I have blogged many Independent puzzles by Phi this year, but it’s nearly two and half years since I blogged one of his Inquisitors.
The preamble read "Wordplay in a number of clues yields an extra letter not entered in the grid. These letters spell a thematic description and a starting square. Extra clues are to words meeting the thematic description: definitions are to the full word of the given length, but wordplay is to what is entered in the grid. Deriving the grid entry yields two letters in each case – the title is an anagram of the eight letters involved. Solvers must indicate the grid entries for these thematic words."
Where to start? If in doubt just see what you can solve and try and identify some extra letters in the wordplay. I started off in the NE corner with OAKS (7 across), AMEN (8 down) and EXCUSED (13 a cross) which yielded one extra letter initially. I got the R in 7 across. The S in 8 down didn’t fall immediately. It was then a question of building up the grid from those early entries. I filled the grid in a clockwise direction and gradually saw the word WORDS appearing in the letters forming the thematic description and starting square. WORD, LETTER, CELL are common constituents of messages in these types of puzzles.
Eventually, I got RICOCHET and then, because I had a rogue extra letter for a while, I had WORDS X EIGHT which I took to be some cryptic reference to the starting square.
I really had no idea what the theme was about, but I could see that the fourth extra clue was leading to MIXTER-MAXTER. It was only on the second session of solving that I began to develop ideas about what I now know are RICOCHET WORDS as HIGGLEDY-PIGGLEDY became apparent as the fully defined word in the second extra clue.
RICOCHET WORDS are word pairs (generally) that differ either in the initial sound (mamby pamby) or in the internal vowel sound (ding dong). Sometimes though, ricochet words will have an extra syllable thrown in between the pair (chug-a-lug), and sometimes they will seem to drop the last syllables of the final word. (These sometimes have three words, rather than two. Fred Flintstone’s famous formulation, “yabba dabba doo” is a fine example; it could be expressed as “yabba dabba dooba,” but for some reason, Fred feels free to forget the final “ba.”)
At this point I also realised that my extra X in 17 down was a mistake and I saw that the start square was simply EIGHT. A bit more thought generated WALKIE-TALKIE and TEENSY-WEENSY as the remaining extra definitions.
I had spotted MXTER as a string of consecutive letters in the grid, although there were two possibilities for highlighting the consecutive cells., but not MIXTER or MAXTER It became clear that the two non-repeated letters in the component parts of the RICOCHET WORDS were not being entered in the grid and only one occurrence of the common parts was required for entry. With ALKIE, IGGLEDY and EENSY appearing as well, the choice of the right line for MXTER became apparent.
It seems RICOCHET also describes how the theme words rebound off the edge of the grid.
The grid below shows how the theme words from a contiguous line of letters from square 8 with the line turning 90 degrees whenever it hit the edge of the grid.. The grid is 11 rows by 12 columns so it is not possible to form a true rectangle set at an angle to the grid.
In the end, I think the puzzle turned out slightly easier than I thought early on. It was a pleasant solve though.
Phi explained the title – WATTWHIP – in the preamble and the completed puzzle fulfilled the brief as the eight omitted non-repeating letters did indeed spell WATTWHIP. There were a few obscure words and proper names in the grid but nothing that couldn’t be checked quite quickly with a dictionary or a short bit of internet research.
| Across | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. |
Clue |
Wordplay |
Letter |
Entry | |
|
1
|
Scottish romance containing a lot of grammatical splits? I’ll just check (8, 3 words)
|
LEE (Scottish word for LIE [fiction; romance]) containing (containing) (TMESES [separations or splitting up of words into parts by one or more intervening words; grammatical splits] excluding the final letter [but leaving a lot of others] S) LE (T ME SE) E
|
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LET ME SEE (I’ll just check)
|
|
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7
|
Old chests? here are sources of wood (4)
|
O (old) + ARKS (chests)
|
R
|
OAKS (trees; sources of wood)
|
|
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10
|
Extra rest needed after placing oxygen compound (5)
|
O (chemical symbol for Oxygen) + LIE-IN (extra rest)
|
I
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OLEIN (glycerine ester of oleic acid; compound)
|
|
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11
|
Private eye, male probing railway on lawyer’s timescale? (6)
|
‘TEC (detective; private eye) + (M [male] contained in [probing] RLY [railway]) TE R (M) LY |
C
|
TERMLY (related to once in a period of sittings of a court; lawyer’s timescale)
|
|
|
12
|
Curved moulding easily embarrassed old woman (4)
|
COY (modest; chaste of thoughts; easily embarrassed) + MA (mother; old woman)
|
O
|
CYMA (ogee moulding of the cornice)
|
|
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13
|
Former lover signalled about son with justification? (7)
|
EX (former lover) + (CUED [signalled] containing [about] S [son]) EX CU (S) ED |
|
EXCUSED (with justification)
|
|
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14
|
Priest with foreboding curtailed source of his warmth? (4)
|
P (priest) + OMEN (foreboding) excluding the last letter (curtailed) N
|
|
POME (priest’s hand-warming ball of hot water)
|
|
|
15
|
Fanny Hill’s opening has one enthralled by a German female? (6)
|
H (first letter of [opening] HILL) + (EINE [feminine form of the German word for ‘a’] containing [has … enthralled] I [Roman numeral for one]) H EIN (I) E |
|
HEINIE (buttocks. FANNY can also be defined as buttocks. both are US slang)
|
|
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16
|
US physical chemist concerned with blocking uranium and yttrium (4)
|
RE (with reference to; concerned with) contained in (blocking) (U [chemical symbol for Uranium + Y [chemical symbol for Yttrium) U (RE) Y |
|
UREY (reference Harold Clayton UREY [1893 – 1981], an American physical chemist whose
|
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18
|
A new church with a Rector in historic close (5)
|
A + N (new) + CE (Church [of England]) + A + R (rector)
|
C
|
ANEAR (old [historic] word for close)
|
|
|
21
|
Stones? Points out stretches regarding components of concrete (12)
|
Anagram of (out) STONES and POINTS POST-TENSIONS* |
|
POST-TENSIONS (stretches of the reinforcing wires or rods in [pre-stressed concrete] after the concrete is set)
|
|
|
24
|
Bisected? Suggestion that hurts, when recalled (5, 2 words)
|
HINT (suggestion) + (OW [expression indicating something hurts] reversed [when recalled]) IN T WO< |
H
|
IN TWO (something bisected is divided IN TWO parts)
|
|
|
26
|
Catholic artwork recalled an inspiration in history (4)
|
C (Catholic) + (OIL [artwork] reversed [recalled]) C LIO< |
|
CLIO (Muse [inspiring goddess] of history; an inspiration in history)
|
|
|
27
|
Notice upset youngster accepting one excuse for avoiding legal action (6)
|
SEE (notice) reversed (upset) + (SON [youngster] containing [accepting] I [Roman numeral for one]) ES< S (I) ON |
E
|
ESSOIN (legal term for an excuse for not appearing in court; excuse for avoiding legal action)
|
|
|
29
|
Jungle initially containing clay (4)
|
GLEI (hidden word in [containing] JUNGLE INITIALLY)
|
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GLEI (bluish-grey sticky clay found under some types of very damp soil)
|
|
|
30
|
Soup bowl, attractive featuring in fashion magazine (7)
|
CUTE (sexually attractive) contained in (featuring in) ELLE (name of a fashion magazine) E (CUE) LLE |
T
|
ÉCUELLE (two-handled soup bowl.)
|
|
|
31
|
Couple backing Iceland elevator manufacturer (4)
|
TWO reversed (backing) + IS (International Vehicle Registration for Iceland) OT< IS |
W
|
OTIS (name of company that manufactures elevators)
|
|
|
32
|
One granted refuge? English cathedral has it on reflection (6)
|
(E [English] + ELY [city in England with a cathedral] + SA [sexual attraction; it]) all reversed (on reflection) (AS YLE E)< |
|
ASYLEE (person granted asylum [refuge])
|
|
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33
|
Name adopted by simple old Irish woman (5)
|
N (name) contained in (adopted by) ETHE (Spenserian [old] word for easy or simple) ETH (N) E |
|
ETHNE (female Irish name; Irish woman)
|
|
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34
|
Describing name before marriage applied to daughter – Miss? (4)
|
NÉE (describing name before marriage) + D (daughter)
|
|
NEED (miss)
|
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35
|
Constituents of America will accept American Facebook announcements (8)
|
STATES (constituent parts of the United STATES of America) containing (will accept) US (America) STAT (US) ES |
|
STATUSES (postings on a social networking websites,such as Facebook, that indicates a user’s current situation, state of mind, or opinion about something)
|
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| Down | |||||
| Bo. |
Clue |
Wordplay |
Letter |
Entry | |
|
1
|
Improve retaining cold in cooler? (6)
|
LOOK UP (improve) containing (retaining) C (cold) LO (C) K UP |
O
|
LOCKUP (prison; cooler )
|
|
|
2
|
Part of beetle – try madly to be enthralled by top of head once rearing (7)
|
Anagram of (madly) TRY contained in (enthralled by) NOLE (Shakespearean [old]word for BOLL [top of the head]) reversed (rearing; down clue) EL (YTR*) ON< |
|
ELYTRON (a beetle’s forewing modified to form a case for the hindwing)
|
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3
|
Name annoying character in agitation (7)
|
TERM (name) + PEST (annoying character)
|
R
|
TEMPEST (agitation)
|
|
|
4
|
Almost concluded over my opposition (5)
|
ENDED (concluded) excluding the final letter (almost) D + MY
|
D
|
ENEMY (opposition)
|
|
|
5
|
Blue singer’s first to make cut (4) |
S (first letter of [first] SINGER) + AXE (make cut)
|
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SAXE ([of china, etc] made in, or characteristic of, Saxony; [also without capital letter] of a deep shade of light blue)
|
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6
|
No opening for attractive art form (7)
|
FETCHING (attractive) excluding (no) the first letter (opening) F
|
|
ETCHING (art form)
|
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7
|
Noble Italian family Signor, irritating dismissing good one (6)
|
Anagram of (irritating) SIGNOR excluding (dismissing) G (good) + I (Roman numeral for one) ORSIN* I |
|
ORSINI (Italian noble family; it was one of the most influential princely families in medieval Italy and renaissance Rome)
|
|
|
8
|
No longer a match for Scotland? I agree (4)
|
SAMEN (obsolete [no longer] Scottish form of SAME a match])
|
S
|
AMEN (expression of assent; I agree)
|
|
|
9
|
Old poet’s surely an unknown quantity in search in Edinburgh (5)
|
Y (letter frequently used for an unknown value in equations) contained in (in) SKER (variant spelling of SKIRR (Scottish word for search) S (Y) KER |
|
SYKER (Spenserean [old poet] word for surely)
|
|
|
17
|
Small vessel having endless trouble over small bay (7)
|
VEX (trouble) excluding the final letter (endless) X + INLET (small bay)
|
|
VEINLET (small [blood] vessel)
|
|
|
19
|
Stone implements, these rocks, containing liquid oil (7)
|
Anagram of (rocks) THESE containing (containing) an anagram of (liquid) OIL E (OLI*) THS* |
E
|
EOLITHS (very early roughly-broken stone implements)
|
|
|
20
|
Love getting covered in older blue dye (7)
|
NIL (zero; love score in tennis) contained in (getting covered in) AINE (elder or senior; older) A (NIL) INE |
|
ANILINE (blue dye, initially a product of ANIL [indigo (shade of blue}plant)]
|
|
|
22
|
Couple starts to use less diesel? it more than might! (6)
|
TWO (couple) + ULD (first letters of [starts to] each of USE, LESS and DIESEL)
|
|
‘TWOULD (contraction of IT WOULD [expressing a stronger concept than it MIGHT; more than might)
|
|
|
23
|
Old inebriates learned to put in a cry for help (6)
|
WISE (learned) contained in (to put in) SOS (Save Our Souls; cry for help) SO (WSE) S |
I
|
SOWSES (Spenserian and Shakespearean [old] spelling of SOUSES [drunkards; inebriates])
|
|
|
24
|
Evans the Rugby? That is a name encountered around University (5)
|
(IE [id est; that is]) + A + N [name]) containing (around) U (university) IE (U) A N |
|
IEUAN (reference IEUAN Evans [born 1964], former rugby union player who played on the wing for Wales and the British and Irish Lions)
|
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25
|
Discharge to irritate when surrounding limb (5)
|
GET (irritate) containing (surrounding) LEG (limb) G (LE) ET |
G
|
GLEET (a viscous, transparent discharge from a mucous surface)
|
|
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28
|
Feature of jacket in Gordonstoun, the old school taking precedence (4)
|
SCH (school) + YE (old for of ‘the’)
|
H
|
SCYE (Scottish word an opening in a garment for the insertion of a sleeve. Gordonstoun is a Scottish school)
|
|
|
29
|
Follow up after opening of gash in brain tissue (4)
|
G (first letter of [opening of] GASH) + (TAIL [follow] reversed [up; down clue] G LIA< |
T
|
GLIA (neuroglia [supporting tissue of the brain and spinal cord])
|
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| Extra | |||||
| Clue | Wordplay | Definition | Entry – Letters | ||
|
|
Portable radio correspondingly has one on the move (12)
|
ALIKE (correspondingly) with the letter I [one] moving within the word to form ALKIE
|
WALKIE–TALKIE (portable radio) | ALKIE – W,T | |
|
|
A fag, missing the start. when going round with guide all over the place (16)
|
CIGGY (cigarette; fag) excluding the first letter [missing the start] C containing (going round) LED (with guide) IGG (LED) Y |
HIGGLEDY–PIGGLEDY (all over the place) | IGGLEDY – H,P | |
|
|
Eyes screwed up to take in note in smallest font? (12)
|
Anagram of (screwed up) EYES containing (to take in) N (note) EE (N) SY* |
TEENSY–WEENSY (descriptive of something tiny, e.g. a note written in the smallest font)
|
EENSY – T,W
|
|
|
|
Scots confused by time in sea at Dieppe (12)
|
(X [by, when describing a multiplication sum – 7 by 6 {7 X 6}] + T [time]) contained in (in) MER (French [in Dieppe] for sea) M (X T) ER |
MIXTER–MAXTER (Scottish word for a confused jumble)
|
MXTER – I,A
|
|
And I thought MIXTER-MAXTER would be the obscure one!
There’s the usual blog at:
http://phionline.net.nz/setters-blogs/wattwhip/
As is now the rule rather than the exception, grid-staring took FAR longer than grid-filling !
The breakthrough finally came when I spotted IGGLEDY in the grid … at a time when I hadn’t solved any of the “extra clues”. The other three then fell rapidly, being already in the grid minus a letter each.
My one doubt at the end was whether to highlight the E of MXTER as shown above, or the equally contiguous E in TERMLY … I chose the first alternative, and am now grateful to duncanshiell for giving the ricochet justification. (Does anyone remember a brilliant Listener by Arcturus called “Black Box” in which ALL entries had to ricochet off the sides of the grid wherever they encountered them ?)
I look forward to a puzzle in due course where all answers are of this type … off the cuff, HURDY-GURDY, RUMPY-PUMPY,TUTTI-FRUTTI, KICKSIE-WICKSIE, TITTLE-TATTLE, RIFF-RAFF, … and of course with thanks to ds and Phi, from whom we always expect no less, LUBBLY-JUBBLY !
Thanks for the blog. I had a full grid, and three of the extra clues, but yes, failed miserably to find the fourth.
Meant also to say, ds, that I hadn’t come across MAMBY-PAMBY as a variant for NAMBY-PAMPY … is it Scottish ? I seem to remember that someone once produced a Bradford-type solvers’ aid consisting solely of Scottish words … has anyone got it ? I’m sure my favourite TAGHAIRM would be in it.
My traditional-Anglican wife has reminded me of the bane of her churchgoing in recent years … HAPPY-CLAPPY.
This was a lot of fun; thanks all round. I too saw IGGLEDY in a very nearly full grid before cracking any extra clues. MIXTER-MAXTER was indeed the hard one, both through unfamiliarity and because the pattern of dropping first letters broke at that point. But the diagonal continued with MXT, only the vowels from WATTWHIP were still in play, and MIXTER-MAXTER seemed somehow more plausible than the other way around. “I bet that’s Scots,” I thought, and Chambers duly reassured me.
Solved the normal clues and filled the grid without much problem, then went to 8, the “starting square”. Saw ALKIE and realised that the answer to the first extra clue was WALKIE-TALKIE. Continuing along the diagonals and bouncing off the edges gave me answers to the next two, and just like David Langford @5 was briefly delayed by MIXTER-MAXTER which I’d never come across before.
Thanks to Duncan for introducing me to the term RICOCHET WORDS, which I wasn’t aware of until reading the blog. (Murray Glover @4: I think MAMBY-PAMBY is probably a typo in the blog.) Not one of Phi’s toughest – it seemed over rather quickly.
I enjoyed this too. I couldn’t begin to crack the extra clues until I discovered we were looking for ricochet words (new to me). But it wasn’t staring at the grid, but sleepless in bed, that I realised, if two letters were omitted, what was liable to be in the grid. And, sure enough, there was ‘iggledy’. The others followed. And mixter-maxter was indeed, for me, the obscure one.
Thanks to setter and blogger.
Much like last week, whilst overall I found this an enjoyable puzzle and another inventive theme, the edge was taken off the pleasure of the solve for me by what seemed to be an excess of obscurities. Maybe I’m just being sensitive to it at the moment for some reason, but I don’t feel that I’ve found my ‘rhythm’ in these last two solves.
For some reason I also had that mistaken extra X, and looking back I notice that I didn’t have the S from 8 down, having apparently never gotten round to fully parsing it, so I think I must have been working on the instruction being ‘ricochet word X’, which sort of works.
Murray Glover @ 4
I’m afraid MAMBY-PAMBY reflects a senior moment. Holy Ghost @ 6 is being too kind when he suggests it is simply a typo. MIXTER-MAXTER though genuinely was the first extra clue I solved due to my Scottish background when I heard the word many times.
Thanks to Phi for another enjoyable puzzle and Duncan for the blog
I’m another who ended up for a time with a rogue X in the hidden message. I also spent a while thinking that the split came as RICOCHET. WORD EIGHT which didn’t help matters. Ricochet-words were entirely new to me. Higgledy-piggledy was the first one I worked out. I have to say that I did find the instruction a bit misleading too: only 1 letter is actually missing from the 50% of the long word entered into the grid.
Thanks Duncan and Phi. Filled the grid etc but failed on the extra clues. I guessed that there would be some bouncing off the walls of the grid but I had not come across the term “ricochet word” before. I did look ricochet up in Chambers but there was no entry for “ricochet word”, so none-the-wiser for that. Like MG I spent longer trying to figure out what do to finish than I spent filling the grid in the first place.