Solving time: 4:42

Araucaria has had a monopoly on the prize crosswords in recent weeks, so this was a nice change and probably my quickest time for a Paul puzzle. The theme was fairly straightforward, comprising 5 clues consisting of single words backwards (”kcul?”, “ylper?”, “ytud?”, “eert?” and “tew?”), leading to solutions with ‘wordplay in the answer’. I was helped enormously by spotting the answer to the longest of these (”kcul?”) immediately, and by knowing the phrase ‘neap tide’ which I solved next.

Music of the day: Playing music backwards was pioneered by The Beatles in the 1960s, but we had a Beatles song last week so today’s pick is Don’t Stop by The Stone Roses, which is essentially Waterfall played backwards with a few tweaks and new lyrics written to fit.

* = anagram.

Not being an expert on Azed xmas specials, can’t tell if this is par for the course or a lot harder. In any event, I needed to resort to an email friend (PB) to get jump-started. Must be said that this is a tour de force in terms of integration. And I wonder if the misprinted letters themselves form a theme somehow (anagram or acrostic). The first task in solving is to identify the quadrants… so I’ve organized this blog thus. But still came up short in 3 clues… Thanks to Andrew and Roland now cleared up.

Misprints (NW)

Anagrams (NE)
Note that the wordplay should lead to a valid word whose definition is not in the clue but is an anagram of the answer. And, unless obvious, I’ve parenthetically provided its meaning just for fun…

Printer’s Devilry (SW)
I’ve indicated the insertion point and the missing answer. I wish I had some intelligent advice as to how to solve these… the only thing I came up with is “find the most awkward part in the clue and try to fit crossing letters… iteratively, until something makes sense”.

Normal cryptics (SE)

Solving time: 19 minutes

A thoroughly enjoyable puzzle from Shed, an under-used and underrated setter on the Guardian, in my opinion.  Always a nice mixture of excellent clues with one or two twists on old favourites (e,g, torchlit in 1 across, and the working for 17 across)..

 Wish we had more from this wonderful setter.

 ACROSS   (*) = ANAGRAM   (CD) = CRYPTIC DEF   (R)=REVERSAL

1  COHORT           O inside TORCH*  with LIT  as Anaram Indicatr.  I suppose we’ll split in opinions on this use.

4 RESISTOR         R + SORTIES*

9 ACRID                C with ARID outside

10  PETULANCE    PET (sweetheart) + U + LANCE

11  GONDOLIER    IDOL* inside GONER

13  UNSEASONABLE   If you can’t put salt on it, it’s ______

17  AMY WINEHOUSE  Another clue you’ll love or hate.  I think it’s clever.  A drink chez moi (Franglais) could be Á MY WINE HOUSE.

18  ARIUS  See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arius  RI in AUS (”Down Under”)

23  DETRIMENT    RIM inside DETENT(E)

25  CONTESSA    CON + ASSET (R)  

DOWN

1  CLANGOUR   Neat clue.

2  HARDNESS    D inside HARNESS

3  RODEO       OR (Military ranks - see Chambers) (R) + DEO

5  ENTERTAINMENT    MAIN* inside  ENTER TENT  -  “TURN” = def.

6  ILL HEALTH     (P)ILL + HEALTH (what is drunk at a toast)

7  TINTIN    Often quoted in reply to the question “Name a famous Belgian”

8  REEFER    REFER about E

10 PRISON WARDERS   P + RIDERS with SON + WAR inside.

14  ARMISTICE    A  + MIST inside RICE

15  MUST HAVE  This looks like  MUST (smell) with V inside HAE - but not sure about “rising”.

16  DESCRIBE      S + CRIB  inside DEE  (Flow-er = river)

18  BARDIC          CRAB with ID inside (R)

19  HILTON         From Wikipedia:  A descriptive phrase meaning the best or most extreme example of something. The Pillars of Hercules, for example, were literally the ne plus ultra of the ancient Mediterranean world.   Thus  with PARIS you get…..

22  MOSES     (Kate) MOSS with E inside.

I enjoyed this puzzle, which featured several satisfyingly penny-dropping clues - primarily due to some well disguised definitions and very natural surfaces. The Cinephile cross-reference at 5D led me up a couple of blind alleys too. Just a pity that I didn’t get around to solving this until the evening (Uncle Sam Time), so was unable to post earlier in the day.

Across
1 TICK,LE - “Flash”=in a tick; alternate letters of “clues”
4 P,ANCETTA - (can’t eat)*
9 R(HO,MB)I
10 ALL(U,V)IUM - “Stuff washing up” was a well-camouflaged definition. “Uniform” as in the phonetic alphabet letter U.
13 BOOTSTRAPS (to top brass)*
18 COVENT(-ry) GARDEN (danger)*
22 SHEPPERTON (p,the person)* - a good &lit, “Head of production involved in casting the person here?”, for these film studios.
24 MARCIANO (on,A1,c,ram) all rev. - one of my favourite of today’s penny-droppers.
25 V(EN)ICE - “Failing to barricade” was a laudably subtle container/contents device.
26 VEN(EE(R)E)D - “into drugs” here denotes the R(aider) being surrounded by Es.

Down
1 TO(RTOIS)E - (riot)* in toe; Calabria is the metatarsal region of Italy.
2 CH,OPSU,EY -”Check”=CH, EY is Ye (”the traditional”) reversed.
5 ALLITERATION - “Cinephile’s cryptic clues could characterise this” had me barking up some wrong trees. I initially plumped for DELIBERATION, no doubt being subliminally influenced by the crossword world’s tribal use of “Libertarian” for Araucaria/Cinephile. Ironically, I eventually realised that the setter’s name is actually superfluous, other than for tribute purposes!
7 TAI,WAN - Initial letters of “test an Indian”.
8 AT MOST (Sat Tom)* - “Tops” was a niftily efficient definition.
14 A,C,CO(MP)LICE - Military “Policeman”=MP; “half”=the prefix co-.
16 EDGE,H,ILL - an early and significant skirmish in the the Civil War (English, Version 1.0).
17 UN,LIKELY (Ilkley)* - “Tall” was another bite-sized, blink-and-you-miss-it definition.
19 ASI(MO)V - OM in visa (all rev).
20 N(EURO)N - well-camouflaged definition/surface combo.
23 PEAR - homophone.