A slow solve with a lot of tricky clues and parsing – my favourites today were 25ac, 8dn, and 19dn. Thanks to Imogen.
| ACROSS | ||
| 1 | DIRT CHEAP |
Going for little pile of earth, a carbon sink? (4,5)
|
| DIRT HEAP=”pile of earth”, acting as a “carbon sink” as it absorbs C for carbon | ||
| 6 | MAINS |
Current introduced to island’s power supplies (5)
|
| I=symbol for “Current”, inside MAN’S=Isle of Man’s=”island’s” | ||
| 9 | SECOND-HAND SMOKE |
After a moment passes donkey something unhealthy to take in (6-4,5)
|
| SECOND=”moment” + HANDS=”passes” + MOKE=slang for a “donkey” | ||
| 10 | SLIP |
Move easily but risk a tumble (4)
|
| double definition: to move quietly or easily, or to fall accidentally | ||
| 11 | TAILBACK |
A queue, but Eeyore finally got his … (8)
|
| one of the stories in Winnie-the-Pooh [wiki] is “In Which Eeyore Loses a Tail and Pooh Finds One”, at the end of which Eeyore gets his TAIL BACK | ||
| 14 | DISCOLOUR |
Go pale, threatening appearance at club (9)
|
| DISCO LOUR=”threatening appearance at club” | ||
| 15 | CHEKA |
Secret police inspector is heard (5)
|
| definition: a Soviet secret police agency
sounds like (is heard): ‘checker’=”inspector” |
||
| 16 | GLUCK |
Composer’s grand fortune (5)
|
| definition: Christoph Willibald Gluck the composer
G (grand) + LUCK=”fortune” |
||
| 18 | PREGNANCY |
Having one more on board in this 1996/7 car – a girl (9)
|
| P REG=”1996/7 car” + NANCY=”a girl”
“P reg” referring to a car with a UK registration plate that has the year identifier P – these were issued in 1996/1997 [wiki] |
||
| 20 | ACCRUALS |
Gains second online at university in African city (8)
|
| S (second) after L (line, so the S is “on/line”); all after U (university) inside ACCRA=”African city” | ||
| 21 | A BIT |
Not much custom in the Queen Vic? (1,3)
|
| HABIT=”custom”, becoming ‘ABIT in an accent that drops the H– …perhaps in the Queen Vic pub [wiki] in Eastenders, set in the East End of London | ||
| 25 | DEAD TREE EDITION |
Version of paper very dull – it tired one European out (4,4,7)
|
| definition: a paper/printed version (rather than e.g. digital)
DEAD=”very dull”, plus anagram/”out” of (it tired one E)*, with the E for “European” |
||
| 26 | GAPER |
Good copyist who looks stupid (5)
|
| G (Good) + APER=”copyist” (from ‘ape’ meaning to copy) | ||
| 27 | STUD POKER |
Pay close attention mostly to one stirring game (4,5)
|
| most of STUD-[y]=”Pay close attention” + POKER=”one stirring [a fire]” | ||
| DOWN | ||
| 1 | DOSES |
Flop down, taking pill and spoonfuls of medicine (5)
|
| DOSS=slang for ‘to go to bed’=”Flop down”, around E (ecstasy “pill”) | ||
| 2 | ROCKIES |
Chain that is covered in diamonds (7)
|
| definition: a mountain chain
IE=i.e.=”that is”, inside ROCKS=”diamonds” |
||
| 3 | CANT |
Insincere talk Immanuel heard (4)
|
| sounds like (“heard”): ‘Kant’, referring to Immanuel Kant the philosopher | ||
| 4 | ECHT |
Genuine German beach hut regularly cleared out (4)
|
| definition: German word for authentic, genuine
regular letters removed from [b]-E-[a]-C-[h] H-[u]-T |
||
| 5 | PANTAGRUEL |
Giant struggle for breath over a thin porridge (10)
|
| definition: Pantagruel the giant is the subject of novels [wiki] by Rabelais
PANT=”struggle for breath” + A GRUEL=”a thin porridge” |
||
| 6 | MISPLACING |
Doing this with car, clamping is possible (10)
|
| definition: a misplaced car might get clamped
anagram/”possible” of (clamping is)* |
||
| 7 | ISOLATE |
Quarantine is over, not before time (7)
|
| IS (taken directly from surface) + O (over, cricket abbreviation) + LATE=”not before time” | ||
| 8 | SPEAKEASY |
Dive from small point? No problem (9)
|
| S (small) + PEAK=”point” + EASY=”No problem” | ||
| 12 | BONKBUSTER |
Graphic novel, but spine not long broken, being misused (10)
|
| definition: a novel with graphic sexual content
anagram/”misused” of (but s-pine broken)*, minus pine=“[to] long [for]” |
||
| 13 | GOSPELLERS |
Preachers try witches perhaps (10)
|
| GO=”try” + SPELLERS=spell-casters=”witches perhaps” | ||
| 14 | DOG EAT DOG |
Ruthless self-interest of magistrate wanting day in a measure of warmth (3,3,3)
|
| DOGE=”magistrate”; plus D (day) inside: A (from surface) + TOG=”measure of warmth [of a bed cover]” | ||
| 17 | UNCLASP |
Clans forced into rising to be set free (7)
|
| anagram/”forced” of (Clans)*, put into UP=”rising” | ||
| 19 | NIBLICK |
Club once used to get old writer going? (7)
|
| definition: a type of old-fashioned golf club
NIB LICK, referring to helping ink to flow by moistening the nib of a fountain pen (an old-fashioned writing tool / “old writer”) |
||
| 22 | TENOR |
Drift for one thing covers up (5)
|
| definition: TENOR=meaning, purport=”Drift”
hidden (‘cover-ed’) reversed (“up”) in: [fo]-R ONE T-[hing] |
||
| 23 | MENU |
Restaurant offering people unusual starter (4)
|
| MEN=”people” + U-[nusual] | ||
| 24 | WIMP |
Feeble chap’s wife a trouble-maker (4)
|
| W (wife) + IMP=”trouble-maker” |
Top ticks for A BIT, DEAD TREE EDITION and another outing for BONKBUSTER
Was convinced that 18a was PILLIONED before accepting a) it didn’t parse and b) it’s (probably )not a word
NHO PANTAGRUEL but impeccably clued
Cheers I&M
Thanks Imogen and manehi
I found this a curious mixture of very easy (mostly at the top) and really obscure. I had no idea about A BIT – never heard of the pub – and needed a wordsearch for ACCRUALS.
DISCOLOUR doesn’t usually imply “go pale”; go dark is commoner.
Favourite NIBLICK.
Also liked DIRT CHEAP for the sneaky carbon envelope trick
Struggled to find an earworm today until I spotted Ottawan’s classic DISCO
Hi Manehi. You seem to have a rogue solution under 20 ac (EXTIRPATE)?
Found this less enjoyable than others recently – Imogen continues to be one of my least favourite setters, with some (to me) odd definitions (DEAD TREE EDITION, MISPLACING)
Many thanks for the puzzle and the blog. I couldn’t parse pregnancy. In 19 down I thought “once used” referred to nib-licking rather than the definition? Or maybe both.
Lovely puzzle…I always thought it was Mashie NIBLICK, but are these two different clubs? Does anyone know?
I didn’t understand the P REG so thanks for the explanation. PANTAGRUEL and GLUCK were NHO but fairly clued.
I’m with muffin@2 on this. A curious mix. I’d never heard of PANTAGRUEL, but knew GRUEL needed to be in there somewhere. TAILBACK made me laugh, and it took me a while to cop the “P reg” in PREGNANCY. DEAD TREE EDITION was very good.
Thanks Imogen and manehi.
I enjoyed what I was able to do, including the ones I got that I’d never previously heard of. But for me there were too many obscurities packed into one grid, and I ended up revealing several. Looking at the parsing then there were fewer that I understood (LOUR, MOKE for instance are new to me) than I realised.
A mixed bag for me.
I think mashie was the equivalent of a 4 iron, niblick was a 9 and a mashie niblick was in between at 6. But don’t quote me.
Annoyingly I kept getting 10A wrong, first going for TRIP, as in trip the light fantastic, which could suggest moving easily; and then I went for SKIP, for much the same reason, once I got the initial S from 1D. Only a check that removed the K told me it had to be SLIP.
I always struggle with Imogen – 25A was my last one in as I’d never heard the expression, and I kept trying to make the whole solution an anagram.
Thanks Crispy – yes, had left that in from a previous blog, now deleted.
SueB – yes, I can see that it could be that way instead. Or it could be “Club once” / “used to….”.
Thank you manehi. Good work! I’ve been waiting all day for enlightenment re PREG in PREGNANCY. Couldn’t find any car called PREG, with or without an a. I’m keen to know how many Brits got this, or didn’t.
And TOG rating for a duvet/doona. Thermal overall grade. NHO.
Chuffed to have parsed A BIT, with a good guess and a bit of sleuthing.
Coincidentally, Glück in German means good luck.
DIRT CHEAP My first thought, half-(p)arsed, was an anagram (anagrind pile of ? earth and the C for carbon in the middle of DIP = sink. No? Clue as definition?
Super puzzle, thanks Imogen!
Strange mixture of the up to date (SECOND HAND SMOKE, BONKBUSTER, DEAD TREE EDITION etc) and the old (PANTAGRUEL, NIBLICK, SPEAKEASY etc), I thought. For 10a, I started with TRIP, then changed to SKIP when DOSES arrived (snap, Sarah @11). Both work as well as SLIP, if you ask me. P REG is a bit of an ask for non Poms – lucky for me, I have owned cars in the Old Dart in the past. But Old Vic is only a theatre to me, so I hesitated a long time over A BIT. A few parsings were beyond me, so thanks, manehi, and also Imogen for the crossie.
18a PREGNANCY – From manehi’s wiki link, P Reg could just as easily have been 1975/6 – (shame it’s only 49 years ago).
Thanks I&M
Surely SLIP is a tumble rather than “risk a tumble”?
No hope of P Reg since I left there well before 1996/7.
According to Chambers (2016) a mashie (or mashy) is “An old-fashioned golf club used for shots of medium length and loft, corresponding to a number five iron”, a niblick is “An old-fashioned golf club for lofted shots, corresponding to a number eight or nine iron” and a mashie-niblick is “An old-fashioned golf club between mashie and niblick, corresponding to a number seven iron”.
nuntius @6
dod @10 is pretty much right. A MASHIE is considered equivalent to a modern 5-iron, a NIBLICK to a 9-iron, and a MASHIE NIBLICK to a 7-iron.
Enjoyable puzzle, which I didn’t find particularly difficult (having the appropriate GK is often the key – PANTAGRUEL is a write-in if you know your Rabelais).
Some ingenious clueing here – I liked DIRT CHEAP, A BIT, P-REG NANCY and NIBLICK (the ‘once used’ was probably intended to go with the wordplay, but can be read either way), DOG EAT DOG (though the surface is not the smoothest), the extended def for MISPLACED and the ‘graphic novel’.
Thanks to S&B
paddymelon @13, I only dredged up TOG from my special “crosswords only RAM”.
Like most non-Brits, I’m sure, I hadn’t a clue about P Reg. Or Tog for bedspreads — where’s that from? Or the Queen Vic, though I have heard of EastEnders.
I couldn’t put the bits together of DEAD TREE EDITION once I’d written it in.
PANTAGRUEL’s father Gargantua is perhaps better known, at least in the adjective form.
Thanks, Imogen and manehi.
If it’s any consolation to the non-UK contingent, I lived through the whole letter registration cycle and still didn’t get PREG. I didn’t like NANCY either, or in general cluing a name with just “a boy” or “a girl”.
For 5D, 15A and 16A I had to construct solutions and then google to confirm. And never having watched Eastenders, the parsing of 21A escaped me. There are other ways to indicate the cockney accent that IMO are fairer.
On the plus side, I liked 1A, 11A, and 8D.
On first pass I only had RANK, GLUCK and GAPER in place, so I knew I was in for a torrid time this morning. So get those air fans on, Ronald. For a while with 12d looking like -O-K-U—-R, I was wondering whether the graphic novel might have a far more lurid solution that I didn’t quite want to believe. Thought PREGNANCY brilliant in its construction, with STUD POKER not far behind. Sadly a DNF today as I’d never heard of DEAD TREE EDITION, nor PANTAGRUEL. Enjoyed the challenge, however, many thanks to Imogen and Manehi…
Slow and steady wins the race…almost. Could not see PREGNANCY or GOSPELLER.
A proper crossword, challenging but fairly clued. Favourites included PANTAGRUEL, STUD POKER, GOSPELLERS and the brilliant PREGNANCY.
Like some others here, I found this tough. I always do find Imogen tough. But a break to take the car to the garage worked wonders and I was able to complete. GOSPELLERS, UNCLASP, SPEAKEASY, ROCKIES, MAINS and ACCRUALS were my faves.
I have heard of PANTAGRUEL, fortunately, as I have heard of the Queen Vic (muffin @2, is that really a NHO for you? The Eastenders pub turns up fairly often in crosswords) I did spot P-REG though did not check I was right on Google – why is the definition ‘having one more on board? The ‘more’ seems superfluous. My other quibble would be ‘possible’ in what is otherwise a delightful &lit in MISPLACING. Surely it should be ‘possibly’. Ref the SLIP/SKIP alternative, SKID could also work – it is certainly to move easily, even if with normally negative connotations.
Thanks Imogen and manehi
PostMark @26
Yes, genuinely a NHO. I have a huge dislike of the concept of these ongoing “soap operas”, so never, ever, watch them.
(Though I was able to solve the famous “Bar of soap?” clue!)
This was a DNF for me, but still enjoyable. I had to reveal BONKBUSTER and NIBLICK as I’d nho either – I guessed NIB for the start of the latter, but that was it.
On the other hand, I’d also nho many others, which still went in – PANTAGRUEL, GLUCK, ECHT and GOSPELLERS were all clear from wordplay and some crossers.
Thanks manehi for the parsing of PREGNANCY – I’m living through my third iteration of UK number plates and still would never have guessed P REG – and for the MOKE part of SECOND HAND SMOKE.
And thanks to Imogen for a challenging and fun puzzle.
Valentine@21, I remember reading that “tog”, as a unit of measurement of insulation, came about in the 1930s or 40s. Despite a backronym of “thermal overall grade”, it originally came from the idea of togs – as in clothes – to keep you warm.
PANTAGRUEL was a jorum for me, who I then looked up. But I did parse DOG EAT DOG and the P REG NANCY when I’d solved it from crossers. We did have the letters go through twice, first time at the end of the numberplate then at the front, and now we have a weird system.
I always find Imogen chewy but once solved I can usually parse his clues.
Thank you to manehi and Imogen.
Valentine @21: TOG is a rating for duvets etc to give consumers an idea of how warm they will be kept. I believe it stands for Thermal Overall Grade. The higher the TOG, the snugger (?) you’ll be.
thanks I and M! especially for scratching the TOG itch.
The Dog @29: So sorry, you type faster than I.
Anyone interested in expanding their knowledge of old names for golf clubs should dip into P G Wodehouse’s golfing short stories; in addition to the mashie and the niblick they will find the baffy, the brassie, the spoon and the cleek, plus a lot of enjoyment.
Sarah@11 my route exactly on both counts
This took four sittings but I was determined to crack it, with the NE holding out longest. I liked PREGNANCY, TAILBACK, DEAD TREE EDITION, PANTAGRUEL, MISPLACING, SPEAKEASY and NIBLICK. My mashie, niblick and mashie niblick were very unkind to me yesterday.
Ta Imogen & manehi.
I used to dislike IMOGEN’s puzzles for some reason, but the last few including this one I’ve quite enjoyed.
In ISOLATE, if we take “before time” to mean “early”, then its complement (“not before time”) is “on time or late”, rather than just LATE. Well, that’s what I would have said. Thoughfs?
Thanks.
Dr@37. Agreed that Not Before Time includes Late, but also includes On Time.
Got the P reg, but only after I wondered about pregnancy from the possible definition.
Dr W @37. ‘Not before time’ is an idiomatic phrase in the UK (perhaps not there in the US). So, if someone turns up late for a meeting, you might say something like, ‘Well, here you are, and not before time.’
Dr W @37: I agree with Balfour – whatever the literal meaning of the phrase, its idiomatic usage definitely means ‘late’ or at least ‘later than expected’. It’s a good example of litotes.
Gervase @40 (your age, perhaps?) Excellent reminder of litotes…I usually have to look it up!
William @41: 40? I wish!
I found this less tough than I normally find Imogen, but that still means it was tough. I didn’t think there were any clunkers here, the obscurities were fairly clued, and a large number of the clues were delightful – top picks were DISCOLOUR, PREGNANCY, GOSPELLERS and A BIT, but I could have chosen several more that raised a smile. Never heard of DEAD TREE EDITION, PANTAGRUEL or “moke”. Very enjoyable challenge.
Wow, this was tough.
New for me: MOKE = donkey; TOG = a unit of thermal resistance (14d); BONKBUSTER; CHEKA = Russian secret police; PANTAGRUEL; NIBLICK.
I didn’t parse 21ac ( I have never watched Eastenders and do not intend to), and 12d – the P REG bit but I got NANCY = girl.
Thanks, both.
Jacobz@22: Agreed on cluing names with “a girl” or “a boy,” with an added harrumph for using a name that’s probably more common among fifty-somethings than actual girls. [Well in the US “Nancy” peaked among current octogenarians, but I did know a Nancy in high school. Still if anyone knows a current girl whose name is Nancy rather than Sophie or Isabelle, raise your hand.]
A bit too much “get from the definition/enumeration and perhaps partially parse” for me today, with P REG and TOG and MOKE and the Queen Vic accent all beyond me. Sagittarius@34 explains why I didn’t have a problem with NIBLICK since I’m more familiar with Wodehouse’s golf stories than with actual golf. In 20ac, what is the indicator that the L and S come at the end–is it “at”?
Thanks Imogen and manehi.
[ronald@23 😉 PORKBURGER?]
I found this puzzle both challenging and enjoyable and managed to complete it despite gaps in GK. As another non UK solver, I didn’t know about P REG, or MOKE, or the significance of Queen Vic, though I thought it had to be some place in East London. Also nho ECHT or BONKBUSTER. However I’d seen TOG somewhere as a measure of warmth in babies’ sleep suits. And I’ve come across the delightful NIBLICK in PG Wodehouse, as mentioned by Sagittarius@34, and it’s difficult to forget Mashie Niblick after that, even if you’ve never put foot on a golf course.
I loved DEAD TREE EDITION, MISPLACING, SPEAKEASY, TAILBACK, NIBLICK.
Thanks manehi for the much needed explanations and Imogen for the delightful puzzle.
Bit of a struggle but managed to complete which is a relief after two very bare grids in a row.
Two clues relying on regional pronunciation is annoying but not unusual.
Thanks both
For what it is worth, there used to be a mini moke, one of which I drove around a Caribbean Island in 1969.
Long way from finishing that one. Back to the drawing board.
DE @ 49
The best-known appearance of the Mini Moke was for ferrying people around the Village in The Prisoner.
I saw several at the Classic Car Show in Madeira earlier this year.
Admin asked me to post this as a test
Too many NHOs for me to list today.
Imogen seems to be in a race with Paul to create the most difficult puzzles, but as with Paul, the clues that I am able to solve are always very satisfying.
14d makes me think of eggcorns – does anyone keep a collection? ‘It’s a doggy dog world out there.’
The use of ‘boy’ or ‘girl’ in clues always produces dark mutterings from certain quarters. I would just like to say that it doesn’t bother me in the least!
I acknowledge that it would add difficulty to a clue in isolation – but these are crosswords. With the definition, the rest of the wordplay, and some crossing letters if necessary, I never have too much trouble in identifying the appropriate ‘child’ 🙂
I can remember solving a very similar clue for PREGNANCY about 20 years ago, and have often wondered whether anyone would try using the P REG trick again. At last I can stop wondering. 😀
I was another who had TRIP at 10a, but having never got even close to solving 1d, I never got around to changing it. Even if I’d got DOSES, I might still have gone for SKIP!
I find Imogen a very difficult solve, and this is not my first failure to complete. I like the occasional wit of ‘carbon sink’, where it not only raises a smile but lets us know the solution is definitely correct. Not so much with trip, skid, skip and slip!
Thanks to Imogen and manehi.
Because I’m a bit geeky about car registrations (I know … 😴), I got the PREG reference as soon as I saw “96/97 car”, and the rest fell into place.
A good work-out today, for which thanks to the setter. I was defeated by BONKBUSTER and DEAD TREE EDITION, of neither of which I have ever heard. I did see ‘edition’, but that was it. (Not too keen on ‘dead = very dull’ to be honest; but it’s nowhere near as horrible to me as ‘bonkbuster’, which I earnestly hope never to encounter again.)
Gervase @55. I agree. If, like piglet @77, you got ‘P-REG’, the name of the ‘girl’ naturally follows. I do not possess a car and have no interest in them, but the specificity about the year could lead to only one conclusion.
Gervase @55. I am inclined to agree. In this particular instance, if, like Piglet @57, you spotted that the specificity about the year could lead to only one conclusion, the name of the ‘girl’ of course followed.
FrankieG@46…something a bit worse I’m afraid! Would get struck off this wonderful site if I ever aired what fleetingly passed through my head earlier. Though quite surprised the other day when I watched the gentle 2023 comedy film Wicked Little Letters with lead actor Olivia Colman putting her pen to some pretty audacious verbal insults for the time, 1920, I recall…
Apologies for the duplication @59-60. I am having serious problems with posting comments today and am in communication with admin about this.
Tougher on USAnians than usual. DEAD TREE EDITION, BONKBUSTER, P REG, TOG, and the Queen Vic all new to me. And I had the same thought as PostMark@26 about the “more”in 18.
Apart from a couple of NHOs, a satisfying if tricky solve. A vast improvement on yesterday’s dull puzzle.
A belated thank you to Balfour@39 and Gervase@40 for an explanation of the (non-US) idiomatic usage.
I eventually felt that SLIP was the best of a bad bunch: SKID SLIP SPIN SKIP etc. That I wanted there to be a word SKIR, at least the anagram of RISK would justify it.
ronald@61