Schadenfreude provided a good challenge for Christmas
The preamble was not too long and fairly understandable even on the first read through. It told us that "The perimeter clues and six others lack definitions. Their answers (not entered in the grid) are the first names of people having something in common (with one exception). Solvers must enter their last names in the grid (not at the number of their clued first name, but wherever they fit) and highlight the exception. One letter in the answer to 13 other clues is ignored in the wordplay: in normal reading order in the grid these letters spell out a phrase which describes the commonality".
A look at the normal clues revealed five where the number of letters in the answer differed from the cells available in the grid. These were 12 across, 33 across, 40 across, 3 down and 26 down. That left one where obviously the Christian name to be determined had the same number of letters as a Surname to be entered. This turned out to be 14 across.
I though that short clues would probably be among the thematic ones and one of the first solved was ANWAR at 33 across. For some reason, one of the useless bits of information I keep in my mind is that ANWAR SADAT was born on Christmas Day, so I looked at the Clockwise perimeter clues and came up with ANNIE at 42. The trivia gene kicked in again and I immediately thought of ANNIE LENNOX. Having got two people born on Christmas Day that clearly helped with the others. Some of the others I got from the surnames that became apparent in the filling grid. In particular COOK and BOGART helped track down the clues for ALASTAIR and HUMPHREY.
The full list of names is shown below:
| Clue | Christian Name | Surname | Entered at |
| 5 perimeter | HUMPHREY | BOGART [actor] | 12 across |
| 7 perimeter | KENNY | EVERETT [radio and television personality] | 36 perimeter |
| 36 perimeter | ISAAC | NEWTON [scientist] | 3 down |
| 45 perimeter | JILL | BENNETT [actress] | 26 down |
| 44 perimeter | SHANE | MACGOWAN [singer] | 33 across |
| 42 perimeter | ANNIE | LENNOX [singer] | 40 across |
| 18 perimeter | CONRAD | HILTON [hotelier] | 14 across |
| 12 across | ALASTAIR | COOK [cricketer] | 5 perimeter |
| 14 across | ANDREW | CRUICKSHANK [actor] | 18 perimeter |
| 33 across | ANWAR | SADAT [general and politician] | 44 perimeter |
| 40 across | SISSY | SPACEK [actress and singer] | 42 perimeter |
| 3 down | DOROTHY | WORDSWORTH [author and poet] | 7 perimeter |
| 26 down | LEW | GRADE [media proprietor] | 45 perimeter |
All the people listed are deceased except for MACGOWAN, LENNOX, COOK and SPACEK
All were born on Christmas Day except for JILL BENNETT who was born on Christmas Eve. She therefore is the odd one out and should be highlighted in the grid.
The clues seemed to me to be slightly easier than we normally find in a Schadenfreude puzzle. Even the ones with the missing letters in the wordplay were not too difficult. The omitted letters spell out the phrase BORN ON XMAS DAY reading across and down the grid.
The final grid looks like this [note that only BENNETT need be highlighted]:
The title EVE’s ARRIVAL refers to the fact that the exception JILL BENNETT was born on Christmas EVE rather than Christmas Day.
This was an excellent puzzle for Christmas week, nothing too difficult and a topical theme.
Finally, I wish you all a very Happy New Year and enjoyable solving in 2016
| Perimeter | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Clue | Wordplay | Answer | Letter | Entry |
|
5
|
Impose on victims outside hotel (8)
|
HUM (impose on) + (PREY [victims] containing H [hotel]) HUM P (H) REY |
HUMPHREY
|
|
COOK
|
|
7
|
Low island adopts northern name (5)
|
KEY (low island or reef) containing (adopts) (N [northern] + N [name]) KE (N N) Y |
KENNY
|
|
WORDSWORTH
|
|
36
|
Tax-free savings account with about $100 (5)
|
ISA (Individual Savings Account; tax free savings account) + A (about) + C ($100)
|
ISAAC
|
|
EVERETT
|
|
45
|
Judge with difficulty (4)
|
J (judge) + ILL (with difficulty)
|
JILL
|
|
GRADE
|
|
44
|
Female keeping anonymous (5)
|
SHE (female) containing (keeping) AN (anonymous) SH (AN) E |
SHANE
|
|
SADAT
|
|
42
|
Elderly relative out of Greece (5)
|
GRANNIE (elderly relative) excluding (out of) GR (International Vehicle Registration for Greece)
|
ANNIE
|
SPACEK
|
|
|
18
|
A selection of music on radio (6)
|
CONRAD (hidden word in [selection of] MUSIC ON RADIO)
|
CONRAD
|
|
CRUICKSHANK
|
| Across | |||||
| No. | Clue | Wordplay | Answer | Letter | Entry |
|
9
|
Stop Spain blocking lawsuit (5)
|
E (International Vehicle Registration for Spain; Espana) contained in (blocking) CASE (lawsuit) C (E) ASE |
CEASE (stop)
|
|
CEASE
|
|
10
|
Lecturer abandons young woman accepted by close circle (6)
|
(GIRL [young woman] excluding [abandons] L [lecturer]) contained in (accepted by) END (close) EN (GIR) D |
ENGIRD (encircle; circle)
|
|
ENGIRD
|
|
11
|
Enclose gold backed container (4)
|
IN (enclose) + (OR [gold] reversed [backed]) IN RO< |
INRO (small Japanese container for pills and medicines)
|
|
INRO
|
|
12
|
A final look (8)
|
A + LAST (final) + AIR (look)
|
ALASTAIR
|
|
BOGART
|
|
14
|
Something added on by wife (6)
|
AND (something added) + RE (with reference to; on) + W (wife)
|
ANDREW
|
|
HILTON
|
|
15
|
Entertainment spread round hotel (4)
|
SOW (spread) containing (round) H (hotel) S (H) OW |
SHOW (entertainment)
|
|
SHOW
|
|
16
|
Garden design journal absorbed by French king (4)
|
J (journal) contained in (absorbed by) ROI (French word for ‘king’) RO (J) I |
ROJI (a form of Japanese garden design incorporating a path of stepping stones which are sprinkled with water to concentrate the viewer’s eye and mind on objects in the immediate field of vision)
|
|
ROJI
|
|
17
|
Nucleus removed from cytotoxin destroyed a pituitary hormone (8)
|
Anagram of (destroyed) CYTOTOXIN excluding {removed from) T (middle letter of [nucleus] CYTOTOXIN) OXYTOCIN* |
OXYTOCIN (a pituitary hormone that stimulates uterine muscle contraction and milk production)
|
|
OXYTOCIN
|
|
19
|
Christian aunt troubled to retain independence (5)
|
Anagram of (troubled) AUNT containing (to retain) I (independence) UN (I) AT* |
UNIAT (a member of any community of Christians, especially in eastern Europe and Asia, that acknowledges the papal supremacy but which is allowed to retain its own customs and practices with regard to all else, i.e. clerical matrimony, communion in both kinds, church discipline, rites and liturgy)
|
UNIAT | |
|
22
|
Old railway recluse (5)
|
LNER (London & North Eastern Railway; old railway)
|
LNER
|
O
|
LONER (a person who prefers to act on his or her own and not to have close friends or confidential relationships; in extremis a recluse)
|
|
23
|
Livingstone perhaps unknown by a nationalist from East Africa (6)
|
KEN (reference KEN Livingstone, Labour politician and former Mayor of London) + Y (letter used to indicate an unknown in mathematics) + A + N (nationalist)
|
KENYAN (some from the East African country of KENYA)
|
|
KENYAN
|
|
25
|
Lines covered by border? Almost (6, 2 words)
|
LL (lines) contained in (covered by) ABUT (border) A (LL) BUT |
ALL BUT (almost)
|
|
ALL BUT
|
|
27
|
This can corrode Doolittle’s radiator? (5)
|
‘EATER (HEATER [radiator]) as pronounced by Eliza Doolittle, Cockney flower girl in the play Pygmalion and the derived musical My Fair Lady
|
EATER (something that corrodes)
|
|
EATER
|
|
30
|
Remain to judge antique apparel (5)
|
BE (remain) + SEE (judge)
|
BESEE (apparel)
|
|
BESEE
|
|
33
|
A new conflict (5)
|
A + N (new) + WAR (conflict)
|
ANWAR
|
|
MACGOWAN
|
|
35
|
Gas energy cut once (4)
|
NE (chemical symbol for NEon; gas) + E (energy)
|
NEE
|
S
|
SNEE (obsolete word [once] for ‘cut’)
|
| 37 | Barren Arabian island (4) | AR (Arabian) + I (island) | ARI |
D
|
ARID (barren) |
|
38
|
Heather preceded by attention seeker moving with stealth (6)
|
OI (a call used to attract attention) + LING (heather)
|
OILING (moving with stealth)
|
OILING
|
|
|
40
|
Security department protecting Italy’s yard (5)
|
(SS [Schutzstaffel; Nazi Germany’s elite police; security department] containing [protecting] I’S [Italy’s]) + Y (yard) S (IS) S Y SIS (Secret Intelligence Service) is also a security department, but if I use this I can’t see how Italy fits in. |
SISSY
|
|
LENNOX
|
|
41
|
Box Hill base (4)
|
TEL (in Arab lands, a hill or ancient mound formed from the accumulated debris from earlier mud or wattle habitations.) + E (base of natural logarithms)
|
TELE (television; the box)
|
|
TELE
|
|
42
|
Regular service (6)
|
STEAD (service)
|
STEAD
|
Y
|
STEADY (regular)
|
|
43
|
Earth that’s bordering Northern Territory river (5)
|
(I.E. [id est; that is] containing [bordering] NT [Northern Territory; federal Australian state) + R (river) I (NT) E R |
INTER (earth, as a verb)
|
|
INTER
|
| Down | |||||
| No. | Clue | Wordplay | Answer | Letter | Entry |
|
1
|
Brazilian gentleman without right seizing house (6)
|
(SEN [senza; without] + R [right]) containing (seizing) HO (house) SEN (HO) R |
SENHOR (Portuguese, hence Brazilian form of the word ‘gentleman’)
|
|
SENHOR
|
|
2
|
One of the untouchables violated the borders of Indian rajah (7)
|
Anagram of (violated] IN (first and last letters of [borders of] INDIAN and RAJAH) HARIJAN* |
HARIJAN (one of the caste of untouchables, the name proposed by Gandhi)
|
|
HARIJAN
|
|
3
|
Liberal leaves Tory hold shattered (7) |
Anagram of (shattered) TORY HOLD excluding [leaves] L (Liberal) DOROTHY* |
DOROTHY
|
|
NEWTON |
|
4
|
Floor old rhino in Nigeria (4)
|
KO (knock out; floor) + O (old)
|
KOO
|
B
|
KOBO (a Nigerian monetary unit, 1/100 of a naira; rhino [slang for money] in Nigeria)
|
|
5
|
Close friend to shed tears around midday (5)
|
CRY (shed tears) containing (around) N (noon; midday) CR (N) Y |
CRNY
|
O
|
CRONY (close friend)
|
|
6
|
Concerning Internet service provider licentiate enjoying continuous success (7, 3 words)
|
ON (concerning) + AOL (America on line’ Internet service provider) + L (licentiate)
|
ONAOLL
|
R
|
ON A ROLL (enjoying continuous success)
|
|
7
|
Recognise old-fashioned greeting behind the scenes (6)
|
WIT (archaic [old-fashioned] word for ‘recognise’) + HI (greeting
|
WITHI
|
N
|
WITHIN (behind the scenes)
|
| 8 | Soldiers leave European vital force (6) | OR (other ranks; soldiers) + GO (leave) + E (European) | ORGOE |
N
|
ORGONE (according to the Austrian Wilhelm Reich [1897 – 1957], a vital force permeating the universe, which, concentrated in a specially made ORGONE box, could cure certain diseases) |
|
13
|
Golf balls drop on top of square (6) |
GUTTA (medical term for a drop) + S (square)
|
GUTTAS (solid GUTTA-percha golf balls, as used in the 19th century)
|
|
GUTTAS
|
|
20
|
Natural Suffolk neighbour lodged in hotel (6)
|
BOR (neighbour, an E Anglian [Suffolk] form of address to a man or a woman) contained in (lodged in) INN (hotel) IN (BOR) N |
INBORN (innate; natural)
|
|
INBORN
|
|
21
|
Reduce rising river in places (3)
|
EA (dialect [in places] word for river or running water)) |
AE |
X |
AXE (reduce) |
|
24
|
There’s no power in Grandpa’s flickering lamps (7)
|
Anagram of (flickering) GRANDPA’S excluding (no) P (power) ARGANDS* |
ARGANDS (gas- or oil-lamps admitting air to both the inside and outside of the flame)
|
|
ARGANDS
|
|
26
|
Operated an aircraft forgetting frequency (3)
|
FLEW (operated an aircraft) excluding (forgetting) F
|
LEW
|
|
BENNETT
|
|
28
|
Absolute god consumed the other divine drink (6)
|
A (absolute) + (RA [ancient Egyptian Sun-God]) containing IT[(sexual intercourse; the other]) A R (IT) A |
ARITA
|
M
|
AMRITA (drink of the Hindu gods; divine drink)
|
|
29
|
Dogged Italian turned up and showed the way (6)
|
IT (Italian) reversed (turned up; down clue]) + LED (showed the way) TI< LED |
TILED
|
A
|
TAILED (followed; dogged)
|
|
31
|
Being expected nurse left Ireland (6,2 words)
|
EN (Enrolled Nurse) + L (left) + IR (Ireland)
|
EN L’IR
|
A
|
EN L’AIR (being discussed or expected)
|
|
32
|
Tent erected on hired strip (6)
|
GER (another name for a yurt; tent) reversed (erected) + LET (hired) REG< LET |
REGLET (strip for spacing between lines)
|
|
REGLET
|
|
34
|
Wind rope round middle of elm in shaw (5)
|
L (central letter of [middle of] ELM) contained (in) WOOD (a shaw is a small WOOD) WOO (L) D |
WOOLD (wind a rope or chain round.)
|
|
WOOLD
|
|
39
|
Nine first class climbing plants (4)
|
IX (Roman numerals for nine) + (AI [first class] reversed [climbing; down clue]) IX IA< |
IXIA (any plant of the iridaceous genus IXIA, found in Southern Africa)
|
|
IXIA
|
I measure the difficulty of an Inquisitor according to whether I make decent progress and how many days it takes me. I finished this in one sitting which puts it very much at the easier end of the scale. Others, of course, may differ. I got ‘Anwar’ and ‘Lew’ very early to get ‘Sadat’ and ‘Grade’; ‘Lennox’ suggested itself in the grid pointing to ‘Annie’. Mr Google quickly told me what these three very different people had in common and the rest fell out fairly quickly.
Good fun.
I agree, at the easier end of the scale, but excellent nevertheless and a good start to the Christmas Solving. I enjoyed looking up all these poor people who only get one set of presents a year!
As usual, I was deeply relieved to be able to finish a Schadenfreude puzzle. Isaac Newton was the key name for me, since his birthday is one of the items of useless information lodged in my head – it used to be a standard university gag to post a notice in the autumn term saying that in honour of Newton’s achievement, physics students would be excused all classes and lectures on his birthday. Like duncanshiell, I didn’t crack HUMPHREY until I spotted a likely BOGART in the grid.
Happy New Year (plus the usual thanks) to all!
I was fortunate with this one as a few days previously I had completed a puzzle with exactly the same theme. As you may expect many of the names repeated themselves so the penny dropped more quickly than usual allowing a faulty relaxing solve for a Schadenfreude. The last name for me to resolve itself was Jill Bennett, whom I’d not heard of before.
Happy new year to all and thanks once again to Duncan and Schadenfreude for the blog and puzzle.
Hihoba@2 – You don’t need to feel sorry for people born on Christmas Day, they don’t all have just one set of presents a year. Our son was born 35 years ago on Christmas Day and each year since then we have celebrated his ‘Half Birthday’ on June 25th. We feel sorry for people who are born close to Christmas Day but not actually ON the day! We have friends who are twins, born close to Christmas. Often they received a combined present for birthday and Christmas and on one occasion it was combined with their twin as well!
Anyway, a fairly easy but fun puzzle although we did need an internet search at one point as we needed to open up the grid a bit more.
Happy New Year to everyone, especially Duncan and Schadenfreude.
I found it very easy to begin with, but the theme came to me late since I didn’t have the key information lodged in my brain like some above, so I slowed down for a while. Once I had BORN from 4-7 down I guessed the theme. An enjoyable seasonal puzzle.
Happy New Year to all.
Yes – very much on the easy side. Did this one on the flight out to Cypress (no Google, no Wikipedia) and just needed to check who was the odd one out later. SISSY SPACEK held me up for a while at the end, but not for too long.
Thanks, Duncan and Schadenfreude. (I’d have commented earlier, but the weather did for the phone lines on the Welsh borders, so I enjoyed an internet free NY eve & NY day.)
HG @ 7 : If you were flying to Cypress you were lucky to see the wood from the trees!
A first for me: I had the theme cracked within minutes after solving one thematic (ISAAC) and then guessed that the 13 letters would spell BORN ON XMAS DAY. However, unlike those above I really struggled with the clues and was unable to make sufficient progress with those to allow me to begin entering the required surnames. So an early high followed by much frustration.
Thanks Duncan and Schadenfreude, good puzzle and blog. I found this of middling difficulty, not solved in one go but didn’t take all week either.
Now to catch up on the rest of the IQs I am behind on.