I was rather hoping Nimrod’s new job as editor for the Saturday magazine Inquisitor crossword would keep him too busy to set the Thursday toughie, alas not…
We almost have a Nina here, LHS reads England, RHS Americ + E and down the middle divided by A Common Language. This rather delayed my solving of 26ac expecting it to end in an A. Is it that most of America speaks English but some speak E(spanol)?
Can’t get the wordplay for 10 to work for me so assistance would be appreciated. [Edit see Conrad Cork at #1 thanks]
Across:
| 3 | SEA | Demise (the end of) (albatross)S + EA(ch) |
| 8 | EOLITH | What follows HOTEL? – I(NDIA) so (HOTEL + I)* |
| 9 | CHIMAERA | HIM enclosed in CA(about) + ERA |
| 10 | NOMOGRAM | We’ve got MAROON (a bright loud firework) rev about G(reek) + choMsky or MOON rev about GR(eek) + choMsky but no A. Ideas? |
| 11 | THEISM | Too much THÉ or tea perhaps |
| 12 | GOODLY | O (ring) in GODLY |
| 14 | ORDNANCE | No I in ORDINANCE, rarer meanings for both words |
| 16 | LIMB | L + 1 + M + B(ritain) |
| 17 | FOLLY | 0 not 1 in FILLY |
| 18 | DOER | No middle (filling) in DONER |
| 19 | ANTIGUAN | ANTI – GUAN(o) |
| 20 | BONSAI | Cryptic definition |
| 21 | NON-FAT | N(ame) in [A FONT]* |
| 23 | UNHEROIC | [OUR NICHE]* |
| 25/17d | DRINKING FOUNTAIN | DR + GIN* in two pens (INK and FOUNTAIN) |
| 26 | AL GORE | GALORE with G (force) moved along |
| 27 | END | (t)END |
| Down: | ||
| 1 | LOCOMOTION | LOCO (mad) + MOTION |
| 2 | DIDO | Laid about hence DID nothing |
| 3 | SHIRTY | R(omeo) in THIS* + Y(ear) |
| 4 | A COMMON LANGUAGE | Wimbledon Common + CD |
| 5 | BIRTHDAY | BY (close) around [A THIRD]* |
| 6 | CASE HARDEN | [DEAN SEARCH]* |
| 7 | EROS | Alternate letters in bEdRoOmS + &lit |
| 13 | DEBRIEFING | Removing BRIEFs |
| 15 | CHEVALIERS | 1 + LAV (can/toilet) rev in CHEERS |
| 17 | See 25ac | |
| 20 | BEHEAD | EH (what?) in BEAD |
| 22 | OKRA | Hidden reversed in sARKOzy |
| 24 | RIGA | GIR(l) rev + A |
America and England,according to GBS are two countries divided by a common language.
Nimrod continues his practice of quiet virtuosity.
10 is Noam around ‘mo’ for flash and ‘gr’ fro Greek.
The usual high quality cluing of course – not quite as hard as he can be, I thought.
I’d be interested in any explanations of “Americe”. My main theory at the moment is that a clue for “Angora” got mixed up with one for “Al Gore”, but perhaps there’s more to it? I vaguely wondered if “Sea end” might be involved but if so I don’t get it.
Well I’ll go to the foot of our stairs. I finished a Nimrod. I didn’t find it too difficult, actually, partly because I guessed it might be ENGLAND down the lhs; but then AL GORE kind of threw a spanner in the works for the rhs.
CHEVALIERS and SHIRTY were the pick of the bunch for me today. If this were Another Place, then I’d definitely have said that AL GORE was a substitute clue where it hadn’t been realised that it spoiled the Nina. If it does prove to be that, then it’s very rare for the Indy.
Whatever, good puzzle.
As surmised, the original clue – for ANGORA – required a rewrite. Weeks later, the nina forgotten, clue for AL GORE was written.
Curses.
Thanks, flashling and Nimrod. I too found this not quite as difficult as some Nimrod puzzles, and was helped by seeing the Nina emerge fairly near the end. I solved, re-solved, and re-solved, AL GORE, but it just seemed bulletproof. Commiserations, John H. Now, if it had been the Times, that answer would not be allowed, AG being happily still with us.
Thanks Flashling and Nimrod. A rare Nimrod finish for me so I might have expected that everyone would find it easier than usual. I was helped by the nearly nina as I don’t think that I would have got Eolith or Bonsai otherwise.
I was confused by 26ac because to get ALGORE from GALORE you have to move the G forward, not set it back.
@joins the G moves back.
Thanks Nimrod/John H for clearing up the Nina cock up, as K’s D said a rare slip here.
Re the easy comments hmm I’ve seen a comment or two at 15sq that it was an easy Nimrod in the past and JohnH has risen to to the challenge next time out with avengence. Hope I don’t get the backlash, this was bad enough to blog in time.