This is Coot’s contribution to the York S&B. Unfortunately he is unable to attend this year.
A PDF of the puzzle can be found here:
We found this to be something of a curate’s egg of a puzzle – several write-ins, some inventive definitions and three that had us completely baffled – eventually parsed with some assistance.
Thanks Coot for the challenge.
HE’S (that man’s) following CLOT (set)
SOD (what’s grassy) SLAW (salad)
TI (note) PATH (way) in or ‘breaking’ ANY
We really struggled with the parsing of this – with a little help, we discovered it’s: carbUNCLE (boils) missing ‘carb’ (potatoes)
Hidden (‘contribution from’) in LonDON ORatory
BALK (show objection) round or ‘including’ BY and a reversal (‘recoiling’) of AT
NOBEL (scientist) with EL (American railroad) reversed or ‘going west’
An anagram (‘bad’) of PRAISE NOT
An anagram (‘crude’) of IRATe SKIERS, missing or ‘leaving’ an ‘e’ (last letter or ‘end’ of piste)
LIE (‘what’s fabricated’) IN (at home)
S (special) LOGGERS (‘guys felling willow maybe’)
Hidden (‘dropping peripheral characters’) in footbALL OWners
O (nothing) + a reversal (‘about’) of EVIL (sinful)
CHECK (frustrate) MATE (partner)
R (first letter or ‘front’ of restored) OMAN (country) CE (church)
CRY (call) round A RV (recreational vehicle – American version of a camper van – ‘well-equipped vehicle’) E (base)
HARD (forceful) in or ‘interrupting’ CON (argument against) + an anagram (‘fizzy’) of ANY
An anagram (‘plastered’) of ONE round FT (Financial Times – ‘paper’)
HYPER (worked up) TEXT (message on mobile)
SO (extremely) T (tense)
Hidden (‘aboard’) in poSH Yacht
AUNT (Uncle’s – 10ac’s -partner) after D (first letter or ‘glimpse’ of dagger)
If you were to start a low-calorie diet now, it could be described as LO-CAL TIME
A homophone (‘audible’) of WAY (system) – we needed some help with this one – it refers to Little Miss Muffet (arachnophobic girl) eating her curds and WHEY
B I S E (first or ‘initial’ letters of Born In Serengeti Elephant) round APT (fitting)
T T (first and last letters or ‘case’ of transparent) in or ‘bottled by’ BEERS
WEE (urinate – ‘go’) in NY and NY (‘cities’) after TEE (support)
Cryptic definition: Be is the symbol for BERYLLIUM, a metallic element in the Periodic Table with atomic no. 4
Another cryptic definition: an OIL TANKER would be loaded with oil, a source of energy, and might be at sea (‘in the main’)
An anagram (‘nervous’) of ENERGy missing the last letter or ‘a lot of’
Another one we needed some help with: hEAVE (cast) with L (learner – ‘student’) replacing the ‘h’ (last letter or ‘bottom’ of thigh)
TO + UpminsteR (first and last letters only or ‘hull’)
A homophone (‘read out’) of KEW (botanic garden)
Hidden (‘you’ll find it within’) in fENCing – an abbreviation for ‘enclosure’ back in the days of snail mail
This is a solid puzzle, with NOBLE being the only one I had a “?” about. There is a nina across the center line of unches . . . .
For those of us who did not attend, it is going to take a minute to work through the flood of puzzles. Not complaining, mind you.
A nice one Coot though I also struggled with UNCLE (but shouldn’t carbuncle be boil, not boils?).
NOBLE was very subtle with the ‘L’ (American railroad) going west.
I loved the arachnophobic girl and went immediately to Miss Muffet but it still took me a while to get to WHEY/way.
I was completely surprised that BERYLLIUM is only Atomic Number 4 in the periodic table. Who knew?
LEAVE defeated me, but TOUR was clever with the ‘Hull’ from Upminster.
I hadn’t spotted the Nina mentioned by Cineraria @1, but like you, maybe “next time” if I can arrange dates for a visit next year. I did think about it this year, but various medical specialist appointments got in the way of a flying visit.
Nice job, Coot. I did about half of this yesterday but there was a lot of – very pleasurable – distraction so I finished it off on returning home this PM. Enjoyable as always – I did not spot the trick behind LEAVE and, like jugular, was quite surprised to discover Beryllium is only no 4. It had to be that but I did allow myself an online check before entering it.
My only slight eyebrow raise but I think you are covered by setter’s license was at the idea of loggers felling willow. I think they would normally tackle rather more substantial specimens than that but it would be churlish to make that into a quibble!
Thanks Coot and B&J
Solved on Sunday with a bit of headscratching, eventually left with 24dn and 30ac which could only be LEAVE and CARVERY but I’d absolutely no idea how to parse them.
Thanks, Coot and B&J.
Many thanks B&J for the blog and to everyone who solved this/commented. I hope a great time was had by all in York.
Cineraria@1 and jugular@2, re NOBLE the intention was as per the blog i.e. that EL reverses in NOBEL.