Guardian 27041 – Nutmeg

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A nice surprise to see Nutmeg’s name this morning. A suitable straightforward puzzle for a Monday, though by no means a write-in, and with (as we would expect) some very nice clues. Thanks to Nutmeg.

 
 
 
 
 
 
Across
1. AESOP Allegorist‘s work written after deep reflection (5)
Reverse of SEA + OP
4. ANGRIEST Most resentful, driven to extremes by Anglican priest (8)
Outer letters of ANG[lican p]RIEST
8. INHERITANCE TAX Late cut imposed by government (11,3)
Cryptic definition
10. HOOVERED Cleaned up last of goo that’s hung around (8)
[go]O in HOVERED
11. SECEDE Church of England deacon’s first in diocese to pull out (6)
CD + D[eacon] in SEE
12. LIBERATES Delivers lectures after colleague’s third one (9)
[co]L[league] + I (one) + BERATES
15. ALOOF Needing a place to go, fellow’s withdrawn (5)
A + reverse of LOO (toilet, place to go) + F
17. TRY ON Don to test lines in fashion (3,2)
RY (railway, lines) in TON (fashion) – to try something on is to don it as a test
18. COURTROOM Sue fell over bench here (9)
COURT (to sue) + reverse of MOOR (fell)
19. MOSCOW Source of milk for army medic in capital? (6)
The source of milk is the MO’S COW
21. SEASHELL Hard evidence of life in realms of Neptune and Pluto (8)
SEAS (Neptune’s realm in mythology) + HELL (Pluto’s) – very nice
24. BAYEUX TAPESTRY Sex party: beauty shot making historic record (6,8)
(SEX PARTY BEAUTY)* – the pictorial record of the Norman conquest in 1066, which is really an embroidery, not a tapestry, and was probably made in England, though it’s now exhibited in Bayeux (I saw it there – eek! – nearly 50 years ago)
25. KINDNESS Transport back in family’s favour (8)
Reverse of SEND (to transport) in KIN’S
26. FADED Vogue journalist didn’t last (5)
FAD (vogue) + ED
Down
1. A HIGH OLD TIME Great enjoyment from a superior type of dancing (1,4,3,4)
A + HIGH (superior) + OLD-TIME (dance)
2. SCHOOLBOY Youngster departs leaving trunk beside train (9)
SCHOOL (to train) + BODY (trunk) less D
3. PURGE Remove press, under pressure (5)
P + URGE
4. AUTHENTIC Genuine article received by BBC missing last chapter (9)
THE in AUNTI[e] (BBC nickname) + C
5. GONG On the way, I abandoned honour (4)
GOING less I
6. INELEGANT Awkward adjustment to get in lane (9)
(GET IN LANE)*
7. SKATE Fish glide on the surface (5)
Double definition
9. SELF-EMPLOYED Minding your own business? (4-8)
Cryptic definition
13. RUN TO SEED Deteriorate, as hungry hens might? (3,2,4)
Double definition
14. SAUCEPANS Vessels crack up below neck (9)
SAUCE (insolence, neck) + reverse of SNAP
16. ON ONE’S TOD With nobody coming in, Cook stood alone (2,4,3)
NONE in STOOD* – this expression is rhyming slang, from Tod Sloan
20. SWAZI Language most extreme characters used in Westminster? (5)
AZ in SW1 (Westminster postcode area)
22. SHELF Individual without husband on this? (5)
H in SELF, &lit
23. AXLE Shaft cut, keeping close to well (4)
[wel]L in AXE

25 comments on “Guardian 27041 – Nutmeg”

  1. Thanks Nutmeg and Andrew

    I had an odd experience with this one. For a long time I was staring at a grid only about a third full; I then got 1d, and the rest suddenly became write-ins (I already had my only unparsed one, ON ONES TOD).

    SHELF was brilliant!

  2. Like muffin@1, it took me a while to get going on this one and so I thought I had started to lose it (it’s a Monday after all!), but gradually it yielded.

    I enjoyed 24a BAYEUX TAPESTRY though the spelling looked wrong, and “on the SHELF” 22d (agree with muffin with the latter – great clue!). The Anglican priest at 4a being “ANGRIEST” also appealed.

    I stuffed up 1d, thinking it was “A FINE OLD TIME” but when I could make no sense of 10a, my LOI, I had a rethink. Then I got HIGH (no drugs involved), and HOOVERED slotted in, to my satisfaction.

    Thanks to Nutmeg for some fun and Andrew for the blog.

    Nothing to do with crosswords, but mourning Leonard Cohen and Leon Russell here in Australia. All the good ones are going. Gloom descends, but enjoying reprising their respective musical legacies.

  4. Thanks to Nutmeg and Andrew, whose explanations I need for the parsing of schoolboy and, I’m embarrassed to confess, courtroom.

    I think there maybe a wee typo in 15A as ‘Loo’ isn’t reversed.

    A fun puzzle and a pleasant surprise to see a different setter on a Monday – no crticism intended towards Rufus, but it’s good to have a change

  5. What a splendid puzzle – many thanks, Nutmeg and Andrew. SEASHELL was the kind of lateral thinking that’s good for showing those who can’t see the fun in crosswords the error of their ways.

  6. Thank you, Andrew, super puzzle to start the week.

    Held up for ages through entering FINE OLD TIME as did Julie in Oz but finally saw HOOVERED and the rest clicked into place. (I thought HOOVERED the least admirable of a fine set of clues – a little clunky compared with the others).

    Particularly admired SEASHELL, AESOP, ON ONES TOD, & SHELF.

    Invariably nicely constructed clueing from this fine setter, many thanks.

    Nice week all.

  7. It’s always a pleasure to see Nutmeg, but doubly so on a Monday morning. Too many good ones to list individually.

    Thank you Nutmeg & Andrew.

  8. I heartily endorse the positive comments about Nutmeg’s puzzles. They are very elegant and appear to be quite simple, but are often harder than they look. It took me some time before I got into this. Favourites were the brilliant BAYEUX TAPESTRY, SEASHELL and AUTHENTIC. Many thanks to N and A.

  9. Thank you Nutmeg and Andrew.

    A most enjoyable crossword for Monday morning. First in was AESOP but then, like some others, I entered the wrong answer at 1d, GOOD instead of HIGH, however it had to be HOOVERED at 10a, so that set things right.
    ,
    ANGRIEST puzzled me for a while, I don’t remember a clue using this device in this way before.

    The clues for AESOP, AUTHENTIC, SHELF, SEASHELL and SWAZI, among many others, were great.

    typo, 11a, CE not CD.

  10. Sobering to be beaten on a Monday. Once I discovered FINE was wrong (evidently not alone here) I cleaned up.
    Well woven, Nutmeg, especially 21 and 24.
    Thanks also to Andrew.

  11. Like others we took a while to get going. Our normal strategy of doing the edge ones first drew blanks. Then we got “going” giving us “gong” and the rest came steadily. Loads of smiles here. Thanks for the parsing of schoolboy. Thanks Andrew and Nutmeg

  12. As others have said, this was an enjoyable surprise today. I liked the same as most others have mentioned. Last and least favourite was HOOVERED because I was another opting for A FINE etc. and I don’t consider it a real word. Rhyming slang was very common where and when I grew up in Australia (I don’t know if it still is) so I had no trouble with ON ONE’S TOD. But I was convinced it was after Tod Malone. Seems I have mixed up Tod Sloan with Pat Malone. I do recall hearing “on my Pat” as well.

    Thanks Andrew and Nutmeg.

  13. Thanks Andrew and Nutmeg.

    Another FINE old timer here and the HIGH too ages to see. TON=fashion new to me. Liked SEASHELL, SHELF and ON ONES TOD.

  14. Thanks to Nutmeg and Andrew. Very enjoyable. ON ONE’S TOD was new to me (I wanted to slot in “own” not “tod” but that choice clearly was wrong) and I took a while before seeing BAYEUX TAPESTRY (I needed all the crossers). Last in were AXLE and SWAZI (though as a once-a-year visitor to London from the US I did spot the postal code).

  15. More difficult than usual for a Monday-although we’ve got the decorators
    in and I’m a tad distracted! Anyway, nice puzzle. I particularly liked SEASHELL
    I did have to come here for the parsing of KINDNESS annoyingly enough.
    Thanks Nutmeg.

  16. Thanks again to Nutmeg and Andrew.

    Whew! Lovely workout for a Monday – took much longer than the time I had available so will be behind myself for the rest of the day. Furrowed brow at SHELF until I saw the parsing here – should have known better. As to ON ONE’S TOD I would have expected TODD since I have often heard “on my Sweeney” – these rhyming slangy thingies seem to morph at will. Had a little frown at TON=Fashion but apart from that many favourites including SAUCEPANS (LOI).

  17. Nutmeg always makes you think, and they always seem more straightforward in retrospect, which to me is a mark of a fine setter.

    Thanks to Nutmeg and Andrew

  18. Another FINE, and therefore failed at 10a. Don’t mind being beaten, though Monday is generally not the day for it!
    Was the whole grid built around the wonderful anagram at 24a I wonder. A beauty!

  19. I’m another who enjoyed the anagram at 24a (BAYEUX TAPESTRY), and it took me a while (too long) to get it. I also enjoyed 1a AESOP, 18a COURTROOM, 21a SEASHELL and 22d SHELF.
    I left 1d blank until I got the ‘I’ from INHERITANCE TAX and only then saw it must be A HIGH OLD TIME.

    This puzzle was good fun, and I agree with beery hiker’s comment @17 about the mark of a fine setter (clues that make you think and seem straightforward afterwards).

    Thanks to Nutmeg and Andrew.

  20. Thanks to Nutmeg for a fine puzzle and to Andrew for the blog. One thing narked me slightly: I’m not happy with fell and moor as synonyms. A mere quibble!

  23. Thanks Andrew and Nutmeg.

    Another fine mess here. Couldn’t decode between TOD and OWN for a long time, and with Alan B @19 on BAYEUX TAPESTRY, too – took ages to find. (Didn’t help I spelled it BAYEAU, either)

    Very enjoyable Xword otherwise.

  25. Thanks to Nutmeg and Andrew. As I didn’t start until an hour or so ago this is probably far too late. I too had FINE at 1d and never did get HOOVERED as a result.
    I looked at the comments before Andrew’s blog and couldn’t see why Muffin thought SHELF was a great clue as I had parsed it as a rather indifferent not very cryptic definition – a shelf being where you find an individual without a husband. Now I know better.

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