Thanks to Monk for a superb challenge.
Plenty of fun in Monk’s puzzle this morning. A great mix of complex clues to mull over, and much simpler ones. I thought 3d was a particularly standout clue. And we have the name of the publication coming down two rows – neat!
[d]AF[t] (idiotic, uncovered) + FICTION (lie) about L (large)
BAR (pub) next door to [Zermat]T (terminus of)
TIE (a match) + LIP (edge) on C (cape)
PT (part) adopted by EMILY (Bronte sister)
(I[nvestment] T[rusts] A[nd] (heads of) + COPARTNERS)* (*corrupt)
INTE[r]STATE (US highway, R (Republican) avoids)
AUDI (car manufacturer) + [boyc]O[tted] (essentially)
ED (journalist); [p]A[i]S[l]E[y] (intermittently) interrupts
(MY SHEEP)* (*disturbed) + MA (mum)
UNDERWOOD (Rugby’s Rory) contains MILK (exploit)
Rory Underwood MBE was a highly successful rugby winger for England; Under Milk Wood refers to the play by Dylan Thomas
CHI (foreign letter) penned by EDNA (entertaining Dame)
Dame Edna Everage is a character created and portrayed by comedian Barry Humphries
BOO (voice disapproval of) + “TEASE” (“report” of torment)
“Bootees” is an abbreviation of “bootnecks”, a term used for the Royal Marines due to the leather collar they wore as part of their protective uniform
[se]MISO[lid] (some)
BAR + BAR (obstruct, repeatedly) + OSSA (bones)
Operation Barbarossa was the 1941 German (and allies) invasion of the Soviet Union during World War II
[p]ARTY (person, with cover blown)
LEAP (jump) into FIT (suitable)
(DECISION LED L[ose]R (vacuous))* (*astray)
[pe]RIPAT[etic]< (partly, <climbing)
[l]OVER (paramour, topless) + PEELS< (strips off, <keeling over)
BAND (gang) pinching RIG (gear)
(A MERRY HOLY)* (*broadcast)
PRIM (formal) + COL (pass) in (AR (Arabic) + YOUR (solver’s))
The primary colours of light are red, green and blue
DIM (stupid) + (MUSE (English rock band) in EU) on M (mass)
(M (Mike, NATO alphabet) and ERICA (heather)) immersed in AN A (ace)
SAD (unhappy) over H[in]DUS* (missing IN, *fighting)
ENDS (scraps) stopped by LES (lascivious antipodean cultural attache)
Sir Les Patterson is another character created and portrayed by comedian Barry Humphries
(BABE (toddler) + [berser]K (finally))< (<upends)
[r]A[d]I[o] S[t]A[r]< (regularly, <going round)
Yes very entertaining and doable. Completely missed the Nina, as usual, but it’s a banger. Loved the double Barry Humphries references. Liked emptily, emphysema, flea pit. Thanks both.
Yes, thought there might be more about Sir Les and Dame Edna, but not that icn see. Hadn’t heard of a dime museum or a rhyme royal either. And had forgotten the name of that WWII operation [had it not been for Hitler’s hubris and Stalin’s ruthlessness, well, who knows …]. Lots to learn, remember and enjoy, thanks Monk and Oriel.
I must admit that I thought Muse were from Wales. Turns out they’re from Devon, so I wasn’t too far out.
A tour de force from Monk and an excellent blog. I missed the Nina and needed help with the nho DIME MUSEUM and BOOTEES.
Thanks Monk and Oriel.
I had the same likes and NHOs as others. The only thing to add is, including Barry H (which I knew), I thought Monk was pushing the GK limits a bit.
Thanks Monk for a reliably-enjoyable crossword and thanks Oriel for a nice blog
All solved except for 13dn – NHO Dime Museum, and we guess it’s an unindicated Americanism. We managed the rest unaided, although we didn’t know the origin of Bootees for the Royal Marines (we only knew Jolly for a Marine) And we didn’t see the nina.
Thanks, Monk and Oriel.
Thanks Monk for another top-notch crossword with a Nina I found late in the game. Great clues all around with my top picks being PROCRASTINATE, ECHIDNA, FLEAPIT, ILL-CONSIDERED (COTD), SADDHUS, and KEBAB. Thanks Oriel for the blog.
Thanks Monk and Oriel
13dn: Chambers 2016 p 432 has “dime museum n a cheap show” as the second of four compound words under the main entry word dime. Other compound words given include dime bag, which is marked (US inf) and dime store, which is marked (old US). Both dime museum and dime novel are given with no specific classification label. Nor is their any classification label on the main entry word dime itself: the definition relates to North American currency, but the use of the word dime is of course not restricted to North American English.
These Ninas usually elude me, as today’s did. I’m not sure whether they are supposed to help the solver of just give the setter satisfaction. If the former, might it be an idea for the setter to give some indication that there is a nina? There need be no clue as to what or where it might be.
Babbler @9: Monk usually has a hidden message of some sort in his grids. Knowing that, I’m always on the lookout.
I enjoyed the puzzle although some tricky parsing in places. BOOTEES took me a while as I couldn’t find any references with this spelling and only knew it as BOOTIES, but the crosser at 20D finally convinced me.
Pelham @8: late to this one so you might not see it, but the dime store fell victim to inflation. Even at its replacement, the dollar store, everything now costs at least $1.25.