The annual-ish EV outing for Lato this week, and no extra/missing letters/words or misprints to look out for. Instead there were just nine unclued entries, each suggested in one of two ways by a tenth.
A fairly straightforward solve ensued, although I was somewhat puzzled as to what ACTORS, EMPERORs LARIATs and LIGERs could have in common! I finally had all ten unclued entries, including ROCK STAR, which was the obvious candidate for the theme, being a MUSICAL IDOL. It didn’t take too long to realise what was going on. Five of the entries were anagrams of stars, four were definitions of anagrams of STAR:
| STAR | anagram |
|---|---|
| ALTAIR | LARIAT |
| CASTOR | ACTORS |
| RED GIANT | GRADIENT |
| RIGEL | LIGER |
| VEGA | GAVE |
| STAR* | meaning |
|---|---|
| ARTS | WILES |
| RATS | THAT’S ANNOYING |
| TARS | SETS ON |
| TSAR | EMPEROR |
Finally, two consecutive entries needed highlighting that would represent a fifth occurrence of the second type of connection. In row 2, we had SCRATCHED and TOED, and RAST was ‘scratched’ to Ed [Spenser]! An amusing ending to an enjoyable, straightforward puzzle.
Legend:
Definition in clue
ABC* = anagram
ABC< = reversal
abCDef = hidden
| ACROSS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| No | Entry | Clue and Explanation | |
| 1 | LARGEST | Most generous advance — 80 grand in case outside (7) A (advance) R (80, old Roman numeral) G (grand) in LEST (in case, as in ‘just in case’) |
|
| 4 | SAMOSA | Turnover smaller at first in Pacific country (6) S (Smaller, first letter) in SAMOA (Pacific country) |
|
| 8 | SCRATCHED | Hurriedly wrote the cards — maybe about a hundred (9) (THE CARDS)* about C (a hundred) |
|
| 10 | TOED | Kicked Highlands fox out of earth (4) TOD (fox, Scottish word) outside E (earth) |
|
| 11 | STAVE | Delay start of trouble in reserve (5) T (start of Trouble) in SAVE (reserve) |
|
| 12 | RATOO | Jumper worn by one-time chief in Fiji (5) ROO (jumper) outside A (one) T (time) |
|
| 13 | WON | Opened up present on return (3) NOW< (present) |
|
| 14 | NISI | New lives with independence unless something specific happens (4) N (new) IS (lives) + I (independence) |
|
| 15 | ARCHNESS | Bend head showing cunning (8) ARCH (bend) + NESS (head) |
|
| 18 | AIDOS | Nothing said after cycling Shame (5) O (nothing) SAID cycled, ie letters moved from back to front; I assume there should be a full stop in the clue |
|
| 19 | ABBA | Father in women’s clothing (4) 2 meanings |
|
| 22 | EMEER | Engineers back protecting English ruler abroad (5) REME< (engineers) about E (English) |
|
| 23 | ANI | One’s current bird (3) AN (one) + I (current) |
|
| LIGER | Unclued | ||
| 25 | SLAY | Greatly impress with second song (4) S (second) + LAY (song) |
|
| 28 | PAWED | Molested old man getting married (5) PA (old man) + WED (married) |
|
| ROCK STAR | Unclued | ||
| 29 | ERIC | Fine contribution from the rich! (4) hidden in thE RICh |
|
| 33 | ARE | Take place in reduced space (3) ARE[A] (space, reduced) |
|
| 34 | AERIE | Spiritual stronghold (5) 2 meanings |
|
| 35 | MOTIF | Design appropriate award for review (5) (FIT (appropriate) + OM (award))< |
|
| 36 | OLEO | Print over sign (4) O (over) + LEO (sign, zodiac) |
|
| 37 | NANDI BEAR | Ian and Brenda excitedly spotted hyena? Perhaps (9, 2 words) (IAN BRENDA)* |
|
| 38 | RESITE | Is tree somehow to be put in a different place? (6) (IS TREE)* |
|
| 39 | GERENTS | Men taking on those in charge rarely (7) GENTS (men) taking in RE (on) |
|
| DOWN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| No | Entry | Clue and Explanation | |
| ACTORS | Unclued | ||
| GAVE | Unclued | ||
| 2 | ETEN | Big fellow previously annoyed teen (4) TEEN* |
|
| 3 | SCREEN | Spotted councillor inside shelter (6) CR (councillor) inside SEEN (spotted) |
|
| THAT’S ANNOYING | Unclued | ||
| 4 | SETH | Point to the new boy (4) S (point) + THE* |
|
| 5 | ADORABLE | Charming girl in story not feminine (8) DORA (girl) in FABLE (story) – F (feminine) |
|
| 6 | OOTID | Bad to-do — one’s locked in cell (5) (TO-DO)* with I (locked in) inside |
|
| SETS ON | Unclued | ||
| 7 | ADVISER | Minister’s assistant read about holding on to power (7) READ* holding VIS (power) |
|
| 9 | RANCHES | Old dogs round northern farms (7) RACHES (dogs, old word) about N (northern) |
|
| 11 | SWAT | Assiduously study women in day (4) W (women) in SAT (day) |
|
| 16 | HEEL | Hot fish to follow (4) H (hot) EEL (fish) |
|
| 17 | SAI | Previously mentioned tailless monkey (3) SAI[D] (previously mentioned, without last letter); need to look under said, rather than say, for the meaning ‘previously mentioned’ |
|
| GRADIENT | Unclued | ||
| 20 | BIAS | About to stop repeated favouritism (4) A (about) stopping (ie inside) BIS (repeated) |
|
| 21 | AGITATE | Keep moving it to cut stone (7) IT cutting AGATE (stone) |
|
| EMPEROR | Unclued | ||
| 23 | AYR | Listened to voice somewhere on the west coast (3) sounds like AIR (to voice) |
|
| 24 | GARBLE | Clothing sale — it’s going to be jumble (6) GARB (clothing) + SALE – SA (it, ie sex appeal) |
|
| 26 | ACCEDE | Agree to dismiss children as stated (6) sounds like AXE (dismiss) SEED (children) |
|
| LARIAT | Unclued | ||
| 27 | TREF | Forbidden in Thailand — official (4) T (Thailand) + REF (official) |
|
| WILES | Unclued | ||
| 30 | BRAE | Bank of Scotland branch (one in Glasgow) (4) BR (branch) + AE (one, Scottish word) |
|
| 31 | SMIR | Round Borders light rain (4) RIMS< (borders) |
|
| 32 | ROBE | Invest the Archbishop of York after elevation (4) EBOR< (York) |
|
Thanks for the blog, Dave. See you at Chester, no doubt.
I’ll be there.