the eleven ways to get out in cricket, and RUSE.
16 Moment before closure of account in bank behind closed doors
SECRETLY
A charade of SEC and T for the last letter of ‘account’ in RELY.
18 Force going after residue in retreat
ASHRAM
A charade of ASH and RAM gives you the religious retreat.
19 Absolute skill, inwardly controlled
ARRANT
I stupidly convinced myself that this was going to end in ART. Memo to self: if a thought about solving a clue doesn’t work, find another thought. RAN in ART.
21 Cheers new move in dance
TANGO
A charade of TA, N and GO.
Many thanks as always to Everyman.
But that’s what crossing letters are for, aren’t they?
An excellent point that seems to be forgotten occasionally.
Everyman on form as usual. I will not repeat what I said when I twigged 10d despite it not being an uncommon device, beautifully done. [and your sentiments about our profligacy with the element are spot on, there really is no way to get it back once it’s mined]
Although West Side Story was first a play there is also a film version.
All done quite quickly apart from 10d which eventually leapt out at me and 19d where despite having ?r?a?t, nothing would.
Pierre, I am sure that you meant to put cajolery for 1d.
You are right, ernie, I did indeed mean to put CAJOLERY for 1dn. I think it may just be an age thing …
Thanks Everyman and Pierre.
Needed help with parsing ABSTRUSE, as might have been expected, always stumped (ST) by cricket clues.
Favourites were MACMILLAN and PERIODIC TABLE.
Thanks Pierre,
Just loved the helium clue which was brilliant. Also liked COMEDOWN, FASHIONABLE, MUTINY, MACMILLAN and ARRANT (last one and took ages to get). Another high-quality puzzle from Everyman which is what we’ve come to expect.
Everyman is consistently the most entertaining crossword of the week so cheers matey.
Thanks Everyman and Pierre.
I thought this was on the difficult side. My memorable phrase from SuperMac was: “You’ve never had it so good,” although Wiki says it is a paraphrase from: “most of our people have never had it so good.”
I chuckled about helium, loved MACMILLAN, and also enjoyed BANQUET and ARRANT.
I like Everyman. The PERIODIC TABLE clue I have seen before but it was clued well enough for me to still struggle with it. 21ac was my favourite, a sleek surface. Thanks to Pierre for the entertaining blog
I too love Everyman – a perfect level for a Sunday morning.
Made me smile – an excellent piece of advice, but how often do we determinedly ignore it!