Enigmatic Variations 1365 New Member by Poat

Complex preamble this week: Good news half of the clues and answers are normal. Bad news of the 20 remaining 8 transfer letters to or from the clue – which spell out a new member. The other 12 require two letter transfers in and out of the answers – these are thematic.

It took some time for me to get to grips with this one, didn’t help as my initial interpretation of in was actually Poat’s out.  As a result it was quite a slow and laborious grid fill. But eventually all the answers, with their various additions or subtractions slotted into place..

The hard part now is explaining it – I’ve added a reference to where the alphabetical clues fit below!

Clue transfers – that need to be removed from the clue:

1ac OG

21ac AN

25ac ESS

33ac ON

Clue transfers – that need to be added to the clue:

5dn OG

18dn AN

23dn ESS

32dn ON

Oganesson – the latest of the noble gases. It certainly wasn’t around when I was learning Chemistry.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oganesson

The additions to/ removal from the answers were the symbols for the other noble gases:

• 3ac Add Xe (Xenon)
• 10ac Remove Kr (Krypton)
• 14ac Remove Xe (Xenon)
• 15ac Add Ne (Neon)
• 31ac Remove Ar (Argon)
• 35ac Add Ar (Argon)
• 2dn Remove Rn (Radon)
• 9dn Add Rn (Radon)
• 12dn Remove Ne (Neon)
• 22dn Remove He (Helium)
• 24dn Add He (Helium)
• 26dn Add Kr (Krypton)

These did exist when I was doing my A’levels.

The title of the puzzle reflects the New Member of the group Og.

Thanks Poat – hard work but well worth persevering. I even learnt something!!!

Key: * anagram; DD double definition; Rev. Reverse; underline definition

Across

11 Local crowds meeting in the middle? Yes (6)

Mongs (local crowds) + t (meeting in the middle) = MONGST

13 About half a pint of blue ink, almost like this (7)

Cyan (blue ink) – n + thus (like this) = CYATHUS

16 As seen in unfinished scenario to be redrafted (7)

(scenario – o)* = ARSENIC

17 One that used to be big in table tennis (4)

Hidden tablE TENnis = ETEN

19 Cart line of boozers? (6)

DD bar row (line of boozers) = BARROW

27 Sub-bourgeois type sticking this puzzle series in a pipe (7)

Ev (this puzzle series) in Brier (pipe) = BREVIER

28 Tip for a sisterly entertainer (7)

DD POINTER (as in Pointer Sisters)

30 I must get paid to swallow a tablet (4)

I + pd (paid) around a = IPAD

34 Native American may nurse children here (6)

Cree (native American) around ch (children) = CRECHE

36 The French knight is ready, albeit further afield (3)

Le (The French) + k (knight) = LEK

 

Down

1 Railway guide, Bradshaw’s first in a century (3)

B (Bradshaw’s first) in a + c (century) = ABC

3 Lying open keeps one calm (7)

Patent (lying open) around I (one) = PATIENT

4 A poor government’s the lot, north of the border (6)

A + thin (poor) + g (government) = ATHING

6 Cellist exchanging his yen for old pence as capital (6)

Yo Yo Ma (Cellist) swapping d (old pence)  for y (yen) = DODOMA

7 Aware of Lone Ranger’s sidekick losing head (4)

Tonto (Lone ranger’s sidekick) – t (head) = ONTO

8 Girl giving ecstasy to duck (5)

E (ecstasy) + smee (duck) = ESMEE

14 Arum’s prepared for front of drug pouch (9)

(arums)* replacing o in opium (drug)  = MARSUPIUM

19 Cask originally found in Latin quarter, most likely (7)

C (Cask originally) in Barrio (Latin quarter) = BARRICO

20 Mean to be barred by reserve rails (7)

Vile (mean) in Res (reserve) = REVILES

29 Audibly irritate drugs agent (4)

Homonym of Nark (Irritate) = NARC

 

Alphabetical

* Garment of graduate ogled by Australian (3)

* Garment of graduate led by Australian (3)

1ac BA (graduate) led by A (australian) = ABA (Across In Og)

* Coloured rings are visible on short part of ear (8)

22dn Anthelix (part of ear) – x + a (are) = ANTHELIA (remove He) = ANTLIA

* Old financier’s discount could mean foul temper for 15 (8, two words)

10ac Rank (foul) + bate (foul temper) – spoonerism = BANKRATE (Remove Kr) = BANATE

* Obstruct new cart reversing in farm area (8)

2dn Bar (obstruct) + n (new) + Rev. dray (cart) = BARNYARD (Remove Rn) = BAYARD

* My hero cuts pitted Dalmatian prune (6)

* Messy hero cuts pitted Dalmatian prune (6)

23dn (hero)* in dn (pitted Dalmatian) = DEHORN (Down Out Ess)

* Look for lead in smith’s forge – I’m scared! (3)

* Look for lead in smith’s forgone – I’m scared! (3)

32dn Seek (look for) – s (lead in smith’s) = EEK (Down Out ON)

* Granny upset about alien nest (8)

12dn (granny)* around et (alien) = GANNETRY (Remove Ne) = GANTRY

* Marsupial that stripped pale leaves – of this? (3)

26dn Koala (marsupial) – al (stripped pale) = KOA (Add Kr) = KOKRA

* Mother’s tricks? Maria may hide them (7)

35ac Mas (Mother’s) + cons (tricks) = MASCONS (Add Ar) = MASCARONS

* Brazilian dance team in trial suffering setback (6)

14ac XI (team) in Rev. exam (trial) = MAXIXE (Remove Xe) = MAXI

* Game setter taking out his own chamberpot (4)

24dn Me Poat (Setter) – Po (chamberpot) = MEAT (Add He) = MEATHE

* No idea when demonstrating device for New Yorkers? (6)

* No idea when demonstrating deviance for New Yorkers? (6)

18dn (no idea)* = ONEIDA (Down An Out)

* Soldier turned over turf to construct this? (7)

3ac Para (soldier) + Rev. sod (turf) = PARADOS (Add Xe) = PARADOXES

* Rue signeur showing green credentials, maybe (7)

* Rogue signeur showing green credentials, maybe (7)

5dn (signeur)* = REUSING (Down OUT Og)

* Canape that’s acceptable as fodder for dog (6)

* Cape that’s acceptable as fodder for dog (6)

21ac on (acceptable) in stag (dog) = SONTAG (Across clue addition of AN)

* Track event promoter losing points at opposite ends (5)

15ac Sponsor (event promoter) – ns (points) = SPOOR (Add Ne) = SPOONER

* Treasurer and TV chef Martha having date for the second time (7)

9dn Stewart (TV chef Martha) swapping d for t = STEWARD (Add Rn) = STERNWARD

* Depressive nobles of Germany (they were plucked from Portugal initially) (4)

* Deprive nobles of Germany (they were plucked from Portugal initially) (4)

25ac Dukes (nobles) – d (Germany) = UKES (Across In Ess)

* Boneheaded scoundrel, a gentleman lifted poisonous plants (6)

* Beheaded scoundrel, a gentleman lifted poisonous plants (6)

33ac Cur (scoundrel) – c + Rev Sir (gentleman) = URARIS (Across In On)

* Give a jab to Ferdinand, maybe, in baroque valeta (9)

31ac Rio (ferdinand maybe) in (valeta)* = VARIOLATE (Remove Ar) giving VIOLATE