Enigmatic Variations 1190 Legend by Shackleton

[If you’re attending York S&B please see comments 32&33] - here

Misprints in the definitions of all clues – 5 clashes – 2 messages a square to find a rectangle to find – five images to determine then a sixth and its description – If that’s not enough some shading too. This crossword certainly has lots to offer. And to be honest I have missed some elements out for brevity

First of all I should say this is not a puzzle to complete in a few minutes – but like a good wine it needs to be savoured slowly and in more than one sitting!

One step at a time summed up this puzzle – and like all crosswords the clues are the starting point.

Step 1 – Clues: And some tricky ones in there as well.

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The grid above shows the original grid fill including the 5 clashes

Step 2: make sense of the messages

The partial messages at this point are:

Across: ERASE ALL BUT THEMATIC DAGONA

Down: TETHEVULUREOWLMATUAILCHICK

The clashes being IQ:IP:IL:AR:CT – these are to be used to complete the message with the unused letters remaining in the grid

Vulture removed the ‘T’ – Quail the ‘Q’ – Diagonal the ‘I’ and ‘L’ and the last I deduced was Tether ‘R’

giving

Across: ERASE ALL BUT THEMATIC DIAGONAL

Down: TETHER VULTURE OWL MAT QUAIL CHICK

According to the preamble there are 5 images to be drawn from the downs – but 6 words – Quail chick being a single element. With all 5 Egyptian hieroglyphics.

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Grid with clashes resolved

Step 3: The next thing is to find a square with something thematic in the diagonal for the across message to make sense

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This became DEMOTIC – a colloquial language used at the same time as hieroglyphics

Step 4 – reach for that vintage port for inspiration

Then – Head scratching what did the down hieroglyphics spell CH A M P O

At this point I also noticed a number of greek letters in the grid – which defined the rectangle described in the preamble

Chi, Alpha, Mu, Pi, Omega, Lambda, Lambda, iota, Omicron, Nu

Which spelt CHAMPOLLION

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Step 5: Find the last image, describe it and treat the rectangle symbollically with initial cells

Champollion – led me to deduce the last hieroglyph was a lion, and replacing the Greek letter names with Greek symbols  giving a grid of:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So what was the theme you may ask – The Rosetta stone cracked by Champollion with Hieroglyphics, Demotic and Greek writings on one tablet (saying the same thing) enabling hieroglyphics to be deciphered.

What a marvellous and rather complex puzzle Shackleton – a great pleasure to blog it too.

As to 23dn it beat me on the parsing front.

Key;

rev. reverse; * anagram; DD Double definition; Underline – definition

ACROSS

	1 Elite German force surfacing to destroy convoys (6)
E	1 Elite German force surfacing to destroy conveys (6)
	SS (Elite german force) around end (destroy) = SENDS
	5 Batted and scored very little initially (6)
R	5 Batter and scored very little initially (6)
	Assai (very) + l (little initially)   =ASSAIL
	12 Rude Pat starting pert exchange (7, two words)
A	12 Rude Pat starting part exchange (7, two words)
	(rude pat)* = TRADE UP
	14 Cat’s bound to injure by pawing over infant’s head (5)
S	14 Cat’s sound to injure by pawing over infant’s head (5)
	Maul (injure by pawing) over I (infant’s head) = MIAUL
	15 Someone who frets about me wearing musk? (8)
E	15 Someone who frees about me wearing musk? (8)
	Re (about) + me in Deer (musk) = REDEEMER
	16 Country that’s disregarded would shortly heed backers (4)
A	16 Country that’s disregarded would shortly head backers (4)
	India (country) – d (would shortly) = INIA
	17 Person packing chocolate might use this ordinary barrel on wheels (5)
L	17 Person lacking chocolate might use this ordinary barrel on wheels (5)
	Car (wheels) + ob (ordinary barrel) = CAROB
	19 With what one can compare fiend’s strength? It’s overstated, victor departing with cheers (7)
L	19 With what one can compare field’s strength? It’s overstated, victor departing with cheers (7)
	(overstated – v – ta(cheers) = OERSTED
	20 Got to the bottom of unlimited cash (6)
B	20 Got to the bottom of unlimited bash (6)
	Fathomed (got to the bottom of) – F/D (unlimited) = AT HOME
	22 Eyesore around bay? Description of people basking perhaps (7)
U	22 Eyesore around bay? Description of people busking perhaps (7)
	sty (eyesore) around Tree (bay) = STREETY
	24 Chose people’s successor on time (5)
T	24 Those people’s successor on time (5)
	Heir (successor) after t(time) = THEIR
	27 Don’t resprain something with stumble on loose tile (8, three words)
T	27 Don’t restrain something with stumble on loose tile (8, three words)
	(tile)* + trip (stumble) = LET IT RIP
	29 Put forty questions, answer seven with a tick (5)
H	29 Put forth questions, answer seven with a tick (5)
	a(answer) + s (seven) + ked (tick) = ASKED
	32 Prepare archival book to replace five of the foremost logs? (8)
E	32 Prepare archival book to replace five of the foremost legs? (8)
	(b+ archival – v)* = BRACHIAL
	34 Chamber retaining current item on file (5)
M	34 Chamber retaining current item on film (5)
	Po (chamber) around hot (current) = PHOTO
	35 Come over all misty perhaps on having both sons get together (7, two words)
A	35 Come over all misty perhaps on having bath sons get together (7, two words)
	S(sons) + team up (get together)   STEAM UP
	37 My immature offspring sling out empties behind island hotel (6, two words)
T	37 My immature offspring sting out empties behind island hotel (6, two words)
	IOM(island) + ot (out empties) + h (hotel) = IO MOTH
	39 Take in water fall behind back of old lake (7)
I	39 Take in water fall behind back of old like (7)
	Pee (water fall) around r (take) + Rev. lag (behind) = PEREGAL
	41 Pale beer bottles in a fractional number of bars (5)
C	41 Pace beer bottles in a fractional number of bars (5)
	ale (beer) around mb (millibars) = AMBLE
	43 Aim to secure current girl’s resignation (4)
D	43 Aim to secure current girl’s designation (4)
	End (aim) around I (current) = ENID
	44 Sheep died of infectious diseases of bones concentrated in herd (8)
A	44 Sheep died of infectious diseases of bones concentrated in head (8)
	Lamb (sheep) + d(died) + o(pf) + id (infectious diseases) = LAMBDOID
	46 Venus called Euterpe very musical (5)
G	46 Genus called Euterpe very musical (5)
	DD ASSAI
	47 Square trim backing old game piece in some places (7)
O	47 Square trim backing old game piece in some places (7)
	TROMINO
	48 Creditor going after money – I owe over a thousand mill (6)
N	48 Creditor going after money – I one over a thousand mill (6)
	Cr (creditor) + on (going) after mi (money I) = MICRON
	49 Word specialist deciphering runes (5)
A	49 Ward specialist deciphering runes (5)
	(runes)* = NURSE

DOWN

	1 Sun article included in stock of column fillers (7)
T	1 Sun article included in stock of column fillets (7)
	s (sun) + a(article) in trite (stock) =   STRIATE
	2 Swirling around every second, sea current’s vortical (5)
E	2 Swirling around every second, sea current’s vertical (5)
	(sRaCuRrEnT)* = ERECT
	3 In mess area and noshing (4)
T	3 In mess area and nothing (4)
	(and + a)* = NADA
	4 Make sure of saving a seat for the old bishop (3)
H	4 Make sure of having a seat for the old bishop (3)
	DD SEE
	6 Holding edges of plate, appeal for help making gravy (5)
E	6 Holding edges of plate, appeal for help making grave (5)
	pe (edges of plate) in sos 9appeal for help) = SPEOS
	7 Translator retained by me detailed more likely passages (7)
V	7 Translator retained by me detailed more lively passages (7)
	tr (translator) in setter (me) – r (detailed) = STRETTE
	8 Muslim who riles American tax authority (4)
U	8 Muslim who rules American tax authority (4)
	Am(american) + IR (Inland revenue) = AMIR
	9 See you around noon, gents, for the odd game of cards (9)
L	9 See you around noon, gents, for the old game of cards (9)
	Later(see you) around n (noon) + loo (gents) = LANTERLOO
	10 Reclose launch site in desert (8)
U	10 Recluse launch site in desert (8)
	(site)* in quit (desert) = QUIETIST
	11 Having cleaning provided by German woman (5)
R	11 Having clearing provided by German woman (5)
	G(german) + lady (woman) = GLADY
	13 Blue waves interrupted by a flash of metal – top of a funnel? (5)
E	13 Blue waves interrupted by a flash of metal – top of a fennel? (5)
	(blue)* around m(flash of metal) = UMBEL
	18 Ham or chops? Neither for this lard! (5)
O	18 Ham or chops? Neither for this lord! (5)
	(ham or)* = OMRAH
	21 Rent timeshare bedding when there is no bedding! (9)
W	21 Rent timeshare bedding when there is no wedding! (9)
	(timeshare)* = HETAERISM
	23 Crop circles almost entirely in the wild make patterns in grass? (4)
L	23 Crop circles almost entirely in the wild make patterns in glass? (4)
	Can’t work this one out ETCH
	25 Some French women are so naked, a number lying in bay? (8)
M	25 Some French women are so named, a number lying in bay? (8)
	horse (bay) around ten (a number) = HORTENSE
	26 Italian unpacked cases of South American rice (4)
A	26 Italian unpacked cases of South American race (4)
	In (Italian unpacked)  + ca (cases) = INCA
	28 Get married after short innocent country walk? (5)
T	28 Get married after short innocent country talk? (5)
	m (married) after idiot (innocent) – t (short) = IDIOM
	30 Group of soldiers left for dead, non-commissioned men foil state (7)
U	30 Group of soldiers left for dead, non-commissioned men foul state (7)
	squad (group of soldiers) swapping l(left) for d(dead) + or (non-commisioned men) = SQUALOR
	31 Unidentified mole can accomplish a bit of espionage (7, two words)
A	31 Unidentified male can accomplish a bit of espionage (7, two words)
	John (can) + do (accomplish) + e (bit of espionage) = JOHN DOE
	33 Public walk about before spotting ruminant (5)
I	33 Public walk about before spitting ruminant (5)
	Rev. mall (public walk) + a (before) = LLAMA
	35 Tank section appearing over crest (5)
L	35 Talk section appearing over crest (5)
	s(section) + peak (crest) = SPEAK
	36 A boring novel plot making a writer out of Greene (5)
C	36 A boring novel plot making a writer out of Greece (5)
	a in (plot)* = PLATO
	38 Large amount of beer circulating around cask in Kazakhstan (5)
H	38 Large amount of beer circulating around cash in Kazakhstan (5)
	Stein (large amount of beer) circulating = TEINS
	40 Lamp outside entrance by intercom (4)
I	40 Limp outside entrance by intercom (4)
	Homonym of gate (entrance) = GAIT
	42 One introduced to dear relative of mine (4)
C	42 One introduced to dear relative of mice (4)
	i(one) in lor (dear) = LOIR
	45 In France, wind up jack provided by dealer (3)
K	45 In France, kind up jack provided by dealer (3)
	Re nob (jack) = BON