Welcome S.M.E.R.S.H. (unless you are someone else disguised as the Soviet CIA). What a crossword! I counted 18 answers (almost half!) which were words I’d never heard of or meanings I’d never imagined, plus many others in the wordplay. Frequent use of dictionary aids was required. Fortunately the theme emerged about half way through the solving and this aided in the completion of the grid. The rubric was:
This puzzle is a tribute to 1 Across, one of the most justly 20 (and oftentimes 15) 24. The wordplay in all but four clues makes no reference to one (or in two cases, two) thematically positioned letter(s). Solvers must highlight the excluded letters and, in so doing, unite and complete 1 Across’s favourite thematic “family” in a suitably affectionate way.
My first read through yielded two answers – a poor return – ALAC(K) and IMPA(V)ID. During an interrupted night’s sleep on Sunday I decided to try to do one clue each time I woke up. This yielded a few more answers and the indication that the two diagonals (forming an X for a kiss, a suitably affectionate letter) contained the letters ignored in the wordplay. Further examination of the grid showed that this would give two answers, 15 and 20 Down, which would have two letters ignored and four answers, 4,5,27 and 31 Down, which would have no letters ignored. This agreed with the instructions in the rubric.
I struggled on, getting an initial and final A for 1 Across which led me down a futile, but interesting, search on ANDROMEDA (the constellation in the shape of an X), its stars and galaxies. As the bottom right hand corner began to unfold and UVWY appeared, and I started to think that 1 Across might be ALPHABETA (is there such a word?) but suddenly the penny dropped – a major PDM!! ARAUCARIA was one of the most FAMED (20D) and ERUDITE (15A) SETTERS (24D). I fondly remember solving his Guardian crosswords (particularly the holiday double crosswords) with my parents and uncle in the late 50s and the 60s. This is what first got me hooked on crosswords. Apart from his incredibly prolific output, he is justly famed for inventing the ALPHABETICAL JIGSAW, where clues are presented in alphabetical order, but answers are to be fitted in the grid where they will go – one of my favourite crossword forms. Ho reminds me that these were often brilliantly clued in rhyming couplets!
Araucaria (John Graham – more here) died aged 92, still setting crosswords, almost exactly a year ago on the 26th of November 2013, so a fitting tribute indeed.
With 1 Across filled in and the letters of the alphabet on the diagonals, except for X (remember UVWY?) this left the enormous X to indicate love for one of the greatest of all setters, and the completion of the grid proceeded to a very satisfying conclusion.
Fantastic debut S.M.E.R.S.H. but I hope someone else has to blog the next one!
Across |
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|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Clue (definition) | Answer | Wordplay |
| 1 | Unclued | ARAUCARIA | RIP |
| 7 | Lost stocks of Chinese buns (4) | CAN[G] | See Chambers definition: CAN = bottom = BUNS |
| 11 | Mesh entangled lattice row, lacking appropriate technology (9, 2 words) | WIRE CLOT[H] | [L(at)TICE ROW]* remove AT (= appropriate technology) and entangle |
| 12 | Turned attention to Middle East flower arrangement (6) | RA[C]EME | EAR (attention) reversed + M(iddle) E(ast) |
| 13 | Ten thousand to put right figure on totem (6) | MAN[I]TO | TOMAN is a myriad or ten thousand. Move TO to the right. |
| 15 | He’s learned English regret having sex (7) | ERU[D]ITE | E(nglish) RUE (regret) round IT (sex) |
| 17 | Eat morsel of gooseberry (raspberry’s unfinished as well) (5) | GRAZ[E] | G(oosberry morsel) + RAZ(Z) (raspberry unfinished) |
| 18 | Nostalgic view of final tuck in break! (7, 2 words) | TA[K]E TEN | NET (final) + EAT (tuck in) all reversed. Nostalgic view indicates retrospective (= reversed) |
| 19 | Grass again to soften up core of jury (6) | RETUR[F] | RET (soften by soaking) + (j)UR(y) |
| 21 | Mad Irish descendant of Cambridge sophomore, say (6) | [L]OCOED | O’ (Irish descendant as in O’Leary) + COED a sophomore, say in Cambridge Massachusetts. |
| 23 | Stringed instruments spahees regularly plucked (5) | SA[Z]ES | S |
| 26 | School’s independent section? (6) | SCHIS[M] | SCH(ool) +IS (‘s) |
| 28 | Record publication featuring band with distinct sound (6) | [S]EPMAG | See Chambers for full definition: EP (record) + MAG (publication) |
| 29 | Elegantly simple evening get-together’s good for rector (7) | SOIG[N]EE | SOIREE with G(ood) for R(ector) |
| 32 | Boundless bi-directional data set (5) | [T]UPLE | (d)UPLE(x) is bi-directional communication, boundless |
| 34 | Royalty entertaining the Lancastrian masses? (7) | RIT[U]ALS | Masses are examples of rituals: RIALS (royalty) round T’ (the Lancastrian) |
| 36 | Pretend this was a Greek coin (6) | LE[P]TON | LET ON is to pretend (see Chambers – I thought it meant the opposite!) |
| 37 | Artist finally avoided deportation (6) | REN[V]OI | RENOI(r) (artist with last letter removed) |
| 38 | Posh MPs skipping barman’s first drinks (9) | [Q]UENCHER | U (posh) + (B)ENCHER (MP) minus B(arman’s first) |
| 39 | Fish mate drops by doing the rounds (4) | [R]UDD | (b)UDD(y) minus by |
| 40 | Mucking spread verges of soil unusually scantily (9) | SPARSEDL[Y] | Mucking = anagram of [SPREAD S(oi)L]* |
Down |
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| 1 | Land in exotic realm (4) | [A]CRE | Hidden in exotiC REalm |
| 2 | Alien character turns up with a bow (7) | AR[C]UATE | ET (alien) + AURA (character) all reversed |
| 3 | Criminals ignoring network lifted ornate crests (7) | CIMI[E]RS | Remove LAN (network) lifted (reversed) from [CRIMI(nal)S]* and anagram (ornate) |
| 4 | Forgotten award: some land racing trophy (5) | ARETT | No missing letters. ARE (some land) + T(ourist) T(rophy) |
| 5 | Releases for faultless reserves? (6) | RELETS | No missing letters. [Releases = leases again: remove LET (fault) from RE(let)S and you get RES(erves)] New, better explanation in the comments, particularly from Gaufrid at #11 |
| 6 | So sad! Bishop’s residence is defaced and left incomplete (5) | ALAC[K] | (P)ALAC(E) defaced (no P) and left incomplete (no E) |
| 7 | Imagine solid figure on court (7) | CON[J]ECT | CONE (solid figure) + CT (court) |
| 8 | Diminutive US lawyer’s on the job (4, 2 words) | AT [I]T | ATT(orney, an abbreviated US lawyer) |
| 9 | When tied up, charge S African chap in mortal danger (9) | [G]ROUNDAGE | Tax when boat is tied up: OU (S.A. chap) in [DANGER]* (mortal can mean “very drunk” – anagram indicator) |
| 10 | Telephone restriction read out to implicate revolutionary company (10, 2 words) | [B]ARRED CODE | RED CO (revolutionary company in [READ]* |
| 14 | Fill empty jar up with river plant (10, 2 words) | TREE MALLO[W] | TEEM (empty) + OLLA reversed (jar up) round R(iver) |
| 16 | Part of UK — that’s Scotland’s misfortune (5) | WA[L]E[S] | WAE is Scottish woe |
| 17 | Gooseberry-stone, worthless when shelled, lodged in throat (9) | GROSSULA[R] | (d)ROSS(y) (worthless shelled) in GULA (throat) |
| 20 | Renowned Roman magistrate ignores unopened file (5) | [F]A[M]ED | AEDILE (Roman magistrate) minus (f)ILE |
| 22 | Play School favourite’s unreasonably biased (7) | BIG[O]TED | BIG TED was a favourite of children’s TV programme Play School (as was Little Ted!) |
| 24 | Spies’ network overturned on board (7) | SE[T]TERS | RETE (network) overturned in SS (on board) |
| 25 | Uncommonly fearless declaration from pro (7) | IMPA[V]ID | Pro might say I’M PAID |
| 27 | Collar concealing low neckline and the bra possibly (6) | BERTHA | No missing letters. [THE BRA]* |
| 30 | Oxygen’s short on southern peaks (5) | [N]OONS | O(xygen) + ON + S(outhern) |
| 31 | Yorkshire river runs drier (5) | AIRER | No missing letters. AIRE (Yorkshire river) + R(uns) |
| 33 | Stumpy person’s oddly sturdy (4) | S[P]UD | S |
| 35 | Launch Zone is sticky (4) | SIZ[Y] | Reverse (launch) Z(one) IS |
I think it was very brave of any setter to even think of attempting a tribute to Araucaria. I felt it worked really well. The theme became obvious fairly early, but in a way that made the puzzle more of a pleasure. We knew we were joining in the homage. But certainly didn’t make the clues any easier. They brought back memories of long struggles with the Grauniad on Saturdays many years ago. So,very similar style and familiar feel.
Well done to everyone at S.M.E.R.S.H.
And many thanks to Hihoba.
Yes, a fitting tribute indeed. Like Hihoba, I twigged the theme fairly quickly, having got the R-Q-P-O run down the bottom left diagonal. I would imagine most solvers would have got the theme as I can’t imagine anyone not having solved an Araucaria alphabet jigsaw puzzle at some stage, unless they are not a Grauniad reader or relatively new to cryptic Xwords.
Like Hihoba, there were many new words, SAZES, TUPLE, SEPMAG…the list goes on.
Many thanks to Hihoba and to SMERSH, welcome !
I too got the theme early on but was hindered by having SAXES rather then SAZES (which I’d never heard of) so the alphabetic symmetry wasn’t there and I just couldn’t reconcile that to complete the puzzle.
A worthy tribute nonetheless.
Strange experience with this one. Missing-letter-in-the-wordplay clues are not my favourite as I find them especially difficult. This one sat with no more than a handful of solved clues until midweek when I decided to have one last look at it, spotted the beginnings of a diagonal run and the theme and solver in question just popped into my head. Far from spoiling the solve it was only realising the theme that allowed me to finish it at all. Tricky stuff, but an excellent and finally satisfying tribute. Many thanks to setter and blogger.
Very pleased by the satisfying symmetry in this one. Somehow I intuited Araucaria very early, but after laboriously filling in all the rest I got stuck for ages on RELETS. Eventually putting it in as the likeliest answer, but failed to see the wordplay until this post came along.
“(remember UVWY?)” Actually, no, I don’t. A famous puzzle? Enlightenment would be appreciated.
I’m with those who tumbled to the theme rather early – I was reminded of the first anniversary of Araucaria’s death by the appearance of his last puzzle in the Guardian a few days before this one came out.
I stalled near the end on figuring out the wordplay for 18a TAKE TEN, and 5d RELETS. I’m not convinced that the blog has the latter right: a LET in tennis is a SERVE that (although not good) is not a FAULT – so “re-lets” are “faultless re-serves”; it’s a bit of a stretch, hence the “?” at the end of the clue.
And I suspect that the editor is linked with SMERSH …
Thanks, whoever they may be, + to Hihoba.
David L at 5, I was only self-referring to my own discovery of these letters first in the puzzle – see blog para 4 about line 3.
HG at 6 – you are absolutely right!
HG at 6 again. I am now not so sure. I think my explanation hangs together OK if you take LET in the sense of “no let or hindrance”, but I’d be interested to hear what SMERSH has (have?) to say.
I would go with HG and the contrived tennis reference. I don’t think the suggested explanation holds together at all. ‘LET’ would have to be removed from ‘RESERVES’ and not from ‘RELETS’ to sense of the wordplay, and my Chambers does not give ‘RES’ as an abbreviation for ‘RESERVES’.
A very impressive puzzle! We were sure that this was a joint effort – perhaps the H is Henderson!
As we filled in the top half we identified the correct pattern in the thematically placed letters and thought (incorrectly) that it was going to be a quick solve and were somewhat disappointed. However, despite having these extra letters the bottom half proved to be much trickier. There were a number of unknown words but the clueing was superb (apart from 5d which we couldn’t really parse and which we still don’t like!). 13ac was filled in but it was a couple of days later when we managed to work out why it was correct. We couldn’t parse 14d at all, so thanks to Hihoba for the blog.
Many thanks to S.M.E.R.S.H.
Thanks Hihoba
Let’s try and sort out 5dn. I parsed it as RE (for) LETS (faultless reserves). Both ‘for’ and RE can mean ‘with regard to’ as confirmed by Chambers and Oxford on-line.
That sounds much better Gaufrid! We take back our comment about 5d.
In New Zealand at present and unable to fail Inquisitor as I almost always do but this strikes as a crossword that is not going attract any new solvers
Yes, I will go for that, #11. So tennis was in there somewhere, but I could not see exactly how.
Thanks to HG and Gaufrid: I have updated the blog to point to the comments on 5D.
I twigged the theme quickly but still found this a really enjoyable puzzle and fitting tribute. Looking forward to finding out who the setters were …
Despite the suggestions at #6 & #11, I’m still unclear about 5d – how does LETS = “faultless reserves”? Quite nice puzzle though.
I thoroughly enjoyed this, even though I was left with five unsolved clues. I got the theme half way through, with a real “Eureka” moment. Happy memories of Araucaria alphabetical puzzles.
Weirdly, I had the bottom left half (below the diagonal) completed fairly early on, but struggled with the top right half!
Violet @ 17: think of it as re-serves (with a soft s) in tennis. A let involves no fault, but you get another serve.
Yes, Hihoba, it’s a double cryptic definition clue isn’t it? RE-LETS = both RE-SERVES and RE-LEASES. What a splendid blog!
Hi of Hihoba at #19: yes, yes, I knew that. My point was that a LET prompts a re-serve; it is not the re-serve itself (except in the rare event of two net-cords in a row). So, as Shirley C says at #20, it’s probably a double definition.
Yes, Violet and Hi, and that slight ambiguity is, I think, with the kind of smile that Araucaria habitually produced, covered by the question mark at the end of the clue.
Many thanks to Hihoba for a splendid blog. And special thanks to Araucaria for the many years of pleasure and inspiration given to so many. A great legacy. X