This week’s preamble:
In most clues, the wordplay leads to the defined answer and an additional letter not to be entered into the grid. Additional letters from across clues identify where a source of FRUSTRATION was made public; a more specific source (3,7,4), the effect of which is evident in all entries, must be written below the grid. Additional letters from down clues specify what must be highlighted in the grid (a total of 22 cells, 12 of which are a cryptic depiction); Chambers Dictionary (2016) is recommended.
A fairly straightforward puzzle from Kruger this week with Hancock’s Half Hour being revealed by the extra letters in the wordplay for the across clues. I hadn’t heard of this particular episode. The most popular was probably The Blood Donor, but a quick scan of the Wikipedia web page soon gave The Missing Page as the required episode. This hinted at the missing Ps that were dropped from all answers before entry in the grid.
It didn’t take long to highlight what was required by the extra wordplay letters in the down clues: Book title and author. The title was LADY, DON’T FALL backwards in the middle row with DARCY SARTO, the author in the top and bottom rows.
Thanks, Kruger, good fun.
Solving time: longer than average.
Legend:
Definition in clue
[X] = Extra letters in wordplay
DROPPED = Ps not entered in grid
ABC* = anagram
ABC< = reversal
abCDef = hidden
| ACROSS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| No | Entry | Extra Letter |
Clue and Explanation |
| 1 | PISCES | H | Sign crews (oddly, after boat capsized) (5) CrEwS (oddly) after S[H]IP< (boat, capsized) |
| 8 | CYPRESS | A | Island to use unsuitably thin fabric (6) C[A]Y (island) + PRESS (to use unsuitably) |
| 13 | RIPOSTE | N | In Paris, nothing’s protecting mail counter (6) RIE[N] (nothing, French) containing POST (mail) |
| 14 | SPALPEEN | C | Boy spotted hiding copper beside mountain (6) SEEN (spotted) containing P[C] (copper) + ALP (mountain) |
| 15 | ARCH-POET | O | Motion, for example, could give actor hope (7) (ACTOR H[O]PE)*; reference to Andrew Motion, former Poet Laureate |
| 16 | MULTIPLE | Repeated short hairstyle – mine’s rejected parting (7) MULLE(t) (harstyle, short) containing (parting) PIT< (mine, rejected) |
|
| 17 | APODOSES | C | Certain clauses in non-U docusoaps edited to include European (7) (DO[C]USOAPS – U (non-U))* containing E (European) |
| 18 | PENT-UP | K | Controlled young rat circling Jock’s punt (4) PUP (young rat) around [K]ENT (punt, Scottish) |
| 19 | PILAFF | S | Following lager, diner essentially leaves tasteless dish (5) PIL[S] (lager) + NAFF (tasteless) – N (diNer, essentially) |
| 20 | PERSIAN CAT | H | Queen, perhaps in the manner of son, from the outset ignores any small talk (9, two words) PER (in the manner of) S (son)+ I (Ignores, first letter) + AN(y) + C[H]AT (talk) |
| 27 | SYMPATHIES | A | Foreign spy has team securing current agreements (9) (SPY H[A]S TEAM)* containing I (current) |
| 28 | UNPOPES | Father from USA, in temper not starting on Sabbath, removes church leader from office (5) POP (father, US) in (t)UNE (temper, not starting) + S (Sabbath) |
|
| 29 | APART | L | Out of consideration, some letters delivered by rival party (4) in rivA[L] PARTy |
| 32 | PARAMENT | Mother maybe accepts American’s discarded robe (7) PARENT (mother, maybe) containing AM (American) |
|
| 34 | ON TIP-TOE | F | Eagerly expecting point, often played with no hint of nerves (7, two words) (POINT O[F]TEN – N (hint of Nerves))* |
| 35 | PALPITATE | Repeatedly beat friend – it cuts head (7) PAL (friend) + IT in PATE (head) |
|
| 36 | UTOPIAN | H | State preserves work I left to nation. Excellent! (6) UTA[H] (state) containing OP (work) I + N (Nation, left) |
| 37 | PINXTER | O | Playwright’s penning bull for old Georgian festival (6) PINTER (playwright Harold) containing [O]X (bull) |
| 38 | OROPESA | U | Found a poor use for float (6) (A POOR [U]SE)* |
| 39 | GRASPS | R | Understands Greek files (5) GR (Greek) [R]ASPS (files) |
| DOWN | |||
| No | Entry | Extra Letter |
Clue and Explanation |
| 1 | PIRACIES | B | Criminal activities created price bias (7) (PRICE [B]IAS)* |
| 2 | SPIRALLY | O | In a twisting way, splits up mix of metals (7) RIPS< (splits, up) + ALL[O]Y (mix of metals) |
| 3 | COCO-PALM | Tree’s still sheltering old policeman (7) CALM (still) containing O (old) COP (policeman) |
|
| 4 | STOP-OFF | O | Submit to official overnight stay (6) ST[O]OP (submit) + OFF (official) |
| 5 | DEEPS | K | Before being dismissed, talk with news chief about incomprehensible articles? (4) (SPEA[K] (talk) – A (before) + ED (news chief))< |
| 6 | PASTERN | T | Stroke to row backwards in part of bay? Possibly (6) PA[T] (stroke) + STERN (row backwards) |
| 7 | RAMPS | I | Retrospectively, gossip Margaret covers up swindles (4) reversed in gosS[I]P MARgaret |
| 8 | CLUPEIDS | T | At sea, stupid Celt mostly fishes (7) (S[T]UPID CEL(t))* |
| 9 | YELPS | L | Barks in tops of yew, elm, lime, larch and poplar beginning to split (4) Y(ew) E(lm) L(ime) [L](arch) (tops) + S (Split, beginning) |
| 10 | PRETEND | Groom takes time before heading to dangerous venture (6) PREEN (groom) containing T (time) + D (Dangerous, heading) |
|
| 11 | SPELT | E | Came to understand thoroughfare contains fortified building (4) ST (street, thoroughfare) containing PE[E]L (fortified enclosure) |
| 12 | STEP UP | A | Drink tea and last of pop inside? Come on! (4, two words) SUP (drink) containing TE[A] P (last of poP) |
| 20 | ETHIOPIA | N | Land in Haiti? Nope – diverted (7) (HAITI [N]OPE)* |
| 21 | CAPONATA | D | Relish information gangster detailed up front (7) [D]ATA (information) after CAPON(e) (gangster, detailed) |
| 22 | PALETTES | At one time, small plates allowed to include pies? On the contrary (7) PATES (pies, ie pâtés) containing LET (allowed) |
|
| 23 | TIPSTERS | A | Advisers on race restored past rites (7) (P[A]ST RITES)* |
| 24 | APATITE | Desire said mineral (6) sounds like APPETITE (desire) |
|
| 25 | OPERANT | U | Active fanatic joins musical production (6) OPERA (musical production) + N[U]T (fanatic) |
| 26 | YUMPING | Leaving ground in car earlier yuppie reaches meadow (6) YUMP (early yuppie) + ING (meadow) |
|
| 29 | PAOLO | T | Mint collects Laotian currency (no longer silver money) (4) POLO (mint) containing A[T] (currency in Laos) |
| 30 | PANIR | H | Cheese from Honduras eaten by husband and wife (4) [H]N (Honduras) in PAIR (husband and wife) |
| 31 | STOPS | O | Obstructs Scotland’s supporters (4) 2 meanings |
| 32 | APPEAR | Reportedly, a member of Lords is to attend court (4) sounds like A PEER (a member of the Lords) |
|
| 33 | PALIO | R | Charitable man mainly supports parish race (4) PA[R] (parish) + LIO(n) (charitable man, mostly); reference to the Palio di Siena horse race in Italy |