Xanthippe appears on fifteensquiared as a setter of Inquisitor and Enigmatic Variations (EV) puzzles. He/she features about once a year alternating between Inquisitors and EVs – although the cycle has been once every two years since 2020. This is the sixth Inquisitor by Xanthippe since the first in 2012, but it is the first that I have blogged.
The preamble this week told us that four clues lead to answers that are one letter shorter than the given length; these should be entered with either the first or last cell blank. The remaining clues contain a superfluous word. Using A = 1 or 27, B = 2 or 28 etc. add together the first and last letters to generate a new letter. In clue order these letters spell an instruction that solvers must follow. At all stages the grid contains real words or proper nouns. First and last letters of the silvered thematic entries could give EG ALL ELK.
There have been a variety of cluing devices to generate messages in Inquisitors in recent weeks and today we had another one using a simple code A=1, B=2 etc for adding two letters to generate a third using modulus 26 where necessary.
I made good progress on the first pass through the acrosses including one of the entries too short for the available space (EAS) at 10 across. I reckoned at this point that the other three shortened entries would involve a silvered cell being left blank.
On the downs, 16 down, highlighted in the puzzle title (16 say) fell quite quickly. That was FENTANYL, so I thought the theme would relate to opioids or similar drugs. The appearance of HALLUCINOGEN at 7 down seemed to back up this idea.
As the grid filled and some of the superfluous words became clear, although some were more obvious than others, I got more than 50% of the letters in the message. I could see NUMBERS and SEVEN developing. The next word to fall was FOUR and ADD looked likely also. Eventually I had enough to deduce the full message – ADD FOUR NUMBERS, CHANGE SEVEN CELLS.
This being a cryptic crossword, NUMBERS suggested things that dull the sense, i.e. drugs, rather than numerical values, so I looked in the silvered cells for possible drugs. The most obvious one was KETAMINE in the rightmost column. I had already noted that the letters in the first and last cells of the four silvered entries did not relate to EG ALL ELK that the preamble told us included all the letters in these cells, so changing the P in CUSP to K made sense, especially as CUSK is a real word.
The second ‘NUMBER‘ I deduced was ALCOHOL in the top row. It took a lot longer though to home in on the remaining two theme words. I knew that the four first and last letters I had left were EGLL. After a bit of playing about with likely letters to precede ATS at 25 across and follow SCU at 27, I eventually got to GENERAL in the bottom row and EPIDURAL in the first column. A check of the CELLS that had to be replaced showed that SEVEN were changed to produce the four NUMBERS (ALCOHOL, GENERAL, EPIDURAL and KETAMINE). GENERAL involved a bit of lateral thinking before I realised that it simply referred to a GENERAL anaesthetic
The clues were very fair and precise which helped the solving. Some of the surfaces produced interesting pictures in my mind, such as the cat scratching Elon Musk’s cars, the hungry boy in Mexico, the old cleric looking lost in the London Underground and the queue in the Indian takeaway.
The two grids below show how the grid changed between the initial solve and the effects of implementing the message.
The final grid is a pangram following the inclusion of the M in KETAMINE.
In the final grid, the short entries expanded to become PEAS, PINT, ODENSE and ENROL. The cells where the letters were changed generated IAN (12a), CUSK (17a), LATS (25a), LARN (9d), SABINE (21d), SCUG (27d) and SLUR (29d), all of which are words in Chambers.
The title 16 say, relates the anaesthetics / analgesics / numbers in the silvered cells to FENTANYL the entry at 16.
The table below shows the changes to the clues, the derivation of the message and the parsing of the amended clues.
Thanks to Xanthippe for the challenge. The theme became clear after a time although I spent a little too long looking at lists of dangerous Class A drugs rather than then the more widely used and safer forms of pain killers.
| No | Detail | Letters | Message |
| Across | |||
| 1 |
Cab’s scratching Tesla producing horrendous line (4) Cab’s scratching Tesla producing line (4) AXIS (a fixed line adopted for reference in co-ordinate geometry, curve-plotting, crystallography; other lines can also be defined as an axis) TAXI’S (cab’s) excluding (scratching) T (tesla; unit of magnetic flux density) AXIS |
H(8)+S(19)
|
27-A |
| 10 |
Endless tranquil local rivers (4) EAS (dialect [local] term for rivers) – entry shorter than space available EASY (tranquil) excluding the final letter (endless) Y EAS |
||
| 11 |
Short kid, boy wanting a cake in Tijuana (8) Short kid, boy a cake in Tijuana (8) CHILLADA (in Mexican [Tijuana] cookery, a spiced fried cake made from pureed vegetables and lentils, flavoured with green peppers) CHILD (kid) excluding the final letter (short) + LAD (boy) + A CHIL LAD A |
W(23)+G(7)
|
30-D |
| 12 |
Outlaw in suburb just a night (3) Outlaw in suburb a night (3) BAN (prohibit; outlaw) BAN (hidden word in (in) SUBURB A NIGHT) BAN |
J(10)+T(20) |
30-D
|
| 13 |
Warden’s junior crosses drab corridor having swept square (6) Warden’s junior crosses corridor having swept square (6) JAILER (prison warden) JR (junior) containing (crosses) AISLE (corridor) excluding (having swept) S (square) J (AILE) R |
D(4)+B(2) |
6-F
|
| 14 |
Adjusting rig to hang net for board fishing (8) Adjusting rig to net for board fishing (8) OTTERING (fishing with a board travelling edge-up, manipulated on the principle of the kite, to carry the end of a fishing-line) Anagram of (adjusting) RIG TO NET OTTERING* |
H(8)+G(7) |
15-O
|
| 15 |
Dislodge from mount a picture of Nice that’s stored outside for the Louvre (7) Dislodge from mount a of Nice that’s stored outside for the Louvre (7) UNHORSE (dislodge or throw from a horse [mount]) UNE (one the French [Nice] forms of the indefinite article [a]) containing (that’s stored) HORS (French [Louvre] word for outside) UN (HORS) E |
P(16)+E(5) |
21-U
|
| 17 |
Fill section in drinking vessel, horn (4) Section in drinking vessel, horn (4) CUSP (the point or horn of the moon) S (section) contained in (in) CUP (drinking vessel) CU (S) P |
F(6)+L(12) |
18-R
|
| 18 |
DJ returned lacking hoarseness in Fife (4) Returned lacking hoarseness in Fife (4) ROOP (Scottish [Fife] word for hoarseness) POOR (lacking) reversed (returned) ROOP< |
D(4)+J(10) |
14-N
|
| 19 |
Nights before major events ill golfer’s back (4) Nights before major events golfer’s back (4) EVES (nights before major events, e.g.Christmas EVE) SEVE (reference SEVErianno Ballesteros [1957 – 2011], Spanish golfer) reversed (back) EVES< |
I(9)+L(12) |
21-U
|
| 22 |
Black sheep over east and west fringes of Orkney (4) Sheep over east and west fringes of Orkney (4) YOWE (Scottish and dialect work for ewes [sheep]) (E [East] + W [West] + OY [outer letters of [fringes of] ORKNEY) all reversed (over) (YO W E)< |
B(2)+K(11) |
13-M
|
| 24 |
Hold down leg (4) PIN (hold down) – entry shorter than space available PIN (informal term for a leg) double definition PIN |
||
| 25 |
Dashing white ants, those wanting independence (4) Dashing ants, those wanting independence (4) NATS (nationalists – people wanting independence) Anagram of (dashing) ANTS NATS* |
W(23)+E(5) |
2-B
|
| 26 |
Stake with one navy reflecting aerial zone (7) Stake with one navy reflecting aerial (7) ANTENNA (aerial) ANTE (fixed stake put down by a poker player, usually before the deal) + (AN [one] + N [navy]) reversed (reflecting) ANTE (N NA)< |
Z(26)+E(5) |
31-E
|
| 28 |
Crustacean, odd sort, down by a fish (8) Crustacean, odd sort, by a fish (8) OSTRACOD (member of a class of minute crustacea with bivalve shells) Anagram of (odd) SORT + A + COD (fish) OSTR* A COD |
D(4)+N(14) |
18-R
|
| 30 |
Old cleric wandering underground line in the great wen (6) Cleric wandering underground line in the great wen (6) CIRCLE (name of a line in the London [Great Wen] Underground system) Anagram of (wandering) CLERIC CIRCLE* |
O(15)+D(4) |
19-S
|
| 31 |
Delay in Indian takeaway – fat characters before Juliet? (3) In Indian takeaway – fat characters before Juliet? (3) GHI (clarified butter frequently used in Indian food often bought as a takeaway) G H I (the three consecutive letter of the alphabet [characters] before J (in the International Radio Communication code, Juliet is the word used for the letter J) G H I |
D(4)+Y(25) |
29-C
|
| 32 |
Solely university quarter divided city (8) Solely university quarter city (8) UNIQUELY (singly; solely) UNI (university) + QU [quarter) + ELY (a city in England) UNI QU ELY |
D(4)+D(4) |
8-H
|
| 33 |
Low grade busy incline (4) Low grade incline (4) LEAN (low grade) LEAN (incline) double definition LEAN |
B(2)+Y(25) |
27-A
|
| 34 |
Time for going fast in tunnel, bypassing French one heading west (4) Time for fast in tunnel, bypassing French one heading west (4) LENT (a period of fasting in the Christian calendar) TNEL (letters remaining in TUNNEL when UN [French for one] is excluded [bypassing]) then reversed (heading west for this across entry] to form LENT LENT< |
G(7)+G(7) |
14-N
|
| Down | |||
| 2 |
Dye over half of me, complex blue protein (12) Dye over half of me, complex protein (12) XANTHOPTERIN (yellow pigment [dye] obtainable from the wings of yellow butterflies and the urine of mammals) XANTH (5 of the 9 letters [more than half] of the setters name [XANTHIPPE]) + an anagram of (complex) PROTEIN XANTH OPTERIN* |
B(2)+E(5) |
7-G
|
| 3 |
Is quark type in oxygen, radium and yttrium? Condition of being of Carbon-12 say (7) Is quark type in oxygen, and yttrium? Condition of being of Carbon-12 say (7) ISOTOPY (Carbon-12 is an ISOTOPE of protein so the condition of being something like an ISOTOPE is ISOTOPY) IS + (TOP [type of quark – TOP quark {particle believed to be one of the fundamental constituents of nuclear matter} contained in [in] [O {chemical symbol for oxygen} + Y {chemical symbol for yttrium}]) IS O (TOP) Y |
R(18)+M(13) |
31-E
|
| 4 |
Lively leg movements from singer down under turning up aboard ship (8) Lively movements from singer down under turning up aboard ship (8) SCHERZOS (lively movements in triple time – musical term) (CHER [reference CHER {born 1946}, American singer] + OZ [Australia; down under] reversed [turning up [down entry]) all contained in (aboard) SS ([steam] ship) S (CHER ZO<) S |
L(12)+G(7) |
19-S
|
| 5 |
A steel pipe holding top of rig up (6) A pipe holding top of rig up (6) AHORSE (on horseback; up on a horse) A + (HOSE [pipe] containing [holding] R [first letter of {top of} RIG]) A HO (R) SE |
S(19)+L(12) |
31-E
|
| 6 |
Family’s left brat in toilet (4) Family’s left in toilet (4) CLAN (family) L (left) contained in (in) CAN (informal term for a toilet) C (L) AN |
B(2)+T(20) |
22-V
|
| 7 |
Drug, 80% clear, lacks name kept in say bromine (12) Drug, 80% clear, name kept in say bromine (12) HALLUCINOGEN (drug that produces delusionary sensations) (LUCI [four of the five {80%} letters in LUCID {easily understood; clear}] + N [name]) contained in (kept in) HALOGEN (bromine is one of the HALOGEN group of chemical elements) HAL (LUCI N) OGEN |
L(12)+S(19) |
31-E
|
| 8 |
Compact base supports lairs (6) DENSE (compact) – entry shorter than space available DENS (lairs) + E (base of natural logarithms) – as this is a down entry the letter E supports the letters in DENS DENS E |
||
| 9 |
Acquire bird of prey cook caught (4) Acquire bird of prey caught (4) EARN (acquire) EARN (sounds like [caught] ERNE [sea-eagle; a bird of prey]) EARN |
C(3)+K(11) |
14-N
|
| 16 |
Source of narcotic left scattered daily across some analgesic (8) Source of narcotic left scattered across some analgesic (8) FENTANYL (powerful narcotic analgesic) Anagram of (scattered) (LEFT and N [first letter of [source of] NARCOTIC) containing (across) ANY (some) FENT (ANY) L* |
D(4)+Y(25) |
29-C
|
| 20 |
Grainy pattern in spiced ham the French fry (7) Grainy pattern in spiced ham the French (7) SPECKLE (grainy pattern on or forming a photographic image, caused by atmospheric interference) SPECK (type of Italian smoked ham) + LE (one of the French forms of ‘the’) SPECK LE |
F(6)+Y(25) |
31-E
|
| 21 |
Woman taster tucked into wasabi nachos (6) Woman tucked into wasabi nachos (6) SABINA (woman’s name) SABINA (hidden word in [tucked into] WAS NACHOS) SABINA |
T(20)+R(18) |
38-L
|
| 23 |
Record loner’s spinning (6) ENROL (to record) – entry shorter than space available Anagram of (spinning) LONER ENROL* |
||
| 27 |
Fish in basin’s centre, muddy hollow (4) Fish in basin’s centre, hollow (4) SCUP (common marine fish of Atlantic coastal waters of North America) S (middle letter of [centre] BASIN) + CUP (a hollow vessel) S CUP |
M(13)+Y(25) |
38-L
|
| 29 |
Lazy person liking an alcoholic drink (4) Lazy person an alcoholic drink (4) SLUG (heavy lazy person) SLUG (an alcoholic drink) double definition SLUG |
L(12)+G(7) |
19-S
|
I was much less quick on the draw with NUMBERS. I wasted a lot of time trying to fit EIGHT into 1D: split the EIGH from the T and you might be able to get real words…
Eventually ALCOHOL looked likely to be necessary and then when I finally read the original entries in the silvered cells the penny dropped.
Thanks to DS and X!
Unfortunately, I couldn’t do full justice to this puzzle. I very much enjoyed the crossword, which was replete with excellent clues, and I collected all the letters, giving me a clear message. The endgame, though, fell flat. ALCOHOL and KETAMINE fell easily enough, and the remaining letters EGLL should have helped with the other two, but (for no good reason) I just didn’t think of EPIDURAL, and I would not have thought of GENERAL as being in this category.
Thanks to Xanthippe anyway, and to duncanshiell for the blog.
Easy-ish time filling the grid, and as Duncan says ALCOHOL & KETAMINE where relatively quick, GENERAL took longer, & EPIDURAL longer still.
Was it mentioned in the blog that at the interim stage we had ACHE, PAIN, PANG & BURN, clockwise from top right?
Thanks to Xanthippe for a neat grid, + Duncan for the blog.
My experience with this mirrored Duncan’s. Solve the clues, get the message, work out Ketamine and Alcohol, and come to a stop wondering where aspirins and paracetamol had gone. Having delved deep enough into the recesses of opiate pain relief to feel I needed some myself, the penny eventually dropped 24 hours later. As ever, all clear when you realised what you were looking for. Many thanks to Xanthippe and Duncan.
All thanks to Xanthippe and duncanshiell. For some reason I saw ALCOHOL at top right before grasping the theme, which delayed the solving of 9D until I abandoned the misleading L. Numbers as things that make you numb are fairly traditional in IQ, but as with others commenting above there was a longish blank gap between KETAMINE and the laterally thunk GENERAL. Though after that, with first and last letters known, EPIDURAL followed quite quickly.
@3 HG: Ooh, I should have noticed that!
“Think I’ll roll another number for the road”
I found this to be quite a challenge (the endgame mostly) but enjoyed it a lot. One minor pedantic gripe was that the instruction message (ADD FOUR NUMBERS, CHANGE SEVEN CELLS) really happened in the opposite order – one could only add the ‘numbers’ when the cells had already been changed.
Like HG @3 I noticed that the lights that one needed to administer the painkillers to were originally types of pain – very clever. I noticed this some time before the penny dropped about the ‘numb-ers’ however! But it all fell in the end, so fair game.
Thanks to Xanthippe and Duncan.
Looking back, I put ALCOHOL in before I solved 9
Looking at the letters provided that one seemed OK
then I managed to get KETAMINE which combined (hopefully not) with FENTANYL which was already in the grid-I saw the significance of NUMBERS so almost a lucky short cut.
Thanks all!
My experience much reflects the above comments. I thought there were some very elegant clues and much enjoyed the grid fill and the challenge of the end-game. I was not, however, impressed with the method of generating the message. The arithmetic was hardly taxing but fiddly and tedious, with no need for any cruciverbalist skills. I just underlined the required words and worked out all the generated letters after I had completed the grid.
Thanks to Xanthippe and Duncan.
Also found Ketamine first, assumed we were in drug territory, until alcohol seemed to confuse the issue (as it will). As for the four numbers, I thought I’d defer the problem to the end. And then, reflecting that there were four shaded answers, the penny dropped with great suddenness and satisfaction (and explained the answer that wanted to be ‘general’). I thought this was great, and even better now HG has pointed out the aches and pains obliterated in the process. Thanks to Xanthippe and Duncan.
I was struggling to articulate why I found the endgame so unsatisfactory but @7RobT hits the nail on the head. The message suggests adding 4 numbers then changing cells. I appreciate it was more difficult for Xanthippe to generate ADD FOUR NUMBERS BY CHANGING SEVEN CELLS but that would have been the clearer and correct instruction
A very enjoyable teaser and I had fun with the simple arithmetic. Thanks to the setter and blogger. Although EG ALL ELK was helpful in getting to the end, I’m sorry, General is not a “number”!
I wonder if GENPRIL doesn’t fit better?
RJM @ 13
That’s an interesting suggestion. GENPRIL rather than GENERAL would meet all the criteria set out in the preamble.
I see that GENPRIL is a painkiller based on Ibuprofen, but the word the name is a technical term probably known best by pharmacists and patients who are prescribed the drug. GENPRIL doesn’t feature in any of Chambers, Collins or the Oxford Dictionary of English and I don’t think I would have tracked it down by other means.
‘GENERAL anaesthetic’ is an entry in all the dictionaries.
It will be interesting to see what is listed in the official solution when it becomes available.