The mid-solving-period was a slog for me, as is always the case with Boatman’s puzzles and I. Somehow I can’t get on to his wavelength. All the same, I finished it eventually, and all the same, thanks to Boatman. Definitions are underlined in the clues.
The theme is a nonsense verse from Lewis Carroll, reproduced below to help you find the links between the poem and answers and clues.
Across
9 It’s found on board galley: the last two across the sea to France (5)
EMERY : The last 2 letters of(…: the last two) “galley” containing(across) MER(“sea” to those in France).
Defn: The granular mineral substance on a board, used in manicuring.
10 Hence cooking us a Thai curry found there (5,4)
SOUTH ASIA : SO(hence;thus) + anagram of(cooking) US A THAI.
Defn: Region including India, home of the curry.
11 One covers nonsense creature’s return (9)
LAMINATOR : Reversal of(…’s return) [ ROT(nonsense, as in “don’t talk rot”) + ANIMAL(a creature) ].
Defn: One who covers the surfaces, say, of documets, with a plastic film.
12 Gimble freely, no head for mimsy nonsense (5)
BILGE : Anagram of(… freely) [ “Gimble” minus the 1st letter of(no head for) “mimsy” ].
13 One point after another, leading, relentless (3-4)
NON-STOP : [ N(abbrev. for “north”) ON S(abbrev. for “south”) ](one compass point after another) + TOP(leading;number one).
15 Laugh madly about, say, Boris Johnson’s capacity to caper clumsily (7)
GALUMPH : Anagram of(… madly) LAUGH containing(about) MP(abbrev. for “Member of Parliament”, the capacity;the office of someone like;say, Boris Johnson).
17 Nonsense creature’s paunch on the table (5)
TRIPE : Cryptic defn: Reference to part of the stomach;paunch of a ruminant such as a cow, cooked and served on the table.
18 Boatman’s people, say, could be grand (3)
CRU : Homophone of(…, say) “crew”(of boatmen;boatman’s people, cryptically).
Defn: A vineyard producing superior wine, the latter sometimes classified by the government as;could be Grand Cru (a Great Growth), or Premier Cru(a First Growth).
20 Origin of teriyaki: Jabberwock’s head with a Chinese way to cook its rump, say? (5)
JAPAN : The 1st letter of(…’s head) “Jabberwock” plus(with) PAN(to pan-fry;to cook in a frying pan, say, a piece of meat, say, Jabberwock’s rump, as done, say, by the Chinese).
22 Nonsense creature was hunted at first (7)
HOGWASH : HOG(a creature, ranging from a greedy person to a wild pig to a domesticated castrated male pig) + WAS + the 1st letter of(… at first) “hunted“.
25 Gyre madly about island country (7)
GERMANY : Anagram of(… madly) GYRE containing(about) MAN(Isle of, the island in the Irish Sea).
26 Nonsense creature‘s rank order (5)
SNARK : Anagram of(… order) ‘S RANK. The apostrophe used as a separator between the anagram fodder and the definition?
Defn: …, coined by Lewis Carroll in The Hunting Of The Snark.
27 At sea, couple with rum to drink, when spliced (9)
MAINBRACE : MAIN(the seas, poetically) plus(At …) BRACE(a couple;a pair of something, typically birds or mammals killed in hunting).
Cryptic defn: Reference to the naval order “Splice the mainbrace” ie. to issue the crew with an alcoholic drink, most likely, rum.
30 About a nurse, overcome by real stress showing (9)
ACCENTUAL : [ C(abbrev. for “circa”;about, when refering to particular time periods) + EN(abbrev. for “enrolled nurse” in the UK) ] contained in(overcome by) ACTUAL(real).
Defn: Descriptive of poetry based on the number of stresses in a line rather than on the number of syllables.
31 Society licenses odd doings, generating eyewash of the first order (5)
LODGE : The 1st letters, respectively, of(… of the first order) “licenses odd doings, generating eyewash“.
Defn: The local branch or chapter of certain societies, eg. the Freemasons.
Down
1 Fillet of borogove (a lot of meat) (4)
VEAL : Hidden in(Fillet of) “borogove (a lot“.
2 Bernini forced to accept 1,000 people’s money (8)
RENMINBI : Anagram of(… forced) BERNINI containing(to accept) M(Roman numeral for 1000).
Defn: The currency of the People’s Republic of China: “people’s currency” when translated from Mandarin.
3 Putting up an objection about colour (4)
CYAN : Reversal of(Putting up, in a down clue) [ NAY(an expression of objection) + C(abbrev. for “circa”;about, when referring to particular time periods).
4 All forms of uranium are equals, no question (8)
ISOTOPIC : IS(equals, as in “100% of nothing is nothing”) + [ O(signifying 0;nothing;none of) TOPIC](an issue;a question that is under discussion).
Defn: Chemically, descriptive of the various forms of an element, having the same number of protons, but different numbers of neutrons. Uranium is singled out as it has many isotopes and all are radioactive.
5 Migrants are found in boat (6)
TUAREG : ARE contained in(found in) TUG(a boat that, well, tugs;pulls or pushes a bigger vessel).
Defn: Members of a Berber people of western and central Sahara some whom are nomadic cattle breeders, and some settled agriculturalists.
6 Juliet, in her ballet-dancing novel (3,4,3)
THE BELL JAR : Anagram of(…-dancing) [J(represented by “Juliet” in the phonetic alphabet) + IN HER BALLET].
Defn: … by Sylvia Plath.
7 It’s sought by one, only ending in ghetto (6)
ASYLUM : A(grammatical article for “one” of something) + [ the last letter of(… ending) “only” contained in(in) SLUM(a ghetto) ].
8 Boatman in the Guardian, home of slithy toves (4)
WABE : AB(abbrev. for “able-bodies seaman”;a boatman cryptically) contained in(in) WE(self-referential pronoun for the Guardian, by whom this puzzle is presented).
Defn: .., in the nonsense verse, Jabberwocky by Lewis Carroll.
13 Nonsense creature’s tail is, of course, short (5)
NATCH : The last 5 letters of(…’s tail) “Bandersnatch”(a creature in Jabberwocky).
Defn: Short for “naturally”;of course!
14 With thanks, able to be part of Europe (3,7)
THE BALKANS : Anagram of(With … to be) THANKS, ABLE.
16 Callooh! Callay! Both at last within reach (5)
HANDY : The last letter of(… at last) “Callooh” + AND (both) the last letter of “Callay“.
19 Clumsy creature raised largely without master (8)
UNGAINLY : Reversal of(… raised, in a down clue) GNU(a ruminant from Africa) + “mainly”(largely;mostly) minus(without) “m”(abbrev. for “master”).
21 Notices unfinished programme on comics (8)
PLACARDS : “plan”(a programme;a set of related measures and activities, as in “a relief programme”) minus its last letter(unfinished …) plus(on, in a down clue) CARDS(persons regarded as amusing;comics).
23 Force weapon to turn aside (6)
GLANCE : G(symbol for the force of gravity in physics) + LANCE(a spear-like weapon used by cavalrymen).
Defn: …, as when, say, a batsman hits the ball with a glancing blow.
24 Nonsense creature’s behind rank odour (6)
HUMBUG : BUG(a six-legged creature) placed after(…’s behind, in a down clue) HUM(a rank odour;a rotten stink).
26 Trauma at the heart of Jabberwock’s creator (4)
SCAR : The 4 central letters of(at the heart of) “Lewis Carroll”(creator of the Jabberwock).
28 Nonsense creature (4)
BULL : Double defn.
29 It’s always found in nonsense verse (4)
EVER : Hidden in(found in) “nonsense verse“.
Jabberwocky
‘Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
Did gyre and gimble in the wabe;
All mimsy were the borogoves,
And the mome raths outgrabe.
“Beware the Jabberwock, my son!
The jaws that bite, the claws that catch!
Beware the Jubjub bird, and shun
The frumious Bandersnatch!”
He took his vorpal sword in hand:
Long time the manxome foe he sought—
So rested he by the Tumtum tree,
And stood awhile in thought.
And as in uffish thought he stood,
The Jabberwock, with eyes of flame,
Came whiffling through the tulgey wood,
And burbled as it came!
One, two! One, two! and through and through
The vorpal blade went snicker-snack!
He left it dead, and with its head
He went galumphing back.
“And hast thou slain the Jabberwock?
Come to my arms, my beamish boy!
O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!”
He chortled in his joy.
‘Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
Did gyre and gimble in the wabe;
All mimsy were the borogoves,
And the mome raths outgrabe.
from Through the Looking-Glass, and What Alice Found There (1871)
I spotted the theme. I may have to cede my claim as the world champion of missing the theme.
I failed, however, in translating from the Mandarin. RENMINBI is rather obscure.
And I needed your help in parsing TRIPE. My Scots ancestors are shaking their heads.
Thanks Boatman and scchua.
Thanks Boatman and scchua.
Not too hard for a Boatman. Needed you to parse ISOTOPIC
RENMINBI does seem a word for Azed, where you expect to keep needing the dictionary, rather than for the Guardian, where normally you don’t. Otherwise no complaints: loved the variations on ‘Nonsense creature’.
I needed help with the parsing of “isotopic” too; “renminbi” also took a fair bit of time to find. Other than that I enjoyed this, especially as “Jabberwocky” was one of my favourite poems in my youth. The theme jumped out at me immediately for a change!
Thank you, Boatman & scchua. [I’d forgotten the middle bit of the poem, so really appreciated your printing it out, scchua – you saved me a lot of hunting.]
Where’s the anagram indicator in 14D? I thought it was a bit weak.
Thanks Boatman and scchua. At 11a: no doubt there are lucky laminating people, but it’s more commonly a machine.
Stared at it for a while without anything occurring but then it all began to fall into place with gathering pace. I enjoyed this a lot. Thanks Boatman. 15ac made my day. Not sure about 20ac. Seems a bit contrived. Another good one after yesterday’s. Thanks sschua.
Jason @5 – In 14 down there isn’t really an anagram indicator, is there? Re 6 down: the alphabet in which ‘Juliet’ stands for the letter ‘J’ is variously known as the International Call Sign Alphabet, the NATO Alphabet, etc, and has nothing whatsoever to do with phonetics.
can “to be” be the anagrind in 14D (or not to be)?
I found this mostly on my wavelength but did anyone else think 5d was off? The Tuareg are pastoral nomads, not migrants. The two are entirely different.
In 20a isn’t the reference to “Jabberwocky’s rump say” more to do with “wok”?
“Origin of teriyaki: Jabberwock’s head with a Chinese way to cook its rump, say?”
I think this might be J (Jabberwock’s head) + A + PAN (way to cook it’s rump, wock, say?)
apologies challers @11, we crossed.
Thanks to Boatman for a clever puzzle and to scchua for some much needed parsimgs and explanations.
I liked the theme of nonsense creatures, including the fact that some clues were just about nonsense and some mainly or in part referring to creatures.
But I had to guess the anagram at 2d RENMINBI and check it on google, as I also did to test the “tug” and “are” mix for 4d TUAREG. Both a bit too obscure for me.
17a TRIPE was my favourite as I thought it was very amusing.
I tend to agree with ilan caron@9 that “to be” could be the anagram indicator in 14d.
Has there ever been a Boatman puzzle without a nautical or maritime reference? Here we had “mer” for sea in 9a, “BILGE” for 12a, a pun on “crew” in 18a, “Wash” as part of 22a, a fun reference to sailors’ euphemisms in “splicing the MAINBRACE” at 27a (and of course “rum” here as the preferred sailors’ tipple), “tug” in 5d and the pun on “wave” in 8d WABE. These to me formed a mini-theme in this particular puzzle that I also enjoyed.
Indeed, Challers & Cookie. Once I’d seen the possible collision between Japanese and Chinese cuisine, I could hardly ignore it … Mrs Boatman is also very fond of cooking with a wok, though it wouldn’t have helped you if I’d said so. I was wondering whether anyone would be distracted for a while by trying to use “to cook” as an anagram indicator, but you’re too wily for that.
Didn’t have a problem with 2d. Went to China in 2008 so was familiar with RMBs.
Thanks for the parsing of 13d. I hadn’t heard of the creature.
1 dn(VEAL) is cleverer than it looks because a borogove was (or so it was believed): “an extinct kind of Parrot. They had no wings, beaks turned up, made their nests under sun-dials and lived on veal.”
Well – we’ve had a superfluity of themes this week. This was pretty good but, I suppose, quite easy for those of us who like the works of Lewis Carroll.
(I’m still looking for Dorrit.)
Thanks scchua and Boatman.
My parsing of 17 was T being the middle(paunch) of creaTures and RIPE=ready to eat=on the table.Maybe a bridge too far.
Loved it.Wish i could be there tonight,
Thanks all
Thanks Boatman and scchua.
I started quickly but then ground to a halt over the last quarter or so, even though I spotted the theme.
I think Challers @11 has nailed the wok/PAN. Enjoyable solve with some fine clues.
I liked Juliet’s ballet and LAMINATOR.
Thanks for the confirmation Boatman. Great puzzle.
poc @10, think of birds that migrate from Europe to Africa for the winter, and from Africa to Europe for the summer, they are migrants, as are wild animals in East Africa the migrate from one nature reserve to another according to the season.
I was fine with RENMINBI but I had trouble fully parsing 13d, 13a, 4d, 27a.
I thought 20a was a bit of a stretch – I would never say that I pan something to cook it, but I do pan-fry or stir-fry sometimes 🙂
I found this puzzle quite challenging and I was glad that I could finish it.
Thanks Boatman and scchua
Thank you Boatman and scchua, lovely nonsense, lots of chortles, explained by Humpty Dumpty.
I had to check REMNIMBI by googling and Sylvia Plath’s novel was new to me.
A wonderful puzzle. I’m full of admiration for the setters of Guardian cryptics, and particularly when they set ones like this, with a theme cleverly handled. Favourites were LAMINATOR (almost LOI), ISOTOPIC, HANDY, EMERY and UNGAINLY. Many thanks to Boatman and scchua.
(The theme was impossible to miss today, otherwise I would have.)
Not too tricky, certainly in relation to yesterday, though I biffed in a good few without fully parsing why they worked. Thanks scchua for sorting things out for me. But if “with … to be” is an anagram indicator, so is my grandma.
RENMINBI isn’t all that obscure: it’s the world’s fifth-most traded currency, and crops up now and then in international news reports on the state of the Chinese economy. The problem may be that it is better known as the yuan.
Entertaining but pretty tricky – RENMINBI was new to me, and I missed the parsing of NATCH, which was last in. Apart from that, all of the nonsense was familiar.
Thanks to Boatman and scchua
Mr apple granny ,once the theme hit us with our first clue 1d, recited Jabberwocky from memory and this helped a lot. Not all so easy but great fun. Nice and topical today with Boris. Thanks Boatman and Sschua. 32
Trail – Yes, that’s what I thought. I did consider ending the clue with “… ¥1,000” which would have been clearer in one way but sneakier in another. I know that the Guardian’s system doesn’t like symbols, though, so that decided it. Even if you couldn’t have named the Chinese currency, I like to think that the clue could be solved by a combination of wordplay and half memories of having seen the solution without knowing what it was – and, for those who googled the result, the satisfaction of learning its meaning in translation. Anyone who felt that this was too obscure should be grateful that I didn’t use my first idea, which was built on an anagram suggesting the swirling waters of the Kwai, that being not only a river but also one way of writing the Chinese familiar name for the Renminbi, a bit like “bucks” in relation to the Dollar, I assume.
Thanks to Boatman and scchua. I had my usual problems with this setter but did fight my way through to the finish. I was waiting for RENMINBI to turn up in a puzzle (so had no difficulty there) but EN for enrolled nurse was new to me in ACCENTUAL and UNGAINLY and WABE were my last ones in.
Quite brilliant! The third theme this week and by far the most entertaining. NATCH was LOI and I parsed it as = of course. I never thought of the end of BandersNATCH. Best of the week for me.
Thanks Boatman.
Nicely put together and a pleasure to solve over lunch. Not as difficult as yesterday’s but a challenge nonetheless. Lodge was nicely surfaced in keeping with the theme and no, we’d never heard of renminbi. Neither has auto-correct! Thanks to everyone.
Thanks all, and especially to Peter and Tenerife for your warm thoughts to finish off the day for me. I’m off to Brighton now, and looking forward to seeing a few of you at Waterstones.
RENMINBI is one most people will not be able to solve as it is an anagram of an unknown word. Even with crossers. YUAN we’d stand more of a chance with.
Maybe a little clunky here and there, nice to be reminded of a wonderful piece.
Thanks Boatman and PeterO
Unlike most, I found this very difficult (I eventually had to reveal ACCENTUAL), and not all that enjoyable. Favourite was THE BELL JAR.
What would be wrong in using the more accurate “Nomads” rather than “migrants” in 5d?
Many thanks to Boatman and scchua. I much enjoyed this ingenious puzzle, but created problems for myself in the SW corner because I was convinced 14d was THE VATICAN …
I do agree with poc@10 about the Tuareg being nomads, not migrants.
I had great fun solving this in a park cafe today (not on a park bench – it was too cold). It was a most entertaining puzzle, and I loved discovering the different ways in which the phrase ‘nonsense creature’ was exploited in the wordplay. I forgot to solve 28d BULL, but I realised all along it must be a double definition.
I had no trouble with RENMINBI, having seen it many times.
There was a lot of clever clueing to appreciate. Like other commenters, I wondered at first about the anagram indicator in 14d THE BALKANS, but I assumed that the sequence ‘with’ followed by the anagram fodder followed by ‘to be’ was intended to indicate a re-arrangement.
Many thanks to Boatman and scchua.
Sorry scchua – thanks to you (din’t scroll up far enough!)
Not as enjoyable as other puzzles this week – a bit too convoluted in parts for my liking. I’m another who can’t see an anagram indicator in 14d but I did think the hidden SCAR was brilliant and I had no problem with RENMINBI.
I have a question about HANDY. To me the clue doesn’t quite work as ‘both’ comes before ‘at last’. How do we know that it’s only the first two words from which we are to take the last letters, and, having done so, how do we know that AND(both) is to be inserted between H and Y? I feel I must be missing something obvious!
matrixmania @38
I too was puzzled by 16d HANDY but forgot to mention it when commenting earlier. I got only as far as you did and can’t answer your question. ‘Both’ must mean ‘and’, but it seems out of place. And is ‘within’ doing double duty?
matrixmania @38 – look again at the last line of your post. You will see why there is no need for a cryptic insertion for the solution to be HANDY.
I think matrix mania @38 has answered his own objection: the last letters of the two words are “H and Y”. Identifying ‘both’ with AND is surely spurious – different meanings, different parts of speech, and leading to the problem of the envelope indicator (apart from that…).
Thanks for that, PeterO. I see what you mean. I misread scchua’s post which seemed (to me) to suggest both=and. I was going to raise an objection to this being a poor synonym but I was getting myself hopelessly tangled as it was!
I’m three weeks behind with my crosswords, so no one’s going to see this. The crosswording world is a funny old place. Flower=river, fine. Butter=goat, fine. Migrants for a nomadic people brings out all the pendants.
Thanks Boatman and Scchua