Within the pattern clues under, the hyperlinks take you to explainers from our inexperienced persons sequence. The setter’s title typically hyperlinks to an interview with her or him, in case you're feeling like attending to know these individuals higher.
The information in clues
Crossword depictions of the prime minister at time of writing seem to have settled on three traits. There’s the query of honesty, as in Picaroon’s clue …
7d Record what fibbers do endlessly, one akin to Boris (9)
[ wordplay: word meaning “what fibbers do” minus last letter (“endlessly”) + what Boris is example of ]
[ INVENT – T + TORY ]
[ definition: list (as a noun) ]
… for INVENTORY. Then there’s the query of stability, as in Brunel’s clue …
1a Tory chief will get over quandary reported within the information (7)
[ wordplay: first letter (“leader”) of TORY + cricket abbreviation for “over” + soundalike (“reported”) of word meaning “quandary” ]
[ T + O + soundalike of PICKLE ]
[ definition: in the news ]
… for TOPICAL. Lastly, there’s the query of sobriety …
18d Remarkably, Conservative initially isn’t attending newest celebration (6)
[ wordplay: synonym for “remarkably” + abbreviation for “Conservative” + first letters of (“initially”) ISN’T ATTENDING LATEST ]
[ SO + C + IAL ]
[ definition: party ]
… as on this Telegraph clue for SOCIAL.
Latter patter
Within the Guardian’s beginner-friendly Quiptic, we now have, from Chandler …
19dPhysician is enthralled by fish in Arctic function (6)
[ wordplay: abbreviation for “doctor” inside (“enthralled by”) name of a fish ]
[ DR in TUNA ]
[ definition: feature of Arctic environment ]
… a nice clue for TUNDRA. That phrase for treeless icy terrain is so far as I do know the one common phrase that English has borrowed from a Sami language. We’ve taken so many phrases from Latin, German, Spanish and the remaining; let’s hear it for these languages from which we’ve barely borrowed something, akin to Czech (by my depend, “robotic” and “polka”) and Ukrainian.
I’d have an interest to see whether or not English adopts any new phrases from the latter because the yr goes on; within the meantime, one that's taking up a brand new kind. Many publications and organisations comply with utilization steered by the Related Press Stylebook …
The spelling Kyiv is AP type for the capital of Ukraine, in keeping with the Ukrainian authorities’s most popular transliteration to English and growing utilization. The type for the meals dish stays rooster Kiev.
… however they don’t embrace the Guardian or Sainsbury’s, which give us the topic of our new problem. Reader, how would you clue CHICKEN KYIV?
Cluing competitors
Thanks to your clues for WISTERIA. I particularly appreciated the pleasant dialogue of hyphens, which deserves its personal second at one other time.
And due to Mr_Rob_T for elevating the tone with the Joycean references, particularly “Bloom’s ire waits, befuddled”. The audacity award goes to Zedible for a clue so headache-inducing …
‘Initially, what’s vital?’
Spencer, Allsop: ‘Inside, inside, inside! And flowers on the skin partitions.’
… as to make an individual query the knowledge of rewarding audacity, however we're the place we're.
The runners-up are Catarella’s devious “In Bow, is Teri ’atcher bloomin’ pretty?” and Newlaplandes’ “Ladies’s Institute awfully irate following suggestion of social climber”. We've a uncommon, probably distinctive, double-header winner in Zedible once more, with the way more acceptable “Absorbed in Tornado, I abandon bloomers”. Kludos to Zedible.
Please depart entries for this fortnight’s competitors – in addition to your non-print finds and picks from the broadsheet cryptics – within the feedback, under.
Clue of the fortnight
There are many issues doing jobs you don’t count on in Fed’s clue …
12aCraft of, say, metal pan participant lastly accepted (9)
[ wordplay: what steel is an example of (“steel, say”) + type of WOK with last letter of (“finally”) PLAYER inserted (“accepted”) ]
[ METAL + WOK containing R ]
[ definition: craft ]
… for METALWORK, which is accurately. Thoughts the way you go.
Discover a assortment of explainers, interviews and different useful ins and outs at alanconnor.com
The Transport Forecast Puzzle E-book by Alan Connor, which is partly however not predominantly cryptic, could be ordered from the Guardian Bookshop
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