‘All Change’ seems appropriate for a puzzle published on 1st January. Will the theme at least be more apt than last week’s war-based Christmas offering?
Once again, we’ve to resolve clashes by substitution with ‘a thematic symbol’. This time, non-clashing clues will guide us to the theme with misprints in their definitions. The number 10 or 12 seems to be relevant. Surely not more battles, but what? No bells are ringing yet (at least not for me).
Certain of the clues are easy enough. 35ac, for instance, gave a clashing clue almost immediately. Getting 31dn suggested that MAR was half of the clash – but what about the other half? As both of the clashes in ‘DECOKED’ were single letters, this suggested MARK. 28ac and 30dn provided another easy route to, or confirmation of, the theme, giving GUILD/ER. It seems pretty likely that the clashes spell out the ten currencies that were replaced by the Euro on 1st January 2002: LIRA, FRANC, PUNT, MARKKA, DRACHMA, ESCUDO, PESETA, GUILDER, MARK and SCHILLING (the ‘other two’ mentioned in the preamble being the other two francs).
Many of the misprints were not too tricky to identify (ruddle, Spencer, souple, bobby), so our solving could also be helped by discovering that the theme was the TENTH ANNIVERSARY OF [the] EURO’S LAUNCH. The only foray into economic commentary that I’ll make is to wonder whether Loda was concerned that a certain crisis might have rather changed things before the puzzle came out.
Population of the rest of the grid was thus aided, and having the message meant one knew which clues had clashes. A little bit of prodding was still necessary, but knowing what you’re looking for always helps in a search.
It’s a shame that this puzzle used the same mechanism as last week’s, but that’s hardly Loda’s fault. If, as I suspect was intended, ‘Nativity’ had been published on Christmas Day, this would have killed two thirds of my moans. Actually, there are only those two, although I’m tempted to think of a third in order to force that pun to work.
Happy new year to all!
Notation
(xxx) = definition
{xxx} = (anagram/homophone/container/etc.) indicator
XXX* = anagram
< = reversal
xxx = unused letter(s)
IRASCIBLE =clash in answer to be replaced by €
bill=misprint in definition
Please post a comment if the explanations are not clear.
| Across | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | IRASCIBLE | One car is tampered with – 75% become sleepy and quick-tempered (7) | quick-tempered: I (one) + CARIS* [tampered with] + BLE |
|
| 6 | FLIRT |
Move house without right jerk (5) | jerk: ins. of R (right) in FLIT (move house) | |
| T | 10 | AMUSE |
Divers observe old American first (5) | divert: AM (American) + USE (observe old) |
| E | 11 | CHOLIC | Concerning bill, the best part’s unfinished, left inside (6) | concerning bile: ins. of L (left) in CHOIC |
| N | 12 | PENCE |
Hammer around core of zincked coils (5) | coins: ins. of C (core of zinCked) in PENE (hammer) |
| T | 13 | DUCT | Daughter’s cut out cube (4) | tube: D (daughter) + CUT* [out] |
| H | 14 | DOTE | Stow excessive Love Hearts for widows’ afters (4) | show excessive love: wiDOws afTErs [hearts] |
| A | 15 | GURGLE | Sound coming from crew startled lugger (6) | sound coming from craw: LUGGER* [startled] |
| 16 | KATANA |
Samurai sword and karate exercises not available (5) | samurai sword: KATA (karate exercises) + NA (not available) | |
| N | 19 | SEWER | Finally, bones were ground for charnel (5) | channel: S (finally boneS) + WERE* [ground] |
| 21 | RACHMANISM | Disreputable landlord’s conduct charms man I fired (5) | disreputable landlord’s conduct: CHARMSMANI* [fired] | |
| 22 | PRESCRIBE | Lay down rules – “Beer must be drunk with cut crisps” (7) | lay down rules: BEERCRIPS* [drunk/cut] | |
| N | 23 | ENNUIED | Nut, nude and I danced, made one yawp (7) | made one yawn: EN (nut) + [NUDE+I]* [danced] |
| 25 | RETARDS |
Lags playing darts with screws, essentially (5) | lags: [DARTS+RE(scREws essentially)]* [playing] | |
| I | 27 | CUSPS | Swear phosphorous is inside parts of bute (5) | parts of bite: ins. of P (phosphorous) in CUSS (swear) |
| 28 | STEWERS |
Stone jug, one that cooks food with water (5) | one that cooks food with water: ST (stone) + EWER (jug) | |
| V | 31 | NUBBIN |
Denser inhabitant’s small ear – point and reject (6) | Denver inhabitant’s small ear: NUB (point) + BIN (reject) |
| E | 34 | ETAS | Wagging tails from eight gorgeous Japanese tosa litters (4) | letters: eighTgorgeouSjapanesEtosA* [tails/wagging] |
| 35 | MARINE | Divers remain at sea (4) | at sea: REMAIN* [divers] | |
| R | 36 | ON AIR | Woods on studio sign or around new ones (5, 2 words) | words on studio sign: ins. of N (new) + A I (ones) in OR |
| S | 37 | ESCARP | Elope, especially in motor? Just the opposite (6) | slope: ins. of CAR (motor) in ESP (especially) |
| A | 38 | REPLA | Port, for some fruit: squash – pear – lemons, at first (5) | part for some fruit: [PEAR+L(Lemons at first)]* [squash] |
| 39 | DISTILLING | On return one chap secures work with last signs of rain easing, falling in drops (5) | falling in drops: ins. [secures] of TILL (work) in <[I (one) SID (chap)] + NG [last signs of raiN easinG] | |
| R | 40 | MEDUSAN | One’s snakes for hain, possibly made in US not Italy (7) | one’s snakes for hair: MADE |
| Down | ||||
| 1 | LANDMARK | A significant historical event with Brand supporting pound (5) | a significant historical event: L (pound) + AND (with) + MARK (brand) | |
| Y | 2 | SMOOT |
One might set tape low in street (5) | one might set type: ins. of MOO (low) in ST (street) |
| O | 3 | CURTAINS |
Theatrical drips – discourteously brief with acting insurance (8) | theatrical drops: CURT (discourteously brief) + A (acting) + INS (insurance) |
| F | 4 | BEER | This might ruddle one pillowcase (4) | double definition: this might fuddle one/pillowcase |
| E | 5 | LANGSPEL | I might produce tuns in Lerwick, surprisingly, gleans Paul disheartened (8) | I might produce tune in Lerwick: GLEANSP |
| 6 | RANCHER | U.S. stock farmer chased singer (4) | U.S. stock farmer: RAN (chased) + CHER (singer) | |
| U | 7 | LODGER | I’m not finished with German, he might rent part of horse (6) | he might rent part of house: LOD |
| R | 8 | RICE | Eric’s blown glass (4) | grass: ERIC* [blown] |
| 9 | PUNCTURES | Flats – more than one image I erased for him locally (7) | flats: replacement of I with UN (him locally) in PICTURES (more than one image) | |
| O | 12 | PENS | American galls authors (4) | double definition: American gaols/authors |
| S | 17 | AMIS | Spencer’s cloak is unsuitable, not special (4) | Spenser’s cloak: removal of S (special) from AMISS (unsuitable) |
| L | 18 | ORDINATE |
An editor’s edited mine in a geometric way (8) | line in a geometric way: ANEDITOR* [edited] |
| 19 | SUDORS |
With only two-thirds of number puzzle completed Rex Stokes sweats (4) | sweats: SUDO |
|
| A | 20 | WIRETAPS | Resetting trap, Wise means to listen to those that cull (8) | means to listen to those that call: TRAPWISE* [resetting] |
| 21 | DECOKED | Inactive amateur leaves for fuel, carbon removed (7) | carbon removed: replacement [leaves for] of of A (amateur) with COKE (fuel) in DEAD (inactive) | |
| U | 24 | UPBEAT | Sonny Bono originally ate out after riding (6) | sunny: UP (riding) + B (Bono originally) + ATE* [out] |
| 26 | PESTER | Rocky steep ridge’s face is an annoyance (4) | an annoyance: STEEP* [rocky] + R (Ridge’s face) | |
| N | 29 | WALLA | Hard, Indian, wife not husband? God! (5) | hand [worker], Indian: W (wife) + removal [not] of H (husband) from ALLAH (god) |
| 30 | GUILDSMAN | Corporation member is glum and sickly (5) | corporation member: ISGLUMAND* [sickly] | |
| C | 31 | NISI | Condition for separating souple mini-silk partially (4) | condition for separating couple: miNISIlk [partially] |
| 32 | BORSCH | Head leaves York school for starter (4) | starter: |
|
| H | 33 | BIRD | A small quantity’s raised for bobby, perhaps (4) | hobby, perhaps: <DRIB (a small quantity)[raised] |
All rather fun – thanks to Loda, and Mr Sting for the blog.
Maybe this explains why the Euro is having such a hard time – heading for the troublesome teens!
My eureka moment – fortunately, quite early on – was prESCribe and sUDOrs to give ESCUDO…
Thanks for your blog, Mister Sting.
I don’t think that the answer given for 28a should be in the plural – just a typing error I suspect.