Wow, what a long, convoluted preamble:
This puzzle features eight pairs. Six thematic entries are anagrams of a pair member; six others are possible associations of the other member. Clues to these comprise a definition of one pair and a definition of a member of a different pair together with its association. Corrected single-letter definition misprints in 17 other clues spell out a 7th pair which cryptically suggests one member of the final pair, whose partner is the 13th thematic entry. This final pair is defined by a normally clued across answer which should be highlighted.
What the devil does all of that mean? The only thing I really understand is that some clues have a misprint in their definitions so it’s on to the business of solving clues.
There are six “Thematic Clues” listed so I chose to ignore them for the moment as I was sure that it was too early to make any sense of them.
We were (unusually for Donegal) blessed with excellent weather and the crossword had to take a back seat for a while and then panic set in as I realised that this was a fairly difficult puzzle. I’d be interested to hear where it falls on the “Henderson Scale.” Most of the clues fell easily with a few holding on to the bitter end when I’d solved the 17 clues giving the misprints to make the 7th pair and I was able to sneak up on them!
The 17 misprints spelled out TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO (an archipelagic state in The Caribbean.) Since this cryptically represents some thematic material, I guessed that it must mean TT (its IVR) and, since the Tourist Trophy event is taking place on the Isle of Man I wonder if that forms the last piece of thematic material, even though I don’t have any thematic material as yet!
So, on to solving the thematic clues. After removing my brain and turning it through 180 degrees then removing my head and turning it upside down, while doing handstands, I was able to make some sense of it all and now, for my sins, I have to explain it in writing. Each clue was in two parts, one part (sometimes the first and sometimes the second) led to answer in the form “x and y” (or “y and x”) and then the “x” part had to be used to form part of another word, hence “xz” or even “zx”, then “x” was thrown away; “z” was left in the grid intact but “y” had to me anagrammed – still with me??
The final piece of the puzzle (TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO), as
mentioned above, is TT and it’s nothing to do with TT Races or even teetotal as I also thought of but it indicates double-T (or DOUBLET.) DOUBLET and HOSE are both out-dated (title: OUT OF FASHION) items of clothing, hence 12a CLOTHES has to be highlighted. I found this a fairly disappointing finish to a very difficult puzzle as there seemed to be nothing to latch on to to reach that conclusion. I admit that I asked for help from a bellow flogger.
That’s that, then. Not my favourite Inquisitor ever, I have to say 🙁
| Thematic | ||||||
| Clue (I) | Clue (II) | Answer (I) | Answer (II) | Disappearing word | Entry (I) | Entry (II) |
| Pub | toilet | CROWN & ANCHOR | CLOAKROOM | CROWN | ARCHON (g1) | ROOM (i1) |
| Cooked lamb or pork ribs, | not beef | CROWN-ROAST | GRIN & BEAR IT | GRIN | ROAST (e7) | BARITE (h11) |
| Musically bland | entertainers | EASY LISTENING | FRENCH & SAUNDERS | FRENCH | LISTENING (m1) | DANSEURS (f13) |
| Secret | discomfiture | CLOAK & DAGGER | CHAGRIN | CLOAK | RAGGED (c8) | CHA (j7) |
| Liberal | financial backing | FREE & EASY | FUNDING | EASY | FERE (e10) | DING (a1) |
| Trouble | being intimate | FUN & GAMES | FRENCH KISSING | FUN | MAGES (d3) | KISSING (g9) |
| Across | |||||
| No. | Clue | Entry | Misprint | Letter | Wordplay |
| 1 | Weighs card game up | DECAGRAM | weighS->weighT | T | CARD GAME (anag: up) |
| 6 | Be amazed about Britain’s rise | REBEL | B(ritain) inside REEL (be amazed) | ||
| 9 | Prince has no women problems | ILLS | (W)ILLS (Prince William) without W(oman) | ||
| 10 | During last month recalled man being away | CROOKED | awAy->awRy | R | ROOK (man) inside DEC(ember) (rev: recalled) |
| 11 | Luminous mast in Malta described by writer (American) | NIMBUS | mAst->mIst | I | M(alta) inside NIB (writer)+US (American) |
| 12 | Idiot! He’s producing duds | CLOTHES | CLOT (idiot)+HE’S | ||
| 14 | The odd letter | ETH | THE (anag: odd) | ||
| 15 | Get man to mend old generator | MAGNETO | GET MAN (anag: to mend)+O(ld) | ||
| 16 | Feed Anneka with difficulty | ANANKE | Feed->Need | N | ANNEKA (anag: with difficulty) |
| 17 | Not that many in eaterie head off west | A FEW | cAFE (head off)+W(est) | ||
| 19 | Lame singer’s with nurse | LINDEN | lAme->lIme | I | (Bob) LIND+EN (Enrolled Nurse) |
| 20 | Tree has nuts | ASH | HAS (anag: nuts) | ||
| 23 | Fifty lines reviewed – is Charlie absorbed in poems? | LYRICS | L (fifty)+RY (RailwaY lines) (rev: reviewed)+C(harlie) inside IS | ||
| 25 | Discover league’s forgotten reserve | EARN | Reserve->Deserve | D | lEARN (minus L(eague)) |
| 26 | Next a criminal goes to Spain, as predicted | EX ANTE | NEXT A (anag: criminal)+E (Spain) | ||
| 30 | Certainly one’s eaten cod | OIK | cOd->cAd | A | I (one) inside OK (certainly) |
| 33 | Bed a girl without resistance when drunk – so what! | BIG DEAL | BED A GIrL (without resistance) (anag: when drunk) | ||
| 34 | Start of rest cure after surgery – it’s to recover strength | RECRUIT | Rest (start of)+CURE (anag: after surgery)+IT | ||
| 35 | Blame English lord for the most part | ÉPÉE | blaMe->blaDe | D | E(nglish)+PEEr (lord, for the most part) |
| 36 | Run out of last supply | ENDUE | ENDUrE (minus R(un)) | ||
| Down | |||||
| No. | Clue | Entry | Misprint | Letter | Wordplay |
| 2 | Writer’s pseudonym captivates 2000 women | ELIZA | womEn->womAn | A | Z (2000) inside ELIA (Charles Lamb‘s pseudonym) |
| 3 | Order some yobs are getting round | ASBO | yOBS Are (hidden: some) (rev: getting round) | ||
| 4 | Problem with lug? At last we are working out what might be wrong | GLUE EAR | (&lit.) LUG+wE+ARE (anag: working out) | ||
| 5 | In LA ‘mature’ male’s ancient | MOLD | Mature->Nature | N | M(ale)+OLD (ancient) |
| 7 | Happen rustic is delayed | BEHIND | BE (happen)+HIND (rustic) | ||
| 8 | Prime Minister’s Office supporting force | (Anthony) EDEN | E (force)+DEN (office) | ||
| 13 | Mark holding Newton’s gaze | TRANCE | Gaze->Daze | D | N(ewton) inside TRACE (mark) |
| 15 | Man keeps ballet dancing endlessly, becoming supple | MALLEABLE | BALLEt (endlessly) (anag: dancing) inside MALE | ||
| 16 | Boo American musicians | ALSO | Boo->Too | T | A(merican)+LSO (London Symphony Orchestra) |
| 18 | Complained in turn – loudly | WHINED | WIND (turn) (homophone: loudly) | ||
| 21 | Asks Ruth to play not hearts… spades | TUSKARS | ASKS RUTh (not H(earts)) (anag: to play) | ||
| 22 | Up north a little independent country | HAITI | HA‘IT (a little)+I(ndependent) | ||
| 24 | Greek sings soprano with soul (enthralling love story mostly) | SKOLIA | sIngs->sOngs | O | O (love)+LIe (story mostly) inside S(oprano)+KA (soul) |
| 27 | Engineers can lift explosive ingredient in Moston | NITER | Moston->Boston | B | RE ((royal) engineers)+TIN (can) (rev: lift) |
| 28 | Snarl resistance in trap | GIRN | R(esistance) inside GIN (trap) | ||
| 29 | Twin about to exult | LAUD | exUlt->exAlt | A | DUAL (twin) (rev: about) |
| 31 | Mum maybe right to stop support | TREE | Mum->Gum | G | R(ight) inside TEE (support) |
| 32 | Calls in to announce arrest | SEES | In->On | O | SEIZE (arrest) (homophone: to announce) |
I fell at the last two hurdles and feel rather cheated.
I got all the clued pairs except GRIN and BEAR IT, despite having B(/K)ARITE and CH?. I never thought of the “association” being reversed in just one clue – i.e. cha+GRIN as opposed to FUN+ding, EASY+listening etc.
As for DOUBLET (for Trinidad and Tobago) and HOSE, I didn’t get near it.
I didn’t like the inconsistency and, like Kenmac, am underwhelmed by the denouement!
As for difficulty, most of the crossword seemed to be a 2, but for me the last two bits were in the 4s.
Nice blog – love the flashing stars!
I must admit that I didn’t enjoy this. Not much of a theme for a thematic puzzle. I prefer puzzles that aren’t in two fairly distinct parts, where getting some of the thematic elements helps with the unsolved clues, which in turn leads me to discover the rest of the unclued bits.
I had some help from my Listener chum to get GRIN & BEAR IT, but then at least had the satisfaction of finding DOUBLET & HOSE myself.
Difficulty: 4ish; pleasure: 2 at best.
I have to say I enjoyed the crossword more than the blogger or the others who have commented – perhaps because after much effort I managed to solve the whole thing.
I also enjoyed the flashing diagram, Kenmac, but FERE appears all the time instead of alternating with its anagram, FREE…
Rats! I’ll fix that tonight when I get home.
Flummoxed by the foreplay – again, but maybe that is its function? But I grinned and bore it (my first pair in}. However, I found the grid and clues excellent, and I thought my 98% gridfill was reasonable under the circumstances! Second IQ in a row that has defeated me, but does not detract from the enjoyment of them.
Thanks Lato, and Kenmac for admitting that you needed outside help. There are lots of us out here battling away on our own!
Re #3 & #4:
FIXED! 🙂