A first for me – a Nestor puzzle to blog – always fun and always so original. The master of misdirection, he certainly is.
Nestor’s puzzles are always a pleasure, full of humourous misdirection.
Exquisite surfaces and so lovely and misleading. I’m short of words for once.
Thanks Nestor for a challenge and much amusement.
Even to pick a favourite clue is beyond me – there are too many to choose from. But at a push 13ac – a novel device to employ.
10ac has me a little baffled – there is something I’ve missed, I think.
Key
* anagram, DD Double definition, Rev. reverse, Underline is definition
ACROSS
6 Vacillator‘s choice about finishing university(8)
Plum (choice) about end (finishing) + u (university) = PENDULUM
8 Man covered in fuzz or one buried in a huge monument (6)
he (man) covered in cops (fuzz) = CHEOPS (Pyramid on outskirts of Cairo)
1o Possible proof of journey time about vessel small clumsy one (4)
sub (vessel) about t(time) =Ā s (small) + tub (clumsy one) = STUB (counterfoil ) Thanks NeilW
11 One from the country drew out guide, only to leave unmoved (10)
un (one – dialect) + (drew)* + helm (guide) = UNDERWHELM
12 Maybe make tarts healthy? Probably not those from here (8)
Bake Well = BAKEWELL
13 Ignore conclusions in definition of loftier human (6)
More tall (loftier) – ends = MORTAL
14 Flowery ring certainly encloses modern building for fun (7,6)
Lei (flowery ring) + sure (certainly) encloses recent (modern) = LEISURE CENTRE
19 Perhaps a case for adopting some Citicorp handling? (6)
CiticORP HANdling = ORPHAN
21 To spare harsh treatment soon gay marriage at last must be settled (2, 4, 2)
(soon + gay + e)* = GO EASY ON
23 Flog gallons whichever milkman regularly supplied in place of water (10)
Tan (flog) + g (gallons) + any (whichever) + mIlKmAn = TANGANYIKA (as in African lake)
24 Director’s power to keep in employment? no thanks (4)
Retain (keep in employment) – ta (thanks) = REIN
25 Roundabout barker (not really) confused gold with symbol (6)
(gold + au (symbol for it))* = DOUGAL (as in Magic roundabout)
26 To avoid both committing and sharing one is far from spineless (8)
hedge (to avoid) + = HEDGEHOG
DOWN
1 Server might saucily supply this caption for picture tweeted by Cinderella? (8)
Me at Ball (Picture caption for Cinderella) = MEATBALL
2 One’s fare should be idle and be carried away (6)
(be idle)* = EDIBLE
3 Copper nabbing rat with a useless detective (8)
Cu (copper) around [louse (rat) + a] = CLOUSEAU
4 Face-off something male mugs do at puberty (8)
Show down (as in fine hair on young men’s faces) = SHOW DOWN
5 Persuasive fellow man (6)
Co (fellow) + gent (man) = COGENT
7 Old means of communication a suitable part of core curriculum (6,7)
middle (part of core) + English (as in lesson) = MIDDLE ENGLISH
9 Comparison of imperial unit inferior to metric system (6)
SI (metric system) + Mile (Imperial unit) = SIMILE
15 Underdeveloped area in Hebridean isle making great progress (8)
raw (underdevleoped) + a (area) in Soay (Hebridean isle) = SOARAWAY
16 Deny decay develops when skipping a starter it’s only a visual feast (3, 5)
(deny + ecay)* = EYE CANDY
17 Wordless expression of the people deposing leader just after (8)
demotic (of the people) – d + on (just after)= EMOTICON
18 Opponent ordered reduced rank (6)
Foe (opponent) + tidy (ordered) – y = FOETID
20 Bottled ink distributor set to make a resurgence? (4-2)
Pen (ink distributor) + Rev. put (set) = PENT-UP
22 Who’s confident about following hyperlink, essentially? (6)
Sure (confident) about f (following) + r (hyperlink essentially – i.e. middle) = SURFER
Thanks, twencelas.
STUB is a double construction: T(ime) in SUB (vessel) and S(mall) TUB (clumsy one)
I went to Google to see if the name of Lake TANGANYIKA actually meant “place of much water” but couldn’t find that – but, apparently, it holds 17% of the world’s freshwater so I suppose that explains the definition.
My parsing of SURFER was a little different to yours: SURE around F + R (hyperlink essentially) which makes it more nearly &lit.
Great puzzle and very pleased to have finished it without resort to aids. I agree with Neil W’s parsing of SURFER because otherwise there is no point in hyperlink being in the clue.
Andy B.
Thanks Neil and andy – have updated 22dn
@3, twencelas, so you don’t agree with me about 10? š
Neil – I do agree with you š Just having one of those days