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Well, gosh, darn it, said he politely. After a nice steady roll through the grid today, finishing up on the tricky little clue for FROM, I confidently pulled up my blog-post template and started to write. My cockiness was replaced with a humbling reality check, as the clock was still ticking when I went back to the grid to grab a “picture”. I had MATTER PRESENT instead of MATTER ARISING. Somehow it seemed right to me, so I didn’t even think twice about it. So, back to r0ow, but full of optimism for next week.
Here are my answers. As always, I welcome comments and explanations. Thanks!
Across
1: MATTER ARISING
That’ll come up in a minute (at a meeting).
10: MISCAST
11: SCEPTRE
Accept ‘er, sounds like (A SCEPTRE) = SCEPTRE: if she has this on hand for royalty.
12: TEAM
To make “meat” of it, an anagram = TEAM: it may need eleven.
13: REPEL
The afflicted (LEPER) it’s the “turn” on = REPEL: that may put one off.
15: MEND
This (MEND) I can’t (I CAN’T) and be = MENDICANT: a beggar.
17: ROD
I must show my ignorance and ask for help here. I can’t get the “as a king” connection to ROD, just the fishing ROD part of the clue. Anyone?
UPDATE: Liz sorted me out (below)! I feel a right plonker missing this one ...
He (HE) might have gone fishing with this (ROD) = HEROD: as a king.
19: ERENOW
Before now.
21: PIG-EON
The swine (EON) has “lots of time” (EON) = PIGEON: to fly.
22: PENNIES
23: O-US-TED
O, we (O US) Ted (TED) = OUSTED: put out.
25: POMPOM
A gun (POMPOM) for your hat (POMPOM).
27: PET
Under the “car” (CAR) the little dear (PET) = CARPET: on the floor.
29: FIR-M
Irish “gentlemen” (FIR) by the thousands (M) = FIRM: do not give way.
30: MURAL
W-all art.
31: SORT
So kind (SORT) as to get it in order (SORT).
34: CA(TERE)D
Is “the cad” (CA-D) about a “tree” (TERE) = CATERED: to have got good.
35: TRAIPSE
“Is ‘e” to be involved with “TRAP”, an anagram =TRAIPSE: a walk.
36: THE MATTER-HORN
Stuff (THE MATTER) on a head (HORN) = THE MATTERHORN: huge and high.
Down
2: ASS-U-AGE
Silly (ASS) you (U) get older (AGE) = ASSUAGE: does that satisfy you?
3: TRAP
It’s a bit (PART) uppish = TRAP: the catch in this.
4: RAT-HER
A pest (RAT) she is (HER) = RATHER: a bit.
5: RE(ST)ED
Rush (RE-ED) around “the street” (ST) = RESTED.
Hmm …
6: SHE’D
The girl had (SHE’D) disposed of (SHED) the building (SHED).
7: NOT HERE
I’ll need help with this one too. I can see that “other” is in the answer, and that NOT HERE means “is away”, but I can’t seem to pull it all together. Anyone?
UPDATE: Liz also sorted out this one for me. She suggests, and I agree, there's probably a typo in the clue and it should read, "The other is IN this and is away".
The other (-OT-HER-) is "in" the answer = NOT HERE: is away.
8: A MATTER OF FACT
Actually (as A MATTER OF FACT).
9: READING MATTER
Very nice …
14: POINTER
The dog (POINTER) for a show (POINTER).
16: COPES
Manages (COPES) the clergy, they’re wearing them (COPES).
All of us ex-altar boys (oops ... altar servers!) know this one …
18: B(I)SON
In a “snob” (B-SON) “one” is (I) = BISON: big and beastly.
20: WED
21: PEP
Go (PEP) and PEP is a palindrome, goes “up and down”.
Clue of the Day!
24: STRETCH
26: PRO(S)PER
It’s right (PRO-PER) about “the South” (S) = PROSPER: to do this well.
27: PUNDIT
Made a joke about it (PUNNED IT) by the sound of it = PUNDIT: like-wise.
We had a look at the etymology of “pundit” in a Look-Up of the Day in April of last year …
28: TA(TT)LE
In “the story” (TA-LE) won’t drink (TT) = TATTLE: so they say.
32: FROM
“Of Mr.”, an anagram = FROM: not to.
33: WAS-H
Seems H is what it used to be (WAS H) = WASH: in water.
Reveal-An-Answer
Need just one answer to get things moving? Here is my solution to today's puzzle, in a hidden format. To reveal any particular answer, highlight the whole line containing the relevant clue number.
Across
1: MATTER ARISING
10: MISCAST
11: SCEPTRE
12: TEAM
13: REPEL
15: MEND
17: ROD
19: ERENOW
21: PIG-EON
22: PENNIES
23: O-US-TED
25: POMPOM
27: PET
29: FIR-M
30: MURAL
31: SORT
34: CA(TERE)D
35: TRAIPSE
36: THE MATTER-HORN
Down
2: ASS-U-AGE
3: TRAP
4: RAT-HER
5: RE(ST)ED
6: SHE’D
7: NOT HERE
8: A MATTER OF FACT
9: READING MATTER
14: POINTER
16: COPES
18: B(I)SON
20: WED
21: PEP
24: STRETCH
26: PRO(S)PER
27: PUNDIT
28: TA(TT)LE
32: FROM
33: WAS-H
12 comments:
Morning Bill!
Commiserations on that 1across MATTER...looking at -R-S-N- for the second word, I also toyed with PRESENT but I couldn't make it tie in with the clue, in fact it took awhile to 'get' the clue and then I managed to drag out ARISING.
Glad to be of service with 17a...as a king, HE-ROD might have gone fishing!
Likewise I couldn't square N-OT HER-E with the clue...though looking at it again now, I wonder was there a typo...should the clue have read 'the other is IN this and is away'? Praise be for the ol' POMPOMS on hats cos I'd never have got it from the gunny bit!
PEP was a brilliant little clue...I also liked TRAIPSE, a word I rarely hear anymore but was much used by my late mother...PROSPER and TATTLE were also very nice...and there was a novel twist to that silly ass in ASS-U-AGE!
READING MATTER was last to fall...I spent ages thinking of VOLUME in terms of CAPACITY...then LOUDNESS...until finally I had a 'doh!' moment!
Have a great weekend Bill...and hope all youse 'in a rowers' keep rowing on!
Liz
Hi Liz.
First up, I see :)
Re MATTER ARISING
I guess my aversion for "meetings" left me at a disadvantage here. A silly little mistake.
Re ROD
Well, what a right plonker I am! Thank you for pointing out the HE-ROD connection. I should have come up with that because my wife and watched the brilliant TV series "I. Claudius" just a few weeks ago, and Mister Herod played a significant part in that story. I will go update the clue explanations right now.
Re NOT HERE
You're playing a blinder today, Liz! I suspected an "in" reference somehow, a favorite for Mr. C, but I couldn't quite pull it together. The possible typo explains it. I'll make that note too.
Re READING MATTER
I liked that sneaky and obtuse "volume" reference too, and almost chose it as Clue of the Day.
Have a great weekend, Liz, and thanks for all of the help :)
Bad luck, Bill. My wife helped out with the meeting minutes connection... she'd be in more such meetings than myself!
I think my cotd was SHED, just for squeezing three definitions into one clue with not a wasted word.
R2ow. Mustn't rue Thursday's miss... like a certain presidential candidate, we can't live in the past, can we? :)
Have a good weekend, all.
Matt
Hi Matt,
Congrats to your wife on the clearance :)
Have to agree with you that SHED was very tight, with lots going on. Almost made it Clue of the Day for me, but we've had versions before, admittedly none as tight is this one.
I'm loving the Presidential race I must admit, sitting over here, 5,000 miles away. A diverse mix of candidates, I'd say!
Have a good weekend.
Back to keep you company in r0ow, Bill, though mine wasn't a heroic failure (i.e just one out). I didn't manage to get copes, pointer, pompom, or sceptre. Funnily enough I got matter arising. Congratulations to Liz and mcdavey on their clearances.
Stinker for me. Couldn't get going atall. Disapointed as i love the sat crossie!! :-/ Paul r
Hi there, Dan.
Sorry to hear about the miss. I reckon if you'd been an altar boy you'd have gotten COPES and that would all have opened up for you. Divine intervention, as it were!
Hi Paul,
I think the Saturday puzzle is everyone's favorite :) But some days, it just doesn't work out.
Chin up!
Hi Folks
Well I made it in the end after a great struggle - I suppose that's what it is all about. The first run through of clues left so many gaps that I really expected the worst but, gradually I picked off the clues until eventually finishing on READING MATTER. Some superb clues today with the MATTER ARISING, SCEPTRE and PENNIES particularly catching my eye. Had ROD whilst being completely oblivious to the Herod connection (thanks Liz for the explanation) and a couple of hmms with NOT HERE and RESTED. Got POM POM as an educated guess and I suppose you need the stars to be aligned on days like these.
So, unexplored heights now and I reckon we will all have to adopt Martine's approach of calling the STW on Mondays in future - it seems to work pretty well so far.
All the best to everyone for next week.
JD
Here I am a day late, got back from England (wedding trip) five hours later than planned and settled down with a chinese and my laptop for half an hour.
I managed to finish ok, although like Liz I was sitting staring at 9D for ages - even had the other half working on it, but I solved it myself in the end. PROSPER took me a while to solve as well, but quite obvious when I got it.
I liked TRAIPSE, it's such an old fashioned word. Perhaps the Wanderly Wagons will be traipsing around parts of Provence.
Martine
Hi there, JD.
Excellent news! That's a great run you've pulled together, with a lot of tough puzzles included. I'll move your name up the board right now; proud to do so!
And congrats on another Sweep of the Week. The icing on the cake :)
Brilliant!
Hi there, Martine.
I am a day late myself, acknowledging your comment. Busy, busy lately! Hope you had a great time at the wedding.
The Chinese didn't seem to hold you back. Congrats on the clearance.
I am very envious of your upcoming traipsing around Provence. Probably my favorite place to traipse around on the continent.
Welcome back, Martine.
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