Nimrod ushers in 2019 with a challenging puzzle and the parsing of one entry still eludes me.
Those of you who solved Eimi’s puzzle of yesterday may have experienced a sense of déjà vu when solving today’s puzzle.
Some of you were very prescient in your comments yesterday. However the puzzle today wasn’t a complete write-in and the new parsing is still required for complete satisfaction. There were the obvious changes for OLD and NEW as well as the year and the decade, but there were also changes at the bottom left hand corner and at 20 down. I reckon these changes were forced because there is no similar OLD FIRM and NEW FIRM phrases or OLD USER and NEW USER equivalents. Both setters seemed to have been forced down a ‘slightly obscure’ rabbit hole at 33 across where neither MAD STAGGERS [yesterday] or RIDE THE RODS today are terms that trip off the tongue on a regular basis, if at all.
Like yesterday, there was good deal of opportunity for research on the ‘NEW entry’ forms and I learnt quite a lot as result.
I thought there was some quite complex constructions in the wordplay today, but I have no complaints as I enjoy that type of cluing. We don’t often see a three level nested container and contents clue like the one for the film star. . In 18 down it was all too easy to assume that ‘offensive’ referred to the ‘male sex organ’, but it didn’t. I liked the use of the crossword term ‘lights’ the NEW FOR OLD clue. It took me a while to see how PAUL NEWMAN worked. Having had five grandchildren under 2 years 8 months in the house over Christmas, I’m getting quite good at nursery rhymes, so Jacky and his NEW MASTER was not a problem.
The parsing that remains is for IMMOLATES. I think I can see a bit of it but definitely not all of it. I look forward to having it explained to me tomorrow. It’s probably very simple.
Finally, a Happy New Year to Gaufrid and all setters, bloggers, commenters and lurkers. Come all ye lurkers in 2019 – your comments will make the bloggers feel even more loved!
| Across | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| No | Clue | Wordplay | Entry |
| 1 | See 5 Down | NEW | |
| 3 | Duet I’d done with leader of Pogues celebrated without one getting steamed (4,7) |
SUNG (celebrated) containing (without; outside) an anagram of (done … with) (DUET I’D and P [first letter of {leader of} POGUES]) SU (ET PUDDI*) NG |
SUET PUDDING (a dessert that can be cooked by steaming) |
| 9 | Perhaps resembling a Quaker coin, decimal with 1A (5) |
PENNY (like William PENN [1644 – 1718], leader of the English Quakers and founder of what was originally the province of PENNsylvania in America) PENNY |
PENNY (with NEW [1 across], a NEW PENNY is a decimal coin) |
| 10 | County set left after broadcast got more and more revolting (8) |
GRUE (sounds like [broadcast] GREW [got more]) + SOMERSET (English County) excluding (left) SET GRUE SOMER |
GRUESOMER (more revolting) |
| 11 / 16 | What’s adolescent, having left to cross river, ringing in? (6,8) |
TEEN (adolescent) containing (having) (WENT [left] containing [to cross] [TYNE {reference the River TYNE that flows through Newcastle} containing {ringing] IN]) T (WEN (TY N (IN) E) T) EEN |
TWENTY [NINETEEN] (the New Year that we are ringing in today) I am not entirely sure what the definition is here as I have used all the words of the clue to describe the component parts and I can’t see the whole clue as a definition of TWENTY NINETEEN |
| 15 | Promise broken by Ludwig’s first Symphony with 1A (5) |
WORD (promise) containing (broken by) L (first letter of [first] LUDWIG]) WOR (L) D |
WORLD (reference the NEW [1 across] WORLD symphony by Antonin Dvorak) |
| 16 | See 11 | NINETEEN | |
| 19 | Daisy on back of tandem that with 1A Jacky may have in nursery (6) |
M (final letter of [back of] TANDEM) + ASTER (a plant often known as Michaelmas daisy) M ASTER |
MASTER (reference the nursery rhyme See Saw Margery Daw which begins See Saw Margery Daw,Jacky shall have a new MASTER)
|
| 21 | Lecturer’s advice to young man? It’s not good, and extremely vulgar (6) |
L (lecturer) + GO WEST (Wikipedia tells us that GO WEST YOUNG MAN" is a phrase, the origin of which is often credited to the American author and newspaper editor Horace Greeley concerning America’s expansion westward, related to the then-popular concept of Manifest Destiny. No one has yet proven who first used this phrase in print) excluding (not) |
LOWEST (most vulgar) |
| 22 | At best crude promo is in this? (3,5) |
AD (advertisement; promo) contained in (is in) an anagram of (crude) AT BEST B (AD) TASTE* |
BAD TASTE (descriptive of something that is offensive or inappropriate for the situation) |
| 24 | With 1A a freedom fighter got round mum (5) |
WON (got) containing (round) MA (mother; mum) WO (MA) N |
WOMAN (reference NEW [1 across] WOMAN [a name applied, especially by scoffers, in the late 19th century to such women as actively sought freedom and equality with men.; freedom fighter) |
| 25 | Easy joint? (6) |
REEFER (a cigarette containing marijuana that is said to relive pain and generate EASE / make things EASY) REEFER |
REEFER (JOINT can be similarly defined as cigarette containing marijuana;) |
| 31 | Was proudly erect after replacing centrepiece with 1A block (9) |
STOOD TALL (was proudly and confidently erect) with 1 across NEW replacing the central letters (centrepiece) ODT STONEWALL |
STONEWALL (hold up progress; delay; block) |
| 32 | I believe first of clues needs rewrite (5) |
C (first letter of [first of] CLUES) + REDO (rewrite) C REDO |
CREDO (belief or set of beliefs)
|
| 33 | Free excesses of air go illegally round America (4,3,4) |
RID (free) + ETHER (clear upper air) + ODS (overdoses; excesses) RID E THE R ODS |
RIDE THE RODS (Old American phrase meaning ‘to travel illegally on the railway, supporting oneself on the rods of railway carriages’) |
| 34 | See 5 Down | MAN | |
| Down | |||
| 1 | Scrag end of mutton to take off? (4) |
N (last letter of [end of] MUTTON + APE (mimic; take-off) N APE |
NAPE (back of the neck; SCRAG can be defined as the neck or bony part of the neck) |
| 2 | Originally put down, first of psychologists who finally cut it (5) |
Anagram of (originally) PUT DOWN excluding (cut it) (P [first letter of [first of] PSYCHOLOGISTS] and O [last letter of [finally] WHO) WUNDT* |
WUNDT (reference Wilhelm Maximilian WUNDT [1832 – 1920] was a German physician, physiologist, |
| 3 | With 1A dating from 1752, noisily steps over 31 (5) | STYLE (sounds like [noisily] STILE [something you might use to step over a STONE WALL [31 across]) |
STYLE (reference NEW [1 across] STYLE [The Calendar (NEW STYLE) Act 1750 was an Act of the Parliament of Great Britain. After removing eleven days 25th March in 1752, the day now corresponded from to 6 April NEW STYLE. The calendar remains in this |
| 4 | Tips disregarded in the most influential decade (8) |
WEIGHTIEST (most influential) excluding the first and last letters [tips disregarded) W and T EIGHTIES |
EIGHTIES (a decade) |
| 5 / 1A / 34 | Star stirring up a platelayer with cracks I ignored (4,5) |
Anagram of (stirring) UP A + (W [with] contained in [cracks] [LINE MAN {person who attends to the lines of a railway; a PLATELAYER can be similarly defined} excluding {ignored} I]) PAU* L NE (W) MAN |
PAUL [NEW] [MAN] (film star) |
| 6 | Comic stand-in so harsh! (9) |
Anagram of (comic) STAND-IN SO DISSONANT* |
DISSONANT (discordant; jarring; harsh)
|
| 7 | Nimrod’s second last to offer up terminal sacrifices (9) |
I’M (Nimrod’s [setter’s]) + MO (moment; second) ?? I’m not sure how the wordplay works here. IM MO ???? |
IMMOLATES (sacrifices by burning) |
| 8 | 34 did a runner from corn store (4) |
RAN [did a runner] excluded from [from] GRANARY (corn store] GARY |
GARY (name of a MAN [34 down]) |
| 12 | Slash Mini in Glasgow? (3) |
WEE (urinate; SLASH is a slang term for urinate) WEE |
WEE (Scottish [Glasgow] term for small [mini]) double definition
|
| 14 | View of ocean gleaming (5) |
ANGLE (hidden word in [of] OCEAN GLEAMING) ANGLE |
ANGLE ([point of] view) |
| 15 | Not at first supporting the German plan to reorganise Europe with 1A (5) |
FOR (supporting) excluding the first letter [not at first]) F + DER [one of the forms of ‘the’ in German) OR DER |
ORDER (reference NEW ORDER [The NEW ORDER (German: Neuordnung), or the NEW ORDER of Europe (German: Neuordnung Europas), was the political ORDER which Nazi Germany wanted to impose on the conquered areas under its dominion |
| 17 | Such a claim covering today’s first light with respect to yesterday’s? (3,3,3) |
NEW (today’s first grid entry [1 across] [light]) + FOR (with respect to) + OLD (the equivalent first light [1 across] in yesterday’s crossword) NEW FOR OLD |
NEW FOR OLD (term used by insurance companies to describe their best claims policies) |
| 18 | Offensive male sex organ parts – with 1A where is Mark? (9) |
STAMEN (part of a plant containing the anther [the male reproductive organ]) contained in (parts) TET (reference the TET offensive by North Vietnamese Forces in January to September 1968 during the Vietnam War) TE (STAMEN) T |
TESTAMENT (reference NEW [1 across] TESTAMENT, the part of the Bible where you will find the Gospel according to St MARK) |
| 20 | Historical action court cases dramatically alter (8) |
WOO (court) containing (cases) an anagram of [dramatically] ALTER W (ATERL*) OO |
WATERLOO (reference the Battle of WATERLOO [1815]; historical action) |
| 23 | Perhaps a rising trend of the 4 with 1A (3) |
(E.G. [for example; perhaps] + A) all reversed (rising; down clue) (A GE)< |
AGE (reference NEW [1 across] AGE [NEW AGE is a term applied to a range of spiritual or religious beliefs and practices that .and ideas influenced the development of rave culture in the late 1980s [EIGHTIES, 4 down] and 1990) |
| 26 | With 1A, TV talent show following fine performers (5) |
F (following) + ACES [excellent [fine] performers) F ACES |
FACES (reference the TV talent programme NEW [1 across] FACES, broadcast in the 1970s and 1980s) |
| 27 | Discharge explosive spirit bottles (5) |
RUM (alcoholic spirit) containing (bottles) HE (high explosive) R (HE) UM |
RHEUM (mucous discharge especially from the nose) |
| 28 | With 1A he’ll need different login from you server supplies (4) |
USER (hidden word in [supplies] YOU SERVER) USER |
USER (a NEW [1 across] USER of a computer system will usually be given a different password from anyone else) |
| 29 | One’s forgotten to postpone 60s cinematic movement with 1A (4) |
WAIVE (postpone) excluding (forgotten) I [Roman numeral for one] WAVE |
WAVE (reference NEW [1 across] WAVE; NEW WAVE is a movement in French cinema in the late 1950s and 1960s which abandoned the linear narrative and experimented with untypical framing and fluid camera movements) |
| 30 | 100 women kept in Milton Keynes, say, with 1A (4) |
W (women) contained in (kept in) TON (one hundred) TO (W) N |
TOWN (reference the NEW [1 across] TOWN, Milton Keynes which was designated as NEW TOWN in January 1967)
|
7D IMMOLATES?
As your parsing, + LATES (t): last = latest, to offer up terminal – gives up its terminal t.
Pretty soon into this I was looking for some sort of nina saying Groundhog Day.
Herr Wundt was off my radar altogether.
Thanks to duncanshiell and the new supergroup ElmiNimrod.
HNY all.
Thanks for supplying answer to 2d. Never heard of the bloke and couldn’t see how to make a guess from the cryptic fodder.
Parsed 6d as muffyword.
Failed to parse NEW FOR OLD. Would never have considered a clue that referred to a preceding crossword.
Struggled to parse PAUL NEWMAN but got there in the end. GARY took a little while for me as well.
Didn’t know RIDE THE RODS but didn’t cause me any trouble to get.
Always feel a bit of trepidation when facing a Nimrod but having so many of the solutions from yesterday made this a relatively quick solve. As an experiment, I have mixed feelings and will be interested in what others felt.
Thanks to Nimrod and Duncan.
Had I not solved Eimi’s last night, I’d probably have given up on Nimrod’s this morning. Let’s just say I remembered enough to help me along, but the parsing was beyond me on several occasions.
11/16 has to do with ringing out the old, and ringing in the new.
Not familiar with Jacky in the nursery rhyme. I vaguely remember Jenny, but in my defence it was a long time ago.
Thanks to Nimrod, Eimi, and Duncan.
Apart from 2d, this was finished off in a very reasonable time for a Nimrod. I did like the theme and it was indeed that theme that helped me get GARY Newman (Numan) too
Happy New Year and thanks to Nimrod and Duncan
A clever idea indeed, hardly likely to be repeated for a while, so no problems with the interplay with yesterday’s Eimi. Didn’t take long to work out something of this sort was afoot with the three letter word at 1A – and then SUET PUDDING again!
Nimrod is always very challenging and I enjoyed this immensely. Thanks to muffyword for parsing of IMMOLATES, which I didn’t see. Finally failed on WUNDT. Tried a word-checker and it only gave me WON’T!
Much thanks to Nimrod (and his co-conspirator Eimi) and to duncanshiell for the blog.
Having solved yesterday’s offering from eimi and seen the comment thereon from Simon S (at 00.15 today) that he’d just started today’s Nimrod and thought it ‘very droll’ we thought there must be something in the wind, so when we found the identical grid and the answers to 3, 9 and 10 the same as yesterday it was obvious what was going on and many of the answers were write-ins. Except of course 2dn as, like others, we’d never heard of the gentleman and it never occurred to us to google for names of psychologists. That apart, an enjoyable diversion.
Thanks, Nimrod and Duncan.
Hope Gwep @6 is right and we are not likely to see such linkage again soon. Found the repetition boring and relieved that at least Hovis admits to mixed feelings. Happily solved Eimi’s offering yesterday and pretty much finished this one before losing the will to live. Sorry Nimrod. Liked 20D but missed out on Herr Wundt despite being required to attend the first year of a Psychology degree whilst studying lots of other things some of which were related to his fields of work.
Thanks, Nimrod and Duncan and a Happy New Year to all
Yesterday seems long ago – I can hardly remember doing a crossword, let alone the solutions, so I thought it a pretty neat trick.
Didn’t get WUNDT, could have tried harder, didn’t get GARY, could have been more on the ball. I wonder if they flipped a coin to decide who got the old and who the new gig.
Happy New Year to all, thanks to Nimrod, Eimi, Duncan
It’s deja vu all over again!
I could remember enough of yesterday’s (I purposefully refrained from looking at it) for a lot of this to be a write-in. But 2dn defeated me. As yesterday it was DONUT and I see there is a food called a WONUT (a waffle/doughnut hybrid) I wondered if that was the answer.
Apart from failing on the German trick cyclist this was a rapid and pleasant solve. Fortunately I didn’t do yesterday’s puzzle or I think I would have felt a bit miffed. No doubt it was great fun for Eimi & Nimrod. Thanks for the blog Duncan.
Very happy I decided to catch up on Eimi’s puzzle this morning before attempting this. I loved it. I really liked the little change in 4d/16a. I have to say I really appreciated this novelty – in a world where there is little joy, this made my day. Thank you Eimi and Nimrod.
and it sure gave me a head start on the nimrod puzzle, always appreciated.
Furthermore it illustrates the message that is so obvious from Dean’s DIYCOW – there’s more than one way to write a clue. I thought the substantially different approaches provided an additional level of interest and entertainment. Great stuff, thanks again, and thank you Duncan.
Sorry to see the majority of commentators here didn’t enjoy this – I thought it was very clever and enjoyed the interplay immensely. The way so many old/new pairs were worked into the grid was delightful. Reminded me a bit of the famous (NYT? I can’t find a reference to it here and now) crossword written the night before the election results came out, which could be filled in in two different ways.
My appreciation to both Eimi and Nimrod!
If, like me, you hadn’t done the previous day’s offering this was quite a tricky one.
Got there in the end thoug given how obscure Wundt was I’d have thought the clue could have been kinder.