Independent 10206 by Nimrod

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Oh joy – Nimrod. Usually comes in two difficulty levels hard and very hard.

But not today or my wavelength just met his for a change. I did find this comparatively easy for a Nimrod puzzle, though some head scratching was required to parse some of the answers.

I particularly liked 22 down as the last clue – very apt. Otherwise highly enjoyable not words I often use to describe a Nimrod puzzle, the more usual being very challenging workouts.

Cheers Nimrod

DD double definition; * anagram; Underline definition; Rev. reverse

Across
1 See 9
4 Hypocritical time with one’s daughter (3-5)
T (time) + w (with) + of ace (one’s) + d (daughter) = TWO-FACED
9/1 New arrival is thankful for cloak that was close! (6,6)
N (new) + arr (arrival) owes (is thankful) + cape (cloak) = NARROW ESCAPE
10 A boy’s name that’s rejected unanimously (2,3,3)
a + son (boy) + Rev (name) = AS ONE MAN
11 Our guy Mark is copper sustained by a little cookie (7,7)
our + bo (man) + nb (mark) + is + cu (copper) in bit (a little) = BOURBON BISCUIT
13/6 King George and National I find thrilling – this is what’s in store? (10,6)
GR (King George) + and + n(national) + (ifind)* in stash (store) = GRANDSTAND FINISH
14 See 16
16/14 #metoo: it just takes the chap in (4,4)
sa (it) + mere(just) around he (the chap) = SAME HERE
18 See 20 Down
21 Responsibilities of those collecting fine in press function (5,2,3,4)
their (of those) around f(fine) in iron (press) + sine (function) = IRONS IN THE FIRE
23 A failing that, staying over 8 furlongs? Too much (3,5)
that – a (a failing) around Rev. 1 mile (8 furlongs) = THE LIMIT
24 See 26
25 Get back on job, not initially ‘plum’ (2-6)
greengage (plum) – g = RE-ENGAGE
24/26 Comic, this tactical nous behind King Harold’s downfall? (6,6)
DD (well sort of I’m sure you can see the gist) NORMAN WISDOM

Down
1 Explosive type wanted unlimited turns (4)
Rev. wanted – wd = ETNA
2 Alternative arrival time in Central America – ready for Nicaragua? (7)
or (alternative) + dob (arrival time) in CA (Central America) = CORDOBA
3 Puritan holding shit stick out (8)
Prude (puritan) holding rot (shit) = PROTRUDE
5 British rockers would like celebrated dandy reported (8,3)
wish (would like) + homonym of Beau Nash (celebrated dandy) = WISHBONE ASH
6 See 13 Across
7 To reduce severity of the punishment, make AC/DC split the daily journey (7)
Triple definition = COMMUTE
8 Avoid folding over Bill, maybe cutting direct debit? (2,3,4)
o (over) + not Ben (Bill – remember the flowerpot men) in DD Direct debit) = DO NOT BEND
12 Particular punches a jolly exhausting way to win bout (11)
point (particular) in outing ( a jolly) = OUTPOINTING
13 Workman equally suited to G!!unknow xml object: amp!!T sups with Her Majesty (3-6)
as fit (equally suited) in GT + er (her majesty) = GAS FITTER
15 Pass round fliers ready for Banksy work? (8)
Go(pass) round RAF (fliers) + fit (ready) = GRAFFITO
17 Fish: tick in order first and second choices from your menu, circling one (7)
Mo (tick) + y (first of your) + e (second of menu)  around one = MOONEYE
19 Pampered realm in which to serve? (7)
(realm)* around do (serve) = EARLDOM
20/18 A fad involving fitting of foreskin-ring: should this worry me – sorry, him? (6,3,1,6)
(a fad + foresking ring)* = ASKING FOR A FRIEND
22 The last word in steam engines (4)
Hidden steAM ENgines = AMEN

15 comments on “Independent 10206 by Nimrod”

  1. I’d agree with comparatively easy for a Nimrod with some head-scratching parsing

    Highly enjoyable and I too marked 22d as a favourite

    Thanks to Nimrod and twencelas

  2. Thanks Nimrod and twencelas

    Hugely enjoyable puzzle with the delightful quirkiness one expects from Nimrod. 20/18 is wonderfully outrageous!

  3. Minor error in blog. 23a should specify that 1 mile is reversed.

    Loved “not Ben” for “Bill maybe” in 8d.

    Maybe easier than normal for Nimrod but still took me well over an hour.

    Thanks to Nimrod and twencelas.

  5. The usual crossword-setters’ bias in favour of oldie solvers.  How many people under 30 will have heard of Norman Wisdom (and not many of the Flowerpot Men).  I’m 71, so it’s OK by me, and I guess the young folk have better things to do.

  6. Strangely unsatisfying because we solved it all while having numerous clues we couldn’t parse. So thanks for helping with that. You left us confused about some of those though: why sa=it (16a), bo=man and nb=mark (11a)? Probably conventions we don’t know.

  7. Thanks to twencelas and Nimrod

    One or points

    13/6 National (n) is unaccounted for in the parsing

    23 I suppose we are to take STAYING as SECURING

    7 I’m sure I’m missing something obvious, but I can’t work out how MAKE AC/DC SPLIT = COMMUTE

    17 MO (TICK) + Y ( FIRST OF YOUR) + E (SECOND OF MENU), all circling ONE

    20/18 I’m not sure INVOLVING really works – INVOLVED WITH, perhaps

  8. Eric It is sex appeal abbreviated to sa. Bo is US slang for a man and quite commonly used. NB is a mark in the margin or elsewhere in a document – less common in crosword usage than the other two.

  9. Dansar i agree with your 1st and 4th point – will amend. As to the third chambers will confirm the 3rd definition.It is to change electric current from A.C. to DC. The other points you make are fair points but neither obscure the route to the answer in my opinion.

  10. Thanks Dansar for the proper parsing of MOONEYE. Can’t imagine for the life of me why I didn’t see MO=tick at the beginning. I also hadn’t met the second meaning of COMMUTE but Chambers is often my first port of call.

  11. It looked daunting at first, maybe because of the Nimrod name but it soon became a hoot. As for Norman Wisdom, solvers under 30 should be aware of Buster Keaton-and anyone who can elicit a good clue.. Agree with Simon S 20/18 is a beauty.

    Thanks twencelas and Nimrod

  12. Thank you twencelas and Hovis.

    I don’t have the full Chambers, but by chance a visiting friend, (a retired electrical engineer), has confirmed that they do use the term to mean conversion of AC to DC. This usage would not indicate any “splitting” though. I wonder if this is a quadruple definition – the 4th def in my Chambers reads “to exchange (one type of payment) for another, e.g. a single payment for one made in instalments”

    I take that as saying if you COMMUTE a payment you may SPLIT it.

  13. Like Ericw@6 I finished without parsing several of the clues, which made up for the initial panic at seeing Nimrod’s name. Would’ve been a personal best were it not for my iPhone app which doesn’t take kindly to across/down clues. 13 restarts later…. Córdoba my favourite because I knew it . Thanks Nimrod & Twencelas.

  14. For some reason, this more or less totally defeated me and I quickly resorted to making guesses I couldn’t parse and using the check button.  In the end I gave up with half a dozen still to get.

  15. I didn’t find this easy, comparatively or otherwise! Still, I did limp to the finishing line without needing help with parsing so I guess that counts for something. Terrific puzzle.

    Delighted to see Norman Wisdom make an appearance. Maybe he won’t be familiar to people under 30, but if so they’re missing out.

    As for foreskin rings – has Nimrod been at the real ale again?

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