Serpent presents today’s challenge.
We found this slightly easier than than we have come to expect of a weekend Serpent puzzle, but none the less enjoyable. We usually expect to find a theme or a nina in Serpent’s puzzles, but it took us a little while after we had completed the grid to find the nina running clockwise from the E in 7d – the title of a song from Handel’s ‘Messiah’. We can’t find any relevance to today’s date – ‘The Messiah’ was apparently first performed in Dublin on 13th April 1742.
We are out and about a bit today, possibly without internet access for a while, so may not be able to respond to any comments.
ESC (key) HEW (cut with a sharp instrument)
ALL (everyone) AT SEA (‘in the main’)
IT (information technology) in or ‘infiltrating’ EX (former) TRADE (clientele)
First letters or ‘starts’ of Discover Extraordinary Lead Vases Everywhere
TERMInaTE (stop) without or ‘abandoning’ N (North) A (American)
An anagram (‘out’) of SET + WARD (‘Guardian’s responsibility’)
NAMED (identified) reversed (‘after revolution’)
OVER (extra) STAY (support)
BRICK (‘block off building’) BAT (club)
A reversal (‘over’) of ER (expression of doubt) + EVE (‘first-time offender’)
OVER (remaining) after or ‘on’ FLY (smart)
A reversal (‘returned’) of ER (‘head of state’ – the Queen) + TREAT (deal with)
Hidden in (‘part of’) high-profILE ACtor – the definition continues into the clue for 28ac: …’name associated with entrails‘
An anagram (‘possibly’) of N (name) and ENTRAILS
HER (that woman) in or ‘skirted by’ GATED (did not let out)
SEXT (‘rude message’) ON (about)
EVENT (competition) IDEa (plan) ‘losing’ the last letter or ‘backing’
CRATE (box) with the ‘r’ (recipe) moved to the back, or ‘taken down’ in a down clue
A reversal (‘about’) of N (name) I (one) TALE (story) round or ‘consuming’ O (love)
A homophone (‘in audiobook format’) of LEADS (guides)
Triple definition
An anagram (‘boobs’) of WEAR FALSE
GEN (information) in or ‘absorbed by’ ADAm (‘original person’) without the last letter or ‘almost’
TIME (porridge) BOMB (egg)
A SEAT (Spanish car) that is similar to a MERC (upmarket German car) might fancifully be described as a MERCY SEAT – we hadn’t come across this term before
ENTITY (existence) round or ‘sucking in’ RE (on)
JET (narrow stream) + an anagram (‘flowing’) of IS NOT
An anagram (‘cooked’) of E C (alternate or ‘regular’ letters of pErCh) and CHIVEs without the last letter or ‘mainly’
If you were to TIRE (get fed up) again, you might perhaps be said to RETIRE + E (English)
Double definition
A homophone (‘caught’) of RAYS (fish)
An anagram (‘convoluted’) of TALE round X (unknown quantity)
I was ALL AT SEA as to the meaning of the Nina despite being a fan of the composer. It’s made me realise I only know one piece – the famous one – of the larger work of which the Nina is a part.
I didn’t know MERCY SEAT (good clue) for ‘throne’ either and don’t remember having come across DEMAN before.
Despite appearing in one of the most over-used phrases in modern English – “ADDRESS the issue” – my favourite was the triple def at 6d.
Thanks to Serpent and B&J
Phew! Two fairly serious workouts this Saturday morning but it was satisfying to tease this one out. I’m giving myself 9 out of 10 for the Nina! I remembered to look, I saw the phrase but I couldn’t place it and – as a result – wasn’t entirely sure. EVRY rather than ‘every’ threw me and I see even the Internet seems to be divided on the precise phrase and spelling.
Like WordPlodder @1, I delighted in MERCY SEAT – haven’t encountered the phrase but I’d worked out the possible inclusion of both MERC and SEAT – it took a while for the whimsicality to register! Also, we share a top slot for the triple definition which was beautifully done. I also liked the two clues connected with ellipses and, whilst I’m not the expert in construction that I should be, I sense that is the ‘correct’ way to use them with both clues and solutions supporting each other.
I will confess to a parsing error as it might amuse! 24. Breed fish one’s caught (5) I put a ‘I’ inside RASE, taking ‘caught’ as an insertion indicator and thinking ‘rase’ was a type of fish (there are a lot of fish names out there!). Of course, I was thinking of wrasse: doh!
Thanks Serpent and B&J
Another splendid Serpent crossword and I did remember to look for the Nina and recognise where it comes from too
Thanks to him and B&J
PM@ 2: That RASE bit was interesting (more so because I went down the same path before I could smell (or hear) RAYS)!
MERCY SEAT: lovely.
Although “Ev’ry valley..” immediately evokes Messiah for me, it’s originally from chapter 40 of the book of Isaiah, which provided several other memorable lines to the work.
An enjoyable challenge which didn’t take us too long. We liked the linked clues at 27/28 in that they were linked and the ellipses weren’t there as misdirection; and we liked 6dn for its surface and its touch of &lit-ishness. And being a Serpent puzzle we expected a nina – but then forgot to look for it though when we saw it it set us off humming the tune.
Thanks to Serpent for the challenge and the earworm, and to B&J for the blog.
Many thanks to Bertandjoyce for the fine blog, and to everyone who has taken the time to leave a comment.
Thanks Serpent for an excellent crossword and to Bertandjoyce for the blog. I enjoyed many clues, among them TERMITE, REEVE, SEXTON, ELATION, and JETTISON. And it’s always fun having a nina — it’s the icing on the cake.