Wrong Number is one of the classic specials, dating back at least to Ximemes. You can see the Slip for an early (1968) example here. The last Azed example was as long ago as August 2016.
As usual my approach was to group clues with the same answer length together, which reduces some of the confusion. As usual, there are six clues of each of six lengths, the only unusual constraint on the grid. Also as usual, it took a fair bit of cold-solving before the crossing letters were of much use, after which things became slightly easier, though by no means a walkover. There seem to be a lot of clues of the form (anagram less something), and there are a couple of cases where the same word is used for both definitions of an answer: “fruit” for GAGES and “drug” for DOWNER, which seems a bit of a blemish, though no doubt hard to avoid completely.
In the table below, I’ve shown the answers against the full clues that they apply to, followed by their locations in the grid. In the clues the main definition is underlined, with the single-word definitions in bold. Getting the formatting right was almost a much of a challenge as the puzzle itself, so I hope it’s both correct and helpful. I’ll be away when this blog is published so may not be able to respond to comments immediately.
Thanks as ever to Azed for the puzzle. My next Azed blog won’t be till after the 50th anniversary lunch: I hope to see some of you there.
| Across | ||||||||
| *1 | TERAS (12a, malformation) |
Buttocks (5) The only five-letter answer with no full clue is TERAS, so the competition is for a full clue for this that also includes a single-word definition of buttocks (of which I’m sure there are plenty…) |
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| 5 | ROMAIKA (11a, caper) |
Like upright text (in short), alias one’s cracked, making Greek dance (7) ROMA[n] (like upright text, as opposed to italic) + I in AKA |
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| 11 | OPERATE (33a, conduct) |
Effect lively caper (not constant) with toe (7) Anagram of CAPER less C + TOE |
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| 12 | HEATH (25d, bent) |
Moor male with malformation of hat (5) HE + HAT* |
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| 13 | RASP (9d, file) |
With start of eulogy I abandoned false praise in gravelly tone (4) Anagram of PRAISE less E[ulogy] and I |
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| 14 | ROBURITE (2d, explosive) |
‘Snarly’ outer rib? It won’t get inflamed (8) (OUTER RIB)* |
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| 15 | SERIAL (7d, Publication) |
Climbing dens a safeguard for last of mice in a row (6) [mic]E in reverse of LAIRS |
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| 18 | NESTLED (32a, Cherished) |
Send central part of skeletons out, snugly packed (7) Anagram of SEND + skeLETons: rather a loose indication (by Azedian standards) of the second part: “central part of skeletons” could just as well be E, ELETO or KELETON |
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| 21 | TITTERING (4d, swaying) |
Giggly girl with the group exuding mere whiff of happiness? (9) TIT (girl) + THE RING less H[appiness] |
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| 22 | DRAGONESS (17d, monster) |
Mother-in-law traditionally displaying silver with application in clothes (9) AG (silver) + ON (applied to; with appication) in DRESS |
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| 24 | CORALLA (18a, skeletons) |
Fell timeless bits of atoll arc – such as are dead (7) Anagram of ATOLL ARC less T |
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| 28 | HAGDON (6d, bird) |
Chinese caging dog with malaise – creature akin to one called Manx? (6) DOG* in HAN; the Hagdon is a type of shearwater, so presumably related to the Manx shearwater |
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| 29 | AXE-HEADS (20d, cleavers) |
Each had sex wildly – is growth drastically reduced thereby? (8) Anagram of EA[ch] HAD SEX |
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| 30 | OBIT (13a, eulogy) |
Record of past life in ordinary brief space (4) O[rdinary] + BIT (brief space) |
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| 31 | SHOPS (34a, imprisons) |
Wherein one may find special fruit clusters? (5) S + HOPS &lit |
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| 32 | SHASTRA (5a, text) |
Cherished scripture is keeping translator getting stuck into it (7) HAS TR in SA (it) |
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| 33 | NERONIC (24a, Fell) |
Crooked Ronnie caught displaying cruel conduct (7) RONNIE* + C |
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| 34 | GAGES (31a, fruit) |
Grammar school imprisons mature fruit (5) AGE (to mature) in GS |
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| Down | ||||||||
| 1 | TIGERISH (14a, snarly) |
Irish get all agitated, showing personification of wild beasts (8) (IRISH GET)* – the “all” seems redundant here |
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| 2 | LOCKSTEP (19d, march) |
Stock explosive in erstwhile spring drill (8) STOCK* in LEP (variant of “leap” = spring) |
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| 3 | PRATT (1a, Buttocks) |
Can odd bits of potato rear crookedly? (5) Anagram of the odd letters of PoToTa ReAr; can is an American term for buttocks |
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| 4 | PIPERONAL (21a, whiff) |
Swaying polar pine – it yields a pleasant aroma (9) (POLAR PINE)* |
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| 6 | DOWNER (22d, Drug) |
End of bird leads to proprietor requiring drug (6) [bir]D + OWNER |
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| 7 | LIBANT (23d, touching) |
Publication plugs this cup I love – like a sip? (6) PUBLICATION is an anagram of LIBANT CUP I O |
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| 8 | REPORTAGE (16d, artifice) |
Left beds in eager broadcast documentary (9) PORT (left) in EAGER* |
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| 9 | ACTA (30a, Record) |
What may be kept on file? See some of what can circulate (4) Hidden in reverse of whAT CAn |
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| 10 | UPGO (26d, climb) |
One gets pale, usually at first, having to climb mount (4) Reverse of first letters of One Gets Pale Usually |
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| 16 | TRICLINIA (8d, beds) |
Couches with endless artifice I nail in new style (9) TRIC[k] + (I NAIL)* |
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| 17 | DILIGENCE (22a, application) |
I minced leg badly, just missing front of monster coach (9) Anagram of (I MINCED LEG) less M[onster] |
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| 19 | PROSOPON (1d, personification) |
Around middle of march, pop soon gets frazzled in appearance (8) [ma]R[ch] in (POP SOON)* |
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| 20 | PLANTAGE (29a, growth) |
Place label in surface for e.g. cleavers (8) TAG in PLANE |
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| 22 | UNEASE (28a, malaise) |
Drug after endless nausea dealt with discomfort (6) Anagram of NAUSE[a] + E (drug) |
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| 23 | SURETY (15a, safeguard) |
Pen going round university, touching, for sponsor (6) U + RE (about, touching) in STY |
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| 25 | TATER (3d, potato) |
Treat bent tuber (5) TREAT*; bent, the definition word for 12a, is a type of grass, and by extension a grassy place such as a HEATH |
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| 26 | SLAP (27d, Blow) |
Friends having to climb pass (4) Reverse of PALS. Slap is a Scots word for a hill pass |
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| 27 | ASHY (10d, pale) |
Blow missing boxer’s head, fray’s ending, making one livid (4) BASH less B[oxer] + [fra]Y. Livid can mean “pale, ashen” |
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Thanks Andrew for the hard work – looks fine.
I’ve never done one of these before, a satisfying challenge once I’d realised the one-word definition didn’t have to be in the definition part of the clue! Some stretching to get single word defs (‘whiff’ for PIPERONAL) but an achivement to set. Thanks as ever to Azed.
Thanks for the blog , a lot of work, it seems correct to me and it is very helpful in the format you have chosen.
I too noticed the FRUIT and the DRUG, not actually wrong but a little clumsy.
Cold solving is the only way to go and I only put them in if I am absolutely sure I have the definition elsewhere.
I got about half on my first look through , I then went for the 9 letter answers simply because they give the most letters in the grid , As you work down from 8 to 4 it does at some point become far easier.
Looks good to me as well. I thought this was going to be really difficult but it ended up easier than I thought, not that any Azed is easy. Thanks for the very clear blog Andrew.
Just couldn’t get started on this. Possibly I didn’t fully understand the instructions but after an hour or so with no answers I gave up.
Hello early risers. Thanks to Azed for a delightful check on declining brain-cells and to Andrew for clear blog. “Wrong Numbers” are almost as tough as Playfairs. It must be a demon to put together. A word-length chart was my start (6 of each length from 4 to 9) I think TIGERISH (snarly) was the first in. I did manage to complete it by Monday lunch-time so had a bit of time to cobble together a clue . Hope I may make it on the 28th if I can get transport.