Independent 9,983 by Serpent

Serpent returns this week with another slippery offering.

It was only after we had completed the puzzle that we noticed the Nina across the middle of the grid. This immediately rang bells with 20d, but we couldn’t find ‘LOST’ anywhere. It was only after completing the blog that we realised that there was a 20d-related Nina running down the centre of the grid – all very ingenious (and beautifully balanced!)

We are out and about today so if there are any corrections that need to be made we may not be able to respond until later.

Thanks Serpent for the fun.

link to completed grid

Across

1 Film-maker in favour of Frank replacing the lead (8)
DIRECTOR
DIRECT (frank) replacing F the ‘lead’ in fOR (in favour of)

5 This describes the return of Hamlet, perhaps, and his end (6)
TRAGIC
Clue as defintion – CIGAR (‘Hamlet, perhaps’) and T (the ‘end’ or last letter of Hamlet) all ‘returned’ or reversed

9 Material that may be used by construction firm (8)
CONCRETE
Double definition although the whole clue could also be seen as a definition

10 Twist right ankle initially during cycle ride (6)
SPRAIN
R A (initial letters of Right Ankle) in or ‘during’ SPIN (cycle ride)

12 Refuse to put on clothes after losing heart for nothing (5)
DROSS
DReSS (put on clothes) with O (nothing) instead of E – the middle letter or ‘heart’ of dress

13 Rose for one soldier breaking rank (9)
EGLANTINE
EG (for one) + ANT (soldier) inside or ‘breaking’ LINE (rank)

14 Engineer sends man away for resources (4,3,5)
WAYS AND MEANS
An anagram of SENDS MAN AWAY – anagrind is ‘engineer’

19 Go through to the rear of trendy “green” property (12)
INEXPERIENCE
EXPERIENCE (go through) after or ‘to the rear of’ IN (trendy)

22 Agreed auditor’s intended payment to correct errors (9)
ATONEMENT
AT ONE (agreed) + a homophone (‘auditor’s’) of MEANT (intended)

25 Sheepish lover removes jacket and trousers at home (5)
OVINE
lOVEr (missing first and last letter or ‘removing jacket’) around or ‘trousering’ IN (at home). Joyce wasn’t sure about ‘trousers’ being an inclusion indicator but Bert says he has seen it used before.

26 One’s left powerless after this heartless atrocity (6)
OUTAGE
OUTrAGE (atrocity) without the middle letter or ‘heartless’

27 “Stressful” impact he might make (8)
EMPHATIC
An anagram of IMPACT HE – anagrind is ‘might make’

28 Value opponents holding hands by side we hear (6)
ESTEEM
E S (opponents in Bridge where players hold a ‘hand’ of cards) + a homophone (‘we hear’) of TEAM (side)

29 Hand out pass admitting writer on board ship (8)
DISPENSE
DIE (pass) around or ‘admitting’ PEN (writer) inside or ‘on board’ SS (ship)

Down

1 Resolve to cut 10%, subtract 50%, and add 50% of the remainder (6)
DECIDE
DECImate (cut by 10%) taking away or ‘subtracting’ half or 50% + DE (50% of DEci – the remainder)

2 What’s required to release answer stored in memory? (6)
RANSOM
ANS (answer) inside ROM (read-only memory)

3 Penalise footballer over accidental cheat (4-5)
CARD-SHARP
CARD (penalise footballer) SHARP (accidental). We’d not come across ‘CARD’ as a verb before but it is in Chambers.

4 Unconventional course has introduction moved nearer conclusion (5)
OUTRE
ROUTE (course) with the first letter or ‘introduction’ moving towards the end of the word or ‘nearer conclusion’

6 Religious and physical education associated with dawn of New Age (5)
RIPEN
RI (Religious Instruction) and PE (Physical Education) and N (first letter or ‘dawn’ of New)

7 Almost understand about life in Ancient Rome’s importance (8)
GRAVITAS
GRASp (‘understand’ without last letter or ‘almost’) about VITA (Latin for ‘life’)

8 Talk about touching one of Nina’s parts (8)
CONVERSE
C (about) ON (touching) VERSE (part of the poem featured in the NINA) – PARADISE REGAINED is found in the central row and column

11 Fair trade in the centre of Belize for two-thirds of capital (6)
BLONDE
You have to ‘trade in’ the centre of BelizE for two thirds of our capital, LONDon

15 Sub perhaps yearns to have some editing work (6)
SARNEY
An anagram of YEARNS – anagrind is ‘have some editing work’. We usually spell sarney with ‘ie’ instead of ‘ey’ but it is in Chambers as an alternative.

16 Presumably this has little need for Fat Controller on today’s network? (9)
MICROCHIP
You have to imagine that a MICRO CHIP would not need much fat to fry it!

17 Attach warning under a protective cover (8)
PINAFORE
PIN (attach) and FORE (warning used in golf) under A

18 God interrupting farewell upset balloonist (8)
AEROSTAT
EROS (god) inside or ‘interrupting’  TA TA (farewell) reversed or ‘upset’

20 Children’s author briefly taking to poet (6)
MILTON
MILNe (children’s author missing last letter or ‘briefly’) around or ‘taking’ TO. Milton is the author of the NINA which features in the central row and column.

21 Relief of snooker player completing short break (6)
RESCUE
CUE (snooker player) after or ‘completing’ RESt (‘break’ missing last letter or ‘short’). We cannot find CUE = snooker player in Chambers or our old Collins dictionary. We think that Serpent must be referring to the fact that a CUE is used when you are ‘playing’ snooker. Any other ideas out there?

23 Cycling match is a bore (5)
EAGRE
AGREE (match) with the last letter moved to the front, or ‘cycling’

24 No good will come from doing casual work for these rates (5)
TEMPI
TEMPIng (doing casual work) without NG (no good)

*anagram