A tricky one from Monk. A very satisfying puzzle if you have the time. Thank you Monk.
Around the outside is MORNINGTON CRESCENT. This is a “game” played on the radio panel show I’m Sorry I Haven’t a Clue. The game was invented some time in the early 1970s and most listeners are still trying to understand the rules. Personally I think I’m Sorry I Haven’t a Clue might be the funniest radio show of all time. The name also aptly describes my first attempts at this puzzle.
| ACROSS | ||
| 6 | TOWBAR | Connection with trailer in which bachelor is introduced to drag queen (6) |
| BA (bachelor) inside (is introduced to) TOW (drag) R (regina, queen) | ||
| 8 | OVERTURN | Open ballot box, causing upset (8) |
| OVERT (open) URN (ballot box) | ||
| 10 | NORFOLK BROADS | 50% of ordinary people taking minor routes in lake district? (7,6) |
| NORmal (ordinary, 50% of) FOLK (people) with B-ROADS (minor routes) a watery region of England | ||
| 11 | NECKBEEF | Quarrel after drink – inferior stuff (8) |
| BEEF (quarrel) following NECK (drink) | ||
| 12 | TUAREG | North African Arab group historically dividing sheep (6) |
| UAR (former United Arab Republic, Arab group historically) inside (dividing) TEG (sheep) | ||
| 13 | TONGUE-IN-CHEEK | Ironic language, at church, before my god (6-2-5) |
| TONGUE (language) IN (at) CH (church) then EEK (my god, exclamation) | ||
| 16 | EMBOSS | After return, yours truly and gaffer raise relief (6) |
| ME (yours truly) reversed (after return) then BOSS (gaffer) | ||
| 18 | REASSERT | Again insist upon lock being put back on unfinished tower (8) |
| TRESS (lock, of hair) reversed (being put back) on REAr (tower, unfinished) | ||
| 21 | UNINTELLIGENT | Thick single bloke on report following loveless marriage (13) |
| GENT (bloke) follows (on) TELL (report) all following UNIoN (marriage) missing O (love) | ||
| 22 | CAMELLIA | Animal having to be sick around shrub (8) |
| CAMEL (animal) with (having) AIL (to be sick) reversed (around) | ||
| 23 | IGNARO | I called back old fool yesterday (6) |
| I then RANG (called) reversed (back) and O (old) – yesterday indicates the definition is archaic | ||
| DOWN | ||
| 1 | MOONIE | Show behind schedule, finally interrupted by international church member (6) |
| MOON (show one’s behind) then schedulE (last letter, finally) containing (interrupted by) I (international) | ||
| 2 | ORGONE | Sexual energy relinquished when going topless (6) |
| fORGONE (relinquished) missing first letter (going topless) | ||
| 3 | ROCK OF GIBRALTAR | European situation, read so cryptically, could have got Blair far (4,2,9) |
| read cryptically if you ROCK (rearrange) OF GIBRALTAR you could have GOT BLAIR FAR – European situation is “a place in Europe” | ||
| 4 | NEUROTIC | Anxious new US check briefly involving a transnational currency (8) |
| N (new) TICk (the tick symbol, called check in US) contains (involving) EURO (a transnational currency) | ||
| 5 | IRISH ELK | Shire ground crossed by kind old deer (5,3) |
| anagram (ground) of SHIRE inside (crossed by) ILK (kind) – old indicates the deer is now extinct | ||
| 7 | BARMKIN | Almost insane to straddle minute old battlement (7) |
| BARKINg (insane, almost) contains (to straddle) M (minute) | ||
| 9 | TIARA | One wearing a female’s headgear (5) |
| I (one) inside (wearing) TARA (a female, example name) | ||
| 13 | TEMPURAS | Eats up Mr Silly’s dishes (8) |
| anagram (silly) of EATS UP MR | ||
| 14 | UNSETTLE | University upset about son causing bother (8) |
| U (university) NETTLE (upset) contains S (son) | ||
| 15 | EPSTEIN | Nuisance lowering head before one German artist (7) |
| PEST (nuisance) with first letter moved down the word (lowering head) then EIN (one, in German) – Jacob Epstein | ||
| 17 | OXIDE | Chemical compound stored in box, I’d expect (5) |
| found inside bOX I’D Expect | ||
| 19 | ACIDIC | Sharp police unit infiltrating withdrawn US agents (6) |
| CID (polics unit) inside (infiltrating) CIA (US agents) reversed (withdrawn) | ||
| 20 | RETURN | Report concerning revolution (6) |
| RE (concerning) TURN (revolution) | ||
This was a difficult one for me but enjoyable nonetheless. A number of new words and clues I gave up trying to parse so came here for enlightenment. Lots of clever surfaces including favourites like NORFOLK BROADS and CAMELLIA. TEMPURAS made me laugh because no menu I’ve ever seen lists it with an ‘s’.
I did, however, spot the Nina – the shape of the grid drew my attention to it. The radio show was before my time but the tube station was one I passed on the way to uni. I listened to the Yorkshire rules version which raised a smile.
Thanks to Monk and PeeDee.
Enjoyed this although I think there were too many archaic terms.
In 22a, it is AIL not ILL.
Thanks to Monk and PeeDee.
At 7D I had “almost insane” as BARKIN(G), straddling M. Thanks to Monk for puzzle and PeeDee for blog.
Thanks for spotting that Hovis. Fixed now.
Thanks ub. I have fixed that one too.
Spotting the Nina round the perimeter certainly helped with solving the NW corner with a few works from the Book of Obscure Words for Crossword setters.
The usual Monk fun so thank you to him and PeeDee
Another cracker from Monk-must see how the show is going now with no Humph-what a bloke!
No way there was not going to be a nina on this grid and spotted it quickly but i still had a bit of trouble finishing.
Thanks Monk and PeeDee
Oh, this one had too many erstwhile unknown words for me to have fun – the top half was barren. Educational puzzle today.
Thanks Monk and PeeDee
A tough crossword with a number of new words. Twigged to a nina around the perimeter quite early and about three quarters of the way through recognised that CRESCENT was going to be a part of it, but without knowing the game, it didn’t’t help with that tricky NW quadrant. Was pleased that only need a pattern matcher to find ORGONE which was the last clue to fall.
Was able to eventually parse all of the clues which was probably more fun than winkling out the actual answers. Thought that NORFOLK BROADS and ROCK OF GIBRALTAR were the best of those word plays.