Wordplay in each of fifteen clues yields an extra letter that is not entered in the grid. In clue order, these letters give the start of a quotation from a poem (in ODQ and associated with ABSOLUTELY NOTHING) and the initials of its source. The third line of this quotation suggests how twelve answers are to be thematically treated before entry. Lengths in brackets refer to grid entries while word counts refer to original answers. Chambers Dictionary (2016) and ODQ7 are recommended; 21 is in Collins.
Sorry this one is late.
Extra letters spell BUT TRUE LOVE IS WR, which relates to Walsinghame by Sir Walter Raleigh, the final stanza of which is:
But true Love is a durable fire
In the mind ever burning;
Never sick, never old, never dead,
From itself never turning.
We are to remove words meaning SICK (ILL, AILING, BAD), OLD (AGED, STALE, EARLY), or DEAD (LATE, COLD, GONE).
A nice mixture of clues, with some (e.g. 1ac) relatively easy and others (e.g. 31ac) holding me up. I enjoyed the Count Basie reference.
The thematic material wasn’t immediately obvious, but nor was there frustrating grid staring.
All in all, steady progress and a pleasing grid fill.
Please post a comment if the explanations are not clear.
P.S. I am looking to attempt to set a thematic crossword. If anyone has any tips (including any software used), I would be grateful for them.
| Notation | |
|---|---|
| Definition | word |
| Indicator | [word] |
| Anagram | WORD* |
| Reversal | <WORD |
| Homophone | “WORD” |
| Removed word | ARMAGEDDON |
| Extra letter | ABIDE |
| Across | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Acknowledges A (American) DS (document signed) [describing] MIT (US university) (6) | ADMITS | |
| 6 | ARM (Give weapons to) A (anonymous) G (German) – E ( |
ARMAGEDDON | |
| 11 | Singer [irritated] {ABOUT OUR D (Dutch)}* R (Queen) (7) | TROUBADOUR | |
| 12 | Local player’s MUSE (inspiration) [including] ICK ([numbers 5-7 of] WARWICKSHIRE), R (right)? (4) | MUSICKER | |
| B | 13 | ABIDE (Tolerate) help (4) | AIDE |
| 14 | [It’s partly] ]about] < spectacuLAR TIMing of Pope’s flexible band (6) | MITRAL | |
| 15 | Bird D ([finally] |
GOLDFINCH | |
| U | 18 | {SHED IS DUE}* to be built in local pastures (8) | EDDISHES |
| 20 | AI (First-rate) LANT (wood-scouring agent) [applied to] O ([front of] O |
AILANTO | |
| T | 21 | Characteristic of social group’s {DIET SO}* [unusual] (5) | EIDOS |
| 23 | JO (Jock’s steady0 INT (interest) in public meeting place (5) | JOINT | |
| 24 | Capital VIL (village) I (I |
VILNIUS | |
| 26 | AR (Arab) with MORAL (confidence rarely) [hides] I (current) book of insignia (8) | ARMORIAL | |
| 31 | Running together, COL (defile) LATERAL (backward pass) (6) | COLLATERAL | |
| T | 32 | LITTER (Brood) [over] O (ordinary) loaf (6) | LOITER |
| 33 | With no prospect of VIS (power), TALES (lies) to S (society) (4) | VISTALESS | |
| R | 34 | Ghanaian’s [new] SHIRT* (4) | TSHI |
| 35 | Memory loss {MEANS I}* [incorrectly] A (answer) (7) | AMNESIA | |
| U | 36 | [Reviewed] < MUSE (poetry) [keeping] TEE (supporter) in high regard (6) | ESTEEM |
| 37 | PEARL (Cataract) on Y ([middle of] |
PEARLYGATES | |
| Down | |||
| 2 | To go wandering, D (daughter) RIFT (split) (5) | DRIFT | |
| 3 | Axes MODI (ways of working) [around] [spilt] OIL* (7) | MODIOLI | |
| 4 | Piston location of {DENTED CAR}* [repaired] and [owned by] [injured] POET* (9, three words) | TOP DEAD CENTRE | |
| 5 | What’s U (visible to everyone} [in] SCH (school) (4) | SUCH | |
| 6 | Animal AR ([starts to] A |
ARMADILLO | |
| E | 7 | Silent AMPUTEE (unarmed person possibly) [gives up A (acting) and P ([lead in] P |
MUTE |
| 8 | Poet’s inadequacy D ([beginning to] D |
DERTH | |
| L | 9 | Harangue LATE (recently) [entertaining] OR (soldiers) (5) | ORATE |
| 10 | NESS (Cape) [covers] [sides of O |
NO LESS | |
| O | 11 | [Flipping] < goddAM GOATs [consuming] part of body! (5) | TAGMA |
| V | 16 | [Sadly] {LIVING |
NIELLOING |
| 17 | M (Maitre) [owns] AN O (old) Roller (4) | MANO | |
| 19 | Finding fault with L ([origin of] L |
SCOLDING | |
| E | 22 | D ([At first], D |
DIARIST |
| 23 | ELLE (In Paris, she)’s [after] JAR (drink) GO (to be consumed) [with] N ([last of] ITALIAN) fruit (6) | JARGONELLE | |
| 24 | VIA (Way) M (I’m) [winning] BR (bridge) rubber (6) | VIBRAM | |
| 25 | Dance [cut] ALS |
SALSA | |
| S | 27 | Ancestry OT (books) [acquired by] ROSS (polar explorer) (5) | ROOTS |
| 28 | [Removing one N (name)], {I’M INSTALLI |
MAILING LIST | |
| 29 | I ( |
BASIE | |
| W | 30 | THE (Article) [against] WE (people in general) not difficult for Ed (4) | ETHE |
| R | 31 | CRAMP (Hamper) temporary quarters (4) | CAMP |
It took me too long to unravel this puzzle. Having all but filled the NW and SE quadrants, getting barely a hint of what the extra bits in the extended answers were about, I decided to stop.
I noted a few queries along the way, of which I would like to mention two. (1) In 5d I would question U = ‘visible to all’. (2) In 29d the uncapitalised ‘count’ is used to indicate BASIE: I thought such usage was against the normal rules.
There were several well-crafted clues here, and I enjoyed what I managed to accomplish in the time I spent on the puzzle. Thanks to setter and blogger.
Another fun puzzle. Perversely, I worked out the modifications to entries before getting anywhere near the quote, which just provided confirmation. Elegant that each of the three “nevers” were used four times each. Thanks to Kruger and Mister Sting.
Re the crossword software question, I’d recommend QXW – you’ll find it at quinapalus.com. Very versatile and free too!