The Ace of Hearts is an infrequent setter of Inquisitor puzzles, this being only the sixth since the first one appeared in 2016.
The preamble was fairly short and clear. "Five clues are normal, but their answers must be entered thematically, producing non-words. Remaining clues must each have one letter removed before solving. In clue order, these letters spell (minus one word) a definition in Chambers of a word of six letters to be highlighted in the completed grid. This definition gives a hint as to how the normal clue answers are entered. Numbers in brackets after clues refer to grid entries."
I just started off solving what I could and hoped that the letters to be removed would be fairly easy to spot in a few cases. My first one in was SMALTI at 11 across where ‘foraged’ in the clue looked a likely candidate to be ‘forged’. 19 across, KISLEV followed fairly quickly as did STEGOSAUR (28 across) and VITELLIGENOUS (33 across) where the anagram indicators were well signposted and the definitions also stood out.
The first hint of treated entries were at 37 across and 9 down where MITT and KID seemed to fit the clue. In each case the space available in the grid was much longer than the answer length.
Over time the rest of the grid developed and the definition spelled out by the extra letters seemed to have words like BOXING and WITH METAL. A little bit of internet research was unsuccessful initial initially, but a few clues later, GLOVE also appeared. Searching for BOXING GLOVE WITH METAL led to a Wikipedia entry that mentioned a CESTUS. Looking up CESTUS in Chambers showed the definition as AN ANCIENT ROMAN BOXING GLOVE LOADED WITH METAL.
By studying all the extra letters I had discovered, I was able to reduce the likely remaining treated entries to four or five clues and identify some of the extra letters I hadn’t yet identified. It was also clear that word ROMAN would be omitted from the definition generated by the extra letters.
Fairly soon everything dropped into place and I was able to deduce the metals to be LOADED into the entries. It was only at the very end that I realised that the five treated answers could all be defined as a form of glove in addition to the definitions used in the clues, so the treated answers very closely followed the definition of CESTUS.
| Clue | Answer | Metal | Entry |
| 1a | GAGE | ZINC | GAGZINCE |
| 21a | GAUNTLET | TIN | GAUNTINTLET |
| 37a | MITT | GOLD | MGOLDITT |
| 9d | KID | SILVER | KISILVERD |
| 5d | OVEN | BRASS | OBRASSOVEN |
The clues that yielded thematic answers led to entries symmetrically placed in the grid if the grids were to be rotated 180 degrees.. ZINC and GOLD were symmetric. TIN was in the centre of the centre row. The symmetry was only slightly knocked by BRASS and SILVER having a different number of letters.
The word CESTUS can be seen as the bottom six letters in the third column.
I thought there were some excellent clues in the puzzle, but the one that stood out for me was the compound anagram of MANCHESTER UNITED at 7 down that led to SMECTITE.
The extra letter at 22 down where the clue led to ACES was not obvious. It was only when I knew it had to be a T that I homed in on deleting the T from DEFT. The clue worked just as well with DEFT instead of the slang DEF.
As I explain in the detail of the blog, I can’t see how the clue at 24 down works as I want to use the word ‘swallows’ as a containment indicator for the anagram of GREY to include EG (for one) but I would have to reverse EG to make it work and I can’t see a reversal indicator. Almost certainly I am missing something and look forward to being told what it is.
The graphic below shows the final grid. I think only CESTUS has to be highlighted but I have shown the metals hidden in the gloves as well.
The title FOUL PLAY certainly describes the use of metal in a boxing glove.
This was a good fun puzzle with a clear end game.
| No | Clue | Letter | Entry |
| Across | |||
| 1 |
Mary Jane nagged, spending limits under review (8) GAGE (marijuana) GAGE (Mary Jane is a name used as a slang term for marijuana) GAGE ZINC is hidden in GAGE (also defined as a glove thrown down as a challenge) to form the entry GAGZINCE |
GAGZINCE | |
| 7 |
Seek second to act before pain (4) Seek second to act before pin (4) CASK (a PIN is a CASK of 4.5 gallons) C (second letter of [second to] ACT) + ASK (question) C ASK |
A | CASK |
| 10 |
Ginger rang me on battle site (7) Ginger rag me on battle site (7) MARENGO (reference the Battle of MARENGO which was fought on 14 June 1800 between French forces under the First Consul Napoleon Bonaparte and Austrian forces near the city of Alessandria, in Piedmont, Italy) Anagram of (ginger) RAG ME ON MARENGO* |
N | MARENGO |
| 11 |
Tamils foraged for pieces of glass (6) Tamils forged for pieces of glass (6) SMALTI (coloured pieces of glass or enamel for mosaic work) Anagram of (forged) TAMILS SMALTI* |
A | SMALTI |
| 12 |
Town councils in Spain always sent in amount anyhow (13) Town councils in Spain always sent i amount anyhow (13) AYUNTAMIENTOS (municipal councils in Spain) AY (always) + an anagram of (anyhow) SENT I AMOUNT AY UNTAMIENTOS* |
N | AYUNTAMIENTOS |
| 13 |
Aging players carrying Act One break for refreshment (7) Aging players carrying At One break for refreshment (7) TEATIME (break for refreshment) TEME (obsolete [aging] spelling of TEAM [players]) containing (AT + I [Roman numeral for one]) TE (AT I) ME |
C | TEATIME |
| 16 |
Endlessly source movies to fish for list of property (9) Endlessly source moves to fish for list of property (9) COURTROLL (the record of land holdings, etc of a manorial COURT; list of property) Anagram of (moves) SOURCE excluding the outer letters S and E (endlessly) + TROLL (to fish for, or in, with a spinning or otherwise moving bait) COUR* TROLL |
I | COURTROLL |
| 17 |
Virgil’s cares about old cat of her age (5) Virgil’s cars about old cat of her age (5) BIGAE (two horse chariots from the time of ancient Rome> Virgil lived at the time of ancient Rome; Virgil’s cars) GIB (obsolete [old] term for a tomcat, especially a castrated one) reversed (about) + AE (AEtatis, Latin for ‘of his or her age’) BIG< AE |
E | BIGAE |
| 19 |
King ordered lines by volume this month (6) King ordered lies by volume this month (6) KISLEV (the third [ecclesiastically ninth] Jewish month, parts of November and December) K (king) + an anagram of [ordered] LIES) + V (volume) K ISLE* V |
N | KISLEV |
| 21 |
One might have had to run through this to survive barren and desolate service (11) GAUNTLET (reference the phrase ‘run the GAUNTLET‘ [undergo the former military [or naval] punishment of having to run through a lane of soldiers [or sailors] who strike one as one passes) GAUNT ([of a place] barren and desolate) + LET (a service in tennis that strikes the net on it’s way to the other side of the net) GAUNT LET TIN is hidden in GAUNTLET (also defined as a the iron glove of armour thrown down as a challenge) to form the entry GAUNTINTLET |
GAUNTINTLET | |
| 23 |
Got up as if to introduce sucker oddly (6) Go up as if to introduce sucker oddly (6) ASCEND (go up) AND (as if) containing (to introduce) SCE (letters 1, 3 and 5 [oddly] of SUCKER) A (SCE) ND |
T | ASCEND |
| 26 |
Shut bin emptied Epsom public house (5) Shut in emptied Epsom public house (5) EMBAR (obsolete word meaning shut in) EPSOM excluding the central letters PSO (emptied) + BAR (public house) EM BAR |
B | EMBAR |
| 28 |
Lively goat rouses prehistoric creature (9) Lively gat rouses prehistoric creature (9) STEGOSAUR (any of several dinosaurs of the Jurassic period; prehistoric creature) Anagram of (lively) GAT ROUSES STEGOSAUR* |
O | STEGOSAUR |
| 31 |
What crucifixes set called intrinsically odd (7) What crucifies set called intrinsically odd (7) STRANGE (odd) RANG (called) contained in (intrinsically) an anagram of (crucifies) SET ST (RANG) E* |
X | STRANGE |
| 33 |
Producing nutritive substance evil genius banks on Leo and Iseult to distribute (13) Producing nutritive substance evil genus banks on Leo and Iseult to distribute (13) VITELLIGENOUS (producing yolk [the nutritive non-living material produced by an ovum]) Anagram of (to distribute) EVIL GENUS and LO (outer letters of [banks] of LEO) and IT (outer letters of [banks] ISEULT) VITELLIGENOUS* |
I | VITELLIGENOUS |
| 34 |
End after returned letter’s committed to veteran (6) Ed after returned letter’s committed to veteran (6) ENURED (obsolete [old] word meaning commit) RUNE (any of the letters of the futhork or ancient Germanic alphabet) reversed (returned) + ED ENUR< ED |
N | ENURED |
| 35 |
No reason to broadcast people who sing rarely (7) No reason to broadcast people who sin rarely (7) NOCENTS (a rare word meaning people who are hurtful or guilty; people who sin, rarely) NO + CENTS (sounds like [to broadcast] SENSE [reason]) NO CENTS |
G | NOCENTS |
| 36 |
Prying person grumbling heartlessly (4) Prying person rumbling heartlessly (4) NOSY (nickname for a prying person) NOISY (rumbling) excluding the central letter I (heartlessly) NOSY |
G | NOSY |
| 37 |
German with tense hand (8) MITT (slang term for the hand) MIT (German for ‘with’) + T (tense) MIT T GOLD is hidden in MITT (also defined as a mitten [type of glove]) to form the entry MITGOLDT |
MGOLDITT | |
| Down | |||
| 1 |
Shanghai native escaped public executioner and fled (4) Shanghai native escaped public executioner and fed (4) G-MAN (agent of the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation [Fed]) HANGMAN (executioner) excluding (escaped) HAN (member of the Chinese people [Shanghai native]) GMAN |
L | GMAN |
| 2 |
Having caught cameo by stages, daughter shuddered at Fringe (5) Having caught came by stages, daughter shuddered at Fringe (5) GRUED (Scottish [Edinburgh Fringe Festival] word for shuddered) GRUE (sounds like [caught] GREW [came by stages]) + D (daughter) GRUE D |
O | GRUED |
| 3 |
Japanese school van accepted secluded women here (6) Japanese school an accepted secluded women here (6) ZENANA (in India and Iran, etc, a part of a house in which women and girls are secluded) ZEN (an original Japanese branch of Buddhism [with various sects] which holds that the truth is not in scriptures but in a person’s own heart if they will only strive to find it by meditation and self-mastery; Japanese school) + AN + A (accepted) ZEN AN A |
V | ZENANA |
| 4 |
Large planets, name ten in protogalaxy for example (6) Large plants, name ten in protogalaxy for example (6) NGAIOS (New Zealand trees with white wood; large plants) N (name) + (IO [letters representing ten] contained in [in] GAS [a protogalaxy {a large cloud of gas thought to be slowly condensing into stars, an early stage in the formation of a galaxy}]) N GA (IO) S |
E | NGAIOS |
| 5 |
Commander heard German city’s Aktiengesellschaft is collecting money for halving shared correspondence (13) Commander heard German city’s Aktiengesellschaft is collecting money for having shared correspondence (13) COMMUNICATING (having shared correspondence) COM (Commander) + MUNIC (sounds like [heard] MUNICH [German city]) + (AG [Aktiengesellschaft, German joint stock company] containing [is collecting] TIN [money]) COM MUNIC A (TIN) G |
L | COMMUNICATING |
| 6 |
Heard nun shoot out of Manchester United to refine minerals (8) Heard nun shot out of Manchester United to refine minerals (8) SMECTITE (family of minerals that are constituents of clays) Anagram of (to refine) MANCHESTER UNITED excluding (out) an anagram of (shot) HEARD NUN SMECTITE* |
O | SMECTITE |
| 7 |
Chair makers are turned back in Canada and Sweden (6) Chair makers re turned back in Canada and Sweden (6) CANERS (chair makers) RE reversed (turned back) in (CAN [Canada] + S [International Vehicle registration for Sweden]) CAN (ER<) S |
A | CANERS |
| 8 |
When picking up collards beside public walkway (4) When picking up collars beside public walkway (4) STOA (in ancient Greece, a portico or covered colonnade; especially the public ambulatory, STOA Poikile (the Painted Porch), in Athens where Zeno gave his lectures) AS (when) reversed (picking up; down entry) containing (collars) TO (beside) S (TO) A< |
D | STOA |
| 9 |
Pretend to put papers under bottom of desk (9) KID (hoax; pretend) K (last letter of [bottom of] DESK + ID (identity papers) K ID SILVER is hidden in KID (also defined as a glove made of goat’s hide) to form the entry KISILVERD |
KISILVERD | |
| 13 |
Cottons one judge wears at assizes finally (5) Cottons on judge wears at assizes finally (5) TWIGS (understands; cottons on) WIG (slang for a judge) contained in (wears) (TS [last letters {finally} of each of AT and ASSIZES) T (WIG) S |
E | TWIGS |
| 14 |
Volunteer East to win every trick in done deal (4) Volunteer East to win every trick in one deal (4) VOLE (win all tricks in one deal in certain card games) VOL (volunteer) + E (east) VOL E |
D | VOLE |
| 15 |
Lear characters returning in one voice (9) OVEN (a LEAR is a glass-annealing oven) OVEN (reversed [returning] hidden word in [in] ONE VOICE) OVEN< BRASS is hidden in OVEN (reference an OVEN glove) to form the entry OBRASSVEN |
OBRASSVEN | |
| 18 |
Glorified when losing height, number died in battle long ago (8) Glorified hen losing height, number died in battle long ago (8) ENNOBLED (elevated or distinguished; glorified) HEN excluding (losing) H (height) + NO (number) + BLED (archaic [long ago] word for ‘died from wounds suffered in battle’) EN NO BLED |
W | ENNOBLED |
| 20 |
Rear of the recording depot in Marine (5) Rear of the recording depot in Marne (5) ETAPE (French [Marne is a Department in France including Reims] word for storehouse or depot) E (last letter of [rear of] THE) + TAPE (a recording) E TAPE |
I | ETAPE |
| 22 |
A couple discontented with son’s deft golf shots (4) A couple discontented with son’s def golf shots (4) ACES (excellent [DEF is slang for brilliant]) shots in tennis or golf for example) A + CE (letters remaining in C A CE S |
T | ACES |
| 24 |
Hold nest away from the ground for one order of grey swallows (6) Old nest away from the ground for one order of grey swallows (6) EGGERY (archaic [old] term for a place where EGGs are laid, probably constructed off the ground) EG (for example; for one)+ an anagram of (order of) GREY – This construction doesn’t seem to fit the clue which requires the anagram of GREY to contain (swallows) EG. The containment only works if EG is reversed. EG GREY rather than EG (GE<) RY* |
H | EGGERY |
| 25 |
Love duck meat rolls, a feature of US picnic (6) Love duck eat rolls, a feature of US picnic (6) BURGOO (a stew or thick soup for American picnics) (O [zero; love score in tennis] + O [zero; duck score in cricket] + GRUB [slang for ‘to eat’]) all reversed (rolls) (BURG O O)< |
M | BURGOO |
| 27 |
With staff not available, emend supply (6) With staff not available, mend supply (6) MANNED (having staff in place) Anagram of (supply [derived from supple]) NA [not available] and MEND MANNED* |
E | MANNED |
| 29 |
Tone of a group of Bantu speakers drunk on gin (5) One of a group of Bantu speakers drunk on gin (5) NGONI (a member of a group of Bantu-speaking peoples living in southern and eastern Africa) Anagram of (drunk) ON GIN NGONI* |
T | NGONI |
| 30 |
For example read Nabokov in obsessive fixes (4) For example red Nabokov in obsessive fixes (4) VINO (wine, e.g. a red wine) VINO (hidden word in [fixes] NABOKOV IN OBSESSIVE) VINO |
A | VINO |
| 32 |
I’ll quietly get earl’s seconds to spot assailant on street (4) I’ll quietly get ears seconds to spot assailant on street (4) PSST (interjection used to attract someone’s attention quietly or surreptitiously) PS (second letters of [seconds to] each of SPOT and ASSAILANT) + ST (street; road) PS ST |
L | PSST |
It took me too long to spot that we had to insert metals into the thematic answers, but as you say the endgame was nice and clear, and overall finished without too much ado.
OK … so to 24 Down : I read 24D as just being ‘Old nest’ for the definition, then ‘away from the ground’ to mean reading the answer to the clue (that reaches the very bottom of the grid) from the bottom to the top, i.e. away from the ground. Now there’s your cheeky little reversal for you.
After 4 puzzles in succession from the PINK quartet, all quite difficult but ultimately satisfying, I half expected this one to be from Nimrod, thereby completing the solo performances. I was in some ways relieved to find what I hoped might be an easier one for a change, although, initially, this did not appear to be the case. (What happened, Mr Editor, to the policy of a graded selection in each group of five?)
I made quite a slow start, needing IT to help me with some obscure words, but once the I spotted the “t” trick and had found enough of the message to guess the rest, progress accelerated. The big PDM was spying KI(SILVER)D at 9D, after which it was downhill all the way. I agree, Duncan, about 24D.
Thanks, AoH, for an enjoyable ride and, of course, to Duncan.
For 22 Down I was expecting to read (one week after the event) that the clue should actually have begun with the words ‘A couplet discontented …’
I really love the Inquisitor, it’s a proper mental workout, but I couldn’t do it without my trusty battered old copy of ‘Chambers 7th Ed.’ by my side, if nothing else for the obsolete and / or Scottish versions of words that are so often required.
Message to all of the setters: Keep up the fabulous work.
Not quite heavy metal but that suited me-good fun
CESTUS was sitting there so smugly
Thanks all,
Thank you duncanshiell for your brilliantly clear way of setting out the answers – including definitions, parsing, alterations and explanations.
Despite getting GAGE, MITT, KID and OVEN quite early on (but not GAUNTLET), I didn’t see the glove connection, and my way into the theme was via the extra letters from the clues. When the grid was about half filled I had the word ANCIENT forming from some Across clues and LOVE LOADED W… from the Downs. Later, when the two Gs appeared together, LOVE had to become GLOVE, and the whole phrase quickly followed, helping me to make sense of, and solve, the five special entries – and, of course, find CESTUS, a word that I have never come across before.
This was an enjoyable quality puzzle with some tricky clues, some of which I had to parse post-solve.
Thanks to The Ace of Hearts for the challenge and duncanshiell for (as jon surdy put it) the brilliantly clear blog.
Another enjoyable one; all thanks to The Ace of Hearts and duncanshiell. I more or less simultaneously saw the infill of MITT with GOLD and the likelihood that the quotation ended with METAL … expanded a bit later to LOADED WITH METAL, a clear confirmation of thematic treatment. Didn’t get the gloves part at all until that word became clear from these extra letters. The endgame had me muttering that I knew this word and I even knew where I must have read it — in one of Gene Wolfe’s historical fantasy novels — but it refused to come to mind until I spotted it in the grid. At least I didn’t have to resort to another read of Wolfe’s three relevant books …
Yes, a good entry, and very fair. Seeing the likelihood of silver and zinc cracked it for me; it was some time later that the gloves appeared, maybe because, sentimentally, I was looking for ‘love’; the solution was anything but sentimental, a bit of a shock.
Thanks to Ace of Hearts & duncanshiell.
I had the same problem as Duncan with 24d, so thanks to Them sat there at home @2 for sorting that one out. I couldn’t help asking myself “Is there another metal, 3 letters with ‘I‘ in the middle?” Thanks, TAoH for the entertainment.