Guardian Cryptic N° 26,126 by Brendan Making sense

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The puzzle may be found at http://www.theguardian.com/crosswords/cryptic/26126. I do not think I am giving anything away in awarding a title to the puzzle, since ‘sense’ is plastered all over the clues.

I think that Brendan largely keeps to the general pattern of an easy start to the week’s solving, although in a couple of cases, the answer was more obvious to me than the wordplay.

 

Across
9. Sense what’s in the air, small change for US (5)
SCENT A charade of S (‘small’) plus CENT (‘change for US’).
10. Recognition there is conflict, in a strange sense (9)
AWARENESS An envelope (‘in’) of WAR (‘conflict’) in ‘a’ plus ENESS, an anagram (‘strange’) of ‘sense’. 
11. Time in a shelter I have put in here, showing a sense of caring (9)
ATTENTIVE An envelope (‘in’) of T (‘time’)in ‘a’ plus TENT (‘shelter’) plus I’VE (‘I have’).
‘put in here’ is just connective tissue, misleadingly suggesting that I’VE is internal to some envelope. 
12. Eastern state with TV channel for those with sense of adventure? (5)
RISKY A charade of RI (Rhode Island, ‘eastern state’) plus SKY (‘TV channel’).
The definition is rather loose, as the question mark might suggest.
13. Excessively ring maiden, in a sense (3,4)
TOO MUCH An envelope (‘in’) of O (‘ring’) plus M (‘maiden’) in TOUCH (‘a sense’).
15. Poet feeling right about page (7)
SPENSER An envelope (‘about’) of P (‘page’)) in SENSE (‘feeling’) plus R (‘right’). 
17. Opening of show in gallery, in a sense (5)
TASTE An envelope of S (‘opening of Show’) in TATE (‘gallery’). 
18. Undermine person with little sense (3)
SAP Double definition. 
20. Spiteful after head leaves, experiencing irritating sensation (5)
ITCHY A subtraction: [b]ITCHY (‘spiteful’) without its first letter (‘after head leaves’). 
22. In unusual sense, I’m unbeatable opponent (7)
NEMESIS An anagram (‘unusual’) of ‘sense I’m’. 
25. Serving American in pub is making sense (7)
LOGICAL   An envelope (‘serving … in’) of GI (‘American’ – dodgy)An envelope (‘in’) of GI (‘serving American‘) in LOCAL (‘pub’).
26. Some sensing I’ve not donated (5)
GIVEN A hidden answer (‘some’) in ‘sensinG I’VE Not’.
27. Lack of sense, in an odd sense (9)
INANENESS A charade of ‘in an’ plus ENESS, an anagram (‘odd’) of ‘sense’. 
30. Old steward, with singular sense, left after tea (9)
SENESCHAL A charade of SENES, an anagram (‘singular’) of ‘sense’ plus CHA (‘tea’) plus L (‘left’). 
31. Dispose of about 1,000, in a sense (5)
SMELL An envelope (‘about’) of M (Roman numeral, ‘1,000’) in SELL (‘dispose of’). 
…
Down
1. A lot of the world leaders in assembly sense it’s awful (4)
ASIA First letters (‘leaders in’) of ‘Assembly Sense It’s Awful’. 
2. What’s reduced hearing, for instance, including damaged otic parts (8)
SECTIONS An envelope (‘including’) of CTIO, an anagram (‘damaged’) of ‘otic’ in SENS[e] (‘hearing, for instance’) cut short (‘reduced’).
3. Going the wrong way, having no sense? Surprise (4)
STUN A reversal (‘going the wrong way’) of NUTS (‘having no sense’). A variation on a well-known theme. 
4. Vehicle female’s taken across island is no longer sensible (8)
VANISHES An envelope (‘taken across’) of I (‘island’) in VAN (‘vehicle’) plus SHE’S (‘female’s’).
‘sensible’ is obviously in the sense of obvious – that is, perceptible. 
5. Republican claims these people have lost their senses (6)
RAVERS A charade of R (‘Republican’) plus AVERS (‘claims’). 
6. Part of PM’s address, in a sense, is good for morale (10)
HEARTENING An envelope (‘in’) of TEN (Downing Street, ‘part of PM’s address’) in HEARING (‘a sense’). 
7. With partners switching, senses points as a result (6)
NESSES ‘senses’ with the first S and the N (‘partners’ in bridge) switched. 
8. Sense organ’s sound, for example, producing surprised reaction? (1,3)
I SAY A charade of I, a homophone (‘…’s sound’) of EYE (‘sense organ’) plus SAY (‘for example’). 
13. Cut slack, as sensed in hearing, for powerful person (5)
TITAN A homophone (‘as sensed in hearing’) of TIGHTEN (‘cut slack’). 
14. Feeling of anxiety, in a sense, unfortunately dividing setter and solver (10)
UNEASINESS An envelope (‘dividing’) of NEASINES, an anagram (‘unfortunately’) of ‘in a sense’ in US (‘setter and solver’). 
16. Of exceptional size, in one sense (not common) (5)
ROYAL Double definition. 
19. Friend quietly accomplished what’s evident to one of the senses (8)
PALPABLE A charade of PAL (‘friend’) plus P (piano, ‘quietly’) plus ABLE (‘accomplished’). 
21. Bird regarded as lacking sense (8)
COCKEYED A charade of COCK (‘bird’) plus EYED (‘regarded’). 
23. Affecting people’s sensibilities still? Not so (6)
MOVING Double definition. 
24. Insult learner, in a sense (6)
SLIGHT An envelope (‘in’) of L (‘learner’) in SIGHT (‘a sense’). 
26. Is replacing all within government? That makes basic sense (4)
GIST ‘GovernmenT‘ with its entire interior replaced with ‘is’. 
28. Note a sense in which centre is moderate (4)
EASE A hidden answer in the centre of ‘notE A SEnse’. 
29. Concluding thus — to reveal sense, do some work at last? (4)
SOLE Last letters (‘concluding’) of ‘thuS – tO reveaL sensE‘. The ‘last’ is the shoemaker’s – or shoe repairer’s – tool. 

  1. Thanks PeterO and Brendan. In 25ac a GI is an American who serves in the military. Thus “serving American” = “GI”

  3. Thanks PeterO and Brendan
    Very clever crossword, if a little irritating in its repetitiveness. I hadn’t seen the definition for SOLE, which I now like very much.
    How nice to see PALPABLE, at least by implication, used correctly.

  4. Hastily opted for ‘cockerel’ at 21d, otherwise a fairly gentle start to the week. Like muffin, I found the clue to 29d excellent. It’s somehow very satisfying when the clue to such a short solution is so good.

  5. Much prefer this to the usual Mondays. A touch repetitive maybe, but admirable in mining so comprehensively the various aspects of SENSE. Maybe a little let down by three -NESS words.

    Indeed yes, SOLE is a cracking little clue. And like George @4, I soon realised I had to retract COCKEREL.

    Dewey @1, ‘Serving American’ is indeed GI in crossword land.

  6. Thanks, PeterO.

    In 13D, I always thought of “cutting slack” as loosening, not tightening (as in “cut me some slack”).

  7. To be honest I got a bit bored by the repetitiveness of the theme even though the puzzle contained some clever cluing.

    I also entered a hasty “cockerel” at 21dn because I assumed that there was some kind of cryptic reference in the wordplay that I couldn’t see. I should have taken a minute to think about it some more. To make it an even poorer solve on my part I entered a careless “palpably” at 19dn because I didn’t read the clue properly.

  8. Sensibly clever setting.

    Thanks PeterO; I was another with COCKEREL at first.

    I liked HEARTENING and my favourite was SOLE.

  9. Thanks PeterO and Brendan

    Relatyively easy Monday fare, but enjoyable enough. I also almost plumped for cokerel.

    Some good cluing as one would expect from Brendan. I ticked 13a, 21d and of course 29d.

  10. Dewey @1

    Thanks for the correction. Obvious, of course – but somehow it was not obvious to me yesterday evening.

  14. And your point is? None of them are just “SKY”. You might use “SKY” generically, but then you are refering to “channels” i.e. plural. You’d get away with it as an adjective, but the usage here is as a noun.

  15. Derek @14. A little brusque I thought. I have heard ‘I saw it on Sky last night’ and, regarding an upcoming footer match, ‘is it on Sky?’. Seems to fit OK and not refer to channels in the plural. Just my opinion though.

  18. What a treat. After last weeks’ ugly messes, it was so nice to find a Brendan here on Monday. A tasty theme, with all five senses checked in the answers. Easy, yes, but it is Monday. Most clues came on the first attempt. Had to look up SENESCHAL, but had it from the wordplay, and the lovely SOLE, last one in.

    This is what a Monday should be like, no offense to Rufus.

    My only regret is that I don’t have a puzzle to finish tomorrow when I get up.

    Thanks Brendan and PeterO, and the rest of you lot.

  19. Well I must have had a bad day as I found this quite tricky. (I had put new windows in the shed and battled with Word for the rest of the day though!)

    A bit of overkill on the “sense” front I agree but a really pleasant surprise for a Monday (more please)

    I was planning to finish off the Genius but that will have to wait now.

    Thanks to PeterO and Brendan

  20. Failed completely on NESSES, having passed over “points” as a definition, as too direct.

    Generally a pleasantly fun puzzle I thought.

    Thanks Brendan and all.

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