I had so solve this puzzle immediately after solving another Nutmeg puzzle so I was hoping for a very different theme. The preamble suggested choices in solving clues and in entering answers. At first I stared bemusedly at the clues wondering how to best start this one. Then I noticed something. A lot of clues had short words of the form xORy. Mmm, a quick count of the clues with the letters OR embedded within words revealed just half. The penny drop for this one is right at the start.
So, each time an OR appears I have to choose one half part of the word or the other. This works fine for the first few I try with just four letter words but then it breaks down when the words are longer. So, it the letter one side of OR or the other. This works and fits in better with the triple choice in one word. A couple of the normal clues solved reveal words with OR in them and so a similar choice has to be made before entering. From this point in it’s just a slog, and very enjoyable slog though.
To the setter’s credit all of the choices in the grid check with other choices. This is an excellent construction and makes it just a little trickier.
| Across | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | CHLPRELUDES | CHORAL PRELUDES | (SAD HERO PURCELL)* | |
| 10 | FREAK | PASTor’s | F+REAK | REAK is an old word, hence ‘past’. |
| 11 | EDIIAL | EDITORIAL | EDIT+”Oriel” | ref Oriel College, Oxford. |
| 12 | CUSCLE | CORPUSCLE | PUS+CL in CORE | CL = extremely crucial. |
| 13 | EVAPTE | EVAPORATE | PAVE< + ORATE | flag is to pave, as in lay paving stones or flagstones. |
| 15 | ESCED | ESCORTED | ESCORT+ED | ref Ford Escort, ED = limits of England |
| 16 | HELMED | MorsE | ME in HELD | |
| 19 | MEMLANE | MEMORY LANE | MEMO + NEARLY* | |
| 21 | EDUCIBLE | CREDITors | ED for CR in CRUCIBLE | the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield is home to the snooker world championships. |
| 24 | MARSH TIT | HISTory | HIST* in TRAM< | |
| 26 | ESSENCE | Corn | C in ESSENE | I think there is an error in this clue. An Essene is an ascetic rather than an aesthete. |
| 28 | REENCE | REENFORCE | REEN+FORCE | |
| 31 | MEANB | MEANBorn | BARON* in MEN | |
| 33 | PISTOL | forGET | dd? | I’ve not checked this one, is Pistol one of Falstaff’s servants? See comment 1. |
| 35 | IMPUNE | IMPORTUNE | IMP+(f)ORTUNE | |
| 36 | DEOANT | DEODORANT | (DO NOT READ)* | |
| 37 | ENDER | ENDORSER | DORS in RENE< | ref Diana Dors, British actress. |
| 38 | NEWSTHINESS | NEWSWORTHINESS | (NEW SHIRT SEWN SO)* | rags = newspapers. |
| Down | ||||
| 1 | AFCE | AFFORCE | A F-FORCE | the stutter from s-squad gives the stutter in f-force. |
| 2 | CRUSADE | corA’S | (A’S)< in CRUDE | |
| 3 | HESCOURSES | HORSES FOR COURSES | HORSES+FOR+COURSES | |
| 4 | LACED | SorbET | (p)LACED | |
| 5 | REEL | dorIAN’S forTUNE | dd | |
| 6 | LIVE | EXorcIST | EVIL< | |
| 7 | UIALLY | UXORIALLY | (b)UXO(m)+I in RALLY | |
| 8 | ELT | SorrOW | (f)ELT | |
| 9 | SUEDETTE | Worn | SUE+(w)ETTED< | |
| 14 | PMANTEAUDS | PORTMANTEAU WORDS | cd | a portmanteau is a case that gives its name to a word construction like ‘slithy’ for ‘slimy’ and ‘lithe’ where two words and their meanings are packed together. |
| 16 | HEL | norMAN & forLorn | HE+L | tricky triple choice in ‘forlorn’! |
| 17 | PETER PAN | corPoreAL | PETER+PAN | …and another. Peter Pan was Wendy Darling’s pal. Incidentally, Barrie created the name Wendy. |
| 18 | LIMN | WordING | “limb” | |
| 20 | MESS | MORE OR LESS | MORE + LOSERS* | ref Thomas More and another great compression into four letters. |
| 22 | FIENNES | ThorOUGH | “fines” | Ranulph Fiennes is an explorer who has led many tough expeditions. I have, though, beaten him in the Lowe Alpine Mountain Marathon! |
| 23 | CENTOS | horOSCOPE | reCENT OScope | |
| 25 | ACE | HorsE | A+CE | I’m not sure about this one. either HE or SE should lead to A. See comment 4, HE = A. |
| 27 | LEPNE | LEPORINE | (PERIL ONE)* | |
| 29 | COAT | CORROBORATORS | COR+ROB+ORATORS | Fantastic construction here getting 3 ORs in there. |
| 30 | TITI | AcorN | TITI(an) | Titian is a colour (used by the painter). |
| 32 | BERS | BORDERS | BO(a)RDERS | |
| 34 | IDE | Work-OUT | (w)IDE | |
Pistol is one of Falstaff’s followers in The Merry Wifes of Windsor.
Nutmeg had a Listener and this IQ — which was much more challenging, and therefore more enjoyable, for me anyway — published in the same week.
I agree about the mistake in 26a — it should be ‘ascetic’.
I can’t remember the Nutmeg Listener offhand even though I know I did it.
I’m guessing the ascete was spell-checked to aesthete and not corrected.
Yes, we all agree that ESSEN[C]E was wrongly clued.
25d: Chambers gives “a^2 (dialect) … he; she; it …”, so HorsE becomes HE, leading to A.
And in 5d, it’s not just dorIAN’S but dorIAN’S forTUNE.
Thanks for the additional corrections and clarifications. I’ve amended the blog entry.