A smaller grid this week – only 121 blank squares, instead of the normal 169. Will this translate into a shorter solving time?
The preamble offers a slight cause for concern – if the quotation has affected itself, one may end up in the Catch 22 of requiring the solution to find the question, as it were. Furthermore, the quotation running around the edge leaves a number of ‘headless’ clues, which can be more challenging to solve.
Fortunately, these possibilities did not come to pass and the solution presented itself without undue… effort. Unfortunately, there were several incorrectly-indicated lengths (1 , 5, 6 and 11 down). However, given that lengths related to grid entries, this wasn’t a serious problem.
19ac was a clear opener. The obvious fodder would have suggested that a letter was missing even had one been unable to solve the anagram. But which letter? Assuming that it has to be one of the letters that only appears once, that still leaves TBAPUH.
8ac, 12 ac, 3dn and 16dn provided confirmation of the missing letter device and, more importantly, pointed conclusively toward the letter T.
Every answer, it therefore appeared, was lacking a letter T (or, as it latterly turned out, more than one). The compact nature of the grid reduced the possibility for blank areas and it began to fill up pleasantly rapidly. The remaining challenge, of course, was to identify the quotation. Given that T was most likely to stand for time and that it was being removed, there was a strong contender. Lo! and, indeed, behold! The outer wall of the puzzle reads:
PROCRAS(T)INA(T)ION IS (T)HE (T)HIEF OF (T)IME PROVERBS YOUNG, E
The title indicates an anagram (PUZZLED) of LEONARD, namely LADRONE (thief). Thanks to nmsindy, who has pointed out that it’s also “Leonard’s puzzle” as Rustic is a pseudonym of James Leonard.
Although lighter fare than some enjoy, there was enjoyment to be had. There was some crafty misdirection in 4dn, seeming (to me at least) to offer ‘istle’ as fodder, rather than as the definition. 11dn tickled my immaturity. Altogether, a not unenjoyable mini-EV. Time not so much stolen as willingly given up.
XXX* = anagram
(xxx) = definition
{xxx} = (anagram/homophone/container) indicator
< = reversal
xxx = unused letter(s)
TEAPOY = ‘stolen’ t(ime)
| Across | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 8 | TEAPOY | Caddy finds ball in peaty ground (5) | caddy: ins. of O (ball) in PEATY* {ground} |
| 9 | MELILOT | Clover honey I get a large quantity (6) | clover: MEL (honey) + I + LOT (large quantity) |
| 10 | GETA | Discern an eastern sandal (3) | eastern sandal: GET (discern) + A (an) |
| 12 | INNIT | Eskimo language lacks socially acceptable informal question (4) | informal question: INNuIT (Eskimo language) {lacks U (socially acceptable)} |
| 13 | REDUIT | Revolutionary left queen out in part of fortifications (5) | part of fortifications: RED (revolutionary) + qUIT (left) {Q (queen) out} |
| 14 | TUAREG | Nomad starts to travel up shifting sand dunes (5) | nomad: T(ravel) U(p) {starts to} + AREG (shifting sand dunes; sing. ERG) |
| 18 | COST | Price of ancient seashore (3) | dd: price/seashore (obs.) |
| 19 | TOBACCO POUCH | Curious cocoa botch up – it may be needed by smoker (11, 2 words) | it may be needed by smoker: COCOABOTCHUP* {curious} |
| 21 | YATE | Spenser’s passage from yard to back of garage (3) | Spenser’s passage: Y (yard) + AT (to) + E (back of garagE) |
| 22 | PICKET | Choose east when sent out as patrol… (5) | patrol: PICK (choose) + EasT {AS (when) sent out} |
| 23 | SECANT | …sent round about cutting (5) | cutting: ins. {round} of CA (about) in SENT |
| 26 | ITALA | Some prohibit a latin version of the bible (4) | version of the bible: prohibITALAtin |
| 29 | YETI | Hitherto one has not been photographed (3) | &lit: YET (hitherto) + I (one) |
| 30 | REBATER | He gives a discount on Will’s stiff collar (6) | dd: he gives a discount on/Will[iam Shakespeare]’s stiff collar |
| 31 | TUMBLE | Trip missing top of step and fall (5) | fall: sTUMBLE (trip) {missing S (top of Step)} |
| Down | |||
| 1 | RATED | Scolded drunk after losing it once (4) | scolded: RATtED (drunk) {losing one T (it once)} |
| 2 | COTTON | Yarn attaching weight under small boat (4) | yarn: COT (small boat) + TON (weight) |
| 3 | TRYING | Testing binding round tip of rod (5) | testing: ins. {round} of R (tip of Rod) in TYING (binding) |
| 4 | TAMPICO FIBRE | Istle’s startling impact on blaze in barrel. Just the opposite (11, 2 words) | istle: IMPACT* {startling} + O (on) + ins. of B (barrel) in FIRE (blaze) |
| 5 | SETTER-UP | He arranges to dine outside Kettering when king’s gone (6, hyphenated) | he arranges: ins. {outside} of kETTERing {Kettering when king’s gone} in SUP (to dine) |
| 6 | TILDE | Stress flow round lake (4) | stress: ins. {round} of L (lake) in flow (TIDE) |
| 7 | NITID | Something in nest is shining (4) | shining: ins. of IT (something) in NID (pheasant’s nest) |
| 11 | BUTTOCK | Large cask’s alright to hold cold silverside, perhaps (5) | silverside, perhaps: BUTT (large cask) + ins. {to hold} of C (cold) in OK (alright) |
| 15 | ABATES | Shakespearean excepts one author and playwright (5) | excepts (Shakespearean): A (one) + (H.E.) BATES (author and playwright) |
| 16 | TECH | Instruct American leaving college (3) | college: TEaCH (instruct) {A (American) leaving} |
| 17 | ROTI | Decay in Indian sandwich (3) | Indian sandwich: ROT (decay) + I (in) |
| 20 | CONCEPT | Idea of penny-bun in unfinished short story (6) | idea: ins. of CEP (boletus edulis or penny-bun) in CONTe {unfinished} (short story) |
| 22 | PACTUM | Agreement to include Australian in politically correct corporation (5) | agreement: ins. of A (Australian) in PC (politically correct) + TUM (corporation) |
| 24 | CABOT | About a vessel without a navigator (4) | navigator: C (about) A BOaT (vessel) {without a} |
| 25 | APART | Separate active constituent (4) | separate: A (active) + PART (constituent) |
| 27 | LIMIT | I am entering settled region (4) | region: E(nergy) + NEW (restored) |
| 28 | HELOT | Male confused without special serf (4) | serf: HE (male) + LOsT (confused) {without S (special)} |
It’s also “Leonard’s puzzle” as Rustic is a pseudonym of James Leonard.
I rather liked this, Rustic has a talent signature for his letter changes, this time all the T’s were stolen! Not to hard I must admit but rather OK for an afternoon solve.