A Puzzle by Prolixic
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This puzzle created for the Birthday Bash is available by clicking on the above grid.
One of two puzzles Prolixic compiled for today’s Blog 17th Birthday Bash, this one has a helpful Nina, starting with the final letter of 21d and proceeding in a clockwise direction around the edge of the grid
Across
8a Maligns setter wearing dresses I discarded (6)
SMEARS: How our setter might refer to himself ‘wearing’ dresses without the I
9a Want to return after American blog editor originally runs city (8)
ABERDEEN: A reversal (to return) of a verb meaning to want goes after the original letters of American Blog Editor and the cricket abbreviation for Runs
10a Time when solver will reportedly trend (8)
YULETIDE: A homophone (reportedly) of how the solver will, followed by a trend
11a Further change my boss invested in financial product (2-4)
RE-EDIT: The abbreviation for a crossword setter’s boss ‘invested’ in the abbreviation for Real Estate Investment Trust
12a Bit of fish tripe Falcon cooked (8,3)
PECTORAL FIN: An anagram (cooked) of TRIPE FALCON
14a A very new cruciverbalist? (6)
PERSON: A or each, a synonym for very and the abbreviation for New
16a Keep samples of crypticsue's and Senf's brilliantly articulated hints (6)
CASBAH: Samples, or the first letters of the final six words in the clue
19a Quickly write about way to find prize opportunity (11)
SCRATCHCARD: Write hurriedly, the Latin abbreviation meaning about and an abbreviated way
22a Kitty's tree fertiliser (6)
POTASH: A kitty or fund of money and a type of tree
23a Ray has storage unit holding ball for impromptu players (5,3)
FLASH MOB: A momentary gleam of light (ray) and a storage unit, the latter ‘holding’ the ball shaped letter
24a Pain of a good king and first lady (8)
AGGRIEVE: A (from the clue) the abbreviation for Good, the regnal cipher of any of six Kings and the first lady in the Bible
25a Hint about one Eastern island capital (6)
TAIPEI: A hint goes ‘about’ A (one) followed by the abbreviations for Eastern and Island
Down
1d Beam oddly omitted plum and copper in added colour (9)
EMPURPLED: The even (oddly omitted) letters of bEaM, a plum-like colour and the abbreviation for an old copper coin
2d Vice-President's touring the French borders (8)
VALENCES: The US Vice-President’s (don’t forget the S) ‘touring’ the French masculine definite article
3d Mike's good running with this dog (6)
ESKIMO: An anagram (running) of MIKES GOOD produces the solution and the word DOG
4d Time to celebrate Big Dave, say, and Robin? (4,3)
NAME DAY: Part of the name of this blog and the surname of a political reporter and TV presenter with the forename Robin
5d Note senior cleric's condition in charge as dreadful (8)
TERRIFIC: A musical note, an abbreviated senior cleric, a conditional conjunction and the abbreviation for In Charge
6d Slowly enter perimeter's discovered Nina (4,2)
EDGE IN: The perimeter of something and the inside letters (dis covered) of nINa
7d Strangely ALP leaves Eire pale, drunk and ghostly (5)
EERIE: Remove the letters ALP from EIRE palE (strangely telling you that they aren’t in that order) and an anagram (drunk) of the remaining letters will produce a synonym for ghostly
13d Both hands finished vehicle (9)
LANDROVER: A phrase 1,3,1 referring to both hands and a synonym for finished
15d Where Sloop may be found - in Sheraton dancing (5,3)
NORTH SEA: An anagram (dancing) of IN SHERATON
17d "Special beat" describes Pulp's Common People? (5,3)
SMASH HIT: The abbreviation for Special and a verb meaning to beat ‘describes’ or goes round a pulp
18d Briefly objects to US agent getting utterly defeated (7)
STUFFED: Some objects without the final letter (briefly) and an abbreviated US agent
19d Celebrity Rookie's debut heralding year that's brilliant (6)
STARRY: A celebrity, the ‘debut’ of Rookie and the letter ‘heralding’ Year
20d Huntsman may toast this prime minister letting in Liberal (6)
HEALTH: A Conservative Prime Minister ‘letting in’ the abbreviation for Liberal
21d Crossword that is lost - it's criminal (5)
TOUGH: A Daily Telegraph crossword that has lost the abbreviation meaning that is
I made very slow progress until I discovered the Nina!
Hope you all enjoy yourselves today at Little Venice!
Well I thought this jolly difficult & I can’t blame an excess of ale at The Bridge this afternoon as there wasn’t any of the proper stuff available. Worked slowly clockwise round the grid starting in the NE until eventually coming a cropper at 1d, which I ought to have got really. Enjoyed the puzzle, the name checks & nice to see 5d with its original (I assume) definition. 16a was my fav (once the penny dropped) – I hope Smylers won’t get jealous that Senf nabbed the S.
Thanks Prolixic & good to meet you.
Well, I guessed from the references in several clues to conributors to this site that the puzzle was themed around the Birthday Bash, so when the nina began to emerge everything became clear and I finished at a gallop. The only thing that held me up momentarily was the alternative (according to the BRB) spelling used in 2dn which delayed me getting 10ac.
All most enjoyable. Thanks, Prolixic and CS.
The ‘hedgehog’ grid and the auspicious occasion foretold a Nina around the edge of the grid, which readily emerged after making a start in the NE corner. Once the Nina was seen it could not be unseen, and duly assisted in completing the puzzle. The only hiccoughs came in 2d, where my answer for 10a clashed with my preferred spelling (the alternative was not listed in Collins, but apparently is in the BRB – thanks, exit); and 12a where I needed to research the American ‘financial product’. My podium places went to (Across) 16, 19 & 24 and (Down) 1, 5 & 13. 1d had to be included in my favourites because it is such a lovely word! My thanks to CS for explaining the significance of ‘Pulp’ in the wordplay for 17d, but in 24a isn’t it the regnal cipher of just one particular King…?
My thanks to Prolixic – I’m now looking forward to your second ‘Bash’ puzzle; and to CS for the review.
Sloop John thrust a copy of this into my mitts yesterday at the bash (Bridge House 1) and I struggled immensely until I found it was the NTSPP here and had some hints. But it definitely fits in a very toughie toughie class and I didn’t see the NINA until after I had finished. Some very clever and misleading clues but I sort of got there in the end.
I didn’t see it at all Dave so you were ahead of me
Working my way through the ‘extras’ from Saturday. Found this very tough but almost got there in the end. 1d was new to me and just couldn’t quite build it up from the wordplay. Knew 14a had to be what it was but couldn’t begin to parse it. Didn’t even spot the Nina ’till checking this blog and should have thought to look for one given the grid style and the day!!
So thanks to CS for the blog and to Prolixic for a great workout and it was great to meet you on Saturday. With meeting so many people, I had to resort to google to confirm I had met you because in the picture outside the pub you labelled yourself Zenas (I’m guessing your Toughie identity) and your name badge was your real name – I got very confused!!! I suppose I could say I found you very cryptic ☺!!!
My thanks to Crypticsue for the review and to all who have commented.