An enjoyable solve with some fun clueing – I especially liked 1ac/5ac, 13ac, 21ac, and 23ac. Thanks to Philistine for the puzzle
| ACROSS | ||
| 1, 5 | WATCH THE BIRDIE |
Ah! I’d be twitcher, perhaps, to do this, or photographer to say it (5,3,6)
|
| definition: a phrase said while taking a photo, similar to ‘say cheese’
wordplay: anagram/”perhaps” of (Ah I’d be twitcher)*
additional definition/wordplay: “to do this” i.e. to watch the birdie, might be what a “twitcher” or birdwatcher does |
||
| 5 | WATCH THE BIRDIE |
See 1
|
| 9 | INTEREST |
Attraction of trendy street fashion (8)
|
| IN=popular=”trendy” + anagram/”fashion” of (street)*
for the anagram indicator, “fashion” is a verb meaning ‘make’ or ‘create’ |
||
| 10 | RANCID |
Was in charge of Scotland Yard? Well past the sell-by date! (6)
|
| RAN=managed=”Was in charge of” + CID (Criminal Investigation Department, “Scotland Yard”) | ||
| 12 | FUNGI |
Good company talking in Portobello etc? (5)
|
| definition refers to Portobello as a type of mushroom
sounds like (“talking”): ‘fun guy’=”Good company” |
||
| 13 | TREASURER |
Exchange rate with greater certainty for money handler (9)
|
| anagram/”Exchange” of (rate)*, plus SURER=”with greater certainty” | ||
| 14 | SONG AND DANCE |
Fuss or mambo? (4,3,5)
|
| definition: to make a SONG AND DANCE about something is to make a “Fuss” about it
“mambo” can mean both a type of song and a type of dance |
||
| 18 | PERSEVERANCE |
Each break displays determination (12)
|
| PER=for every=”Each” + SEVERANCE=”break” | ||
| 21 | HONEYMOON |
Darling, show your bum, it’s a special holiday (9)
|
| HONEY=term of endearment=”Darling” + MOON as a verb meaning to “show your bum” | ||
| 23 | THANE |
One article knifes another in Macbeth? (5)
|
| definition: in the Shakespeare play, Macbeth is the Thane of Glamis in Scotland
AN=”One article”, inserted into (knifes) THE=another article |
||
| 24 | UPLOAD |
Transfer to find quiet in a loud setting (6)
|
| P (piano, “quiet”) in an anagram/”setting” of (a loud)* | ||
| 25 | STALWART |
Resolute beginning to tackle law-breaking (8)
|
| START=”beginning” to go around (tackle) an anagram/”breaking” of (law)* | ||
| 26 | TYRANT |
Dictator’s extremely tetchy diatribe (6)
|
| extreme/outer letters of T-[etch]-Y + RANT=”diatribe” | ||
| 27 | IDENTITY |
Philistine would, being what distinguishes him from others (8)
|
| I’D=I would=”Philistine would”; plus ENTITY=”being” | ||
| DOWN | ||
| 1 | WHIFFY |
Whitefish skin gets dodgy and smelly (6)
|
| outer letters/”skin” of W-[hitefis]-H, plus IFFY=”dodgy” | ||
| 2 | TITANS |
Giants could be so, giving up golf for tango (6)
|
| anagram/”could be” of (G iants)*, giving up the G for golf to receive a T for tango (both references to the NATO alphabet) | ||
| 3 | HERBIVORE |
The woman’s swinging both ways over turning vegetarian (9)
|
| HER=”The woman” + BI (bisexual, “swinging both ways”) + anagram/”turning” of (over)* | ||
| 4 | HASHTAG METOO |
Got hot, a shame movement (7,5)
|
| anagram/”movement” of (Got hot a shame)* | ||
| 6 | IMAMS |
Islamism is left out somehow, but perhaps not by them (5)
|
| definition: IMAMS would perhaps not leave out Islamism
anagram/”somehow” of (IS L amism)*, with the “is” and L for “left” both removed or “out” |
||
| 7 | DOCTRINE |
Medic with interchangeable principles (8)
|
| DOC (Doctor, “Medic”) + anagram/”…changeable” of (inter…)* | ||
| 8 | ENDORSED |
Boyfriend or seducer partly gets approved (8)
|
| hidden as part of [Boyfri]-END OR SED-[ucer] | ||
| 11 | REINCARNATED |
Check vehicle: with a dent fixed, came back transformed (12)
|
| REIN=to bring to a stop=”Check” + CAR=”vehicle” + anagram/”fixed” of (a dent)* | ||
| 15 | DECATHLON |
Athletic competition is held on ground, pet’s welcomed (9)
|
| anagram/(“ground” as in to grind) of (held on)*, with CAT=”pet” welcomed inside | ||
| 16 | UPTHRUST |
Force using propaganda initially distorted truths (8)
|
| initial letters of U-[sing] P-[ropaganda]; plus anagram/”distorted” of (truths)* | ||
| 17 | WRANGLER |
Ranch hand seeing fisherman by water on vacation (8)
|
| ANGLER=”fisherman” after W-[ate]-R vacated of its inner letters | ||
| 19 | TATAMI |
Making it a mat? That’s what it is! (6)
|
| definition: a type of mat used in Japan
anagram/”Making” of (it a mat)* |
||
| 20 | SENTRY |
Guard beginning to shut door (6)
|
| beginning of S-[hut]; plus ENTRY=”door” | ||
| 22 | YEARN |
Long story featuring surprise ending (5)
|
| definition: to long or to yearn for something
YARN=”story”, around ending of [surpris]-E |
Well that was over far too soon! Most enjoyable. Can’t believe we haven’t seen the fun HONEYMOON before, and admired the clever DOCTRINE, and succinct YEARN.
Lovely stuff, many thanks, Philistine.
Some good anagrinds. Loved interchangeable.
Very enjoyable solve which went in quicker than usual for this setter. I watched the brilliant Nicol Williamson in an old BBC production of Macbeth last night, so that was a write-in. I do not like CID being equivalent with Scotland Yard, but it seems to get a pass every time. I liked WATCH THE BIRDIE, FUNGI, SONG AND DANCE REINCARNATED and HASHTAG METOO.
Ta Philistine & manehi.
As close to a write in as I get but I agree it was enjoyable. I didn’t remember TATAMI.
Thanks Philistine and manehi.
Thanks Philistine and manehi
I kept looking up at the byline to check the compiler – very nearly a write-in! Enjoyable, but easier than last Saturday’s Quick Cryptic.
In HASHTAG METOO, if MOVEMENT indicates an anagram, where’s the definition?
Great fun and over too quickly.
WTB, HONEYMOON and WHIFFY had me giggling
My only query was why 4D was 7,5 rather than 7,2,3 – but I presume there’s some rule that everything after “hashtag” gets counted as one word…
Many thanks Philistine & manehi
I am clearly missing something. Is Philistine just having a clear out of loads of anagrams he’s never got round to using or is there a particular reason? International Anagram Day?
I really enjoyed this too, some neat tricks, such as interchangeable, but I know to look out for that with Philistine.
muffin @5, that’s mean – I solved the Quick Cryptic faster than I solved this, in around two thirds of the time – but it did take me twice as long as I reckon it should take. Most people were complaining the Quick Cryptic was challenging, not helped by a Grauniad special wrong answer to a clue.
I am always amused when a clue like 12 depends on an old joke.
Worth the price of admission for DOCTRINE but I’d agree, Philistine has definitely set harder puzzles
#METOO has to be one word or the hashtag would be just #ME which probably wouldn’t have caught on 🙂
Cheers M&P
Gladys @6 – I reckoned ‘Got hot, a shame movement’ was an &lit for HASHTAG METOO? Silky smooth surfaces as ever from Philistine, thank you both
Crispy @6: I had the same question.
Hadrian @12 – You might want to book a trip to Specsavers – it was me @6!
Seems I found this much harder than most. Enjoyed all the same. Hashtag me too was last in and took a long time – just could not see it
Thanks Philistine and Manehi
Crispy@6 – I think ‘Movement’ is both anagrind and definition here.
That was great fun!
ARhymerOinks @ 16 – But how are you supposed to know that? Shouldn’t there be an indicator, a question mark, say?
There can’t be many setters who would have written something so illiterate as ‘Got hot, a shame movement’, put down their pen and thought ‘That’ll do’.
HASHTAG METOO – ‘movement’ is the anagrind, definition is the whole clue (&lit), it being a movement about shaming which ‘got hot’ i.e. became popular. At least that’s the way I read it. Clever clue!
James @18 – normally I’d agree, but about the only thing that surface works for is the me too movement! I think the whole thing is meant to be the definition.
Thanks Philistine and manehi. Although the ‘old joke’ about FUNGI escaped me as I think it’s usually pronounced ‘fun-ghee’ here. But then I suppose we’d have the same problem with clueing the word ‘philistine’ itself.
Enjoyable puzzle.
I only partially parsed 12ac FUNGI because I was pronouncing it as FUNGHI (as in Italian) so GUY did not occur to me, but I did think of FUN vaguely as ‘good’.
Thanks, Philistine and manehi.
Mark @20, you only say that because you know the answer. It could just as easily refer to eg uncontrollable diarrhoea.
No, it wasn’t me @6, but I’ve often made the same mistake! I found this easier than I’d usually expect from Philistine, but no less enjoyable, particularly WATCH THE BIRDIE, HONEYMOON and the inter-changeable DOCTRINE. I liked the other clues where the anagram indicator/fodder together make up a phrase: street fashion, exchange rate. Don’t know where I’ve seen TATAMI before, but I did eventually remember it.
Redrodney @19, your explanation is coherent. My complaint is that the clue is not. ‘Got hot’ doesn’t go with movement except in your head. The setter’s supposed to arrange the words into English. Here he’s just made a couple of words out of what’s left after taking ‘a shame’ out of the anagram (one of FOURTEEN) fodder and stuck it on the beginning, illiterately.
Crispy@6 and Gladys@24 apologies, appointment booked! James@18 totally disagree, it’s a great clue imo, I would have kissed the pen
A real joy, as ever with Philistine, and HASHTAG METOO must surely go down as one of the clues of the week for its delightfully succinct simplicity. A brilliant piece of cluing, even by his own high standards.
A lovely smooth solve as ever with this setter, though I didn’t spot any of his trademark medical input this time apart from DOCTRINE. Last one in was TATAMI which was new to me even though I visited a Japanese garden in Cambs only on Sunday…
Pretty much a write-in, as others have said, but well constructed nonetheless. COTD was YEARN, very neatly done.
Thanks, Philistine and manehi. Generally very good, but you can put me in James’s ‘4d is awful’ team. A thorn among a lot of roses.
It’s always good to see Philistine’s name and this didn’t disappoint. My picks were the same as AlanC @3 with the addition of TATAMI. FUNGI can be pronounced in a number of different ways, including ‘fun guy’. For HASHTAG METOO, it could be a shame movement that got hot as @19.
Thanks Philistine and manehi.
Would some kind soul please let me know why the Independent cryptic is still appearing (not that I am complaining). I thought it was a goner, fallen off its perch etc. but still it appears.
I used to think watch the birdie meant look at the shutter on an SLR camera. Turns out it was an actual brass bird used by early photographers to hold children’s attention for long exposures. Search for “photographer’s birdie” for cite.
All rather easy except for FUNGI which was impenetrable for me, both the definition and the clue. Thanks Philistine and manehi!
Thanks for the blog , some very good clues , DOCTRINE very concise with neat use of fission , STALWART and UPTHRUST flow very nicely plus correct use of force , TITANS is clever .
I usually see anagrams instantly but I had to write out the letters for HASHTAG METOO , I did not expect 4Down to be in your list AlanC@3 .
I think WATCH T B is overclued for once , it could lose the last five words .
[Andy B @32: they appear to be rehashing old crosswords from 3 years ago. Indeed, there is a Rodriquez today: since becoming the editor of the Telegraph, I don’t believe he is supposed to appear elsewhere – though it’s clearly not of his doing. We do not yet know whether this is an automated system uploading old puzzles to fill what it sees as ‘gaps’ in submissions or whether the Independent management believe they can get away without paying for fresh content and fobbing off solvers with repeats of puzzles they probably won’t remember solving. I can well imagine the money men rubbing their hands with glee: ‘we could keep going for ever by recycling a couple of hundred old crosswords and none of the poor saps out there will ever know’]
The clue for DECATHLON falls into the trap of having a word, in this case “on”, presented as fodder, which then passes through the ‘anagrinder’ only to appear at the end of the solution entirely unscathed.
Merely an observation. I enjoyed the puzzle!
Very nice. IDENTITY would have gone in a lot faster if I’d remembered who the setter was instead of looking for a synonym for “shibboleth”.
LOI was REINCARNATED for which I needed all the crossers.
Straightforward, apart from not knowing what HASHTAG ME TOO means
I remember an ISIRTA sketch that went something like this:
[A witch] Hail Macbeth, thou shalt be Thane of Cawdor!
[Other witch] Hail Macbeth, thou shalt be Thane of Glamis!
[Macbeth (John Cleese, exasperated)] Thane? THANE? What the hell’s a Thane?!?!
The #METOO clue is one of those that is neither typical wordplay+definition(in either order) or &lit. Not sure there is a good name for it.
I thought the same as Roz@35 regarding WTB. But as it stands, it is a kind of triple.
I enjoyed it. Finished it last night, which is rare.
I liked Watch the Birdie.
Thanks. Philistine and manehi.
[Dr. WhatsOn @40
The classic take on Macbeth is James Thurber’s. Do you know it?]
Very quick, although NHO TATAMI. I thought HASHTAG METOO was genius.
Wow, I was really on Philistine’s wavelength today, completing on the first pass, and nearly in order (= First row, first column, second row, second column, etc.)
I especially liked the naughty 21a HONEYMOON, 24a UPLOAD (misdirecting surface), 2d TITANS (unusual device), 7d DOCTRINE (clever fission), 11d REINCARNATED (surface), 19d TATAMI (meaningful anagram and surface), 22d YEARN (surface)
Roz@35 is back, and in good form! For once I disagree with you about 1/5 — the last phrase is essential for the clue because we don’t use that phrase to describe what a birdwatcher does. It’s what a photographer (supposedly) says. The clue wouldn’t work without it
Many thanks both
Very enjoyable and very amusing
Mig @44: Agreed. Apparently, early pioneers of studio photography would use a mechanical toy bird to capture the sitter’s attention. Especially children.
Muffin@42 Thanks a lot for that – I hadn’t seen it before. Wonderful!
A well-compiled crossword, thanks, but a tad easy. Didn’t really get out of first gear.
Thanks Philistine for the gentle fun. The excessive number of anagrams probably contributed to the ease of this crossword. My top picks were INTEREST, RANCID, TYRANT, HERBIVORE, UPTHRUST, WRANGLER, and YEARN. Thanks manehi for the blog.
Wow – I finished a Guardian full on cryptic.
Usually enjoy Philistine but pleased if I can get half the answers. Got 1/5 and 14 immediately so that got me off to a good start. Confession – I had to use word finder to finish bottom right corner.
21 reminded me of Hugh Grant in 4 Weddings etc: Why honeymoon? Because it’s sweet and it’s the first time a man sees his new wife’s bum.
Muffin @42, when I wonder ‘Who are the American quirky, non-one-linerish humorists?’, I think of Thurber (and Laugh-In).
Thank you Philistine and manehi.
Agree with poc @29, Mig @44 and Tony Santucci @49 – the clue for YEARN is lovely.
Thank you Alastair @33 for the explanation of birdie – I didn’t know that.
And thank you muffin @42 for reminding me how clever and funny James Thurber was.
“Good God!” I whispered, softly.
GinF @51
You could add S.J.Perelman (who, I think, wrote some scripts for the Marx Brothers).
Base 13 rules . We will just have to disagree Mig@44 . I am a BTO recorder and frequently WATCH THE BIRDIE , a clue should have as few words as possible , preferably zero .
Well done Tyro@50 , all is fair in crosswords .
PostMark @8, James @18: I fully concur with your comments.
Roz @54
I disagree. Without the last five words it’s just a rather weak cryptic definition; with them it’s an amusing double.