This was as tough for me as the first couple of Tyrus puzzles I tried in the Independent. I don’t have an accurate timing for it but would guess about 45 minutes until I decided to cheat on 5D. The bottom unches spell out SIMONE, but apart from a well-known Simone being called Nina, as indicated by 1D’s clue. The top edge gives Nina NANNAR – the media and arts correspondent for ITV News. I thik that’s all – I could find no well-known Nina Cameron or Nina Susan to go with them from other edge answers = “fringe characters”.
| Across | |
|---|---|
| 7 | CU(IS,IN)E |
| 8 | EARLIES = ” ‘urley’s” from actress Liz |
| 10 | M(CJ)OB – CJ=egghead from C J de Mooi, who appears in the Eggheads show on BBC2 at 6 pm on weekdays |
| 11 | OVERHEADS = anag. of (ever so hard) less one R, indicated by “not right” – usual reservation about this indicating “not right 50% of the time” |
| 12 | RESOUNDED – U in endrosed* |
| 13 | D(R)OWN |
| 14 | NOW THERE’S A THING = (nightwear’s on the)* – nicely done clue |
| 18 | S(P)END |
| 19 | T,HE-MAN,(kille)D,U.S. |
| 21 | ANDROMEDA = (man adored) – I assume the classical Andromeda was a princess |
| 23 | TORSO = roots* |
| 24 | FREE,SIA(m) |
| 25 | IRON,I(S)T |
| Down | |
| 1 | NIN(J)AS |
| 2 | AIRBRUSHED – “Ir(n) Bru”=”nameless rink” in heads* |
| 3 | N.E.,WORD,E.R. |
| 4 | NEREID – anag. of ((n)EEDIN(g), plus R = “a little readhustment”), indicated by “dish” – a very well-disguised clue |
| 5 | ARCH(er) – the Lord being Jeffrey Archer |
| 6 | RIG=doctor,A,TONI=into* |
| 7 | C(AMER(ican))ON |
| 9 | SU(S.A.)N |
| 13 | DET(e)R,ACTION |
| 15 | W,HEEDLES(s) |
| 16 | SCENARIO – IRAN rev. in Coes* |
| 17 | GO=work,SPORT=play – with work and play in the clue, I’m slightly surprised there was no mention of Jack = a sailor |
| 18 | STAFF(a) is the island, and “man” the def. |
| 19 | THE RAM = rev. of MARE,H,T |
| 20 | DORMI(c)E |
| 22 | OSSI = East German, the clue’s divided city being Berlin |
Very good puzzle, with a NINA of NINAs being a nice idea. Not got the puzzle now, but think my favourite was OSSI which, I think I remember was a very clever hidden with an &lit touch.
Found the paper now, the clue for OSSI was “In divided city one restricted from crossing”. Brilliant, that.