Enigmatic Variations 1285 Outrageous Simile by Stick Kcit

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

2 comments on “Enigmatic Variations 1285 Outrageous Simile by Stick Kcit”

  1. 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.

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