Sat Times 1A 26,010

[mikey4444]

1a...Nothing in handbag: contents oddly missing...N?D?
NUDE and why ?

[scorpiojo]

N a d a

[Mamyalynne]

Nada (nothing) alternate letters

[ubasses]

nada - nothing - odd letters in handbag

[mikey4444]

Nver came across nada before !...thanks.

[Mamyalynne]

De nada :-)


Spanish in origin

"De nada" means (literally) that there's nothing to be thankful about. "No hay nada que agradecer". It's semantically similar to "not at all", but it can also be correctly translated to "You're welcome".

[frugalfred]

I thought "Nada" was a brand of handbag?

[Mamyalynne]

Maybe the logo on your Prada bag is smudged?

[frugalfred]

http://www.shopstyle.co.uk/browse/handbags/Nada

[Mamyalynne]

Point taken Fred but the definition is always at the start or end of a clue - not in the middle.

[frugalfred]

Maybe the setter was being very clever, using "nothing" and "handbag".
Hope all is well with you, mamya.

[Mamyalynne]

All well here Ta Fred,hope you are too.

It doesn't read like a double definition clue to me.

[vetuste_ennemi]

See Fred's point: could read as double def.
"cerge", missing in Chambers 2014 except as "cierge - see cerge", popped up in this week's Listener, MamyaLynne.

[Mamyalynne]

If the clue was-

Nothing in Handbag -- then maybe double def ,but the rest tells you to take the odd letters out,in my view that negates the double def route.

I am however no expert.

[frugalfred]

The setter could have put: "Nothing in bandsaw -contents....etc. I think handbag was deliberately chosen.

[Mamyalynne]

Well I bow to your knowlege of bandsaws being receptacles Fred.

[Mamyalynne]

Off to eat.

[frugalfred]

Bon appetit, madame!

[Lie-in King]

For what it's worth, I don't think the setter chose 'handbag' because of the - let's face it - hardly well-known name. As someone said on FB - "the best bags I've never heard of".

Perhaps Tim Moorey will grace us with his presence & set the record straight, but until then, I'm with Mamya on this :-)

[Mamyalynne]

:-)

[elliemay1]

I also agree with Mamyalynne!