I was feeling particularly leaden, and made heavy weather of solving this, but in writing it up there does not seem to be anything to struggle over: mostly straightforward charades and envelopes.
| Across | |||
| 9. | Persuasive quality of procession heading off round Lesotho’s borders (9) | ||
| ELOQUENCE | Envelope (’round’) of LO (‘LesothO‘s borders’) in [s]EQUENCE (‘procession’ ‘heading off’). | ||
| 10. | Animal’s ready (5) | ||
| RHINO | Double definition, one being the dated slang for money. | ||
| 11. | Such as you can read, say, in appalling libel (7) | ||
| LEGIBLE | Envelope (‘in’) of EG (‘say’) in an anagram (‘appaling’) of ‘libel’. | ||
| 12. | Drudge went out with useful tool (7) | ||
| HACKSAW | Charade of HACK (‘drudge’) + SAW (‘went out with’). | ||
| 13. | Almost worthless intelligence (4) | ||
| NOUS | NO US[e] (‘worthless’ ‘almost’). | ||
| 14. | Carson’s Act unfortunately set aside (10) | ||
| SACROSANCT | Anagram (‘unfortunately’) of ‘carsons act’). | ||
| 15. | Headgear for police caught out at junction (7) | ||
| TOPPERS | Charade of T (‘junction’) + [c]OPPERS (‘police’ without c, ‘caught out’). | ||
| 17. | Closes a street in Cambridgeshire region (7) | ||
| FASTENS | Envelope (‘in’) of A ST (‘a street’) in FENS (‘Cambridgeshire district’; The Fens are partially in Cambridge). | ||
| 19. | Part of church unfinished after a century in recession? No way! (3,1,6) | ||
| NOT A CHANCE | Reversal (‘in recession’) of A TON (‘a century’) + CHANCE[l] (‘part of church’ ‘unfinished’). | ||
| 22. | Fan backing a swimmer (4) | ||
| TUNA | Reversal (‘backing’) of NUT (‘fan’) + ‘a’. | ||
| 23. | Begins espionage activity initially where there are few observers? (4,3) | ||
| OPEN SEA | Charade of OPENS (‘begins’) + EA (‘Espionage Activity’ ‘initially’). | ||
| 24. | Country boy conceals map (7) | ||
| LAPLAND | Envelope (‘conceals’) of PLAN (‘map’; we have had objections to this definition before, but it seems close enough for me) in LAD (‘boy’). | ||
| 26. | Session at school containing hospital unit (5) | ||
| THERM | Envelope (‘containing’) of H (‘hospital’) in TERM (‘session at school’). The unit of heat. | ||
| 27. | Given money, corrupt sovereign (not English) might do so (9) | ||
| MISGOVERN | Charadde of M (‘money’) + ISGOVERN, an anagram (‘corrupt’) of ‘sover[e]ign’ without e (‘English’). An &lit. | ||
| Down | |||
| 1. | Jeers from New Zealand about Tibetan leader’s footwear? (10,5) | ||
| WELLINGTON BOOTS | Envelope (‘about’) of T (‘Tibetan leader’) in WELLINGTON BOOS (‘jeers fron New Zealand’; such might come from the NZ capital. Or might not). | ||
| 2. | Tedious spring event (4,4) | ||
| LONG JUMP | Charade of LONG (‘tedious’) + JUMP (‘spring’). | ||
| 3. | Restrain youngster crossing river (4) | ||
| CURB | Envelope (‘crossing’) of R (‘river’) in CUB (‘youngster’). | ||
| 4. | Joint protectors affording Spooner vital rest periods (8) | ||
| KNEECAPS | Spoonerism of key naps (‘vital rest periods’). | ||
| 5. | Zambia’s hyperactive breeze (6) | ||
| ZEPHYR | Charade of Z (‘Zambia’) + EPHYR, an anagram (‘active’) of ‘hyper’. | ||
| 6. | Old codger briefly profits from bloomers (8) | ||
| CROCUSES | Charade of CROC[k] (‘old codger’ ‘briefly’) + USES (‘profits from’). | ||
| 7. | Settles into bed, regularly doing something immoral (4,2) | ||
| DIGS IN | Charade of DIG (‘DoInG‘ ‘regularly’) + SIN (‘something immoral’). | ||
| 8. | Only bright chaps up for election? Henry’s included all the same (15) | ||
| NOTWITHSTANDING | Envelope (‘included’) of H (‘Henry’) in NO TWIT STANDING (‘only bright chaps up for election’). | ||
| 16. | Apology for a dance (6,2) | ||
| EXCUSE ME | Double definition. | ||
| 17. | Feeble female runs away from daredevil (8) | ||
| FECKLESS | Charade of F (‘female’) + [r]ECKLESS (‘daredevil’, adjective) less (‘away’) r (‘runs’). | ||
| 18. | Ozzie runners accepting overdue challenges (8) | ||
| EMULATES | Envelope (‘accepting’) of LATE (‘overdue’) in EMUS (‘Ozzie runners’). | ||
| 20. | Tremble as examiner’s son leaves for Spain (6) | ||
| TEETER | TESTER (‘examiner’) with S (‘son’) replaced by (‘leaves for’) E (‘Spain’, IVR). | ||
| 21. | Gangster with weapons causes anxiety (6) | ||
| ALARMS | Charade of AL (‘gangster’, Capone) + ARMS (‘weapons’). I can’t say that I am convinced by the definition. | ||
| 25. | Work at grasping old manoeuvre (4) | ||
| PLOY | Envelope (‘grasping’) of O (‘old’) in PLY (‘work at’). | ||
Thanks Peter – I found this hard going too. I can’t see your problem with 21dn – the definition is “causes anxiety”, which is a good definition of “alarms”.
Tricky for a Quiptic IMHO! Took about twice as long as normal. First Nutmeg I’ve ever tackled so perhaps I just wasn’t on the right wavelength.
I agree with Andrew about 21d, seems an OK definition to me.
I think 8d is my favourite, I got the answer but took ages to see why. Definate smile when the penny dropped!
Thanks for an excellent review Peter and to Nutmeg for the puzzle.
Thanks Nutmeg and PeterO for a superb blog.
I think this was definitely a bit difficult for a Quiptic. I found some problem with the NE corner. I particularly disliked 10 – as previously, if you are going to use an archaic word it might be nice to indicate this with ‘old’ or somesuch.
I guess 7 was OK, once the right word for regularly was found – I read this though as an &lit with other possible solutions such as ‘lies in,’ ‘sits in’ etc.
Maybe I’m just Monday grumpy; though I did like 8 a lot 😀
I am glad other people found this hard going too – much harder than the usual Quiptic level. Thanks for the puzzle and the review.
Thank you PeterO. I don’t think you were leaden, this was not an easy solve. I found it more difficult than the Rufus and Indy I did earlier today. Rhino was a lucky guess for me, but biggest grumble was reserved for 18dn. An emu is an “Aussie” runner. No hint of the homonym in the clue.
There were some good clues, I too liked 8dn. But overall it was too obscure and convoluted for the purported target solvers.
Thanks Peter and Nutmeg.
I came into this with enthusiasm, looking for a quick solve, as I had things to do; and was pleased to see Nutmeg’s pen-name, as I usually find her(?) puzzles entertaining.
I eventually left it half way through, in order to get on with my morning, and have just finished it, not without difficulty, but with a clearer mind once my tasks were done.
I now have ten minutes to look at today’s Rufus. I doubt I’ll get very far with that, either 🙂
Definitely a tricky one, this, so I’m not sure what ‘beginners’ (whoever they are) will have made of it.
I thought ZEPHYR was extremely clever and also liked LONG JUMP for its concise surface. Least favourite was WELLINGTON BOOTS, because I’m not a big fan of clueing a particular place by reference to its country.
Excellent blog as always, Peter, thank you.
Failed miserably. I may be the class dummy, but I’m not a beginner, so this definitely didn’t fulfil it’s purpose. Never heard that use of RHINO, and can’t see the definition EMULATES and challenges as valid either. Other’s were I didn’t get were fair enough but a little indirect to be used here.
Oh well back to looking at RSS readers.
Thanks PeterO.
A very good puzzle from Nutmeg.I agree with other comments that it was probably too difficult for beginners but there were some excellent clues.MISGOVERN,ZEPHYR and NOTWITHSTANDING were my 3 favourites.
I guess LAPLAND is not a country,but as you say,it is a good enough definition for a crossword.
Derek @8 – I wasn’t totally convinced with that definition either,but dictionary does give ‘To try to equal or surpass’ so I think it is o.k.