This is a fitting tribute to the dear Araucaria, who has brought delight to many, me included, with his puzzles – RIP. This was no easy puzzle, and like many of Araucaria’s, I had to slowly prise the answers out. The online version doesn’t say who the setters are, but I reckon that it’s the team of Paul, Enigmatist and Shed, mentioned in the last clue. So thanks to you-know-who-you-are. Definitions are underlined in the clues. [[The pictures at the bottom have unidentified links to the puzzle. Please enclose any comments on them in double brackets. Thank you.]]
Across
1 Driven thing, tough — and the best! (7)
HARDTOP : HARD(tough, like this crossword) plus(and) TOP(the best).
Answer: A type of car.
5 This unusually fruitful giant outstanding at finding inspiration for starters (4-3)
GOAT-FIG : GOG(one of two giants who, according to tradition, are guardians of the City of London) containing(outstanding) [ AT + 1st letters respectively of (for starters)” finding inspiration ” ]. “giant” doing double duty?
Answer: A wild fig tree that’s grows quite big.
9 Such a noted art I’m not sure returns thus (5)
MUSIC : Reversal of(returns) UM(an expression of uncertainty) + SIC(thus;like so).
10 Gilt-edged artist, foremost of compilers on song, our beloved hero (9)
ARAUCARIA : AU(chemical symbol for the element, gold, with “gilt” as an adjective) containing(…-edged) RA(artist member of the Royal Academy) + 1st letter of(foremost of) “compilers ” plus(on) ARIA(an operatic song).
11 10 across’s ultimate invention that’s timeless, followed by a complete devotee (10)
AFICIONADO : Last letter of(ultimate) answer to 10across + “fiction”(invention;fabrication) minus(that’s …less) “t”(abbrev. for “time”) plus(followed by) A + DO(to complete an action or deed).
12 Entertained by endless poetry, us solvers were indebted (4)
OWED : “ode”(poetry) minus its last letter(endless) co0(Entertained by …) WE(us solvers).
14 Sort of nag, Shetland pony might you say, with a love of the country (11)
ANGLOPHILIA : Anagram of(Sort of) NAG + homophone of(might you say) “low filly”(a small horse like the Shetland pony) + A.
18 Other characters are all quite square, possibly? (11)
EQUILATERAL : Anagram of(Other characters) ARE ALL QUITE.
Answer: With sides of equal length, an example of which;possibly is the square.
21 Spirited crossword, perhaps? (4)
GAME : Double defn: 1st: Keen to participate in;having got the spirit to join in.
22 Getting on, a parish priest with RAF ultimately feared lost was seen again (10)
REAPPEARED : RE(on;with reference to) + A + PP(abbrev. for “parish priest”) + “feared” minus(lost) last letter of(ultimately) “RAF “.
25 One decorated by monarch, perhaps, 8’s responsibility to drop off award — I’ll be blowed! (9)
HARMONICA : Anagram of(perhaps) [ I(Roman numeral for “one”) plus(decorated by) MONARCH] + “award” minus(… to drop off) “ward”(the responsibility of a guardian;answer to 8down).
26 Much-respected rector tucking into good feed (5)
GREAT : R(abbrev. for “rector”) contained in(tucking into) [G(abbrev. for “good”) + EAT(to feed oneself) ].
27 What may restore fount of knowledge from King’s, after playing with some appropriate language (7)
GINSENG : Anagram of(after playing) [ “King’s” minus(from …) 1st letter of(fount of) “knowledge ” ] plus(with) ENG(abbrev. for the English language).
28 Attention given to fantastic old master’s noble rank (7)
EARLDOM : EAR(sympathetic or favourable attention, as in to “she had President Clinton’s ear” – the wife, of course) plus(given to) anagram of(fantastic) OLD + M(abbrev. for “master”).
Down
1 Holy man, nothing less, composed for service book (6)
HYMNAL : Anagram of(composed) “Holy man ” minus(less) “o”(the letter representing zero;nothing).
2,23 Our final wish is a pretence, it turns out (4,2,5)
REST IN PEACE : Anagram of(it turns out) IS A PRETENCE.
3 In match, start to play with clubs in a calculated way (10)
TACTICALLY : TALLY(to match;to correspond) containing(In …) [ ACT I(which looks like Act 1;the start to a play on stage) plus(with) C(abbrev. for the suit of clubs in card games) ].
4 Uncomplicated man of the cloth spilling his tea (5)
PLAIN : “chaplain”(a man of the cloth;the clergy) minus(spilling his) “cha”(tea, from the Chinese name).
5 Reverend’s ultimate parting gift, setters’ youthful education of old (5,4)
GRAND TOUR : Last letter of(…’s ultimate) “Reverend ” contained in(… parting) GRANT(a gift) + OUR(setters’ self-referential possessive pronoun).
Answer: An extended tour of continental Europe, formerly considered a finishing course in the education of young men of the upper class.
6 A vicar finally getting his place above all others (4)
ARCH : A + last letter of(finally) “vicar ” plus(getting) CH(abbrev. for “church”, the place to find a vicar).
7 Drop round — we’re sorry to say goodbye … (8)
FAREWELL : FALL(to drop from height) containing(round) anagram of(sorry) WE’RE.
8 … but we fitted much of 10 in, Dei gratia (8)
GUARDIAN : Edit note: Thanks to Querulous Cryptic defn: Reference to we;The Guardian newspaper in which this crossword appears, and which included;fitted many Araucaria puzzles in, thank God. Anagram of( fitted ) [ARAU(much of the answer to 10across) + IN + DG(abbrev. for Dei gratia).
Answer: The “we” in the defn., the paper that’s given this crossword.
13 Innovator holding up letter to show worthy opponent (10)
CHALLENGER : CHANGER(an innovator) containing( holding ) reversal of( up , in a down clue) ELL(the letter “L” phonetically spelt).
15 Understanding devious hinter’s in-joke? (9)
GATHERING : Anagram of(devious) HINTER contained in(…’s in-) GAG(a joke).
16 Behave shiftily and selfishly? Not this self-effacing character! (8)
HEDGEHOG : HEDGE(to behave shiftily;evasively;without commitment) + HOG(to behave selfishly in taking all or almost all for oneself).
Answer: An animal that curls itself into a ball, hiding its face;self-effacing when in danger.
17 Rehearsal for card game finished by Spoonerist? (5,3)
DUMMY RUN : Spoonerism of “rummy”(the card game) + “done”(finished;over).
19 Close of day for close companion (6)
FRIEND : FRI(abbrev. for “Friday”) END(close of).
20 Master standing to admit dereliction of duty in sanctum sanctorum (6)
ADYTUM : Reversal of(standing, in a down clue) MA(abbrev. for Master of Arts, say) containing(to admit) anagram of(dereliction of) DUTY.
Answer: The most sacred place of worship in an ancient temple, out of bounds to the laity.
23 See 2
24 Nothing‘s better than faith and hope, according to Paul (and Enigmatist and Shed) (4)
LOVE : Cryptic defn: Reference to the apostle Paul’s statement that “Love(zero;nothing in tennis scores) is better than faith and hope”, or something to that effect.
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Thanks, scchua and the setter(s), whoever you are, for the fitting tribute.
[[Picture #1 looks like John Kenneth GALBRAITH, whose surname is ythe same as the late Master’s middle one. The rest are a mystery at present.]]
On the Guardian Crosswords home page (http://www.theguardian.com/crosswords) the setter is named as Brendan.
Thanks setters and scchua.
I think 8D is an anagram (“fitted”) of ARAU (“much of 10”) + IN + DG.
Querulous@3, thanks, I think you’re right, blog amended.
Billyk2@, it started with Brendan this morning, but has since been deleted, whilst the page with the crossword has all along shown the setter to be “None”
Thanks scchua and the setters.
I didn’t have much difficulty in filling in the crossword, but as for parsing all the clues ………….. another matter entirely.
[[Nothing to add on the pictures, though I did recognise Galbraith.]]
I was determined to finish this puzzle, and eventually managed it, though ‘adytum’ went in from wordplay rather than knowledge.
I think that scchua’s assumption about the setters is most likely, given collaboration as Biggles previously and bearing in mind the solution to 24d, where ‘love’ corresponds to the setters’ pseudonym ‘none’.
Overall a very worthy puzzle, though I think that one or two of the clues are a little flaky, especially 6d and 8d, but I really think it constitutes a fitting tribute, and the surface of 22a is masterly in its reference to the late Rev. Being shot down during his wartime service and evading capture.
Thanks setters (or setter as the case may be).
Sorry about misplaced capital B in previous posting: didn’t notice iPad’s predictive capitalisation.
There have been many fine and moving tributes to Araucaria this week but none better than this magnificent and affectionate ‘tribute to an old friend’ with many references hinting at both the great man’s past and the good times the four of them must have had together.
A big thank you to all three Johns.
Great tribute to a great man; nice to see the number of contributions on the ‘announcement’ page.
Thanks scchua; I didn’t know ADYTUM. It must be Biggles sans one surely? I liked the Spoonerism.
[[I’m guessing that #2 is related to Cinephile and #4 to Chile Pine – Easter Island is part of Chile]]
Thank you for the blog.
Beautifully put by crypticsue @8. I found this both tough and moving and needed help with a few parses. Like scchua and others I suspected Paul, Enigmatist and Shed as setters from 24d. This has been confirmed by Jane Teather on today’s GU thread.
Thank you to them.
[[#5 is of course a monkey puzzle cos it’s a puzzle with no clues! 😉 ]]
Thanks to scchua for the blog.
I found this puzzle hard going: in many cases I decided the answer was xxx without understanding the parsing.
I work from the printed paper which showed the setter as . I deduced that the setter was Biggles minus the Rev. It seemed to me that the problems I had with parsing were due to the syndicate of setters – but without the ‘smoothing’ influence of A.
My previous post had < none > as the setter and this website seems to have removed it entirely!
Thanks, scchua.
Beautifully crafted puzzle with so many references to the life and work of the good Rev and the great affection with which he was held. It gave me more of a lump in my throat than his own valedictory crossword. As I worked my way (slowly!) through, the structure of the clues indicated strongly that it could only have been compiled by the other three Johns; 24d confirmed it.
Lots of entertaining and ingenious clues here; 10a is a wonderful tribute.
Thanks, scchua.
I found myself so moved by Araucaria’s passing that I couldn’t bring myself to comment on the appropriate page, to say anything that had not been already said. This puzzle, though, is stunning.
I struggled to complete it and it was only at the end that I realised why: this is like the RAF’s “missing man” formation: my guide, the one who would always see me through, is gone.
Thank you, though, to the remaining three.
Thanks, scchua.
2,23 was the first clue I solved — and I had to pause there for a while. I can’t think of a better way of paying tribute to a lovely man than solving this puzzle, put together with such deep affection by the remaining three Johns.
GOAT-FIG and ADYTUM were new to me — I wonder if sanctum sanctorum was intended to conjure an image of the study where Araucaria worked?
Truly a labour of 24dn.
Many thanks to the setters.
Sorry to be the contrarian but I thought this thin gruel as a tribute to John Graham. 7dn & 8dn and obviously 10ac and 2dn. That and a few vaguely religious answers. Was there more? And what the the point of the ‘special instruction’.
If it was a leeser offering Steve, you know what it means to have a ‘hard act to follow’?
But I dod not think it lesser at all. Many thanks remaining Johnas.
Thanks to scchua for taking the responsibility of what must have been a difficult blog, and to the three Johns for producing a tough challenge of which I’m sure Araucaria would have approved. The references to big A’s life, both obvious and subtle, were beautifully woven. I completed some of the easier solutions during my commute this morning, including the extremely poignant 24d. I don’t often cry on the tube, even on my way to work – today was an exception.
Steve @17 – words fail me.
[[Ian SW3 and Robi: right with pics 1, 2 and 4. I think you would have already surmised that today’s quiz is my little tribute to A.]]
Not directly to do with the puzzle but, since this a valediction of sorts, my thanks to Arachne for this:
http://www.smileofthedecade.co.uk/grin.html
A struggle for me. I got some of the wordplay, but mainly I did it as a Quick from just the definitions!
NeilW @ 21 – lovely – thanks very much indeed.
mitz @ 19 – my point was simply that John Graham warranted a graceful and elegant and detailed tribute. My view was that this did not deliver on any of these which is a real shame. You may disagree with this view but there is no need to be hostile. The question about ‘special instructions’ remains unaddressed.
Rowland@18 – huh?
Thanks, NeilW (and Arachne) for the link. Lovely indeed!
A late start for me and a hectic finish to try and post before it gets too late. Tricky stuff here and plenty of false starts. I now know that AFICIANADO can have just one F.
A fine tribute. 7 26 19, in case no one else has spotted it.
A lovely tribute, and a fair work out too!,
Thanks to all involved.
Hi Steve,
To my mind, almost all most of the clues (not necessarily the answers) have a direct or indirect reference – detailed, graceful and elegant (eg: 22) and I dare say that there are more shades of meaning or reference besides those that I have picked up on. Perhaps the ‘special instruction’ didn’t need to be described as such, but I think that’s an idiosyncracy of the publishing software rather than something that detracts from the crossword.
But, as you say, views may differ.
I think matt @28 is right – just about every clue is about John Graham. A few stood out as referring to things we saw in the obituaries:
22a “Getting on, a parish priest with RAF ultimately feared lost was seen again (10) refers to JG hiding out in Italy during the war after the parachute drop.
25a One decorated by monarch, perhaps, 8?s responsibility to drop off award — I’ll be blowed! (9) – refers to getting his MBE from the palace.
27a What may restore fount of knowledge from King’s, after playing with some appropriate language (7) – he was at King’s, Cambridge and kept up with literary things in/via his setting/playing with language.
…and so on. Others are more directly about the man and how his friends will remember him (“Understanding devious hinter’s in-joke?”, “This unusually fruitful giant outstanding at finding inspiration for starters”, “Reverend’s ultimate parting gift, setters’ youthful education of old” (“of old” I’m guessing means in the past – see the obit by JH in the Independent – setters learning from JG, when they were young), “A vicar finally getting his place above all others” etc. etc.)
So in answer to steve @17, yes, there was a lot more.
A brilliant, touching and fitting tribute.
Herb @29
Thank you for expressing so elegantly what I was incapable of saying earlier due to my gob being utterly smacked.
[[#3, I think, is a REV(erend) counter]]
Thanks, None for a fitting tribute to our hero and scchua for the blog.
I hadn’t noticed the special instructions but it was soon self-evident.
Thanks to NeilW @ 21 for the link, which shows another side to the master.
I read a religious meaning into None and 24d was super – as Araucaria himself said in his last puzle: ALL YOU NEED IS LOVE.
Giovanna xxx
[[The last picture is the sort of numberless grid he used in his alphabeticals.]]
Thanks, scchua
I solved this on the train to Stansted Airport, en route for a weekend in Copenhagen. I was glad there was no one in the seat next to me, because, like Mitz, I found it a deeply moving experience.
My heartfelt thanks to the three Johns for this wonderful tribute. The warmth of your respect, admiration and love shines through the entire puzzle, with its many references. Truly one to treasure.
Circle the wagons, guys. Circle the wagons.
A beautifully crafted tribute puzzle. The TACTICALLY/AFICIONADO crossers were my last ones in. GOAT-FIG was worked out from the wordplay, although I disagree with scchua about its parsing because I don’t think “giant” does double duty; surely the definition is just “this unusually fruitful”?
Thank you so much, NeilW, for that link.
And to the remaining Johns for the puzzle (and to scchua for the parsing). It was a beautiful crossword, I thought. It’s quite an odd sensation trying to be cool and analytical to solve the clues, and at the same time being quite weepy.
Thank you to Paul, Shed and Enigmatist. Once I realised the theme I couldn’t finish this, I kept welling-up inside. Perhaps I’ll come back to it in a few weeks.
Late start on this one and it took me much longer than my usual self-imposed hourly slot for a Guardian/Indy daily, despite guessing what the rubric meant. A lovely tribute and like many am moved beyond words at the accolades. Thanks None and scchua.
The GOAT-FIG or caprifig is unusually fruitful as it is used to fertilize some varieties of cultivated figs that do not produce male flowers.
Breaking my usual silence when on the inside… I solved it 2 days before it appeared. And I wept, not for the first time this week. I know how difficult it was for the setters to do this in advance (which they had to).
A lovely tribute to the Rev who indeed will be sadly missed.
A nice puzzle to end a good week. Not as difficult as the previous two but it contained lots of nice clues.
I guess Steve that you don’t pay much attention to the Guardian crossword or that you came to it recently. It has been apparent that the Guardian crossword team are in thrall to their software rather than vice versa. This is apparent in that it seems impossible for them to provide the Genius and other crosswords in the same format as the Guardian weekly and prize puzzles. These crosswords have consequently been almost unusable “online” for the last 2 years!
Another consequence of this is that the “Special Instructions” tag is often used to provide information which is not “Special Instructions”. This is often used to inform us that a misprint in clue x has been corrected.
I find it astonishing that it is beyond their ken to change the words “Special Instructions” to something more appropriate on these occasions. I can only imagine that the person/persons who wrote this software has/have departed and that nobody now dare touch it as it “works”!!!
However none of this is more astonishing than your lack of “Emotional Intelligence”! 😉
Thanks to None and scchua and to the big A who I’m sure would be giggling at all this shenanigans!
At risk of joining Steve in the sinbin I will suggest that some of the clues here were overly contrived in a way that the Master’s were not. 11A, 25A, 27A, and 8D spring to mind – and I note that even scchua (to whom thanks for the blog) struggled with the last of these. So: did everyone really and truly solve all of the clues in this puzzle? Or did they (like me) have to guess at at least some of the answers from the crossing letters and then try to make them fit?
Thanks Paul, Enigmatist and John
I returned to this late after being stuck in the SW corner.
A fine, clearly heart-felt tribute.
I was badly held up on 25a because I first thought award was ‘bonus’ and responsibility ‘onus’.
For some reason 4d and 27a particularly caught my fancy plus 25a when I at last saw it.
David @43
I’m sure that it’s the case the not “everyone truly solves” the clues for the crossword every day. I’m sure it’s the normal distribution that you’ll find in every activity. i.e. a good percentage of the people who complete the the crossword have parsed all the answer dwindling down to a few who have parsed almost none!
However today’s puzzle wasn’t so difficult and I for one will admit to solving it and parsing them all.
A fine tribute – almost bringing me to tears to think I’ve been doing his crosswords for over 40 years – man and boy. Bless you Araucaria.
I certainly wept buckets while solving this – but I also smiled a lot. Thanks, setters, for a wonderful tribute; and thanks and RIP, Araucaria.
Thanks to the Johns for the lovely tribute.
Cheers…
[[Robi & Ian SW3, right! The origin of the alphabetical jigsaw crossword form is attributed to A.]]
A worthy and moving tribute indeed. Like Eileen I was on a train while solving this and 10ac did for me. What the other passesngers made of the silly auld buffer sitting in the corner with silent tears coursing down his wrinkled chops, I don’t know. And actually don’t much care. Thank you to the remaining Johns. Your 26ac 24d for the 26ac 10ac shone through and youlr skill and craft honour him.
At the risk of rising to a troll, a brief comment on the “Special Instruction”. It didn’t occur to me to question this at all, I’m afraid. Indeed, I saw it as an entirely appropriate and elegant device,; it reminded me of the extra frisson when, along with the anticipation already engendered by the Master’s name, one noticed the dread term “Special Instruction” – which could often be almost more baffling than the clues.
Perfectly pitched puzzle, thank you setters.
Having both woken up around 4.00 this morning we were able to finish this fine crossword which we just had to do.
My only question is that if 3 people set a crossword, how do they do it?
One person puts in the words, and the other two share the clues? Or all sit round the table with their favourite tipple and bounce ideas around?
A very touching puzzle, raising many a wistful smile.
Heartfelt thanks, to setters, and everyone here.
Brilliant, moving tribute.
Some mentioned 8d as being a weak clue, unworthty of our celebrated setter.
It is indeed not a good clue according to my Book of Cryptics but oh so apt here.
Why?
Because Araucaria regularly used “some” or, like here, “much of” for taking an unspecified part of a word to play around with.
7d – such a good clue, very sad too.
It says it all.
It’s just come back to me: I once played HARMONICA for a band called “The Three Johns”, for a Radio One John Peel session.
How curious that feels just now…
My LOI was the, I suppose wrong, “NONE” at 24. It = “nothing” and is the remaining three Johns.
Great puzzle, great tribute, thanks for the blog Scchua and to “None” for what must have been a very emotional project.
A harmonica, unusually among instruments, is also sucked as well as blowed, but it’s just as well the setters stuck with the latter.