Inquisitor 1697: Sold Down the River by Ifor

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Ifor has been setting Inquisitor crosswords since 2011 and his puzzle themes vary widely, I have blogged quite a few of Ifor’s puzzles in the first half of the 2010s, but this is the first one I have blogged since November 2017.

 

 

 

Ifor’s preambles usually require reading a few times before they are completely clear.

This one stated: "Clues must be considered as consecutive pairs. Before solving, a letter must fall from the first to the second in each pair, creating new words. In clue order those from the across clues spell what is falling; those from down clues something said to fall in its last three words. Having noted the theme solvers must highlight it (24 cells)".

Well that preamble’s about par for the course  It made sense until half way through the second last sentence.  The word ‘noted’ seems to stand out in the final sentence, so I reckoned that would probably be worth remembering when we get to the end game.

The identification of the letters falling down between clues was helped by the fact that we were looking at two clues so there were two opportunities to try and deduce where a letter could be omitted or added.

LONDON from the falling letters of the first six across pairs was the first word I identified.  It took me a lot longer to work out BRIDGE.  In the down clues, the phrase THE RAIN IN SPAIN was a possibility from about half way through the solving, but I couldn’t think of a link to LONDON straightaway.

Once LONDON BRIDGE was clear, the rhyme ‘LONDON BRIDGE is falling down’ came to mind and then My Fair Lady as ‘the last three words’ in the rhyme gave the link to THE RAIN IN SPAIN which was by now very clear from the down letters that moved, and also explained the final obscure bit of the preamble..  As part of Eliza Doolittle’s elocution lessons in My Fair Lady, she recited "THE RAIN IN SPAIN ….stays mainly in the plain’ many times.  The word ‘fall’ doesn’t appear in the song from the film, but obviously RAIN does fall.

Now we had to try and understand the last sentence of the preamble.  The usual first step is to look for words running horizontally, vertically or diagonally across the grid ignoring bars.  Doing that didn’t yield anything useful, so think again and see if the word ‘noted’ in the preamble really is important.

‘Noted’ makes one think of music.  LONDON BRIDGE is a rhyme that is set to music.  The full words of the first verse are

LONDON BRIDGE is falling down,

falling down, falling down

LONDON BRIDGE is falling down,

My fair lady

What is perhaps of even more interest is that the verse has 24 syllables and we have been asked to highlight 24 cells.  Time now to search for the music.  The first simple tune I found was based on the tonic solfa and began SO, LA, SO, FA MI, FA …  The first two letters of the first row are SO, so I got a bit excited.  There is a LA in both rows 5 and 6, but nothing seemed to flow, so more thought was required.  Also as two letter words, I could see that I wasn’t going to get the whole tune in solfa.

My technical music knowledge is not much better than knowing the notes C, D, E, F  etc can represent DO, RE, MI, FA. This would make SO equivalent to G, LA to A and so on.

This was much more helpful as the first two lines of the tune can be represented as GAGFEFG DEF EFG and the second two lines by GAGFEFG DGEC

I could see a sequence of GAGFEFG in columns two to seven of rows 1 to 6 in the grid.  I was then a bit thrown because there wasn’t a D adjacent to the last G in any direction, but just after that the final penny dropped. I could see the grid could split into a top half of six rows designated C, D, E, F, G,and A from row 6 to row 1, and the bottom half of six rows designated similarly from row 12 to row 7.  The notes required were then all in the right place on the clef as shown in one of the diagrams below.  Also the group of 13 notes and 11 notes in the bottom half were centrally placed across the grid which is always a good sign in deciding whether the solution makes sense. 

The notes can be linked to the words as follows:

LONDON BRIDGE is falling down,

 G  A     G    F  E   F    G

falling down, falling down

 D   E    F    E   F    G

LONDON BRIDGE is falling down,

 G  A     G    F  E   F    G

My fair lady

 D  G    E C

The initial grid looks like this:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

With the ‘notes’ highlighted we have:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Splitting the grid to look like part of a musical staff we have:

 

 

 

 

 

 

and

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In proper music notation, shown below, you can see that the notes we have highlighted match the notes played by the right hand.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I thought Ifor did remarkably well in creating a grid where the notes were in their right places on a musical staff.  Inevitably, a few fairly obscure words crept into the grid, but all were fair game for a barred weekend puzzle.  I was particularly impressed with the dropping letters device which resulted in real words in each clue before and after adjustment.  Again, we had one or two obscure words generated, but all were in the dictionary.  I think the most obscure were ‘ance’ in 10 across, ‘wo’ in 25 across and ‘fi’ in 5 down.  Ifor was fairly safe in including a reference to Nicola Sturgeon in the amended 2 down even though elections were due after publication of the puzzle.

The clues were the right mix of easy enough to get going, through to the more difficult extreme.  The detailed parsing of all the clues can be found below., along with an indication of which letter dropped between successive clues.  The wordplay for 5 down CAFFILA was particularly intricate – a bit like Russian dolls with containers within containers.  That’s the kind of construction that I like.  There were other enjoyable clues that combined different  wordplay devices.

I’m not too sure about the title SOLD DOWN THE RIVER.   LONDON BRIDGE crosses a river, and yes, it was sold [in 1968, much later than I thought], but the rhyme doesn’t make reference to the sale.  There is more than one theory about the writing and history of the rhyme, but it certainly predates the sale in 1968.

Thanks to Ifor for another interesting and testing puzzle.

    Letter Entry
Across      

1

 

 

 

 

 

Bleat as old man’s continuously hurt (6)

Beat as old man’s continuously hurt (6)

SO (as) + AKED (old [old man’s] form of ACHED [persistently or continuously pained])

SO AKED

L

SOAKED (beaten or pummelled)

 

 

 

5

 

 

Mother pursuing chap that regularly fed unusually bad-tempered woman (9)

Mother pursuing chap that regularly fled unusually bad-tempered woman (9)

CATA (letters 1, 3, 5 and 7 [regularly] of CHAP THAT) + MA (mother) + RAN (fled)

CATA MA RAN

 

CATAMARAN (word rarely  [unusually] used to mean a bad-tempered woman)

 

 

 

12

 

 

Avoid electronic sequence in melody (5)

Avid electronic sequence in melody (5)

AGOG (in excited eagerness; avid) + E (electronic)

AGOG E

O

 

AGOGE (in ancient Greek music, tempo; sequence in melody)

 

 

 

14

 

Collection of people varies at first, with a grand purge organised (8) 

Collection of people ovaries at first, with a grand purge organised (8) 

Anagram of (organised) O (initial letter [at first] of OVARIES and A and G [grand] and PURGE)

GROUPAGE*

  

GROUPAGE (the collection of objects or people into a group or groups)

 

 

 

15

 

 

Condition to return fee mostly blown on instrument (4)

Condition to return fee mostly blow on instrument (4)

IF ( [on] condition [that]) reversed (returned) + FEE excluding the final letter (mostly) E

FI< FE

N

 

FIFE (to play a smaller variety of the flute; to blow on an instrument)

 

 

 

 

17

 

 

Image of media item in freak convulsion (4) 

Image of median item in freak convulsion (4)

E (middle [median] letter of FREAK) + FIT (convulsion)

E FIT

  

E-FIT (a form of identikit, the image being composed on screen and adjustable by fine degrees)

 

 

 

18

 

 

A hundred wildly dance with Father Time (7)

A hundred wildly ance with Father Time (7)

Anagram of (wildly) ANCE and [with] FR (Father) and T (time)

CANTREF*

D

 

CANTREF (a division of a county; a hundred, also defined as the division of a county in England)

 

 

19

 

Highest note of teen’s reaction (4)

Highest note of teen’s redaction (4)

Anagram of (redaction [working into shape]) TEEN

NETE*

  

NETE (the highest string or note of the lyre)

 

 

22

 

Polarised opinions change in Georgia, possibly (4)

Polarised pinions change in Georgia, possibly (4)

LARI (hidden word in [pinions] POLARISED)

LARI

O 

LARI (the standard monetary unit of Georgia; change in Georgia)

 

 

 

23

 

Thought left god as theoretical construct in science (8, 2 words) 

Thought left good as theoretical construct in science (8, 2 words) 

IDEA (thought) + L (left) + G (good) + AS

IDEA L G AS

  

IDEAL GAS (a hypothetical gas which obeys physical laws under all conditions)

 

 

25

 

Won by holding highest note (5)

Wo by holding highest note (5)

BY containing (holding) E-LA (the highest note in old church music)

B (ELA) Y

N

 

BELAY (Chambers states that an old meaning is to waylay or stop.  Collins gives a nautical definition, to stop or cease.  The Oxford Dictionary of English gives WO as a variant spelling of WHOA [direction to stop])

26

Metal wastes lie in some places, however (9) 

Mental wastes lie in some places, however (9) 

Anagram of (mental) WASTES LIE

LEASTWISE*

  

LEASTWISE (in American terminology [in some places], the word can mean ‘however’)

 

 

28

Over-complex programs able to reset, bringing series of conflicts (9)

Over-complex programs able to reset, ringing series of conflicts (9)

Anagram of (reset) ABLE TO containing (ringing) WAR (a series of conflicts)

BLOAT (WAR) E*

 B

 

BLOATWARE (software with more facilities than most users need, making correspondingly large demands on system resources)

 

29

 

Pacifist leaders holding fire (5) 

Pacifist leaders holding fibre (5) 

ISTLE (hidden word in [holding] PACIFIST LEADERS)

ISTLE

  

ISTLE (fibre obtained from Agave, Bromelia, and other plants)

 

35

 

Charming Frenchman’s won back ring (8)

Charming Frenchman’s won back ing (8)

GAGNE (French for ‘wins’ or  ‘won’) reversed (back) + ING

ENGAG< ING

R

 

ENGAGING (charming)

 

38

 

Boggy ground after stripping old peat (4)

Boggy ground after stripping old peart (4)

Anagram of (ground) BOGGY after removing the outer letters (after stripping) B and Y + O (old)

GOG* O

  

GOGO (lively; peart also means lively)

 

40

 

Ifor heading to finish skinned sea fish (4)

For heading to finish skinned sea fish (4)

FOR with the first letter (heading) moved to the end (to finish) to form ORF + E (letter remaining in SEA when the outer letter S and E are removed (skinned)

ORF E

I

 

ORFE (golden-yellow semi-domesticated fish)

 

42

 

Low-born rebel oddly led in revolt (7) 

Low-born rebel oddly lied in revolt (7) 

Anagram of (in revolt) of RBL (letters 1, 3 and 5 [oddly] of REBEL) and LIED

ILLBRED*

  

ILLBRED ( badly brought up or badly educated; low-born)

 

44

 

Died direct from exposed bite (4)

Die direct from exposed bite (4)

EX (direct from) + IT (letters remaining in BITE when the outer letters B and E are removed)

EX IT

D

 

EXIT (die)

 

46

 

Issues uncovered after equitable ownership (4) 

Issues uncovered dafter equitable ownership (4) 

Anagram of (dafter) ISSUES  excluding the outer letters I and S (uncovered)

USES*

  

USES (form of equitable ownership peculiar to English law by which one person enjoys the profit of lands, etc, the legal title to which is vested in another in trust)

 

47

 

Echoes repeatedly happen backwards in grounds (8)

Echoes repeatedly happen backwards in rounds (8)

BE (exist; happen) reversed (backwards) contained in (in) ROUNDS

R (EB<) OUNDS

G

 

REBOUNDS (echoes repeatedly)

 

48

 

Purer with one for each (5) 

Purger with one for each (5) 

W (with) + I (Roman numeral for one) + PER (for each)

W I PER

  

WIPER (cleanser; purger)

 

49

 

Order artistes to dance, entertaining by proxy (9)

Order artists to dance, entertaining by proxy (9)

Anagram of (to dance) ARTISTS containing (entertaining) PP (per pro; by proxy)

TRA (PP) ISTS*

E

 

TRAPPISTS (Order of Cistercian monks)

 

50

 

Report behind shout of sham protest (6)

Report behind shout of shame protest (6)

OUT (interjection or shout of shame) + CRY (report or rumour)

OUT CRY

  

OUTCRY (protest)

 
Down      

1

CIA’s hideouts in vessel (4)

CIA’s hideous in vessel (4)

Anagram of (hideous) CIA’S

SAIC*

T

 

SAIC (vessel like a ketch, used in the E Mediterranean) 

 

2

 

Surgeon’s earlier examination after date’s grabbed by nasty individual (6, 2 words) 

Sturgeon’s earlier examination after date’s grabbed by nasty individual (6, 2 words) 

AD (after date) contained in (grabbed by) OGRE (nasty individual)

O GR (AD) E

  

O GRADE (in Scotland, where Nicola Sturgeon is still the First Minister, an O GRADE was a former examination generally taken at the end of the 4th year of secondary education)

 

3

 

Elders’ assembly in kampong’s chasing raised voice (6)

Elders’ assembly in kampong’s casing raised voice (6)

KG (first and last letters of [casing] KAMPONG) + ALTO (high falsetto male voice) reversed (raised; down entry)

KG OTLA<

H

 

KGOTLA (an assembly of tribal elders in Botswana)

 

4

 

Pony riders as tumblers (6) 

Phony riders as tumblers (6) 

Anagram of (phony) RIDERS

DRIERS*

  

DRIERS (reference tumble DRIERS)

 

5

 

Caravan clubs file into France, protected by breakdown service (7)

Caravan clubs fil into France, protected by breakdown service (7)

C (clubs) + (FIL contained in [into] [F {international vehicle registration for France} contained in {protected by} AA {Automobile Association (breakdown service)}])

C A (F (FIL)) A

E

 

CAFFILA (a caravan or caravan train)

 

6

 

Getting on with missing from being fed (4)

Getting on with missing from being feed (4)

WAGED (being paid a fee [feed]) excluding (missing) W (with)

AGED

  

AGED (getting on [in years]

 

7

 

Brent tanker spilling contents over terminal (5)

Bent tanker spilling contents over terminal (5)

TR (TANKER excluding the middle letters ANKE [spilling its contents]) + END (terminal)

TR END

R

 

TREND (tendency; bent)

 

8

 

Judicial board starts to mark up files on deck (6)

Judicial board starts to mark up files on dreck (6)

MUF (first letters of [starts to] each of MARK, UP and FILES) + TAT (dreck)

MUF TAT

  

MUFTAT (religious judicial board in an Islamic state or republic)

 

9

 

Parrot avoided people after answer (3)

Parrot voided people after answer (3)

A (answer) + PEOPLE excluding the middle letters EOPL (voided)

A PE

A

 

APE (mimic; parrot)

 

10

 

Tree from India filling Bengali garden in scent (5)

Tree from India filling Bengali garden in ascent (5) 

AGILA (reversed [in ascent; down entry] hidden word [filling] BENGALI GARDEN)

AGILA<

  

AGILA (eaglewood, large spreading trees of East India)

 

11

 

Plan to catch train’s left after taxi is taken (4)

Plan to catch train’s left after tax is taken (4)

NET (plan to trap or catch something) + T (first letter of [leftmost letter of] TRAIN)

NET T

I

 

NETT (result after tax is deducted)

 

13

 

Study of wines based on logo evidently hollow (8) 

Study of wines biased on logo evidently hollow (8)

Anagram of (biased) ON LOGO and EY (the letters remaining in EVIDENTLY when the central letters VIDENTL are removed [hollow])

OENOLOGY*

  

OENOLOGY (study of wines)

 

16

 

The worst part of line seen in retrospect (4)

The worst part of line see in retrospect (4)

L (line) + SEE reversed (in retrospect)

L EES<

N

 

LEES (sediment that forms during the fermentation or aging of an alcoholic liquor, eg wine; the worst part or parts)

 

20

 

Acting coy over support for protests, both verbal and physical (8)

Acting cony over support for protests, both verbal and physical (8)

A (acting) + GIT (fool; cony) + PROP (support)

A GIT PROP

  

AGITPROP (agitation [physical] and political propaganda [verbal])

 

21

Priest raised babies, not requiring staged Income Support (4)

Priest rased babies, not requiring staged Income Support (4)

Anagram of (rased; demolished; cut into pieces) BABIES excluding the letters IS (Income Support).  As the letters I and S are separated on the word BABIES, the clues uses the word ‘staged’ to identify them.

ABBE*

 I

 

ABBE (priest)

 

24

 

Views unchanged after hosting (4)

Views unchanged after hoisting (4)

SEES (this word is a palindrome so if it is reversed [after hoisting; down entry] the word remains as SEES)

SEES<>

  

SEES (views)

 

27

 

God planting revised siege protections (7)

God plating revised siege protections (7)

AS (Norse god, an inhabitant of Asgard) containing (plating) an anagram of (revised) SIEGE

A (EGISE*) S

N

 

AEGISES (protections or patronages)

 

29

 

Students of communication to grow up avoiding women (6) 

Students of communication ton grow up avoiding women (6) 

T (ton) + GROW UP excluding (avoiding) W (women)

T GRO UP

  

T-GROUP (an encounter group whose purpose is to improve the communication skills of individual members)

 

30

 

Fine swearing games console network protocols (4)

Fine wearing games console network protocols (4)

F (fine, on lead pencils) contained in (wearing) WII (a games console marketed by Nintendo)

WI (F) I

S

 

WIFI (wifeless networking technology that allows communication between computers and other devices)

 

31

 

Word likewise keeping under control (6) 

Sword likewise keeping under control (6) 

TOO (also; likewise) containing (keeping) LED (guided; under control)

TO (LED) O

  

TOLEDO (tapering sword or sword-blade made in TOLEDO, Spain)

 

33

 

Award received by sporting tips provided earlier (6)

Award received by sporting tis provided earlier (6)

OBE (Order of the British Empire; award) contained in (received by) an anagram of (sporting) TIS

S (OBE) IT*

P

 

SOBEIT (archaic [earlier] conjunction meaning provided)

 

34

 

Long-term criminal grass beginning to explain more willingly (6) 

Long-term criminal grasps beginning to explain more willingly (6) 

LIFER (person in prison for life; long term criminal) containing (grasps) E (first letter of [beginning to] EXPLAIN)

LI (E) FER

  

LIEFER (willingly)

 

36

 

Nail bar content from easier untaxed work in Cork (5)

Nil bar content from easier untaxed work in Cork (5)

NIX (nothing; nil) + ER (letters remaining in EASIER when the central letters ASIE are removed [bar content])

NIX ER

 A

 

NIXER (Irish informal term for a job, especially a spare-time or irregular one, the earnings of which are not declared for tax purposes by the worker)

 

37

 

Requirements once led as denying the odds (5)

Requirements once lead as denying the odds (5)

NEEDS (ONCE LEAD AS excluding letters, 1 ,3, 5 , 7 and 9 [denying the odds]

NEEDS

  

NEEDS (requirements)

 

39

 

Byzantine priest letting Sabbath go forward (4)

Byzantine prest letting Sabbath go forward (4)

Anagram of (byzantine) PREST excluding (letting … go] S [Sabbath])

PERT*

I

 

PERT (saucy; forward)

 

41

 

Mouldy smell of plant stuff after pruning (4) 

Mouldy smell of pliant stuff after pruning (4) 

Anagram of (pliant) STUFF excluding the last letter F (after pruning)

FUST*

  

FUST (mouldy smell)

 

43

Fish without water landed with love (4)

Fish without water laded with love (4)

DRY (without water) containing (laded with) O (zero; love score in tennis)

D (O) RY

N

DORY (type of fish)

45

Outstanding crow (3)

Outstanding crown (3)

TOP (outstanding)

TOP (crown; outstanding) 

  

TOP (something outstanding; a crown)  double definition

 

25 comments on “Inquisitor 1697: Sold Down the River by Ifor”

  1. This was for me a mixed solving experience. I got LONDON BRIDGE early on by anticipating most of the letters that were likely to fall down from alternate Across clues, and then had an enjoyable session or two solving most of the clues, completing the other phrase (THE RAIN IN SPAIN) and finally finishing off the last few clues.

    The only connection I could find (My Fair Lady) between the two collected items was a strong one, and I duly ‘noted the theme’, but I failed to see anything worthy of highlighting anywhere in the grid. Just below the red ‘i’ I found “Sold Down the River by Ifor”, which resonated with me at the time, but it had only 22 letters, was in the wrong place and did not really look like a theme. The crossword waa a good one, and I liked the ‘letter drop’ device in the pairs of clues, but I had to miss out on the hidden bonus at the very end.

    It is interesting that there was a discussion here only a week ago on the adequacy, or otherwise, of what the setter on that occasion provided by way of a hint, clue or pointer to the theme.

    Thanks to Ifor for the challenge, and to Duncan for showing what I missed. (I would never have thought to count the syllables, even on a better day!)

  2. Wow, I’d never have uncovered that

    After completing the grid and uncovering the hidden messages, finding the My Fair Lady link was straightforward. I then spent an age grid staring and just couldn’t spot any breakthrough. So this was a rare DNF for me as I reluctantly filed it away in my IQ folder knowing I was beaten by Ifor this time. He is one of my favourite setters (and I’m not just saying that knowing he contributes here), but this one was above me. I’ve got almost zero musical knowledge despite coming from a family of instrument players – I’m the musical black sheep.

    Thanks for the blog and bravo on completing this one. Thanks to Ifor too of course for the puzzle and teaching me a new definition of catamaran.

  3. I am embarrassed to comment having got LONDON BRIDGE and THE RAIN IN SPAIN but so many wrong entries especially being a musician -it recalls Paddy being asked on a Quiz show how many D’s there were in match of the Day and he thought for a minute and said “49 I tink”
    and the host said “however did you come up with that number and Paddy
    said (Dee Dee De Dee de de dee de de………)

  4. A fabulous puzzle from Ifor, what a great idea! Needless to say I failed on the end game, but hats off to Duncan for getting there.
    Thanks to both Ifor and Duncan.

  5. I failed the endgame miserably, but what a marvellous idea and construction! I noted the “noted” but thought the theme must be “My Fair Lady”, with its relevance to “London Bridge” from the across clues and “The Rain in Spain” from the down clues. Having London Bridge as the theme seemed a bit asymmetrical, leaving the Rain in Spain reference as rather detached. And the title didn’t seem to lead anywhere…But a brilliant puzzle – many thanks to Ifor and Duncan.

  6. Lovely puzzle. I thought some of the letter moves were inspired. Those Gs on row 8 leapt out at me, though it took me a bit longer than it should have done to see the arrangement – not helped by me tentatively having SOCKED at 1a and forgetting that I hadn’t parsed it. Thanks to setter and blogger.

  7. A fabulous puzzle from Ifor. It took me a long while for the significance of “noted” to become apparent, and I spent ages looking up details of the sale of the bridge and then trying to locate relevant names. When the penny did drop, it was a sublime moment.

    Hard but totally fair in my view – but then what do I know 🙂

  8. Setter: here’s the theme
    Solver: got you. My Fair Lady right?
    Setter: whatever gave you that idea?

    Ludicrous.

  9. Obviously solvable because some people did solve it. Well done if you did. I never came close with the endgame. Not the clearest preamble ever.

  10. Like so many others, I managed to fill the grid, correctly and quite quickly, but was totally stumped by the endgame. Unlike many others, I am a professional musician who has often fantasised about a puzzle involving musical notation, and |I still didn’t get it! I’m left with my usual admiration for Ifor, and severe disappointment in myself.

  11. A case here of a very quick grid fill, and then an endgame that took most of the Bank Holiday weekend to crack, off and on. I think the preamble was sufficient – “noted the theme” was as explicit as it needed to be, despite my inability for ages to work out what to do with it. A beginner’s music site I stumbled on was what it took to finish eventually, the notes being handily spelled out.

  12. As I sort of trailed my reaction last week but didn’t actually give it for fear of spoilers, I’m glad to be able to say I loved this. So now you know, Ifor.

    I was a bit worried, after the divergent comments last week, that as I read music I didn’t know what it might be like for anyone who doesn’t. There may be some naysayers on that score… On the other hand I have such a lousy ear I had an E for the last D for quite a while and didn’t take umbrage on behalf of the out-of-tune community.

    Jon_S’s comment @11is encouraging, as it implies you could have fun cracking this with no musical knowledge (and an internet connection).

  13. Once I suspected that musical notation was the name of the game – I agree with Jon_S – I left the game, since it felt more like work than play. Still, enjoyable (and suspiciously easy) grid fill and generation of letters. Bingy@8 made me laugh. All the same, thanks to Ifor and (heroic) duncanshiell.

  14. I’m another who failed the endgame after an enjoyable and relatively short grid-fill. All those O‘s peppered around the grid led me to think about musical notation, then the clusters of G-A-G and F-E-F engaged my interest, but I never put them together to get the G-A G F E-F G etc gently rising & falling as they snaked across the grid.
    I still don’t really understand the bit in the preamble about “those from down clues something said to fall in its last three words.” Do “its last three words” refer to RAIN IN SPAIN (from the down clues) or to MY FAIR LADY (the fourth line of the nursery rhyme)? In either case, what is it that is “said to fall”?

  15. HG@14: I think (because you asked the question) that “in its last three words” means “in {London Bridge is falling down}’s last three words”. So “The Rain In Spain” is said to fall in “My Fair Lady”. I don’t think that it makes the theme clearer, though.

    For the record, I completed the grid and failed on the musical challenge, even though I thought that “noted” was a musical reference.

    Thanks to Ifor and to Duncan.

  16. Echoing others: thanks to Ifor and Duncan. I had a good challenging time filling the grid and realizing the connection between the across and down messages. Then a long blank stare until a umpteenth return to the preamble generated the thought that “Having noted the theme” meant musical notes. Too far outside my comfort zone, alas: I bowed to Ifor’s great ingenuity and gave up.

  17. Some tough clues and, for me, some very obscure words. Despite this, the struggle to complete the grid was well worth it and I was pleased with myself. Once solved, all the clues were revealed to be very sound, as expected from Ifor. The end game was a different matter, however. The title made me wonder if the sale and export of the previous bridge was key or the rumour that the buyer thought he was buying Tower Bridge, but nothing on the internet seemed to suggest this. Then the word “noted” in the preamble made me consider a link to material from the musical MFL – again nothing found. Poring over the completed grid for some sort of lead was, unsurprisingly, was no help either.

    I love listening to music but, apart from being aware of the basics, the formal aspects of its notation are beyond me. So, I would never have cracked the end game in a million years and was glad that I gave up when I did. Nevertheless, the grid construction was amazing.

    Thanks to Ifor for an enjoyable grid solving . My admiration goes to Duncan for cracking the final step.

  18. Bingy@8 – this reminded me of a cartoon that I saw years ago…

    Solver: Ok, time to make a start on this cryptic crossword.
    Setter: HOW VERY DARE YOU!

  19. John Lowe @15: your explanation is fine (and what I concluded) until you notice that the oft-misquoted “The rain in Spain stays mainly in the plain” has no mention of fall.

  20. I thought this was an excellent puzzle. I wasn’t bothered by a few obscurities. In fact I always enjoy coming across new words – it’s one of the benefits of tough crosswords. The theme was very fairly indicated by the two phrases, unlike last week’s puzzle, and the endgame seemed obvious to me because “Having noted the theme” was such a strange introduction to the last sentence of the preamble. It was clearly designed as a hint. I sometimes criticise preambles that are loose or unintentionally ambiguous, but this sort of ambiguity is the essence of crosswords.

    Normally, I struggle with musical notation, especially if the thematic tune has undergone some sort of transposition for the puzzle. In this case the repeated pattern of letters stood out, and it was the first version I found on the Internet.

  21. HG@19: You are quite right. No doubt Ifor will drop in and clear up all apparent uncertainties in due course.

  22. As you know, I do aim to do so after all have had a chance to have their say. So here goes.

    First my thanks to Duncan for a wonderfully thorough and accurate blog. I especially appreciated and enjoyed the insight into the solving sequence. Similar thanks to everyone who had something constructive to say about the puzzle, particularly those who graciously accepted that on this occasion the endgame proved elusive. I hope the cluesolving provided some satisfaction and entertainment for you.

    I should mention for the benefit of newer solvers that the idea isn’t original – indeed, I’ve used it myself before (a Magpie built around Old MacDonald) and even then picked up on rather than invented it.

    JL and HG – of course you’re right that the rain isn’t “falling” in the key sentence. My “said” was in allusion to its use as a spoken exercise, and I wanted “fall” to appear as often as possible for obvious reasons. Unfortunately I hadn’t appreciated that the combination suggests an apparently common misreading, as HG remarks. And finally – I did consider something like “staff meeting” as a title, but decided that might give too much away too soon. Maybe that was too pessimistic?

  23. Hmm. ‘Graciously accepted ….’ Twelve of the commenters didn’t finish and that equals ‘endgame proving elusive’. I would have thought that a setter of long standing and of excellent puzzles – including the gridfill on this one – might have found it within himself to accept that maybe the preamble wasn’t clear enough on the endgame. Won’t stop me doing the next one he produces and no doubt enjoying it but…

  25. Norman – it’s surely in the nature of this sort of puzzle that some solvers will be defeated by unfamiliarity with the theme, knottiness of cluing or some other cause? As I said last week, what is clear and fair to one solver may not be so for another, as the range within preceding comments exemplifies. And of course we cannot know how representative this small sample might be.

    I’d reiterate my thanks to those who, like you, engage constructively with me and with setters in general.

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