I’m not sure if I’ve blogged or even tackled a Serpent puzzle before. For me that can lead to a slow start while getting to grips with an unfamiliar setter’s style, but this time things progressed smoothly from start to finish.
The perimeter of the grid looks auspicious for a Nina, and sure enough, there it is. Spotting it pretty swiftly helped progress nicely.
I’m not sure if there’s any specific relevance to the message, but it gives us something to discuss in the comments.
Thanks to Serpent for an enjoyable solve.
| Across | ||
| 7 | HANDSOME | Generous, in keeping with Christian’s essential character (8) |
| (AND [chri]S[tian]) in HOME. The definition didn’t immediately click for me, but it’s right there as definition no. 5 in Chambers. | ||
| 9 | ELIXIR | Upset about restricting times I drink to combat ageing (6) |
| (X + I) in EFFECT<. | ||
| 10 | EFFECT | Chosen Labour leader getting snubbed for following result (6) |
| From ELECT, but with L[abour] replaced by FF. | ||
| 11 | RIDICULE | Send up papers current Conservative government’s withholding (8) |
| (ID + I + C) in RULE. | ||
| 12 | CLODHOPPER | Peasant repaired old axe outside (10) |
| OLD* in CHOPPER. | ||
| 14 | MINI | Small note fails to reach conclusion (4) |
| MINI[m]. | ||
| 15 | TEMPT | Try to persuade cheat out of lack of respect (5) |
| [con]TEMPT. | ||
| 16 | ORDER | Cockney intent on keeping the peace (5) |
| Sounds like “hoarder”, but with a dropped ‘h’. | ||
| 19 | AIDE | Assistant removing young woman’s coat (4) |
| [m]AIDE[n]. | ||
| 21 | OVERTHROWN | Upset when superfluous settlement’s blocked by Personnel (10) |
| OVER + (HR in TOWN). | ||
| 23 | LINGERED | Assumed illness dispatching old lady took a long time to go (8) |
| [ma]LINGERED. | ||
| 24 | TICKET | Striker having time for header or pass (6) |
| From [p]ICKET with T in place of the ‘p’. | ||
| 25 | PHOTON | Light particle is still radiation in the end (6) |
| PHOTO + [radiatio]N. | ||
| 26 | REPROACH | Blame for breaking compass (8) |
| PRO in REACH. | ||
| Down | ||
| 1 | EARFUL | 26 scared to go topless (6) |
| [f]EARFUL. | ||
| 2 | ADDENDUM | Edmund died with a burst appendix (8) |
| Anagram of (EDMUND + D + A). | ||
| 3 | ROUT | Crush resistance completely (4) |
| R + OUT. | ||
| 4 | TENDERFOOT | Fledgling unit backs offer (10) |
| FOOT after TENDER. | ||
| 5 | SITCOM | Its broadcast leads to chuckles of mirth (6) |
| ITS* + COM[ely] and &lit. | ||
| 6 | AIRLINER | Very thin, leaving hospital by right form of transport (8) |
| [h]AIRLINE + R. | ||
| 8 | ENRAPT | Delighted by drunken partner losing footing (6) |
| PARTNE[r]*. | ||
| 13 | OUTPOURING | Open University cryptographer admits work revolutionised free speech (10) |
| OU + (OP< in Alan TURING). | ||
| 15 | TWILIGHT | Shakespeare’s taken short in drunken evening (8) |
| WIL[l] in TIGHT. | ||
| 17 | DIRECTOR | Men supporting outspoken board member (8) |
| OR after DIRECT. | ||
| 18 | RENDER | Represent someone who tears coat on wall (6) |
| Three definitions, no less. | ||
| 20 | EIGHTH | Bobsleigh that’s out of the medals? (6) |
| [bobsl]EIGH TH[at]. It took me a moment to spot the inclusion indicator, but it’s the “‘s” | ||
| 22 | WHENCE | Painful start after he replaces one from which position? (6) |
| From WINCE, with HE replacing I. | ||
| 24 | TOPI | Head covering subject, having left college (4) |
| TOPI[c]. | ||
* = anagram; < = reversed; [] = removed; underlined = definition; Hover to expand abbreviations; BOLD = letters forming part of entries.
Typo in 9a – should be RILE<
I saw a Nina developing but then finished the puzzle before going back to it, and also can’t spot its relevance. Serpent usually a challenge and this was no exception. Bobsleigh caught me out for a while as well. Thanks to S&B
Look at the centre of the grid to see the Nina’s significance.
Yes, I spotted the black H in the centre as well. There is a typo in 9a and in 5d COM comes from leads to Chuckles Of Mirth.
I don’t think any setter constructs surfaces as well as Serpent. Absolutely beautiful.
Failed on 17d, looking for a homonym of ‘board’. Drat! Used a word fit, followed by a head slap.
Thanks to Serpent for a great challenge and to Simon for the blog.
Sorry, just spotted Paul already mentioned typo in 9a. Somehow missed the first line when I read it.
In 5ac SITCOM, COM is from the first letters of ‘chuckles of mirth’. Not sure if that is indicated above.
Sorry, 5dn.
A steady solve, if a bit of a challenge. Spotting the nina helped us to finish, though we couldn’t parse everything.
In 20ac ‘out of’ seems to be doing double duty as wordplay and part of the definition, but the question mark flags that up so no complaints there.
CoD was SITCOM – a great &lit.
Thanks, Serpent and Simon.
allan@7. I parsed 20d as in blog where ‘out of’ is not doing double duty. The inclusion is given by the ‘s (taken in the possessive form).
Hovis@8: Ah, yes. I see now that the ’s can be read as ‘has’ rather than ‘is’.
Many thanks to Simon for the excellent blog and to everyone who has taken the time to solve and comment. Thanks especially to Hovis for commenting on the surfaces – something I put a lot of effort into – it’s nice to know they’re appreciated!
Top stuff as usual. The nina helped but I failed to see the H in the middle.
Thanks all.