Good fun from Monk this morning.
A couple of new words, but lots to enjoy, with Monk’s trademark wit and lateral thinking. The perimeter is made up of two palindromes to add to the enjoyment.
(SET A PHOTO)* (*askew)
B[ir]O (writer, with stomach <upset)
DEATH (passing) around L (large) + W[ind] I[nstruments] (at first)
ORB (sphere) encircled by SET (band)
[b]O[y] (at heart) has A + RAGE (passion)
(IRE + GET IN)* (*fight)
GINS (traps) + [littl]E [gu]N [do]G (at last)
NSWE (all points, North, South, West, East) penned by ARS[e] (idiot, curt)
Cryptic/double definition
Eggs and soldiers is a typical English breakfast of toast slices dipped into a soft boiled egg
BOSNIA* (*developed)
ME< (setter, <going over) + ENDS (targeted goals)
(ROARED IN)* (*broadcast)
[whi]SKY E[xport] (contributes to) – semi &lit
Skye is a Scottish island famous for its whisky
NT (books, New Testament) in DISMAL (very bad) + E (English)
Cryptic definition
A ‘painter’ can be the rope used on a small boat for tying up or towing
([s]AI[d] (essentially) + STALIN)* (*demolished)
O (ring) found in S (small) + MITE (arachnid)
(RATHER A)* (*maniac)
H (husband) wearing PANTIES* (*ripped)
OBE (medal) + [p]RON[e] (to be stripped)
The medal is the Order of the British Empire; Oberon is the fairy king best known from Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream
V[o]ICE (utter, O (nothing) omitted)
TENE[t] (doctrine (endless)) in THREAD (series of online posts)
NEAR (closely related) + SIDE (team)
‘Nearside’ refers to the side of a vehicle that is closest to the kerb when driving. This would be the left in a British car (‘estate’?).
WEN (cyst) + TINT (colour) before O[peration] (start of)
[juvenil]E (finally) with SPOUSE (partner)
(SHIN (part of leg) + EG< (<back)) when cycling
BRAG (boast) about O[l]D (case of)
M[agazin]E (cleared out); A + K (thousand) lines
My faves: OSTEOPATH, ITALIANS, NEAR SIDE and THREATENED.
Thanks Monk and Oriel.
Thanks Monk and Oriel
The two palindromes round the rim are actually two consecutive lines from the song ‘Bob’ by Weird Al Yankovic.
Didn’t spot the palindromic Ninas (Thanks Simon S@2! 😀) until I’d finished. They might’ve helped with the NHOs:
“† BODRAG Obsolete. 1537–95 A hostile incursion, a raid.” – It’s Irish; and “SOMITE Etymons: … σῶμα, ‑ite suffix¹.” – It’s Greek.
Happy to learn both. [Nice to see Amelia 4d making a reappearance from Saturday’s Indy.]
Thank you Simon S @2 for providing the link to the nho Bob and Weird Al.
The song consists of 40 lines each one a palindrome . It is nonsensical but fun and impressive to sustain the palindrome for so long.
I think we had OBERON and EARHART in the FT recently.
Thanks Monk for an ingenious puzzle and Oriel for explaining it all.
Thank you Simon S @2 for providing the link to the nho Bob and Weird Al.
The song consists of 40 lines each one a palindrome . It is nonsensical but fun and impressive to sustain the palindrome for so long.
I think we had OBERON and EARHART in the FT recently.
Thanks Monk for an ingenious puzzle and Oriel for explaining it all.
A very rare DNF for me. If I ever knew that a painter was a rope then I had forgotten, so had to check 1D here.
Thanks for the link FrankieG, very drole.
Thanks Monk and Oriel for the window to enlightenment
I liked THESPIAN
Overall I felt there was too much specific knowledge needed, and too many strained synonyms. Thanks Monk and Oriel
Thanks Monk for an outrageously clever crossword. The Nina/palindrome was the star but the clues themselves were also excellent. I liked BRIO, ANSWERS, VICE, and THREATENED to name a few. ROPE-MAKING was my only misstep. Thanks Oriel for the blog.
We didn’t find this as tough as Monk can be, but possibly that’s because of having already solved a Monk puzzle in The i Paper this morning. Interestingly that one also had a perimeter nina based on a song. So we were on Monk’s wavelength. We didn’t know BODRAG or SOMITE but confirmed them in Chambers; we’d probably come across OARAGE before but needed to check that as well.
Plenty to enjoy, including BRIO, SORBET, GINSENG, THESPIAN and NEARSIDE.
Thanks, Monk and Oriel.
Loved it–thanks Monk!