2 unclued entries to find and every clued entry with an extra letter in it’s wordplay. Then 41 squares to identify connected with the theme subtly revealed by the extra letters A new setter for me to blog though certainly not Monsieur Gaston’s first EV.
Whilst this was the first puzle I have attempted by Gaston, it was a relatively simple solve. The extra letters rather jumped out at me too – the first word revelaed was DIVORCED and when HENRY was the obvious choice for the unclued down entry his six wives sprang to mind. TUDOR proved to be the unclued across entry. The full list of words revealed by the extra letters in the wordplay are below (or the FATES that befell them)
DIVORCED
BEHEADED
DIED
DIVORCED
BEHEADED
SURVIVED
Putting a name to each outcome of Henry the eighth’s wives
Catherine of Aragon – ARAGON is broken in two in the top row
Anne Boleyn – OLEYN is headless in the third row
Jane Seymour – RIP SEYMOUR in the sixth row
Anne of Cleves – CLEVES is broken in two in the eighth row
Catherine Howard – OWARD is headless in the 10th row
Catherine Parr – PARR WIDOW is in the twelth row
One clue eluded me in the parsing 24dn.
Many thanks Gaston – whilst the theme has been seen before, it was a most enjoyable execution of it. No pun intended.
Key:
Rev. reverse
* Anagram
Underline – definition
ACROSS
| 1 Crazy artist produces a rodent (4) | |
| D | Mad (cray) + RA(artist) = MARA |
| 5 Travel to Scotland, perhaps, to see barbarian about type of film (7, two words) | |
| I | Goth (Barbarian) about noir (type of film) = GO NORTH |
| 9 Canvas Vice-President after Alabama friction retreats (6) | |
| V | Rev. (VP (vice president) + al(Alabama) + rub (friction)) = BURLAP |
| 11 Leave out on joint (5) | |
| O | Omit (leave out) + re (on) = MITRE |
| 12 Mend garland returned for lion-tamer (6) | |
| R | Darn (mend) + Rev. Lei (garland) = DANIEL |
| 13 Church in consecrated surroundings lets in water (5) | |
| C | Ce (Church) in holy (consecrated) = HOLEY |
| 14 Live fish wait (4) | |
| E | Be (live) + ide (fish) = BIDE |
| 15 Twists old point of town (7) | |
| D | Winds (twists) + ord (point (archaic)) = WINDSOR |
| 16 One nurse in charge of sailor’s remedy (6) | |
| B | A (one) + rn (nurse) + ic (in charge) + ab (sailor) = ARNICA |
| 17 Idle, though working in a nest (5) | |
| E | On (working) in drey (nest) = DRONY |
| 18 Cuts the right fruits (4) | |
| H | R (right) + hips (fruit) = RIPS |
| 20 Grimaces about abbreviated service and grieves (6) | |
| E | Moues(grimaces) about rn (service) = MOURNS |
| 23 Suave senior doctor is on appeal (6) | |
| A | SMO (senior doctor) + oath (appeal) = SMOOTH |
| 28 Originally a meeting for literary festival on books (4) | |
| D | Mod (literary festival) + ot (books) = MOOT |
| 29 Pawnbroker taking £1000 from a French club (5) | |
| E | Un (a French) + cleek (club) – k (grand) = UNCLE |
| 31 Bell poorly preserved without queen (6) | |
| D | (preserved – er)* = VESPER |
| 33 Acacia to take from the East? (7) | |
| D | Rob (to take) + india (the east) = ROBINIA |
| 34 Narrow furrow holds old parchment (4) | |
| I | Rill (narrow furrow) around o (old) = ROLL |
| 36 Formerly on hand to pull back after kick (6) | |
| E | Toe (kick+ + rev draw (pull) = TOWARD |
| 37 Pistol to pull on revolutionary Communist (5) | |
| D | Lug (pull) + Rev red (communist) = LUGER |
| 38 Get rid of bygone obstruction in fact (6) | |
| D | Let (obstruction) in deed (fact) = DELETE |
| 39 Bolt after sample bird (7) | |
| I | Arrow (bolt) after sip (sample) = SPARROW |
| 40 God willing, bird produces fluff for some (4) | |
| V | DV (God willing) + owl (bird) = DOWL |
| DOWN | |
| 1 Old mares damaged fruit trees (7) | |
| O | (old mares)* = MEDLARS |
| 2 Arrest king batting after Ashes (5, two words) | |
| R | R (king) + urn (ashes) + in (batting) = RUN IN |
| 3 Lifeless man carried regularly (4) | |
| C | mAn CaRrIeD = ARID |
| 4 Charge to go round the French city – overcharge hugely, in fact! (6) | |
| E | Fee (charge) around le (the FrencH) + ec (city) = FLEECE |
| 6 Deploy dish mop for snake worship (6) | |
| D | (dish mop)* = OPHISM |
| 7 Swelling on part of ear? It contains liquid (7, two words) | |
| B | Boil (swelling) + drum (part of ear) = OIL DRUM |
| 8 Daring attempt at opening score? (5) | |
| E | Try one (opening score) = TRY-ON |
| 10 Fifty missing from entrance? ’Twas ever thus (5) | |
| H | Hallway(entrance) – l (fifty) = ALWAY |
| 11 Ford, perhaps? Absolutely, in America (5) | |
| E | Mondeo (Ford car ) = MONDO |
| 14 The top edge support I am after (4) | |
| A | Bra (support) + im (I am0 = BRIM |
| 19 I would patch up outside to make firmer (7) | |
| D | Solder (patch up) around Id ( I would) = SOLIDER |
| 21 Man having not a single fish … (4) | |
| E | No eel (not a single fish) = NOEL |
| 22 … allows up one in pastry (7) | |
| D | Rudd (fish) in Rev. lets (allows) = STRUDEL |
| 24 Singer’s subjects (5) | |
| S | TENOR |
| 25 Hard tune put in front of two singers produces stylish result (6) | |
| U | H (hard) + air (tune) + duo (two singers) = HAIRDO |
| 26 Enthusiastically greet zero tax on Queen (5) | |
| R | O (zero) + vat (tax) + er (queen) = OVATE |
| 27 Oil for Emperor number 54 (6) | |
| V | Nero (emperor) + LIV (54) = NEROLI |
| 29 Socially acceptable old clothing for the mountains? (5) | |
| I | U (socially acceptable) + rails(old clothing) = URALS |
| 30 Staying in bed: lack of home entertainment at university (5, two words) | |
| V | No TV (lack of home entertainment) + up (at university) = NOT UP |
| 32 He thought church collection worth nothing (5) | |
| E | Plate (church collection) + o (nothing) = PLATO |
| 35 Vessel journalist had to pay for (4) | |
| D | Dow (vessel) + ed (editor) = OWED |
24 is presumably just a double definition clue, as tenor can also mean subject (referred to by a metaphor).
At first I wondered whether it should be subject instead of subjects in 24 but I suppose tenor can refer to a range of subjects rather than just one and the clue fits in nicely with the kingly theme. A pleasant solve and thanks, twencelas.
I didn’t do this puzzle, just checking what I have missed. Doesn’t 24 need the plural for the extra S, Tony?
Interestingly that clue would work too if the gimmick was’ extra letter in it’s wordplay’. This is really ‘wordplay leads to an extra letter’ which is a different gimmick.