Well, this one took a bit of head-scratching in places, but we suppose we should expect that of a Thursday Indy puzzle. However, there were several unusual or unfamiliar words, and we needed to google some of them to check the answers, which were otherwise pretty clear from the wordplay.
We were helped to some extent by realising part-way through that there is a nina – a rather amusing one at that! This also justified the unusual words, and helped us to ‘tease out’ the solution!
As we have come to expect from Nestor, there were some crafty misdirections and excellent surfaces – a great work-out!
| Across | ||
| 1 | Since my book, one about detectives, it’s essential to stay alive | |
| ASCORBIC ACID | AS (since) + COR (my!) + B (book) + I (one) + CA (about) + CID (detectives) | |
| 9 | Substitute hardly hampered by penalty when back’s come off | |
| FILL IN | ILL (hardly) in, or ‘hampered by’ FIN |
|
| 10 | Bondage possibly safer avoiding a small part near groin | |
| SERFSHIP | An anagram of S |
|
| 11 | Toneless figure recalled in Italian composer | |
| ALBINONI | ALBINO (toneless figure) + IN reversed or ‘recalled’. Although we’re not classical music fans, we do have a CD of Albinoni’s Adagio in G minor which has featured in several films. | |
| 13 | This is on India’s eastern coast – or is it? | |
| ORISSA | OR IS + SA (sex appeal, or ‘it’). Apparently the former name of the Indian state of Odisha, on the Bay of Bengal | |
| 14 | I criticise unfriendliness besetting lives and turn to religion | |
| ISLAMICISE | I SLAM (criticise) ICE (unfriendliness) round or ‘besetting’ IS (lives) | |
| 16 | Singing dame rejected part in ‘Funny Lady’ | |
| LYNN | Hidden and reversed or ‘rejected’ in fuNNY Lady – a reference to dame Vera Lynn, the WWII ‘forces’ sweetheart’ | |
| 17 | Are indolent places known by word of mouth? | |
| LAZE | Homonym (‘known by word of mouth’) of LAYS (places) | |
| 18 | Liner’s activity on sea is shooting up | |
| MAINLINING | LINING (liner’s activity) after or ‘on’ MAIN (sea) | |
| 20 | Someone getting away with senior adviser stopped by university | |
| ELUDER | ELDER (senior adviser) round or ‘stopped by’ U (university) | |
| 21 | More apt to enjoy offal, but not heart | |
| LIKELIER | LIKE (enjoy) + LI |
|
| 23 | Doctoring degree involves overturning vetoes | |
| DESEXING | DEG (degree) round or ‘involving’ NIXES (vetoes) reversed or ’overturned’ | |
| 24 | Truffaut’s who enters in the style of starry set | |
| AQUILA | QUI (French for ‘who’) in or ‘entering’ A LA (in the style of). Latin for ‘eagle’ – a reference to the Eagle constellation which includes Altair | |
| 26 | Tangled up in claims, I’m showing faith in local government | |
| MUNICIPALISM | An anagram of UP IN CLAIMS I’M (anagrind is ‘tangled’). Not a word we come across frequently these days – can we thank George Osborne and Eric Pickles for that? | |
| Down | ||
| 2 | Slurring fool ventured forth and faltered | |
| SHILLYSHALLIED | SILLY (fool) SALLIED (ventured forth) written as though slurred | |
| 3 | Boswell’s letters alternately revealed paragon of wisdom? | |
| OWL | Alternate letters of bOsWeLl | |
| 4 | Something instrumental in making Simpson arrest stand up | |
| BANJO | OJ (Simpson, the notorious US actor tried for murder) NAB (arrest) reversed or ‘stood up’ | |
| 5 | Exploratory traveller caught when on stray island | |
| CASSINI | C (caught) + AS (when) + SIN (stray) + I (island). A reference to the Cassini space probe currently exploring Saturn and its moons | |
| 6 | Small opening pierces pink of flesh | |
| CORPOREAL | PORE (small opening) in, or ‘piercing’ CORAL (pink) | |
| 7 | Science place popular in the face of a field of study | |
| DISCIPLINAL | SCI (science) PL (place) IN (popular) in DIAL (face) | |
| 8 | Prickly attack that may lead to stitches? | |
| PINS AND NEEDLES | Cryptic definition – PINS AND NEEDLES may be required to make stitches | |
| 12 | See a drama vie hopelessly with timeless ‘The King’s Speech’ | |
| I HAVE A DREAM | An anagram of A DRAMA VIE and |
|
| 15 | Bathers bypassing short wave current, performing dip | |
| IMMERSION | ||
| 19 | Billow’s inside rising smoke, which makes no sense | |
| ILLOGIC | ||
| 22 | Turn up start of ‘Paisley Park’ for tape recorder in play | |
| KRAPP | P (first letter or ‘start’ of Paisley + PARK reversed or ‘turned up’. A reference to ‘Krapp’s Last Tape’, a play by Samuel Beckett | |
| 25 | Cast shunning lead’s short form of address | |
| URL | ||
Thanks, both. Well, it’s Thursday, so you’re expecting a toughish one, and this was tough enough for me, thank you very much. Quite pleased to finish it, since it’s at the limits of my solving ability. And quite a few I couldn’t parse, so thank you for explaining everything. (My excuse is that there are two of you and only one of me.)
Liked ASCORBIC ACID today (Vitamin C by any other name). And the nina? There’s no tease in this puzzle, surely?
Bravo, Nestor. Enjoyed this.
@1Kathryn’s Dad – “A failed pangram”. Not sure whether you are saying you haven’t seen it – apologies if I’ve misunderstood.
Graham @2
Bertandjoyce and K’s D punningly allude to why the crossword is not a pangram.
He quick brown fox jumps over he lazy dog.
Good one Nestor, thanks B&J. Could Brendan have used them up in today’s Guardian?
@3Muffyword
Must be a bit thick today, subtle allusions went over my head (and meant to comment as gwep).
I missed the nina, and even if I had noticed it I’m sure it would have taken me a long time to realise that Nestor managed to include every letter except a T. That must have taken some doing.
For some reason I was on Nestor’s wavelength today and I completed the puzzle much quicker than plenty of previous Thursday puzzles. However, some of the answers were uncommon words and Nestor’s clear wordplay helped me immensely. Into this category I would put SERFSHIP (serfdom is far more common), ORISSA (my LOI), ISLAMICISE, DESEXING, MUNICIPALISM, DISCIPLINAL and KRAPP.
Is Nestor an ecdysiast? Must be time to get the umbrella out and go for a pint.
paulwaver@7 We had to look up the word – we don’t like to ask how you know it! – but a great comment! Thanks.
Bertandjoyce@8 I am known as a legend in my own teatime.
B&J @8: I can’t speak for paulwaver but I had encountered the word before and think it must have been in a crossword not all that long ago; not sure if it was the Indy or the Grauniad – or it might have been one of the ‘specials’ handed out at a sloggers & betters gathering. For those in the dark about its meaning, click here
Certainly tough: totally defeated me, got only a handful of answers.
But to add to the last few comments, I first came across the word “ecdysiast” in a Robert Heinlein story I read when I was a teenager. That word makes an impression on a teenage boy when he reads it, and it’s stuck with me ever since.
Aquila was the first Indy crossword editor. But a nice twist by Nestor in the Nina against us blogging folks.
Ta b&j and setter this wasn’t easy.
I’m taking a blogging break due to new job oop north. Hope to catch you all soon.