Guardian 26,988 – Nutmeg

by

It was a great pleasure to find Nutmeg as the setter on my return from a couple of weeks away in the Highlands (thanks to Gaufrid for standing in for me). No need to wonder if there’s a theme, as we’re told this is a centenary puzzle…

…for ROALD DAHL, who was born on 13 September 1916. Several of his works show up in the answers: CHARLIE and the CHOCOLATE FACTORY, JAMES and the GIANT PEACH, FANTASTIC MR FOX (and several of his books feature BATTLE-AXES) – have I missed anything? Thanks to Nutmeg for a fine puzzle.

 
 
 
 
 
 
Across
9. NARRATION Result of Republican fighters entering race? That’d be telling (9)
R[epublican] + RA (Royal Artillery – fighters) in NATION
10. PEACH Healthy dessert — small piece of pineapple per person (5)
P[ineapple] + EACH
11. GIANT Whopping six-footer in US army? (5)
The six-footer is an insect, so a GI ANT
12. CHOCOLATE Bar snack 14 had? (9)
“Bar snack” as in bar of chocolate, and a reference to Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
13. JITTERY Nervous model heading off wearing jersey inside out (7)
[S]ITTER in JerseY with its “inside out”, i.e. removed
14. CHARLIE Chump or pork pie served after fish (7)
CHAR (fish) + LIE (pork pie, rhyming slang)
19. CAD Software for visual effects, unpleasant type (3)
Double definition – the software is Computer Aided Design
20. TILDE Wavy line marking flow of water across lake (5)
L in TIDE
21. SLIPS UP Tipping back over edge, cat comes a cropper (5,2)
LIP in reverse of PUSS
22. FACTORY Apparently unknown constituent works (7)
FACTOR Y
24,17. FANTASTIC MR FOX Mobile traffic man’s to cross 26 27’s hero (9,2,3)
(TRAFFIC MANS TO)* + X
26,27. ROALD DAHL One line written during course had repelled another 29 (5,4)
L in ROAD + reverse of HAD + L
28. TALES Shilling put back in old accounts (5)
STALE (old) with the S moved to the end
29. WORDSMITH Weapon maker hasn’t succeeded, another having mightier armoury (9)
SWORDSMITH less its first S – the WORDSMITH has mightier armoury because “the pen is mightier than the sword”
Down
1. SNAG Hitch end of chain in sink (4)
[chai]N in SAG
2. ERRANT Tub-thumper’s cycling, always on the move (6)
RANTER, with the last two letters moved to the front
3. BATTLE-AXES British PM briefly abolishes bills (6-4)
B + ATTLE[E] + AXES. A bill or billhook is a type of battle-axe similar to a halberd
4. BITCHY Uncharitable characterisation of a female setter? (6)
Cryptic definition – think of the setter as a type of dog
5. ENFORCED Insisted on backing church to stop closure (8)
FOR (backing) CE in END
6. OPPO Workmate‘s potty, bouncing up and down (4)
“Up and down” versions of PO (chamberpot, potty)
7. PARALLEL Like to jump up without slowing down (8)
RALL (abbreviation of Rallentando, used in music to mean “slowing down”) in reverse of LEAP
8. SHOE Saying “scat!”, you put your foot in it (4)
Homophone of “shoo”
13. JAMES 26 27’s protagonist fixes housing shortage, ultimately (5)
[shortag]E in JAMS
15. ANTICHRIST Supremely evil influence in Chartist reforms (10)
(IN CHARTIST)*
16. ELEGY Plaint on ousting enemy’s mounted men (5)
ENEMY with NEM (“mounted men”) replaced by LEG (the “on” side in cricket)
18. FRIENDLY Genial father casually welcoming in Parisian (8)
FR + EN (French “in”) in IDLY
19. CAPE TOWN Better public school’s secured with foreign capital (4,4)
CAP (to better) + W (with) in ETON – Cape Town is the legislative capital of South Africa (other cities are capitals for other functions)
22. FACERS Fluorine scare created problems (6)
F + SCARE*
23. OMANIS Middle Easterners like wives out of bounds (6)
[W]OMANIS[H]
24. FETE Outdoor celebration in Tenerife terminated (4)
Hidden in teneriFE TErminated
25. ALSO Too large to fit into a small circle (4)
L in A S O

61 comments on “Guardian 26,988 – Nutmeg”

  1. Enjoyed this. “Peach” & “giant” we’re first ones in, so the rest of the thematic clues came easily. 16d & 28ac took some getting but they were both well worth the struggle.

    Thank you, Nutmeg. Thanks too to Andrew – the only possible missing reference is 16ac. Could “tilde” be a short form of Matilda?

    [Must confess that I’ve never more than skimmed the books. Daughters loved them, but were old enough to read them themselves!]

  6. Thanks Nutmeg and Andrew

    CHARLIE was FOI, followed rapidly by CHOCOLATE, ROALD DAHL, and, a bit more belatedly, FACTORY. This exhausted my knowledge of the author, so I was pleased that I managed to finish.

    Several not fully parsed, but I loved some after reading your explanation, Andrew – WORDSMITH must be in the running for clue of the year. The anagram for ANTICHRIST was pleasing too (I passed O level History largely on the basis of writing the essay on “Why did the Anti-Corn Law League succeed and the Chartists fail?” for the 3rd time – 4th year exams and mocks also had this question!)

  7. whoa.. missed out on parsing wordsmith, friendly and parallel.. thanks 🙂 parallel rather a tough one.. must say.. FT today has some of the same.. roald dahl and fantastic mr fox too 🙂

  11. Mitz’s use of “Charlie Bucket” yesterday in the Indy seems positively visionary; all three crosswords I’ve done today are a Dahlfest!

  12. WORDSMITH went in early, so was then able to get 26/27. Even though my knowledge of his books is limited, I had at least heard of many of the titles and so could get something out of this over and above it being a very enjoyable, and quite difficult, puzzle. Didn’t know OPPO for ‘Workmate’, or PO as abbreviation for ‘potty’, but the parsing of the rest was OK, except for a guess at RALL for ‘slowing down’ in 7. Lots of good clues – FACTORY and ELEGY were my picks of the day.

    Many thanks to Nutmeg and Andrew

  15. I wonder if WORDSMITH, as well as obviously referring to the theme as clued, is also an oblique reference to one of Dahl’s short stories called “The Fingersmith”, in which an ingenous pickpocket so terms himself.

  16. The clues were pretty tough but the theme and the grid helped me finish it. I don’t get WORDSMITH though – how does “hasn’t succeeded” indicate to remove the s? Is s an abbreviation for succeeded?

  19. Really enjoyed this, thanks Nutmeg.

    I know this clutching at straws but . . .A spoonerism of R.D. gives surname sounding like the middle of 7D

  20. Lovely puzzle. Didn’t work out it was Roald Dahl until I disentangled FANTASTIC MR FOX, but that helped things along. Favourites were WORDSMITH, GIANT, CAPE TOWN and BATTLE-AXES. Many thanks to Nutmeg, Andrew – and RIP Roald Dahl.

  21. I was thrown by thinking ‘testament’ was the answer to 9 ac. It almost perfectly fits from the clue – how often does that happen?

  22. Thanks, Andrew.

    A very enjoyable puzzle – as baerchen says, it’s quite a day!

    Like June’s, my children read the books themselves – while I read [and watched] ‘Tales of the Unexpected’ and other collections, but familiarity with the titles was sufficient.

    All neatly woven together, with ingenious constructions and lovely surfaces throughout. I particularly liked JITTERY, which made me smile, but WORDSMITH really stood out.

    muffin, I’m very familiar with that Chartism question, too, from both the learning and teaching end. 😉

    Many thanks, Nutmeg – I really enjoyed it.

  23. Thank you, Andrew, a fine blog to a first rate puzzle.

    Failed to parse WORDSMITH & OMANIS both of which are superb clues. Is the former the best clue of the year?

    TALES, ELEGY, ENFORCED are all beautiful constructions.

    I, too, wondered of there was a reference to Matilda at 20a. I know two; one is Tilly and the other Tilde.

    Wrestled for some time with the second R in NARRATION (I wanted IRA, not RRA) and also the def of BATTLE-AXES which only appeared slowly through the fog.

    Brilliant work, Nutmeg, congratulations.

    Nice week, all.

  24. Enjoyable puzzle thank you Nutmeg and Andrew. Charles wasn’t too happy about chump being the definition of Charlie.

  25. Thanks, Roald, Andrew and Nutmeg.

    I wondered if 19ac was BIG (as in BFG) not having got any of its letters yet. I wasn’t convinced at that stage CAD fitted well with the visual effects part of the definition; I guess it does, on reflection.

    Caught out by on = leg again, so thanks for that explanation, Andrew.

  26. Thank you Nutmeg and Andrew.

    A great puzzle and most helpful blog. I failed to parse PARALLEL and ELEGY, and the word OPPO was new to me. The clue for WORDSMITH stood out among so many excellent ones.

    My late husband read the books to our children, they loved them. I enjoyed reading his autobiography “Going Solo”.

    The only other book that I can see is a possible allusion to “Switch BITCH”…

  28. Well I’ve now done all three of the celebratory puzzles and Nutmeg wins my prize for being the most enjoyable. My boys read all the books when they were a lot younger than they are now, and I’ve seen the BFG on stage twice, so I didn’t have many problems with the theme. The clue for wordsmith is brilliant IMHO

    Thanks to Nutmeg for the fun – I’m rather relieved you couldn’t find room for Mr Twit’s disgusting beard – and to Andrew for the explanations.

  29. Cookie @27
    No, that’s fine. The Captcha can be all words (eg five x __ = thirty), all numbers (eg 6 – 2 = __) or a mixture of the two (eg seven + __ = 12).

  31. Some nice things here, especially WORDSMITH, however one or two quibbles as well. I’d never heard of OPPO, or FACER as a synonym for problem (Chambers doesn’t give it). Furthermore, CAD is not “software for visual effects”, it’s software for mechanical, architectural or electronic design, something completely different from CGI (Computer Graphics Imaging).

  34. PPS, yes, I see what you mean, and the Computer Aided Design Andrew mentions is the commoner term used, I think the visual effect might relate to 3D imaging

  35. For once no problem with the theme – have read every book to the kids, and I remember Kiss Kiss etc from university days. Recently took the kids to see the new BFG movie in 3D, wonderful.

    made my life harder by bunging in NARRATIVE but soon corrected. Missed the parsing on PARALLEL and OMANIS, so many thanks Andrew

    and many thanks Nutmeg. And many thanks RD

  36. Someone has at last posted on the Indy site to thank Radian and duncanshiell for today’s crossword, quite a few people here mention having solved that crossword…

  39. [Eileen @22
    I’ve a vague memory that John Bright (of the Anti-Corn Law League) came up in a different context in a fairly recent crossword – as an example of a philosopher perhaps?
    (This would have been a better post if I could remember the clue!)]

  41. Thanks to Nutmeg and Andrew. I did not know PACERS = “problem” or “po” = chamberpot and took a while before seeing Attlee in BATTLE-AXES but did get through and enjoyed the process.

  42. Thanks Nutmeg and Andrew. After the first snag … Fantastic Mr Fox went in and the theme was clear, though like others my children read the books for themselves. Surprised that the best RD hero(ine), Matilda, did not make an appearance.

    Good to see the ant having a rest from its labours in 11ac. And is it my imagination, or have Omanis become the most popular Middle Easterners in setterland?

  43. For me alas a big struggle; just not on the right wavelength, even when the penny dropped after CHOCOLATE and CHARLIE. Mrs T’s help needed for several of the book titles. In my defence, we’re enjoying a warm sunny day on the beach at Southend so I may not be concentrating fully.

  44. I haven’t read much Roald Dahl, although my children have (I might as well join the chorus!). However, I liked the way Nutmeg weaved the theme into this crossword.

    Having the theme-word FACTORY at 22a meant FACERS going in at 22d, but the clue made this unfamiliar word gettable, and I’m grateful for that!

    I thought 13a JITTERY and 7d PARALLEL were excellent clues, and I’m sure I couldn’t have come up with surfaces as good as these.

    I found this more laboured than I am used to with Nutmeg (for example, I wondered how ‘one line’ becomes ‘L’ in 26/27a), but this was much more of a challenge than yesterday’s puzzle and I enjoyed it. I think knowing more about the theme might have helped.

    Many thanks to Nutmeg and Andrew.

  45. The only Dahl I’ve read is a collection called Kiss Kiss when I was still at school but I’ve heard of all the titles quoted here so this was pretty easy once I’d got CHARLIE which was FOI. My LOI was ALSO which took ages to twig despite it being a very Nutmeggy clue
    Good fun but not one of Nutmeg’s best.
    Thanks Nutmeg.

  46. Great puzzle, pretty tough, yes, with theme not revealing itself to me for quite a while. FACERS in the sense used here is in both Collins and Concise OED.

  49. Switch Bitch (4d) is also one of Dahl’s novels.

    Did not like “cycling” in 2d. Perhaps, “bottom two letters jump to the top” istead of “cycling” would have been fairer.

  50. This was an OK puzzle with some reasonable clues.

    However the fact that several people seem to thin kit was a “great” puzzle suggests standards/expectations are dropping.

    Firstly this was very easy as the theme soon became apparent. (Especially if one had looked at a newspaper or the internet today.)

    Secondly several of the definitions were decidedly dodgy. For example …

    “Healthy dessert” for “Peach” (where is the question mark?)

    “Software for visual effects” for “CAD”. (Nonsense! I did some work on CATIA which is a very high level CAD tool for aircraft/spacecraft design written by Dassault. Although this software is “visual” in some respects it is no more so than any other software that produces something other than text! To describe it as “Software for visual effects” is obtuse. It is software to assist an engineer/designer to produce a technical design not a visual effect!

    “Like” for “Parallel” ???? The test is give us a sentence in which “like” can be replaced by “parallel”.

    Yet again the ed is conspicuous by his absence!

  51. Thankyou for the clarification of the definition for 26/27. The way the puzzle printed out I missed the 29. I only read to the end of the line but I now see the 29 which fell in the column of the clue numbers. I must pay attention. I must pay attention …..

    PaulW @49. I quite liked the ‘cycling’ indicator and have seen the device before. I was trying to fit ‘pedant’ in there for a while, thinking there was some cycling reference and a manipulation I couldn’t fathom.

  52. BNTO

    I didn’t find this as easy as you did (I never do!) and was held up a bit by a few clues that left me wondering whether either the definition or the wordplay fully worked as intended. 7d PARALLEL, where ‘like’ = ‘parallel’ (?), was one of them.

    I thought eventually that there is a sense in which ‘like’ and ‘parallel’ are interchangeable, or very nearly so: ‘compare like with like’ or (better still) ‘her like will not be seen again’.

  54. Disappointed I missed this crossword due to a very busy day, but I enjoyed reading the blog, especially the cleverness with which the Roald Dahl theme was woven through.

  55. PeterO @53
    Of course you’re right about the ‘L’s in ROALD DAHL. I think I must have seen that in order to get the answer (that was before I’d seen the theme) but forgot about it when I came to write my comment. Thanks for pointing it out.

  56. 1d may also be part of the theme. It’s the nickname of a teacher, whose favourite word it was, in RD’s autobiographical ‘Boy’

  57. I’m saddened that a number of contributors considered this relatively straightforward puzzle to be difficult. Like BNTO I am concerned should the crosswords become easier. (On average, I find Tuesdays to be the most challenging – after Thursday – so, frankly, I was a little disappointed with the entertainment only lasting ten minutes or so).
    Nevertheless, it was delightfully constructed (as ever from Nutmeg) with some very smart clueing (JITTERY, SLIPS UP, FACTORY, WORDSMITH, BATTLE AXES (my COD), PARALLEL).
    I don’t share others’ quibbles (other than CAD, which was incorrect, but I always think that if someone never makes a mistake then they’re either in the wrong job or not trying hard enough?!)
    All in all, it was an excellent puzzle – I’d be extremely proud if I could produce something so good!
    (Phew! I think it took longer to write this than solve the crossword….)
    Many thanks to Nutmeg – and to Andrew.

  58. William F P @57 Why are you saddened that some contributors found the puzzle difficult? Sounds like you think they should have been humble enough not to have attempted the puzzle or should then have kept quiet about their difficulties, leaving the stage to the smaller minority of persons who would prefer the crossword to be unapproachable to the average solver. Personally I would be delighted if, after reading my newspaper, on most days it took me only ten minutes to have an entertaining stroll through the crossword. With this crossword there were periods of a lot longer than ten minutes when I was staring blankly at the clues.

  59. William @57

    The topic of difficulty levels has come back! I might have given the impression that I found this ‘difficult’ when I compared my experience of it with BNTO. It took me about 30 minutes, but all four puzzles that I attempted last week (Tuesday to Friday) took me about the same time. They were all challenging enough to make them enjoyable, and that’s my sole criterion for wanting to finish them.

    I never actually time myself, but for me the time taken is not a good indicator of the level of difficulty, unless it’s a puzzle like Monday’s this week when so many of the answers were write-ins. I would welcome more puzzles like this Nutmeg, but I would equally welcome what you would call more difficult ones. I’m not a quick solver, and I enjoy all puzzles that are of sufficient quality and sufficiently challenging (and nearly all of them are).

  60. Many thanks Nutmeg, but what a pity that I took advantage of the extended holiday weekend here (for Aïd El-Adha) to sit down with a handful of other crosswords as well for a leisurely puzzle-athon in the sun: I therefore happened to have completed GAFF’s anniversary puzzle (FT 15,344) before the hoped-for delight of your centenary puzzle. As srividya @7 mentions, many of the solutions are identical ! This severely reduced the thrill of the chase and enjoyment in working on your excellent offering. I should add that the Nutmeg clues are far superior to the Gaff clues for the same solutions.

    Thank you both for your clear devotion to Roald Dahl. In addition, I suspect that Gaff has shares in the world’s largest soft drinks company (‘choCOLAte’, ‘FANTAStic’)…

  61. Thanks Nutmeg and Andrew

    This one was made a little easier by having completed the Gaff puzzle earlier. Having said that, there were more than the usual number of clues that I didn’t manage to parse – TALES, WORDSMITH, OPPO and OMANIS.

    A lot of tricky clues and many that gave a lot of satisfaction once the penny dropped. I’d marked BITCHY as more of a double definition – ‘Uncharitable’ and ‘characterisationof a female setter’ – although it makes little difference.

    Finished with the brilliant WORDSMITH, CAPE TOWN and CAD.

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