A monster preamble this time – and all the excitement associated with a grid of many colours.
What we learn is that the puzzle’s subject plays 4 roles and is known by a particular pseudonym to Enigmatic Variations solvers. These roles and pseudonym are given respectively by corrections to lights and extra letters from subsidiary indications. Further background to the roles is given by 2 normal clues per role. Phew!
It will most likely come as no surprise to regular EV-ers that the puzzle’s subject turns out to be JAMES LEONARD, the recently-deceased long-standing editor of Enigmatic Variations. 16dn [CITRUS] and its replacement [RUSTIC] were his pseudonyms for the Telegraph Toughie and Enigmatic Variations puzzles. The latter was clued by extra letters spelling COUNTRYMAN also a reference to ‘Country Week’ magazine, where the EVs began).
The four ROLES of the title were:
SECTION ROLE
NW FRIEND
NE BIRDER
SW PLAYER
SE EDITOR
More details can be found in the obituary to which his name links earlier in this blog entry.
Thanks very much to Samphiry for this puzzle. It was a most enjoyable diversion and a wholly appropriate memorial to the key figure in the history of the Enigmatic Variations. There were some lovely references to JL – beyond the various thematic devices – in clues such as 28dn and 34dn (the latter confirming an early suspicion regarding the puzzle’s subject).
Notation
(xxx) = definition
[xxx] = (anagram/homophone/container/etc.) indicator
XXX* = anagram
< = reversal
XXX = unused letter(s)
Please post a comment if the explanations are not clear.
| Across | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | JAMES | Judge Parisian souls given name of subject (5) | name of subject: J (judge) AMES (Parisian souls) | |
| 6 | FULMAR | Almost complete damage – it’s watched on 7 (6) | It’s watched on 7 [Lundy]: FUL |
|
| F | 10 | AGORAE | Greek pairs run in dodgy area (6) | Greek fairs: GO (run) [in] [dodgy] AREA* |
| B | 11 | VALUER | Ian’s cut from herb that’s OK for kids when eaten – he may help those considering kids (6) | he may help those considering bids: IAN’s [cut from] VALERIAN (herb) U (OK for kids) [eaten] |
| 13 | LEONARD | Smear about one crazy subject’s surname (7) | subject’s surname: LARD (smear) [about] ONE* [crazy] | |
| I | 14 | KNEES | Middle of pans observed back to front beside entry to kitchen (5) | middle of pins: <SEEN (observed) [back to front] [beside] K (entry to Kitchen) |
| C | 15 | BACON | Country cousin of playwright leaves to smoke last of heroin (5) | country cousin of playwright: BACCO (leaves to smoke) H (last of heroiN) |
| R | 18 | PLINTH | Bits of pork and lamb with thin crackers – pillau‘s on top of it (6) | pillar’s on top of it: PL (bits of Pork and Lamb) [with] THIN* [crackers] |
| R | 19 | DAYBED | Place for best father to hold you when taking in book (6) | place for rest: DAD (father) [to hold] YE (you) [when taking in] B (book) |
| O | 22 | TENSILE | Stretching, finish off dirty cardinal first (7) | stretching: [finish off] SOILED (dirty) TEN (cardinal) [first] |
| U | 24 | CIRCLER | One goes round about briefly collapsing rule (7) | one goes round: CIRC |
| P | 28 | ORATOR | One sneaks on men on American hill (6) | one speaks: OR (men) A (American) TOR (hill) |
| E | 30 | SQUEAL | Tall tales close in around queen (6) | tell tales: SEAL (close in) [around] Q (queen) |
| N | 32 | RESIT | What comes after ploughing? Get sap product on side of tree (5) | what comes after ploughing: RESIN (sap product) T (side of Tree) |
| 35 | FIVES | Court game old mistresses fetched principally for women (5) | court game: WIVES (old mistresses) F (Fetched principally) [for] W (women) | |
| D | 36 | MANDOLA | Fellow’s first note – then the French keep sounding stringed instrument (7) | deep sounding stringed instrument: MAN (fellow) DO (first note) LA (the French) |
| L | 37 | TERROR | Helper at first tainted by mistake (6) | heller: T (at first Tainted) ERROR (mistake) |
| I | 38 | GIAOUR | A southern man wearing outfit back to front – ghazis have it on for him (6) | ghazis have it in for him: [wearing] A OU (southern man) <RIG (outfit) [back to front] |
| A | 39 | TUREEN | Plotter’s revolution involving pair of Europeans (6) | platter: TURN (revolution) [involving] EE (pair of Europeans) |
| T | 40 | BYTES | Data’s scored in these partly namby-pamby tests (5) | data’s stored in these: [partly] namby-pamBYTESts |
| Down | ||||
| I | 1 | JALOPY | Hack invested in cornball making an early mint? (6) | an early mini?: LOP (hack) [invested in] JAY (cornball) |
| E | 2 | AGEE | Out of lint in Dundee, hospital department bandaging two-thirds of leg up (4) | out of line in Dundee: AE (hospital department) [bandaging] [two-thirds of] < |
| T | 3 | MOODIER | More emotional meeting disrupted ride (7) | more emotional: MOOT (meeting) [disrupted] RIDE* |
| N | 4 | ERNANI | Opera featuring Mac as outlaw in Western animation (6) | opera featuring man as outlaw: [in] westERNANImation |
| D | 5 | GERAHS | Jerusalem’s posh gathering finally split up (6) | Jerusalem’s dosh: G (gatherinG finally) <SHARE (split) [up] |
| D | 6 | FARO | Very much love game with carts (4) | game with cards: FAR (very much) O (love) |
| 7 | LUNDY | Broadcast start of working week for French island where 6ac can be seen? (5) | island where 6ac [FULMAR] can be seen?: homophone of [broadcast] LUNDI (start of working week for French) | |
| E | 8 | MEED | On reflection believe earlier warnings (4) | earlier earnings: [on reflection] <DEEM (believe) |
| R | 9 | RESIDE | Test team following on (6) | rest: SIDE (team) [following] RE (on) |
| R | 12 | RESELL | Again flog research about lines (6) | again flog: RES (research) RE (about) LL (lines) |
| 16 | CITRUS | Somewhat fruity response from twitcher picking up tailless swift (6) | somewhat fruity: <TIC (response from twitcher) [picking up] [tailless] RUS |
|
| Y | 17 | NANS | Votes against taking in new nurses (4) | nurses: NAYS (votes against) [taking in] N (new) |
| M | 20 | NIRLIT | Niggardly Scots no longer take on after bar’s closing (6) | niggardly Scots: NIM (no longer take) LIT (on) [after] R (bar’s closing) |
| A | 21 | FLOR | Plant life’s yeasty growth (4) | yeasty growth: FLORA (plant life) |
| N | 23 | ICEFOOT | Cone of it might be what’s frozen in pack (but it’s not free) (7) | what’s frozen in pack (but it’s not free): CONEOFIT* [might be] |
| Y | 24 | COMFIT | Mostly confident, with special quality ‘can-do‘ in a word! (6) | candy in a word: [mostly] COMF |
| O | 25 | ASIAGO | Like theatrical villain fond of Italy? (6) | food of Italy: AS (like) IAGO (theatrical villain) |
| 26 | SUNDAY | Opportunity to speak about one ultimately deceased when this puzzle appears? (6) | when this puzzle appears: SAY (opportunity to speak) [about] UN (one) D (ultimately deceaseD) | |
| R | 27 | ALTARS | Sectors often behind these changes, one might say (6) | rectors often behind these: homonym of ALTERS (changes) [one might say] |
| E | 29 | THERE | Note enthralling that woman – not hers? (5) | not here?: TE (note) [enthralling] HER (that woman) |
| R | 31 | AVER | Hail king’s assent (4) | assert: AVE (hail) R (king) |
| 33 | ETON | English fashion school, home of 35 (4) | school, home of 35 [fives]: E (English) TON (fashion) | |
| 34 | CLUE | Initially, crossword legend uniquely edited what you’re solving now! (4) | what you’re solving now: [initially] Crossword Legend Uniquely Edited | |
Thanks, Mr S. That’s a lot of work you’ve put in there.
Whether a word is hyphenated or in fact two words depends on which dictionary is consulted, I find. But as Chambers 2011 is recommended here, as usual, I do wish it was followed. My niggle is that 19a (day bed) should be two words and 23d (ice-foot) hyphenated.
I didn’t do this one, which is a pity as it is a fitting tribute to James Leonard. Samphiry is a new name but I suspect that it’s several setters collaborating. Thanks for the blog.
It is a collaborative effort – by Phi, Charybdis, and Samuel (JL’s successor as EV editor).
Many thanks, Mr Sting, for the write-up. As Raich has mentioned, the puzzle was a collaborative between myself (Samuel), Paul Henderson (Kcit and Phi), and Chris Poole (Charybdis, the RY of the pseudonym).
Regarding hyphenation, the EV has been for some time the only one of the three main thematic puzzle series (EV, IQ, Listener) to indicate that an answer is hyphenated – and that only irregularly. It’s been a conscious decision to cease from indicating hyphenation, thus bringing the series in line with the other outlets referred to above. In all other respects, it is business as usual!
As regards hyphenation: I’m going through some old puzzles on a regular basis at the moment, selecting some to put on my site, and hyphenation is a key issue. Chambers underwent a wholesale offloading of hyphens a few editions ago (the entry on SEA and all its subsidiary compounds is a good place to look), so it’s also the case that the edition referenced should define what counts as a hyphenated answer, not just the dictionary publisher. After working through a lot of examples, I’m tending to side on the principle of simply ignoring it, as there is little in the way of a systematic approach that I can cleave to.
I think it’s the fact that dictionaries do vary that drives the decision not to indicate hyphenation. Even then it doesn’t solve the issue of words like COMMONSENSE which has a single-word, hyphenated and two-word form. I recently had a word length that was something like (10, 2 or 3 words) to accommodate one slippery customer.