An enjoyable puzzle from Monk today – my thanks to him – even if it was towards the easier end of his spectrum (that’s only my opinion of course!).
At one time Monk always had a theme, Nina or gimmick in his puzzles but I cannot see one today (that’s not to say there isn’t one!). However, he has said recently that he was trying to avoid such complications in order to make his cryptics more accessible so perhaps I haven’t missed anything (I’m sure someone will soon tell me if I have!).
Well, that’s now three days in a row and I’ll be back again tomorrow (three bloggers are on holiday at the same time, it’s a good job they were scheduled for different days!).
Across
7 Containing trouble, Man United ultimately have to make final (4,4)
NAIL DOWN – [ma]N [unite]D (Man United ultimately) around (containing) AIL (trouble) plus OWN (have)
9 Some youngsters left very poor area’s housing (6)
LARVAE – L (left) plus V (very) in an anagram (poor) of AREA
10 Bob needs nourishment on returning, lacking in oxygen (6)
GELDOF – FO[o]D (nourishment … lacking in oxygen) LEG (on) reversed (returning)
11 Pick apart note intercepted by Poles – an irritation (8)
UNSTITCH – UT (note) around (intercepted by) NS (Poles) plus ITCH (an irritation)
12 Teletubby disheartened a Teletubby in error (4)
TYPO – T[eletubb]Y (Teletubby disheartened) PO (a Teletubby)
13 In the sea, one going up front in enormous vessel (10)
BRIGANTINE – IGANT (one going up front in enormous {giant}) in BRINE (the sea)
14 Want healthier, refurbished stadium (5,4,4)
WHITE HART LANE – an anagram (refurbished) of WANT HEALTHIER
17 Start to eat in unusually calm Amish feast (10)
MICHAELMAS – E[at] (start to eat) in an anagram (unusually) of CALM AMISH
20 Nationalists standing by queen in eastern republic (4)
IRAQ – IRA (Nationalists) Q (queen)
22 Army engineers literally relaxed, tending to improve (8)
REMEDIAL – REME (army engineers) LAID back (literally relaxed)
23 One helping to get you on course to reach targets? (6)
CADDIE – cryptic def.
24 Quick snack, second one scoffed by old composer (6)
SARNIE – S (second) plus I (one) in (scoffed by) ARNE (old composer)
25 Sibling about to enter short poem in university (8)
SORBONNE – BRO (sibling) reversed (about) in (to enter) SONNE[t] (short poem)
Down
1 Weak, bitter, loose tea to be included (6)
WATERY – an anagram (loose) of TEA in (to be included) WRY (bitter)
2 Good boy, one carrying unwrapped viola plants (8)
GLADIOLI – G (good) LAD (boy) I (one) around (carrying) [v]IOL[a] (unwrapped viola)
3 Against introducing marvellous talk (6)
CONFAB – CON (against) FAB (marvellous)
4 One’s extremely impressive form dominating performance (5,3)
CLASS ACT – CLASS (form) ACT (performance)
5 Perhaps musician’s heart is taken to some extent (6)
ARTIST – hidden in (to some extent) ‘heART IS Taken’
6 Beginning, note, I missed in maths? (8)
NASCENCE – N (note) A SC[i]ENCE (I missed in maths?)
8 Launch range in these? (8,5)
NAUTICAL MILES – cryptic def.
14 Shred European statute for former home secretary (8)
WHITELAW – WHIT (shred) E (European) LAW (statute)
15 Using which orbital boundaries may be highlighted (8)
EYELINER – cryptic def.
16 Sweet narcotic activity? (4,4)
ACID DROP – def. & cryptic indicator
18 House and home cutting, say, gardener’s work (6)
HOEING – HO (house) plus IN (home) in (cutting) EG (say)
19 Realise dog has entered stable (6)
SECURE – CUR (dog) in (has entered) SEE (realise)
21 Beginning to alter bearing, heading for southern French town (6)
AMIENS – A[lter] (beginning to alter) MIEN (bearing) S[outhern] (heading for southern)
I will agree that it is at the easier end of the Monk spectrum, but the NW corner in particular did take me quite a while and require the use of Tippex in two places!
Thanks to Monk and to our busy blogger too.
A bit of a curate’s egg for me. I didn’t find it at all easy. I don’t think I really got onto Monk’s wavelength.
Thanks Gaufrid et al. There is indeed a pretty all-encompassing Nina!
Hi Monk @3
Well, I’ve looked again, in view of your comment, and still cannot see a Nina, apart from row 7, LCCC – Lancashire County Cricket Club. I’m sure it’s not that so you will have to enlighten us.
The quadrants nw etc are indicated as is appropriate.
Muffy@5 has it … partially 😉
I think the others may be the cardinals appropriately positioned in the two crossing central entries.
Thanks Monk and Gaufrid.
Still can’t see the Nina beyond the quadrants.
This was tough for me with quite a few complex constructions to get through – including UNSTITCH (UT for Doh is new to me), SORBONNE, REMEDIAL, GELDOF and BRIGANTINE.
But fun and rewarding – if only I could spot that elusive Nina.
Thanks Monk and Gaufrid
Enjoyable solve as per normal from this setter which spilled over a couple of days – more from available time than the real difficulty factor.
Finished in the NW corner with GELDOF (which was pretty tricky), WATERY and NAIL DOWN as the last few in.
Just for the record – there is N and S at the ends of the long down clue … and W and E at the ends of the long across clue that finishes the ‘all encompassing nina’ !!! Well done, Monk !!!
Now hopefully Hamish will come back one day and find out !!! 🙂