Enigmatic Variations 1246 Criticism Rejected by Piccadilly

A Playfair code this week – a bit like Marmite you either love them or hate them and neither are available at Tesco.

Some unusual definitions were probably the hardest part of the clues this week – says he again, risking the wrath of some readers, all relatively straight forward. The interesting part of this puzzle lay within the entries to be encoded using a playfair code square. Which is a complex business.

4 entries with clues needed encoding

LARBOARD to HD_D_BDL

WINE to I_CO

SUITCASE to FCUP_SGS

Believe it or not there is enough information to deduce the playfair code.

The fact SU goes to FC and SE to GS means CESG are in one column with ES and G in order

The fact that RD goes to DL puts RDL in the same column in order

NE goes to CO puts NO in the same column with N before E and after C; and O after E reading left to right and down the grid.

LA goes to HD puts A and H in the same column

IT goes to UP

OA goes to _B puts OB in the same column RB goes to _D puts RD in the same column WI to _I puts WI in the same column CA to _S puts CS in the same column

So we have CESG RDL NOB and WI, AH column-wise then do similar for the rows

L is in a row with H; A with D; B with D; A with B; N with C; E with O; P with T and I with C; A with S.

I think I’ve got that just about right then you just need to slot it all together remembering that after the code word all the letters are in alphabetical order and you should end up with CINQUEPORTS.

Alternatively online assistance is available at many sites.

Then to work out the four unclued entries which are currently:

AB_B_P_G (2 across)

WHF_NQ_G (13 down)

TRKUR_ (34 across)

_PQ_GP_DPS (5 down) – having added the letters to the unchecked encoded

34 across is ROMN.. – ROMNEY fits the bill as one of the Cinqueports

13 down becoming HASTINGS and 1 across SANDWICH

5 down took the longest to find being WINCHELSEA

The final entries being 2ac ABQBIPIG; 5dn IPQIGPGDPS; 13dn WHFENQVG and 34ac TRKURV

Many thanks Piccadilly – A minor criticism to be rejected of course is there were only 4 Cinqueports in the final grid. I personally do enjoy a Playfair code puzzle.

Key:

* anagram; Rev. Reverse;DD Double definition; Underline definition

ACROSS

10 Old song could be suitable (3)

DD FIT

11 Work in Delaware providing information (4)

Op (work) in De (Delaware) = DOPE

12 Parrot beginning to mimic a crow’s cry (5)

M (beginning to mimic) + a + caw (crow’s cry) = MACAW

14 China for poet a yacht transported (6)

(a yacht)* = CATHAY

15 Question Sid had about prayer in synagogue (7)

Q(question) + (Sid had)* = QADDISH

16 One in Paris meeting a girl (3)

Un (One in Paris) + a = UNA

17 Inattentive, drinks cold coffee (5)

Deaf (inattentive) around c (cold) = DECAF

19 Exercises with clubs, developing muscle (3)

PE (exercises) + c (clubs) = PECS

20 Big sister regularly displayed generosity (8)

Large (bis) + SiStEr (regularly) = LARGESSE

* 23 Letters from Labrador carelessly left on mail-boat (8)

(Labrador)* = LARBOARD

27 Name a new type of bread (3)

N(name) + a + n(new) = NAN

28 Metal support needed between ends of sill (5)

Tee (suppost) in sl (ends of sill) = STEEL

31 Quids I’d spent over in market (3)

Rev (quids – id) = SUQ

32 Legendary knight and a duke pursuing fool in Australia (7)

Galah (fool in Australia) + a + d(duke) = GALAHAD

35 Agree price at last for set of rooms (5)

Suit (agree) + a (price at last) = SUITE

* 36 Partners at table carrying in drink (4)

WE (Partners at table) around in = WINE

37 Step from ladder avoiding new floor-mat (3)

Rung (step from ladder) – n (new) = RUG

38 Use hands deploying parasol (8)

(Use hands)* = SUNSHADE

 

DOWN

1 Climbing plants flogged in sale (6)

(in sale)* = LIANES

2 Junior diplomat’s unfinished assault on His Excellency (7)

Attack (assault) – k + he (his excellency) = ATTACHE

3 Saw Norse goddess of the dead in garden plot (6)

Hel (Norse goddess) in Bed (garden plot) = BEHELD

4 Former Russian aristocrat introduces son to a king (5)

Boy (son) + a + r (king) = BOYAR

6 For audience, musical composition provides tranquillity (5)

Homonym of piece (Musical composition) = PEACE

7 Gave dinar for five cod or hake (4)

Gave replacing v (five) with d (dinar) = GADE

8 Large company here in Marseilles (3)

DD ICI

9 Heads of Camorra are squabbling about mansion in Naples (4)

Heads of Camorra Are Squabbling About = CASA

* 10 Clumsy Aussie emptied talc inside his piece of luggage (8)

(aussie + tc)* = SUITCASE

11 District Attorney volunteers to supply information (4)

DA (District Attorney) + Ta (volunteers) = DATA

18 Blame being accepted by French parish priest (7)

Ens (being) in Cure (French parish priest) = CENSURE

21 Body of water in South Dakota subsided (6)

Lake (body of water) in SD (South Dakota) = SLAKED

22 Ursula transplanted trees (6)

(Ursula)* = LAURUS

24 Watercourse beginning to deal with precipitation (5)

D (beginning to deal) + rain (precipitation) = DRAIN

25 Dog sank teeth into companion (5)

Bit (sank teeth into) + ch (companion) = BITCH

26 Spanish peso found in corduroys (4)

Hidden corDUROys = DURO

29 Express disapproval about active tense (4)

Tit (express disapproval) about a (active) = TAUT

30 Takes food: pork and beef perhaps, with no starter (4)

Meats (Pork and beef perhaps) – m (starter) = EATS

33 Set fire to Nancy’s bed (3)

DD LIT (French word for bed)