Guardian Cryptic 27,859 by Nutmeg

by

The puzzle may be found at https://www.theguardian.com/crosswords/cryptic/27859.

An excellent end to a good week of Guardian puzzles – varied and not always obvious structures, fine surfaces, and a playfulness that makes for a satisfying solve. The three symmetrically placed cricketers surely cannot be accidental. Given the number of typos that I have corrected in this blog, I seem to be all thumbs this evening: in all probability, there are others that I have missed.

Across
1 EXPOSED Vulnerable checkout probed by Times journalist (7)
A charade of EXPOS, an envelope (‘probed by’) of X (‘times’) in EPOS (Electronic Point of Sale, ‘checkout’); plus ED (‘journalist’).
5 BROTHEL Pay here for the other comrade, parting with last pound (7)
A charade of BROTHE[r] (‘comrade’) minus its final letter (‘parting with last’) plus L (‘pound’).
9 BRIQUET Pommie grabbing 30% of Queensland’s solid fuel (7)
An envelope (‘grabbing’) of QUE (‘30% of QUEensland’, a ten-letter word) in BRIT (‘pommie’).
10 ROTORUA Antipodean city one goes round with umbrella on vacation (7)
A charade of ROTOR (‘one goes round’) plus UA (‘UmbrellA on vacation’). One for our friends in New Zealand.
11 RUFFIANLY Thuggish female unfairly treated (9)
An anagram (‘treated’) of F (‘female’) plus ‘unfairly’. Flirting with a derived anagram.
12 KNIFE On the contrary, chef in kitchen needs it (5)
A reverse (‘on the contrary’) hidden (‘needs it’) definition in ‘chEF IN Kitchen’, with an extended definition.
13 OWLET Bird, duck, far from dry crossing lake (5)
An envelope (‘crossing’) of L (‘lake’) in O (‘duck’) plus WET (‘far from dry’).
15 INCORRECT Improper behaviour finally stops in Centre Court (9)
An envelope (‘stops’) of R (‘behaviouR finally’) in ‘in’ plus CORE (‘Centre’) plus CT (‘Court’).
17 NO-BRAINER It’s easy to see robin near ground (2-7)
An anagram (‘ground’) of ‘robin near’.
19 SPERM Head of Moscow theatres brought back male-only production (5)
A reversal (‘brought back’) of M (‘head of Moscow’) plus REPS (‘theatres’).
22 MORAL Decent exam mark given first (5)
A charade of M (‘mark’) plus ORAL (‘exam’), with ‘given first’ indicating the order of the particles.
23 TWO-MASTED Fitted like brig cardinal joined, carrying son (3-6)
An envelope (‘carrying’) of S (‘son’) in TWO (‘a ‘cardinal’ number) plus MATED (‘joined’).
25 LICENCE Liberal in church welcoming church’s lack of restraint (7)
An envelope (‘welcoming’) of CE (‘church’, the second one) in L (‘liberal’) plus ‘in’ plus CE (‘church’, the first).
26 INTENSE Powerful batting, past, present or future? (7)
A charade of IN (‘batting’, cricket) plus TENSE (of which ‘past, present or future?’ is an example)
27 RACISTS First cuts wound rebellious bigots (7)
An envelope (‘cuts’) of IST (1st., ‘first’) in RACS, a reversal (‘rebellious’; if you think that indicates an anagram, then a reversal is a particular kind of anagram) of SCAR (‘wound’).
28 ENCHANT Inclination to avoid parking transport (7)
A subtraction: [p]ENCHANT (‘inclination’) minus the P (‘to avoid parking’).
Down
1 EMBARGO Stoppage in local game after Nutmeg turns up (7)
A charade of EM, a reversal (‘turns up’) of ME (‘Nutmeg’) plus BAR (‘local’) plus GO (‘game’).
2 PAINFUL Harrowing tub farmers’ union’s invested in (7)
An envelope (‘invested in’) of NFU (National ‘Farmers’ Union’) in PAIL (‘tub’).
3 SAUDI Small car belonging to monarchy (5)
A charade of S (‘small’) plus AUDI (make of ‘car’).
4 DETENTION Prison‘s famous mounted guards went in without cover (9)
An envelope (‘guards’) of ENTI (‘wENT In without cover’) in DETON, a reversal (‘mounted’ in a down light’) of NOTED (‘famous’).
5 BERRY We’re told to cover up fruit (5)
Sound like (‘we’re told’) BURY (‘cover up’).
6 OUTSKIRTS Part of town public steers clear of (9)
A charade of OUT (‘public’) plus SKIRTS (‘steers clear of’).
7 HEROINE Leading lady‘s horse close to stable (7)
A charade of HEROIN (the drug known colloquially as ‘horse’) plus E (‘close to stablE‘).
8 LEANEST Least productive 20th-century director is French (7)
A charade of LEAN (David. ’20th-century director’ of films such as Brief Encounter, The Bridge on the River Kwai and Lawrence of Arabia, but not 20th Century, which was directed by Howard Hawks) plus EST (‘is French’).
14 TRAMLINES Tracks a minstrel’s playing? (9)
An anagram (‘playing’) of ‘a minstrel’.
16 CORROSIVE Vitriolic old bishop beset by turbulent voices (9)
An envelope (‘beset by’) of O (‘old’) plus RR (Right Reverend, title given to a ‘bishop’) in COSIVE, an anagram (‘turbulent’) of ‘voices’.
17 NIMBLER Defter doctor aboard liner taken ill (7)
An envelope (‘aboard’) of MB (Medicinae Baccaluareus, Bachelor of Medicine, ‘doctor’) in NILER, an anagram (‘taken ill’) of ‘liner’.
18 BORACIC Skint revolutionary about to knock off, I see (7)
A charade of BORAC, a reversal (‘revolutionary’) of CA (circa, ‘about’) plus ROB (‘knock off’), plus IC (‘I see’). BORACIC lint is rhyming slang.
20 ESTONIA Country houses, last two more stylish, you might say (7)
A charade of ES (‘housES, last two’) plus TONIA, sounding like (‘you might say’) TONIER (‘more stylish’).
21 MIDWEST Region of US we’d abandoned in film (7)
An envelope (‘in’) of DWE, an anagram (‘abandoned’) of ‘we’d’ in MIST (‘film’).
23 TREWS Disperse head-to-foot clothing for the clans (5)
STREW (‘disperse’) with the first letter moved to the end (‘head-to-foot’), for a Scots word for trousers (‘clothing for the clans’ when not wearing a kilt).
24 ATTIC Top position that ticket secures (5)
A hidden (‘secures’) answer in ‘thAT TICket’.
completed grid

39 comments on “Guardian Cryptic 27,859 by Nutmeg”

  1. This was indeed a fine and fun puzzle, but not the near-perfection that Nutmeg’s offerings usually are. It may just be me, but I question needs=hidden in 12a and rebellious=reversal/anagram in 27a. On the latter, to be sure rebellious=revolutionary and revolutionary=reversal, but unfortunately transitivity doesn’t apply here.

    Thanks.

  2. I might be looking to hard, but would the three letters reading down in 5a, 10a and 12a also be part of Nutmeg’s theme?

  3. I missed seeing the 3 cricketers, but I enjoyed this anyway. My favourites were SPERM, BROTHEL, DETENTION, EXPOSED – the last two took me a while to work out but I was pleased when I managed to parse them.

    New for me were BORACIC = skint, TREWS, and EPOS

    Thanks Peter and Nutmeg.

  4. I love English for its quirky, inherently humorous expressions like ‘the other’ and ‘how’s your father’, and yesteday’s ‘with knobs on’, etc, though I’m sure other languages have them (examples, anyone? Anna?).

    Today’s Nutmeg I found an absolute breeze, almost a write-in but very pleasant nonetheless, and Loi trews took a momentary head-scratch. I wish the clue for 15a rather than its solution were true of our (male) Oz tennis brats, and I didn’t notice the cricketers, but England could do with an Anderson at the moment! Thanks Nutmeg for the fun and PeterO for the blog.

  5. I always enjoy a puzzle from Nutmeg, this one included. Not a clunky surface in the bunch. Had no idea how to parse several, but after coming here I see that my brain was just a bit foggier than usual. I think I’ll go to bed now. Thanks to Nutmeg and PeterO.

  6. Didn’t see the theme at all but there you go. Found the right hand side very tough and slow-going. Thanks for several parsings that eluded me, PeterO. Like michelle@3, I had not heard of that meaning of 18d BORACIC, a biff from the crossers. I liked 17a NO-BRAINER. And of course 9a BRIQUET. Much appreciated, Nutmeg. [PeterO, I will be in your part of the world in a month’s time, staying with our son in Brooklyn. I am looking forward to the trip, and especially to seeing the Rolling Stones on August 1. I last saw them in Australia in 1973.]

    Julie in Queensland

  7. I enjoyed this, for the reasons PeterO said in his blog, indeed a satisfying solve. I did see the ninas, but not being that sports minded did not workout what they meant- so I came here rather than google the names. Given that I have come across Joe Root in cryptics recently, I am kicking myself that I did miss the theme though. Lovely to see Rotorua- great place to visit, especially if you are into mountain biking (and geothermal activity). Yay for us Antipodeans, with Adelaide the other day and Queensland in a clue today.
    Ngaio in Whangarei

  8. Thanks Nutmeg and PeterO

    I didn’t parse INCORRECT, RACISTS or DETENTION.

    BORACIC really should have had an indicator of rhyming slang (though I had no trouble with it, in fact). TONIA for “tonier” (which is a pretty dubious word anyway) is silly.

    I liked the hidden ATTIC, defined as “top position”.

  9. [Ngaio@7, was in Whangarei with Mrs ginf back in ’89, nice time. Went to the hotpools (Ngawha?), no tourists then, we were the only Pakeha, and to Russell]

  10. Last in was 18d. I parsed it ok, but had never heard of it. But I thought it sounded like BRASSIC which I knew meant being skint ie having no money.

  11. Cricketers? Who? Where? Oh…. right. I’ll take your word for it.

    Like Ngaio @7, I was happy to see a familiar place name for a change. I grew up in 10 across so it didn’t take me long to work out. Some ex-locals may think of it more as a “city one goes round with a wide berth” but the gondolas and geysers are good.

    BORACIC was new (both the word and the rhyming slang). I wasn’t convinced by ‘tonier’, but was primed for the answer, having just encountered ESTONIA in the Quick (which I don’t often do).

    Loved the oblique definitions in BROTHEL and SPERM.

     

  12. Knew boracic meaning broke from endless beeb and Granada series, eg Minder, but not the lint that rhymes with skint. Always something new!

  13. Thanks for the blog, PeterO and Nutmeg for another lovely puzzle.

    PeterO’s preamble says it  all – not a dud clue among them, as usual. Lots of fun.

  14. Have to agree with muffin @8 about 20d. That spoilt the puzzle for me. A pity since so much of the rest was excellently clued. Thanks anyway Nutmeg and PeterO.

  15. Super puzzle that I really enjoyed solving.

    Dr W O @1; rebellious is in the Chambers list of reversal indicators.

    Same as Eileen and PeterO – I particularly liked BROTHEL, SPERM and DETENTION. Failed to see the cricketers though – hope they manage to get in the semi-finals.

  16. Damn! I dont look for ninas in a Nutmeg!

    I loved the puzzle-perfect surfaces, nothing forced

    Thanks Megster and Peter O

  17. Roberto @14 and muffin @8 – TONIER is in Collins and Oxford. The definition of tony in Collins is: If you describe something as tony, you mean it is stylish and sophisticated.

  18. Thank you Nutmeg and PeterO.

    A very enjoyable puzzle. I needed the blog to understand EPOS and BORACIC and parsed BERRY with the ‘homophone’ beret.

  20. Woohoo, hasn’t Nutmeg been having some adventures – off to the antipodes, seeing strange things and places, and encountering dubious characters. No wonder she’s boracic at the end of it, must have been enchanting, and now back to her garret to listen to the cricket and put out a few more xwords to earn some beans.

    Will look out for them ’cause they’re always much fun. Thanks Nutmeg from the antipodes, and PeterO for explaining the lint.

  21. There seems to be a bit more downunderish content than usual (usual being none at all), which makes me suprised once again at the amount of US content that Guardian readers are assumed to know — I mean, state capitals?  We all had to learn them in fifth grade, but nobody remembers them now.  (Apologies to fifth-graders reading this comment.)  I know the ones in states near me or that I’ve lived in, but …

    Never heard of EPOs, though I think they’ve appeared in other puzzles.  I just keep forgetting them.  And I’d never heard of “boracic lint” as a product, much less its use in rhyming slang.

    I thought 5a had a word meaning comrade that parted with/dropped D, the end of pound.  Then the crossers made it BROTHEL, but I had no idea why.  Thanks for the help, PeterO.

    Are all trews tartan, or can they be just regular trousers that happen to be worn in Scotland?

  22. Muffin @ 8 / Roberto @ 14 – I think that the use of ‘skint’ is indication enough for a solution in slang and (whilst I wasn’t aware of the boracic spelling or boracic lint derivation) usage of ‘brassic’ on its own is well established.

    Not a fan of ‘tonier’.

    Disconcerting start as I didn’t find the first few clues as smooth as expected for Nutmeg but on the whole very enjoyable.

    Thanks to Nutmeg and PeterO.

  23. This is very late, but new to Guardian crossword, and am doing one from 25th June. Please will someone explain why ‘Method for solving equivalent of 27 + 25 or 26+21’ is Trial and Error. Why does 27 = test and 25 = slip? Help!!

  26. A top class 99th puzzle for Nutmeg – a little tricky but very rewarding. I used to know someone who said boracic for skint quite frequently – I always thought (like NNI @10) that it was spelled BRASSIC, but obviously that makes no sense!

    Thanks to Nutmeg and PeterO

  27. Primmy@23 – answers to 27 and 26 are synonyms for “trial”. 25 and 21 are synonyms for error – so 27+25 = “trial and error” … good luck

  28. Thanks Nutmeg and PeterO

    I had always thought that ‘skint’ was ‘brassy’ from ‘brassy glint’, so was interested to discover the derivation of ‘boracic’, which I took to be a corruption of the former. Certainly, in NW England where I used to live we described ourselves as brassy coming up to payday.

  29. Simon S @28

    My guess is that “brassy” in this sense is a mondgreen for boracic; the intermediate form, mentioned above, BRASSIC (which is a word in its own right, but nothing to do with the alloy, money, or the lack of it) might give some backing to my view. A quick google shows that at least some others are of the same opinion, but of course the origin of slang expressions can be difficult to impossible to pin down.

  31. Held up by confidently entering corgi for 3D. Small car belonging to monarchy? What soul be wrong with that.

  34. Loved this. Just the right level for me having got frazzled in the garden this afternoon. LH side went in very quickly but the rest wasn’t too difficult. Never heard of ROTORUA but it sounded New Zealandy. Liked BROTHEL and SPERM- ooh missis! and,well,pretty much everything really.
    Thanks Nutmeg.

  35. Greg@2. Please help as to which 3 letters you mean and blame thickness on temperature at present

  39. Muffin@8
    If my memory serves me right it was E C Bentley himself who wrote “Few Romans were as tony as
    The elegant Petronius.
    No-one any snappier
    Walked the Via Appia.”
    Without that I would never have parsed 20d. I doubt if anyone has used tony = stylish in conversation since the ’30s.

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