It was relatively easy to identify the Guru of the title, less so to complete this multi-threaded puzzle.
First there were two completely barred off squares, one preceded the IKE of ikebana, the other was preceded by the LAW of Danelaw, so the Guru was, unsurprisingly, the late MIKE LAWS, our editor who was a 31D 15D, TITAN INTELLECT.
Secondly there were unclued entries all round the perimeter which, we were told, represented two groups of four. After correcting my entry for 4D from DUROS to EUROS (either fitted the clue!), the first unclued entry appeared to be OLDFIELD, so there were probably four MIKEs, and a simple deduction that the other four were LAWS turned out to be correct. The Mikes were OLDFIELD, TYSON, HARDING and FARRELL. The laws were MURPHY’s, SOD’s, PARKINSON’s (for a while I thought this was a Mike!) and OHM’s. All clear so far?
The third strand was to identify the extra letters in the wordplay of the clues which yielded one of Mike’s favourite posers, and one of his favourite crossword-related inventions. After a number of false starts, I got “DISHONESTLY TAKE POSITION AS HEAD WAITER“, (not as I originally thought headMASTER!) followed by PANGRAM. Mike loved inventing pangrams (phrases (or crosswords) including all the letters A-Z).
The final strand – the answer to the “clue” is JUMP THE QUEUE. If you didn’t have to include the Q this would simplify the construction of pangrams.
I feared that this would be easy, once the identity of the “Guru” was revealed, but full marks to Nimrod for keeping us intrigued to the end!
One clue – to 19A – left us a little puzzled. If anyone has a better explanation please let us know!
| Across | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Clue | Extra | Answer | Definition:Explanation |
| 9 | D | MEAL | Dinner?; ME(D)AL = gong |
| 10 | I | LUGE | Toboggan: LUG (sail) + (I)E |
| 11 | S | VERY | So: VE(S)TRY minus T(ime) |
| 12 | H | HAHA | Ditch: HH (very Hard) + A-HA (Scandinavian band – remember “Take on me”?) |
| 14 | O | RICOCHET | Glancing blow: C(aught) + OCHE (firing line in darts) in RI(O)T |
| 16 | N | ODA | Room in harem: A DO(N) reversed |
| 17 | E | MUON | Particle: M(ass) U(niversal) + ON(E) |
| 19 | S | LADY | “Faint heart never won fair LADY”: if you take the top off Noel Coward, the “singing Knight”, you get COWARD who is the “Faint heart” who never . . .
But see comments below for a better explanation. |
| 20 | T | LINES | School punishment: [SILEN(T)]* |
| 21 | L | TALIBES | Islamic students: [BASTIL(L)E]* |
| 22 | Y | IKEBANA | Japanese art: I + KE(Y) + BAN + A |
| 26 | T | EGER | Bore: [GREE(T)]* |
| 27 | A | A LA | Done like: sAy LlAm(A) on a regular basis |
| 28 | K | GLEN | Depression: hidden in strugGLE (K)Night’s |
| 29 | E | DANELAW | North of Watling Street: [A NEW D(E)AL]* |
| 30 | P | RAT RACE | Struggling to get on: (P)RAT (fool) + RACE (ancestors) |
| 33 | O | ALAMO | Mission (on the site of the battle): 27 A LA + 6 MO(O) |
| 35 | S | ADIT | Opening: (S)AD (shame) + IT |
| 37 | I | CAVY | Rodent: CA (about) + Y(ears) round (I)V (or V(I)) |
| 38 | T | LID | Hat: LI(T) (alight) + D(uke) |
| 39 | I | FITMENTS | Due (Shakespeare): (I)F (whenever) + [MITTENS]* |
| 41 | O | SINH | Reduced function (hyperbolic sine): hidden in immerSI(O)N Heater |
| 42 | N | NEAT | Shipshape: NE + A(N)T |
| 43 | A | ALUN | Welshman: almost A + LUN(A)r |
| 44 | S | IDEA | Plan: A (one) following (S)IDE (subsidiary) |
| Down | |||
| 1 | H | LEADING LADIES | &lit clue: [(H)EADLINED GALS I]* directed |
| 2 | E | FLAME | Object of affection: [FEMAL(E)]* |
| 3 | A | ILLUSIONAL | Deceptive: LL in [LOUISI(A)NA]* |
| 4 | D | EUROS | Currency: SO RUE(D) reversed |
| 5 | W | DECK | Dress: KC (silk) + (W)ED reversed |
| 6 | A | MOO | Farm output (not 24D, baa): Chairman M(A)O + O |
| 7 | I | REHAB | Cleansing of character: AH (I see!) in B(I)ER (carriage of late!) reversed |
| 8 | T | PREDETERMINED | Elect: E (oriental) + DETER (put off) + M (007’s spymaster) in PRIN(T)ED (being on paper) – without meaning outside |
| 13 | E | HANGED | Put to death: ANG (Lee) in HE(E)D (note) |
| 15 | INTELLECT | N/a | |
| 18 | R | FLAG-WAVING | Imperialist: G(overnment) in FLAW (defect) + (R)AVING |
| 23 | P | KAE | Serve, old (in Chambers under ka2): K + A(P)E |
| 24 | A | BAA | Farm output (not 6D, moo): (A)BA (cloth from goat hair) + A |
| 25 | N | ALKALI | Metals: A + L + K + (N)A + LI |
| 31 | TITAN | N/a | |
| 32 | G | GAS UP | A ghastly Americanism for fill up with fuel: GA(G) + SUP |
| 34 | R | LYSIN | One breaks down (an enzyme): LY(R)e + SIN |
| 36 | A | GNAR | Snarl, growl: N(A)G (find fault) reversed + A + R (classroom fundamental – 3Rs) |
| 40 | M | ERK | Aircraftsman: hidden in short-tER (M)Knowledge |
I have to say that it wasn’t until yesterday morning that I finally hit upon “jump the queue”.
What’s the clue for 19a?
Gladys Knight was a singer I thought it might be her
If my memory serves me well, Gladys is indeed the Knight in question (no mention of the Pips though).
If it is Gladys Knight, that makes sense, as Gladys topless minus the required S is LADY(S). I think either explanation would do. We need input from Nimrod if he’s out there!
Hi Hi,
your interpretation at #4 is entirely correct!
Thank you Nimrod! Nice crossword – enjoyable solve. Mike would have approved!