The sight of the name Schadenfreude tends to strike fear into the mind of a blogger when he or she first sees it as the setter of puzzle to be blogged, but there is always a lot of satisfaction to be gained from solving such a puzzle.
The preamble today stated " Most clue answers do not occupy all of the space available. Corrections to single letter misprints in the definition part of each clue describe how to complete the grid. Each final grid entry is a real word, proper name or phrase. Numbers in brackets give the lengths of final grid entries”.
For a puzzle with entries that don’t necessarily fill all the available spaces, I tend to use a computer grid so that I can move letters about more easily. When constructing the grid for this puzzle, I noticed immediately that it wasn’t symmetric. That’s usually a sign that there is a lot of thematic material to be fitted in and the setter probably has had to resort to some obscure words to fill the grid. I think that was the case here.
Although there wasn’t symmetry in the grid, the concept of symmetry did play an important part in solving the complete puzzle as explained below.
With so many unknowns, the simplest strategy is to try and solve some clues, preferably intersecting ones, to get a better idea of what is going on in the grid. In the acrosses, I got MARSH [16], WRY [26] and WISHES [38] on my first pass. The downs initially gave me HIS [6], WHERRY [9 – using all the available space], WELDER [27] and finally some crossers with GENIAL [28] and BASED [33] crossing WISHES Obviously, I got some misprints from solving these, but nothing like enough to deduce the message.
With this foothold, I started to build up the SE corner. I also made progress in the NE corner until the I got to the point where I realised that the unfilled cells were common to the intersection of acrosses and downs and were clearly forming a rhombus pattern. I reckoned that THE and WITH were likely towards the bottom of the rhombus. The title, ICE, had already conjured up the idea of DIAMONDS and the rhombus shape helped to underline that idea. It was the deduction of SKY in the rhombus phrase that proved to be the penny drop moment and the song LUCY IN THE SKY WITH DIAMONDS was seen to be the likely occupant of all the spaces.
The message from the corrected misprints became a bit clearer although there was some ambiguity around 6 and 8 down where Halls could have gone to Calls as well as Hails, and Fido could just as easily have gone to Fico rather than Figo. In the end though it all became clear and the message from the corrections read ENTER SONG TITLE IN THE SPACES FORMING A SINGULARLY APT SHAPE. I suspect the need to create 51 clues to get every letter in the message also contributed to the lack of symmetry in the grid.
It was a tour de force by Schadenfreude to ensure that every final entry was a real word or phrase. Some adjusted entries were simply variant spellings of the original – e.g. ARBAS and AROBAS at 18 across, plus TEBET and TEBETH at 32 across. Many can be confirmed by Chambers, but there are a few proper names that might need some more explanation. General Chuck YEAGER at 44 across was the first American pilot to break the sound barrier. I think 36 down refers to Lotte LENYA, Austrian American singer best known for recording songs written by her husband Kurt Weill.
Two of the entries which were shorter than the available space, generated two spaces – RARE at 15 down and MES at 17 down, leading to ROARED and MENSH respectively.
All the adjustments to the clue answers to make words or phrases that fill the grid are shown in the body of the blog below.
Many of the more obscure answers had Scottish origin and Schadenfreude had to dig deep to come up with Scottish allusions. These included Scottish, Duncan [hurrah!], Morag, Macbeth, Highland and Morven. Perhaps 38 down could also have had a Scottish reference given that SPANE, the amended word in the clue is from that part of the country.
This was a really enjoyable puzzle from Schadenfreude,who is the most prolific of the Inquisitor setters. This was his 58th puzzle in the series. Long may he continue.
The filled grid looks like this.
The title ICE has been explained above with its DIAMOND connotation.
|
Across |
|
|||||
| No | Clue | Corrected definition | Letter | Wordplay | Original Entry | Extended Entry |
|
1
|
They’re used to pick retired soldiers, strong and athletic (7)
|
They’re used to pick -> They’re used to peck
|
E
|
(OR [other ranks; soldiers] reversed [retired]) + STR (strong) + A (athletic) RO< STR A |
ROSTRA (beaks; they’re used to peck)
|
ROSTRAL
|
|
6
|
Women pursuing male European in this year cry for Teddy (6)
|
Cry for Teddy -> cry for Neddy
|
N
|
HE (male) + E (European) + HA (hoc anno; in this year) + W (women)
|
HEEHAW ([of a donkey] to bray [cry])
|
unchanged
|
|
10
|
Bear up river caught by one local, extremely backward (7)
|
Bear up -> Tear up
|
T
|
R (river) contained in (caught by) (UN [dialect [local] word for one + [TOO {extremely} reversed {backward}]) UN (R) OOT< |
UNROOT (tear up)
|
UNROOST
|
|
12
|
Port’s inferior hotel finished first (6)
|
Port’s inferior -> Poet’s inferior
|
E
|
NEAT (finished) + H (hotel)
|
NEATH (poetic word for beneath [in a lower position; inferior])
|
UNEATH
|
|
13
|
Beery priest positive in old gambling game (4)
|
Beery – Berry
|
R
|
P (priest) + (P [positive] contained in [in] EO [mid 18th century {old} gambling game]) P E (P) O |
PEPO (large many-seeded berry formed from an inferior ovary)
|
unchanged
|
|
14
|
Reinforce part of a verge (5)
|
part of a verge -> part of a verse
|
S
|
LINE (reinforce)
|
LINE (part of a verse) double definition
|
CLINE
|
|
16
|
Big planet close to Earth (6)
|
Big -> Bog
|
O
|
MARS (planet) + H (last letter of [close to] EARTH)
|
MARSH (bog)
|
MARSHY
|
|
18
|
Israeli turned back carriages with bags at the front? (6)
|
carriages with bags at the front? -> carriages with nags at the front?
|
N
|
SABRA (native born Israeli) reversed (turned back) ARBAS< |
ARBAS (a Central Asian wheeled carriage, possibly pulled by horses [nags])
|
AROBAS |
|
20
|
Scottish rabble see Wimbledon champion (7) |
Scottish rabble -> Scottish gabble
|
G
|
C (see can be defined as the third letter of the alphabet, C) + LAVER (reference Australian tennis player Rod LAVER who Wimbledon four times between 1961 and 1969)
|
CLAVER (Scottish word for gossip [gabble])
|
CLAVIER |
|
22
|
Anonymous note penned by German goddess is relayed (7)
|
relayed -> related
|
T
|
A (anonymous) + (N [note] contained in [penned by] [G {German} + ATE {Greek goddess of mischief}] A G (N) ATE |
AGNATE (related on the father’s side)
|
MAGNATE |
|
24
|
Pacific tree planted next to US city mint (5)
|
mint -> mini
|
I
|
TI (small Pacific tree with edible roots) + NY (New York, US city)
|
TINY (small; mini)
|
TINNY
|
|
26
|
Consorted with republican Yankee (4)
|
Consorted -> Contorted
|
T
|
W (with) + R (Republican) + Y (yankee is the international radio code word for the letter Y)
|
WRY (contorted)
|
AWRY
|
|
29
|
Exercises beginning to shape Meg’s bottom (4)
|
Meg -> leg
|
L
|
PE (physical education; exercises) + S (first letter of [beginning to] SHAPE)
|
PES (human foot; bottom of the leg)
|
PEST
|
|
31
|
Chick died next to gnarled tree (6)
|
Chick -> Check
|
E
|
D (died) + an anagram of (gnarled) TREE D ETER* |
DETER (check)
|
DIETER
|
|
32
|
Pernod for Peres and for Sarkozy after gamble backfires (6)
|
Pernod for Peres -> Period for Peres
|
I
|
BET (gamble) reversed (backfires) + ET (French [Nicolas Sarkozy, ex President of France] for ‘and’) TEB< ET |
TEBET (tenth month of the Jewish calendar. Shimon Peres is an ex President of Israel)
|
TEBETH
|
|
34
|
Rhymes concerning Austria, Norway and Sweden (6)
|
Rhymes -> Rhynes
|
N
|
RE (concerning) + A (international vehicle registration for Austria) + N (international vehicle registration for Norway) + S (international vehicle registration for Sweden)
|
REANS (rhynes; ditches)
|
REDANS
|
|
35
|
Duncan’s dirk left in tumbrel with spades (7) |
Duncan’s dirk -> Duncan’s dirt
|
T
|
(L [left] contained in [in] CART [a tumbrel is a CART]) + S (spades) C (L) ART S |
CLARTS (Scottish [Duncan] and Northern English word for mud or dirt)
|
CLARETS
|
|
38
|
Director dropped by crooked Swedish bankers (7)
|
bankers -> hankers
|
H
|
Anagram of (crooked) SWEDISH excluding (dropped) D (Director) WISHED* |
WISHES (yearns; hankers)
|
WHISHES
|
|
41
|
Sea water’s temperature dropped – pray for the fishermen (5)
|
pray for the fishermen -> prey for the fishermen
|
E
|
TIDES (sea water) excluding (dropped) T (temperature)
|
IDES (fishes; prey for the fishermen)
|
ID EST
|
|
42
|
News about primate (4)
|
News -> Ness
|
S
|
C (circa; about) + APE (primate)
|
CAPE (headland; ness)
|
unchanged
|
|
43
|
Father’s stew (4)
|
stew -> step
|
P
|
PA’S (father’s)
|
PAS (step, especially in ballet)
|
PAIS
|
|
44
|
A short green awful frock for Morag (6)
|
frock for Morag -> frack for Morag
|
A
|
Anagram of (awful) (A and [GREEN excluding the final letter {short} N]) EAGER* |
EAGER (frack is a Scottish [Morag] word for ‘eager’)
|
YEAGER
|
|
45
|
US general who defeated ace British sailors, no longer young (6)
|
US general who defeated -> US General who defected
|
C
|
A (ace) + RN (Royal Navy; sailors) + OLD (no longer young)
|
ARNOLD (reference American General Benedict ARNOLD [1741 – 1801] who originally fought for the American Continental Army but later defected to the British Army.
|
unchanged
|
|
46
|
Fasters put on not as much skipping seconds (7)
|
Fasters – Festers
|
E
|
ADD (put on) + LESS [not so much] excluding S [seconds]
|
ADDLES (rots; festers)
|
WADDLES
|
| Down | ||||||
| No | Clue | Corrected definition | Letter | Wordplay | Original Entry | Extended Entry |
|
1
|
100 men run up a height south of India (6)
|
100 men -> 100 sen
|
S
|
R (run in cricket scoring notation) + UP + I (India is the international radio code word for the letter I) + A + H (height)
|
RUPIAH (standard monetary unit of Indonesia. There are 100 sen in a RUPIAH)
|
unchanged
|
|
2
|
Bumf concerning right to preserve Jock’s water pump (5)
|
Bumf -> Buff
|
F
|
(ON [concerning] + R [right]) containing (to preserve) EE (Scottish word for EYE [an organ that can produce water as tears]) ON (EE) R |
ONE-ER (expert; ace; buff)
|
unchanged
|
|
3
|
Ever before the hour of eleven (4)
|
Ever -> Over
|
O
|
TO (before the hour of, as in it’s ten TO one) + O (medieval Roman numeral for 11)
|
TOO (to a greater extent than is required; over)
|
TOON
|
|
4
|
Sound and bold gypsy men heading north (6)
|
Sound and bold -> Round and bold
|
R
|
ROMA (travelling people; gypsy men) + N (north; a compass direction can be described as a bearing or heading)
|
ROMAN ([of handwriting] round and bold)
|
RODMAN
|
|
5
|
Excellent in places I said (4)
|
said -> maid
|
M
|
AI (A one; excellent) + A (in some parts of the United Kingdom, A is used for I)
|
AIA (in India and other former British territories, a waiting-maid or nursemaid)
|
ASIA
|
|
6
|
Halls belonging to a man (4)
|
Halls -> Hails
|
I
|
HIS (belonging to a man)
|
HIS (plural of HI [hail]) double definition
|
HUIS
|
|
7
|
Rampant sheltered codger (4)
|
codger -> conger
|
N
|
LEE (sheltered) reversed (rampant) EEL< |
EEL (reference a conger EEL)
|
EELY
|
|
8
|
Macbeth’s Fido hot on small island (5)
|
Macbeth’s Fido – Macbeth’s Figo
|
G
|
H (hot) + AIT (small island)
|
HAIT (Scottish [Macbeth] word [more precisely HA’IT] for a whit. FIGO, a variant spelling of FICO also means a whit)
|
HAITI
|
|
9
|
Boot of a lady grabbed by old pervert (6)
|
Boot -> Boat
|
A
|
HER (of a lady) contained in (grabbed by) WRY (an obsolete meaning of WRY is ‘to pervert’) W (HER) RY |
WHERRY (a light shallow boat, sharp at both ends for speed; also a kind of barge)
|
unchanged
|
|
11
|
Twilted armband mostly ripped by canine (4)
|
Twilted armband -> Twisted armband
|
S
|
TORN (ripped) excluding the final letter (mostly) N + C (canine [tooth])
|
TORC (a necklace or armband in the form of a twisted metal band)
|
unchanged
|
|
14
|
Lads are heading for trouble in high school (5)
|
Lads -> Lids
|
I
|
(A [are; unit of land measure] + T [first letter of {heading for} TROUBLE]) contained in (in) HS (high school) H (A T) S |
HATS (lids)
|
CHATS
|
|
15
|
Active king enters on this (6)
|
this -> thin
|
N
|
(A [active] + R [Rex; king]) contained in (enters) RE (concerning; on) R (A R) E |
RARE (thin [of air])
|
ROARED
|
|
17
|
Previous address of young bent husband removed from network (5)
|
Previous address of young bent -> Previous address of young gent
|
G
|
MESH (network) excluding (removed from) H (husband)
|
MES (shortened form of MASTER, an address for a young gentleman in times past)
|
MENSH
|
|
19
|
Highland cats spread south following sun (5)
|
Highland cats -> Highland cuts
|
U
|
S (sun) + AIR (spread) + S (south)
|
SAIRS (Scots [Highland] form of sores [cuts])
|
unchanged
|
|
21
|
Elizabeth’s taken in by the French bore (4)
|
bore -> lore
|
L
|
ER (Elizabeth Regina) contained in (taken in by) LE (one of the French forms of ‘the’) L (ER) E |
LERE (lore)
|
unchanged
|
|
23
|
Troy yearns for very small chips (7)
|
very small chips -> very small chaps
|
A
|
T (troy [weight]) + ITCHES (yearns for)
|
TITCHES (very small people, usually referring to males [chaps])
|
unchanged
|
|
25
|
Quiet nurse rears snakes (5)
|
snakes -> snares
|
R
|
(‘ST (hush; quiet) + EN (Enrolled Nurse]) all reversed (rears; down clue) (NE TS)< |
NETS (snares)
|
NETES
|
|
26
|
Doctor with appeal taking over regal claim (6)
|
regal claim -> legal claim
|
L
|
(DR [doctor] + IT [{sex} appeal]) containing (taking) O (over in cricket scoring notation) DR (O) IT |
DROIT (legal claim)
|
ADROIT
|
|
27
|
With tree gum who can join metals together? (7)
|
gum who can join metals together -> guy who can join metals together
|
Y
|
W (with) + ELDER (example of a tree)
|
WELDER (a guy who can join metals together)
|
WIELDER
|
|
28
|
One absorbed by information about large worm (7)
|
worm -> warm
|
A
|
I (one) contained in (absorbed by) (GEN [information] + A [about]) + L GEN (I) A L |
GENIAL (warm)
|
GENITAL
|
|
30
|
Losers search for Morven apprehended by copper (7)
|
Losers – > Posers
|
P
|
SKER (Scottish [Morven] word for ‘search’) contained in AS (Roman copper coin) A (SKER) S |
ASKERS (posers)
|
TASKERS
|
|
33
|
Sealed like in conjugal union (6)
|
Sealed -> Seated
|
T
|
AS (like) contained in (in) BED (conjugal union) B (AS) ED |
BASED (seated)
|
BASKED
|
|
36
|
Somewhat volatile nasty female German winger (5)
|
German winger -> German singer
|
S
|
LENA (hidden word in [somewhat] VOLATILE NASTY)
|
LENA (reference LENA Meyer-Landrut, German singer songwriter)
|
LENYA
|
|
37
|
A cat for Jimmy (5)
|
A cat -> A hat
|
H
|
TO PEE (to urinate; Jimmy [Riddle])
|
TOPEE (a hat, especially a sola hat, pith helmet, worn especially in India)
|
unchanged
|
| 38 | Will’s mother is supporting weak spine (4) | spine -> spane |
A |
W (weak) + EAN (Shakespearean word for ‘give birth to’ [mother]) As this is a down entry, the letters EAN can be seen to be supporting the W |
WEAN (spane is a Scottish word meaning wean) | unchanged |
|
39
|
Inspiring city area in Pierre’s state (4)
|
city -> pity
|
P
|
A (area) contained in (in) SD (South Dakota; Pierre is the capital city of the state of South Dakota) S (A) D |
SAD (inspiring pity)
|
SAID
|
|
40
|
Cold commercial hell (4)
|
hell -> heel
|
E
|
C (cold) + AD (advertisement; commercial)
|
CAD (a man who lacks the instincts of a gentleman or who behaves dishonourably; heel)
|
SCAD
|
Beautiful puzzle perfectly blogged.
And nothing to get hung about – unlike the past couple of weeks.
I remember the first time l saw the popular beat combo. It was in a cellar club in Manchester called The Oasis.
1963, just before the release of Please please me.
Unlike Duncan’s logical approach, I decided that cold solving as much as possible was the way to go. Some well hidden definitions and tricky wordplay held me up in places but it all came together in the end. I had no idea how it would resolve itself until I started filling the grid so the penny dropped right at the end.
As always, many thanks to setter and blogger.
Lovely solve – delightful.
Thanks Schadenfreude and Duncan, great puzzle and blog.
I found this very hard and in the end after days struggling had to cheat to finish. I found this puzzle a bit unusual in that guessing LUCY IN THE SKY WITH DIAMONDS was not as much help as I expected. The rest of the grid remained stubbornly intractable.
Blast! I just couldn’t figure out 38D, and ended up guessing ‘ween’.
A very tricky offering from Schadenfreude, which, as PeeDee says, didn’t get much easier even after getting the song title filled in.
Thanks to setter and blogger.
Maybe I got lucky. After just a few clues solved in the Top Right corner, I noticed the half-diagonal pattern there and the string UCYIN filling the blanks – so LUCY IN THE SKY … it was, and although the rest wasn’t easy, it wasn’t that hard either. Last in was WEAN clued by “spane” (commiserations to Dan @4).
No ambiguities this time round, so expect fewer comments than last week. Thanks, as ever, to Schadenfreude & Duncan.
Many thanks Duncan for an illuminating blog. I found this one very hard indeed; after a nice run of successful IQ completions, this one did for me. I managed to solve a number of the clues but couldn’t hire get a PDM to open the door. Looking now at the solution I can appreciate what a great construction it is. Well done to those who cracked it.
Loved this one. On the basis of some early work in the SE quarter I guessed that Schadenfreude might be doing the symmetry thing with a great big diamond, and was immediately encouraged by the title. My next guess wasn’t as productive: I spent some time trying to make it work with THE DIAMOND AS BIG AS THE RITZ, which has the same letter count as LUCY IN THE SKY WITH DIAMONDS. As noted by others, many clues were tough work even after getting the right icy title. But I got there in the end and felt very pleased. Thanks all round.
My first IQ after a couple of months in the US and it showed ! All those Scottish word allusions and a failure to make the ice-diamonds connection (d’oh!) made for a slow solve but, ultimately, a very, very satisfying one. I saw the LUCY IN in the top right corner and had a genuine PDM, a sure sign of an enjoyable puzzle.
Many thanks to Schadenfreude and Duncan.