A Puzzle by Prolixic
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The puzzle is available by clicking on the above grid.
Spotting the Nina round the grid early on made this Prolixic NTSPP a fairly friendly solve
Across
6a Record I record with interminable duet and coda (8)
EPILOGUE: A musical record, I (from the clue), a verb meaning to record and the inside (interminable) letters of dUEt
7a British charity reduced relief aid (4)
BALM: The abbreviation for British and some charity without the final letter (reduced)
9a Leader of rough cut women originally becoming vile (8)
WRETCHED: The abbreviation for Women goes before (originally) the ‘leader’ of Rough and cut into glass or metal
10a Where signal may be part of a column? (6)
BYLINE: Split the solution 2,4 to find where a railway system might put a signal
11a Goes into American malls without Charlie (6)
ENTERS: American malls without the letter represented by Charlie in the NATO Phonetic Alphabet
13a First car to carry dull robots (8)
AUTOMATA: If one was writing a list of cars, the first one would be xxxx A, into which should be inserted a synonym for dull
14a The French back leaving voluntary choice (6)
OPTION: A synonym for voluntary without (leaving) a reversed French feminine definite article
15a Way fool defends international equilibrium (6)
STASIS: An abbreviated street (way) and a fool, the latter ‘defending’ the abbreviation for International
17a Be nosy about Welsh medic's growth (8)
SNOWDROP: Pry sneakily (be nosy) goes ‘about’ the abbreviation for Welsh and an abbreviated medic
20a Docks beginnings we hear (6)
BERTHS: A homophone (we hear) of beginnings
22a Switch part of duffle coat (6)
TOGGLE: A switch or a fastening on a duffel coat
23a Officer's plan to employ state negotiator (8)
DIPLOMAT: An abbreviated police officer and a plan into which is inserted (to employ) the abbreviation for the US State of Massachusetts
25a Left with real estate (4)
LAND: The abbreviation for Left and a conjunction indicating addition (with)
26a Certainly curtailed playing instrument (8)
CLARINET: An anagram (playing) of CERTAINLy without the final letter (curtailed)
Down
1d Geordie working below old city's transmitter? (6)
NEURON: The abbreviation for the area where a Geordie comes from, and the usual two-letter working, the latter going below a city in ancient Mesopotamia
2d Apparently abandoning job preparation (8)
OINTMENT: Remove the abbreviation for apparently from a job
3d Bird trapped in Truro church (4)
ROCH: Another name for the little auk is hidden in the last two words of the clue
4d Tough person from Bow returns to Arctic wilderness (6)
TUNDRA: A reversal (returns) of how a Cockney (from Bow) might refer to a tough person
5d Concubines touring Latin quarter of New York (6)
HARLEM: A group of concubines ‘touring’ the abbreviation for Latin
8d Record times! (7)
MINUTES: A period of time plus an S
10d City's objection about sanitary facility (7)
BATHTUB: A city and a reversal (about) of a word of objection
12d Cause of affliction when cur goes astray (7)
SCOURGE: An anagram (astray) of CUR GOES
14d Self inflicted mistake of opposing players seduced by love and ambition (3,4)
OWN GOAL: Opposing players in a game of bridge ‘seduced’ by the letter representing love and an ambition
16d Master almost dependable horse (8)
SURMOUNT: Almost all of a synonym for dependable and a horse
18d Trucks acquired to transport silver sulphate primarily (6)
WAGONS: A synonym for acquired into which is inserted (to transport) the chemical symbol for silver, the result followed by the primary letter of Sulphate
19d Some limped along in this boat (6)
PEDALO: Hidden in the second and third words of the clue
21d Condition of man supported by old German hospital (6)
HEALTH: Masculine form of the third person pronoun (man) supported by (in a Down solution) the German word for old and the abbreviation for Hospital
24d A high-class country (4)
PERU: A or for each and the letter used to indicate something is high-class
I thought it was time for another pleasant offering from the Floughie Lady so imagine the shock I experienced when I saw that there was a Prolixic to attempt. Caffeine, Biscuits au Gingembre à l’Anglaise (= Ginger Nuts), and my morning orange, just ‘unwrapped’ as Mother Nature intended, required!
In the end it was an enjoyable experience.
Smiles for 15a, 17a, 20a, 25a, 8d, 16d, and 18d.
Thanks to Prolixic and thanks in advance to CS(?).
Finished it before noticing the NINA … all in their correct positions.
Extra points to Prolixic for 4d … Maybe it’s because I’m a Londoner!
Wish I’d spotted the possibility of a Nina earlier when it might have been of some help with the solve instead of right at the end when I was checking through my answers!
Plenty to enjoy and just one new word/spelling that needed confirmation.
List of ticks includes 17&25a plus 1,4&10d.
Thanks to Prolixic for the NTSPP entertainment.
That was fun. Spotted the Nina fairly early, which helped a lot. Favourites for me were 6a, 4d and 14d.
Thanks Prolixic, and in advance to CS(?).
We spotted the NINA quite early in the solve and this really helped with many of the answers. Excellent Sunday morning fun for us before a chilly constitutional walk.
Thanks Prolixic.
Not too bad down south but found it a 4d parse to crack up north. Succumbed to the temptation of a couple of letter reveals to complete as the eyelids are getting heavy. As usual didn’t notice the Nina until reading the comments – shame as it would have helped mightily with 2d&10a. Fav was 4d.
Thanks Prolixic
This all went in quite smoothly with just a few minor hold-ups. Last in was 2dn after I spotted the nina. Thanks, Prolixic and CS.
Many thanks for the review, CS. For my money, this was one of the best puzzles we’ve had from this setter – thank you, Prolixic.
Loved this puzzle!
Looking at the shape of the grid, I suddenly realised that, as it was Prolixic, there might well be a Nina! I was delighted to find it — but only after I had completed most of the puzzle!
So many excellent clues its difficult to make a selection. Amongst my top picks are 15a, 22a, 26a, 2d, 4d, and 10d.
Many appreciative thanks to Prolixic for a thoroughly enjoyable crossword. And many appreciative thanks to crypticsue for the review which I enjoyed checking through.
Evening all and thanks for all the encouraging feedback. Also, thanks to CrypticSue for the excellent review.
What a treat to find a Prolixic puzzle popping up
Quite a tricky one to navigate, and if only I had seen the Nina there might have been more help with finding my direction! My excuse was that I was doing the puzzle late on Sunday evening after a tiring day’s activity (pretty lame, I know).
My picks were the neat and tidy 4-letter 7a and 25a, plus 10a to fill the Across podium. The Down podium comprised 1, 4 & 10 – 4d being my overall favourite. The 3d bird was a complete unknown, but unmissable in the wordplay. 2d was my last one in and it took me ages to identify the right word to fill in the blanks, at which point the wordplay became clear.
Many thanks to Prolixic and to CS.
PS A little bit of alliteration creeping into my opening line! Anyone remember the small sealed-box mechanical puzzles that had a label reading ‘…popular, perplexing puzzles…’? You had to tap the base and edges to slowly move things inside. We had several at home when I was growing up.
After much e-rummaging I have found a reference to the mechanical puzzles of my childhood memories. They were made by R. Journet & Co and called dexterity puzzles. A description is: “These puzzles, housed in a flat box with a piece of glass on top, required you to twist and turn the box to get a ball(s) or similar item(s) through a maze, obstacle, or to rest in the proper hole.” My favourite was one called “Aero”
. Sorry – I don’t know how to post an illustration of it. The back of the box read as follows…
Popular Portable Puzzles Providing Positively Perplexing and Perpetually Pleasing Posers Presenting Persistently Provoking Problems Providing Profuse Pleasure, and Producing a Palliative or Placid Panacea to People Possessing a Propensity for Persistence, Patience, Perspicacity and Painstaking Propensities
So, very much like a Prolixic crossword
Anyone else feel a bit of nostalgia creeping up on them…?