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With some trepidation I embark on this sesquimillennial puzzle, set by Schadenfreude, Phi, Ifor, Nimrod & Kruger.
Preamble: To reveal the theme, solvers must highlight 35 cells which are not provided by the wordplay in their clues. The 18 remaining clues each contain a definitional misprint; correct letters, in clue order, spell two relevant words.
On a quick run-through on Saturday evening I solved only two down clues (26d ICICLE and 34d UTAH) soon followed by one across clue (37a ROOT CAP). Driving south (well, being driven) on Sunday, I then naturally focussed on the bottom left quadrant. A bit puzzled initially by 32a ATTUITE until I realised that the wordplay might omit more than one letter. 
When I saw THE I..Q rising in column 2, I noted that THE INQUISITOR ONE T would fit with what I had on the left side of the puzzle, and together with HOUSAND FIVE HUNDRED it would provide the required 35 cells to highlight. Just a short while later I noticed that those cells on the left-hand side formed an M, and if those on the right-hand side were to form a D then that would be 1500 in Roman numerals – so taking the H in 14a OUTMATCH as a reference point, I pencilled in the remaining cells to be highlighted.
This enabled me to mark the clues that contained a misprint, and I could see that the second of the two relevant words ended with DOVA – so that had to be MOLDOVA whose IVR is MD. I immediately thought of Maryland for the other relevant word, but (a) that was too short, and (b) it didn’t fit with the other corrections I had. Told brain to relax and work on this in the background …and sure enough out pops MENDELEVIUM (symbol Md, atomic no 101). 
Just a handful of clues remained unsolved in the bottom right quadrant and then I’d be done. I must admit that I’d have preferred a stiffer challenge on this one. Nevertheless, thanks to the five setters and to John H for hosting the bloggers’ lunch on the day of publication. And having pondered along the way on the title of the puzzle, I settled on it simply being 3-D = 3×500.
Hard surface ended insane,
Start of hope with confusion to gain
Provided before
Uncertain mind, or
I’m not sure to go after champagne.
SCHADENFREUDE = [H(ard) SURFACE ENDED]*
PHI = H(ope) in PI (confusion)
IFOR = IF (provided) + OR (before)
NIMROD = [MIND OR]*
KRUGER = ER (I’m not sure) after KRUG (champagne)
| Across | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Clue | Answer | Correction | Wordplay | |
| 1 | Fellow in a Government backed by Chinese ran from troubled country (6) | AFGHAN | M | man | F(ellow) in A G(overnment) + HAN (Chinese) |
| 6 | Exercising regularly speeds up the cold half of the common folk (7) | SCHLEPP | E | hale | [(s)P(e)E(d)S (u)P (t)H(e) C(o)L(d)]* {def.: hale2 = to drag} |
| 11 | Great steeplechaser opens up to cover ground – back on his rostrum, as of old (10) | PARKLEAVES | N | nostrum | ARKLE (great steeplechaser) in PAVE (cover ground) (hi)S |
| 12 | Swiss nosh frequently succeeded entertaining party of Africans (6) | FRANCS | D | dosh | FR(equently) S(ucceeded) around ANC (African National Congress) |
| 13 | Cava? Wedding participant mostly suppressed being on the wagon (6) | GROTTO | E | cave | GROO(m) (wedding participant) around TT (on the wagon) |
| 14 | Better marks obtained by censor on reflection (8) | O[U]TMA[T]C[H] | M(arks) in CATO< (censor) | ||
| 16 | Province turning over its land to the poets (4) | [ER]IN | NI< (province) | ||
| 18 | Retired pensioner owns much-used antique dagger (7) | P[O]INA[D]O | OAP< (pensioner) around IN (much-used) | ||
| 19 | Pubs expecting deliveries? (4) | I[N]N[S] | IN (expecting deliveries?) | ||
| 20 | Squatting? Damned good choice with rent ending (9) | C[R]O[U]CHI[N]G | [G(ood) CHOIC(e)]* | ||
| 21 | Head of Languages is entering into an amour (7) | L[I]AIS[O]N | L(anguages) IS in AN | ||
| 23 | American trumpeter uses this instrument (6) | [S]ANT[U]R | (Americ)AN TR(umpeter) | ||
| 25 | Keep time, occupying platform after soprano fails to appear (6) | D[E]TAI[N] | T(ime) in DAIS (platform) − S(oprano) | ||
| 27 | Virtuous girl moved heart, not head (6) | [A]RET[H]A | [(h)EART]* | ||
| 30 | Unexpectedly find W.C. Boggs & Son? (8, 2 words) | C[H]ANC[E] O[N] | CAN (WC) CO (Boggs & Son?) | ||
| 32 | Be aware of NZ bird being eaten by one in Hamilton (7) | A[T]TUI[T]E | TUI (NZ bird) in AE (one, Scot) | ||
| 36 | Appreciation of music blanking out a note (5) | [FIV]ER | EAR (appreciation of music) − A | ||
| 37 | Agreement over gold backing radical payer for protection (7, 2 words) | ROOT CAP | L | layer | PACT (agreement) O(ver) OR (gold) all< |
| 38 | Sparkly British barred crossword editor’s cut, as for Listener (6) | BAZAZZ | E | sparkle | B(ritish) AZED (barred crossword) − ED(itor) AZZ (as, homophone) |
| 39 | Nice liquid bolstering maximum dose (8) | PEACENIK | V | dove | [NICE]* in PEAK (maximum) |
| 40 | With an OBE, perhaps woman would embrace initiators of awards system (6) | SASHED | I | obi | SHE’D (woman would) around A(wards) S(ystem) |
| 41 | Paid for horsing around, finally enter horsing around (6) | RENTED | U | housing | [(aroun)D ENTER]* |
| Down | |||||
| No. | Clue | Answer | Correction | Wordplay | |
| 2 | He’s named as redeemer, originally from Arabia (5) | FAR[UQ] | F(rom) AR(abia) | ||
| 3 | Fan shelters from The Stranglers, wildly offering Golden Brown? (6) | GRAT[I]N | [THE STRANGLERS − SHELTERS]* | ||
| 4 | A reduced class could, from the outset, translate Greek verses (7) | ALCA[I]CS | [A CLAS(s) C(ould)]* | ||
| 5 | Counsellor reports sacking women (6) | NES[TOR] | NEWS (reports) − W(omen) | ||
| 6 | Led vessel since being put back in command (4) | SAIC | M | Med | AS< (since) I/C (in command) |
| 7 | Conveyance Robin Hood’s victims once discovered? (6) | HER[D]IC | (t)HE RIC(h) (Robin Hood’s victims once) | ||
| 8 | Something taken from French without an expression of gratitude? It follows! (7) | EXT[R]AIT | EXTRA (without) IT | ||
| 9 | Rotten place supported by Independent (5) | PUTI[D] | PUT (place) I(ndependent) | ||
| 10 | Monograph abused inventor’s drug record (9) | PHONOGRAM | M | drum | [MONOGRAPH]* |
| 15 | Right away, angry airmen converging on middle plane (6) | ME[S]IAN | [AIRMEN − R(ight)]* | ||
| 17 | Child draws foremost of hyenas leaving out those who may only appear occasionally in spurts (9, 2 words) | WILD CARDS | O | sports | [CHILD DRAWS − H(yenas)]* |
| 18 | Dancer, perhaps, to add extra business before start of opera (5) | PONGO | L | lancer | PONG (to add extra business) O(pera) |
| 22 | Exposed post-natal struggles with uncertainly relayed judgement (7, 2 words) | À TÂTONS | D | delayed | [(p)OST-NATA(l)]* |
| 23 | Prominent feature of river pub (7, 2 words) | [SAND] BAR | BAR (pub) | ||
| 24 | Navy man, once of great stature, saves unknown surfer (7) | NET[I]ZEN | N(avy) ETEN (giant, archaic) around Z (unknown) | ||
| 26 | Cold weather paint I see replicated over centre of Smolensk (6) | ICICLE | O | point | I C (see) twice + (Smo)LE(nsk) |
| 28 | Eisenhower finally overriding pressure of peace to create second front (6) | RE[F]ACE | PEACE with P(ressure) replaced by (Eisenhowe)R | ||
| 29 | Wanting starter, Greek appetizer one’s put in lift for Hamish (6) | [HE]EZIE | (m)EZE (Greek appetizer) around I (one) | ||
| 31 | Against letters being regularly censored in front of Amiens (5) | A[V]ANT | A(g)A(i)N(s)T | ||
| 33 | Pacific state’s ready sources of oil and energy abandoned (4) | [T]OEA | O(il) E(nergy) A(bandoned) | ||
| 34 | University hospital recruiting volunteers – state abode Arizona (4) | UTAH | V | above | U(niversity) H(ospital) around TA (volunteers) |
| 35 | Keep expensive stocks backing jobber in competition (4) | ÉPÉE | A | jabber | (k)EEP E(xpensive) all< |
|
|
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Thanks to all who made the IQ1500 party such a memorable occasion, including our blogging and checking teams, setters and solvers. I gather that pictures will be posted by Chalicea at some time soon on Derek Harrison’s Crossword.org.uk website.
There were just under 50 emailed entries as to the identity of what one correspondent described as the “unholy alliance” of SPINK, deduced from the excellent limerick sent to me by Ifor. Many of the emailers offered congratulatory messages on reaching the 1500 milestone, for which many (more) thanks. Quite a few made other comments and enquiries: there is not enough room on this Saturday’s page for an editorial, so here are a few snippets…
I’m afraid I’m not up to replying in limerick form.
That was a good puzzle to mark the occasion. I mean Mark the Day.
Enjoyed solving Inquisitor 1500 – Marvellously Devised.
Bring back the Bubbly.
A longer anagram incorporating the five setters, perhaps implying that it was all Jane’s [Mrs Ed.] idea to celebrate in this excellent way: HEROINE PURCHASED FUNKIER GRID FOR ‘MD’.
SPINK, your bover is clown also.
(from the reader whose quote I used in my article) With a mensa-level IQ, not many puzzles get the better of me. Perhaps my inability to master the Inquisitor proves that I am not as eccentric as I thought. I am not sure if I feel regret or relief.
One solver asked how the puzzle was set. I don’t think it’s a secret, so here goes. Schadenfreude devised the grid and clued the two V misprints. All other clues in order were allocated P, I, N, K, P, I, N, K,… so if you want to, you can work out who set which clues. All other procedures were as normal, with the proofing team’s comments being acted on by the setters involved.
Finally, there was an enquiry about entry numbers for the IQ in the i compared to those in the Indy before it moved papers. The answer is that I don’t know, as entry numbers in the Indy were never revealed to me (I did ask). We are keeping tabs on entries in the i: I’m not allowed to quote numbers, but they are pretty healthy, obviously fluctuating with puzzle difficulty and, as now, with holiday periods.
Once again, thanks everyone! Great stuff.
Nimrod
I haven’t tackled the Inquisitor for ages, but I did get the I to honour the occasion – ERIN was the only one I saw on first reading but I did eventually manage about 10 clues and my arithmetic told me that some clues had to be missing multiple letters. This was nowhere near enough to decode the themes, and I am full of admiration for those of you who found this easy! Top marks for ingenuity and grid construction – here’s to the next 500.
Thanks to HolyGhost and the Spink quintet
I thoroughly enjoyed solving this and was rather surprised (though relieved) that it wasn’t as fiendish as the Life After Death one.
Many congratulations and thanks to setters and blogger
Back in the day (this would be the 1990s) I asked about Independent entry numbers for the Saturday prize blocked puzzles, and I was told it was generally between half a waste-paper-basket-ful and a full basket. So it doesn’t look as if they ever really counted them.
After two very tough puzzles, I too was grateful for a relatively gentle celebration.
I couldn’t make any sense of Mendelevium, Moldova (sometimes the obvious is hard to see); googling it led to an interesting Moldovan talent show and I looked forward to this blog to reveal the joke.
Thanks to HolyGhost and the quintet.
Enjoyed this very much; thanks and congrats all round. Some tricky clues, of which that for SCHLEPP struck me as trickiest – the deviously placed misprint led to a long gap between seeing what the word must be and reconciling it with the clue.
We had intended to send our entry in but then life intervened.
Thankfully the puzzle wasn’t as fiendish as we predicted as we managed to complete it on our train journey home after the Manchester celebrations.
All good fun – it took us a while for Spink’s IDs to be revealed and we completely forgot about the title so thanks to HolyGhost for the blog.
Thanks again to John for saving the IQ and the organisation for the Manchester celebrations. Thanks also to SPINK (all of you!).
Like others above we were expecting something a bit tougher, but with the same day’s Listener being probably the hardest of the year so far we welcomed the extra time to spend on that one. This was certainly no pushover, but when letters not given by wordplay started forming columns at an early stage MD was always likely to be the outcome. We’d have finished sooner if we’d realised that they spelt out a message, but I only spotted this when shading our final version for submission. D’oh!
Unfortunately I was away for the IQ bash which I had intended to get to, subsequent holiday arrangements stomping on my Manchester plans. When away, I always ask a friend or two to get me the Saturday i for no other reason than having an IQ to look forward to upon return.
I started slowly on this anniversary puzzle, and it took some time before spotting the column containing ‘housand’ and that was my way in. As others have mentioned thankfully this was no ‘Life After Death’, which was probably the hardest IQ I’ve completed.
I couldn’t work out the parsing / misprint for schlepp so many thanks for clearing that up HolyGhost.
Thanks to JH and Team SPINK for the puzzle and to all involved for the weekly entertainment. It always helps to cure the holiday blues upon return. Roll on the next 500 and I do hope there may be another IQ knees up at some point which I am able to attend.
I started looking at the puzzle in Belfast Airport on the way to Manchester and it made no sense – probably due to the fact that I was up far too early, I guess.
I then looked some more on the train from Manchester to Liverpool and it made no sense – probably something to with the sherbet I consumed, I guess.
Once I was home and settled on Sunday I tried again and, thankfully as others have said, it wasn’t really too fiendish.
Towards the end of the puzzle I spent way to much time trying to make MD into the Latin for 1500 and my daughter (elmac) had to strap me to the seat and force me to listen to her wittering on about Mendelevium and Moldova.
Thanks John for everything you do Inquisitor-wise. Thanks to I, N and K whom I enjoyed teasing on Saturday. Thanks also to the absent S & P.
It was great to meet my fellow bloggers, with especial thanks to H___G____ for the blog.
I solved some of the ‘MD’ puzzle on the train to and from the Manchester event, then tidied it up on arrival home. Great to put faces to so many names seen here and elsewhere!
Nobody has commented on the cunning ambiguity of 23a. I assume that Terrier @ 8 above entered the right answer by chance. I shaded MD long before I’d solved all the relevant clues, so I didn’t spot the embedded text until much later on. It was that ambiguous cell in 23a that led to the discovery of the text.
The grid was beautifully constructed and some of the misprints were fiendishly deceptive.
Very enjoyable and (as others have said) a relief to find that this wasn’t as difficult as I had feared it might be. Spotting ‘ONET’ and ‘SAND’ in the highlighted cells resulted in the PDM that there was a message formed in the required shape. This proved very helpful as, like HG, I could begin to guess the likely shape and letters involved. I wonder how tricky it was to fit a word including ‘UQ’ rather than the other way around.
Thanks to all setters and the editor for providing such a fun and continuously imaginative weekly workout. Thanks too to John for providing the explanation of how this puzzle was compiled by the five setters, that was a very interesting insight.
Apologies if it is common knowledge, but as nobody has mentioned it: I looked up WC Boggs & Son when trying to understand that clue and learned that they are a bathroom ceramics manufacturer in the film, ‘Carry On at Your Convenience’.
Thanks to HG for the blog.
In response to Andy@12, we were indeed baffled for a while by 23a and eventually decided that both SANTIR and SANTUR must be acceptable as there appeared to be no way of confirming the penultimate letter. This would have been unusual though (perhaps unprecedented?), so I left that cell empty until I picked up the highlighter, hoping for late inspiration, and discovery of the hidden message then meant that there was indeed only one possible answer to that clue. As stated above, we’d have solved that clue and others much quicker if we had spotted the message earlier. We normally shade while solving (as Andy did) if we’re confident about an emerging pattern, but for some reason this time we simply ringed the cells concerned, which clearly didn’t have the same visual impact.
Excellent breakdown, Holyghost, of what was a very clever crossword (I didn’t quite finish it, though I’d guessed several of the answers which I hadn’t entered). Well done to the setters for compiling such a brain-scrambling puzzle, and congratulations to all those who did finish it. I doff my cap to you. And big thanks to everyone involved in the production of the Inquisitor for continuing to satisfy my masochistic tendencies. Long may Inquisitor continue to perplex, inspire, intrigue and baffle us all.
I was also relieved that this was not another Life After Death experience. I didn’t quite finish but got 95% of the way there. I could not make any sense of the corrections to the misprints, but I didn’t have all the letters and had made a couple of wrong guesses as to the corrections too.
Thanks to JH and everyone for this fabulous crossword series. Long may it continue.