Vale
Here is the Guardian’s obituary of Gordius, whom we met in 2012 and who has died aged 89.
Please share below any favourite Gordius clues. He was a devoted churchman and the puzzles have the occasional hint, such as this one …
10ac Believed to be like Moses? (7)
[ wordplay: cryptical representation of Exodus 2:3 ]
[ synonym for placed inside relevant type of grass ]
[ PUT inside REED ]
[ definition: believed ]
… for REPUTED, though admittedly it’s less obvious in clues such as this one …
4d With difficulty unmask a flasher by his appearance? (6,3)
[ double definition ]
… for WINKLE OUT. I like him best when blunt, such as …
11ac What Cameron & Co want to do with society is mere old cobblers (7)
[ wordplay: anagram (‘cobblers’) of MEREOLD ]
[ definition: what Cameron & Co want to do with society ]
… for REMODEL and he surely didn’t fit his own description …
6d One person that’s glad with decrepitude? (3,3,9)
[ wordplay: anagram of ONE PERSON IE (‘that’s’) GLAD ]
[ definition: One person that’s glad with decrepitude? ]
… of an OLD-AGE PENSIONER. To the archives!
The news in clues
In what esteem is our prime minister held during troubled times? Well, from Vlad, we have this clue …
16ac Our great leader shortly to reveal this dishonest scheme (3-2,3)
[ wordplay: nickname for PM (‘our great leader’), lacking final letter (‘shortly’) reversed (from answer, ‘put up’) ]
[ BOJO lacking final letter, reversed, as indication of answer ]
[ definition: dishonest scheme ]
… for PUT-UP JOB. And in the Financial Times, Moo conjures this image …
19ac Slippery Boris adopts American line (6)
[ wordplay: anagram (‘slippery’) of BORIS, surrounding (‘adopts’) abbrev. for ‘American’ ]
[ ISOBR surrounding A ]
[ definition: line ]
… for ISOBAR. Has Moodim added another pseudonym to her repertoire, or is a theme emerging among FT setters? Talking of emerging themes, the annotated solution for Brendan’s puzzle of 29 February is now available; in among the thematic material is this clue …
15ac Like promise broken, broken by male like Boris (7)
[ wordplay: description of broken promise, surrounding (‘broken by’) abbrev. for ‘male’ ]
[ UNKEPT surrounding M ]
[ definition: like Boris ]
… for UNKEMPT. If, conversely, you’ve seen any clues paying tribute to the man’s integrity, do let us know.
Latter patter
Here’s an unpleasant image from Paul:
7d Louse up in cake (6)
[ wordplay: synonym for ‘louse up’ + IN (‘in’) ]
[ MUFF + IN ]
[ definition: cake ]
There are, of course, many different ways he could have defined MUFFIN. Depending what part of the UK you’re in, it might be a crumpet; indeed, back in the day, it seems that all muffins were crumpety, albeit sometimes with smaller holes. And if you’re in America, it certainly is a cake, while the kind I prefer needs the qualifier “English”.
Likewise, if you ever get to travel to the US again, don’t ask for biscuits with your tea, don’t put vinegar on your chips, don’t be surprised if your gravy arrives white and don’t complain if your pigs in blankets lack bacon. This week’s challenge concerns another ambiguous foodstuff. If anyone can explain why it’s sometimes a flour cake and sometimes an omelette, I’d be obliged: reader, how would you clue TORTILLA?
Cluing competition
I enjoyed your clues for COQUETTE; thank you for the carrollisms and for largely shunning what we might call sidjamesisms, preferring such pleasingly surprising imagery as Phitonelly’s “In France, this describes Quo rocking ‘Heartbreaker’” and Dunnart’s “Queen abandons game in Wonderland – Cheshire Cat ends up teasing female”.
The runners-up are Lizard’s wry “What Parisian would lie in bed? The heartless flirt” and Mahashivaratri’s intriguing “Here’s a teaser: in Spain, what’s bottled by a small company and oddly titled?”; the winner is DeetotheGee’s alarming “Carbon monoxide? Queen, oddly, used to the siren”.
Kludos to Dee. Please leave entries for this fortnight’s competition, and your picks from the broadsheet cryptics, below.
Clue of the fortnight
We’ve suggested that clues that conceal their own answer are among the most beginner-friendly: that is, so long as the beginner remembers that even a 15-letter entry can be squirrelled away. Here’s a Telegraph setter who precedent suggests might be the one known locally as Pasquale …
5d Winged overseer in grange loft, hen or thrush (5,2,3,5)
[ wordplay: hidden within (‘in’) GRANGELOFTHENORTHRUSH ]
[ definition: winged overseer ]
Whoever would have thought the 54-metre-wingspan ANGEL OF THE NORTH could be so deftly hidden?
