A not so spicy Nutmeg offering today.
One of Nutmeg’s more benign puzzles this morning, but as I woke up with sinusitis this morning, I was glad not to have to think too hard.
Some excellent clues, although I’m not sure I have parsed 8ac properly.
Thanks, Nutmeg
| Across | ||
| 1 | PITCH | Level playing field (5) |
| Double definition | ||
| 4 | DERISIVE | Scornful father recoils, breaking joint (8) |
| <=SIRE (“father” recolis) breaking DIVE (“joint”) | ||
| 8 | STICK AT NOTHING | Have no scruples, but never rise (5,2,7) |
| Chambers gives the definition, although it is not a phrase I know. For the wordplay, I assume that on a rising scale, if you STICK AT NOTHING, you would “never rise”. | ||
| 10 | ARGUMENT | Gunners knocked over Nutmeg’s battered case (8) |
| <=R.A. (“Gunners” knocked over) + *(nutmeg) | ||
| 11 | FRISKY | Sportive fellow, hairy (6) |
| F (fellow) + RISKY (“hairy”) | ||
| 12 | ELONGATED | Delighted about content of songs being extended (9) |
| ELATED (“delighted”) about [content of] (s)ONG(s) | ||
| 15 | CLEAR | Apparent end of iconic king on stage (5) |
| [end of] (iconi)C + LEAR (“king on stage”) | ||
| 17 | TANKS | Where to put fuel for military vehicles (5) |
| Double definition | ||
| 18 | RECOLLECT | Summon up prayer on religious subject (9) |
| COLLECT (“prayer”) on R.E. (religious education, so “religious subject” at school) | ||
| 19 | MEAGRE | Insubstantial lake with silver lining (6) |
| MERE (“lake”) with Ag (“silver”) filling | ||
| 21 | DIVORCEE | Wife no longer covered bust, I admitted (8) |
| *(covered) with I admitted | ||
| 24 | BOTTOM OF THE SEA | Main base (6,2,3,3) |
| Cryptic definition | ||
| 25 | PERSONAL | Particular contingent of troopers on alert (8) |
| Hidden in [contingent of] “trooPERS ON ALert” | ||
| 26 | RUSTY | Cantankerous head dismissed, not employed for some time (5) |
| (c)RUSTY (“cantankerous” head dismissed) | ||
| Down | ||
| 1 | POSTAGE STAMP | Put one’s foot down after Gestapo trashed collector’s item (7,5) |
| STAMP (“put one’s foot down”) after *(gestapo) | ||
| 2 | TYING DOWN | Setting limits on Spooner’s borough that’s failing? (5,4) |
| The famous Rev Spooner in trying to say DYING TOWN (“borough that’s failing”) may have uttered TYING DOWN instead. | ||
| 3 | HOKUM | No problem with pong surrounding rubbish (5) |
| OK (“no problem”) with HUM (“pong”) surrounding | ||
| 4 | DETONATOR | Upcoming duty list observed, one sets off (9) |
| <= ROTA NOTED (upcoming “duty list observed”) | ||
| 5 | ROOK | Castle where felon’s beheaded (4) |
| (c)ROOK (“felon” beheaded) | ||
| 6 | SPHERICAL | Organisation of parish clerks, last three dropping round (9) |
| *(parish cle) where CLE is CLE(rks) [last three (letters) dropped] | ||
| 7 | VENUS | Archdeacon attending American Beauty (5) |
| VEN. (venerable, epithet given to an “archdeacon” in the Anglican Church) + U.S. (“American”) | ||
| 9 | HYDROTHERAPY | New trophy ready, supporting hospital’s remedial treatment (12) |
| *(trophy ready), supporting H (hospital) | ||
| 13 | GASTRITIS | Talk, endlessly cliched, is a source of irritation (9) |
| GAS (“talk”) + TRIT(e) (endlessly “cliched”) + IS | ||
| 14 | DECEITFUL | Fraudulent cutie fled in disarray (9) |
| *(cutie fled) | ||
| 16 | EXERCISES | Cutting of taxes by queen works out (9) |
| EXCISES (“taxed”) cut by E.R. (“queen”) | ||
| 20 | AROSE | In rebellious age, sailor came to prominence (5) |
| O.S. (ordinary seaman, so “sailor”) in <=ERA (rebellious “age”)
Although it is generally accepted in Crosswordland, I don’t like “rebellious” as a reversal indicator, as it requires an extra step (the solver has to think “rebellious means up, so you have to reverse the letters”, which, to my mind, is just as unfair as an indirect anagram) |
||
| 22 | OTHER | Additional gold-coated article (5) |
| OR (“gold”) coated THE (“article”) | ||
| 23 | AMEN | Males below average to begin with? So be it (4) |
| MEN (“males”) below A(verage) [to begin with] | ||
*anagram
Thanks Nutmeg and loonapick
Yes, very quick – handy, as I’m just going out to golf. I don’t see “level” as a definition for PITCH, and I wasn’t impressed by “but never rise” for STICK AT NOTHING. The rest was pleasant as usual. Favourite was LOI FRISKY.
Surprisingly straightforward for Nutmeg. Off to a flyer with 1d and ac pretty obvious. Pitch as in musical level.
Muffin – 1a I think level means pitch as in the level of someone’s voice.
Thanks Loonapick – hope you feel better soon
My FOI was ‘filed’ for 1A – which I still think is the better answer!
I took ‘rebellious’ for an anagram; does reversal have precedence over anagram if the one turns out to be the other?
Fairly straightforward, but enjoyable nevertheless.
I hadn’t heard “STICK AT NOTHING” (8ac) – though I suppose it would mean the same as the more familiar (to me) “STOP AT NOTHING”.
Like RogerGS @4 I took “rebellious” to signify an anagram – and a reversal is, after all, a rather simple anagram.
Thanks Nutmeg and Loonapick – as a fellow sufferer, I understand how sinusitis can affect the thinking process, wishing you a speedy recovery.
Yep rattled in pretty quick, though couldn’t see the ‘stuck on nought’ sense of 8a, so a touch of deviousness if not spice. A lot of my minuscule RE is cruciverbal, plus a bit of Austen and Trollope, so always slow to remember church terms like collect and ven. Momentarily raised an eyebrow at ‘rebellious’ (uppity?) as reversal cue, as did Loonapick.
Nutmeg’s surfaces are always smooth and enjoyable. Liked divorcee and gastritis. Thanks N & L.
Hmm, good point Roger and Tris, but I think the point about indirectness stands: substitute era for age, add OS, then mix. Not hard, but….
Can’t see the apparent problem with 20d. ‘In’ signifies inclusion; ‘rebellious’ = uprising; age = era; ‘os’ = sailor. Seems straightforward to me.
Thanks to Nutmeg and loonapick.
Good fun, if pretty easy. Slowed down at the NE corner. Favourites were DIVORCEE, FRISKY and HOKUM. Many thanks to N & i.
@RogerGS and Trismegistus – in the context of this clue, “rebellious” CANNOT be an anagram, as it would have to indicate an anagram of “age” and not of “era”.
Stick at nothing refers to the use of stick in a card game: I think it is in pontoon, where you can twist (take a card), or stick with your hand as dealt. Thanks to Nutmeg and Loonapick
Soz should have added stick as opposed to raise at a game of poker. Having an old man moment!
RogerGS @4: Me too re FILED. And I still think it makes a great clue.
Couldn’t (and still don’t, really) make any sense of STICK AT NOTHING so bifed in SHIRK AT NOTHING which is no better.
The pitch/level I assumed was in the vocal sense.
I felt this was somewhat below this setter’s normally very high bar. The TANKS clue was particularly feeble, I thought.
Plenty to enjoy as well, though, liked ARGUMENT for example.
I do hope you get over your sinusitis quickly, loonapick. A most unpleasant ailment.
Nice week, all.
Thanks Nutmeg and Loonapick – some went in very quickly but I misled myself with mirage instead of meagre (mire and AG) so gastritis took a while to find but raised a smile and a nod of appreciation, as did divorcee. As ever, I was less a fan of DD clues – both the long across ones seemed to be hard to be sure of with no wordplay, and I too had not heard the phrase “stick at nothing”. Although 1d was very easy, so allowed for good inroads, I can see that it was irresistible so set such a gorgeous surface. Rook and Frisky took a while – both very fair and clear just nicely misleading again. A few quibbles over the DD but many enjoyable clues today.
Anyway, time to PITCH some yeast into the beer I am brewing so it can get FRISKY…I hope the OG does not STICK AT NOTHING, or people will be DERISIVE of my MEAGRE (and rather RUSTY) ale-wifely skills even if it does drop CLEAR. Getting OTHER words in is left as EXERCISES for the reader. AMEN.
thezed @14: Amazed you resisted TANKS in you brewing monologue.
your
William :15: It was such a poor clue I had to leave it out!
Stuck on STICK at the end and it still doesn’t work for me, but then I’m no card player.
Otherwise nothing too contentious and everything went in pretty smoothly. .
My favourites were the ‘contingent of’ hidden indicator in 25a and the surface for FRISKY.
Thanks to Nutmeg and to loonapick for carrying on regardless.
Thanks for the explanations of PITCH = level.
TANKS is particularly poor as they are so-called becuase the original cover name for them was supposed to be “tanks” of the fuel variety.
Not Christmas yet, but a delightful present from Nutmeg. No irritating obscurities, and the usual polished surfaces: fortunately I did not skid on them. Over quite quickly it’s true, but I would rather have a brief treat than a tedious slog.
muffin @9: Interesting point re TANKS, but I thought the cover for the project was from their similarity to water tanks. I found this on the Imperial War Museum web site.
Thank you Nutmeg for an enjoyable puzzle and loonapick for blogging when under the weather.
I particularly liked the clues for RECOLLECT, ARGUMENT, DETONATOR and GASTRITIS.
Wonder if muffin got the days muddled – he usually plays golf on Wednesday …
Thanks, William @21
[Hi Cookie
You haven’t seen the weather forecast for tomorrow, then!]
It’s all been said. Pleasant enough romp.
Thanks to Nutmeg and loonapick.
Definitely a more straightforward Nutmeg offering – and as enjoyable as always. Most puzzles seem to have a dodgy clue of some nature in them – some being weak like TANKS and some overly contrived – in my view. I took STICK AT NOTHING as a reference to pontoon and whilst it took a minute to parse it I was OK with AROSE. Like others I liked ARGUMENT DIVORCEE and I’d add DETONATOR and SPHERICAL – a very smooth surface and clever definition. Loi was TYING DOWN – I had to call Mrs W in as I went through the alphabet and rejected Y along with X and Z, even knowing the Spoonerism began with D!
Thanks Nutmeg and the under the weather Loonapick.
Thanks to Nutmeg and loonapick. Nothing much to add here, generally a very steady and straightforward solve. Never heard the 8a expression (always thought it was “stop at nothing”), but it could not really be anything else. That along with frisky were the last ones in. I did like gastritis, divorcee and the aforementioned frisky. Thanks again to Nutmeg and loonapick.
Thanks to Nutmeg and loonapick.
I enjoyed this and PITCH was a favourite for the surface (no pun intended). STICK AT NOTHING is familiar and has no card-playing reference for me, although I can’t come up with another context – for me it has Shakespearean overtones as in “the sticking place”. Fav was PERSONAL – I love a well concealed, em, can’t remember what we call this type of clue…..
muffin@1: You’re an early worm – any birdies? I’m of to the driving range (the sticking place?)(where I shall endeavour not to screw myself up?).
Surprised so many have not heard of ‘Stick at Nothing’. It often refers to (young?) people who can’t seem to stick at any job or interest and so lead rather aimless lives.
Thanks to Nutmeg and loonapick. I’m another who had trouble with STICK and PITCH=level, but I much enjoyed this puzzle.
All gentle enough, but as always beautifully crafted.
Thanks to Nutmeg and loonapick
I agree with Aigoual@28 Nothing to do with no scruples and I don’t buy the pontoon connection. I’ve certainly never heard of it.
Thanks Nutmeg.
Breezed through this, despite the clamour about me, over half a coffee in my local Tesco as I waited for my wife’s car to be fitted with a new pair of tyres. Unlike some others here, I enjoyed TANKS, but like others, I just shrugged over the 2nd definition “never rise” at 9a. Very entertaining. GASTRITIS my favourite. Thanks Nutmeg and loonapick.
Thanks both,
Quite gentle, although’frisky’ held me up.
I, too, am surprised at the number of people who hadn’t come across stick at nothing as a fixed phrase. A search for it in Google Books comes up with lots of instances from well-known authors, admittedly a few decades back.
I can only offer that ‘stick at nothing’ is what a non-rising space rocket would do at countdown.
Always enjoy Nutmeg. Lovely stuff. A good puzzle day, with Maize in the independent as well.
Many thanks nutmeg and loonapick
Fun puzzle by Nutmeg though she can set harder ones. FOI AMEN, LOI 21a. COD 2d.
Thanks to Loonapick and Nutmeg
Along with many here I had reservations about STICK AT NOTHING. It was my LOI even though the crossers left little or no alternative.
“Stop at nothing” = Ruthless, and “Can’t stick at anything” = feckless, were fairly common some years ago in my experience. To my ear STICK AT NOTHING is perhaps a later conflation.
Initially thought that Nutmeg had slipped up with an indirect anagram in AROSE, but soon saw the error of my ways. I like rebellious as a reversal indicator in a down clue, uprising. And with the added misdirect.
Wondered for a moment who this sportive fellow was called Tressy. Did like FRISKY.
Also no quibbles with STICK AT NOTHING, in any of the images or references that come to mind for the second def. Could be a thermometer, or a speedometer.
Took a battering with Nutmeg’s ARGUMENT. Entries of M_N_ for the last 4 letters lead me to the mistaken belief it’s gotta be MINE. And where was the BD for battered case? Racking brain for GK on British military acronyms or initialisms, essential for British cryptics. Then came out of the fog. Saw CASE on its own, and NUTMEG. The military bit was the last to fall.
Late to the party as I didn’t get to this until this morning Aussie time, but I liked it all. No need to look anything up, nothing too obscure. Many thanks to Nutmeg for such an enjoyable puzzle and to loonapick for the blog done under some duress.
https://www.casinotop10.net/blackjack-terms. A-Z list of terms used. Look under S
20d arose. Alec Rose was a single handed yachtsman in the late 60’s. A rebelious age, if I remember correctly.
PeteandJo.