Schadenfreude usually means hard but fair and this was no exception.
The rubric read: Initially 15 cells will contain 4 or more letters. They are to be replaced by 2 letters (XY) and the cell shaded in an appropriate colour. 8 clues to normally entered answers contain an extra word which has only one letter in common with the answer. These letters identify XY. Numbers in brackets are the lengths of grid entries.
The or more was very important – often it was a lot more!!
The first 4-or-more-letter-cell I got was at square 1 where JARDIN seemed to want to be in the top left square (or possibly ARDINI in its neighbour to the right). After eventually getting DU from DUSTINESS at 1D (contemptibility was not an obvious definition!) I realised that the 4 or more letters could come from two clues. So square 1 contained DUJARDIN. I really should have twigged the theme almost immediately, knowing that Charlotte Dujardin (a memorable name!) was the double Olympic dressage champion, but was rather at a loss to understand the hint “Tart”. This dawned later as being a clue to Charlotte. Meanwhile I had KENNY at square 37. I initially thought this was a first name, but (after quite a lot of grid filling and thinking time), connected this with Jason Kenny, the multiple cycling gold-medallist, and Jason was hinted at by “Greek hero”.
So the “Toppers“of the title were the 15 individual gold medallists from the 2016 Rio Olympics with the hints leading to their first names. Until solving this crossword I wasn’t aware that there were 15 individuals involved. Note that there were 18 individual golds, Mo Farah, Jason Kenny and Max Whitlock winning two each. There were an additional 9 team gold medals.
I unravelled the 8 extra word clues giving INITIALS. So we had to enter the initials of the gold medallists in their squares and colour them, appropriately, gold.
I often had half a name (sometimes less) from one clue, but this eventually allowed me to track down the missing letters from the surname and derive the answer to the second clue. I used this web page.
I thought, until right at the end, that 28A (?ANHDE) had to do with MANHATTAN (in New York), but eventually (knowing I was looking for doctor-hinted MO Farah) managed to find FANFARADE.
The full set of 15 is:
| Cell | Extra letters: Across + Down = Last Name (Event) | Hint | First Name | Initials |
| 1 | JARDIN + DU = DUJARDIN (Dressage) | Tart | CHARLOTTE (a deep tart) | CJ |
| 5 | WHIT + LOCK = WHITLOCK (Gymnastics) | Stale gin | MAX (obsolete word for gin) | MW |
| 8 | SKEL + TON = SKELTON (Showjumping) | Police station | NICK (slang for police station) | NS |
| 17 | MUR + RAY = MURRAY (Tennis) | Circuity | AND (logic circuit) + Y | AM |
| 20 | T + SCOT = SCOTT (Sailing) | Cartoonist | GILES ( Express cartoonist) | GS |
| 26 | ADAM + S = ADAMS (Boxing) | Ulster drink | NI (Ulster) + COLA (drink) | NA |
| 27 | T + ROTT = TROTT (Cycling) | Cells | LAURA (recluses’ cells) | LT |
| above 31 | FARA + H = FARAH (Athletics) | Doctor | MO (Medical Officer) | MF |
| 31 | KE + CLAR = CLARKE (Canoeing) | US soldier | (G.I.) JOE | JC |
| 35 | E + ROS = ROSE (Golf) | Newly arrived | JUST IN | JR |
| 37 | Y + KENN = KENNY (Cycling) | Greek hero | JASON (of the Argonauts) | JK |
| 38 | PEA + TY = PEATY (Swimming) | Architect | (Robert) ADAM | AP |
| 43 | BROWN + LEE = BROWNLEE (Triathlon) | Heavyweight steps | ALI (heavyweight) + STAIR (steps) | AB |
| 44 | HEA + TH = HEATH (Canoeing) | Returned letters | LIAM (MAIL reversed) | LH |
| 45 | JO + NES = JONES (Taekwondo) | Nag | JADE (horse) | JJ |
Thanks to Schadenfreude for the puzzle which I thought was pretty difficult, and required a lot of research to find all the medallists. Much of the difficulty derived from the fact that there were three different types of clue, with little or no indication of which was which. Nice PDM this week though – which was the beginning of the end!
The final grid is:
Across |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Clue, definition, (extra word) | Answer with name letters | Wordplay | Common letter |
| 1 | Juliet’s working with drainer that is for mixed vegetables (5) | JARDINIERE | J(uliet) + [DRAINER IE]* | |
| 5 | Move swiftly in some places – in which direction? (4) | WHITHER | Double definition with alternative spelling of WUTHER – dialect to move swiftly | |
| 8 | Cheat extremely sick presbyter (4) | SKELDER | S(ic)K + ELDER (presbyter) | |
| 11 | Solitary fish (4) | SOLE | Double definition | |
| 12 | Hospital stops doctor’s former units (4) | MHOS | H(ospital) in MO’S (doctor’s) | |
| 14 | Too much drink knocked back by junior air force officer (6) | TROPPO | PORT (drink) reversed + P(ilot) O(fficer) | |
| 15 | Academy Lecturer – strengthens warning devices (6) | ALARMS | A(cademy) + L(ecturer) + ARMS (strengthens) | |
| 16 | Russia’s president circulated Scotland’s contribution (5) | INPUT | PUTIN with two letters “circulated” | |
| 17 | Victims meet big race winner from the east (7) | MURDEREES | SEE (meet) + RED RUM (Grand National winner) all reversed | |
| 19 | Very angry side put in either half of US prison (8) | STEAMING | TEAM (side) in SING (half of Sing Sing – NY prison) | |
| 22 | Most premature (buying) e-tailers collapsed (8) | EARLIEST | [E-TAILERS]* | I |
| 26 | A mother with sex appeal is beginning to master the practice of going about naked (6) | ADAMITISM | A + DAM (mother) + IT (sex appeal) + IS + M(aster) | |
| 28 | Enthusiastic display shown by cool passenger retaining advantage in New York (6) | FANFARADE | FAN (cool) + FARE (passenger) round AD(vantage in tennis in US) | |
| 29 | Spirit consumed by some potentially talkative bird (8) | PARRAKEET | RAKEE (spirit) in PART (some) | |
| 32 | French mathematician senator Newton found in lake (8) | MERSENNE | SEN(ator) + N(ewton) in MERE (lake) | |
| 35 | Squeeze nurse next to data processing station (7) | ENDPLAY | Squeeze in Bridge is a form of endplay: EN (nurse) + DP (data processing) + LAY (station) | |
| 38 | Comparatively lively local Arab occupying prison cell (5) | PEARTER | AR(ab) in PETER (prison cell) | |
| 39 | Theory about anonymous note relating to a mountain (nymph) (6) | IDAEAN | IDEA (theory) round A(nonymous) + N(ote) | N |
| 40 | This shopkeeper sounds more coarse (6) | GROCER | Sounds like GROSSER | |
| 41 | Mac’s livid – his bank’s changed hands(4) | BLAE | BRAE (Scottish bank) with R changed to L | |
| 42 | Virgin soldiers following pick-up (4) | PURE | R(oyal) E(ngineers) (soldiers) after PU (pick-up) | |
| 43 | Child nursing worn out gnawing creature (4, 2 words) | BROWN RAT | BRAT (child) round [WORN]* | |
| 44 | Stiff carrier listens to echo (4) | HEARSE | HEARS (listens to) + E(cho) | |
| 45 | Japanese youth’s missing front of basic home game control (5) | JOYPAD | J(apanese) + (b)OY (youth minus B(asic)) + PAD (home) | |
Down |
||||
| No. | Clue, definition, (extra word) | Answer with name letters | Wordplay | X |
| 1 | Translation of Norse studies about society contemptibility (8) | DUSTINESS | [N(orse) STUDIES S(ociety)]* | |
| 2 | Runaway East European turned up with Republican (6) | ELOPER | E(ast) + POLE (European) all reversed + R(epublican) | |
| 3 | (Tidy) state of old boozer (8) | REPUBLIC | RE (of) + PUBLIC (archaic word for a tavern or boozer) | I |
| 4 | Nasty type keeping married (flirt) hungry (5) | EMPTY | [TYPE]* round M(arried) | T |
| 5 | Stop us entering English philosopher’s canal-side dwelling (6) | LOCKHOUSE | HO (stop) + US in (John) LOCKE (English philosopher) | |
| 6 | Cheer ordinary men appearing in country dance (4) | HOORAY | O(rdinary) + OR (men) in HAY (country dance) | |
| 7 | Regret accepting Liberal government (4) | RULE | RUE (regret) round L(iberal) | |
| 8 | Circuit reversed on shell-like mobile component of record player (5, 2 words) | TONE ARM | NOT (logic circuit) reversed+ EAR (shell-like) + M(obile) | |
| 9 | Goddesses seemed (prickly) in uniform at sea (9) | EUMENIDES | [SEEMED IN U]* | I |
| 10 | German deserts solid Scottish explorer (4) | ROSS | GROSS (solid) minus G(erman) | |
| 13 | Morag’s dreary daughter supported by Austrian psychoanalyst (6) | DREICH | D(aughter) + (Wilhelm) REICH (Austrian psychoanalyst) | |
| 18 | (Back) trouble overcome by vulnerable number eleven at Trent Bridge? (9) | TAIL-ENDER | AIL (trouble) in TENDER (vulnerable) | A |
| 20 | Duniwassal perhaps taxes mother before November (5) | SCOTSMAN | SCOTS (taxes) + MA (mother) + N(ovember) | |
| 21 | A few weeks abroad are welcomed by a driver (4) | ADAR | A(re) in A + DR(iver) | |
| 23 | (Lady) Muck for example lives not very wantonly (4) | ISLE | [LIES]* (LIVES minus V(ery)) | L |
| 24 | A natural glutinous ovule inversion (8) | ANATROPY | A + NAT(ural) + ROPY (glutinous) | |
| 25 | Frightened gumshoe made a mistake (8) | DETERRED | DET(ective – gumshoe) + ERRED (made a mistake) | |
| 27 | Scoundrel very enthusiastic about port (6) | ROTTERDAM | ROTTER (scoundrel) + MAD (very enthusiastic) reversed | |
| 30 | Queen to encourage aged form of music (6) | REGGAE | R (queen) + EGG (encourage) + AE (aged) | |
| 31 | Religious woman put up to consume cold mixed alcoholic drink (6, 2 words) | CLARET CUP | (Poor) CLARE + PUT reversed round C(old) | |
| 33 | Special hospital department wasted (drugs) (5) | SPENT | SP(ecial) + ENT (hospital department) | S |
| 34 | Esters mixed with the nucleus of phenylic hydrocarbons (5) | STYRENES | [ESTERS + (phe)NY(lic)]* | |
| 35 | Tea I planted in flower meadow (4, 2 words) | ROSIE LEE | I in ROSE (flower) + LEE (meadow) | |
| 36 | Scots dislike the other hotel south of US city (4) | LAITH | LA (US city) + IT (the other) + H(otel) | |
| 37 | Barges carrying ninety new gutters (4) | KENNELS | KEELS (barges) round N (ninety – mediaeval Roman numeral) + N(ew) | |
Splendid puzzle. Got Jatdin initially and assumed I was on the hunt for a body live series members however Mr Google said no. I then went searching for other cricketing records before I found FARAH (in the wrong place as I had Hoorah rather than hooray).
Splendid fun and after many years of trying I finally defeat Schadenfreude. I’ll need to ferret the back catalogue and revisit.
Vintage Schadenfreude. I had the theme and winners identified, and thought “that’s good, I didn’t even need the hints !” But what to put in the 15 cells? The preamble said “to be replaced by two letters (XY)” so my first instinct was that they should all be GB. Only then did I start to look at the delightful hints, and thus realised that CD, MW, NS etc. were what was intended. In which case it would have been kinder to have said “to be replaced by two letters,(XY, YZ etc.)”
My only slight niggle about an otherwise great puzzle. Thanks to setter and Hihoba. We seem to be sailing in less stormy IQ waters again ?
On a personal note, I was glad to see Andy MURRAY, but disappointed that Helen GLOVER did not feature too. “Helen” could have yielded several great hints ?
I add my voice to the praise. I’d only heard of two of the “toppers” but the presentation of the material meant that lack of knowledge wasn’t a problem (t’interwebs helped too of course). Excellent clues which were tough but yielded with persistence. Great stuff, and a toughie like this was particularly welcome on a weekend when there was no Listener crossword to do!
I must admit that most of this was totally beyond me. I managed to fill in the majority of the grid, albeit with no idea where to put the 4 or more letters per cell. I guessed, with a few, but never did work out what the mysterious XY was supposed to be, or indeed what the theme was at all. The fact that I can barely manage to write in and then successfully read 2 letters in a single cell, never mind 4, may have been a contributing factor. But that’s just my eyesight and struggling with a pencil in poor light 😉 Congratulations to all who managed this!
Thanks for the blog. A fun solve, albeit without ever understanding and eventually giving up on the hints to the themers, not helped by Police Station being obviously a reference to Lock (Up).
Many thanks to Schadenfreude, a very impressive puzzle that kept me busy for more than a week. Progress was slow but steady and I found this a very rewarding solve. I might have completed it more quickly if I had identified some of the more unusual names early, but unfortunately my first three were SCOTT, JONES and CLARKE. It was only after getting SKELTON that I was able to make the link with sports (either that or Blue Peter) and having already got half of WHITLOCK, PEATY and MURRAY it all began to fall into place. It was only very near the end that the penny dropped as to what the hints were referring to and they helped me to get Jason KENNY. That’s two Schadenfreudes completed now and – like Tilsit @1 – my phobia is beginning to fade.
Thanks to Hihoba for the blog. I hadn’t realised that this managed to incorporate ALL of the individual gold winners, which makes the construction even more impressive.
Another cracker from Schadenfreude, really enjoyed this one. Like the blogger, I had Dujardin first and that was my way in. The other names came very slowly, over a few days. Certainly one of the hardest for me this year. The hints really helped getting those last few names in, Jason Kenny being my last. Great stuff, my thanks to blogger and setter.
Oddly enough, I didn’t find it as hard as many seem to have.
Dujardin was also my first. Recognised her name straight away, knew she’d won gold at Rio, so I was in. At this point I realized that Andy would be in there somewhere but forgot that by the time I found RAY and went looking for 17a starting with B for [Sophie] BRAY. Not so much a penny-dropping-moment as a self-kicking-moment. Still all came good in the end.
Many thanks to Schadenfraude (how does he do it?) and to Hihoba.
Echoing others: lots of thanks to Schadenfreude and Hihoba. My massive ignorance of sport was a bit of a handicap, but after getting a few names (Dujardin came first here too) I resorted to a furtive web search. Having then realized that XY was not a constant, I was rather expecting multiple values for “shaded in an appropriate colour”, i.e. gold, silver and bronze. Quite a relief that they were all gold. And I too missed the extra cleverness of including all 15 individual gold winners.
An enjoyable and impressive IQ – thanks Scadenfreude.
We totally missed the fact that the gold medalists were all individual winners – how did we miss that? So, thanks also to Hihoba, without the blog we would not have realised just how extra clever the puzzle was!
I realised fairly quickly that this was going to be tricky and reached for a dictionary early on, and Google not long after. I’d found Whitlock, Adams and Smith first and these rang a sporting bell, though I wasn’t sure immediately what – Adams pointed towards either boxing or football and I was speculating red/blue for the colours for a while. However, it didn’t take much longer for the Olympic connection to emerge, but I have to admit that without Google I’d have struggled to find more than half of these.
I thought this was significantly more ‘diabolical’ than the Six Nations puzzle, though I’m not complaining about that. My one question was on the utility of the ‘hints’. Were we really supposed to be working out unknown first names by these oblique hints? Did anyone, for example, identify Charlotte simply from the distinctly ungallant ‘tart’?
OPatrick @11, I don’t think you were supposed to work out the first names from the hints, merely to use them as conformation. In the early stages I wasn’t sure which SCOTT was involved, Giles, Duncan or Stephen. The hint confirmed that it was only individual gold medallists that were involved.
I do agree about poor old Charlotte the tart!
Or indeed confIrmation!!
Hi Hi – thanks, I hadn’t thought of it like that, probably because my immediate thought had been that it was only individual medalists we were looking for and a quick count had confirmed this. It does make sense to avoid any possible ambiguity. And I still enjoyed the process of parsing the hints, so I should clarify it wasn’t really a complaint, more a question.
However I didn’t defeat Schadenfreude. I took initials to be GB as in the gold medals. Never mind.
Forgot to mention that, not having a gold highlighter, and being dissatisfied with my vivid yellow one, I found just the right goldish-colour from the large tin of Stabilo colour pens that I “liberated” from the company that made me redundant in 1986 … after 31 years most of them still work perfectly ! Vorsprung durch techniek ?
I admit that I found this one very tough. (For Rio 2016 we went to Togo & Benin, for London 2012 we were in SE Asia, the one before that it was the foothills of the Himalayas … you get the picture.) I plodded on, and never realised that it was individual medal winners that we were looking for – that would’ve helped me enormously to dig out the last few. Instead I used the unsolved ‘hints’ to give me a more precise idea of where the multi-occupancy cells were.
Can’t say I enjoyed it much (more me than the puzzle), but I did struggle to a successful end. Thanks to Hi for the blog, and a nod of appreciation to Sch… for fitting in all fifteen.
I have finally given up on this. I have about three quarters of the grid tentatively filled in. I had worked out that the crowded cells were going to contain names but was unable to work out what related them all. I had not heard of the name DUJARDIN and had written JARDINE in there which threw me for the down clue with its obscure definition. Having found TROTT I speculated a track-cycling theme and looked for KENNY, but unfortunately I was trying to squeeze him into the wrong cell in the grid and couldn’t make it fit. I’m not very patriotic and I find watching the Olympics pretty dull. I can understand why people want do do sport, I like exercise very much myself, but I don’t get really the idea of just standing around watching others.
The problem with names, rather than dictionary words, is that almost any pronounceable combination of letters might be a name in some language or other. The “hints” didn’t seem very helpful to me, they were harder to solve that the clues and only make any sense once you have a firm idea of the solution already.
Defeated by this one but enjoyed the attempt nonetheless. Thanks to Schadenfreude and Hihoba.