The puzzle may be found at https://observer.co.uk/puzzles/everyman/article/everyman-no-4163 (which seems to be no longer behind a paywall – or is it just that a cookie has expired? -; also the interactive presentation is marginally improved but still poor) or as a pdf at htpps://tinyurl.com/Everyman4163.
Plain sailing for an Everyman, The usual trademarks are highlighted in the grid (with the ‘primarily’ clue in disguise at 17A AIOLI; and, as last week, there is also an ‘ultimately’ clue at 11A LEI).
| ACROSS | ||
| 1 | NEAR MISS |
Seminar’s incoherent: that’s close to a disaster (4,4)
|
| An anagram (‘incoherent’) of ‘seminars’. | ||
| 5 | AGHAST |
American checks out of dilapidated Gasthaus, horrified (6)
|
| An anagram (‘dilapidated’) of ‘gastha[us]’ minus US (‘American checks out’). | ||
| 9 | ONE SECOND PLEASE |
Dueller’s request: give me a mo (3,6,6)
|
| Definition and literal interpretation, with a play on a dueller having an aide (second). | ||
| 11 | LEI |
Floral wreath that’ll symbolise Hawaii, ultimately? (3)
|
| Last letters (‘ultimately’) of ‘that’lL symbolisE HawaiI‘, with an extended definition. | ||
| 12 | TUTANKHAMUN |
Quivering in autumn, thank young monarch (11)
|
| An anafram (‘quivering in’ – the ‘in’ is awkward) of ‘autumn thank’. | ||
| 13 | HACIENDA |
Can I head off to find Spanish mansion? (8)
|
| An anagram (‘off’) of ‘can I head’. | ||
| 14 | DUNCE |
Nitwit implicated in horrid uncertainty (5)
|
| A hidden answer (‘implicated’) in ‘horriD UNCErtainty’. | ||
| 17 | AIOLI |
When choosing starters, alliums in oil, lemon intertwined …? (5)
|
| First letters (‘when choosing starters’) of ‘Alliums In Oil Lemon Intertwined’, with an &lit allusive definition. | ||
| 19 | SUSPENSE |
S American writes start of erotic film in Hitchcock style (8)
|
| A charade of ‘S” plus US (‘American’) plus PENS (‘writes’) plus E (‘start of Erotic’). | ||
| 22 | DISINTERRED |
Dug up abuse given to Milanese footballers (and one from Liverpool) (11)
|
| A charade of DIS (‘abuse’) plus INTER (‘Milanese foottballers’) plus RED (‘one from Liverpool’ – Liverpool Football Club are known as “The Reds”). | ||
| 24 | BOA |
Smell a snake (3)
|
| A charade of BO (body odour, ‘smell’) plus ‘a’. | ||
| 25 | SHOOTS THE BREEZE |
Makes film about movement of air, Gasses? (6,3,6)
|
| A charade of SHOOTS (‘makes film about’) plus THE BREEZE (‘movement of air’). The capital G of ‘Gasses‘ serves only to suggest a film title (and to emphasise this, the word is in italics in the original, not just because I use italics for definitions). | ||
| 26 | SPARSE |
Practises boxing with Earl that’s slight (6)
|
| A charade of SPARS (‘practises boxing’) plus E (‘Earl’). | ||
| 27 | UNDERDOG |
Where you might find blanket, one you expect to lose? (8)
|
| Definition and literal interpretation. | ||
| DOWN | ||
| 1 | NOODLE |
Ribbon for simpleton (6)
|
| Double definition. | ||
| 2 | AMERICANO |
Coffee brewing, nice aroma (9)
|
| An anagram (‘brewing’) of ‘nice aroma’, for what I now know is an expresso with added hot water. | ||
| 3 | MAESTRI |
Musicians playing Artemis (7)
|
| An anagram (‘plays’) of ‘Artemis’. | ||
| 4 | SHORT AND SWEET |
Perhaps a whisky with some ice cream, but not outstaying welcome (5,3,5)
|
| Definition and literal interpretation. | ||
| 6 | GALAHAD |
Festivity with bore that’s noble type (7)
|
| A charade of GALA (‘festivity’) plus HAD (‘bore’). | ||
| 7 | ALARM |
Fear a long tentacle (5)
|
| A charade of ‘a’ plus L (‘long’ – not a common abbreviation, and not in Chambers) plus ARM (‘tentacle’). | ||
| 8 | THE ANDES |
Serving of absinthe and espresso somewhere in S America (3,5)
|
| A hidden answer (‘serving of’) in ‘absinTHE AND ESpresso’ | ||
| 10 | DENTAL SURGEON |
If I work hard, I get a little plaque (6,7)
|
| Cryptic definition, with perhaps a play on the double meaning of ‘plaque’ – tooth deposit, or professional shingle. | ||
| 15 | NOSEBLEED |
Boxer’s injury: lobe needs to be treated (9)
|
| An anagram (‘to be treated’) of ‘lobe needs’. The surface suggests a cauliflower ear. | ||
| 16 | FADDISTS |
Tot embraced by bunches of five enthusiasts (8)
|
| An envelope (’embraced by’) of ADD (‘tot’) in FISTS (‘bunches of five’). | ||
| 18 | IGNITES |
Arrived with US soldier, offered up torches (7)
|
| A reversal (‘offered up’ in a down light) of SET IN (‘arrived’) plus GI (‘US soldier’). | ||
| 20 | ENDORSE |
Back to destroy heroin in E London (7)
|
| A dropped aspirate (‘in E London’) in END HORSE (‘destroy heroin’). | ||
| 21 | BAD EGG |
Preference to suppress dated Everyman gags, primarily unsavoury sort (3,3)
|
| An envelope (‘to suppress’) of DEG (‘Dated Everyman Gags primarily’) in BAG (‘preference’ – “current idiom is not my bag”). | ||
| 23 | SKODA |
While entertained by Jamaican music, do up Czech car (5)
|
| An envelope (‘while entertained by’) of OD, a reversal (‘up’ in a down light) of ‘do’ in SKA (‘Jamaican music’). The S should have a caron: Škoda. |
25. Doesn’t ‘shoot the breeze also mean chat as does gas ?
Laura @1 I agree thats how I saw it.
Yes, agreed. I think PeterO was simply pointing out that the italicisation of Gasses was an attempt to misdirect us into thinking it was the title of the film alluded to in the surface reading.
Fun puzzle, nicely pitched, thanks both.
Thanks for the blog , I agree with Laura and Tony . Perhaps the blog implies this definition , as MOH@3 says it is telling us what “Gasses” does not mean .
Very few complaints this week from my regular Everyman solvers , a lot of good basic clues .
RED = one from Liverpool , so Oscar Wilde was a Liverpool fan ? Who knew that ?
I’m normally good at spotting hiddens, but completely failed on DUNCE. Irony much?
Is Everyman falling out of favour due to the new website ? Thought this was just about spot on in terms of difficulty.
Roz@4 – I thought Oscar Wilde was more usually associated with Green – thanks to his green carnation ? Seems that I am not smart enough to see his connection with Red ?
It’s all been said by now as ever and I agree with the positives about this puzzle.
Re carons – is that what they’re called? – I think that it would greatly help the learning of Welsh and other languages that mutate initial consonants if they – the Welsh – would adopt a similar system of supplements to letters, which enabled the initial letter to remain the same alphabetically and therefore for the word to be readily traceable in a dictionary. The Central and Eastern Europeans manage it after all, and other countries have orthographic conferences from time-to-time too.
Thanks one and all.
Simon@6 , I was just thinking who could come up with the nickname The Reds for a team that wears ……. red . Clearly an intellectual giant of great wit and wisdom and Swift is too early .
Roz@8. Nicely played and Oscar is contemporaneous with the founding of the club in the 1890s. I think it is a given that football club nicknames must be as obvious as possible ??