The puzzle may be found at https://www.theguardian.com/crosswords/cryptic/27396.
Yesterday’s Picaroon was a hard act to follow, but Nutmeg has carved out her own niche – generally a little easier, although I had to keep my wits about me to sort out some well-disguised definitions.
| Across | ||
| 1 | INTO THE BARGAIN | Where habitual drinker goes, suffering a loss, too? (4,3,7) |
| INTO THE BAR [a]GAIN (‘where habitual drinker goes’) minus the A (‘suffering a loss’ – where a ‘loss’ is a GAIN!). | ||
| 8 | VIOLA | Plant that comes with strings attached (5) |
| Double definition. | ||
| 9 | OUTSMART | Better rail transport brought back, impossible earlier (8) |
| A charade of OUT (‘impossible’) plus SMART, a reversal (‘brought back’) of TRAMS (‘rail transport’). | ||
| 11 | RUN INTO | Little piggy sheltering at home with old ram (3,4) |
| A charade of RUNINT, an envelope (‘sheltering’) IN (‘at home’) in RUNT (‘little piggy’, the smallest of a litter); plus O (‘old’). | ||
| 12 | PERUGIA | Soldier in country area, Italian student centre (7) |
| An envelope (‘in’) of GI (‘soldier’) in PERU (‘country’) plus A (‘area’). | ||
| 13 | EXTRA | More cunning Times puzzle ultimately rejected (5) |
| A reversal (‘rejected’) of ART (‘cunning’) plus X (mathematical symbol, ‘times’) plus E (‘puzzlE ultimately’). | ||
| 15 | ROYAL BLUE | Colour of prince’s blood? (5,4) |
| Cryptic definition. | ||
| 17 | RELIEF MAP | Chart for walker‘s aid, mountains and plains primarily added (6,3) |
| A charade of RELIEF (‘aid’) plus (‘added’) M A P (‘Mountains And Plains primarily’). | ||
| 20 | CURIO | Antique from ancient city, one with firm casing (5) |
| An envelope (‘with … casing’) of UR (‘ancient city’) plus I (‘one’) in CO (‘firm’). | ||
| 21 | TEARFUL | Distressed tenor given a wigging (7) |
| A charade of T (‘tenor’) plus EARFUL (‘a wigging’). | ||
| 23 | TALKERS | Thieves pinching 50 speakers (7) |
| An envelope (‘pinching’) of L (Roman numeral, ’50’) in TAKERS (‘thieves’). | ||
| 25 | MARINATE | Steep terrace unoccupied behind mooring area (8) |
| A charade of MARINA (‘mooring area’) plus TE (‘TerracE unoccupied’). | ||
| 26 | ALBUM | Book – almost completely useless … (5) |
| A charade of AL[l] (‘completely’) minus its last letter (‘almost’) plus BUM (‘useless’). | ||
| 27 | STANLEY BALDWIN | … novel by Sitwell and an ex-PM (7,7) |
| No, not Edith, Osbert or Sacherverell, but an anagram (‘novel’) of ‘by Sitwell and an’. The ellipses serve only to provide cover for ‘novel’. | ||
| Down | ||
| 1 | INVERTEBRATE | Spineless type upset by puppy in middle of speech (12) |
| A charade of INVERT (‘upset’) plus EBRATE, an envelope (‘in’) of BRAT (‘puppy’) in EE (‘middle of spEEch’). | ||
| 2 | THORN | Hospital injection needed in wrenched spine (5) |
| An envelope (‘injection needed’) of H (‘hospital’) in TORN (‘wrenched’). | ||
| 3 | TRAIN FARE | Food from buffet car? This won’t normally cover it (5,4) |
| Definition and literal interpretation. | ||
| 4 | ECOTOUR | CO cuts route devised for green excursion (7) |
| An envelope (‘cuts’) of ‘CO’ in ETOUR, an anagram (‘devised’) of ‘route’. | ||
| 5 | AUTOPSY | Engineer, say, up to late examination (7) |
| An anagram (‘engineer’) of ‘say up to’, with a cryptic definition. | ||
| 6 | GAMER | Grouse, perhaps beginning to rant with more spirit (5) |
| A charade of GAME (‘grouse, perhaps’) plus R (‘beginning to Rant’). | ||
| 7 | IRREGULAR | Unofficial Irish king holding a gun up (9) |
| An envelope (‘holding’) of REGULA, a reversal (‘up’ in a down light) of ‘a’ plus LUGER (‘gun’) in IR (‘Irish’) plus R (‘king’). | ||
| 10 | WAREHOUSEMAN | How a username is arranged for storekeeper? (12) |
| An anagram (‘is arranged’) of ‘how a username’. | ||
| 14 | TELL APART | Distinguish between lines embraced by far right group — almost (4,5) |
| An envelope (’embraced by’) of LL (‘lines’) in TEA PART[y] (‘far right group’) minus its final letter (‘almost’). | ||
| 16 | LOCAL CALL | Phone contact habitual drinker often makes? (5,4) |
| Definition and literal interpretation. | ||
| 18 | MALWARE | Macho guards fighting Trojans et al (7) |
| An envelope (‘guards’) of WAR (‘fighting’) in MALE (‘macho’). | ||
| 19 | POTHERB | Fuss over British cook’s seasoning (7) |
| A charade of POTHER (‘fuss’) plus B (‘British’). | ||
| 22 | FEIGN | Counterfeit offering – any odd bits must go (5) |
| Even letters (‘any odd bits must go’) of ‘oFfErInG aNy’. | ||
| 24 | ELBOW | Bowler not right to bend it? (5) |
| An anagram (‘to bend it’) of ‘bowle[r]’ minus the R (‘not right’), with an extended definition; in cricket, for a delivery to be legal, the bowler must release the ball with a straight elbow. I have included ‘it’ in the anagrind to show that the clue may be regarded as a full &lit. | ||
Thanks for blogging, Peter.
Indeed, a gentle enough offering from Nutmeg, but well-constructed and enough to keep this solver on his toes. I learned a new word in POTHER, and thought MALWARE and AUTOPSY were witty clues. There will be those, no doubt, who will complain here that this was ‘too easy’: to them, I would say go and look at some of the comments in the ‘Another year …’ thread at the top of the page. A number of folk have said there that they rarely post on Fifteensquared because they are still learning the dark arts and don’t feel ready yet to contribute; and that they can get disheartened by comments of the ‘too easy’ variety. We can all still remember, I suggest, the feeling we had when we first finished a cryptic unaided. It was probably a puzzle like this one from Nutmeg. Thanks to her for today’s offering.
Can’t say I found this too easy. Very good, certainly. 1 across takes the biscuit – I though it must be ‘down the something’ until I got 1 down. Strangely, POTHERB also occurred in today’s Times – in the one of the Championship Grand Final puzzles, to boot. Not enough to stop me sticking ‘proverb’ in first, mind.
Sheer elegance, 1a a beauty. I suppose it wasnt her toughest as I didnt have to thumb through Chambers or Google but a beauty.Thanks for blog PeterO.
Re POTHERB: In my family potherbs were not seasonings at all, but the typical group of cheap vegetables needed for a casserole: onion, carrot, swede etc – what today is often sold as a stew pack, but in earlier days was “a pennorth of potherbs” which every greengrocer would sell.
Lovely stuff from Nutmeg today. She can certainly give Rufus a run for his money in the crafty definitions stakes.
Thanks Nutmeg and PeterO
This didn’t take long, though I was completely baffled by the parsing of INVERTEBRATE (and, now I’ve seen it, I’m not too ashamed!) Favourites were RUN INTO, MARINATE, STANLEY BALDWIN, and the brilliant ELBOW.
Thanks for the blog, PeterO.
I didn’t find this too easy – but the long ones helped [apart from 1ac, one of the last ones in and, as copmus says, a beauty]. STANLEY BALDWIN was a great spot, too, and I also liked TELL APART. [I’m afraid I didn’t realise how brilliant ELBOW was.]
Many thanks to Nutmeg for another enjoyable puzzle.
I really enjoyed this puzzle, and particularly liked MARINATE. For some reason 17 gave me trouble, just couldn’t think of the RELIEF part despite having all the crossers.
I wanted to somehow squeeze the wonderful Bryn TERFEL into the parsing of TEARFUL. I know he’s not a tenor, but the sound of the word and the operatic connection brought him to mind, and reminded me of the time he stepped last minute into the role of Falstaff at a production I saw. So good. Apologies for the digression.
And, of course, thank you to PeterO and Nutmeg.
Loved your post, Gladys@4, regarding your backstory to 19d POTHERB.
Tough enough for me, and ultimately satisfying and enjoyable. Thank you to Nutmeg and PeterO. Agree with previous posts that 1a is a great clue, the kind that makes me continue to relish this quirky hobby of mine…
Like you, Kathryn’s Dad@1, I read the comments on the New Year blog about those puzzlers who are put off contributing to this site because they feel diminished by posts that say a puzzle is too easy or “write-ins”, when other commentators clearly have not found them so. The more experienced solvers on the site really need to be a bit less self-assured sometimes, in my ‘umble opinion. I Am often put off by those who say they completed the grid in no time flat when it has been a much longer slog for me… (I got it out before my first cup of coffee was cool enough to be drinkable… between St Pancras and Kings Cross … etc…)
Just the right level of difficulty for the time I had available today – half an hour over breakfast. I particularly liked STANLEY BALDWIN and INTO THE BARGAIN.
Thanks to Nutmeg and PeterO. Belated HNY to all.
There’s no such thing as ‘too easy’! Too hard, perhaps. This one seemed just about right with lots of smiles and a very good and lit for ELBOW. Didn’t finish though. Couldn’t get MALWARE as I forgot Trojans could be nasty things on computers. Thanks to Peter O for explaining and to Nutmeg for an entertaining start to the day.
Failed on MARINATE. I guessed the definition was “steep” but was convinced that “area” was responsible for the second A so was looking for “mooring” as -A-I-. Hey ho…
Thanks, Nutmeg and PeterO.
Delightful puzzle – took my mind off a thick head and streaming nose.
Couldn’t parse invertebrate, spent too long thinking about Roman soldiers in Perugia (not in that way!) and being a cricket nut got elbow straight away but didn’t see the anagram!
Thanks ever so to Nutters and PeterO
Thanks Nutmeg and PeterO.
I didn’t know puppy = BRAT as I thought the latter only applied to a child (Chambers says it also applies to a young person.)
I just BIFD STANLEY BALDWIN, as I imagined Edith Sitwell must have written about him… Apparently, Sitwell took the side of the strikers during the general strike that occurred during Baldwin’s time as PM… What a great anagram!
I also particularly liked INTO THE BAR (a)GAIN
Two habitual drinkers, 1a and 16d? Obviously not Dry January in crossword-land.
Crossbar @7, I tried to work in the tenor Robert TEAR into the parsing, but alas that didn’t work either. My compensation was the superb &lit which is ELBOW. Other favourites included MARINATE and AUTOPSY, but puppy = BRAT? Not a synonym that came naturally to me.
Oh and obviously with a moniker like mine I enjoyed RELIEF MAP.
ulaca@2
You have unwittingly spoilt my day.
I haven’t tackled The Times puzzle yet, and I have been trying, successfully so far, to solve all the Championship puzzles without resorting to aids – even though my times do not match the contestants. Now I’m snookered because I’ve been tipped off about one of the answers. For the heinous crime of ‘spoiling’, I hereby sentence you to solving five Boatman puzzles while standing on your head.
Just jesting, of course – I’ll reduce to three on appeal.
New year best wishes to all.
Re: POTHERB. I am with Gladys@4, but there is a lot of this puzzle’s usage about. By coincidence, today’s Times Cryptic has the answer ‘potherb’ defined as something to season with.
Just couldn’t get one across until I managed six down. Very enjoyable…
Trailman @15 – at least yours was a tenor!
Thank to Nutmeg and PeterO (particularly for the parsing of 27a because I missed the anagram completely). Enjoyed this a lot with some clever clues. As others I thought 1a great and also like tell apart, local call and elbow. Struggled yesterday a bit probably by lack of time having been dragged to a rock pantomime. I enjoy the variety of difficulty, but also believe a daily puzzle should at least be solvable in a day.
As always from Nutmeg this was entertaining and full of devious misdirection with a nice variety of devices. Another outing for the ever popular EXTRA. Is a relief map really for walkers?
Thanks to Nutmeg and PeterO
Thank you Nutmeg and PeterO.
I found this puzzle brilliant, especially the clue for ELBOW, after reading the blog, and those for LOCAL CALL and INTO THE BARGAIN were hilarious!
I nearly resisted commenting today but have to say that I agree so much with those who say it was just right, (at least for a mid-week puzzle).
As I’ve said in the past, its good to have a puzzle that can be done without the internet (although I did have to come here for 2 answers)
JIA @9: I’m still chucking at your last sentence – spot on!
I’m happy to see my thoughts already put down in writing (typing) – thanks to all contributors. For what it’s worth my favourite was MARINATE for the misdirection with “steep terrace” and the time I spent looking up the non-existent BASINate. Like others I needed PeterO’s parsing for 1d – thanks for that and the rest of the blog and to Nutmeg for the fun – keep them coming.
Like pex @24, I loved JinA’s pastiche of the sort of comment about speed-solving that is often too annoying to be funny. (muffin @5, fear not: your matter-of-fact comment was not boastful at all!)
Like pex, Eileen @6 and others, I found this puzzle just right and not too easy. I couldn’t ‘cold solve’ many of the clues – as always, I needed crossers to solve most of them, and it was an enjoyable and rewarding experience in every way. The clues were excellent.
I managed to put RANGER MAP in at 17a, thinking RANGE would account for ‘mountains’, but it soon fell foul of my certain answer at 14d TELL APART, and I had to go to the trouble of parsing RELIEF MAP properly. I similarly had problems parsing 1d INVERTEBRATE at first, although the answer was clear.
Thanks to Nutmeg for the entertaining puzzle and to PeterO for the blog (and for parsing 1d).
Nice one from Nutmeg. Not too hard but some nice deceptive definitions. I liked OUTSMART – I was looking for “better” in the sense of “gambler” unti, I twigged.
Re ELBOW, it may interest (or alternatively bore to tears) some to see the precise Law of Cricket:
“21.2 Fair delivery – the arm
For a delivery to be fair in respect of the arm the ball must not be thrown.
A ball is fairly delivered in respect of the arm if, once the bowler’s arm has reached the level of the shoulder in the delivery swing, the elbow joint is not straightened partially or completely from that instant until the ball has left the hand. This definition shall not debar a bowler from flexing or rotating the wrist in the delivery swing.”
So the &lit definition isn’t quite correct, but I suppose it’ll do…..
Thanks Nutmeg and Peter.
Bending the elbow fits in with the mini-theme of drinking! It’s a euphemism used by pint-drinkers.
Thanks both,
Some lovely clues as others have mentioned. Julie@9, is an ‘umble opinion’ related to a gut feeling?
Muffin @28 – if it’s a mini-theme, it’s the mini-est ever, as far as I can see. Just two ‘habitual drinkers’ in the clues – not enough to begin to fill out one of those new drunk-tank thingies that the Gov are thinking about…. 😮
Or have I missed something?
In fact the laws of cricket do not specify a straight elbow for a bowler. What they forbid is any movement of the WRIST during delivery.
Thanks to Nutmeg and PeterO. Enjoyable for me but not easy. I had trouble with all four of the long clues, especially INVERTEBRATE (I would never have spotted puppy = brat without help) and even the very clever INTO THE BARGAIN, and I also did not catch tenor = t for TEARFUL.
Rather agreeable but by no means a walk over- so not too easy as some have implied! I do puzzles for pleasure rather than as some sort of intellectual test and I thought most other solvers did too, but perhaps I’m wrong?
I enjoyed this and because I did, the puzzle served it’s purpose admirably.
Thanks Nutmeg.
Sorry to disagree, Rompiballe, but the laws specifically allow movement of the wrist (it would be difficult to see how it would be possible to bowl, otherwise). See Laccaria’s quotation of the Law in post 27.
Laccaria is quite correct, though – it’s not a bent elbow that’s illegal, it’s straightening it during delivery; this constitutes a “throw”.
If you are not allowed to move the wrist, someone better tell Mason Crane quick before he embarrasses himself in the upcoming Sydney test match.
A lovely puzzle, thanks as always Nutmeg.
And thanks PeterO
Van Winkle @35
Yes, leg-spinners have to rotate the wrist, off-spinners also to some extent. Fast bowlers often cock their wrists, then straighten them in delivery (Brett Lee was the most obvious exponent of this in recent times).
Reading through the clues I thought this was going to be a struggle, until I got to STANLEY BALDWIN and WAREHOUSEMAN – after which things went in reasonably smoothly. Thank goodness for anagrams !
Did slightly better today getting 7 correct including tell apart really quite chuffed.
All spinners have to rotate the wrist. Spin-bowling wouldn’t exist, otherwise, and cricket would be a lot more boring! Muffin @34 – I claim no credit, I merely copied-and-pasted from the Lord’s website.
ACD@32 : I also didn’t pick up the T for “tenor” – another 1st-letter abbreviation I’m not too comfortable with. I was wondering whether it was ‘A’ inserted into a mis-spelling of the celebrated singer Bryn Terfel – but then I thought: surely not! Anyway, he’s a bass-baritone, not a tenor…
But you found it, Laccaria!
T is a common abbreviation for “tenor” in SATB choral settings (soprano, alto, tenor, bass).
@Laccaria
Assuming there’s not two of you, would you be kind enough to explain ‘Girl in London sheds tear, sadly’?
Something must have clicked as I wrote that. Tear -(g) reat, I think? Very good puzzle.
Thanks to Nutmeg and Peter O for an entertaining blog. 2d misdirected me until I solved 8a (before 1 and 11a) and realised that I must be wrong. I couldn’t see where the hospital came in either.
Very enjoyable, thanks to Nutmeg and PeterO.
Like beeryhiker@22 I wonder whether RELIEF MAPS are really for walkers – I would think they are mainly used by geography students. Walkers need contours, certainly, but also things like footpaths, church spires to aim for, etc.
I’m another one for whom TEARFUL prompted thoughts of the great Robert Tear, but the parsing didn’t work.
I like the thought planted by Julie in Australia@9 that distance between stations can be the measure of speed in completion. I can report that this puzzle took me from Petersfield to Vauxhall! (Not boasting, heaven forbid).
Lovely stuff. i’ll cheerfully hold my hand up to being an inexperienced solver who was pretty pleased to get half of these. Thoush I also struggled with RELIEF MAP, put it in as seemed the obvious answer, but I always thoughthey were the 3D plastic efforts you get in school. ELBOW was brilliant.
Late to comment as so often, but I enjoyed this a lot, as well as the many comments above from posters more prompt than I am — I will try to get today’s done today.
This was my favourite kind of puzzle: unpromising from the first cursory glance, then momentum built once I got onto the right wavelength, with quite a few clues that raised an appreciative smile, and much satisfaction as the last couple fell in (INTO THE BARGAIN, leading to GAMER). Lots to enjoy and nothing unfair.
Like others I was detained by POTHERB for longer than I should have been, seeing as it was the second appearance in a matter of hours, and the clue was pretty similar! 1d was clearly INVERTEBRATE, but BRAT/puppy was new to me (though Otis my Cairn Terrier was a brat when he was younger).
ELBOW, AUTOPSY and STANLEY BALDWIN all superb clues. Many thanks to setter and blogger as always.
Thanks muffin@28 for the elbow-nudge! about “bending the elbow” – this being a fairly common expression in Australia!!!
GC @ 2: Mea culpa! What can I say? I will add to my penance by doing the next Rufus as well.