Thanks to Goliath for this morning’s fun.
A very enjoyable puzzle from Goliath, with some clever devices.
ACROSS
1. Say Nelson’s military formation… (6)
COLUMN
Double definition
For the first: Nelson’s Column is a monument found in Trafalgar Square, London
4. …slowly moves a short distance (6)
INCHES
8. Cryptic code with strange elegance (7)
DECORUM
CODE* (*cryptic) with RUM (strange)
9. Corruption of cheese containing a bit of blue with bits of red & yellow (7)
BRIBERY
BRIE (cheese) containing B[lue] (a bit of) with R[ed] and Y[ellow] (bits of)
11. Regularly used seasick excuse for getting out of a bind (10)
ESCAPOLOGY
[s]E[a]S[i]C[k] (regularly used) + APOLOGY (excuse)
12. You could make five hundred (4)
THOU
THOU[sand] (five hundred; i.e. half of a thousand)
13. Tamper with candy (5)
FUDGE
14. Compassionate way to probe experimental mice (8)
EMPATHIC
PATH (way) to probe MICE* (*experimental)
16. Send tram finally through passage (8)
TRANSMIT
[tra]M (finally) through TRANSIT (passage)
18. From the East, beer fit for a king (5)
REGAL
LAGER< (beer, <from the east)
20. Oddly loud, then quiet and sensuous (4)
LUSH
L[o]U[d] (oddly) then SH (quiet)
21. Deliver parent and children who are found in lodge (10)
FREEMASONS
FREE (deliver) + MA (parent) and SONS (children)
23. A kind of music and wine relationship (7)
RAPPORT
RAP (a kind of music) and PORT (wine)
24. Arab spells ‘qat’ out loud (7)
KUWAITI
“Q-A-T” (spells, “out loud”)
25. Demonstrate practicalities about maintaining floor cover (6)
CARPET
[demonstra]TE PRAC[ticalities]< (<about, maintaining)
26. Surgeon does this for pain (6)
STITCH
DOWN
1. They specialise in cooking finches (5)
CHEFS
EDITED: F in CHES
Thanks Hovis @1
2. Cat person’s first to get into terrible ordeal (7)
LEOPARD
P[erson] (‘s first) to get into ORDEAL* (*terrible)
3. Mother buries goldfish in stately tomb (9)
MAUSOLEUM
MUM (mother) buries AU (gold) + SOLE (fish)
5. Awkward rising desire to run around road (5)
NERDY
YEN< (desire, <rising) to run around RD (road)
6. Where one lives is to some extent in Panama? (7)
HABITAT
A BIT (to some extent) in HAT (Panama?)
7. Working as tailor is about right (9)
SARTORIAL
(AS TAILOR)* (*working) is about R (right) – &lit
10. Book draws gimmicks (9)
NOVELTIES
NOVEL (book) + TIES (draws)
13. Conventional shape, uniform and secular (9)
FORMULAIC
FORM (shape) + U (uniform, from NATO alphabet) and LAIC (secular)
15. Outstanding standard sum (9)
PARAMOUNT
PAR (standard) + AMOUNT (sum)
17. Poor hen, dismal failure (2-5)
NO-HOPER
19. Get around last controversial branch of psychology (7)
GESTALT
GET around LAST* (*controversial)
21. Most do not recall fake (5)
FORGE
FORGE[t] (do not recall, most)
22. Mark is lifting heavyweight taps (5)
NOTCH
TON< (heavyweight, <lifting) + C; H (taps, i.e. Cold and Hot)
CHEFS is ‘F in CHES’.
Another solid and interesting puzzle from Goliath, who consistently delivers. I really liked KUWAITI and DECORUM
Goliath can sometimes be a bit remote for me, and I could not parse CHEFS (and I am not sure I can yet) and THOU. Thanks for the leg up on those Oriel.
Thanks Goliath and Oriel
Thanks for the blog , brilliant puzzle and first of the year on the beach in the sunshine .
Agree with Hovis @1 , the first four words are the definition and the wordplay is double fission . SARTORIAL very clever but every clue is neat .
Seeing Goliath’s name atop this puzzle brightened the day.
KUWAITI, CHEFS and MAUSOLEUM were all clever. I also ticked FORGE, FREEMASONS and the pairings top and bottom of the grid.
Thanks to Goliath for the much-needed levity and Oriel for the blog.
Loved this one. Clever puzzle. Thanks to Diane@4 for spotting the lovely two pairings and to Goliath and Oriel.