Our Wednesday challenge is from Nimrod this week.
I use the word “challenge” deliberately, because Nimrod is known for creating tricky puzzles and this was no exception. It took me a while to get started, although I was expecting something linked to today’s date – which is indicated by 18a and then 21d referring back to it. So what’s with all the references to “one” in clue text? Perhaps they mean words for “fool?” After all, the English language has a remarkable number of such words.
Well, yes, I guessed right – but Nimrod has scoured the far corners of the dictionaries for some rather obscure synonyms, including archaic, overseas slang, and an unfamiliar spelling of a word which (even in its usual spelling) has come to mean something slightly different. And with thematic answers for well over half the clues, there were some places where two obscure solutions crossed, making the whole thing harder. I managed to guess-and-check a few of these, but let’s just say I needed some help.
I can’t find 11a in either Chambers or Collins, though I did find some backing for it online; the others are all in one or both of these dictionaries. I’ve highlighted them below with a rough division into words I’d heard of (green) and words I hadn’t (pink, including the odd spelling at 16a).
So, not easy, but I think I’ve got there. Special mention to the self-referential clue text in 23d, and the ambiguous definition in 15d. Thanks to Nimrod.
Definitions are underlined; BOLD UPPERCASE indicates letters used in the wordplay; square brackets [ ] indicate omitted letters.
| ACROSS | ||
| 7 | GOAT |
There’s no better one (4)
|
| Double definition. Acronym for Greatest Of All Time, generally applied to sporting superstars; or slang for a fool. | ||
| 8 | SIMPLETON |
One son, little monkey, spoilt the surprise (9)
|
| S (abbreviation for son) + IMP (little monkey = slang for a naughty child) + LET ON (said something that should have been kept secret = spoilt the surprise). | ||
| 10 | MOONCALF |
One tick working a little lower (8)
|
| MO (short for moment = tick = a short time) + ON (working) + CALF (cow = an animal that makes a lowing sound = lower, so calf = a little lower). | ||
| 11 | GOBDAW |
Irish one heading back with a dog after biting bishop (6)
|
| W (abbreviation for with) + A DOG (from clue text), containing (biting) B (abbreviation for bishop), all reversed (heading back).
Irish slang for a foolish person. |
||
| 12 | ZANY |
Unspecified number given a quarter turn, whichever one (4)
|
| We need to take N (symbol for an unspecified number) and give it a quarter turn so that it looks like Z; then ANY (whichever).
Old slang for a foolish or crazy person. |
||
| 13 | AT THE BAR |
Ordering refreshments in court? (2,3,3)
|
| Double definition. Standing at the bar to order drinks in a pub; or descriptive of a case currently being heard in court or a lawyer working in court. | ||
| 16 | NURD |
Not entirely happy about one (4)
|
| DRUN[k] (happy = slang for slightly drunk) without the last letter (not entirely), reversed (about).
More usually spelled nerd; it can mean a foolish person, but these days it more often means someone obsessed with technology or the technical details of a particular subject. |
||
| 18 | APRIL |
This time alpha particle appears at intervals (5)
|
| A (alpha = the Greek letter corresponding to A; also A in the radio alphabet, though officially that’s spelled Alfa to clarify the pronunciation in different languages) + alternate letters (at intervals) of P[a]R[t]I[c]L[e].
The current month. |
||
| 19 | NOUS |
Cut Pointless – 21s haven’t got it (4)
|
| NO US[e] (pointless, as in “it’s no use arguing with them”), without the last letter (cut).
Nous = common sense = something that a FOOL (21d) wouldn’t have. |
||
| 20 | APERITIF |
It perhaps rather fuzzily aired Bugs Bunny features? (8)
|
| A rather fuzzy sound-alike (aired = spoken out loud or on the radio) of A PAIR O’ TEEF (a notable feature of the cartoon rabbit Bugs Bunny).
It = slang abbreviation for Italian vermouth (as in “gin and it”), which might be drunk as an aperitif. |
||
| 22 | MOBY |
Contents of incendiary bomb repulsed vegan musician (4)
|
| Hidden answer (contents of . . .) in [incendiar]Y BOM[b].
Stage name of the US musician Richard Melville Hall, known as a vegan and animal rights activist. |
||
| 24 | JESTER |
One leap across South River (6)
|
| JETE (jeté = a leap in ballet) containing (across) S (abbreviation for south), then R (abbreviation for river).
A fool in the historic sense of a professional comedian, rather than a foolish person. |
||
| 25 | CLODPOLL |
One, after change of heart, reserved parrot (8)
|
| COLD (reserved = unemotional), with the middle letters (heart) changed round, then POLL (variant of Polly = a generic name for a pet parrot).
Archaic word for a foolish person. |
||
| 26 | MUMCHANCE |
Impressed by the writer, can much upset one? (9)
|
| Anagram (upset) of CAN MUCH, contained in (impressed by) ME (the writer).
Archaic word for a foolish person. |
||
| 27 | MERC |
Person hired nice car (4)
|
| Double definition. Slang shortening of mercenary = a hired soldier; or slang shortening of Mercedes = an expensive car brand. | ||
| DOWN | ||
| 1 | IGNORAMUS |
One Gentleman of Verona, please, out of costume (9)
|
| [s]IGNOR (Italian title for a gentleman, so for example in Verona, Italy) + AMUS[e] (please, as a verb), with the outer letters (costume = clothing) removed. The “removing clothing” device usually means removing both end letters of each word; it’s unusual to apply it to the combination of two unrelated words, as here. | ||
| 2 | SAWNEY |
One Direction, thrice perhaps on tour (6)
|
| W + N + E (abbreviations for three directions West, North, East = direction thrice), with SAY (perhaps = for example) around it (on tour).
Derogatory slang for a foolish person. |
||
| 3 | BIFF |
Wound up, Porky packs fine punch (4)
|
| FIB (porky, from Cockney rhyming slang “porky pie” = a lie), containing F (abbreviation for fine), all reversed (wound up = upwards in a down clue).
Punch = biff = to hit with the fist. |
||
| 4 | EPIGAEAL |
Record: outliers in indexing are all ground-based (8)
|
| EP (abbreviation for extended-play record) + end letters (outliers) of I[ndexin]G A[r]E A[l]L.
Also spelled epigeal, especially in the US: descriptive of a plant that grows close to the ground. |
||
| 5 | PEABRAIN |
One each covered by lead bucket? (8)
|
| EA (abbreviation for each) covered by PB (Pb = chemical symbol for lead, from Latin plumbum) + RAIN (bucket, as a verb = to rain heavily, as in “it’s absolutely bucketing out there”). | ||
| 6 | BOGAN |
Aussie one, not half sweet, embracing Georgia (5)
|
| BON[bon] (a sweet) with the second half missing (not half), around GA (abbreviation for the US state of Georgia).
Australian derogatory slang for an uneducated or unsophisticated person. |
||
| 9 | NANA |
One Down: anagram’s hiding (4)
|
| Hidden answer in [dow]N ANA[gram].
A rather old-fashioned word for a foolish person. |
||
| 14 | TAROT |
Thanks to Havertz, red card (5)
|
| TA (slang for thanks = thank you) + ROT (German word for red, as used by the German footballer Kai Havertz).
A type of playing cards, originally for games but later also used in fortune-telling. |
||
| 15 | DUMB-CLUCK |
Trump’s one calumny upset NBC, heading off the stars (4-5)
|
| MUD (as in “throw mud at” = slander) reversed (upset = upwards in a down clue), then [n]BC without the first letter (heading) + LUCK (the stars = fortune).
US (therefore Donald Trump’s) slang word for a foolish person. The apostrophe-S could also be interpreted as “is”, but I’m not sure if that’s what our setter intended. |
||
| 17 | DIPSTICK |
One indicates detective employed by Spooner? (8)
|
| Spoonerism of TIPS (as a verb = indicates as a likely winner) DICK (slang for detective). | ||
| 18 | AGRARIAN |
A gross baby, born today in a field? (8)
|
| A + GR (abbreviation for gross = 12 dozen = 144) + ARIAN (a baby born today, who would be under the star sign of Aries).
Agrarian = relating to agriculture. |
||
| 21 | FOOL |
18A is what one’s after: dessert (4)
|
| Double definition. A word that goes after APRIL (18a), and is metaphorically “what we’re after” as the theme of this puzzle; or a dessert made from cooked fruit mixed with cream or custard. | ||
| 22 | MUPPET |
One indulged after mass finished (6)
|
| PET (favourite, as an adjective = indulged) after M (scientific symbol for mass) + UP (finished, as in “time’s up”). | ||
| 23 | REBUS |
Puzzle about buffoons on and off, sadly not caught (5)
|
| RE (about = on the subject of), then BU[ffo][on]S after removing (. . . not caught) an anagram (sadly) of ON + OFF.
A puzzle in which pictures represent the sounds of words or letters. |
||
| 25 | COCO |
Clown prince repeatedly evading police officer (4)
|
| CO[p] (slang for police officer) without P (abbreviation for prince), twice (repeatedly).
Circus clown created by Nicolai Poliakoff, or the name of many other clowns after him. |
Excellent puzzle. Superb blog.
My faves: ZANY, CLODPOLL, IGNORAMUS, DUMB-CLUCK, DIPSTICK and MUPPET.
Thanks Nimrod and Quirister.