Preamble: Five answers must be amended as suggested by a thematic phrase (two words, to be deduced in part, and highlighted). Chambers recognises two meanings for this phrase. Appropriate to the first meaning (in which two alternatives are implied), an element of the phrase is subject to a ‘timely’ interruption (six cells, to be highlighted). In choosing whether or not to highlight a further six cells, solvers must opt for the alternative that is also more consistent with the second meaning.
Preamble: Five answers must be …
OK, that’s enough of that!
My first reaction on seeing this puzzle was, “the editor’s made a mistake, this is the same as last week’s!” so I checked 1 across and 1 down, “yep, he’s made a mistake, even the clues are the same.” Then I suddenly remembered that my first reaction to last week’s puzzle was, “he’s put it in a week early. Woodchuck is the same as groundhog and Groundhog Day is not till next week!” So that explains the Déjà Vu (1 across) and ditto (1 down)! The same puzzle title two weeks in a row, what genius!
I’m guessing that knowing that a groundhog and a woodchuck are the same animal and given that Groundhog Day starring Bill Murray is one of my favorite movies meant I twigged what was going on quite early (probably before putting pencil to paper, in fact.)
Chambers’ two meanings are:
1. 2 February, supposed to mark the end of winter if a groundhog emerging from hibernation on that day does not see its shadow
2. A day when things seem to happen in exactly the same way as on the previous day
(and this puzzle appeared on 2 February – sheer genius: I’m rushing out to buy a hat so I can take it off to Plench!)
As it transpires, the groundhog failed to see its shadow so it promises to be an early spring: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/feb/02/groundhog-day-punxsutawney-phil-weather.
Groundhog Day (the movie) is about a misanthropic TV weatherman who is forced to report on the Groundhog Festival, on February 2nd, in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania. He then relives the same day over and over again. Funnily enough, in my opinion, the film gets better every time you watch it.
Anyway, back to the puzzle, we have GROUND in 5d and HOG DAY in 29d (column g) separated by the T of WINTER (a T(imely) interruption!) The five answers to be modified (11a, 33a, 38a, 17d, 27d) have the unclued letters of HOG redistributed (ground.)
Finally, we have to choose whether to highlight a further 6 cells, and, consistently with the second meaning, we must highlight DÉJÀ VU in 1 across. And, is it a NINA?, we have SHADOW, heading NE, through h9,i8,j7,k6,l5,m4.
I have to echo Hihoba’s words on last week’s WOODCHUCK PUZZLE: We bloggers always prefer the grid to contain only real words if possible, and this was accomplished with panache!
For the benefit of anyone who hasn’t seen the movie, here’s a couple of quotes:
Rita: Do you every have déjà vu?
Phil: Didn’t you just ask me that?
Phil: Do you ever have déjà vu, Mrs. Lancaster?
Mrs. Lancaster: I don’t think so, but I could check with the kitchen.
And you can see the second one here: http://youtu.be/ubM-VE5Gdo0
I’m going to stick my neck out here and suggest that Plench is none other than our esteemed editor John Henderson.
And I leave you with this thought: how much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?
| Across |
|||
| No. |
Clue |
Entry |
Wordplay |
| 1 | Unoriginal material leaving the French juve lead bemused | DÉJÀ VU | JUVE LEAD (minus LE (the in French); anag: bemused) |
| 6 | I seek woman’s love, proffering diamonds, maybe – and gold | SUITOR | SUIT (diamonds, maybe)+OR (gold) |
| 10 | 1-0 on aggregate | IN ONE | I (1)+NONE (0) |
| 11 | A heartless individual’s lying | PRONGHOE | PeR (A as in once a year: once per year; heartless)+ONE (individual) |
| 13 | In repeat performance, Lou Reed at last adopted blues, perhaps? | ENCOLOURED | LOU inside ENCORE (repeat performance)+reeD (at last) |
| 14 | Revered leader 0.1 of the way to a century? | TENNO | TEN NO (not out; presumably until he’s out, there’s a chance of a century) |
| 16 | Very poor returns stifling leader of work force in plant | LUFFA | Force inside AwFUL (very poor; rev: returns; minus Work (leader of)) |
| 18 | Craving drink, one getting tipsy quickly knocked back single | OENOMANIA | ONE (anag: getting tipsy)+IN A MO (quickly; rev: knocked back)+A (single) |
| 20 | Chambers giving “refuge” as “new arrivals’ only insurance at points of entry” | NAOI | New Arrivals Only Insurance (first letters: at points of entry) |
| 22 | I briefly cement blocks together for northern accommodation | IGLU | I+GLUe (cement; briefly) |
| 23 | Ed’s call to urge on Mistress Quickly, if energy runs out? | ALEW | ALEWife (minus IF Energy; Mistress Quickly is a Shakespearean inn keeper) |
| 24 | Put down artists, out of step? | INTER | paINTERs (artists; minus PAS (step)) the “?”gets over the fact that PAS is not consecutive |
| 25 | One overseeing rash actions crushes new advance | ANTE | N (inside: crushes) ATE (the Greek goddess of mischief and of all rash actions and their results) |
| 30 | US duffer making flash mob a lot lighter! | SHMO | flaSH MOb (hidden: a little lighter) |
| 32 | Census regularly stopped time; I didn’t actually stop tide | CNUT | CeNsUs (regularly; containing Time) |
| 33 | Steals loveless kisses, having chewed it over | GHOSTINGS | IT (inside: chewed) SNoGS (kisses; loveless) (all rev: over) |
| 36 | Discharge inmate, say, upon review | CONGE | CON (inmate)+EG (say; rev: on review) |
| 37 | How a weird circle is burning bush | WAHOO | HOW A (anag: weird)+O (circle) |
| 38 | One bouncing baby girl’s ultimately smashing passion | DOGHANDLER | girL (ultimately) inside DANDER (passion) |
| 40 | Claw what father had back from extremely cold point | APHELIAN | NAIL (claw)+EH (what)+PA (father) (all rev: back) |
| 41 | Makes Hallé Orchestra render Vaughan Williams’ finales | EARNS | hallE orchestrA rendeR vaughaN williamS (last letters: finales) |
| 42 | Do one’s damnedest to get caught | NOOSED | DO ONES (anag: damnedest) |
| 43 | Well out of time, I recalled scapegoat | STOOGE | Time inside SO (well)+EGO (I; rev: recalled) |
| Down |
|||
| No. |
Clue |
Entry |
Wordplay |
| 1 | As before, father-lasher possibly the first to go the wrong way | DITTO | cOTTID (father-lasher possibly; the first to go; rev: the wrong way) |
| 2 | Wearing flash jewellery, nut’s put on charge at the outset | ENFEEBLING | EN (nut)+FEE (charge)+BLING (flash jewellery) |
| 3 | In general, a chap can put on one in Germany when climbing | JOHNNIE | JOHN (can: toilet)+EIN (German for one; rev: when climbing) |
| 4 | Virus corrupted move, Trojan finally infiltrated | VENOM | trojaN (finally) inside MOVE (anag: corrupted) |
| 5 | Garment initially enveloping Ancient Mariner’s bottom? | GROUND | Garment (initially)+ROUND (enveloping) |
| 6 | Our star is almost by itself | SOL | SOLe (by itself; almost) |
| 7 | Island republic with no unknown lizards | IGUANA | Island+GUyANA (republic; without Y (unknown)) |
| 8 | Here’s a clue – it’s hard to step across | THREAD | Hard inside TREAD (step) |
| 9 | Disregarding hotel, swineherd organised tents, perhaps | RED WINES | SWINEhERD (disregarding Hotel; anag: organised) |
| 12 | Reduced number attending entertainment centre? That’s not allowed in the US | NO FAIR | NO (number; abbrev: reduced)+FAIR (entertainment centre) |
| 15 | Strong ale’s 100% bad? | NOG | NO Good (100 bad) |
| 16 | Start meal imbibing drop of aperitif | LAUNCH | Aperitif (drop of) (inside: imbibing) LUNCH (meal) |
| 17 | Adding strength in reference to hard-to-ignore article | FORTHGOING | FOR (in reference to)+ThING (article; ignoring Hard) |
| 19 | Existing expertise carries no force | IN ESSE | fINESSE (expertise; minus Force) |
| 21 | In forsaking childhood, date an ineffective, though stylish, performer | FANCY DAN | inFANCY (childhood; minus IN)+Date+AN |
| 24 | SNP’s entrance, initially adopting less defensive position | IN GOAL | INGO (entrance; Scottish: SNP)+Adopting+Less (initially) |
| 26 | No James Bond – complete failure when embracing the girl | NON-HERO | HER (the girl) inside NO–NO (complete failure) |
| 27 | Killer causing antelope to turn tail | GUNG–HO | GNU (antelope; tail turned) |
| 28 | Tickles dogs, avoiding the head | ITCHES | bITCHES (dogs; avoiding first letter: the head) |
| 31 | Farrow, for instance (seen twice in Aboriginal hut) | MIA | MIA-MIA (Aboriginal hut) |
| 34 | Text superficially having little content? | TWEET | WEE (little) inside TexT (superficially) |
| 35 | Lasso useful capturing duck | SOUSE | lasSO USEful (hidden: capturing) |
| 39 | Pheasant’s offspring no longer make a noise going north | NID | DIN (make a noise; rev: going north) |
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