Enigmatic Variations 1345 A Representation of… by Piccadilly

A perimeter with a message and some blank cells to be shaded to represent the perimeter. As preambles go very straight forward.

This was a lot of fun. Not a difficult clue solve, but an interesting twist on the entering of the answers. The completed grid is below.

	T	H	E	V	I	R	G	I	N	W
S	E	L	V	A	S	A	I	D	S	A	I
E	N	R	E	I	N	W	N	L	U	S	T
E						N	G	E	E	T	H
N	O		N		U	P		L		E	T
K	N		I		T	T		E		R	H
R	E		N		S	A				T	E
E	N		G		O	R		G		E	D
H	A	Y	A	S	L	O		A		N	E
S	C	O	T	H	O	T	I	T	S	R	A
S	H	T	O	Y	S	G	L	O	V	E	D
	O	R	C	A	T	S	I	R	H	C

The perimeter spelling out “The Virgin with the dead Christ  across her knees”.

A reference to a work by Michelangelo also known as the Pieta.

The blank cells to be shaded depicted representations of the Greek letters PI and ETA – ths took me a while to spot but was a lovely PDM.

Thanks Piccadilly

Key: * anagram; rev. reverse; DD Double definition; Underline definition

Across

8 Slaves abused in Amazonian rainforests (6)

(slaves)* = SELVAS

9 Helps servants master sacked (4)

Maids (servant) – m (master) = AIDS

11 Slow up on outskirts of Ilkeston (4)

Re (on) + in (outskirts of Ilkeston) = REIN

13 Starts to look up Shakespeare’s tragedies, finding pleasure in the bard? (4)

L + u + s + t (Starts to look up Shakespeare’s tragedies) = LUST

14 Phonetic symbol used in Bengali (3)

Hidden bENGali = ENG

15 Regularly chatted about old letter (3)

Rev. cHaTtEd = ETH

16 Group of nine allowed to follow socially unacceptable practices initially (8)

Non u (socially unacceptable) + p (practices initially) + let (allowed) = NONUPLET

18 One making garments perhaps embroidered kitten on middle of cardi (7)

(kitten + r (centre of cardi))* = KNITTER

20 Being worried, shaped like Bilbo? (6)

Ens (being) + ate (worried) = ENSATE

22 Eat excessively, in consequence becoming congested (8)

End (consequence) around gorge (eat excessively) = ENGORGED

24 Old hedge providing fodder (3)

DD HAY

26 Chelsea girl possibly needing ecstasy after reproof in Edinburgh (6)

Sloan (reproof in Edinburgh) + e (ecstasy) = SLOANE

28 Payment once accepted from racecourse (4)

Ascot(racecourse) – a (accepted) = SCOT

29 In Scotland, pulls birds (4)

DD TITS

30 Young men having time for British playthings (4)

Boys (young me) swapping t (time) for b (British) = TOYS

31 German adored having hands covered (6)

G (German) + loved(adored) = GLOVED

Down

1 Part of carpenter’s joint and tissue joining muscle to bone doctor initially removed (5)

Tendon (tissue joining muscle to bone) – d (doctor initially) = TENON

2 Men given no money, skipping part of day (7)

(men given – m )* = EVENING

3 Ayah is working after five for member of Hindu caste (7)

V (five) + (ayah is)* = VAISHYA

4 Aftermath of conflict used up last of ammunition (4)

Rev. (war(conflict)) + n (last of ammunition) = RAWN

5 Kind of sesame oil that’s new, pressed by two American soldiers near Long Island (7)

n (new) in Gi Gi (two american soldiers) + LI (Long Island) = GINGILI

6 Report of ancient phantom is baseless (4)

Homonym idol = IDLE

7 Historic cudgel king discarded as superfluous (5)

Waster (cudgel) – r (king) = WASTE

10 Entreats girl to meet son (4)

Sue (girl) + s (son) = SUES

11 Indian peasant farmer writing lines on books (4)

Ry(lines) + ot (book) = RYOT

12 Rising star touring Thailand is crazy (4)

Rev. sun (star) around t (Thailand) = NUTS

17 One making bequest of lager to vagrant (7)

(lager + to)* = LEGATOR

19 Sailor turned to method of divination (5)

Tar (sailor) + Rev. to = TAROT

21 Put up snare to take Madagascan animal (6)

Rev. net (snare) + rec. (take) = TENREC

23 Give a child in New Orleans a tortilla chip (5)

NO (new Orleans) around a + ch (child) = NACHO

25 Smelly animal’s filthy coat (4)

(coat)* = ATOC

27 Mislaid spades in patch of ground (4)

Lot (patch of ground) around s (spades) = LOST