From the boy’s name to the London costumier, this one had a distinctly British flavo(u)r—as is only proper, of course. (Perhaps the English penchant for understatement is evinced in the rather… subtle CD for VERBAL AGREEMENT.) But I got along with it fairly easily. How’d y’all do?
I indicate (Ars Magna)* like this, and words flagging such rearrangements are italicized in the clues.
| ACROSS | |
| 1 | Price of a suit? (5) |
| COSTS CD Collins gives a second definition, distinguished from the obvious sense used in business, pertaining specifically to law: “the expenses of judicial proceedings.” …Amusing that this answer is sitting right on top of SAVILE ROW TAILOR. |
|
| 4 | Horse in Shropshire getting around paths of shells (9) |
| PARABOLAS P(ARAB)OLAS SALOP, turned “around” here, is a former (not ancient: 1974–80) name for Shropshire—according to Collins; still used, according to Wikipedia, as an abbreviation (“nowadays normally replaced by Shrops, although Shropshire residents are still referred to as Salopians”). Shropshire’s motto is Floreat Salopia, “May Shropshire flourish.” …And I did not know any of that! I seriously doubt that the name was changed because of its French homonym. |
|
| 9 | Still around, nursing sick boy (7) |
| NEVILLE NEV(ILL)E As in the clue just above, the containing word, EVEN (“still”), is reversed. |
|
| 10 | Annual prank embraced by spies (7) |
| CLARKIA C(LARK)IA …NHO, but the wordplay was clear—“our” spies sure do get around! |
|
| 11 | Artefact priest found hidden by worshipper (5) |
| RELIC R(ELI)C ELI is, of course, the biblical priest (from the first book of Samuel) who has been granted immortality in the world of crosswords. He’s being hugged here by a R(oman) C(atholic). |
|
| 12 | Refuse to accept, for example (8) |
| OPPOSITE CD |
|
| 15 | Contract, it is said (6,9) |
| VERBAL AGREEMENT CD …Thought of this so quickly that I held off on putting it in, thinking there surely must be something else going on… |
|
| 16 | Take-home pay included? I may confuse a hippie (3,3,9) |
| NEW AGE TRAVELLER NET pocketing WAGE + RAVELLER, one who “may confuse” |
|
| 19 | Swiss artist’s UK pal redesigned shelter (4,4) |
| PAUL KLEE (UK pal)* + LEE, “shelter” |
|
| 20 | Severity of report from plumber (5) |
| DEPTH DD, the second of the more casual sort |
|
| 22 | Criminal gets in to rear of house (7) |
| VILLAIN VILLA + IN, literally |
|
| 24 | 1000kg gold cover for car (7) |
| TONNEAU TONNE, “1000 kg” + AU, “gold” A detachable cover for the rear part of an open car; Collins has “from French: special type of vehicle body, from Old French tonnel cask, from tonne tun.” …Another new one on me! |
|
| 25 | Fret about that which is possible (5,1,3) |
| WORTH A TRY WOR(TH A T)RY …French Ecologist Party chief Marine Tondelier says (Mediapart, 26/10), regarding the challenges facing her party, that she has on her desk “the beautiful phrase…‘Those who think that it’s impossible are implored to not disturb those who try.’” A similar but more succinct phrase echoed or paraphrased by a million motivational speakers is usually attributed to Nelson Mandela: “It’s impossible until it’s done.” |
|
| 26 | German might thus say it about American girl (5) |
| SUSIE S(US)IE In German, sie (uncapitalized) can mean “she” or “her.” (It can also mean “they” or “them”!) Sie (capped) is the “polite” or more formal form of “you”—but it can also be a noun meaning “female,” as in the phrase “Ist es eine Sie oder ein Er?”: “Is it a female or a male?” It—sie—does not mean “it,” strictly speaking (that’s es in the sentence above). But there are surely circumstances in which one pronoun might substitute for the other, especially considering that German nouns are gendered and inanimate objects are not offended if referred to as “it,” as Anglophones are more inclined to do. |
|
| DOWN | |
| 1 | Tale about Poe’s visitor’s break (10) |
| CONTRAVENE CONT(RAVEN)E |
|
| 2 | Costumier using tar to coat a foul string shirt? (6,3,6) |
| SAVILE ROW TAILOR SAILOR (“tar”) covers A + VILE (“foul”), ROW (“string”) and T (“shirt”). |
|
| 3 | Island’s top religious schools backed (2,5) |
| ST LUCIA AI, “top” + CULTS, “religious schools” <=“backed” |
|
| 4 | A pretty cold flying animal, long dead (11) |
PTERODACTYL (A pretty cold)* …As the airborne reptile was of course cold-blooded (“pretty” is in the eye of the beholder  ), and since the fact that this animal flew is certainly part of the definition and leaving the anagrind out of the former didn’t seem right, I had for a time changed my initial firm line between definition and wordplay to underline the entire clue as an &lit. Revised again, under advice (as you’ll see below). |
|
| 5 | Fabulous flier from “The Sound of Music”? (3) |
| ROC “rock” |
|
| 6 | Metal that is wood (7) |
| BRASSIE BRASS, “Metal” + IE, “that is” That’s “wood” as a type of golf club. |
|
| 7 | Quickly care for those giving a hand (4,3,8) |
| LIKE THE CLAPPERS LIKE, “care for” + THE CLAPPERS, “those giving a hand” The phrase seems to have referred originally to either bells or mills. |
|
| 8 | Connection linking Chelsea with Middlesbrough (4) |
| SEAM Chel{sea M}iddlesbrough A rather fresh way to create a hidden word: in your head though not literally on the page |
|
| 13 | For good exercise, put out my lantern (11) |
| PERMANENTLY PE, “exercise” + (my lantern)* |
|
| 14 | Arsenal reserves or those getting treatment (10) |
| STOREHOUSE (or those)* + USE, “treatment” …A Creative Anagrind Prize has been duly awarded! |
|
| 17 | Giant reached hospital, hiding back trouble (7) |
| GOLIATH GOT, “reached” + AIL<=“back” + H(ospital) |
|
| 18 | Finishes posting, site initially down (7) |
| ENDINGS The S moved down in SENDING, “posting” |
|
| 21 | Declare love in a car (4) |
| AVOW A V(O)W |
|
| 23 | Head teachers’ association (3) |
| NUT DD National Union of Teachers |
|
4A Salop is very old as an abbreviation for Shropshire or Shrewsbury, the county town. Many English counties are named after the town, though sometimes less than obviously in the present-day versions. Why they chose Salop in the 1970s when not choosing other abbreviations like Northants or Hants is a bit puzzling.
26A Remembering that various pronouns in German are used in different ways, I looked up sie in a Collins German dictionary. Their example for the “it” meaning was “Schöne Tasche, is sie neu?” – “Lovely bag, is it new?”.
4D I can’t remember whether Dean claimed an &lit, and it doesn’t really matter. I saw “animal long dead” as the definition according to the usual rules, with “flying” happening to be very helpful. “Pretty cold” seems uncertain.
Yes, a German would give die Tasche a gender (sie) and we wouldn’t (“it”). That’s how I resolved it.
I originally had the clue for PTERODACTYL marked as you say, and I can revert to that. I guess I’ve seen so many not-quites (by my lights) be dubbed &lits I felt that must be intended.
As roughly a fifth of German nouns are apparently neuter, there must be thousands of possible examples like the sentence I quoted, in which German “sie” = English “it”. Your “especially considering that” seems an odd replacement for “because”, and the meaning of “sie” that’s actually used in the clue is surely the most important thing to explain accurately.
Neuter nouns in German would not take gendered pronouns.
Fair point, but that just means that the percentage is higher.
I was just about to delete that reply! Ha
23:08
A pretty gentle one from Dean, although I had to look up NHO LIKE THE CLAPPERS. PAUL KLEE was a gimme: Swiss artist 4,4. NUT was another. I liked NEW AGE TRAVELLER.
As a hardened biffer, I didn’t worry too much about all the fine points, and just put in what seemed to be the most likely answers. I NHO clarkia, but the cryptic definitely hands it to you once you have a few checking letters. On the other hand, Paul Klee is one of my favorite artists so I hardly needed to bother with the cryptic. Like the clappers was my LOI, giving trouble until I saw how the cryptic worked.
Time: 47:08
Liked this very much. PTERODACTYL was a write-in once I’d figured out the correct spelling, and think it could very well hold its own as an &lit as perhaps their body temp was only slightly/pretty cold, but not going to push it. Saw COSTS eventually from the legal meaning, clever. NHO PAUL KLEE but the wordplay was kind and only allowed a couple of options once ‘Paul’ was in. Liked NEW AGE TRAVELLER once I’d put the pieces together. Had PARABOLIC for a while thinking ‘parabolic arc’ for the paths of shells. Didn’t know the German ‘S/sie’ but bifd it.
Guy, I think the parsing for 2d is ‘vile’ for foul as you have spelt it sEvile’ rather than sAvile.
Thanks Guy and setter.
Thanks!
I found this a hard slog. Took a very long time to get going. Once started it was a very slow solve from the bottom half to the top.
Found this more difficult than some, clearly and had a bit of a brain freeze at times, not helped by the fact that for 15a, I put in ‘spoken agreement’ rather than VERBAL AGREEMENT, which I think is equally valid given the lack of any other assistance.
Oh well, today’s another day.
I thought this was easy for a Dean – ie done in one session – but always fun to solve, with admirably succinct surfaces. The only problem with parsing was 12a, OPPOSITE, and now that I’ve seen Guy’s explanation, I’m none the wiser. Can anyone enlighten me? TONNEAU was a NHO, and an unusual plant held me up a little – I say unusual, as mostly flora and fauna don’t cause me a problem in crosswords, unlike any scientific, legal or IT term!
Refuse is the opposite of accept.
Ah, thanks – I just couldn’t see the wood for the trees.
17:25. Tricky one.
I know perfectly well that words mean what people use them to mean but I can’t help being annoyed by the term at 15ac. A written contract is a VERBAL AGREEMENT! But if you say ‘oral agreement’ you just sound like a weirdo, like insisting that ‘data’ is plural.
While it may not be a correct legal term, surely the vast majority would take verbal for oral in this phrase?
Well yes, that’s what I mean by ‘words mean what people think they mean’: I have no valid linguistic grounds for objecting, but it still grates! Many people feel the same way about ‘disinterested’…
Well, yes, because disinterested and uninterested have two distinct meanings and do not overlap.
That is a remarkably common misconception, but entirely wrong I’m afraid. ‘Disinterested’ has two meanings which have coexisted for hundreds of years, one of which is the same as ‘uninterested’. The first citation for this meaning (‘without interest or concern’) in OED is 1631, about 30 years before the first citation for the other (‘not influenced by interest; impartial, unbiased, unprejudiced’).
Really liked this one, a fine example of what a Times/ST crossword can be.
familiar with the abbreviation Salop; always thought it a shame that Salopians are not known as Salopettes…
So far as “Like the clappers” is concerned, there is an interesting article about its etymology, here:
https://www.worldwidewords.org/qa-lik3.html
It is WWII military slang, a shortened form of “Going like the clappers on the bells of hell”
My thanks to Dean Mayer and Guy du Sable.
A jolly Xword.
POI 4a Parabolas, DNK that Salop is a recent revival.
19a Paul Klee. Not quite sure about the nationality. Wiki has his nationality as German, and he was conscripted in WW1 by Prussia. In 1933 he was put under pressure by the Nazis and the family emigrated to Switzerland. Also in wiki we have
“He died in Muralto, Locarno, Switzerland, on 29 June 1940 without having obtained Swiss citizenship, despite his birth in that country.”
Many thanks to Guy.
If anyone can find the time to educate a less-experienced & possibly dumb solver, 2 qs please.
1. Reserves = pointer to anagram? Don’t think I’ve come across that one before & not sure I see the logic if so.
2. How does one get ALI from BACK?
Thanks
It’s ‘re-served’.
There’s a typo in GduS’s blog: it’s a reversal (back) of AIL (trouble).
Merci. Fixed. I didn’t even notice till it was pointed out that I had SAVILE as “Sevile,” though I know quite well that it’s SAVILE and I had it right in the note for COSTS.
Many thanks, much appreciated.
26.08
Fine crossword. Not all parsed at the time (particularly OPPOSITE) but Guy’s blog provides its usual illumination and quite a few self-muttered “nice”s now I see everything.
Thanks for explaining the German pronouns in 26A. I don’t know the language well enough – tried looking them up, but decided to wait for your blog!
4A. “SALOP” was the official abbreviation for Shropshire in the Royal Mail’s “postal counties” system, which was used since at least the Victorian era. I always used it with my home town Wellington, to avoid confusion with the more well-known town in Somerset. However, as you have noticed, it is one letter short of the vulgar French word “Salope” meaning “bitch”. This could genuinely cause problems travelling to the continent, so one was advised to try to cram in “SHROPShire” on luggage labels instead. The widespread adoption of post codes, read by computers, solved this issue.
The neighbouring town of Newport would also face confusion with its larger namesake in South Wales. I notice their rugby club is therefore called “Newport Salop RUFC” (website URL and team badge).
Salop is the masculine, salope the feminine.
25 minutes.
– Relied on wordplay for the unknown CLARKIA
– Couldn’t have told you that a TONNEAU is a cover for a car
– Semi-biffed STOREHOUSE without seeing ‘reserves’ as the anagrind
Thanks Dean and Guy.
FOI Nut
LOI Clarkia
COD Paul Klee
Once again, a thoroughly enjoyable crossword from Dean. (And one I finished in the one sitting, with only 2 lookups! – they were WORTH A TRY and DEPTH…got too impatient.). The literals were delightful once explained (thanks to Guy) as some went over my head at first. No problem with PAUL KLEE , nor NEW AGE TRAVELLER ( only vaguely remember that term for them). CODs to CLARKIA (which took me a while to see as a plant!) and PTERODACTYL – although it was one of the easier ones to see.
costs and verbal agreement went straight in, as I’ve a legal background. indeed for many years I prepared bills of costs for presentation to losing litigants.
lark for prank took a while to come to mind, otherwise this was an enjoyable biff fest, especially Susie. thanks for the exposition on German pronouns, though I doubt it will stick, I’ve enough difficulty retaining French and Latin.
COD parabolas
Thanks Dean and Guy
Did this one last year and it was lying around without having checked it – looks like it only took 27 minutes which would definitely be a record for doing one of his puzzles – most likely being helped by readily solving most of the long clues. It was only after reviewing the clues that I was able to properly parse LIKE THE CLAPPERS, OPPOSITE and ENDINGS – and they seemed so straightforward when I saw them.
Finished in the SE corner with STOREHOUSE, that ENDINGS and SUSIE (without knowing the German pronoun).