The puzzle may be found at https://www.theguardian.com/crosswords/cryptic/28211.
Firstly, my apologies for missing my slot here last week; I was raring to go, but even if Hurricane Isaias had been downgraded to a Tropical Storm by the time it reached us, it still packed a wallop. I lost power and ISP for two days (and there are still some houses on the Island without power a week later). Thanks to Gaufrid for standing in.
As for this crossword, I wondered for a while if Qaos’s theme would be crossword cliches, with the T and ATE in 10A (even if the comedian – if I have picked the right one – was not familiar to me), and 20A ESTONIAN appeared in Everyman 3850 of July 26 – same idea, different wording. Or again, it might be basic clue types – scads of (relatively) simple envelopes, anagrams, charades. However, the real theme announces itself in 3D LONDON, and its sights. I see the TOWER and TOWER BRIDGE, SAINT PAUL’S CATHEDRAL (with the S moved from PAUL to CATHEDRALS, TATE and TATE MODERN, the SHARD, the BRITISH MUSEUM, and HYDE PARK. All in all, not difficult, but enjoyable, so thanks to Qaos, who seems to come my blogging way rather frequently – and I am very happy with that.
| ACROSS | ||
| 8 | CLAYMORE | Master follows amateur into interior with weapon (8) |
| An envelope (‘into’) of LAY (‘amateur’) plus M (‘master’) in CORE (‘interior’). The ‘weapon’ could be a Scottish sword, or the mine named after it. | ||
| 9 | TOWER | Wrote about in column (5) |
| An anagram (‘about’) of ‘wrote’. | ||
| 10 | TATE | Tense worried comedian (4) |
| A charade of T (‘tense’) plus ATE (‘worried’; both parts crossword staples), for a ‘comedian’, perhaps Catherine. | ||
| 11 | DISREGARDS | Ignores dried grass being threshed (10) |
| An anagram (‘being threshed’) of ‘dried grass’. | ||
| 12 | CHOPIN | Barman: c-climb aboard (6) |
| A charade of ‘c-‘ plus HOP IN (‘climb aboard’), the ‘barman’ being a composer or musician. | ||
| 14 | TREMBLED | Prince blows top over catching maiden with Edward and shook (8) |
| A charade of TREMBL, an envelope (‘catching’) of M (‘maiden’, cricket) in TREBL, a reversal (‘over’) of [a]LBERT (‘Prince’, Queen Victoria’s Consort) minus the first letter (‘blowing top’); plus ED (‘Edward’). | ||
| 15 | BRITISH | National fractured his rib touring Thailand (7) |
| An envelope (‘touring’) of T (‘Thailand’, IVR) in BRIISH, an anagram (‘fractured’) of ‘his rib’. | ||
| 17 | STROPPY | Bad tempered mole left to retire indoors (7) |
| An envelope (‘indoors’) of TROP, a reversal (‘to retire’) of PORT (‘left’) in SPY (‘mole’). | ||
| 20 | ESTONIAN | Perhaps Boris Johnson welcomes special European (8) |
| An envelope (‘welcomes’) of S (‘special’) in ETONIAN (‘perhaps Boris Johnson’). | ||
| 22 | MODERN | New demo broken up by force (6) |
| A charade of MODE, an anagram (‘broken up’) of ‘demo’ plus RN (Royal Navy, ‘force’). | ||
| 23 | CATHEDRALS | Ground had scarlet buildings (10) |
| An anagram (‘ground’) of ‘had scarlet’ | ||
| 24 | PAUL | Boy‘s father has regular build (4) |
| A charade of PA (‘father’) plus UL (‘regular bUiLd’). | ||
| 25 | DRAWN | Illustrated in Crimean War during revolution (5) |
| A hidden (‘in’) reversed (‘revolution’) answer in ‘CrimeaN WAR During’. | ||
| 26 | NEUTRINO | Urine not flowing? It’s definitely not a big thing! (8) |
| An anagram (‘flowing’) of ‘urine not’. | ||
| DOWN | ||
| 1 | PLEATHER | Part of wimple — a thermal material (8) |
| A hidden answer (‘part of’) in ‘wimPLE A THERmal’. A leather-like synthetic ‘material’. | ||
| 2 | HYDE | Literary alter ego in cloak, say (4) |
| Sounds like (‘say’) HIDE (‘cloak’, verb), for the personality in Robert Louis Stevenson’s The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde. | ||
| 3 | LONDON | Eccentric imprisons neighbourhood extremists in capital (6) |
| An envelope (‘imprisons’) of ND (‘NeighbourhooD extremists’) in LOON (‘eccentric’, noun). | ||
| 4 | DENSITY | Study with pen restrains one’s stupidity (7) |
| An envelope (‘restrains’) of I (‘one’) in DEN (‘study’) plus STY (‘pen’). | ||
| 5 | STEEPEST | Most costly sword picked up between two streets (8) |
| An envelope (‘between’) of EEPE, a reversal (‘picked up’, in a down light – here not a sound alike) of ÉPÉE (‘sword’) in ST ST (‘two streets’). | ||
| 6 | SWEAT BLOOD | Work very hard to forge two blades — takes love (5,5) |
| An envelope (‘takes’) of O (‘love’) in SWEATBLOD, an anagram (‘to forge’) of ‘two blades’. | ||
| 7 | BRIDGE | Newly-wed receives £1,000 cross (6) |
| An envelope (‘receives’) of G (‘£1,000’; G was originally $1,000, but has been transferred to Sterling) in BRIDE (‘newly-wed’). | ||
| 13 | PETROLHEAD | Motor enthusiast modifies other pedal (10) |
| An anagram (‘modifies’) of ‘other pedal’. | ||
| 16 | SKIDDING | Moving without control, starting to stretch then pulling leg (8) |
| A charade of S (‘starting to Stretch’) plus KIDDING (‘pulling leg’). | ||
| 18 | PURSUANT | Following criminal turns up around Australia (8) |
| An envelope (‘around’) of A (‘Australia’) in PURSUNT, an anagram (‘criminal’) of ‘turns up’. | ||
| 19 | UNSAINT | Sun hack is not to remove the halo (7) |
| A charade of UNS, an anagram (‘hack’) of ‘sun’ plus AINT (‘is not’). | ||
| 21 | SHARDS | Difficult to break into small, small pieces (6) |
| An envelope (‘to break into’) of HARD (‘difficult’) in S S (‘small, small’). | ||
| 22 | MUSEUM | Think outside of uniform heritage centre (6) |
| A charade of MUSE (‘think’) plus UM (‘outside of UniforM‘). | ||
| 24 | PARK | Outdoor area, one surrounded by three men? (4) |
| An envelope (‘surrounded by’) of A (‘one’) in P R K (‘three men’ in chess – pawn, rook and king). | ||
Alas, following a gem of a challenge yesterday, the high day-to-day variability shows up yet again. Mostly immediate write-ins, and quite a crop of cliched clues (eg 7D). I did get a chuckle out of CHOPIN, but otherwise was happy that it was very quickly over. I was unfamiliar with PLEATHER and UNSAINT, but both were readily accessible from their clues. Last-one-in was TATE, as I suspect she may be for most non-Brit puzzlers
I was a bit amused to read rod’s last comment@1 since TATE was my first. I do agree it was a quick solve, though. In fact, after entering a few answers, and seeing the theme, I found I could enter a few more without even reading the clues; that’s never happened before. A shame, really – I usually like the challenge of figuring out Qaos’ theme.
A very enjoyable puzzle to solve. I had a smile on my face from start to finish.
I always laugh when I see that Qaos is the setter because it makes me say out loud, “Must be a theme.” I do it every time! That said, I did not pick up on the sights of London theme until the end.
A clue that starts with the words ‘Perhaps Boris Johnson’ also makes me laugh (or groan) because the words I immediately think of are probably not going to be part of the answer.
Favourites: TREMBLED, CLAYMORE, PARK, STROPPY
New: PLEATHER
Luckily, I know of Catherine Tate from Doctor Who 🙂
Thanks, Peter and Qaos
Some of this was easy, some of it was unknown to me. I learned three new words — PETROLHEAD (easy to get from the wordplay), CLAYMORE (should have seen it but didn’t), and STROPPY (wish I had seen it because the wordplay was fun.) I could not parse ESTONIAN or TREMBLED — thanks PeterO for that. Enjoyed NEUTRINO for its surface and STEEPEST and SKIDDING for their wordplay. Thanks Qaos.
I was expecting something more difficult from Qaos, although I still managed to miss the theme. Quite a few easy anagrams too. First was PETROLHEAD. CHOPIN as a barman is a bit outrageous. New were PLEATHER (which meant I missed the hidden word) and UNSAINT. My last one in was HYDE, which needed an initial letter trawl before it clicked. My parsing is improving even if I some e.g. TATE and TREMBLED were beyond me. An enjoyable solve.
Thanks Qaos and PeterO.
Stared dumbly at the spaces for Tate (a dnk), Hyde and unsaint for ages, as long as the rest of the puzzle took, don’t know why, just brain numbness. Otherwise yes, nice London stroll. Boris’s school with an s in it has graduated to chestnut status. Hey ho, quite fun, thanks both.
Not too difficult but still enjoyable. As always, I forgot to look for a theme until cobro reminded me.
Couldn’t parse PARK. Favourites were STROPPY and LONDON.
Thanks PeterO and Qaos!
An alternative comedian in 10 across could be HARRY TATE, big in his day, made a few films, and can be found on YouTube. Died 1940, but Beerbohm TREE is is still in occasional crossword use as ‘actor’, and he is from much further back (d. 1917).
I also found this mostly very quick although the NW corner held me up me for some reason. I always think when I am on a setter’s wavelength that I will come here and find more experienced solvers commenting that it was too easy, and indeed it is so. Ah well… I could not parse the ALBERT bit of TREMBLED, though I knew I was looking for a prince (I was thinking more recent), or the PRK in PARK. And I did not know Catherine Tate. Thank you to PeterO for explaining these (and I hope all is now well with you after the storm), and many thanks to Qaos.
Well that was a nice canter in the PARK after yesterday.
First things first though – excellent to see PeterO up and running again. [I think one commenter last week asked “Is this the world’s end?” when your customary early morning blog didn’t appear. It probably felt like it!]
Catherine TATE was my first in. (I would guess it’s her rather than Harry that Qaos had in mind, but she’s probably not bovvered.) Once I had the Y from 8a, and 2d had to be _Y_E, I was convinced it was going to be LYLE and that we were in for a sugary theme. Never mind, I enjoyed the tour of LONDON and was only sorry when it was over. Other themers contained in the clues include (Nelson’s) Column and the National (Theatre).
The ‘other pedal’/PETROLHEAD anagram, the surface for NEUTRINO and the cheekiness of CHOPIN all got ticks from me. Thanks Qaos and Peter.
I always do a first read through before filling in any answers. Yesterday I solved 2 without the help of crossers but finished it after a mighty struggle. Today I solved 12 , breezed through the rest until Tate!!
I couldn’t see the structure so resorted to trying every word that fitted. There are a lot of them. Still didn’t spot it. T for tense and Thailand. Bit iffy if you ask me.
Thanks Qaos and PeterO
Easy except for TATE, which I would have got more quickly if I had seen the theme…
I’ve tackled tougher Quiptics but I enjoyed the theme as I sit in a (thankfully) wet and cooler London. Ta PeterO and Qaos.
DNF Tate, as distracted that both Hale and Pace fitted but wouldn’t parse…!
Apparently Unsainted is a song by Slipknot. All together now: The singer out of Slipknot…
“National” fractured could be LAOTIAN which briefly held me up but otherwise plain sailing with some cute surfaces like the bad tempered mole. Can I nominate barman as another candidate for the cliche klaxon?
I was slightly disappointed not to have to investigate the construction of wimples and UNSAINT feels like a Scrabble bluff
Cheers all
Penfold @15 that’s my ear worm du jour sorted!
Must have been my fastest solve ever. LOI TATE of whom I’ve never heard.
Long-live the daily variance of The Graun, say I.
Oops, forgot to say welcome back, PeterO, wasn’t aware you were on an Island – care to say which?
Another DNF due to 10a TATE as I hadn’t heard of the comedian, and which sadly I didn’t see as a theme word, though I should have. But as far as I am concerned, all’s fair in love and war and British crosswords. Some good times along the way with a special shout out for 12a CHOPIN, 20a ESTONIAN, 2d HYDE, 6d SWEAT BLOOD, 13d PETROLHEAD and 16d SKIDDING. Thanks to PeterO for explaining a couple and doing the colourful highlights, and to Qaos for the enjoyment. Like PeterO, I always enjoy Qaos’ puzzles, even when, as today, I fail at the last hurdle.
I am always quite taken by this definition of cryptics that comes up from Wikipedia whenever I search for cryptic crosswords on the net: A cryptic crossword is a crossword puzzle in which each clue is a word puzzle in and of itself. I like that idea because oftentimes, I enjoy certain clues just for themselves. So sometimes the small wins are more important than completing the big picture (how neat is a clue like PARK at 24d, for instance). I did miss several theme words here, sadly, having spent all of five days in my entire life in London, and not being likely to be able to visit there anytime soon.
[Missed you on the blog last time, PeterO, but I saw pictures of the trees down in the “hurricane” in Park Slope – and my son in Carroll Gardens said it was a mighty wind came through. Glad you are back on deck but it was very scary according to my Park Slope friend. Glad to hear you are now okay.]
You can also make RINK (rook, one, knight, king) for 24d – and I did.
Wish I had seen the theme while solving, it would have helped me be more sure of PARK at 24d. Pencilled in at the first read through but could not parse the PRK – Thanks PeterO – for that and the rest of the excellent blog. Is PAUL a boy because it is a possible boy’s name or am I missing something deeper? getting HYDE made CLAYMORE leap out which was satisfying. I liked DENSITY because it took me a while to stop thinking of writing pens and once the penny dropped I was being misdirected it was satisfying.
Seeing the Qaos name I thought it might be hard but it was an enjoyable as I am not so familiar with the ‘old chestnuts’. Getting TATE as a possible comedian I had to convince myself that ATE was a reasonable interpretation of ‘worried’ – next time I’ll know and not worry!
or be bovvered
Well I thought I’d got off to a good start by immediately noticing “leather” included in 1d, and got as far as writing the first three letters in when the penny dropped that it wouldn’t fit. Could there be such a thing as PLEATHER? – yes! My other new word was UNSAINT at 19d, but it was readily gettable from the wordplay.
Favourites were 2d HYDE (a hint of &lit perhaps?) and the bad-tempered mole in 17a STROPPY.
Catherine TATE was excellent in the brilliant series Big School.
Many thanks Qaos and PeterO.
Good fun from Qaos. Thanks to PeterO for clearing up some of the parsing. Wouldn’t have thought of the three men in a month of Sundays.
My theme blindness doesn’t improve,though!
Essex Boy @ 10: As it was a London theme, perhaps the comedian is indeed Harry Tate – rhyming slang for state (as in pickle).
Me @ 26. Harry Tate was the stage name of Ronald Macdonald Hutchinson who worked for Henry Tate Sugar.
I rest my case.
Love a good theme but this one got me so, so missing my regular trips up to London… Anyway, FOI was PETROLHEAD and there were a few new ones on me as well but all-in-all excellent fare from Qaos today and thanks to windswept PeterO.
I can see why TATE could hold up non-Brit solvers – I got it, though, only after getting MODERN, and I then remembered the actor and comedian.
A pleasant solve, and I liked the theme, making me wish too (like MaidenBartok @28) I could resume my trips to London, which is less than one hour away by train. It’s actually too hot to make the trip at present.
I liked CHOPIN and SKIDDING especially. UNSAINT and PLEATHER were new to me.
Thanks to Qaos and PeterO.
Bit irritated with myself to stare for ages at something A something E for 10ac before the penny dropped. UNSAINT is not a word I have often used in conversation. A very brief tour of the London sights on a very wet thundery day in East Anglia…
Thanks PeterO and hope for no more windy disruptions for you this season. Didn’t parse 24D, I always forget about chess, otherwise was pleased to get these and understand them all having started with the same potential error as Lord Jim@24. Pleased to see an uncontroversial scientific clue after the minor mathematical quibbles yesterday, thanks presumably to Qaos’ physics (I think) background – in this case it even helped me to get the anagram before any crossers were there. And like Michelle@3 I am now conditioned to think Qaos = theme before even starting to solve, but wasn’t needed today and I only spotted it on reflection. (Good to learn about Harry Tate, I had puzzled over Catherine as comedian before remembering that in the Guardian the comediennes must have gone the way of the actresses. I’m not complaining but I do still have to stop and think about it!) Thanks Qaos.
Many thanks, Qaos and PeterO (good to see you back).
There’s not much left to say – like Alan B @29, I found it a pleasant solve and liked the theme and I too enjoyed CHOPIN and SKIDDING, which made me laugh.
I’d like to register my vote for Catherine.
After giving up yesterday, I really enjoyed today’s puzzle. LOI 19d – a word I had not heard of – also not heard of PLEATHER but it was easy to work out. Favourites were CHOPIN, LONDON and SKIDDING. Could not parse 24d 14ac and 4d so thanks to PeterO and to Qaos.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harry_Tate
Not particularly enjoyable for me as it was over quite quickly but that may have been that, with the one exception of the aforementioned TATE, the clues seemed clearly constructed.
If I’d looked for and spotted a theme, 10 might have fallen sooner. Whilst “T” for “tense” may be a recognised device in crosswords, it isn’t one with which I’m familiar (or like) and I was trying to think of an obscure comedian’s name which was synonymous with “tense” and “worried” as I was trying for a triple definition. I reached T in an alphabetic scan for the first letter when TATE occurred to me, which I then was able to parse.
I liked CHOPIN despite its clichéd barman allusion and HYDE. I remember seeing ESTONIAN and NEUTRINO recently with similar clueing.
Thanks Qaos and Peter
Good fun with a non-slip surface.
It cheers me up enormously when I spot a theme early enough for it to help, and once I’d got BRIDGE, TOWER, LONDON, MUSEUM, BRITISH – it stood out more than Nelson’s Column. After HYDE appeared, I only had two four-letter answers left, so 24d was a guess, but I’m relieved I wasn’t alone in needing PeterO’s skills to understand it fully. CHOPIN and the grumpy mole made me grin. Thanks to Qaos and to PeterO – glad to hear you’re ok!
anyone else start looking for ‘wee’ in 26 across?
I only got to this late in the day (here, that is) and was relieved that it was relatively straightforward. Definitely a crossie of corners – SW, then NE, SE and finally NW – TATE being the last (I assumed that someone would point out a Tate comedian, though I think that a ‘Harry?’ was floating around there somewhere). DNK Catherine. Despite stopping regularly to scan the answers so far, I missed the theme. I don’t even have your excuse JinA @20 – our oldest son lives in London so we have been there regularly (but not this year! – should be there now). He even worked for Tate Britain, and his wife at Tate Modern. I enjoyed this, apart from the ugly UNSAINT. Did not parse a few (PARK, TREMBLED, PERSUANT (A=Australia???), so thanks for that PeterO, and thanks to Qaos.
Fairly straightforward but I did not see the theme (I never do! I need to get into the habit of looking). I thought the clue for CHOPIN was a bit weak, if I’m being critical, plus too many anagrams for my liking. That said, some nice clues and overall a pleasant diversion.
Thanks Qaos and Peter.
Happy International Lefthanders’ Day to all sinistral solvers (though I’m not one) and welcome back PeterO. A theme is always welcome, although the concomitant restrictions placed on the setter often seem to result in the puzzle having a slightly forced and awkward feel to it. But still an enjoyable solve.
CATHEDRALS and PETROLHEAD were probably my favourites. As an ex-county chess player, I’m ashamed that it took me a full minute to parse PARK. PLEATHER is new to me, and I didn’t know it was possible to UNSAINT someone. The only common word I can think of that would also have fitted is ‘uncanny’ (“Not like a food container? Strange!”) and that set me wondering why the word isn’t the opposite of ‘canny’, an adjective usually applied only to clever (CLAYMORE-wielding?) Caledonians.
“Urine not flowing” – anyone have trouble passing that clue? Sorry, couldn’t resist it.
Thanks, PeterO. Sorry to hear of your misfortune last week, and I hope things are getting back to normal (whatever normal means now).
Like others, I found this a fun excursion to London that was over a bit too fast.
I’m sure Catherine is the TATE referred to, but I did think of Harry Tate too. Apparently he had the first ever personalised numberplate – T8 – so maybe he should be credited as a pioneer of text speak, too. 😉
Seeing it was Qaos I expected a theme but even getting LONDON fairly early on I didn’t see it; like @40 keyser soze, I never do. Coming late to this blog pretty much everything I felt has been said. I failed on TATE, being sidetracked by Hale and Pace. Didn’t parse PARK at all but it was the only possible answer. Otherwise an enjoyable solve with a grin over CHOPIN.
Thanks PeterO and Qaos
Thy Willesden in Erith as it is in Hendon.
Nice one Mr Q
Spotted the theme early on. Had comes across the cluing for Estonian before.
Also an early theme-spotter. I know Qaos has been on a drive to make his puzzles a bit easier of late, but I’d caution against going too far. Although the NW corner held up a few solvers, by the looks of things.
CHOPIN and BRIDGE were my favourites today.
copmus @44
… and Harold be thy name.
TassieTim @39
A for Australia is in Chambers, even if that justification does not seem to carry the weight it once did, and it is not the IVR.
William @19
Long Island, New York
Harry Tate is also rhyming slang for “eight” (I haven’t heard it used for “state” but quite happy to believe it). Sentimentally, I like to think Qaos was referring to Harry. Pragmatically, I think he meant Catherine.
I wonder how many others will own up to thinking that 26a was a bit PISS WEAK – until realising that it wasn’t! (It was a little on the easy side,though, as was the puzzle in general. Still and all, I enjoyed it, despite not registering that so many answers were related to London. As a born and bred Londoner, that was unforgivable on my part.)
Tate was my downfall so I had to look up the comedian. Annoying because I’ve heard of both Catherine and Harry. NEUTRINO was FOI so I wasn’t tempted by something more scatological-and I got the theme but only because I was looking for it,I suspect.
Nice enough puzzle. Perhaps not one of this setter’s best though.
Thanks Qaos.
Boffo @46 – why do you caution Qaos against going too far? At the start of lockdown in the UK, the Guardian had a clear policy of increasing the accessibility of the crossword for the newly captive audience of newspaper readers with more time on their hands. Perhaps they have evidence that this policy has been a success.
Julie @20 Your son in Carroll Gardens is near neighbor to my cousin there, and not quite so near to her daughter in Park Slope. You remind me that I should call and find out how they managed through the storm. Here in Hartford I never lost power, but a lot of people in the fancy suburbs did.
Gladys @21 I made RINK too, but I don’t think rinks are as outdoorsy as parks.
HYDE was my LOI because I kept looking for famous pen names.
Thanks, Auriga, for the Harry Tate link. I now know that he was the origin of “I don’t think!” which I had thought just growed. The expression seems to be a class marker in mid-century fiction.
And thanks to Qaos, whose theme I spotted for once, and to my fellow hurricane-sufferer PeterO.
Nice puzzle, quite easy on the solver, especially with the theme, which I got from ST PAUL’S CATHEDRAL. Nothing much to add to the comments, except that LONDON is a bona fide part of the sights list as LONDON BRIDGE and the TOWER of LONDON.
I only knew Harry TATE as rhyming slang the WW1 plane, the R.E.8, so the comedian was a mystery to me.
Thanks, Q & P.
The main thing that jumped out at me when solving this puzzle was the number of anagrams: 10 clues out of 28. While some of them were quite good, the puzzle would have been better if there hadn’t been so many. Still, there’s plenty to enjoy here.
Sorry to be told that Qaos is getting easier – I thought it was me getting sharper!
Didn’t notice the theme, despite being a born and bred Londoner – and even starting it while still between 2d 24d and 10 Britain. Despite 3d being uncannily empty, I was glad to escape on a train back to the coast, albeit with imperfect social distancing compliance en route.
Thanks to Q for an entertaining solve, and to PeterO.
Just stuck on 10A. Would not have got ATE from worried in a month of Sundays. Not to mention T for Tense. It seems the fashion for compilers to clue a single letter by throwing any old word of which it is the initial. Established abbreviations (F-ellow, S-ociety etc) fair enough.
8a. I looked for a weapon including “lay” = ” amateur” because it is a chestnut even though it is wrong. Lay vicars and lay brothers are often paid. They are “lay” because they haven’t been ordained. There are other examples.
I promise not to post this again.
Thanks to Qaos and PeterO.
I was another who thought the TATE might be Harry who was a contemporary of my grandfather’s on the variety stage. Grandad was a ventriloquist. It’s how he earned his gread and gutter.
Thanks, PeterO @ 47. I saw the upside down AUS – which is a widely recognised abbreviation for Oz – but couldn’t make any sense of the rest of the letters.
JT @ 56
T = tense is a standard abbreviation in matters grammatical.
Pino @ 57
One of the Chambers definitions of ‘lay’ is ‘non-professional’. Lay vicars etc may get paid, but they’re not ordained so not professional (their lay activity may not be their main focus), so they are amateur (Chambers noun 2: A person who practises something for the love of it, not as a profession[cf golf]).
Not knowing or liking a term doesn’t mean it doesn’t have enough support to be fair game for setters.
Posting late, as still catching up after my camping hoiliday in the Lake District. (Those damned midges!)
I see I wasn’t the only one to find TATE a solve too far. It’s not just non-UK solvers who struggle with TV personalities – to be fair I have heard of and occasionally seen Catherine Tate, though probably not for a decade or more as I hardly ever watch the box, but the name didn’t come to mind. I thought Peter O’s comment “T (‘tense’) plus ATE (‘worried’; both parts crossword staples)” was a bit condescending, and it prompted me to do a search on this site for “worried”. I got an Azed on May 3rd and an Independent on Sunday 26th April; all other worried appearances were as anagrinds or in comments. The last usage of worried=ATE in the Guardian was on New Years Eve 2019. Not much of a staple.