A wonderfully complex preamble this week. Read once, twice maybe three times? And then start on the clues and hope it all falls into place.
The preamble in summary:
- There are 9 across clues with misprints which spell out an author
- The rest of the across clues have additional words to give a line after the simile (to be found)
- Some down clues have a redundant word to spell out the work
- The rest of the down clues contain additional letters in their wordplay giving the simile minus the middle row entry
- And finally the middle row needs to be treated according to itself leaving real words in the final grid
Piece of cake?
Well certainly not too difficult once you’d spotted the amendments.
From the amendments and the preamble, we get the following:
- Author: Ogden Nash
- Work: One Touch of Venus
- First part of simile: “As a Dachshud abhors”
- Line after the simile: That’s how you are loved by me
“One Touch of Venus is a musical with music written by Kurt Weill, lyrics by Ogden Nash, and book by S. J. Perelman and Nash” (Thank you wikipedia) and the relevant simile from it is
“As a dachshund abhors/Revolving doors/ That’s how much I love you” – certainly the version I found.
The unclued central across entry is “REVOLVING DOORS” with the intersecting answers meaning it is initially entered in reverse.
The final step of the puzzle is to revolve the reversed entry which leaves real words throught the grid.
Many thanks kcit – whilst not subject matter I had any familiarity with, it was an elegant puzzle incorporating a multitude of clue masking devices.
Key:
Underline – Definition
* anagram
Rev. reverse
DD Double definition
1 Electrical current that’s … that’s hurting one South American rodent (7) | ||
That’s | 1 Electrical current … that’s hurting one South American rodent (7) | |
AC (Electrical current) + ouch (that’s hurting) + I (one) = ACOUCHI | ||
6 Writing that is about Left in China, perhaps (7) | ||
O | 6 Writing that is about Left in Chino, perhaps (7) | |
Text (writing) + l (left) in ie (that is) = TEXTILE | ||
12 A lot of work constraining Lake, a Lake showing pondy liquid (7) | ||
G | 12 A lot of work constraining Lake, a Lake showing pongy liquid (7) | |
Chore (work) – e (indicated by a lot of) around l (lake) + a + l(lake) = CHLORAL | ||
13 Insolent Scots get angry about women (7) | ||
D | 13 Indolent Scots get angry about women (7) | |
See red (get angry) around w (women) = SWEERED | ||
14 Seem upset about key description of caning? (7) | ||
E | 14 Seem upset about key description of canine? (7) | |
(seem)* around alt (key) = MALTESE | ||
17 How psychiatrist put down conclusion to theorising (5) | ||
how | 17 Psychiatrist put down conclusion to theorising (5) | |
Lain (put down) + g (conclusion to theorising) = LAING | ||
18 Best selection of whisky ready for return (4) | ||
N | 18 Nest selection of whisky ready for return (4) | |
Rev. hidden whiskY REAdy = AERY | ||
24 See side of field you are to sell (4) | ||
you are | 24 See side of field to sell (4) | |
V (see) + end (side of field) = VEND | ||
29 Love to deny curtailed sighs over corrupt material (5) | ||
N | 29 Love to deny curtailed signs over corrupt material (5) | |
O (love) + belie (deny) – e (curtailed) = OBELI | ||
30 Old Frenchmen occupying codger’s historic grouse (7) | ||
A | 30 Old Frenchmen occupying codger’s historic arouse (7) | |
O (old) + MM (Frenchmen) in Cove (codger) = COMMOVE | ||
31 ID fellow at door loved to turn back (7, two words) | ||
loved | 31 ID fellow at door to turn back (7, two words) | |
Rev.(Gate (door) + Man (fellow)) = NAME TAG | ||
32 Fellow, forestry worker, is feller (7) | ||
S | 32 Fellow, forestry worker, is seller (7) | |
F (fellow) + logger (forestry worker) = FLOGGER | ||
33 Pigsney, playfully, used for observing by me (7) | ||
by me | 33 Pigsney, playfully, used for observing (7) | |
(pigsney)* = ESPYING | ||
34 College is enthralled by former sport (7) | ||
H | 34 College is enthralled by former short (7) | |
C (college) + is in once (former) = CONCISE | ||
1 The best article was delivered (4) | ||
A | A + came (delivered) = ACME | |
2 Fish: school arrived (5) | ||
S | Sch (achool) + arr (arrived) = CHARR | |
3 A French composer set up medley (4) | ||
A | Rev. (A + Lalo (French composer)) = OLLA | |
4 One softened principles (5) | ||
One | 4 Softened principles (5) | |
DD CREED | ||
5 Minced dish deceived mum (4) | ||
D | Had (deceived) + sh (mum) = HASH | |
7 English river: a container of water? (4) | ||
A | E (English) + wear (river) = EWER | |
8 Elevated dispute about stock café (7, two words) | ||
C | Rev. (moot (dispute) about race(stock)) = TEAROOM | |
9 Flag of a European country (4) | ||
H | DD Irish IRIS | |
10 Note touch adopted by the French contact (4) | ||
touch | 10 Note adopted by the French contact (4) | |
N (note) in les (the French) = LENS | ||
11 One trims Carex over river (5) | ||
S | Sedge (Carex) + r (river) = EDGER | |
15 Those people will come round to wheel hospital bed (7) | ||
H | They (Those people) around roll (wheel) = TROLLEY | |
16 I tucked into colourful Scottish onion (4) | ||
U | I in hued (colourful) = HEID | |
18 Queen welcomed by alderman of Newcastle (4) | ||
of | 18 Queen welcomed by alderman Newcastle (4) | |
Hidden aldermAN NEwcastle = ANNE | ||
19 Ends in tremendous crash: nobody excelled (5) | ||
N | S h (Ends in tremendous crash) + none (nobody) = SHONE | |
20 French newspaper almost complete disappointment (5) | ||
D | Le Monde (French newspaper) – e = LEMON | |
21 Birds found under each part of roof (5) | ||
A | Aves (birds) after ea (each) = EAVES | |
22 Arab garments, one secured by Barbara (4) | ||
B | Babs (Barbara) around a = ABAS | |
23 Fibre garment’s edge having tick underneath (4) | ||
H | Hem (edge) + hp (tick) = HEMP | |
25 The Spanish Venus, with some endless style (4) | ||
Venus | 25 The Spanish, with some endless style (4) | |
El (The Spanish) + any (some) – y = ELAN | ||
26 Fifteenth group in competition sport (4) | ||
O | Pool O (15th group) = POLO | |
27 Posture expert is not half supporting circulating of blood (4) | ||
R | Rev. (Is – s (not half) + gory (of blood)) = YOGI | |
28 Plain Scottish marshland (4) | ||
S | DD Merse MERE |
I have, just this minute, put up a blog about the puzzle, and also about the musical (including some other quotes):
http://phionline.net.nz/setters-blogs/enigmatic-variations-no-1285-outrageous-simile/
It was great to see this used as a theme for a puzzle; it’s long been one of my favourite pieces, even though nobody else that I know seems to have heard of it. Thank you to the setter for a very enjoyable and relatively straightforward puzzle. Enjoyed Kcit’s blog as well.