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I'm now more convinced than ever that Everyman is more than one person.

This crossword had every bit as much guile, cunning and wit as any Guardian Prize which. perhaps, is not always the case.

FOI was 1a followed by 1d.

In terms of difficulty the crossword, for me at least, split firmly into two halves. The top half went in very quickly but the bottom half....... well, lets just say "thank heavens for word search engines"!

If you do get stuck there are two long anagrams and a hidden in the acrosses and a hidden in the downs.

COD - There were some lovely clues and I particularly liked the construction of 4d and the use of two sports people at 2d but I've gone for the wonderful 9a which is just excellent.

I can't fully parse 16d (assuming I have the right answer!) but I'll mull on it a while longer and see if I don't get a PDM (Penny Drop Moment)

As ever, please feel free to leave your thoughts on this puzzle and/or ask for a hint if you get stuck. We had more new posters joining our friendly Everyman thread last week, which is always good to see.

Thanks to Everyman for a challenging and fun crossword.

Stay safe:-)

Just figured out the parsing to 16d - another very good clue:-)

Brendan,

16 was my LOI, agree that it's good. FOI 9, co-COD 4 and 15 (word I didn't know).
I happened to be on Everyman's wavelength today and quickly wrote in answers without immediately parsing. Completed the puzzle much faster than yesterday's Prize, though "objectively" it's at least as complex.
Thanks to Everyman. Discovered his puzzles just a couple of months ago and am now a regular.

Hi Geeker,

Add me to the list of those who've never heard of 15a still, it's always good to learn new words:-)

7d - seems like it has a touch of the Pauline's about it - no?

7: Very much so. Not just the naughty ("water"), but the (pleasingly) convoluted wordplay. I do the daily Guardian puzzles, and there's been a spate of Pauline clues lately from various setters.

I'm late to the game on this one. FOI 1a. LOI the ever popular 16d (with delayed parsing). I was fortunate to spend a little time in Istanbul where I first learned about 15a. It's actually prevalent across the Near East (with slight variation in spelling)
Totally agree about half easy, half uneasy. COD's a-plenty, including 21a and 8d. Enjoyed this one a lot.

Hi Alzy,

I think this is going to be a very popular Everyman and I could easily have added both 21a and 8d to my list and as you say - there are potential COD's a-plenty.

I agree a different feel to the Everyman this week. Several that I haven’t parsed yet - easier to get the answers than the construction for some reason. Will have a stare and a think.

Looking for some assistance with 16d and 26a please. Then will be done.

Hope all are doing OK. Lovely sunshine in Michigan today nice and cheery even though lots of snow and ice on the ground still, and probably will be for some weeks to come. UK based relations say they are enjoying the snowdrops and some early daffodils. Won’t be any here for a while yet...

Hi FemmeNoire,

I just looked at a map (geography was never my strong suit) and Michigan is 1,852 Kilometres or Kilometers 😉 from Texas so that terrible snow we;'ve been hearing about must really be spreading. Hope you all get through it okay.

16d - First 3 letters are "bag" but the G(ood) is replaced by "forsook finally" then a 5 letter word for "best" - definition is "plastic" (it's actually a trademark).

26a - Is just a double definition - a name for "big ape" and also for someone "who's in charge of bishops".