A nina in an Everyman? Well possibly.
Don’t know when this was compiled but not too long ago at the Golden Globes, Streep had a rant about Donald Trump, he replied with a trademark rabid tweet. Of course it could just be coincidence but I doubt it.
Thanks Everyman
Across
1 Unjustified when beginning to exult in praise (8)
BASELESS
AS (when) & start of E(xult) both in BLESS (praise)
5 Unpleasant, chased by police (6)
RANCID
RAN (chased) & C(oppers) I(n) D(isguise) – yes, yes I know…
9 Verbal attack reflected support by social group (8)
DIATRIBE
AID (support relected – reversed) & TRIBE (social group)
10 Still endless criticism about volunteers (6)
STATIC
T.A. in STIC(k) mostly. The TA were disbanded years ago however.
11 Excited fans stir champ to show skill (13)
CRAFTSMANSHIP
[FANS STIR CHAMP]* excitedly
14 Observe, with obvious hesitation, startling event (3-6)
EYE-OPENER
EY (ovbserve) & OPEN (obvious) & ER (sound of hesitation)
16 Passage in article with silly lies (5)
AISLE
A – the indefinite article & silly LIES*
18 Skinflint lives alone finally in room after retirement (5)
MISER
IS (lives) & (alon)E finally in R(oo)M reversed – retired
19 Awkward guy at back of house, very withdrawn (3,2,4)
ILL AT EASE
V(ery) removed (withdrawn) from (v)ILLA (house) & TEASE (to guy)
20 Hysterical team becoming disunited (4-9)
SIDE SPLITTING
SIDE (team) & SPLITTING (becoming disunited)
24 Encourage appeal in stirring vein (6)
INVITE
IT (sex appeal) in a stirred VEIN*
25 Be clear, worried about king being intellectual (8)
CEREBRAL
R(ex) – king in [BE CLEAR]* worried
26 Number with link receiving constant attention (6)
NOTICE
NO (number) & C(onstant) in TIE (link)
27 Excellent price attached to object protected by cover (8)
SPLENDID
S.P. (starting price) & END (object) in LID (cover)
Down
1 Mass in depth grasped by child (4)
BODY
D(epth) in BOY
2 Seekers in vault taken in by prophets (9)
SEARCHERS
ARCH (a vault) in SEERS (prophets(
3 Los Angeles artist admitting very immature form (5)
LARVA
L.A. & V(ery) inserted in R.A.
4 Unhappily abstain, lust being considerable (11)
SUBSTANTIAL
[ABSTAIN LUST]* unhappily
6 Steward at start of trip unusually tanned (9)
ATTENDANT
AT & start of T(rip) & TANNED* unusually
7 Surprise in contract (5)
CATCH
Double definition
8 Resolve, endlessly receiving pressure, at this point cracked (10)
DECIPHERED
[P(ressure) & HERE (at this point)] inside an endless DECID(e) – resolve
12 Actress, knowing about upset, in bad temper (5,6)
MERYL STREEP
[SLY (knowing) & RE (about)] reversed (upset) in a bad TEMPER*
13 Approval for each assignment (10)
PERMISSION
PER (for each) & MISSION (assignment)
15 Exploitative pose assumed by soldier in charge (9)
PARASITIC
SIT (pose) in PARA (soldier) & I(n) C(harge)
17 Astonished head of government’s in step with revolutionary (9)
STAGGERED
head of G(overnment) in STAGE (step) & RED (revolutionary)
21 Digger’s first turn releasing soft piece of turf (5)
DIVOT
D(igger)’s first letter & P (soft musically) removed from (p)IVOT (turn)
22 Department getting some praise recently (5)
ISERE
Hidden in praISE REcently – a French department
23 Happy with piece of publicity following good line (4)
GLAD
G(ood) & L(ine) & AD(vertisement)
I didn’t notice the Nina at the time but it does seem too much of a coincidence – well spotted, flashling. I found this a pretty easy solve, my only delays were not knowing the verb to guy, and the French department Isere.
A very enjoyable puzzle.
New words for me were ISERE and TEASE=guy.
Thank you Everyman and flashling.
Thank you Everyman and flashling.
I did not notice the ‘nina’ either! Can’t bring myself to click on the connection…
DIVOT was a new word for me, and the last one in, but ISERE was no problem since I live in an adjacent department.
Thanks Flashling and Everyman. I thought this was a bit more of a workout and enjoyed it all the more for that. I didn’t spot the nina either, nor did I know of guy = tease, but everything slotted nicely into place as always with this consistent setter(s?). Thanks.
Well spotted, I can’t say I would have. 🙂 Another enjoyable puzzle, about par for difficulty. Apparently Everyman was 90 years old last week…
I found this a bit more of a challenge than usual, but perhaps that was just due to tiredness. I was not happy with the clue for 27ac given that the expansion of SP itself contains “price”, but that is a very minor niggle. Favourites included CRAFTSMANSHIP and SUBSTANTIAL.
“The TA were disbanded years ago however.” The British Territorial Arms was not disbanded, just renamed the Army Reserve. Courtesy of Google, I also discovered that there is still a Territorial Army in India, though I doubt that was what was intended or that many solvers would have thought of that one.
Thanks, Everyman and flashling.
About my level albeit a couple I didn’t bother parsing and I’d never heard of an Isere but with the HW indicator and fodder it was fairly clued.
The Nina never occurred to me, but I didn’t watch the oscars.
What’s a Nina?
Glad to see that most new words for others were same for me. Would be hard to find use of guy = tease in a sentence without confusing the other person.
liked 20ac 14 ac most
This was about my level too, even though I couldn’t parse some. I like the clues better these days.
Vanessa
A Nina is a hidden phrase or message somewhere in a completed crossword grid. They are usually made from the sticking out letters at the beginnings and endings of words. The example above (if it is one) is therefore more of a mini theme than a Nina as it’s made up of the words themselves rather than bits of them.
They are rare in Everyman crosswords.
The name Nina comes from an artist Al somebody who used to hide his daughter’s name in his pictures.
If you Google Nina crosswords you’ll find an article about them.
I invariably never ever spot them.
A nice one . Loved Cerebral & Meryl Streep . ( didn’t think much of ILL AT EASE )