Inquisitor 1886: Talk Among Yourselves by Ifor

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Our second IQ blog is an Ifor – we’re in for a challenge!

The preamble:

Thirteen unchecked letters in the solved grid must be replaced; solvers must highlight the five that are symmetrically positioned. The new real-word entries are examples of a 12-letter word. Following this word with corrections to definitional misprints – one being verifiable online – in the 14 clues to six-letter entries in clue order spells the theme. Solvers must use the title to name the premier example under the grid.

As usual with IQs, we decided that we had to start solving before we would be able to figure out the theme, making a mental note that there is a misprint in the definition of each of the 6-letter answers.

Our first one in was 41d (Joyce often goes for the short down clues at the end if she can’t get any of the earlier clues on first reading). 7d was next to fall, followed by 13ac and then the first of the 6-letter entries – 20ac, giving us the first misprint. We gradually managed to fill the grid, the top left quadrant being the last area to be completed.

So – this is the grid as initially filled:

We were however rather puzzled as we uncovered the misprinted letters to find that they read ALITY OF THE YEAR. At first we thought we must have made a mistake – but, having checked the first five 6-letter clues, we were convinced that we had the right misprints……. and then the penny dropped – the 12-letter word to precede them must be SPORTSPERSON – it is that time of year again!

We then started to look at unchecked letters to find potential SPORTSPERSONS. Although we are not big sports fans, we found the 13 winners of Sports Personality of the Year (SPOTY) without too much difficulty as they have generally become household names:

In the final grid below, the eight ‘random’ cells with replaced letters are filled orange, with the five symmetrically positioned cells (SPOTY) in dark pink. The thirteen sports personalities are in light pink:

The personalities are:

4d: Steve CRAM (1983) – Athletics

7ac: Virginia WADE (1977) – Tennis

11ac: Henry COOPER (1967 & 1970) – Boxing

12ac: Stirling MOSS (1961) – Formula One

18ac: Beth MEAD (2022) – Football

20ac: Mary PETERS (1972) – Athletics

24ac:Ian BLACK (1958) – Swimming

27ac: Brendan FOSTER (1974) – Athletics

31ac: Mary RAND (1964) – Athletics

33ac: Ben STOKES (2019) – Cricket

35d: Christopher DEAN (1984) – Figure Skating

38d: Damon HILL (1994 & 1996) – Formula One

40ac: John CURRY (1976) – Figure Skating

The ‘Premier example’ to be written below the grid is Sir Chris CHATAWAY, the first Sports Personality of the Year in 1954, whose surname is derived from the puzzle title – ‘Talk Among Yourselves‘

As expected from Ifor, a very satisfying, well-crafted puzzle with the theme only revealing itself to us at the end – just as it should be!

ACROSS
No. Entry Misprint
2 GORCOCKS
Male grouse die, caught in obstacles (8)
GO (die) + C (caught) in ROCKS (obstacles)
7 WIDE
Far apart, with the same missing mobile (4)
W (with) IDEm (the same) missing the ‘m’ (mobile)
10 ORDERER
He sorts point that’s lost before start of race (7)
ORD (point – obsolete or ‘that’s lost’) ERE (before) R (first letter or ‘start’ of race)
11 COOLER A
Jail could be fun (6)
Double definition, the second being FAN
12 MOBS
Gangs dated loose women (4)
Double definition – the second being an obsolete or ‘dated’ word
13 NEW DELHI
Idle when wasting capital (8, 2 words)
An anagram (‘wasting’) of IDLE WHEN
14 SCRIMP L
Curtain expenditure soft on material (6)
P (soft) after or ‘on’ SCRIM (material) – definition is ‘CURTAIL expenditure’
18 READ
Study advice, like people were once told (4)
Double definition, the second being an old spelling of ‘rede’ meaning ‘advice’
20 DETERS I
Inhabits desert rocks (6)
An anagram (‘rocks’) of DESERT – definition is INHIBITS
21 ERR
Make a mistake, failing and in commission (3)
ERRand (commission) missing or ‘failing’ ‘and’
23 TRANSMUTE
Change form of answer, breaking occasionally stern silence (9)
ANS (answer) in or ‘breaking’ sTeRn (alternate or ‘occasional’ letters) MUTE (silence)
24 BRACK
Flaw in cloth runs in reverse (5)
R (runs) in BACK (reverse)
27 FESTER T
Rob bank from the rear, shutting off street (6)
A reversal (‘from the rear’) of REEF (bank) round or ‘shutting off’ ST (street) – definition is ROT
28 IMMUNISED
Inside university designed to keep gentlemen in the Sorbonne protected from disease (9)
An anagram (‘designed’) of INSIDE U (university) round or ‘keeping’ MM (two Monsieurs – ‘gentlemen’ in French, as at the Sorbonne)
30 ERN
Poet’s gain from working maternity wards (3)
Hidden (‘warded by’) matERNity – Miltonian spelling of earn – ‘gain from working’
31 RIND
Clear about noon outside (4)
RID (clear) round N (noon)
33 SMOKES Y
Platers’ output maybe succeeded repeatedly as ringer for donkey (6)
S S (succeeded ‘repeatedly’) round or ‘ringing’ MOKE (donkey) – the definition is ‘PLAYERS’ output maybe’
36 EUROTRASH
Profligates abroad share tour frolics (9)
An anagram (‘frolics’) of SHARE TOUR
39 SESELI O
Elsie’s mistakenly mown carrot, perhaps (6)
An anagram (‘mistakenly’) of ELSIE’S – definition is ‘MOON carrot perhaps’ – we had to check this online, despite Joyce’s horticultural knowledge
40 CURRS
Worthless dogs picked up for some sounds like a cat (5)
A homophone (‘picked up’) of CURS (worthless dogs) – a dialect word (‘for some’) for ‘purr’
42 JAILER F
Killer of cells discovered alien mutating in vessel (6)
An anagram (‘mutating’) of LIE (‘alien’ without the first and last letters or ‘discovered’) in JAR (vessel) – definition is ‘FILLER of cells’
43 ISIACAL
Sadly antisocial, not worried to go about a deity (7)
An anagram (”sadly’) of AntISoCIAL with an anagram (‘worried’) of ‘not’ omitted or ‘going’
44 INSURANT
He’s covered in bombast, supporting America in retreat (8)
IN RANT (bombast) round or ‘supporting’ a reversal (‘in retreat’) of US (American)
45 ALLYL
Radical supporter last to fail (5)
ALLY (supporter) L (last letter of fail)
DOWN
No. Entry Misprint
1 TOMS
Big bells struck up without end (4)
A reversal (‘up’) of SMOTe (struck) missing the last letter or ‘without end’
2 GROCER T
Brussels perhaps in shock, here sounding more extreme (6)
A homophone (‘sounding’) of GROSSER (more extreme) – the definition is ‘Brussels in STOCK here’)
3 RESIDE H
Make some long-term desire to change (6)
An anagram (‘to change’) of DESIRE – definition is ‘Make HOME long term’
4 CRIM
Casual wrongdoer encircling line under cocaine (4)
RIM (‘encircling line’) under C (cocaine)
5 CREST
Conservative support in summit (5)
C (Conservative) REST (support – as in snooker)
6 SODOR
Bishop once occupying Sir Thomas’s island, as it’s written (5)
ODO (‘Bishop once’ – apparently the bishop of Bayeux, who was William the Conqueror’s brother) in or ‘occupying’ SR (sir) – SODOR is the island in the Rev Awdry’s ‘Thomas the Tank Engine’ books
7 WOE IS ME
I’m unhappy – that is to say, upset inside with some working (7, 3 words)
A reversal (‘upset’) of I E (id est – ‘that is’) in W (with) and an anagram (‘working’) of SOME
8 DEHORTER
One putting off the order at sea (8)
An anagram (‘at sea’) of THE ORDER
9 ERITREANS
Country’s population near bursting, begin to move base up as shelter (9)
An anagram (‘bursting’) of NEAR in or ‘sheltered by’ a reversal (‘up’) of STIR (begin to move) E (base – in maths)
15 PERFIN E
Stamp with holds outside of partner fine when wrestling (6)
An anagram (‘when wrestling’) of P R (first and last letters or ‘outside’ of partner) FINE – definition is ‘Stamp with HOLES’
16 MENSES Y
Regular event for lads seems unlikely to accommodate any number (6)
An anagram (‘unlikely’) of SEEMS round or ‘accommodating’ N (any number – in maths) – definition is ‘Regular event for LADY’
17 HEUREKA
Occasionally brilliant discovery of spirit within, following an hour in the Louvre (7)
KA (‘spirit within’) following HEURE (French for ‘hour’) – an alternative or ‘occasional’ spelling
19 ANAMNESIS
Recollection of names is an alternative (9)
An anagram (‘alternative’) of NAMES IS AN
22 MBIRAS E
Tunis played on these for Africans suffering leaderless Arabism (6)
An anagram (‘suffering’) of aRABISM without the first letter or ‘leaderless’ – the definition is ‘TUNES played on these for Africans’
25 CUDGEL A
Come together after food that’s brought back better (6)
GEL (come together) after CUD (‘food that’s brought back’) – definition is BATTER
26 KNEELER
Intricate new needlework after cutting down repaired cushion (7)
An anagram (‘intricate’) of N (new) and nEEdLEwoRK missing or ‘cutting’ an anagram (‘repaired’) of ‘down’
29 CORRAL R
Defensive wing, constant spare in Scots line (6)
C (constant) ORRA (Scots for ‘spare’) L (line) – definition is ‘Defensive RING’
32 ORCIN
Aromatic compound that’s endlessly ravishing (5)
fORCINg (ravishing) missing the first and last letters or ‘endless’
34 ESSAY
Try overturning section of busy assembly (5)
Hidden (‘section of’) in a reversal (‘overturning’) of busY ASSEmbly
35 MEAN
Close finishes in 100m require extra adjudication (4)
Last letters or ‘finishes’ in 100M requirE extrA adjudicatioN
37 OUST
Effect disposal of numerous telephone boxes (4)
Hidden (‘boxed’) in numerOUS Telephone
38 HELL
That guy intends to run wild (4)
Double definition – we’ve never come across ‘hell’ as a verb before
41 RIA
Look north in drowned valley (3)
A reversal (‘north’ – in a down clue) of AIR (look)

9 comments on “Inquisitor 1886: Talk Among Yourselves by Ifor”

  1. Very neat and topical. Strictly speaking there are 12.5 Personalities here, because Christopher Dean’s award was a joint one with his skating partner Jayne Torvill. Thanks and Happy Christmas to Ifor and bertandjoyce.

  2. My solving experience was remarkably similar to that of Bertandjoyce! And though sport isn’t really my area, I found all the names even if one or two needed a Wikipedia check. A very entertaining puzzle, richly themed. Thanks and Merry Christmas 🙂

  3. Festive thanks and season’s greetings to Ifor, Bertandjoyce and indeed all the regulars here. Excellent fun as usual. Admittedly I expected trouble when it first emerged that we were looking for SPORTSPERSONs, a very large field and not my cup of tea; but after the happy realization that they were all SPOTY winners it was just a matter of going through the Wikipedia list. (Where even this ignorant solver recognized COOPER, DEAN, MOSS and WADE.)

  4. Great puzzle!

    Did y’all realise that all the chosen winners indeed had real-word last names (as promised in the preamble)?

    Happy Christmas everyone and thanks for all the blogs

  5. Lovely puzzle with an impressive amount of thematic names crammed (there’s another) into the grid.

    Arnold’s point is noteworthy. I didn’t pick up on that. Extra point to Ifor !

    Thanks as ever to bloggers and setter.

    All the best everyone

  6. I also didn’t notice the winners were real words. Got a bit nervous when the theme revealed itself: sport! But gradually picked off a few from the remembered 1970s, and then Wikipedia provided the rest. Very enjoyable (and nice to completely finish one); thanks to Ifor and bertandjoyce

  7. My thanks to all (B and J – a most enjoyable exposition; many thanks). On the subject of real-word entries, it did occur to me to wonder as I built the grid whether this random collection of surnames is unusual in containing so many real words that are also one letter away from other real words.

    And of course thanks and HNY to Ken, the other IQ bloggers and all those who take the trouble to comment; and John and his team, without whose sterling efforts none of this could happen.

  8. Thanks, arnold @4, for pointing that out.
    And of course thanks to Ifor for the lovely puzzle (& @7), and to B&J for their blog.
    Let’s see what the new year brings …

  9. An enjoyable but challenging grid fill. Some straightforward clues and others which definitely needed technical help. I not heard of GORCOCKS, DEHORTER. However, once solved, all the parsing was perfectly clear. I got the 12-letter word and the message, which from the title, led to the Premier example and not a footballer as I initially wondered. I spotted WADE, MOSS, PETERS, BLACK, FOSTER, RAND, STOKES and CURRY fairly quickly but was not inclined to plough the internet for any more at this busy time of the year, so left it at that, satisfied that I had cracked the initial grid and the theme. I should had spotted COOPER, DEAN and HILL but would probably have missed MEAD as I am not into football.

    Thanks to Ifor for another winner and to B&J for the blog, as you remarked, very satisfying, well-crafted.

    A Happy New Year to one and all.

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