Inquisitor 1289: The Sound of Music by Nutmeg

by

Nutmeg is a fairly prolific setter in the Inquisitor series with a slightly quirky line in themes.

 

 

 

The preamble told us that the puzzle celebrated the unclued singer at 6 down, both visually and vocally through 4 sets of thematic lights, all clued with Printer’s Devilry clues.  Each such clue is a meaningful passage from which the clued word has been removed, with spacing and punctuation possibly adjusted.  

In many cases the passage/clue still made a good deal of sense with the entry removed.  This made it quite difficult to spot the join.  I have shown both the devilled and the full version of each passage in the table below.

As suggested by Nimrod in his editorial, the Printer’s Devilry clues became slightly easier once a few of the normal clues had been solved.

I solved this puzzle by iteration, going back and forth from normal clues to trying to identify the singer and studying possible Printer’s Devilry clues.

The singer fell fairly quickly once I got S_RP at the beginning.  The other few letters I had fitted with SIR PETER PEARS so I kept him in mind as I looked at the remaining across clues which instersected with SIR PETER.

On the thematic side, it was the fruit that first came out a set.  I had come across NELIS as a PEAR in other barred crosswords and I was aware of WILLIAM PEARs in the supermarket.

It took me a long time to realise that there were 4 thematic elements in each set as I only got a fourth one in any set late in the proceedings.

In the end, using the vocal association with SIR PETER PEARS I deduced we were looking at PEER in the sense of nobility, PEER in the sense of SQUINT and PIER, in addition to the fruit.

The four sets were:

PEARS (fruit) – WILLIAM (12a), ANJOU (33a), NELIS (38a) and BARTLETT (40a)

PEERs (nobility) – NOBLE (19a), EARL (42a), ARISTO (4d) and NAWAB (8d)

PEER (squint) – SCAN (24a), SQUINT (1d), TWEER (4d) and STIME (13d)

PIER – QUAY (11a), MOLE (27a), STAITHE (24d) and JETTY (34d)

The final grid looked like this:  [highlighting NOT required for the solution]

Inquisitor 1289

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I thought there were some really good clues in here, both in terms of normal clues and Printer’s Devilry.  My favourites (which doesn’t necessarily mean they are good clues from a purist’s point of view) were those for STAINES, LYRICON, THIRD, and MOSTLY in the normal clues.  In the Printer’s Devilry I was especially taken with the clues for WILLIAM, NOBLE, MOLE, BARTLETT, NAWAB, and STAITHE.  With NAWAB I had the entry for quite a long time before I worked out where it went in the passage.

The title THE SOUND OF MUSIC links the homophones of PEARS with the musician [singer] himself.

A very enjoyable crossword.  I look forward to further Nutmeg puzzles

Across        
No Clue Wordplay Printer’s Devilry Entry

2

 

Aged bedbug flourished in club (5)

 

FL (flourished) contained in (in) BAT (club)

B (FL) AT

 

 

B-FLAT (a 19th century [aged] euphemism for a domestic bedbug)

6

 

NW resort, one preferred to new town in SE (7)

 

ST ANNES (resort in NW England) just south of Blackpool, often known as Lytham ST ANNES with N (new) replaced by I (one) [one preferred to new]

 

  

STAINES (town in SE England near Heathrow Airport)

 

11

 

Marching in toto riled the Devon protestors (4)

 

 

 

Marching into Torquay I led the Devon protestors

 

QUAY

 

12

 

With half the cream, ate for a couple of days (7)

 

 

 

With half the crew ill, I am a Mate for a couple of days.

 

WILLIAM

 

13

 

Italian region shortly before Ed’s knight saw through it (8)

 

UMBRIA (Italian region) excluding the final letter (shortly) A + ERE (before)

 

 

 

UMBRIERE (Spenserean [Edmund Spenser’s; Ed’s] word for visor [part of a helmet for a knight])

 

14

 

Portion of widow reduced on account of Scots (4)

 

OWRE (hidden word in [portion of] WIDOW REDUCED)

 

 

 

OWRE (Scots word for OVER [on account of])

 

15

 

Sacred book uncovered Isaiah’s fallen angel (5)

 

BIBLE (sacred book) excluding the first and last letters (uncovered) B and E + IS (Isaiah)

 

 

 

IBLIS (chief of the fallen angels in Muslim mythology)

 

16

 

Be depressed about consuming second course (5)

 

(MOPE [be depressed] reversed [about]) containing (consuming) S (second)

EP (S) OM<

 

 

EPSOM (reference EPSOM raceourse, home of The Derby)

 

19

 

From Petra mating was audible (5)

 

 

 

From pet ram no bleating was audible

 

NOBLE

 

20

 

Infant nurses express disapproval as well (6, 2 words)

 

TOT (infant) containing (nurses) BOO (express disapproval)

TO (BOO) T

 

 

TO BOOT (in addiiton; as well)

 

22

 

Makes use of potty potters (7)

 

TIDDLES (urinates; makes use of potty)

 

 

 

TIDDLES (trifles; potters) double definition

 

24

 

Single (covert look) effective on double bed (4)

 

 

 

Single covers can‘t look effective on double bed

 

SCAN

 

26

 

Virile type not having an edge (3)

 

HE-MAN (a man of exaggerated or extreme virility, or what some women consider to be virility [that’s the full Chambers definition]) excluding (not having) AN

 

 

 

HEM (edge)

 

27

 

Soldier well equipped with a mast likely to be ambushed (4)

 

 

 

Soldier well equipped with ammo least likely to be ambushed

 

MOLE

 

28

 

Taster’s first clanger about one wine’s distinctive quality (7)

 

T (first letter of [first] TASTER) + (ERROR [clanger] containing [about] I [one])

T ERRO (I) R

 

 

TERROIR (the distinctive quality imparted to a wine by the climate and soil in which its grapes are grown.)

 

30

 

Selfishness, say, is kept in order (6)

 

E.G. (for eaxmple; say) + (IS contained in [kept in] OM [Order {of Merit}])

EG O (IS) M

 

 

EGOISM (selfishness)

 

33

 

Musician didn’t take BP till he was twenty (5)

 

 

 

Musician didn’t take banjo up till he was twenty

 

ANJOU

 

37

 

Improved, delivering a maiden over (5)

 

MENDED (improved) excluding (delivering) M (maiden; cricket scoring notation)

 

 

 

ENDED (over)

 

38

 

New colour gently requested by HQ (5)

 

 

 

New colonel is urgently requested by HQ

 

NELIS

 

39

 

Support, though not large, set back knockers (4)

 

(STILT [thin wooden prop with a footrest enabling one to walk supported high above the ground)] excluding [though not] L [large]) reversed (set back)

 

 

 

TITS (vulgar slang for female breasts; knockers being a similar slang term)

 

40

 

Aussie landlord in hoop, flat out at last (8)

 

 

 

Aussie landlord in Hobart let top flat out at last

 

BARTLETT

 

41

 

Anicent city contributing to nation’s eminence (7)

 

UR (ancient city) contained in (contributing to) STATE (nation)

STAT (UR) E

 

 

STATURE (eminence)

 

42

 

Reversing in fog, motorist need rights (4)

 

 

 

Reversing in fog, motorist needs rear lights

 

EARL

 

43

 

My notes obscured true origins of words (7)

 

Anagram of (obscured) MY NOTES

 

 

 

ETYMONS (the true origins of words)

 

44

 

Form coalition government bound by just what’s said (5)

 

G (government) contained in (bound by) MERE (just what is said and nothing else)

MER (G) E

 

 

MERGE (form coalition)

 
Down        
No Clue Wordplay Letter Entry

1

 

For chamber music, buffets offer something extra (6)

 

 

 

For chamber music buffs quintets offer something extra

 

SQUINT

 

2

 

Tramp (with pong) gets drink to which Nutmeg contributes (5)

 

BUM (vagrant; tramp) + BO (body odour; pong)

 

  

BUMBO (a mixture of rum or gin, water, sugar and nutmeg, or similar drink)

 

3

 

Instrument, not quite full-toned, only played outside (7)

 

Anagram of (played) ONLY containing (outside) (RICH [full-toned] excluding the final letter [not quite] H)

LY (RIC) ON*

  

LYRICON (an electronic wind instrument like a large flute, but played like a clarinet, used with a synthesizer)

 

4

 

No purist should miss the Louvre (6)

 

 

 

No Paris tourist should miss the Louvre

 

ARISTO

 

5

 

To keep these creased references made in minutes (5)

 

 

To keep the secret we erased references in the Minutes

 

TWEER

 

7

 

Nearly all doctors fed on hard fruit (7)

 

ALL excluding the last letter [nearly] L + (MDS [doctors {of medicine}] containing [fed] ON)

AL M (ON) DS

 

 

ALMONDS (hard fruit)

 

8

 

I’m glad to see hungry dog gone from butcher’s (5)

 

 

 

I’m glad to see hungry dog gnaw a bone from butcher’s

 

NAWAB

 

9

 

Setter turning left in Paris street makes a dash (6,2 words)

 

ME (the crossword setter) reversed (turning) + (L [left] contained in [in] RUE [French {Paris} for street])

EM<  RU (L) E

 

 

EM RULE (a dash that is one em long in printing terms)

 

10

 

Italian sees unopened wine resettled (7)

 

Anagram of (resettled) (SEES and WINE excluding the first letter [unopened] W)

 

 

 

SIENESE ( anative of Sienna; an Italian)

 

17

 

Jumping bean to win a puissance event (5)

 

 

 

Jumping best I mean to win a puissance event

 

STIME

 

18

 

Type of ski-lift where you get hot drinks, they say (4)

 

T-BAR (sounds like [they say] TEA BAR [somewhere you get hot drinks])

 

 

 

T-BAR (type of ski-lift)

 

21

 

Greene’s man just in the medals? (5)

 

THIRD (THIRD place in a major event usually gets a medal, but fourth doesn’t)

 

 

 

THIRD (reference Graham Greene’s screenplay and subsequent novella, The THIRD Man)

 

23

 

Meat upsetting predator’s innards? (4)

 

LION (predator) with the middle letters (innards O and I) changed round (upset)

LOIN

 

 

LOIN (meat from the lower part of an animal’s back;)

 

24

 

Having finished Pancho set rifle (7)

 

 

 

Having finished pasta I then chose trifle

 

STAITHE

 

25

 

No doubt that it’ll eat up after spring (7,2 words) [misnumbered as 7,2]

 

BOUND (spring) +[H] ‘OT ([h]’eat’) reversed (up; down clue)

BOUND TO<

  

BOUND TO (certain to;no doubt)

 

27

 

One reducing in US more upset about food outlet closing early (7)

 

Anagram of (upset) MORE containing (about) DELI (delicatessen; food outlet) excluding the final letter [closing early] I

MO (DEL) ER

 

 

MODELER (one who makes an imitation of something on a smaller scaler; one reducing – American [US] spelling

 

29

 

Nurse with inclination to get support for cause (6)

 

EN ([enrolled] nurse) + LIST (lean over; inclination)

 

 

 

ENLIST (obtain support for)

 

31

 

Tame bird?  No Jew’s without one (6)

 

GENTILE (anyone who is not a Jew) excluding (without) I (one)

 

 

 

GENTLE (a trained falcon; tame bird)

 

32

 

Magic herb protecting saint in the main (6)

 

MOLY (a magic herb given by Hermes to Odysseus as a countercharm against the spells of Circe) containing (preotecting) ST (saint)

MO (ST) LY

 

 

MOSTLY (in the main0

 

34

 

Engineers aboard jumping up loose ends (5)

 

 

 

Engineers aboard jump jet tying up loose ends

 

JETTY

 

35

 

Doctor made to keep right to the point (5, 2 words)

 

Anagram of (doctor) MADE containing (to keep) R (right)

AD (R) EM*

 

 

AD REM (to the point)

 

36

 

Headgear raised in former times (5)

 

MITRE (hidden word [in] reversed [raised; down clue] FORMER TIMES)

 

 

 

MITRE (a high, pointed headdress, cleft crosswise on top and with two ribbons hanging from the back, worn by archbishops and bishops)

 

 

12 comments on “Inquisitor 1289: The Sound of Music by Nutmeg”

  1. As a Ben/Peter fan I greatly enjoyed this, but was wildly thrown off course by SQUINT, which sent me looking for words which are S followed by other famous Pears roles. But there aint no SGRIMES or SASCHENBACH. Good fun though – thanks, Nutmeg.

  2. I really enjoyed the puzzle. I’ve always run away from PD puzzles before but I forced myself to concentrate on this one. I have to say that I still don’t like them and I don’t quite see the point.

    My only real gripe with the puzzle itself was that the variety of pear is WILLIAMS not WILLIAM (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Williams_pear.) This threw me off for quite a while!

    I’d never heard of Sir Peter Pears but that didn’t spoil the enjoyment – thanks Nutmeg and thanks Duncan.

  3. I had a lot of trouble with the right hand side – having entered two wrong answers: TINKLES seemed to fit well (potters on the piano) at 22 across, and though I couldn’t quite parse the clue, GOONEY at 31 down satisfied me at the time (Goy outside One).

    I found the Printers Devilry clues difficult (I am one who has never enjoyed them) but it was satisfying eventually to solve them and finish the puzzle.

    Thanks to Nutmeg and to Duncan.

  4. I loved the fact that NO DOUBT and BOUND TO are anagrams but this fact wasn’t referenced in the clueing. Is there a technical term for this?

  5. Swando @4 – cognate anagram – Enigmatic Variations had a puzzle themed on them a few weeks ago.

    I’d never come across PD clues before. I managed to find 3-4 of them on the first run through, but then that was it.

    I’m sure there was enjoyment in the normal clueing but it was swamped by the tsunami of tedium represented by the PD clues. I got to the point where I counted my missing lights plus already discovered PDs & got 17 – the 4 sets plus B flat (which went in last because I was sure it was 2 words – as it is in Chambers).

    I almost just gave up then. But, as my first experience of PDs, I decided I should persevere before judging. Never heard of the singer but easily guessed with those letters. Didn’t know the pronunciation difference but it became clear from the 4 sets – in another puzzle this would have seemed clever but the process of finding all the PDs was so tiresome that it yielded just a ‘so what?’.

    Once complete it was with a sense of relief rather than of satisfaction.

    From the above comments, even some non-fans of PDs still liked this – so I think I’ll just give any future PD puzzles a miss.

  6. Well, I didn’t finish this, but I got further than I often do on Inquisitor. I must admit I’ve rather liked PD clues in the past, although the problem here was deciding which was which.

    Another problem was that I noticed that Sir Peter Pears fitted after getting the last two letters, but as I had been listening to his recordings the night before, I thought it was my own bias giving me this and it couldn’t be that easy, and it was ages before I realised I was right the first time.

  7. Quite partial to a PD puzzle from time to time, so I quite enjoyed the challenge, even the deciding which was and which wasn’t. Never heard of Sir PP, so even though the links were apparent I wasn’t too bothered by not tying the final knots with the 4 sets. Thanks for the puzzle and the blog.

  8. We hadn’t heard of Sir PP either but that didn’t detract from the enjoyment of the puzzle. We also enjoyed the PD clues. We totally missed the fact that the pear should have been WILLIAMS not WILLIAM. We are more than prepared to forgive the error based on the rest of the puzzle!

    Thanks Nutmeg for the fun and Duncan for the blog!

  9. Having solved 38a NELIS and 40a BARTLETT (both pears), I soon came to SIR PETER PEARS, of whom I was loosely aware from references in Alan Bennett’s The Habit of Art where the main characters are W.H.Auden and Benjamin Britten.

    Agree with shikasta @5 that 2a B FLAT should be flagged as two words (even tho’ B is obviously not a word) and with kenmac @2 that the pear is WILLIAMS not WILLIAM – but I let that pass. And I sympathise with John Lowe @3: I had PIDDLES as a really good fit for 22a.

    On the PD topic, I’m not a great fan, but this sort of device is quite acceptable in small doses; and these weren’t ‘fierce’ as a rule – strong pointers in quite a few clues, such as Devon in 11a (torQUAY), Aussie in 40a (hoBART LET Top), the Louvre in 4d (pARIS TOurist).

    My flippant response to Swando @4 would be “coincidence”.

    Finally, thanks go to Nutmeg and Duncan.

  10. I’m an admirer of both PD and Sir PP, so I should have sauntered through this and I mostly did. But I got totally stuck in the NE corner, partly because I had SABLE instead of NOBLE (‘From pet rams, a bleating was audible’). Ah well, it was a lot of fun anyway.

  11. This was my first experience of a PD puzzle and, despite Nimrod’s accompanying message, I found I quite enjoyed it. I only failed to place one of the PD words unsuccessfully as I was obsessed with WILLIAM being able to stand by itself in the full version of the clue. Of course I couldn’t then parse it correctly. Perhaps I was influenced by William being my other first name. I think I fall into the “like” camp – but I still hate Marmite!

  12. Took one look, saw PD, and thought this was going to be my “fail” of the year. But, as the accompanying blurb suggested, the themed nature of the clues allowed me to hobble home. I didn’t see where NAWAB went until I read this blog, which probably means I should count this as a “fail” anyway… Glad to see from Nimrod’s write-up this week that there won’t be another PD for some time!

Comments are closed.