Enigmatic Variations 1078 Before and After by Kcit

Quite a complex preamble – 9 unclued entries, 11 with redundant words and 5 with redundant phrases and if that isn’t enough a central square to complete at the end.

This was certainly what I call a fun puzzle. Nothing in the preamble gave the game away early on nor did much become apparent as the grid filled up. Clueing was relatively straight forward, always a good sign with the novelty of the end-game where the real challenge begins.

Sorting out the wheat from the chaff was perhaps easier knowing I had to blog this puzzle, as I checked the use of each word of the clue as I entered the answers into the grid.

What did the nine additional words in clues spell out

FIRST LADIES

My immediate thought was American first ladies especially as HOOVER appeared to be one of the unclued entries.

The ladies to find (minus their forenames)

ROSALYN SMITH CARTER (skilful worker)

LOU HENRY HOOVER (much married monarch)

ELIZABETH BLOOMER FORD (Initial letter)

LAURA WELCH BUSH (Run off once)

BARBARA PIERCE BUSH (to force way into)

Their maiden names being defined by the multi-word phrases shown above. The four other unclued entries being their married names.

And that was that well not quite – highlight an example that represents both states.

I searched in vain for Harriet Lane – first lady of the unmarried James Buchanan, but then the final square dawned on me – It was the First lady EVE visible by putting an E in the middle square with VE present in the leading diagonal. But that was not it around Eve lay ROOSEVELT many thanks Tony for spotting the error of my ways. The fact that she married her cousin and effectively maintained her maiden name meant she was a ROOSEVELT both BEFORE and AFTER.

Thanks Kcit for some wonderful steps of discovery through this puzzle. Certainly infinitely more entertaining than the recent run of Listeners, where the element of fun (which these puzzles are supposed to be) seems to have all but disappeared completely in favour of ever weirder and wackier constructions.

My favourite clue has to be 34ac.

 

Key:

* Anagram; DD Double definition, Rev. reverse, Underline definition

Bold redundant word

Bold redundant phrase

ACROSS

1 A mother brought back desert plant (6)

Rev. (a mater(mother)) = RETAMA

11 Not much good at capturing lutetium in food item (8)

Edible (food item) around Lu (Lutetium) = ELUDIBLE

12 I’m mild, perhaps, returning firm note (5, hyphenated)

Rev(Im + ale(mild)) = E-LA-MI

13 Unknown profundities recalled without delay (6)

Rev( Y(unknown) + deeps (profundities) = SPEEDY

14 Trick outfit (3)

DD RIG

17 Wicked man to force way into one’s intellect (7)

He (man) + I (one) + nous (intellect) = HEINOUS

18 Some touchy, much?married monarch poisons ‘fixer’ (4)

Hidden touchy POisons = HYPO

19 English crowd invested in very good coffee machine (8)

E (English) + press (crowd) in so (very good) = ESPRESSO

21 American criticizes regional divisions — not on (5)

Zonings(divisions) – on = ZINGS

23 Flower festival neglecting East India (5)

Easter (festival) – e (eastern) = ASTER

24 Recalled one memory about a dweller on islands (5)

Rev (I + rom (memory)) around a = MAORI

25 It’s presented in Benin? Eccentric (5)

DY (Benin) around its = DITSY

27 Rossini aria initially performed to music, involving little very developed (8)

A (aria initially) + danced (performed to music) around v (very) = ADVANCED

28 Meat salad dish returned by these characters in Athens (4)

Rev(sate ( satay – meat dish) = ETAS

29 Observe part of website, perhaps, for leak (7)

See (observe) + page (part of website) = SEEPAGE

32 Indian potato’s worth, boundless (3)

Value(worth) – outside = ALU

33 Unconventional medicine: small amount includes rubber tyre (6)

At (small amount) around mule (rubber) = AMULET

34 A wretched young girl in Congress (2,2)

A tit (wretched young girl) = AT IT (Risque certainly)

35 Court brought in two London coppers initially following beat (5)

Ct (court) in II (two) + c(coppers initially) = ICTIC

36 It’s frightening taking in piece of film? Hardly ever (8)

Scary (frightening) around cel (piece of film) = SCARCELY

37 Run hospital: working with old surgeon one identifies sound of breathing (7)

R(run) + h (hospital) + on (working) + ch (old surgeon) + I (one) = RHONCHI

DOWN

1 Robbed old football official before middle of match (4)

Ref (football official) + t (middle of match) = REFT

2 Run off once — wild run into dump, the dunderhead (6)

Tip (dump) around (run)* = TURNIP

3 Peripheral article on degree held by academic (3-2)

A (article) + d (degree) in don (academic) = ADD ON

4 Party held by skinflint, the crook (7)

Miser (skinflint) around do (party) = MISDOER

5 Stupid to ignore precipitate wound (5)

Brainless (stupid) – rain (precipitate) = BLESS

6 Australian runs after gun designer giving sly look (4)

R (runs) after Lee = LEER

7 Initial letter of line many misread, incorporating religious description of god (8)

O (of) + l(Line) + (many)* around pi (religious) = OLYMPIAN

8 Foreign husband close to woman (6)

Mari (Foreign as in French husband) + on (close to) = MARION

9 Issues visas, say, excluding Portugal? That’s not right (5)

Permits – P(Portugal) – r (right) = EMITS

10 Outer surface hides grit that’s scattered (5,4)

(hides grit)* = RIGHT SIDE

15 Misfortune not love is turning up in historic German drama (5)

Woes (misfortune) – o (love) + Rev(is) = WESSI

16 Old violin leading most of crack stringed instruments (6)

Gu (old violin) + slash (crack) – h + GUSLAS

17 Man, military assistant, with item covering piece of furniture (9)

20 The others managed to keep one in executive control (8)

Rest (the others) + ran (managed) around I (one) = RESTRAIN

22 Exotic cloak from version of King and I? (5)

GR (version of king) + ego (I) = GREGO

24 Unhappy times are curtailed for great performers (7)

(timesar)* = MAESTRI

26 Sustained stumpings — nearly all cricket team out, unfortunately (6)

Ten (nearly eleven (cricket team)) + (out)* = TENUTO

29 Skilful worker, turning up, is framing line in copper grooves (5)

Rev( is around l(Line) in Cu (copper)) = SULCI

30 Public Library — excellent building, with a particular purpose (5)

PL(public library) + ace (excellent) = PLACE

31 Various yelts left out here? (4)

(yelts – l)* = STYE