Inquisitor 1849: Farm Sail by Ifor

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We have a puzzle from Ifor which means there will be a quirky theme

 

 

 

The preamble was quite short and told us that before solving a letter must ascend from every down clue to its across counterpart denoted by the same BOLD letter; these letters have no thematic significance. In clue order the ascending letters identify the 36 cells to be highlighted.

The good thing about the preamble was that it gave us two opportunities to deduce the letter that had to ascend. If I couldn’t work it from the Downs, then I hoped I might have been able to deduce it from the associated Across entry.

As usual with clues with missing or extra letters, I solved a few without identifying the letter immediately and hoped that the letter would be identified from the emerging message.

It was late on before I realised that the message was in French rather than English and it didn’t give me  the penny drop moment straight away.  The message indicated that we should highlight an EMPLACEMENT (location), NOM (name) and EQUIPAGE (crew).

The first words I noticed in the grid were CANARD and MOUTON which gave me a toehold to the theme.  I had also noticed HOT AIR.  As usual, a bit of online research helped to identify that the first HOT AIR balloon flight involving passengers took place in September 1783 when a sheep, a duck and a rooster took to skies in a craft designed by the MONTGOLFIER brothers.  Having seen CANARD (duck) and MOUTON (sheep), the COQ (rooster) was easy to find.  The passengers gave us 15 letters, so I just had another 21 to find.  I assumed that HOT AIR would be part of the set, but realised later that this was an incorrect assumption.

Looking around HOT AIR, I could see many of the letters of MONTGOLFIER.  Highlighting them showed that they resembled the skin  of a balloon around the HOT AIR.  With MONTGOLFIER, HOT AIR, CANARD, MOUTON and COQ, I had 32 letters so I started looking for a final 4 letter word.

Finally I went back to message and saw that I had the EQUIPAGE and the NOM but I didn’t have the location.  I went back to read the reports of the launch and noted that the balloon went up in front of the King at VERSAILLES which is shown the bottom row of the grid.  I therefore had 42 letters now rather than 36.  I ditched HOT AIR to give me the required 36.

MONTGOLFIER is placed symmetrically in the grid but each of MOUTON, CANARD and VERSAILLES have an even number of letters making them impossible to centre horizontally in a grid of 15 columns.  I think Ifor did very well to get as much thematic material into the grid without having to worry about 100% symmetry as well.  Indeed, I note the gird itself is asymmetric, which is usually a sign that the setter is keen to get lots of thematic material  into the grid.

Ifor always gives us plenty to think about as his clues are not always simplified to balance the difficulty of the cluing devices and the end game.  There are a few clues where I am not 100% confident in my parsing.  These are for HOTTIE where I can’t relate ‘most wanted clip’ to a definition of the entry, TONSIL where I am totally defeated by the wordplay, and HURL where I can’t find a dictionary that equates ‘swing’ with definitions of HURL. I am sure that solvers will show me what I am missing.

My favourite clues were those for WAUR which involves more Wars of the Roses allusions that you would expect in a clue for a four letter word,  DISARM or the picture painted by the clue, and EIGHT for the definition of GI as a ‘suit for fighting’

I am not too sure about the title FARM SAIL, other than noting that HOT AIR balloons seem to SAIL through the sky.  I wonder if VERSAILLES was originally the site of a farm.

As I said at the start of the blog, Ifor always comes up with an quirky and interesting theme and this puzzle was no exception.  I look forward to Ifor’s next offering.

The detailed table shows the clue before and after the removal / addition of a letter as well as the full parsing as far as I can see.

No Detail Letter
Across    
3

A. Many beetles run to be in cracks (8) 

A. Many beetles run to bee in cracks (8) 

TENEBRIO (the mealworm genus of beetle; many beetles)

Anagram of (cracks) R (run) and TO BEE IN

TENEBRIO*

E
8

B. Presses moribund practices, asking Government (5) 

B. Presses moribund practices, masking Government (5) 

URGES (presses)

URES (obsolete [moribund] word for practices) containing (masking) G (Government)

UR (G) ES

M
13

C. Parasitic insect, one much in wars (9) 

C. Parasitic insect, one much in warps (9) 

ICHNEUMON (any insect of a large family of Hymenoptera whose larvae are parasitic in or on other insects and their larvae)

Anagram of (warps) ONE MUCH IN

ICHNEUMON*

P
14

D. Shedding skin, muddy Eurasian reptiles (6) 

D. Shedding skin, muddly Eurasian reptiles (6) 

SAURIA (characteristic of, or belonging to the SAURIA, an order of reptiles in former classification, including the lizards; reptiles)

Anagram of (muddly) EURASIAN excluding the outer letters (shedding skin) E and N

SAURIA*

L
16

E. Towton’s worse fighting bout anyone can see (4) 

E. Towton’s worse fighting about anyone can see (4) 

WAUR (dialect [Towton is a small village in Yorkshire which was a site of one of the Battles of the Roses in 1461] word for ‘worse’)

WAR (fighting) containing (about) U (classification of a film suitable for unrestricted viewing; anyone can see)

WA (U) R

A
17

F. Most wanted lip perhaps a little warmer in bed (6)

F. Most wanted clip perhaps a little warmer in bed (6)

I am not 100% sure where the extra c goes. but lip to clip seems the most likely change.  However I can’t relate ‘Most wanted clip’ to a definition of HOTTIE very well.  Chambers gives ‘a sexually attractive person’ as a possible definition for HOTTIE but ‘clip’ doesn’t seem to have a similar definition.

HOTTIE (?)

HOTTIE (hot water bottle; a little warmer in bed) – I think the clue is a double definition

HOTTIE

C
18

G. Rival’s bar breaks bottle (4) 

G. Rival’s bare breaks bottle (4) 

VIAL (small bottle)

Anagram of (breaks) RIVAL‘S excluding the outer letters (bare) R and S

VIAL*

E
19

H. Reduced correspondence to be carried in parish rag story (9) 

H. Reduced correspondence to be carried in parish rag stormy (9) 

AIRGRAPHS (letters [correspondence] photographically reduced for sending by airmail)

Anagram of (stormy) PARISH RAG

AIRGRAPHS*

M
21

I. Pun’s representative of a thousand in lower past (5) 

I. Pune’s representative of a thousand in lower past (5) 

VAKIL (an Indian [Pune is a city in India] agent, representative, or pleader)

K (symbol for 1000) contained in (in) VAIL (archaic [past] word for ‘lower’)

VA (K) IL

E
22

J. Amateur going behind put second-best (4) 

J. Amateur going behind punt second-best (4) 

BETA (second in a classification; second-best)

BET (gamble; punt) + A (amateur)

BET A

N
23

K. German red or revolutionary (3) 

K. German red tor revolutionary (3) 

ROT (German word for ‘red’)

TOR reversed (revolutionary)

ROT<

T
25

L. Kids swallowing and short drinks taken in a hurry (6) 

L. Kinds swallowing and short drinks taken in a hurry (6) 

SNORTS (informal term for ‘quick’ drinks; drinks taken in a hurry)

SORTS (kinds) containing (swallowing) ‘N (and)

S (N) ORTS

N
28

M. Stick used in game was finally still before string line (9) 

M. Stick used in game was finally still before storing line (9) 

SPELLICAN (one spelling of a word describing small slip of wood, ivory, etc, to be picked out from a heap without disturbing the others in the game of spillikins)

S (last letter of [finally]) + (PELICAN [old fashioned {before} distillation apparatus] containing (storing) L [line])

S PEL (L) ICAN

O
30

N. Final embers of cigar not yielding fire (6) 

N. Final members of cigar not yielding fire (6) 

ARDOUR (fire)

AR (last two characters of [final members of] CIGAR) + DOUR (obstinate; not yielding)

AR DOUR

M
31

O. Completely hard former saint (4) 

O. Completely heard former saint (4) 

HOLY (obsolete term for a HOLY person or saint)

HOLY (sounds like [heard] WHOLLY [completely])

HOLY

E
32

P. Roué losing head, constrained by boundaries of current flirt (6) 

P. Roqué losing head, constrained by boundaries of current flirt (6) 

COQUET (flirt)

(ROQUE excluding the first letter (losing head) R) contained in (constrained by) (C and T [outer letters of [boundaries of] CURRENT)

C (OQUE) T

Q
34

Q. Remove gun from maid’s bra, discovered under dress (6) 

Q. Remove gun from maid’s bra, discovered under duress (6) 

DISARM (remove gun from)

Anagram of (under duress) MAIDS and R (the one letter remaining in BRA when the outer letters B and A are excluded [dis-covered])

DISARM*

U
36

R. Spasms set after resting to take responsibility (7) 

R. Spasms set after resiting to take responsibility (7) 

TONUSES (spasms)

Anagram of (resiting) SET containing (to take) ONUS (responsibility)

T (ONUS) ES*

I
38

S. Write mournful song, besides griping for one, indeed (7) 

S. Write mournful song, besides gripping for one, indeed (7) 

ELEGISE (to write mournful song)

ELSE (besides) containing (gripping) (EG  I [for example, Roman numeral for one])  I’m not sure what ‘indeed’ is doing in the clue.

EL (EG I) SE

P
39

T. Mineral editorially adjusted after piece is lost (8) 

T. Mineral editorially adjusted after a piece is lost (8) 

IODYRITE (a mineral)

Anagram of (adjusted) EDITORIALLY excluding (after … is lost) three consecutive letters [a piece] ALL

IODYRITE*

A
40

U. Dry rasp, taking second to breathe (4) 

U. Dry grasp, taking second to breathe (4) 

SERE (alternative spelling of SEAR [dry])

SEE (understand; grasp) containing (taking) R (second letter of [second  to] BREATHE)

SE (R) E

G
41

V. Project in trouble, having zero revolutions at first (8) 

V. Project in trouble, heaving zero revolutions at first (8) 

OVERSAIL (to project [beyond])

Anagram of (heaving) (O [character representing zero] and REVS [revolutions]) + AIL (trouble)

(O VERS)* AIL

E
Down    
1

A. Bites of cows’ flesh smelt (11) 

A. Bits of cows’ flesh smelt (11) 

SILVERSIDES (cuts of beef taken from the rump, below the aitchbone; bits of cows flesh)

SILVERSIDES (sand smelts)  double definition

SILVERSIDES

E
2

B. Collector of certificates rumbles policies falsely covering regressive hire purchase (11)

B. Collector of certificates rubles policies falsely covering regressive hire purchase (11) 

SCRIPOPHILE (a collector of bonds and share certificates)

Anagram of (falsely) (R [rubles] and POLICIES) containing (covering) HP (hire purchase) reversed (regressive)

SCRIPO (PH<) ILE*

M
3

C. How much probes delay reclaimed wasteland? (7) 

C. How much robes delay reclaimed wasteland? (7) 

THWAITE (a piece of reclaimed wasteland, now only found in place names)

THE (as an adverb (with comparatives) (by) how much) containing (robes) WAIT (delay)

For me, the clue is using a really obscure meaning of THE, but the definition is in Chambers)

TH (WAIT) E

P
4

D. Life filled with hesitant sound, ultimately continual by way of nerves (8) 

D. Life filled with hesitant sound, ultimately continua by way of nerves (8) 

NEURALLY (by way of nerves)

NELLY (life as in ‘Not on your NELLY / Not on your life)  containing (filled with) (UR [an interjection used by speakers to fill a gap in speech, when hesitant + A [last letter of {ultimately} CONTINUA])

NE (UR A) LLY

L
5

E. Alloy long before making comeback, having belated use previously (6) 

E. Alloy long before making comeback, having belted use previously (6) 

EUREKA (an alloy of nickel and copper)

AKE (old [before] spelling of ACHE [yearn, long]) reversed (making comeback) containing (having belted) URE (a former [previously] word for USE)

E (URE) KA<

A
6

F. Large marsupial crushed by smaller coop (3) 

F. Large marsupial crushed by smaller oop (3) 

ROO (kangaroo; large marsupial)

ROO (hidden word in (crushed) by SMALLER OOP)

ROO

C
7

G. Opening passages stir nothing new in emotion (6) 

G. Opening passages stir nothing new in motion (6) 

INTROS (INTROductionS; opening passages)

Anagram of (in motion) STIR and O (character representing zero) and N (new)

INTROS*

E
9

H. Regret rearming Europe in a small way (3) 

H. Regret rearing Europe in a small way (3) 

RUE (regret)

EUR (abbreviation for [in a small way] EUROPE) reversed (rearing; down entry)

RUE<

M
10

I. Dropped clutch holed one side of engine (5) 

I. Dropped clutch hold one side of engine (5) 

GRIPE (obsolete [dropped] word meaning clutch)

GRIP (hold) + E (first or last letter of [one side of] ENGINE)

GRIP E

E
11

J. Number then returning with suit for fighting over in custody (5) 

J. Number the returning with suit for fighting over in custody (5) 

EIGHT (a number)

THE reversed (returning) containing (with … in custody) GI (a judo or karate costume; suit for fighting) reversed (over)

E (IG<) HT<

N
12

K. Second runs safest as doubly brewed infusions (11) 

K. Second runs safes as doubly brewed infusions (11) 

SASSAFRASES (infusion of the bark of a tree of the laurel family)

Anagram of (brewed) S (second) and R (runs) and SAFES and AS AS [AS doubly)

SASSAFRASES*

T
15

L. Look left, where people are planning (7) 

L. Look left, where people are planing (7) 

AIRPORT (a place where people board a plane; where people are planing)

AIR (look) + PORT (left)

AIR PORT

N
17

M. Remove locks from loudmouth airing opinions (4) 

M. Remove locks from loudmouth airing pinions (4) 

HAIR (to free from HAIR; to remove locks from)

HAIR (hidden word in [pinion] LOUDMOUTH AIRING)

HAIR

O
20

N. Small hospital department where many grumble about wards (5) 

N. Small hospital department where any grumble about wards (5) 

GYNAE (abbreviation for [small] the GYNAEcological department of a hospital)

GYNAE (reversed [about] hidden word in [wars] WHERE ANY GRUMBLE)

GYNAE<

M
21

O. Base ceases arrest on the streets of small town (7) 

O. Base cases arrest on the streets of small town (7) 

VILLAGE (small town)

VILE (depraved; base) containing (cases) LAG (slang [on the streets] word for arrest)

VIL (LAG) E

E
24

P. Muslim ascetic following complicated question, primarily in core of Qoran (6) 

P. Muslim ascetic following complicated question, primarily in core of Oran (6) 

FAQUIR (alternative spelling of FAKIR [a religious, especially Muslim, mendicant, ascetic or wonder-worker in India]

F (following)+ an anagram of (complicated) QU (question) and I (first letter of [primarily] IN) and RA (central letters of [core of] ORAN – Oran is a city in Algeria

F AQUIR* 

Q
26

Q. Gland mostly pink after croups cured (6) 

Q. Gland mostly pink after crops cured (6) 

TONSIL (either of two lymph glands on either side of the root of the tongue in vertebrates)

I can’t see the wordplay for this – all I can think of is PINK is a TONE and ‘mostly TONE’ is TON.  Then ‘after’ that we might have SIL for SILAGE (fermented [cured] crops), but I have very little confidence in this possible parsing. TON + SIL

TON SIL

U
27

R. French force request waivers, without question (6) 

R. French force request wavers, without question (6) 

SÛRETÉ (the French criminal investigation department)

Anagram of (wavers) REQUEST excluding (without) Q (question)

SURETE*

I
29

S. Call for attention pending from medic; oxygen, however, oddly rejected (5) 

S. Call for attention ending from medic; oxygen, however, oddly rejected (5) 

COOEE (call for attention)

C (last letter of [ending from MEDIC) + O (chemical symbol for oxygen) + OEE (the even letters remaining in HOWEVER after the odd letters have been rejected)

C O OEE

P
33

T. Sawing ends from posh bureau rather wasteful (4) 

T. Swing ends from posh bureau rather wasteful (4) 

HURL (throw; swing[?])

HURL (last letters of [ends from] each of POSH, BUREAU, RATHER and WASTEFUL)

HURL

A
35

U. Grand cry of joy in Olympic host city (3) 

U. Rand cry of joy in Olympic host city (3) 

RIO (the 2016 Olympics were held in the Brazilian city of RIO de Janiero)

R (rand; South African currency) + IO (expression of joy; cry of joy)

R IO

G
37

V. Room in harem made of upturned crates (3) 

V. Room in harem mad of upturned crates (3) 

ODA (a room in a harem)

ADO (reversed [upturned] hidden word in [crates] MAD OF)

ODA<

E

 

17 comments on “Inquisitor 1849: Farm Sail by Ifor”

  1. Loved this one — many thanks to Ifor and duncanshiell. The combination of “ascend” in the preamble and HOT / AIR visible in the grid provided my way in.

    I read HOTTIE as HOT (definitions including “most wanted”) plus TIE in the sense of fastening — “clip perhaps”.

  2. I found this puzzle slow going for a while as it took time to get used to the ‘ascending’ device used in the clues. With the grid about three-quarters full I noticed mouton, canard and Versailles hiding there, and from the ascending letters I worked out EMPLACEMENT and EQUIPAGE with ?O? between them (later resolved as NOM).

    I’m not sure how I found a reference to the painting, but it didn’t take long. I admired the way the French words were used to indicate the five thematic items in the grid, and the ‘ascending’ device to presage the subject of the painting. I never noticed the HOT AIR in the balloon – this puzzle is even better than I thought!

    I too failed to parse TONSIL. I parsed HOTTIE as David did (@1).

    Many thanks to both Ifor and duncanshiell.

  4. I know this is stretching credulity but until this blog I had not in fact seen HOT AIR in the completed grid, despite fairly quickly finding MONTGOLFIER and the passengers…!

  5. This was great fun and everything came together very well.

    PS I took it that the title was just a reference to the three farm animals going off on a trip ( a ‘sail’ doesn’t have to be in a boat… and maybe balloons are classed as ‘boats’ anyway, I have no idea!)

  6. Thanks for all the comments above helping me out of my parsing problems.

    The parsing of HOTTIE is blindingly obvious. I think I was fixated on the clue being a form of double definition.

    I didn’t study the definition of SWING properly when parsing HURL.

    The parsing of TONSIL was well hidden, but I should have seen what was going on.

  8. I thought this was a very nice puzzle indeed. Fortunately I had read about the event recently in The Age of Wonder by Richard Holmes (highly recommended for those interested in the history of ‘science’). I liked the device of the ascending letters and the French words. Great fun. Thanks to S&B.

  9. Someone who’s lived in France for the last 46 years might have been expected to fare better with the endgame but I didn’t get it. M____, alors.

  10. A really interesting theme and beautiful endgame, although it took me too long a time to find MONTGOLFIER, not helped by having highlighted Canard Coq ET Mouton so looking for a 9-letter word not an 11-letter one (having spotted Versailles early on.)

    Incidentally the balloon was called the “Aerostat Reveillon” originally (according to some Google sources) but it was indeed designed by the Montgolfier brothers.

    Overall a great Inquisitor and blog so thank you.

  11. We took a while to find MONTGOLFIER at the end although we spotted HOT AIR but that wasn’t enough letters.

    Our eldest grandson, Joss who is 8 tomorrow was discussing ‘random facts’ at tea time last week. His Dad (our son) also solves the IQ each week, was amazed when Joss said, “Did you know that the first balloon flight with passengers had a duck, sheep and cockerel?” Our son was amazed at the coincidence!

    A lovely puzzle to solve, a good endgame – overall, a great IQ as arnold says @10.

    Thanks Duncan and Ifor.

  12. Another entertaining one from Ifor. Plenty of well-hidden extra letters, producing some impossible-looking clues which then looked obvious when solved. In the completed grid, Versailles stood out then the three French beasts and I started wondering about a French equivalent of The Owl and the Pussycat. Then I spotted HOT AIR and a quick search led to the correct theme, which I might otherwise have missed, so grateful thanks, Ifor, for the hint. I considered including these English words in the highlighting but this left 5 more letters which I could not find. It took me quite a while to spot the neatly positioned 11-letter name of the main men.
    Thanks to Ifor an enjoyable challenge and history lesson and to Duncan a lucid blog.

  13. Clues all solved fine, but wholly unable to figure out what I was looking for in the grid, having decided that NOME, QUI and PAGE were the words to go with EMPLACEMENT, and then looking for some sort of windmill shape, having found a vertical QUI supported by a horizontal VERSA, which felt like a variant of VERSO and therefore a sort of PAGE……Much time fruitlessly wasted. Noticed Canard in passing but didn’t then think French. Ah well. Many thanks to Duncan for the explanations, and sorry to Ifor for falling off his wavelength.

  14. No apology needed, Sagittarius – it would be a dreary world if we were all on the same wavelength. I’ve not seen you here before; so if you’re new to my puzzles I hope to be able to offer you something more satisfying in due course.

    Many thanks to all who commented, and to Duncan for his typically exhaustive blog. A couple of loose ends; in 38 eg = for one, and Chambers justifies I = ay = indeed. And in 39 the removal of all isn’t “a piece” (which would be unacceptably imprecise and not need the rising A) but “apiece” = all; again, Chambers is your friend.

  15. Clearly an excellent puzzle, which I failed to solve, despite spotting Versailles, mouton and canard. Too much time googling Versailles with Tour de France, rather than farm animals…. Wish I’d spotted hot air! Thanks to Ifor and Duncan.

  16. Fabulous puzzle, and not the first time I’ve said that for an Ifor, increasingly a favourite IQ setter. As a French resident the endgame clicked into place nicely once I spotted COQ, CANARD, MOUTON and hit Google (embarrassingly I didn’t know the story) although seeing name itself was the last piece to fall. I loved how the name circled HOT AIR – a magnificent construction.

    Many thanks both.

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