Nineteen normal clues, with the rest needing one or two added or subtracted letters; that sounded a bit tricky. It proved to be a tougher puzzle than most EVs recently. The NE corner was easier than the other three, and led to one of the two unclued entries being something like “unpredictable”, except beginning with a P. Yet again an initial thought got stuck in my head. But wait, it’s two words, so it’s PERIODIC TABLE and the other one must be ATOMIC NUMBERS with the missing and extra letters being the chemical elements. I’m sure many of you got it from the first few extra/missing letters; indeed there’s probably one lucky soul who got it after reading the preamble!
Solving time: about 3 hours I think. Too many extra and missing letters to enable it to be any quicker for me!
Unfinished business: I haven’t a clue about the title!!
Legend:
ABC* = anagram
ABC< = reversal
abCDef = hidden
+red for letters which need to be added to the subsidiary indication and -red for letters which need to be taken away.
| Across | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | -H | STICK | jam: SHTICK (familiar routine) |
| 5 | -B | RAINLESS | dry weather like this: BLESS (give approval to) around [RA (sun-god) + IN] |
| 12 | AHULL | with sails furled: A + HULL (ship’s body) | |
| 14 | +N | ANNULLED | abolished sin: (A DULL EN(D))*; even with a question mark, I can’t see the justification for sin |
| 15 | PERIODIC TABLE | Unclued | |
| 16 | -S | PREMIE | one who arrives too soon (ie premature): PREMISE (mention by way of introduction) |
| 17 | MOLE | 2 meanings: hot dressing (ie sauce) & underground worker | |
| 18 | -Ar | ELENCHI | refutations: LEAR (literary king) in EN (space) + CHI (Greek letter) |
| 20 | TAWER | producer of white leather: WATER* | |
| 21 | -Sc | RAPS | censures: SCRAPS (newspaper cuttings) |
| 22 | -Ti | SANE | reasonable: TISANE (herbal tea) |
| 23 | -V | SERE | ecological series: regular letters in ShE’d ReViEw |
| 24 | T-BAR | type of lift: TB (consumption) + AR (annual return) | |
| 28 | SUDS | American beer: SUS (loitering with intent) outside D (had) | |
| 31 | +Ag | SPAG | Italian: PS< |
| 34 | +Se | EASE | peace and quiet: EA (running water) |
| 36 | -Kr | DACE | small fish: DACKER (word in clue) |
| 37 | CANAL | panama for instance: AL (American state, Alabama) after CAN (American bum, buttocks) | |
| 38 | GHARIAL | crocodile: initial letters of Grab Hartebeest And Retreats Into A Lake | |
| 39 | -Y | ARDS | ploughs, primitive: YARDS (enclosed areas) |
| 41 | -Nb | SEABEE | engineer in American navy: (SEEN BABE)* |
| 43 | ATOMIC NUMBERS | Unclued | |
| 44 | SERENATE | evening music, Milton: RE (note) in SENATE (chamber | |
| 45 | -Rh | ELMEN | made of wood: REN (run, old word) around HELM (head armour); gives RHELMEN with the Rh being removed |
| 46 | WRANGLED | acted like a cowboy on a horse (ie herded cattle): (LEG DRAWN)* | |
| 47 | LEASE | 2 meanings: contract to let & pasture | |
| Down | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | -H | SAPPERS | engineers: (SAPPHIRES – I)* |
| 2 | +He | THEREAT | at that point: TREAT (negotiate) |
| 3 | IURE | by right: I URE (use, once) | |
| 4 | CLIMES | poetic regions: sounds like CLIMBS (mounts) | |
| 5 | -B | RADE | went on horseback, Scots: BREAD* |
| 6 | -C | ANIS | black cuckoos: I (one) in CANS (headphones) |
| 7 | +N | INCHING | taking small steps: I CHING (Chinese means of looking into the future) |
| 8 | -O | NUTATES | droops: (STATUE ON)* |
| 9 | -F | LLAMAS | South American transport: FALLS* around AM (morning) |
| 10 | ELBOWED | with a sharp bend: EL (railroad) + BOWED (inclined downwards) | |
| 11 | SELLER | winning horse to be auctioned: sounds like CELLAR (underground room) | |
| 13 | -Al | LOINS | source of new life: (AlL COINS)* – C (top of crown) |
| 19 | -K | HARSH | jarring on the senses: HARK SH (words in clue) |
| 25 | BANDORA | old instrument: DORA (WWI Defence of the Realm act) after BAN (prohibition) | |
| 26 | -Fe | RELYING | depending: [REF (soccer official) + EYING (looking) around L (league)] |
| 27 | -Co | MAGICAL | wonderful: COMA (deep sleep) + GI (American soldier) + LAC< (large number in India and Pakistan) |
| 29 | SCLERES | supporting elements: [CARELESS – A (article)]* | |
| 30 | DEMESNE | manor house: sounds like DEMEANS (is lower in dignity) | |
| 32 | -Ge | PARTER | one who leaves: GREAT* in PER (for each one) |
| 33 | +As | GASMEN | meter-readers: G-MEN (who work for the FBI) |
| 35 | +Br | BREME | fierce, Spenser: EME (old uncle) |
| 36 | DIABLE | casserole: DI (princess) + ABLE (has skill) | |
| 40 | ANTE | fixed stake: regular letters in AnNeTtE | |
| 41 | -Nb | SUED | made a legal claim against: SUNBED (lounger for lying) |
| 42 | -Mo | BEMA | platform for speech: MOB + ME< + A |
“Excellent!” I cried. “Elementary,” said he. – Arthur Conan Doyle
Right … so what you are telling me is that there are lots of solvers out there who probably got the theme of this puzzle as soon as they’d seen the title, let alone read the preamble!! I am not worthy to blog these puzzles, but I’ll carry on anyway. At least it’s not indexed under ‘excellent’ in ODQ, so thanks for the help, dr b.