Back and Forward by Kruger
Most clues have had either their definition or wordplay moved back or forward by one or two clues (1ac assumed to follow 32dn). The original clues must be reconstituted before solving (sometimes adjusting capitalisation) and their answers entered at their numbered locations, to which word lengths refer. Additionally, the definition in each original down clue contains a misprint. The correct letters, in proper reconstituted clue order, give an instruction to solvers.
Once again we have Kruger versus kenmac – let battle commence.
Saturday night, bedtime, I go to bed with an empty grid – and an empty heart. 🙁
Sunday night, bedtime, I go to bed with only two answers filled – panic starts to set in.
Monday night, bedtime, my heart’s cockles feel a little warmer as I have about a dozen answers.
Tuesday night, bedtime, I haven’t had a chance to look at the puzzle at all today so I take it to bed and promise myself five more minutes. Now, suddenly, answers begin to fall, left, right and centre. And, before I know it, 90 minutes have gone by.
Wednesday, bleary-eyed, I finally manage to finish with more than a little help from elmac who’d been unavailable previously.
The first to to fall (on Sunday) were 31d ACME and 29d TENET. 4d MALLARD finally capitulated on Monday and a few more followed.
From the few down answers I had solved I saw the phrase starting to emerge – a message starting with _HAD_ and ending with E__RIES, I’ve done enough of these things to take a leap of faith and assume SHADE … ENTRIES. Then, while reading out the answers to elmac, I realised that there were a couple of palindromes so I took a stab at the message being SHADE PALINDROME ENTRIES, which turned out to be right and this really helped me (us) to finish. So the last thing to do is shade the symmetrically placed palindromes at 2d ROTOR, 14a MADAM, 29d TENET and 33a CIVIC.
I’d never seen a puzzle like this before. During the solve, I mistakenly thought that some clues contained two definitions or two sets of wordplay but this turned out not to be the case. Once the clues are unravelled, they are actually quite easy and I’m betting that there are some out there who found it a doddle. For me, it was anything but a Ken Dodd(le) – Lord, rest his tattifilarious soul – but it was no less enjoyable. It’s unusual for there to be no end game but, I guess that the whole puzzle constituted the end game. There’s not much to explain about the way the puzzle works as the preamble takes care of that.
So, many thanks to Kruger. You very nearly had me beat for a while but I managed to come through in the end and I know that you wouldn’t really want it any other way. But, watch out, I’ll be on yer ear for a pint in York in October as compensation.
| Across | |||||||
| Clue |
Entry | Definition |
Correct letter | def origin | Wordplay |
wp origin |
Cryptic bit |
| 1 Imagined knocking Lambert off agitated camel (6) |
DREAMT | Imagined | – | Some paper jamming data transmission |
32d | REAM (some paper) inside DT (data transmission) | |
| 6 Lethal drink overcomes head’s aide (6) |
ALDRIN Edwin Aldrin |
inspector of satellite (the Moon) |
10 | Lethal drink overcomes | 1a | lethAL DRINk (hidden: overcomes) | |
| 10 Command inspector of satellite (6) |
ORDAIN | Command | – | At one time beginning to advance popular |
11 | ORD (beginning; obsolete: at one time)+Advance+IN (popular) | |
| 11 At one time beginning to advance popular balsam (4) |
TOLU | Balsam | – | Doctor left out | 13 | Left+OUT (anag: doctor) | |
| 13 Doctor left out answer hard to believe (5, 2 words) |
AT ALL | In any circumstances | 14 | Answer hard to believe | – | Answer+TALL (hard to believe) | |
| 14 In any circumstances language interrupts mass twice (5) |
MADAM | Formidable woman | 15 | language interrupts mass twice |
– | Mass+ADA ([computer] language)+Mass | |
| 15 Formidable woman’s greeting second in Olympics for start of heptathlon (6) |
SLALOM | Race | 17 | Greeting second in Olympics for start of heptathlon |
– | S[h]ALOM (greeting) oLympics (second) replaces Heptathlon (start of) | |
| 16 Gas irritated barmen (6, 2 words) |
MR BEAN | Hapless man | 19 | Irritated barmen | – | BARMEN (anag: irritated) | |
| 17 Race affected 27 (6) | ETHANE | Gas | 16 | Affected 27 | – | ATHENA (27 across; anag: affected) | |
| 19 Hapless man swore (7) | AVERRED | Swore | – | A very abrupt anarchist |
24 | A+VER[y] (abrupt)+RED (anarchist) | |
| 24 Stood on a very abrupt anarchist (7) |
TRODDEN | Trodden | – | Jock’s weighing machine bearing man leaving university |
27 | TRON (Scottish weighing machine) containing D[u]DE minus University | |
| 27 Jock’s weighing machine bearing man leaving university again seen in outskirts of Ashbourne |
ATHENE | Goddess | 28 | Again seen in outskirts of Ashbourne |
28 | THEN (again) inside A[shbourn]E (outskirts) | |
| 28 Goddess beginning to excuse Argentina imprisoning informer (6) |
ERRATA | Mistakes | 30 | Beginning to excuse Argentina imprisoning informer |
– | Excuse (beginning)+RA (Argentina) containing RAT (informer) | |
| 30 Seaman apprehended preposterously conceals mistakes (6) |
PANAMA | Headgear | 33 | Seaman apprehended preposterously conceals |
– | seAMAN APprehended (hidden: conceals; rev: preposterously) | |
| 33 City headgear (5) | CIVIC (Honda) |
Car | 34 | City | – | I guess it’s a double definition really – city being more of a cryptic definition. I drive a Honda Civic: Looks just like mine |
|
| 34 Compares car (5) | EVENS | Compares | – | Venues United abandoned foolishly |
35 | VEN[u]ES (minus United; anag: foolishly) | |
| 35 Academy rejected big city venues United abandoned foolishly (4) |
ANEW | Again | 35 | Academy rejected big city | – | Academy+WEN (big city; rev: rejected) | |
| 36 No-one travelling meets European again (6) |
OENONE | Lover of Paris | 38 | No-one travelling meets European |
– | NO–ONE (anag: travelling)+European | |
| 37 Listened to West Indian possibly scanning lines (6) |
RASTER | Scanning lines | – | Listened to West Indian possibly |
– | Sounds like: Listened to RASTA (West Indian, possibly) (if you speak Estuary English, that is) |
|
| 38 South Africa limits return of bitter lover of Paris (6) |
STRATA | Levels of society | 1d | South Africa limits return of bitter |
– | SA (South Africa) containing TART (bitter; rev: return of) | |
| Down | |||||||
| 1 Hurt borne by father’s levels of society (6) |
DHARMA | Lack of [g]sin | S |
2 | Hurt borne by father | – | HARM (hurt) inside DA (father) |
| 2 Skip moved by this lack of gin (5) |
ROTOR | S[k]hip moved by this | H |
– | Car that’s run for miles |
[m]OTOR (car) with Runs replacing Miles | |
| 3 Spins car that’s run for miles (4) |
ERAS | Sp[i]ans | A |
– | Upset Arab in El Salvador |
5 | ARab (rev:upset) inside ES (El Salvador) |
| 4 Man shortly to garnish tuck (7) | MALLARD | [T]Duck | D |
– | Man shortly to garnish | – | MAL[e] (man; shortly)+LARD (to garnish) |
| 5 What’s often made from loaves upset Arab in El Salvador (6) |
TISANE | What’s often made from l[o]eaves | E |
– | In a set fashion | 6 | IN A SET (anag: fashion) |
| 6 First of detectives following plan in a set fashion (6) |
ANGLED | Maybe tried to catch [l]pout | P |
7 | First of detectives following plan |
– | ANGLE (plan)+Detectives (first of) |
| 7 Maybe tried to catch lout releasing baron from prison (4) |
LIMO | C[u]ar | A |
8 | Releasing baron from prison |
– | LIM[b]O (prison; minus Baron) |
| 8 Cur running at first died in sultanate (6) |
RODMAN | Po[p]le’s carrier | L |
12 | Running at first died in sultanate |
– | Running (at first)+OMAN (sultanate; containing Died) |
| 9 Made me burn boat providing energy for husband (6) |
NUMBER | s[e]ix perhaps | I |
15 | Made me burn | – | ME BURN (anag: made) |
| 12 Fish found in said pope’s carrier (6) |
LAUNCE | Fish found in sa[i]nd | N |
– | Boat providing energy for husband |
9 | LAUNC[h] (boat) Energy replaces Husband |
| 15 No sex perhaps (5) | SERVE | [N]Do | D |
– | Old golfer holding end of driver |
18 | SEVE (old golfer: Severiano Ballesteros) containing driveR (end of) |
| 18 Old golfer holding end of driver stays in the south (5) |
HYDRA | Sta[y]rs in the south | R |
– | Australian with hot, dry condition |
20 | Australian+Hot+DRY (anag: condition) |
| 20 Adapt those to manage Australian with hot, dry condition (6, 2 words) |
VOTE IN | Ad[a]opt those to manage | O |
– | Books in style |
22 | VEIN (style) containing OT (books: Old Testament) |
| 21 Wrong to conceal more than one soldier’s dental pain (7) |
TORMENT | [D]Mental pain | M |
– | Wrong to conceal more than one soldier |
– | TORT (wrong) containing MEN (soldiers) |
| 22 After change of heart promoted wretched books in style (6) |
LASCAR | Sailor in the [p]east | E |
23 | After change of heart promoted wretched |
– | RA[SC]AL (wretched; centre letters (heart) swapped over; rev: promoted) |
| 23 Sailor in the past to tolerate occupying Nazi corps (6) |
SHAVES | Par[a]es | E |
24 | To tolerate occupying Nazi corps |
– | HAVE (to tolerate) inside SS (Schutzstaffel: Nazi corps) |
| 24 It could move hard paras (6) | TENSOR | It could move ha[r]nd | N |
– | Stoner stupidly | 25 | STONER (anag: stupidly) |
| 25 Parties admitting English stoner stupidly (6) |
REAVES | Illegally [m]takes Scottish | T |
26 | Parties admitting English | – | RAVES (parties) containing English |
| 26 Illegally makes Scottish ketch with this perhaps (6) |
NAUSEA | [K]Retch with this perhaps | R |
– | Raised one U-boat initially above ocean |
29 | AN (one; rev: raised)+U-boat (initially)+SEA (ocean) |
| 29 Convection raised one U-boat initially above ocean (5) |
TENET | Conv[e]iction | I |
– | Disturbed nettle – leaves at the front dropped |
31 | NETT[l]E minus Leaves (at the front); anag: disturbed |
| 31 Vortex disturbed nettle – leaves at the front dropped (4) |
ACME | V[o]ertex | E |
– | Knocking Lambert off agitated camel |
1a | CAME[l] minus Lambert (anag: agitated) |
| 32 Some paper jamming data transmission misrepresented bulk of agenda (4) |
GENA | Head’s [a]side | S |
6a | Misrepresented bulk of agenda |
– | AGEN[da] (bulk off; anag: misrepresented) |
I struggled to get started and was initially a bit irritated by it, but once I began to get a feel for how it worked I started to make better progress and really enjoyed the process – so happiness, but certainly not a doddle.
My one lingering question is have I missed a canal somewhere? There’s a man and a plan in the clues and a Panama in the grid – coincidence?
Thanks to Kruger for an innovative challenge and to kenmac for the, as ever, thorough blog.
Well, that was a task and a half. By the time the majority of the grid had been filled it got a little easier as the choice of definitions / wordplay began to narrow down, but until then, well… At the close my paper was a mess of circled bits of clues and arrows pointing here there and everywhere. Thankfully the endgame wasn’t quite as mind-boggling. Not as tricky as the Inquisitor can sometimes be, but by no means a doddle either. Very satisfying to finish.
Glad we weren’t alone in taking ages to get started!
We only had internet access to the puzzle which meant that Bert had to copy out all the clues as well as the grid – Joyce has terrible handwriting. Trying to sort out where the definitions went was still quite a puzzle though. Thankfully the word PALINDROME was spotted after we had completed about half the grid which enabled a couple of entries to be added and parsed afterwards.
However, a very satisfying solve so many thanks to Kruger. Thanks kenmac – quite a puzzle to blog as well as solve. On the ipad the right hand column is not fully visible but we had all the parsings this week!
Tough and initially terrifying, this one, but like kenmac I found things speeding up after a while. As mentioned in @2 above, the page became a nightmare of circlings, underlinings and little arrows everywhere. All thanks to Kruger for the challenge and kenmac for the unravelling.
Red herrings: the first palindromes I saw were TENET and ROTOR, which led me down the garden path of trying to relate this to the famous Sator Square (see also Discworld) whose rows are SATOR AREPO TENET OPERA ROTAS. And of course the obtrusive PANAMA had me searching for the rest of that one. Even at the end, with the four shaded palindromes looking nicely symmetrical (in ROTOR arrangement?) but not especially meaningful — was this the forgotten flag design of Palindromia? — I suspected some trap and spent ages hunting in vain for e.g. pairs of entries that might form more palindromes.
I filled in the SE quarter quite quickly and then ground to a halt. I assumed that each clue had to consist of a definition and a wordplay and it took me over a day to realise that this wasn’t necessarily the case. This realisation also helped explain some unparsed entries I had in the SE corner. After that it fell quite steadily although keeping track of which definition or wordplay belonged to which clue was a nightmare. In the end I really enjoyed this crossword so thanks to Kruger and also to Kenmac for untangling the clues so successfully.
B&J @3
Yes, it’s the same on my iPad (with Safari and Chrome) and I can’t understand why 🙁
I have the width, in the html, set to 100% like I usually do. I’ll take a closer look tomorrow.
I solved about a quarter of this and then ground to a halt. I briefly considered copying all the clues into a spreadsheet so I could separate the definitions and wordplay and move them all around but in the end I just ran out of time and lost heart.
Too difficult for me this time. This isn’t a complaint: the reason I came to the IQ in the first place was that I got bored with solving the daily puzzles 100% every time.
Well done to Kruger and kenmac.
kenmac and B&J – I see this on my wife’s iPad too.
I had a look at the html that generates the table. I can see that the table will reach a minimum size when each column has shrunk to the with of the longest word in that column. No more word wrapping onto new lines is possible and the table cannot get any smaller. When that happens the right hand side of the table overflows the space available to it and is hidden from view. That much happens on all browsers.
It is not immediately obvious why Safari seems to behave differently regarding the font size. When I rotate the tablet from portrait to landscape it just ups the font size rather than showing more content on the screen. I am not a fan of Apple stuff and rarely use it myself. Nevertheless I am curious to know why this happens and will investigate further when I get some time.
Howard @5
I thought that too but, in the end, I’m not convinced. Looking through my table at the *origin columns, I’d expect to see numbers in each column for one line if it were.
My thanks for all the comments and especially to Kenmac for the blog.
A “battle” with Kenmac is one I have little chance of winning and indeed wouldn’t want to. As long as I give him and all other solvers a run for their money, I’ll be content.
I suspect no-one will read this except the blogger. (I was unwell & on holiday when this puzzle was published but had some free time this late May bank holiday to give it a whirl.) Daunting indeed, but yielding, and satisfying to finish. I do enjoy a challenge! Thanks to both S&B – make sure that you but him/ he buys you that pint.