Guardian Cryptic 26,614/Nutmeg

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Here’s a brief blog (what do you mean, thank goodness for that) of today’s Nutmeg.  Good puzzle, but more Quiptic-like than Cryptic-like.  But listen, it’s a good puzzle: just enjoy it.

 

 

 

Abbreviations
cd  cryptic definition
dd  double definition
(xxxx)*  anagram
anagrind = anagram indicator
[x]  letter(s) missing

definitions are underlined

Across

1 Teach girl cooking, with little response
LETHARGIC
(TEACH GIRL)*

6 Aspect of Spain no fiction’s written about
FACET
An insertion of E for Espana or ‘Spain’ in FACT.

9 Enthusiastic, by Colman’s standard?
AS KEEN AS MUSTARD
An easy cd, due to the enumeration.

10 Nurse is mean, though not at home
TEND
[IN]TEND

11 Judge again accepts servicemen’s official record
REGISTRY
An insertion of GIS in RETRY (in the hearing sense).

14 Disadvantaged lions suffering painful affliction
LOSING OUT
A charade of (LIONS)* and GOUT.  Never had it, but it hurts like hell, apparently.

15 Mature guards about to reach the same conclusion
AGREE
An insertion of RE in AGE.

16 Section of scenic headland appealing to small group
NICHE
Hidden in sceNIC HEadland.

18 Person troubling troops trapped between rocky heights
TORMENTOR
An insertion of MEN between two TORS.

20 Wide brooks bordering South Downs
SWALLOWS
An insertion of W and ALLOWS after S.  I think.

21 Leader sacked in current breach
RIFT
[D]RIFT

25 Indian descent possibly of little consequence
A DROP IN THE OCEAN
A cd referring to the Indian Ocean, I guess.  Someone may have a better idea.

26 Queen eats fish — it could be getting her down
EIDER
An insertion of IDE in ER for Brenda.  No obligatory Pierre bird link because the bird is not the solution.

27 Article on “name” in financial centre’s rejected as inauthentic
SYNTHETIC
‘Rejected’ is the reversal indicator.  Then it’s N and THE in CITYS reversed.

Down

1 Extremely likeable worker tipped
LEANT
A charade of LE for the outside letters of ‘likeable’ and ANT for the setters’ favourite ‘worker’.

2 Collection cheers Cambridge college
TAKINGS
A charade of TA and KINGS for the Cambridge college.

3 Top primate given cross
APEX
A charade of APE and X.

4 Something provoking adult in Rover’s Return?
GOAD
An insertion of A in DOG reversed.  A ‘lift and separate’ clue, or that’s what I call it anyway.

5 Critique‘s evasive about male intellectual changing sides
COMMENTARY
An insertion into COY for ‘evasive’ of M and MENTAR, which is MENTAL changing R for L.

6 Smitten rook dropped in far distance, fluttering
FASCINATED
(FA[R] DISTANCE)* with ‘fluttering’ as the anagrind.

7 Ship that could prevent schooner making its mark?
COASTER
A ‘schooner’ is a third of a pint glass most often used for Broon Ale.  So the placemat kind of COASTER would prevent it making mark on the pub’s newly polished table.

8 Derby date produced a favourite among three-year-olds
TEDDY BEAR
(DERBY DATE)*  There will be a Derby date soon for an S&B if Eileen ever gets organised with it.

12 Invader mounted soldiers cut off in Bury
INTERLOPER
There’s INTER in there somewhere, but can’t see how it works completely when I’m in a hurry.  Your call, please.

13 Brief respite as kick finally breaks long run of victories
FORTY WINKS
An insertion of K in FORTY WINS.

14 Constable, eg, delivers father held up in church
LANDSCAPE
A charade of LANDS and a reversal of PA in CE.

17 Cleaned house superficially affected by fire
CHARRED
A dd.

19 Audible attempt to reduce effectiveness of missile
TRIDENT
A homophone of TRY DENT.

22 Stimulant at bottom of scale?
TONIC
Well, in the tonic sol-fa, the tonic note (usually C) would be at the bottom of the scale.

23 Unconvincing philosophy with no place for king
THIN
THIN(KING)*

24 Up-market shop trashed (4)
POSH
(SHOP)* with ‘trashed’ as the anagrind.

Many thanks to Nutmeg for today’s puzzle.

44 comments on “Guardian Cryptic 26,614/Nutmeg”

  1. All pretty straightforward from Nutmeg, after yesterday’s toughie from Bonxie. Favourites were FORTY WINKS, EIDER and LANDSCAPE. Thanks to Nutmeg and Pierre.

  2. Definitely at the easier end of Nutmeg’s scale, helped by both of the long ones going straight in. RIFT was last in, liked GOAD, COMMENTARY and FORTY WINKS

    Thanks to Pierre for stepping in and to Nutmeg for the crossword

  3. Thanks Nutmeg, and many thanks to Pierre for standing in.
    Not difficult, but very entertaining, as you say – would have been a much better Quiptic than this week’s offereing from Anto.

    INTERLOPER I had as INTER around RE reversed (“mounted soldiers”) and LOP for “cut off”. I (eventually) decided that “Indian” referred to the ocean in 25a as well as you, Pierre.

    Nice to see the “crossword fish” back in its natural environment at 26a – my favourite clue today; COASTER I also liked very much.

    Slight raised eyebrow at the advertising in 9a.

  4. Apparently it’s a Boatman prize tomorrow, so maybe the editor thought we needed an easier one today as respite…

  6. Derek @5
    Nutmeg had a free choice of any age of child (up to 60+ – I still have my teddy bear, which is older than I am!), so we would surely have complained if she hadn’t chosen “3-year-old”?

  7. Nutmeg at her Quiptic best.

    Most solutions went in more or less straightaway (like in an Everyman, old style).
    Only 4d and 20ac gave me real food for thought.
    For me personally this was pleasant but a tad too easy, yet I can see (and understand) the relief on a few solvers’ faces after yesterday’s struggle.

    Thanks Pierre for stepping in, much appreciated.

  8. Thanks Nutmeg and Pierre. I happily solved this while waiting for the aircon in my car to be recharged. Not the most difficult Nutmeg, but enjoyable nonetheless. I particularly enjoyed 1ac and 7dn – though I thought a schooner was for large servings of sherry.

    And how nice to see the return of the ide, a fish only talked of in crossword land, after a bit of an absence. I feel like telling the Environment Agency.

    Beery Hiker @4 – yes, a gentle Friday is usually a precursor to a stinker on Saturday.

  9. Thanks Nutmeg – I needed a rest after being beaten up by Bonxie yesterday.

    Merci Pierre.

    MUSTARD in first; RIFT in last.

  10. An enjoyable puzzle, though not a taxing one. The two long clues were write-ins for me, which made the rest easier than they might otherwise have been. Favourites are LOSING OUT, EIDER and TEDDY BEAR. I parsed INTERLOPER on the same way as muffin @3.

    Thanks to Nutmeg and Pierre.

  11. 1961Blanchflower @9 – apologies if you already knew this, but Bonxie is the Shetland term for the Great Skua, which does indeed try to beat you up if you approach its nest. It also feeds by beating up other birds to make them drop their prey.

  12. Just right for a lovely summer afternoon, nothing too taxing. One or two rather loose clues however – ‘Constable, eg’ as a definition, FORTY for a long run that could have been any number. But full marks for the three-year-olds.

  14. I agree this was pretty straightforward although I paused before entering more than one because they seemed too obvious. A case of too easy making it difficult!
    I liked COASTER, SWALLOWS and FORTY WINKS.
    Thanks Nutmeg and Pierre who presumably stood in.

  15. Thanks Nutmeg, and especially thanks Pierre for stepping in.

    A crossword I could manage and enjoy. I parsed INTERLOPER as muffin @3 did (still have my teddy bear too).

    TORMENTOR was good, and I particularly liked COASTER, COMMENTARY and EIDER (what has Brenda to do with the clue?).

  17. drofle @13: thank you. I assumed that Bonxie was a Shetlander. He may well be but now lives in Taunton apparently (as far away as possible from his moniker perhaps!).

  18. Cookie @15: Brenda was, maybe still is, Private Eye’s name for the Queen. Fun puzzle, if a tad easy. Many thanks to Nutmeg, and to Pierre!!

  19. Marienkaefer
    I think “Bonxie” is more generally northern Scotland than specifically Shetland. I know I was warned about them when visiting Handa island, near Scourie.

  20. Thanks all
    Last solved was rift, I felt there must be other combinations of 4 & 5 letter words which fit. Are there?

  22. I have nothing to add to the comments already made – and I too appreciate the break from yesterday’s difficulties. Thanks to Nutmeg and Pierre.

  23. Thanks all
    Last solved was rift, I felt there must be other combinations of 4 & 5 letter words which fit. Are there

  24. muffin@16, I believe the Queen is officially HM. Various other Royals carry the HRH handle. Sorry to be a pedant.

  26. Roderick @24
    No, you are welcome (and, on reflection, I think you are right – I’m not an expert on the subject.)

  27. Thanks Pierre for standing in (not for me), and Nutmeg for a very gentle puzzle.

    I think you missed out on your bird picture – 26A EIDER is the duck and its definition everything following the dash.

  28. Marienkaefer @11. Thanks for the bonxie info: I had no idea (just thought it was a cool name!).

    I shall exercise due caution next time I am in or around the Shetlands.

  29. Yes, pretty well all agreed. Even I finished this in one pint.

    However, I thought it was charming to the point of delight, fondest being COASTER.

    Thanks Nutmeg and all here.

  32. Well, go on then.

    Here’s your setter from yesterday. I personally wouldn’t argue with him/her. According to Tinternet, Bonxie is also a Shetland word meaning a ‘dumpy, untidy woman’.

    http://visit.shetland.org/assets/images/Features/shetland-nature/june-2010/Bonxie-flugga-w960-h500.jpg

    And at Peter O’s bidding, here’s your Eider.

    http://www.rspb.org.uk/Images/eider_drake_tcm9-330227.jpg?width=1170&crop=%280,220,1400,804%29

    He’s trying to be hard, but not making much of a job of it.

  33. AndyB@31: I see HH and now TRHH as part of the rich tapestry of this site. But I expect that TRHH will have a limited life span.

  37. Thanks Nutmeg and Pierre

    Got a little surprise at Nutmeg being gentle in her non-Quiptic role … it was a relief as this week was the work-week from hell – product launch. Had a 5 minute look at Bonxie the previous day and threw him straight on to the back pile !!!

    Gentle, but fun. My last in was RIFT as well !

  38. Thanks Pierre and Nutmeg

    I really enjoyed this puzzle, with favourites being 14a, 12d, 25a, 5d, 1a, 8d, 18a.

    I parsed INTERLOPER on the same way as muffin @3.

  39. I dont quite get 4d. To be honest, Having some trouble with a few of these!

    1A Didnt quite find the anagram indicator, was it cooking? (probably).

    10a Didn’t quite understand missing words? I got the abbreviation for home = In but not sure how to get intend?

    1D i have trouble with charade clues, will work on them.

  40. For 12D, “Invader mounted soldiers cut off in Bury” = “INTERLOPER”…

    Contesting the explanation parsed by muffin @3 , Cookie @15 and michelle @38 .

    I believe that “mounted soldiers” = “gallopers”, which becomes “loper” when “cut off”. Bury = inter.

    Not certain as I’m new to Guardian cryptics. What do others think?

    P.S. Thanks for this post Pierre, impressively helpful!

  41. There you go: punished, by a troll, for using INT(ER </ LOP)ER when INTER constitutes the first five letters anyway.

    More ridiculous pseudo-parsings coming soon.

  42. @41 Paul B

    I don’t actually know what your post means. Constitutes the first five letters how?

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