Enigmatic Variations 1250 Second Best by Oxymoron

As Chambers gives as an example of an Oxymoron – would this puzzle prove to be a form of cruel kindness or would that be falsely true. My tussles with Oxymoron or his other alias go back further than I care to remember.

Always a challenge and likewise always a painful pleasure. Oxymoron’s use of unusual definitions always gets me reaching for Chambers to confirm an obscure meaning. Though this one was missing, what I regard as his trademark,  cat for vomit (the setter is more commonly found as Schadenfreude).

Quite a slog certainly but as always nice and precise clues get you there in the end. As to this week’s theme letters needed to be removed from the answers to fill the perimeter which after much head scratching yielded “NEXT TO THE ORIGINATOR OF A GOOD SENTENCE IS THE FIRST QUOTER OF IT”.   The quotation being by RALPH (middle of 3rd row) WALDO middle of 6th row EMERSON middle of 9th row.

All in all a challenging grid fill with much head scratching and a nice revelation at the end as the perimter was gradually filled up.

Thanks Oxymoron

Key * Anagram; rev. reverse;DD double definition; underline definition

ACROSS

1 Psycho shot a cop in action guarding institute (9)

(shot a cop)* around I (institute) = SOCIOPATH = SOCIOPAH

7 Hanky short of length wrapping singular cosmetic ointment (5)

Rumal (hanky) – l around s (singular) = RUSMA = RSMA

10 Gristly stuff definitely not backed by children (8)

Rev. lard (stuff) + no (definitely not) after ch (children) = CHONDRAL = CHODRAL

11 Some stars reject pursuing forlorn hope (7)

(hope)* + Rev. nix (reject) = PHOENIX = PHENIX

12 Irish nurse accompanied by English girl (5)

Ir (Irish) + en (nurse) + e (English) = IRENE = IRNE

13 Red force’s hostilities only bolstering weak point (9)

Blot (weak point) around {ods (force’s) + Ho (hostilities only)} = BLOODSHOT = BLOODSHO

14 Very fine pieces of china are spoilt with marks (8)

Goss(pieces of china) + (are+m)* = GOSSAMER = GOSAMR

17 Ed’s shrink traced crossing Ecuador (6)

Ec (Ecuador) in drew (traced) = DECREW = ECREW

18 Idiot driver on US railroad drinks too much (7)

Dr (drier) around ott (too much) + el (US railroad) = DOTTREL = DOTTEL

19 You’ll find me in Derby perhaps wearing uniform (6)

In (wearing) + sole (uniform) = INSOLE (Derby is a shoe) = INSLE

21 Oarsman sits on this at Harvard if extremely fat (5)

Tho(if) + ft (extremely fat) = THOFT = THFT

25 Antelope (male) runs about outside, avoiding sun (5)

M(male) + hors (ouside) – s(sun) Around r (runs) = MHORR = MHRR

26 Moderation of Elizabeth Astaire perhaps (6)

Ho (moderation) + of + er (Elizabeth) = HOOFER = HOOER

27 Follow closely and question part of sentence (7)

Tag (follow closely) + meme (question) = TAGMEME = TAMEME

30 Water spirit to disappear around noon (6)

On (to) + die (disappear) around n (noon) = ONDINE = ONDNE

32 One sadly inadequate abandoned by husband blending into the background (8)

A pathetic (sadly inadequate) – h (husband) = APATETIC = APETIC

34 Ancient duty previously for men close to here (9)

Fore (for) + stag (men) + e (close to here) = FORESTAGE = ORESTAGE

35 Association has nothing for unionist head (5)

Union (association)  swapping u (unionist head) for o (nothing) = ONION = ONIO

36 Hard nut containing a fine substance (7)

H (hard) + en (nut) around a + log (fine) = HALOGEN

37 Collection of similar parts he omitted from mythology theory (8)

Euhemerism (mythology theory) – he = EUMERISM= EUMRISM

38 Retired doctor features in published novel (5)

Ran (published) around Rev (MO)(doctor) = ROMAN = OMAN

39 Executive worried about tune wearing thin (9)

Ex (executive) + ate (worried) around (tune)* = EXTENUATE = ETENUATE

 

DOWN

1 Croaker caught inside athletic ground (8)

(c+ inside + a)* = SCIAENID = SCIAEID

2 Brass chain covered in seaweed (5)

Ch (chain) in ore (seaweed) = OCHRE = OHRE

3 US law-makers swindle Greek member in German city (11)

Con (swindle) + gr (Greek) + m (member) is Essen(German city) = CONGRESSMEN = CONGRSSME

4 The next day’s special for my grief (6)

Morrow (the next day) replacing m (my) with s (special) = SORROW entered ORROW

5 Slaughter in this year everyone turned fifty! (6)

Ha (in this year) + Rev. all (everyone) + l (fifty) = HALLAL = ALLAL

6 Instruments frequently found in quiet extremely uplifting hospital (8)

Fr (frequently) in sh (quiet) + Rev. too (extremely) + h (hospital) = SHOFROTH = SHOROTH

7 English and Dutch in restrained retreat (6)

E (English) + du (dutch) in rit (restrained(musical)) = REDUIT

8 Stock making Her Majesty seem relaxed about India (7)

(hm + seem + I)* = MISHMEE = MIHMEE

9 Assess and see about a cancer treatment drug (5)

Tax (assess) + Rev. lo (see) = TAXOL = AXOL

14 Icy goddess is on top (5)

Ge (goddess) + lid (top) = GELID = GELD

15 South Island concealed by the northern dock (7)

S (south)  + ait (island) in the = STAITHE = SATHE

16 With extremes of reliability this dental practice could make crooked tooth ordinary (11)

(tooth ordinary – ry(extremes of reliability)* = ORTHODONTIA = OTHODONIA

18 Delta north of forest roughly free of ice (7)

D (delta) + (forest)* = DEFROST = DFRST

20 Admirable chap (married) did reproduce (8)

Gem (admirable chap) + mated (married) = GEMMATED = EMMATED

22 Choir’s supporting Charlie on something like a trumpet (5)

Ch (choir) after C(Charlie) + on = CONCH = CONC

23 William’s furniture – a little boring (8)

Tire (William’s furniture) + some (a little) = TIRESOME = IRESOME

24 Make grandee enraged, perhaps (7)

Cryptic definition = ANAGRAM = NAGRAM

28 Plan lacking depth stopped by navy officer (6)

Design (plan) around n (navy) – d (depth) = ENSIGN = ENSGN

29 Soldiers in army unit feel sorry (6)

Regt (army unit – regiment) around re (soldiers) = REGRET = REGET

30 Warning restricting the Italian petroleum industrialists (6)

Omen (warning) around il (the Italian) = OILMEN = OILMN

31 Tongue wagging host’s carrying on (5)

(host)* around o (on) = SOTHO = SOHO

33 Tyrone’s girlfriend outside remains tearful (5)

Mot (Tyrone’s girlfriend) around is (remains) = MOIST = MIST