Independent on Sunday 1,859 by Filbert

9 comments on “Independent on Sunday 1,859 by Filbert”

1. 

   PostMark

   #1 - Sun 12th Oct 25, 07:28

   
   

   NESTING is the practice of taking eggs from birds’ nests- a rather unsavoury form of collecting. I thought the ‘after 12’ element of TEENAGER was referring to teens being 13 and over though that clue did seem rather odd. I, too, was confused by the ‘noted’ in PERFORMER unless it is just a juxtaposition indicator like ‘seen’ etc

2. 

   KVa

   #2 - Sun 12th Oct 25, 07:36

   
   

   PERFORMER
   FORMER
   ‘first noted’ in the sense of ‘first of two things mentioned’?

3. 

   miserableoldhack

   #3 - Sun 12th Oct 25, 07:58

   
   

   Thanks PostMark – I wasn’t aware of that meaning of ‘nesting’. A practice both unsavoury and (in the UK at least) illegal. The ‘after 12’ bit of the TEENAGER clue certainly refers to teens being at least 13, but that makes the use of ‘probably’ even harder to account for.
   KVa – you may well be right (I know from experience that you usually are!) about FORMER, but if you are I’m still wondering why ‘noted’ when ‘first’ would seem to do the job by itself. Filbert isn’t normally a setter who adds words for the surface reading alone.

4. 

   sofamore

   #4 - Sun 12th Oct 25, 08:21

   
   

   Loved PRENUP, both clever and droll. LOI. The blog has it as a charade (preen + up) which is fair enough but I think the clue can work as a CD or &lit. The surface conjures up such a comic image, of a groom in a perhaps subsequent divorce court, finding out about the contract. Or, I’m over-reading things, which is quite possible. Yet, otherwise the ‘listened to’ has no real role in the charade. Thanks MoH and thanks Filbert.

5. 

   Mev

   #5 - Sun 12th Oct 25, 12:26

   
   

   I think the ‘probably’ in TEENAGER is just saying that a teen is likely to (but won’t necessarily) stay out until a later time than they would have done before they were 13. Loved CARDINAL WOLSEY. Cheers both.

6. 

   TFO

   #6 - Sun 12th Oct 25, 12:27

   
   

   Thanks both. I too must have been affected by MOH’s lack of sleep – I didn’t know someone else’s restlessness could have such an impact, yet got there in the end. Similar issues with ‘noted’ in PERFORMER and TEENAGER, but I tend to expect and in this case hope there is more at play which a subsequent commenter may reveal. Special mention for GO WALKIES; not heard that one for years.

7. 

   miserableoldhack

   #7 - Sun 12th Oct 25, 14:32

   
   

   You’re probably right, Sofamore about the &littish quality of PRENUP. But the ‘listened to’ does still have a role in the wordplay as a homophone indicator.
   Mev – I’m sure you’re probably right about probably!
   And apologies to TFO – didn’t realise insomnia was contagious over the web!

8. 

   AP

   #8 - Sun 12th Oct 25, 15:36

   
   

   I had the same bafflement over aspects of the clues for TEENAGER and PERFORMER, but otherwise found the clueing sound. It was a tough puzzle for me though, and I had to reveal a couple to keep making progress.

   Faves were GUNMETAL and GO WALKIES.

   Thanks both

9. 

   sofamore

   #9 - Mon 13th Oct 25, 06:58

   
   

   Agree MOH #458. My blue. It occurred to me a couple of hours after posting which was the middle of the night here. But it’s still a great clue, IMHO.

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