“Several answers are shorter than the available grid length and therefore must be entered with blank cells. In 16 clues, the wordplay leads to the answer with one (and in one case, two) letters short. These suggest what must fill the unclued down entries, forming new words and signifying the FINAL RESTING PLACE. A symmetrical thematic string must be discovered (see 37, unclued) and naturally must move within the completed grid. Chambers Dictionary (2016) is recommended.”
“Corrections to single letter misprints in the definitions in 20 clues roughly identify characters who, along with what they are, must be highlighted (29 cells in total) in the completed grid. A further character and the context in which he could be similarly classified must also be highlighted (another 19 cells). Chambers Dictionary (2016) is recommended.”
The theme is the DIONAEA (VENUS FLY TRAP), which closes, eating the VESPA (WASP) and SIPHONAPTERA (FLEA).
Please don’t let the brevity of this blog fool you; I really enjoyed this one.
Please post a comment if the explanations are not clear.
| Across | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| V | 1 | EVADED | Chickened out of |
| 6 | ABSURD | AB (Rating) SUR (above) D (God) is implausible (6) | |
| 10 | NILOT | NI (Province) with LOT (piece of land) for river folk (5) | |
| E | 12 | ELUTION | [Liquid] {NUT OIL}* is cleansing (7) |
| 13 | TRIUNE | Three in one R (run) I ([start of] INTRODUCTION) [into] TUNEchorus (6) | |
| S | 14 | AROMAS | <{A MORA (guessing game)} [having flipped over] peculiar charms (6) |
| P | 15 | SOPRA | Rattle’s above SORA (rail) (5) |
| A | 17 | TAEL | Chinese weight <LET (tolerated) [from the East] (4) |
| 18 | LAX | Negligent international airport (3) | |
| 20 | LINE | LINE |
|
| 21 | ORLE | Border |
|
| 23 | EMEU | Ozzie native [runs in] extrEME Ultramarathon (4) | |
| 24 | TONE | [Before] NE (opponents), TO (turn over) card (4) | |
| 25 | GRAS | Nice fat is generally recognised as safe (4) | |
| 28 | YODEL | Sing or YEL |
|
| S | 30 | MASSIF | AS IF (No way) [alongside] M (mega) mountains (6) |
| 35 | ENFACE | EN (Letter) [attached to] F (fine), ACE (first?class) stamp (6) | |
| I | 36 | ORISHA | MinOR SHAman [unveils] minor spirit in West Africa (6) |
| P | 38 | ATTAP | |
| 39 | PLIANT | Lithe PLANT (trap) [that devours] I ([head of] INSECT) (6) | |
| H | 40 | MOHELS | They remove skin from MO |
| Down | |||
| 1 | ENTITLED | Styled END (odd piece) [around] T ([tip of] TORSADE) [embedded in] TILE (hat) (8) | |
| 2 | VIRGA | VIRG |
|
| O | 3 | DOUBLE-U | LEU (Foreigner’s ready) [to follow] DUB (trim) character… (7) |
| N | 4 | ETNA | …ET (and) A (another) from Greek vessel… (4) |
| 5 | DEE | …and another in river (3) | |
| 6 | ALA | Part of fruit |
|
| 7 | BURS | Lumps BURS |
|
| 8 | STOOL | <LOOTS (Those looking up to captain) [after overturning] wicket (5) | |
| A | 9 | ROAR | RR (Bishop)’s [ringing] O (old) bell (4) |
| 11 | LIVENERS | They stimulate LIVERS (organs) (EN (nurse) [included]) (8) | |
| P | 16 | PARODIST | Lampooner’s RADIO* [broadcast] [ending with] ST (silence) (8) |
| T | 19 | HEELTAPS | Layers in shoe HEEL (tilt) then <SPA (spring) [up] (8) |
| 22 | OTOLITH | [Cracked] [just over ¾’s of] TOOTHLI |
|
| 26 | ASANA | Lotus position, perhaps, with [bottom up in] SANA’A (Arab city) (5) | |
| 27 | SICAN | One who often sees 4 <IS [over] CAN (ladies?) (5) | |
| E | 29 | ETHAL | Waxy substance THA |
| 31 | ANIL | It colours A ([close to] NADA), NIL (nothing) (4) | |
| 32 | FEET | FE |
|
| 33 | LOAM | Clay ROAM (range) [changing hands] (4) | |
| RA | 34 | URAO | Sodium carbonate U (united) with O (oxygen) (4) |
Here’s the grid before the endgame…
| E | V | A | D | E | D | A | B | S | U | R | D |
| N | I | L | O | T | E | L | U | T | I | O | N |
| T | R | I | U | N | E | A | R | O | M | A | A |
| I | G | V | B | A | S | O | P | R | A | ||
| T | A | E | L | W | F | L | A | X | H | ||
| L | I | N | E | A | L | O | R | L | E | ||
| E | M | E | U | S | E | T | O | N | E | ||
| D | G | R | A | S | P | A | Y | O | D | E | L |
| M | A | S | S | I | F | L | U | L | I | T | T |
| E | N | F | A | C | E | O | R | I | S | H | A |
| D | I | O | N | A | E | A | A | T | T | A | P |
| P | L | I | A | N | T | M | O | H | E | L | S |
…and after the thematic string moves naturally within the completed grid…
| E | V | A | D | E | D | A | B | S | U | R | D |
| N | I | L | O | T | E | L | U | T | I | O | N |
| T | R | I | U | N | E | A | R | O | M | A | A |
| I | G | B | A | V | P | S | O | R | A | ||
| T | A | L | E | W | F | A | L | X | H | ||
| L | I | E | N | A | L | R | O | L | E | ||
| E | M | E | U | S | E | T | O | N | E | ||
| D | G | R | A | S | P | A | Y | O | D | E | L |
| M | A | S | S | I | F | L | U | L | I | T | T |
| E | N | F | A | C | E | O | R | I | S | H | A |
| D | I | O | N | A | E | A | A | T | T | A | R |
| P | L | I | A | N | T | M | O | H | E | L | S |
Comments are closed.