I didn’t know whether to expect a tricky puzzle from MynoT, or an easy one. He seems to be a setter who can produce varying levels of difficulty but, this being EV, I’ll assume for the time being it’s on the easy side … so I can relax a bit.
There are five isolated squares in the main NW-SE diagonal; I think EV is the only series that uses this feature fairly frequently, and I quite like it. When complete, the main diagonal ‘exposes’ a knocker and leads to an explanation of the method of entry of the ten thematic answers, which are clued separately.
As it turned out, the clues were indeed easy for the most part, and I finished the main puzzle in about an hour. The NW-SE diagonal then read ?UOT?T?E?AVE? and all that came to mind was Quote the Gavel, and I had to check the Channel 4 listings to make sure it wasn’t the latest quiz show from Noel Edmonds! No joy there, but a couple of minutes later and QUOTH THE RAVEN seemed a far more likely entry, especially as the Raven is the KNOCKER on the window in Edgar Allen Poe’s poem. And all the raven ever says is ‘Nevermore’, so it is likely that the thematic entries are missing the word MORE or perhaps synonyms of it. Another ten minutes, and all the thematic answers were solved, each containing the word MORE which had to be omitted before entry.
Legend:
ABC* = anagram
ABC< = reversal
abCDef = hidden
RED = unnumbered thematic answers
| ACROSS | ||
|---|---|---|
| 1 | REASSESS | revise one’s estimate: RE (concerning) ASSES (donkeys) + S (a bit of Spirit) |
| 6 | AGIO | discount: AG (silver) IO (triumphant cry) |
| CHECEPTORS | nerve-endings: chemoreceptors | |
| 11 | ALONSO | Alicia who danced: ALONG (throughout) + SO (thus) – G (good); Alicia Alonso Martínez is a Cuban ballet dancer, presumably the name in Chambers Dictionary of Biography (which I do not own) mentioned in the preamble; |
| 12 | VETO | right to reject: in loVE TOkens |
| 13 | DEF | excellent: sounds like DEAF (hollow, dialect) |
| 15 | AMORAL | lacking standards: A + MORA (delay) + L (pupil) |
| 16 | SMIR | drizzle, Scottish: SMIR(NOFF) (vodka, not half); Russian vodka brand name |
| 18 | DEPOSED | attested: DEED about POS (position) |
| 20 | CANASTAS | groups of seven: AS (when) TA (volunteers, Territorial Army) in CANS (prisons) |
| SYCA | tree: sycamore | |
| 22 | ASSISI | Italian town: ASSIST (help) + I (one) – T (tenor); the name not in Chambers but in Collins (no, I don’t own that either!) |
| 24 | SEA EGG | prickly creature: SEA (water) + EG (for example) + G (gravity) |
| HUSK | musical acprice: humoresk | |
| 27 | CLERIHEW | verse: HEW (cut) after CLERIC (clergyman) – C (start of Chapter) |
| 29 | OTTAVAS | at least 16 notes: OTT (too much, ie over the top) + AV (average) + A’S; one ottava is 8 notes, so the plural must be at least 16 |
| 31 | GREN | smile, Spenser: GREN(ACHE) (half a grape) |
| 33 | ORBITA | socket: OR (gold) + (A BIT)* |
| 36 | YGO | past, once, old word for ago: GO with Y (end on utilitY) first; reference to Monopoly |
| 37 | APEX | tip: APE (chemical used in cleaning products) + X (centre of miXer) |
| 38 | TURVES | sods, sometimes (normally turfs): T (time) + (C)URVES (topless bodily contours) |
| OSGULATION | animal process: osmoregulation | |
| 39 | SIST | stay, Scottish: SISTRUM (rattle) – RUM (odd) |
| 40 | REFORMAT | change appearance of: REFORMATORY (old school for delinquents) – TORY (Conservative) + T (head of Teachers) |
| DOWN | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2 | ECOFIN | legislative council: (NICE FOR – R (right))* |
| 3 | SESE | enough said (perhaps), Shakespeare: SE(TO)SE (stalky, heartless) |
| SCOS | Africans: morescos; the plural not in Chambers (where it is spelt MORESCOES) | |
| 4 | SPAM | unwanted information: MAPS< (faces, slang) |
| 5 | STROPHE | choral song: STROP (censure) + HE |
| 7 | GREASY | oily: (GREY AS)* |
| 8 | ISTLE | fibre: IS + (LEFT – F (fine))* |
| OBOEDA | musical instrument: obo d’amore | |
| 9 | WADS | marries, Scottish (ie in Gretna Green): WS (Writer to the Signet, old Scottish lawyer) holding A D (duke) |
| 10 | ULEMAS | scholars: ULE (rubber) + MAS (farmhouse) |
| ENAD | charmed (US): enamored | |
| 14 | TRAIK | get lost, Scottish: K (kilometers) after TRAI(N) (public transport failing to finish) |
| 17 | UTICA | ancient African city: UT (do, the note) + I (in) + CA (chartered accountant) |
| 19 | ESSEN | 2 meanings (sort of): eat in German & a place in Germany |
| 21 | SAIGA | Eurasian with swollen nose (antelope): S (finally goeS) + AI (first class) + GA (Georgia) |
| 23 | SAVIOUR | one who delivers: VARIOUS* |
| 25 | GEE-GEE | pony perhaps: GEE (navigation system) + GEE (suit) |
| HOLAPS | snake: homorelaps | |
| 26 | STRESS | 2 meanings: accent & hair |
| 28 | HRYVNA | bread from Crimea (money): HR (Croatia) + NAVY* |
| 30 | TOPOI | stock themes: TOP (most important) + fOlIo (ie regularly) |
| SAGA | chief: sagamore | |
| 32 | NOSE | snout: sounds like KNOWS (is aware of) |
| 34 | TILE | bind to secrecy: ELIT(E)< (chosen people, endlessly) |
| ATTO | lover: amoretto | |
| 35 | MUIR | heath, Scottish: MU (letter) + IR (Irish) |