The puzzle may be found at https://observer.co.uk/puzzles/everyman/article/everyman-no-4174
Good fun, with a nice mix of clue-types along with most of the Everyman trademarks, as highlighted in the grid. One or two quibbles here and there, but nothing to frighten the horses. I particularly enjoyed the anagrams at 1ac and 10ac, as well as the chic Milanese footballers. My favourite this time is probably 8dn, as I’m sure we can all relate to occasional frustrations with the crossword setter’s game. Many thanks to Everyman.
moh’s hypothetical hardness scale rating: Gypsum
| ACROSS | ||
| 1 | TAPESTRIES |
Striptease represented in wall-hung art (10)
|
| Anagram (represented) of STRIPTEASE | ||
| 6 | UGLI |
Unmistakably grapefruity, lumpy item primarily? (4)
|
| Initial letters of the first four words, clue as definition | ||
| 9 | APPOINTEES |
Note a pipe’s playing The Chosen Ones (10)
|
| Anagram (playing) of NOTE A PIPES | ||
| 10 | BEEP |
Worker maybe getting quiet electrical alert (4)
|
| BEE (worker maybe) + P | ||
| 11 | DEAREST HEART |
Most expensive, Courage, darling (7,5)
|
| DEAREST + HEART (courage, as in “take heart”) | ||
| 15 | PUNCHES |
Slugs in party drinks (7)
|
| Double definition | ||
| 16 | PLUMAGE |
‘How old is that fruit?’ ‘This’ll get you down‘ (7)
|
| Age of plum=PLUMAGE. Not really sure the quote marks or ‘this’ll get you’ are adding much to the clue. | ||
| 17 | EARLDOM |
Some mother-of-pearl dominoes in Wessex, perhaps (7)
|
| Hidden (some…) in pEARL DOMinoes | ||
| 19 | ACERBIC |
A little grimacer, bickering, biting (7)
|
| Hidden (a little) in grimACER BICkering | ||
| 20 | DON’T YOU START |
Angry interjection – to stalling engine? (4,3,5)
|
| Double definition, the second somewhat fanciful | ||
| 23 | MAID |
Young woman‘s enraged when accommodating Everyman (4)
|
| MAD around (when accommodating) I | ||
| 24 | FLICK-KNIFE |
Picture foremost of kempers with nickel-iron blade (5-5)
|
| FLICK (picture) + K[empers] + NI (nickel) + FE (iron). I have no idea what or who a kemper might be, which makes it hard to picture one, but I don’t suppose it matters very much. Ah, OK, I looked it up – it means a champion, in the knightly sense or a reaping contest. Either of which I suppose might involve blades of some sort | ||
| 25 | NIGH |
Recipient of birthday honour, in birthday suit, is approaching (4)
|
| [k]NIGH[t] (stripped, in birthday suit) | ||
| 26 | INTERNSHIP |
Training scheme in which Milanese footballers – both sides – chic (10)
|
| INTER (Internazionale, or Inter Milan, so Milanese footballers) + NS (north and south, both sides) + HIP | ||
| DOWN | ||
| 1 | TRAM |
In Yorkshire, the sheep’s public-transport option (4)
|
| A cod Yorkshire accent would render “the sheep” as ” ‘t ram” | ||
| 2 | POPS |
Old man bursts (4)
|
| Double definition | ||
| 3 | SEIZE THE DAY |
Hazy, see tide heaving: act now! (5,3,3)
|
| Anagram (heaving) of HAZY SEE TIDE | ||
| 4 | RETORTS |
Counters showing lab flasks (7)
|
| Double definition, a RETORT also being a vessel used in chemistry | ||
| 5 | EVENS UP |
Gets square – just – to drink (5,2)
|
| EVEN (fair, just) + SUP | ||
| 7 | GRETA GARBO |
Style icon corrected ‘gear’ to ‘garb’ (5,5)
|
| Anagram (corrected) of GEAR TO GARB. Am I alone in thinking “style icon” is a slightly odd definition? | ||
| 8 | IMPATIENCE |
Frustration from the crossword setter’s game (10)
|
| I‘M (crossword setter is) + PATIENCE | ||
| 12 | HOUSEBROKEN |
Like a dog who knows where to go? (11)
|
| Cryptic def, playing on different meanings of “to go” | ||
| 13 | SPEED DEMON |
Sea water rising, concerning one travelling fast (5,5)
|
| Reversal (rising, in a down clue) of MED (sea) DEEPS (water) + ON (concerning). Strikes me that “deeps” (rather than “deep”) for sea is a bit odd, but otherwise I don’t know how to account for the S | ||
| 14 | ENTRANCING |
Delightful Northern gent in car, on the loose (10)
|
| Anagram (on the loose) of N GENT IN CAR | ||
| 18 | MAUDLIN |
Oxford college sounded foolishly sentimental (7)
|
| Soundalike of “Magdalen”, the Oxford college that is famously pronounced as the solution. | ||
| 19 | ATTACHE |
Diplomatic aide has facial hair after a time (7)
|
| TACHE after A + T (a time) | ||
| 21 | FISH |
Go for a skate on the water? (4)
|
| Cryptic def, depending on the piscine meaning of ‘skate’ | ||
| 22 | PEEP |
Slightest sound, whichever way you look at it (4)
|
| It’s a palindrome, whichever way you look at it |
Thanks for the blog , similar grumbles for me and mostly dealt with .
GRETA GARBO certainly a style icon off the screen , a pioneer for wearing what was then menswear , you have your wish to be alone in your views .
TRAM was very neat .
Yes, agreed.
PSRHS: Mini Cheddars.
Cheers all.
Similar quibbles, and didn’t quite finish it, IMPATIENCE being something I couldn’t quite see.
I think 13a works if you take as a whole: “MED DEEPS” = “SEA WATER”. 1a raised a chuckle. Thanks Everyman and moh.
16a a bird’s plumage of feathers may be referred to as down ?
21d: the fish would surely be in the water rather than on it, though I suppose it could be read as ‘go on the water for a skate’.
Yes indeed, Jacqui @5 and poc @6, both of those quibbles occurred to me too. I didn’t elaborate in the blog because I didn’t want to get too moany…
What Roz@1 said. 13 LOI despite actually being beside the Med when solving this….