A pretty straightforward puzzle from Oxymoron this week? Well, I wasn’t banking on it!
Clashes in the grid (my nemesis) were to be resolved not by addition, but by subtraction, eg a clash of X (24) and K (11) would be M (13). Seven clues with a misprint in the definition would spell out what to highlight. Oh… and half the clues were to be entered in reverse!
I must admit that I didn’t notice lots of Ms as I was solving the early part of the puzzle, but when two clashes each resulted in an M, it seemed possible that all the clashes would. I held off from trying to work out what the pattern generated by all these Ms was… perhaps a couple of large Ms. The correct letters in the misprints eventually spelt out Every em, which wasn’t surprising.
And so, when the pattern was finally displayed in front of me, I looked at the puzzle number. 1117 it was, not 1000 as spelt out by the highlighting. Could it be that this puzzle was originally an option for EV 1000 back in January 2012, and a puzzle by Oxymoron was too good to waste?
In the end, not too tricky a puzzle from Oxymoron, but a good solid workout all the same.
Legend:
Definition in clue
BACK = Entered in reverse
abMyz = clashing letter entered as M — in bold yellow in the grid on the right
X = Correct letter in misprints
ABC* = anagram
ABC< = reversal
abCDef = hidden
| ACROSS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| No | Answer | Correct Letter |
Clue and Explanation |
| 1 | DISSEIZE | Illegally take property from Japanese immigrant in Algeria heading for Egypt (8) ISSEI (Japanese immigrant in the USA) in DZ (Algeria) + E (heading of Egypt) |
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| 7 | OLEOS | Stars appearing in very large prints (5) LEO (stars, constellation) in OS (very large) |
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| 11 | AZYM | E | Z(zone) Y (close to, last letter of, emptY) in AM (America) |
| 12 | TRIER | V | RT< (right) IE (that is) + R (right) |
| 14 | CANNON | Rule restricting nuclear weapon (6) CANON (rule) holding N (nuclear) |
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| 15 | EMBALM | Preserve mutton stuffed with minced lamb (6) EM (mutton in printing) containing LAMB* |
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| 16 | HERMA | Goddess possessing medium bust (5) HERA (goddess) holding M (medium) |
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| 17 | BALSAM | Oily substance turned viscous in the morning (6) SLAB< (viscous) + AM (in the morning) |
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| 19 | LIMP | Bishop abandons incurable conservative lacking rigidity (4) BLIMP (incurable conservative) – B (bishop) |
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| 20 | EMEU | Australian native uncle once at university (4) EME (uncle, old word) + U (university) |
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| 21 | BRAN TUBS | Lucky dips managed by the northern American boys outside (8, two words) RAN (managed) + T’ (the, northern) in BRATS (boys, American) |
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| 23 | MET | Amnesty evenly balanced (3) Even letters of aMnEsTy |
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| 25 | NATHAN | A prophet born to lead Chinese people (6) NAT (natus, born) + HAN (chinese) |
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| 28 | REISTS | E | Morag’s RESIST* |
| 30 | REP | Power taken away from private school agent (3) PREP (preparatory, private school) – P (power) |
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| 32 | GRAMMIES | US awards trouble old miser, mostly poor (8) GRAM (trouble, old) + MISEr* |
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| 35 | ALMA | Madam enters in the style of a dancer (4) ‘M (madam) in A LA (in the style of) |
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| 36 | MAMS | Farm in France accommodating married Guatemalans (4) MAS (farm in France) containing M (married) |
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| 38 | MANENT | Servant, nurse and Troy remain on stage (6) MAN (servant) + EN (nurse) + T (troy, weight)) |
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| 40 | TALMA | Lecturer wearing cap and a cloak (5) L (lecturer) in TAM (cap) + A |
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| 41 | MIASMA | Gentlemen are inhaling Iowa’s unhealthy atmosphere (6) MM (gentlemen) A (are) containing IA’S (Iowa’s) |
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| 42 | MURINE | Something like a mouse reportedly you take into tunnel (6) U (sounds like ‘you’) + R (take) in MINE (tunnel) |
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| 43 | UNARM | One in Spain with room to reduce to a peace footing (5) UNA (one, Spanish) + RM (room) |
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| 44 | ARMY | Woman penning recipe for a host (4) AMY (woman) containing R (recipe) |
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| 45 | CASCO | R | About seventy wearing a county C (about) + S (seventy) in A CO (county) |
| 46 | PEGASEAN | Recollection of a timeless spent age of poetic inspiration (8) (A SPENt AGE)* |
|
| DOWN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| No | Answer | Correct Letter |
Clue and Explanation |
| 1 | BEHEAD | Top gun sight covering what? (6) BEAD (gun sight) containing EH (what!) |
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| 2 | ARRAYS | Australian wearing jovial cockney’s old-fashioned dresses (6) A (Australian) in ‘ARRY’s (jovial Cockney) |
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| 3 | HAMMAMS | Coarse mother’s bathing establishments (7) HAM (coarse) + MAM’S (mother’s) |
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| 4 | ZANTE | Zulu worried about new source of currants (5) Z (Zulu, phonetic letter) ATE (worried) about N (new) |
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| 5 | IRON LUNG | Ruling on revolutionary breathing aid (8, two words) (RULING ON)* |
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| 6 | ZINGIBERACEAE | Unending icy breeze again destroyed tropical herbs (13) (ICy BREEZE AGAIN)* |
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| 7 | EMPALES | Runs through ample supply inside 250 seconds (7) AMPLE* in E (250, old Roman numeral) S (seconds) |
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| 8 | OMASUM | Stomach of master eating salmon (6) O (old) M (master) containing MASU (salmon) |
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| 9 | EMBLEMS | Figures seem wrong when probed by my lawyer (7) SEEM* containing M’ (my) BL (Bachelor of Law, lawyer) |
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| 10 | LIMN | No longer illuminate pool around noon (4) LIN (pool) around M (midday, noon) |
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| 13 | TEBET | Y | Part of the TEE (support) containing B (300, old Roman numeral) T (tons) |
| 18 | EARN | Make up near American base (4) (NR (near) A (American) E (base))< |
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| 22 | GRAMMARS | Schools are run by head of music in Indian villages (8) A (are) R (run) by M (head of Music) in GRAMS (Indian villages) |
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| 24 | METE | E | 2 meanings |
| 26 | TELESMS | M | Boxes containing odd fragments of some TELES (boxes, TVs) containing SM (SoMe, odd letters) |
| 27 | CHIASMA | Gypsy girl advanced crossing a second motorway intersection (7) CHI (gypsy girl) A (advanced) outside (crossing) A S (second) M (motorway) |
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| 29 | IMPARLS | Independent member with latitude in standards has a discussion (7) I (independent) M (member) + L (latitude) in PARS (standards) |
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| 30 | WATAP | Fibre obtained from roots of trees with leaves for thatching (5) W (with) ATAP (leaves for thatching) |
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| 31 | MANAMA | Live in prestige Gulf seaport (6) AM (live) in MANA (prestige) |
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| 33 | VOLUME | Universal note attached to very old Latin book (6) U (universal) ME (note) after (attached to) V (very) O (old) L (Latin) |
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| 34 | SEA FAN | Coral a foot inside fishing net (6, two words) A F (foot) in SEAN (fishing net) |
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| 37 | AMITY | Friendship always involves money and personal magnetism (5) AY (always) containing M (money) IT (personal magnetism) |
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| 39 | CAMA | Irregular projection by absolute god (4) CAM (irregular projection) + A (absolute) |
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