‘The grid presents two works of CREATIVITY (unclued) which solvers must complete. The authors of both must be highlighted in the completed grid (a total of 22 letters). Chambers Dictionary (2016) is recommended.”
This puzzle was less difficult than some we’ve had in recent weeks, and the end game wasn’t the crashing halt followed by grid-staring that has plagued me on a number of occasions. The two works were guessable with a few letters, and turned out to be THE LAST JUDGEMENT and the SISTINE CHAPEL
The ‘authors’ are MICHELANGELO and POPE SIXTUS. Of course, even the most exulted human creation typically has a financial aspect, and there are often unsung co-authors (producers and librettists, for example). Nevertheless, I had to check the meaning of ‘author’ to justify the inclusion of the latter! Paying for something doesn’t bring it into being, but perhaps the Pope could be described as ‘a beginner of [an] action or state of things’? What do you think?
Notation
(xxx) = definition
[xxx] = (anagram/homophone/container/etc.) indicator
XXX* = anagram
< = reversal
Please post a comment if the explanations are not clear.
| Across | ||
|---|---|---|
| 9 | ULTION | Outdated revenge could be |
| 10 | EPIPEN | <PIPE [Inverted] (tube) with EN (small space) for injection device (6) |
| 11 | NEOCLASSICIST | {ACCESSION LIST}* [revised] for one advocating, for example, Roman architectural style (13) |
| 13 | REMATCH | [Following] REM (rapid eye movement), |
| 15 | OOTIDS | Female gametes; < TOO (in addition) [recessive] IDS (chromosome elements carrying hereditary characteristics) (6) |
| 16 | FEERIE | Theatrical extravaganza of FEER (companion, in times gone by), [that is] (6) |
| 17 | STUFFY | Musty STUFF (goods) Y (yard) (6) |
| 19 | LAME | Weak, thin plate (4) |
| 21 | EUCHRE | [Perversely] {CHEER U |
| 23 | MIAMIA | <AIM (Design) [rejected] [twice] for Aboriginal dwelling hut (6) |
| 26 | SEAT | Situation of S (singular) EAT (worry) (4) |
| 27 | ORGANS | GROANS* [about] newspapers, for example (6) |
| 29 | IGUANA | Reptile ([horribly] |
| 31 | PAGANS | GANS (<SNAG [Recurrent] (obstacle)) [pursuing] PA (past) heathens (6) |
| 33 | RIDABLE | Suitable to travel on, RID (cleared) and ABLE (having enough power) (7) |
| 35 | TREASON FELONY | [Curiously] {ONLY A SOFTENER}, treacherous act no longer of major import (13, two words) |
| 36 | UNLACE | Loosen ties of [distressed] UNCLE* [going round] A (Australia) (6) |
| 37 | SPOONS | < SNOOPS [On return], (investigates) simpletons (6) |
| Down | ||
| 1 | A L’EPOQUE | ALE (Alcoholic brew) by POE (US Gothic tale writer) [entertaining] QU (queen) at the time in Paris (8, two words) |
| 2 | STOITS | TOT (Young child) [circling] I (island) [on board] SS (ship) lurches in the Minches (6) |
| 3 | JOLED | Locally beat JOLE (head in the past) with D ([butt of] ROD) (5) |
| 4 | DISAFFIRMANCE | Contradiction of DANCE [surrounding] I (one) SA (South American) F (female) FIRM (business house) (13) |
| 5 | GEST | Romantic tale from long ago, JEST (object of laughter) [when broadcast] (4) |
| 6 | EPICEDIA | Funeral odes, EPIC (impressive) EDIA (ELEGIES, DIRGES INVOLVING ANGUISH [principally]) (8) |
| 7 | EPIGRAM | Saw E (European) with PIG RAM (a couple of farm animals) (7) |
| 8 | NESKI | Arabic cursive handwriting, NE (not old) SKI (SKILL [when LL (lines) ignored]) (5) |
| 9 | UNPOPE | UN (One local) POP (informal attempt) E (SURE [finally]) to deprive spiritual head of office (6) |
| 12 | CRITH | CRIT (Critical) H (hydrogen) unit of mass (5) |
| 14 | SEE | Learn SECURE (to make oneself safe), [taking CUR (mangy dog) out] (3) |
| 18 | URANISCI | |
| 20 | MIGNONNE | In Limoges, small and dainty, [intricate] O |
| 22 | CAUTELS | CAULS (Head coverings long ago) [holding] TE (THE [heartless]) insidious purposes in Hamlet, for example (7) |
| 24 | ANGEL | Ministering spirit, A N (new) < LEG (supporter) [turning up] (5) |
| 25 | ASSAYS | ASS (Stupid person) AY (indeed) S ([finally] PASSES) tests (6) |
| 26 | SIX | S (7 or 70 in the Middle Ages) and IX (nine) for a hit that reaches the boundary (3) |
| 28 | SALOOP | < POOLS (Small bodies of still water) [turning up] [round] A hot drink (6) |
| 30 | GARNI | < {IN RAG} [Served up] (during student charity week) with added herbs, French-style (5) |
| 32 | ALEPH | PH ([Foremost of] PUBLIC HOUSES) [supporting] ALE (drink) for Hebrew character (5) |
| 34 | DOEN | To complete for Ed [in] pseuDO-ENglish (4) |
| L | A | S | T | J | U | D | G | E | M | E | N | T |
| U | L | T | I | O | N | I | E | P | I | P | E | N |
| N | E | O | C | L | A | S | S | I | C | I | S | T |
| P | P | I | R | E | M | A | T | C | H | G | K | S |
| O | O | T | I | D | S | F | F | E | E | R | I | E |
| P | Q | S | T | U | F | F | Y | D | L | A | M | E |
| E | U | C | H | R | E | I | M | I | A | M | I | A |
| S | E | A | T | A | O | R | G | A | N | S | G | S |
| I | G | U | A | N | A | M | P | A | G | A | N | S |
| X | A | T | R | I | D | A | B | L | E | L | O | A |
| T | R | E | A | S | O | N | F | E | L | O | N | Y |
| U | N | L | A | C | E | C | S | P | O | O | N | S |
| S | I | S | T | I | N | E | C | H | A | P | E | L |
Author is a very flexible word isn’t it? Chambers tells us it is ‘a person who brings anything into being; a beginner of any action or state of things’…. as well as the literary definition, and under ‘authorise etc.’ it says ‘see under ‘author”, so I think the word is appropriate here. Indeed there would have been vast numbers of unsung ‘authors’ of most of our cherished monuments.