Serpent provides today’s challenge.
We found this to be at the easier end of the Serpent spectrum, although there were one or two clues that had us baffled for a while.
We had to check ‘BALDER’ for more forthright as we expected it to be BOLDER but that wouldn’t work with 16ac which we had already solved. Chambers however has bald as ‘lacking in grace or charm, blunt’.
There is invariably something going on in Serpent’s puzzles, but we didn’t spot the nina in the perimeter unches until after we had filled the grid. We had to google the phrase to find out that it is the title of an album by The Fall – a group we know nothing about. As far as we can tell, there are no other references to the group or the album…or maybe the phrase comes from something completely different? We’re pretty sure it’s not a reference to the current government!
SHY (cast) round or ‘in possession of’ A (adult) BB (books)
Hidden (‘suppressed by’) in catalePSY CHEmically
An anagram (‘possibly’) of UTTERANCe missing the final letter or ‘cut short’ – very neat!
A reversal (‘after revolution’) of CIA (Central Intelligence Agency – ‘spies’) SOMe (rather) missing the last letter or ‘abruptly’
AGED (old) round or ‘guarding’ an anagram (‘shot’) of AT IT – a synonym for ‘excited’ (7 down)
BET (one ‘half’ of ‘better’ – 3 down) round or ‘bored by’ HE’S (this man’s) – we’re not sure about the ‘1’ in the clue
A reversal (‘about’) of TA (expression of thanks) round or ‘receiving’ GEN (information)
HEATH (Ted Heath – former PM) L (left) AND (with)
An anagram (‘novel’) of kISs (middle letters or ‘contents’) AND TELL
OT (Old Testament – ‘set of religious works’) in or ‘encapsulated by’ TALe (story) missing the last letter or ‘short’
Double definition
PROPER (appropriate) TY (first and last letters or ‘limitations’ of therapy)
A clue-as-definition – A (first letter or ‘entrance’ of aristocratic) VENUE (place)
PARA (soldier, as in paratrooper) + alternate letters (‘going AWOL periodically’) of oN hOlIdAy
An anagram (‘broadcast’) of MEANT round or ‘inspiring’ H (hard)
SHOt (killed) missing the last letter or ‘almost’ GUN (weapon)
An anagram (‘original’) of SIN CAUSES
First letters or ‘starts’ of Affect Company Consolidating Real Accounts
BETTER (one who likes to gamble) HALF (drink as in a half-pint)
An anagram (‘criminal’) of TO CHASTEN – we spotted several of these lovely birds in Norfolk last week whilst walking the Coastal Path
CASE (legal action) round or ‘restraining’ H (husband)
C (Charlie – in the phonetic alphabet) in or ‘nursed by’ EXITED (left)
A reversal (‘built up’) of AS (like) round or ‘eating’ TART (pastry)
BALDER (more forthright) DASH (hint, as in a small amount)
An anagram (‘mistakenly’) of FAT NURSES
AFTER (in agreement with) NO-ONe (nobody) missing the last letter or ‘pretty much’
IN N (north) A (America) round or ‘welcoming’ a reversal (‘turning up’) of AID (assistance)
pLAY (perform) with the first letter or ‘beginning’ removed or ‘cast’ + MAN (piece – in chess)
A homophone (‘reporter’s’) of GRATE (‘article containing incendiary material’)
P (pressure) RAG (newspaper) round or ‘concealing’ N (middle letter or ‘pivotal element’ of financial)
Thanks, Serpent and B&J!
Liked AGITATED, BETTER HALF, AFTERNOON and LAYMAN.
BEHEST
1 in 3: Could it refer to the betting odds/chances and hence a BET?
Very enjoyable from one of my favourite setters, with just the SW holding me up for a while.
I particularly appreciated AGITATED (very smart), SAUCINESS (a great example of its clue type), BETTER HALF and BALDERDASH with top spot going to the super clever TRUNCATE.
Thanks to Serpent and B&J for a top puzzle and blog.
I took the ‘1 in 3’ to simply refer to one half of BETter and, of course, to make a ‘better’ surface reading.
Hovis@3
That sounds plausible. Thanks.
I, on the other hand, thought the better half implied the best to give BEHEST. I liked BALDERDASH, and BETTER HALF.
I’m another in the BET/HE’S camp. I was brought down to earth by our bloggers’ preamble, having felt rather pleased with myself for a full solve and parse in a reasonable time frame this morning. And spotted (if failed to place) the Nina. All in a Serpent. But it find it’s at the easier end of the oeuvre so that’s that! 😉
Very neatly assembled and a pleasure to solve with faves including TRUNCATE, INSTALLED, AVENUE, ANTHEM, SAUCINESS, BETTER HALF, somewhat inappropriately, given the surface, followed immediately by CHASE, STRATA and AFTERNOON.
Thanks Serpent and B&J
Thanks both. A nina so disguised always evades me, otherwise delighted to solve and parse all, except BEHEST which I still regard as partially unexplained
I too am in the BET/HES camp and like B&J had to investigoogle as to the meaning of the Nina
Many thanks to Serpent and B&J
Even if I didn’t know what it meant, the Nina was my SAVING GRACE which helped with several (eg AVENUE) I would have had great trouble getting otherwise.
As ever, very enjoyable puzzle from Serpent. I liked the crossing PM’s at 16a and 17d and the surface for SAUCINESS among others.
Thanks to Serpent and B&J
Thanks B&J and Serpent.
Beautiful puzzle.
When I had — GG RACE TH –, as I started solving from the top, I was trying to see if THE GREAT SPOON AND EGG RACE will fit in.
AVENUE set me right, and NATIONS nailed it. Didn’t know the album ref.
AGITATED is top fav followed by EXCITED, and many others.
Did I say beautiful? Yes, I did.
Thanks Serpent for your consistent excellence. I spotted the nina as it was developing and it helped me finish the SW corner. My top picks were TOTAL, PROPERTY, EXCITED, AFTERNOON, and my LOI, AVENUE. Thanks B&J for the blog.
Thanks, Serpent. The standard outstanding effort.
I got the Nina only after finishing the grid…don’t know the album. But we generally expect a musical Nina, which is one of the attractions.
Many thanks to Bertandjoyce for the customary excellent blog, and to receive who had taken the time to solve the puzzle and leave a comment. Hovis @3 correctly interpreted the “1 in 3”.
LAte to the show… Enjoyed this – esp. TRUNCATE, BALDERDASH, LAYMAN. Thank you Serpent if you’re still reading here!