Independent 11,300 by Nimrod

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In a change to the regular Indy schedule, Nimrod steps in to provide our Friday challenge.

I don’t think I’ve blogged a Nimrod puzzle before, but he has a reputation for being at the tougher end of the scale. That seems a fair description today: there are a few obscure words (to me, at least) and twisted definitions, and in a couple of clues the grammar is at best unhelpful. However, it all makes sense when you finally see the answer, as it should. I enjoyed the cricketing surfaces in 11a and 1d, the reverse constructions in 20a and 4d, and the somewhat unlikely image of 23a. Thanks Nimrod for an enjoyable challenge.

Definitions are underlined; BOLD UPPERCASE indicates letters used in the wordplay; square brackets [ ] indicate omitted letters.

ACROSS
6 NEON
Low-scoring draw this No.10 clinched? (4)
Hidden answer (. . . clinched = held) in [o]NE-ON[e] (a low-scoring draw in football). But that seems more multi-layered than would usually be allowed, and I can’t quite make the grammar of the sentence work. Any better ideas?

Neon is the element with atomic number 10 in the periodic table.
7 SLIP GAUGES
For good measure, blocks comic uses with gag to subdue backchat (4,6)
Anagram (comic) of USES + GAG, containing (to subdue) LIP (backchat = impudent talk).

Measuring devices: a set of blocks of metal or ceramic ground to precise thicknesses.
11 ATTRITIONAL
Stopping at Test ground, into such a contest? (11)
AT + TRIAL (test), with an anagram (ground) of INTO inserted (stopping it).

Extended definition: an attritional contest is one that takes sustained effort over a long period to produce a result, such as a Test cricket match on a pitch that isn’t giving the bowlers much help.
12 ANI
Name assumed by rare black cuckoo (3)
N (abbreviation for name) contained in (assumed by) AI (A1 = rare, in the sense of “highest quality”).

Yes, it’s a black cuckoo in tropical regions of the Americas. No, I hadn’t heard of it either.
13 FLY ASH
Yard probing vulgar residue from power station (3,3)
Y (abbreviation for yard = imperial unit of length) inserted into FLASH (showy in a vulgar way, as in “flash car”).

Very small ash particles produced in a coal-fired boiler, which used to escape into the atmosphere with the exhaust gases but are now generally captured to reduce pollution.
15 BUN FIGHT
A jolly playful nibble from Spooner! (3,5)
Spoonerism of FUN BITE (playful nibble).

Jolly, as a noun = bun fight = slang for a party, especially one where free food and drink is provided.
18 BESTREW
First on with broadcast (7)
BEST (first) + RE (on = on the subject of) + W (abbreviation for with).

Bestrew = broadcast = scatter.
20 ANAGRAM
But Rose is one of our best! (7)
Reverse wordplay: “but Rose” is an ANAGRAM of “our best”.
22 EXEMPLAR
Retired London lawyer has no time for model (8)
EX (prefix indicating “retired”) + [t]EMPLAR (a lawyer who works in the Temple legal district of London) without the T (time).

Exemplar = model = a good example of its type, worthy to be imitated.
23 FLOTUS
Unbridled lust of prominent American partner (6)
Anagram (unbridled = free) of LUST OF.

Abbreviation for First Lady Of The United States = the wife of the president (POTUS).
27 PIE
It’s easy to confuse a chatterer (3)
Triple definition. As in “as easy as pie”; to confuse or mix up (from the old printers’ term “pie” for jumbled-up type not sorted into individual letters); or a variant name for magpie (a chattering bird).
28 POSSESSABLE
Brush with groups of lawmen, there for the taking? (11)
SABLE (a paintbrush made from the hair of the sable, a forest mammal) after POSSES (groups of lawmen).

I don’t think I’ve ever seen this word before, and I doubt I’ll ever find a use for it again, but it makes sense.
29 DEEP-ROOTED
Hard to rip up books with covering letter for my boss (4-6)
OT (Old Testament = books), contained in (with . . . covering) DEE (the letter D) + PRO (for) + ED (short for editor = newspaper boss, so “my boss” from the crossword setter’s viewpoint).

As in a deep-rooted plant = hard to rip up; or metaphorically, as in a deep-rooted assumption or prejudice that’s hard to overcome.
30 BANK
It provides the necessary arrangement of keys (4)
Double definition. A financial institution, hence it provides “the necessary” (slang for money); or an arrangement of keys on a computer keyboard or control system.
DOWN
1 IN CALF
Cut squarely for two, not hard to clinch ton – expecting a little lower? (2,4)
IN [h]ALF (cut squarely for two = divided into two portions), without the H (abbreviation for hard), containing T C (abbreviation for ton century, which in cricket terms can also be called a ton = a score of 100). The whole phrase suggests a cricketer hitting a ball at right angles to the line of the pitch, to score two runs on the way to a century.

In calf (of a cow or similar animal = “lower” from the “lowing” sound it makes) = pregnant, so expecting a “little lower”.
2 POETRY
For which US writer overlooks essay? (6)
POE (the US writer Edgar Allan Poe) before (overlooking = above, in a down clue) TRY (essay, as a verb = attempt).

Extended definition: Poe wrote essays but is probably better known for poetry and short stories.
3 BLAIR
In retrospect, someone partial to Prime-ministerial blunders (5)
Hidden answer (partial to = a part of), reversed (in retrospect), in [prime-ministe]RIAL B[lunders].

Clue as definition: former British PM Tony Blair, whose record was somewhat tainted by his support for war in Iraq, among other things.
4 SPUN SUGAR
Italian sauces giving us the constitution of candyfloss? (4,5)
Reverse wordplay: RAGUS, the plural of ragù (Italian sauce made with meat and usually tomatoes), but SPUN (reversed).
5 HALL
Hotel laid on the works dinner in Oxford? (4)
H (abbreviation for hotel) + ALL (the works = slang for everything).

Hall = a term used in Oxford and Cambridge universities as a shorthand for “formal dinner in a college dining hall”.
8 GRANGER
Farm steward snarls with rage evicting owls (7)
GR[owls] (snarls) + ANGER (rage), without OWLS.
9 SHITTIM
Not a word one associates with hand rearing acacia? (7)
SH (sh! = not a word! = command not to speak) + I (one in Roman numerals), then MITT (slang for hand) reversed (rearing = rising up, in a down clue).

A name for acacia wood, used in the Old Testament.
10 AIRSTRIP
Publicises tour – and its point of departure? (8)
AIRS (as a verb = publicises) + TRIP (tour = journey).

Extended definition: airstrip = a runway for aeroplanes, which may be the starting point for a journey.
14 LIE
Lean or porky? (3)
Double definition. To rest on something; or short for “porky pie” = rhyming slang for “lie” = untruth.
16 FRAILEST
Train-spotters’ gala perhaps elevating fellow most in need of support (8)
RAILFEST (perhaps a gala for train-spotters), with the F (fellow) “elevated” to the beginning (top, in a down clue).
17 SWEAT SHOP
Factory that exploits reforms in two phases (5,4)
Anagram (reforms in = changes to) TWO PHASES.

Slang for a factory where employees work for low pay, for excessive hours, in unsafe or unreasonable working conditions, or some combination of the above.
18 BLEEPED
“Jump between the sheets with energy for a ****” (did you hear what I did there?) (7)
LE[a]P (jump), inserted into BED (between the sheets = slang for in bed), with E (abbreviation for energy) replacing the A (E for A).

Bleep = the audio equivalent of replacing an unacceptable word with asterisks in printed text, so “did you hear” to indicate audio rather than print.
19 SIENESE
Surrealist seventies TV banned from art school (7)
Anagram (surrealist = strange?) of SE[v]EN[t]IES with the letters TV removed.

13th-15th century school of painting from Siena in Italy.
21 ALU
Worth scrubbing jacket potato (3)
[v]ALU[e] (worth), with the outer letters (jacket) removed.

A variant spelling of ALOO, a South Asian term for potatoes (for example in dishes such as sag aloo = potatoes cooked with spinach).
24 TOBIAS
This chap‘s against prejudice (6)
TO (against, as in “back to back”) + BIAS (prejudice).

A man’s name.
25 SNEAKY
Devious, just like Serpent, to keep one working away (6)
SNAKY (just like a serpent), containing [on]E without ON (working, as in “the lights are on”).
26 TELEX
Online service given boost by messaging system (5)
E (prefix meaning online, as in e-commerce) + LET (a service in tennis that brushes the net but lands in play), all reversed (given boost = pushed upwards, in a down clue), then X (multiplication symbol = by, as in “3 by 2”).

Mid 20th century signalling system, sending text-based messages over communications networks to be printed out at the receiving end. Superseded by fax machines, and later by email and text messaging.
28 PARP
The usual score when playing piano and horn (4)
PAR (the usual score when playing: in golf, the typical number of strokes needed for a particular hole or for the whole course) + P (p = Italian piano = musical term for playing quietly).

Parp = the sound of a horn, or perhaps (as a verb) to make this sound. But I’m not sure that “horn” itself is generally used in either of these senses.

17 comments on “Independent 11,300 by Nimrod”

  1. According to Chambers (how often do we read this phrase?), “horn” and “parp” can both function as intransitive verbs.

    As usual with Nimrod, had to cheat too much to complete to really enjoy this but always appreciate being pushed beyond my limits. Lots to learn here so I’m hopefully a wiser man from the experience.

  2. I thoroughly enjoyed solving the puzzle as well as reading the blog. Thanks, N and Q!

    NEON, IN CALF, BLEEPED and TELEX are my faves.

    A minor error:
    In ‘IN CALF’ it is C instead of T for ton.

  7. My first ever Nimrod and feeling pretty bruised. Was driven to try him/her out by enthusiastic comments on the Guardian cryptic crossword forum (that and a very rainy, bleak morning here). I will possibly get better with more practise. This reminded me in parts of an Azed – in respect of having to research some obscurities. It does, in the end, all make sense as you say, Quirister – and thanks for helping me out with neon and telex – I “solved” but did not parse those so consider I flunked them. This exercise has stopped me feeling smug about getting rather sharp on the Guardian cryptic. Thanks Nimrod for an extra-hard workout.

  8. Great puzzle and v good blog too.
    I believe SHITTIM is the plural of SHITTAH although I am no Hebrewologist!Or is it Hebrologist?
    Thanks JH and Quirister

  9. Oof! This one seriously exposed my limitations as a solver. Managed to fill the grid, with a little judicious use of the reveal button in a few places, but there were a few I struggled to parse – and I would never have got SHITTIM in a month of Sundays. Great clue though.

    TerriBlislow @7 – funny you should mention Azed, as I’m sure I’ve seen ANI in Azed puzzle more than once (you can see why it would be a handy filler word for barred grids). So I got that one, but struggled to make sense of “rare” for AI. Like you, I couldn’t make sense of TELEX at all. I spotted the one-one trick for NEON but had no idea what “number 10” meant – periodic table not my strong suit. Quirister, I think the grammar for that clue is fine – the wordplay is a tad indirect, perhaps, but within the bounds of fairness, I think.

    Among the bits I did manage to solve, there was much to enjoy – the clues for BLAIR, ANAGRAM, SIENESE, DEEP-ROOTED and SNEAKY especially.

    Thanks for the challenge, Nimrod. Well done and thanks on an EXEMPLARy blog, Quirister.

  10. Thanks S&B
    End of a successful run of completing Nimrod/Io etc. puzzles, didn’t get PARP or TELEX.
    6a made me think it would be a Pele puzzle, and there’s a tantalizing number of Ps, Ls and Es in the bottom of the grid, but can’t see anything substantial

  11. Oh, and FRAILEST, too – lovely clue – though I got rather fixated on it being the made-up FNERDEST until I had enough crossing letters to disabuse me.

  12. Thanks both. My worst performance in years, so regret not enjoyable, as the couple I missed which I feel I should have got were lost amongst those where I was always going to fail to solve or parse – I have said this before, that sometimes a setter is indifferent to the likelihood of solvers making real progress

  13. Very poor headway from me as well today (not helped by a three-day cold) – only about 2/3 of the way through before coming here.
    Yes, some obscurities and some trademark tough constructions. But a few super belters as compensation – FLOTUS, ANAGRAM, AIRSTRIP made it worth the cost of admission.

  14. Well blogged Q I tried this and gave up knowing I didn’t need to finish this. John H in his guises often beats be all ends up

  17. Too many unknown words for this to be enjoyable for us. And 27a was a bit of a record where we guessed the answer while recognising none of the three meanings! We’ll put this one down to experience.

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