Another enjoyable and meticulously clued puzzle from Nutmeg, with some interesting definitions.
I liked all the long perimeter clues and also had ticks for 16 and 20ac and 4, 11, 17, 19 and 20dn.
Thanks to Nutmeg for the puzzle.
Definitions are underlined in the clues.
Across
1 Notes about mollusc one cooked as tribute to sailor (7,6)
NELSON’S COLUMN
I initially thought we were an S short in N N (notes) around an anagram (cooked) of MOLLUSC ONE and wondered if it should be MOLLUSCS or ONE’S but it’s not like Nutmeg to make mistakes; I’m pretty sure that we’ve seen N N cluing ‘news’ fairly recently, so I think we perhaps have to take ‘notes’ as indicating NNS – what did you make of it?
[I have just looked at the Guardian site before posting the blog and discovered that Nutmeg has posted an apology there]
10 Means of ascending rocky coastal area unveiled (9)
ESCALATOR
An anagram (rocky) of COASTAL [a]RE[a] `
11 Married soldier’s sent back a letter from abroad (5)
SIGMA
A reversal (sent back) of M (married) GI’S (soldier’s) + A for the Greek letter S
12 Oddly priced toy displaying quality brother seeks? (5)
PIETY
Odd letters of PrIcE ToY, the brother being a monk
13 Key step taken by defenders (9)
BACKSPACE
BACKS (defenders) + PACE (step)
14 Anything in New York inclined to offend (7)
NAUGHTY
AUGHT (anything) in NY (New York)
16 Tag describing article found in English mine (7)
EPITHET
THE (article) in E (English) PIT (mine)
18 Labour excluded from government training session (7)
WORKOUT
WORK (labour) + OUT (of office – excluded from government, I think)
20 Explain inclusion of tragic old man in contest (5,2)
CLEAR UP
(King) LEAR (tragic old man) in CUP (contest)
21 Pure ecstasy after flower festival in church (4-5)
LILY-WHITE
E (ecstasy) after LILY (flower) WHIT (festival in church, also called Pentecost)
23 Light flickering from fine sparkly fabric (5)
FLAME
F (fine) + LAMÉ (sparkly fabric)
24 Remote school denied sandwiches (5)
OLDEN
Contained (sandwiched) in schoOL DENied
25 They review problem with motorway sign (9)
SUMMARIES
SUM (problem) + M (motorway) + ARIES (sign of the zodiac)
26 Marshal notices seats occupied by 1,000 holders of these? (6,7)
SEASON TICKETS
An anagram (marshal) of NOTICES SEATS round K (1,000)
Down
2 Former PM’s retreat briefly Chancellor’s responsibility (9)
EXCHEQUER
EX (former) + CHEQUER[s] (PM’s retreat, briefly)
3 Seasoned officer’s penetrating voice (5)
SALTY
LT (lieutenant) – officer) in SAY (voice)
4 Particularly large stick raised over boy’s bottom (7)
NOTABLY
A reversal (raised) of L (large) BATON (stick) + [bo]Y
5 Initially carry great authority, a typically Welsh craft (7)
CORACLE
C[arry] + ORACLE (great authority)
6 The Spanish earl gives out tips and is delayed (5,4)
LOSES TIME
LOS (the Spanish) + E (earl) + a reversal (tips) of EMITS (gives out)
7 Hot stuff emerging from company meeting in Massachusetts (5)
MAGMA
AGM (annual general meeting) in MA (Massachusetts)
8 Grand growth in garden has Shakespeare in tears — I’m touched (7,6)
WEEPING WILLOW
WEEPING WILL (Shakespeare in tears) + OW (I’m touched)
9 Helping with alacrity, agree to settle best rent (5,2,6)
EAGER TO PLEASE
An anagram (to settle) of AGREE + TOP (best) LEASE (rent)
15 Deceives with bat, slicing through covers (9)
HOODWINKS
WINK (bat – an eyelid) in HOODS (covers)
17 Should one mix basil with the last of coriander? (9)
HERBALIST
An anagram (mix) of BASIL + THE + [coriande]R
19 As potential purchaser, gets into stonier ground (5,2)
TRIES ON
An anagram (ground) of STONIER
20 Man contrarily supporting rebel leader, unknown where I live (4,3)
CHEZ MOI
A reversal (contrarily) of IOM (Isle of Man) after (supporting, in a down clue) CHE (rebel leader) + Z (unknown)
22 Youth league disheartened server (5)
LADLE
LAD (youth) + L[eagu]E, disheartened
23 Bottle finally explodes in intense fire (5)
FLASK
[explode]S in FLAK (intense fire)
A delightful puzzle as always from Nutmeg, although I couldn’t parse a couple. Like Eileen, I noticed that NELSONS COLUMN was one S short; and ‘government in WORKOUT seemed superfluous to me. Favourites were LILY-WHITE, CORACLE and EAGER TO PLEASE. Many thanks to E & N.
I apologise for the faulty anagram at 1ac. As Eileen says, one should read one’s, as it did when I wrote the clue. The ‘s got lost along the way before I submitted the puzzle – my fault entirely.
Nutmeg
Many thanks – and commiserations, Nutmeg.
Thanks Eileen – thought it was a very pleasant solve, and a tad easier than usual. I couldn’t explain LOSES OUT being convinced it was either el or la, and completely forgot about the plural form.
Not sure I understand where the extra S comes from in 1 – I hadn’t checked the fodder in any case
Thanks, Nutmeg, too
I agree, an enjoyable workout. Similar favs. Thanks to Nutmeg, and also for the apology. Thanks also to Eileen
I am so glad the superb NELSON’S COLUMN was a typo and not a compiler’s error.
Thanks Nutmeg for a delightful puzzle, especial favourites among many being ESCALATOR, PIETY, BACKSPACE, SEASON TICKETS, LOSES TIME and CHEZ MOI.
Thanks Eileen for the usual immaculately helpful blog, in particular explaining how WEEPING WILLOW and HOODWINKS worked.
Eileen, I think you’ve missed 23d in your blog.
Crossbar @7 – I’d just noticed that. It’s there now!
I solved this slowly but steadily, with lots to enjoy along the way. I didn’t count the letters for 1a properly – just did a quick check to see if all the letters needed seemed to be there with none that were not needed. But thanks for the apology, Nutmeg – and for the crossie.
Where is FLASK, Eileen? I couldn’t parse it and can’t find your explanation.
I, too, inserted the “s” in NELSON’s COLUMN without checking the fodder. I think we should turn an appropriate blind eye to this error. It was a nice pdm when I thought “How on earth is WINK bat? Oh, I see” SEASON TICKETS was my favourite, as it reminded me of the slight frisson you get when you go to a match on your friend’s ticket.
Found this tricky – but I usually seem to find Nutmeg’s puzzles so. Got there in the end with the help of a word finder but when parsing managed to miss a couple of anagrams. Also thought some of the descriptions did not spring to mind e.g. OLDEN for “remote” and SUMMARIES for “they review”.
Likes much the same as NeilH plus NAUGHTY for the use of the word *aught*.
Thanks Nutmeg and Eileen
Murphy’s Law – as soon as I ask, it has already been answered.
Thank you, Eileen. Strangely that was the one I was particularly looking for, as for some reason I couldn’t parse it. Now you’ve explained, it’s perfectly obvious. Sighs.
Thanks to Nutmeg too for enjoyable but not too taxing crossword.
An elegant crossword as ever from Nutmeg. I did wonder why I was one letter adrift in 1ac, but assumed the shortcoming was mine!
Thanks to Nutmeg and Eileen.
Never even noticed the boo-boo in 1a, I was too wrapped up in enjoyment of another super puzzle from Nutmeg. on top of her game. Far too many excellent clues to pick favourites.
To my shame, I bunged in NELSON’S COLUMN unchecked, so Nutmeg’s mea culpa was wasted on me.
HOODWINKS my favourite today for the excellent surface.
I need help with OLDEN, however. In what sense does it equate to remote?
Lovely, satisfying solve from a pro.
Many thanks.
Of course I didn’t notice the missing letter in 1ac. It was obviously an anagram, and I left it until I had some crossers to save the bother of having to think too much. I admire how meticulous some of my fellow solvers are. I’m very much in the “near enough” camp. :-/
Thanks Nutmeg, as enjoyable as ever.
I never did work out why wink=bat, and olden=remote was a stretch. I know that you are expected to ignore the rules of grammar when putting together the elements of a clue, but the plural LOS with the singular E(arl) in LOSES TIME is still jarring.
Favourites NELSONS COLUMN (it doesn’t sound to me as though the typo was Nutmeg’s fault), TRIES ON, CHEZ MOI, WEEPING WILLOW – and I liked the NAUGHTY EPITHET across the middle – I usually say one or two of those when the pennies drop.
Wot Eileen said, and others too, as I just bunged in 1a without counting – mollusc was enough to convince me it was correct.
Fell down at 24a (why don’t I look at clues more carefully?) and the clever misdirection of 22d.
Thanks to all.
Me @16: Ah…remote as in a long time ago, I’m guessing?
[Nelson stood about 5 ft 6 in. His statue in Trafalgar Square is 17 ft 4 in. That’s a Horatio of around 3:1]
Thanks Nutmeg and Eileen
It took me a while to get started but I enjoyed it after that.
Favourites: CHEZ MOI, SUMMARIES, HOODWINKS, WORKOUT.
Thanks, both.
Another very enjoyable outing from Nutmeg. I did notice the lack of an S in NELSONS COLUMN but that didn’t distract from a satisfying solve – we all make mistakes from time to time.
Even having being able to speak Spanish many years ago, I missed the ‘los’ in LOSES TIME for ages, doh – I’m so used to seeing el or la (must look out for ‘las’ in future). Including that one, my picks were NOTABLY, ESCALATOR, HERBALIST and CHEZ MOI.
Thanks Nutmeg and Eileen.
Really liked this one. My favourites have all been canvassed. The parsing of CHEZ MOI at 20d eluded me. Thanks to Nutmeg and Eileen.
Thanks Nutmeg & Eileen, I enjoyed this a lot, especially HERBALIST and HOODWINKS.
A touch of the refiner’s fire flickered through today’s workout.
Penfold@21 🙂
Lily-white associated more with Sir Jasper’s sheets or poms’ legs than purity, but yes pretty neat surfaces as ever from the spice lady. That said, ow is more ouch, it’s usually aw (or bless) for ‘I’m touched’. And tho I got wink for bat, couldn’t think of a working substitution. Not to worry, thanks EnN (and apols if I’m repeating anything above; will now read…)
Thanks Nutmeg and Eileen. I thought this was wonderful and very enjoyable – not too hard (a breeze compared to yesterday’s Pasquale), just lots of inventive, well worked clues with smooth, elegant surfaces, and no quibbles worth mentioning. Eileen, I agree with all your ticks but really there are too many good ones to pick a favourite.
Like others, I wrote in NELSONS COLUMN without checking off the letters – it was obvious enough what was going on there – so the error didn’t spoil the enjoyment. (And thanks also Penfold @21 for the Groan Of The Day.)
SUMMARIES was clue of the day for me, I don’t have to think too hard when my own birth sign comes up. Liked this a lot, but I only inked in OLDEN very lightly until all the crossers were in.
Whenever I see OLDEN I think “glimpse of stocking”, and the sight of ‘Anything in New York’ for 14ac got my Cole Porter antennae working overtime, but unless we’re all being thick there’s nothing more of that kind on display today.
Favourites today HOODWINKS and MAGMA for the nice surfaces.
Thanks as always to Eileen for her helpful blog, and to Nutmeg for the WORKOUT, and for dropping in to CLEAR UP the riddle at 1ac.
Thank you Eileen. Had the same ticks for the down clues. My taste buds were tingled when I saw it was Nutmeg. Husband happy because he thought he was in for a bit of peace and joy. But just not on Nutmeg’s spectrum today, some of it no doubt due to lacking UKGK. But no complaints. It comes with the territory and I enjoy being taken outside my comfort zone.,
Am usually a wake up to MAN, but IOM not familiar, to me anway. WEEPING WILLOW down here is usually on a river bank or a pasture, not in a garden bed, but I did like the innovative ‘I’m touched’ for OW.
TBH, I found this of a lesser standard than Nutmeg’s usual fare, mainly because of some well-worn cluing eg E for English and Earl. LOS for the Spanish, GI for soldier, M for motorway, Z For unknown, aries for sign. Liked STONIER, but again an over-used anagrind. Sorry Eileen, I know it’s one you like.
HERBALIST fav.
Apologies Nutmeg for the peeves, and thanks for dropping in. Looking forward to next time.
This was over far too quickly today, once I had spotted COLUMN lurking in the mollusc in 1ac. Thanks to some very precise definitions within the clues, the left half then fell very quickly into place with the grid greatly helping, the last to resist were BACKSPACE, EPITHET and EAGER TO PLEASE. Another Nutmeg masterclass much enjoyed as usual…
Thanks for the blog, not usually keen on Nutmeg but this was pretty good. HOODWINKS is very neat for the use of BAT, HERBALIST a very nice &Lit . Not keen on 20D but I have seen CHE far too many times.
I see that BACKSPACE is yet another key for me to learn, still not mastered the ANY key.
Good to see Penfold @ 21 on good form. No theme mentioned ? Looking at you AlanC.
Pleasant pastime. I immediately spotted that 1ac was an anagram, but as I was unsure what ‘notes’ represented (could have been anything from A to G) I passed on. I filled in the solution when the crossers screamed it out to me, without bothering to check the anagrist….
Favourites were SIGMA, NOTABLY and FLASK – not difficult clues, but with glossy surfaces.
paddymelon @30: I agree that ‘sign’ = ARIES is a bit hackneyed (although I have seen it signify LEO), but ‘the Spanish’ is almost always EL, so this did hold me up a little.
Thanks to Nutmeg and Eileen
I struggled for a long time to find a way to explain the missing S in 1a. I got as far as rearranging the necessary fodder as MUSSEL COLON, which might have worked had there been a “:” in the clue. Retired in the end assuming it was a typo.
After putting in HOODWINK I thought I’d check a few dictionaries to see if there was any use of “bat”=”wink” other than in the phrase “bat an eyelid”. Nope, every damn source used that very phrase, and I’ve never heard “bat” alone to mean “wink”. So what that suggests to me is that if “wink” = “bat an eyelid”, then the entire semantic load of the eye is carried in the word “eyelid”, so “bat” alone just means “move” or “open and close” or something like that. I just checked Chambers before posting and it seems to agree with me – it comes from a word meaning “flutter” or “flap”. So unfortunately, this clue is wrong too, it seems. Just a little.
This reminded me why Nutmeg is my favourite setter. Perhaps on the easier side but lots to smile about and, for me, a welcome contrast to yesterday’s grueling puzzle (which I know many people enjoyed).
The clue for NOTABLY reminded me of a recent conversation with friends about corporal punishment. It made me smile but others might have flinched.
Lots of favourites: all the long ones, MAGMA, BACKSPACE, HERBALIST.
Thanks Nutmeg and Eileen for the clear and economical blog.
Dr. WhatsOn@34
From SOED:
2. verb trans. Blink; flutter (one’s eyelashes), esp. in a flirtatious manner. e19.
SOED also has a (rare) meaning of wink as flicker.
More broadly, I wonder if it’s cricket to use part of a well known phrase, such as bat for “bat of an eyelid” or cathedral for cathedral city?
It seems fine to me if a convention exists for those phrases, even if that convention is only in crossword-land.
I had a good time with this last night — thanks to Nutmeg for the puzzle. And thanks to Eileen as ever for the helpful blog, which straightened me out here and there.
News to me that WHIT is a festival, I thought it was Whitsun.
I don’t think “wink”= “bat.” To bat your eyes is to flutter them, it’s almost effortless. To wink, which involves just one eye, requires a bit of effort and use of the cheek muscles. Try it — can you flutter just one eye?
Thanks again to Nutmeg and Eileen.
Valentine @ 37: the full name of the festival is Whitsuntide, which seems to undergo successive abbreviations to get to Whit.
As someone said earlier, ‘elegant’ is exactly the right word for this. I did struggle with the missing s in 1ac but didn’t dwell on it.
Thanks to Nutmeg and Eileen for helping a boring train journey to Liverpool pass quickly.
DrWhatsOn@34 & Valentine@37 If ‘bat’ = flutter, flap or blink, I think it might also occasionally be interchangeable with wink. But if not, we can at least like Nelson wink at it or turn a blind eye (thanks Petert@10)- it’s fairly ‘armless 😉
Very enjoyable indeed, I don’t always enjoy Nutmeg as much as everyone else seems to but today’s was excellent. My only quibbles have been dealt with or mentioned already; the missing s, the perhaps superfluous government, wink for bat – I briefly wondered if a wink was the ‘bat’ in tiddlywinks but it turns out that’s called a squidger. I was left with the IMO slightly loose bat an eyelid. Far more ticks than crosses though.
Thanks Nutmeg and Eileen.
I neglected to say that despite the small quandaries, I really enjoyed the puzzle. Completed it in less time than normal for a Nutmeg, too.
Thanks Nutmeg and Eileen.
I don’t know how you and your fellow bloggers do it – I needed help with NOTABLY, LOSES TIME and TRIES ON. May your lum ever reek (hope that’s right).
From the discussion of NELSON’S COLUMN are we to take it going forward (but what is the alternative?) that N=note? A new one on me. So now “note” can be A, B, C, D, E, F, G or N. Strewth!
The inclusion of “government” in WORKOUT is, imho, justifiable for the sake of the surface.
As Roz@32 indicates HERBALIST seems to be an &lit and as usual I hesitate to suggest an amendment to the blog accordingly, for the sake of completeness.
SEASON TICKETS reminded me of the no doubt apocryphal story of a holder who enjoyed the season with a vacant seat next door until the occupant turned up on Boxing Day. A season ticket from Santa!
Not to mention do, re, mi etc
Alphalpha @43 – I think you’ll find it’s A to H (H being B natural in German music notation). Plus N, of course. And don’t forget NB!
[Valentine/Simon S @37/38: Whit-sunday is followed by Whit Monday. The whole week is Whitsuntide; in some places Whit Friday is still “a thing”. The most common theory is that the name derives from the white garments worn by catechumens who were to be baptised at Pentecost.
Half-term in the UK always used to be Whitsun week, and Whit Monday was a bank holiday (public holiday). It still is in many places, including the British Virgin Islands. Good news for Mr Cox, who no doubt could do with a break after all that hard work.]
Whit week brass band competitions are still going strong. The bands march through villages whilst playing and being judged, Saddleworth and Oldham are the hotbed for this.
Thanks Eileen, I didn’t notice the typo but did wonder what the government had to do with WORKOUT and thought there may have been more going on with WEEPING WILLOW but maybe Nutmeg just has a big garden, good for her if so.
BACKSPACE was my last, had unparsed BACKSLASH for a long time, as I still think of it as “delete”, because on the Spectrum (I don’t go back quite as far as the pdp11) I am pretty sure you could only delete backwards (caps+0 was it?) – Roz@20 my laptop keyboard only has an X inside a left-pointing signpost, but my office keyboard has the full word so I have no excuse really.
I thought “tips” in 6D was nice misdirection though if I hadn’t got it would probably complain that it is a bit loose as inversion indicator, but loved SIGMA which took all crossers to get me looking at it the right way, and echo the general praise for smoothness today, thanks Nutmeg.
Got to admit I didn’t spot the missing S and anyway I thought NELSONS COLUMN was finely clued.
This was by no means straightforward but all impeccably fair.
Favourites were NOTABLY, EPITHET and CHEZ MOI.
Thanks Nutmeg and Eileen
The first puzzle in ages I’ve failed to solve at one sitting. After an hour this morning, I threw in the towel with only a couple in. This evening I stepped back up to the plate and a slow but steady solve ensued. Lots to like and 1ac was my favourite – needless to say the missing “s” went unnoticed. Lovely stuff – thanks to Nutmeg and Eileen.
Most enjoyable as I expected it to be — thanks Nutmeg. I seem to have less time for cryptics these days so I can no longer attempt the G, the FT, and the Indy every day so I pick and choose among my favourite setters — Nutmeg always makes the cut. Readable surfaces and clues like SIGMA, CLEAR UP, HERBALIST, and CHEZ MOI will keep me coming back. Thanks Eileen for filling in my parsing gaps.
There is a willow grows aslant a brook. (Given that this speech of Gertrude’s is something of a cipher for the plays entire, I’m especially hoping the reference was intended…) Lovely. Thank you Nutmeg and Eileen. xxxx
We really enjoyed this one. Herbalist was a fave.
First time we managed to finish on the same day – we’ve just started doing Guardian cryptic crosswords after a gap of 40 years (John) and never before (Ellie), and up to now it’s always been a long drawn out battle of attrition over several days and many sessions, so we’re dead chuffed about this one!
Forgot to say, big thanks to Eileen and to Nutmeg 🙂
John & Ellie @53
Congratulations! And welcome, if this is your first comment – and my apologies if it isn’t. I hope we’ll hear from you again. 🙂
A rare finish to a Nutmeg crossword, but I assume everyone is in bed anyway.
Thanks for clearing up a couple of parsings, Eileen.
Well I did finish quite quickly yesterday morning, but I’ve waited 24h to see if the parsing fir LOSES TIME would come to me. It didn’t! I had LOS, and E(arl), but failed to spot that ‘tips’ meant turn over. Thank you Eileen for sorting that out for me. Before I found 225, it would have just been a mystery to me.
Moth @57, if you’re still there – there are some days when no amount of staring or leaving aside (which, mercifully does usually work for me, though not always in time for the blog!) causes the penny to drop. At least you got as far as LOS, which held me up for a bit.
I’m glad you’re still persevering on your own and finding a lifeline in 15².