Inquisitor 1897: An Inspector Calls by Eclogue

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Eclogue is a prolific setter of Inquisitor puzzles.  I first blogged one of his Inquisitors in January 2014.

This week the preamble told us that the unclued group at 1ac must be replaced by the name of its leader. Solvers must change a further eight letters to provide the names of six thematic players, a seventh being provided by corrections to misprints in the definition  parts of eleven clues. All grid entries before and after these changes are real words or
proper nouns.

I made steady progress through the clues without encountering any serious problems in the normal clues.  A couple of the misprints in the remaining 11 clues stood out – Orgue (12 across) and minster (28 down).  I had to reverse engineer the position of a couple of misprints once I realised the name of the player being spelled out by the corrected letters.  These were Flukes (14 across) and lone (19 across).

I was slightly confused by the clue for HONSHU at 22 across.  I knew we needed a misprint from 21 or 22 across and the correct letter had to be an O.  21 across clearly didn’t have a misprint.  The only possible misprint in 22 across is port for part.  My problem is that HONSHU is a Japanese island and not a port.  I have looked for a HONSHU port in other Asian countries, but I can’t find one.

Once I deduced that 1 across was going to be SPECTRE, the endgame fell into place. SPECTRE is a fictional global criminal and terrorist organisation that features in the James Bond novels and films.  The organisation is led by Ernst Stavro BLOFELD.  BLOFELD replaces SPECTRE at 1 across.

A number of actors have played BLOFELD, appeared as his body or have given him a voice in the Bond films.  The surnames of six of these actors can be created by changing 8 letters in the grid as shown below (1 change in 5 answers, and 3 changes in another).  A seventh full name is spelled out by corrected letters in the misprinted clues.

Clue Answer Amended Full name Film(s)
6a WALTY WALTZ Christopher WALTZ (born 1956) Spectre
19a PLEASANCE PLEASENCE Donald PLEASENCE (1919-1995) You Only Live Twice
21a DAMSON DAWSON Anthony DAWSON (1916-1992) From Russia with Love, Thunderball
32a HOLLOS HOLLIS John HOLLIS (1927-2005) For Your Eyes Only
40a SAVELOY SAVALAS Telly SAVALAS (1922-1994) On Her Majesty’s Secret Service
31d TRAY GRAY Charles GRAY (1928-2000) Diamonds are Forever
misprints (see table below) MAX VON SYDOW (1929-2020) Never Say Never Again

Research shows there were some others who spoke BLOFELD‘s voice or played his body, but they are not included in the puzzle.

The detailed table with clues and wordplay further below shows how the misprints changed the clues. A summary of the changes is immediately below here:

Clue Misprint Corrected Word Correct Letter
10a dire mire M
12a Orgue Argue A
14a Flukes Fluxes X
19a lone love V
22a part port O
23a Bet Net N
36a Lend Lens S
4d stag stay Y
6d Rob Rod D
28d minster monster O
31d gaiter waiter W

Nine down entries were changed as a result of entering BLOFELD and the actors’ names.  These were:

Clue Original Amended
1d SLOB BLOB
2d PAPS LAPS
3d CRUMPS FRUMPS
4d RANCE LANCE
5d EYES DYES
7d ADELA ADELE
26d VALETE VALETA (capital of Malta)
32d SEGA SEGA (video game company)
34d TREY TRÈS (very)

I am not too sure about the title of the puzzle, ‘An Inspector Calls’.  My best guess is that Inspector’ sounds a bit like (call?) IN SPECTRE.  BLOFELD and his actors were Iin SPECTRE.

I found this puzzle was easier than previous Eclogue Inquisitors, but the series caters for all and there is nothing wrong with a range of difficulties.  I recognise that some solvers may disagree with my assessment.

The two grids below show the initial fill followed by the one showing the effects of the amendments.

No Detail Letter
Across  
6 Mariner’s inclined to roll over officer in the road (5)

WALTY (nautical [mariner’s] term meaning inclined to lean or roll over)

LT (Lieutenant [officer]) contained in (in) WAY (road)

WA (LT) Y
10 Jock’s dire at first, lying around in retreat (4)

Jock’s mire at first, lying around in retreat (4)

LAIR (Scottish [Jock] word meaning mire)

LAIR (initial letters [at first] of each of Lying, Around, In and Retreat)

LAIR also means den or retreat, but I don’t think retreat is another definition in this clue

LAIR

 M
11 Arab eyed whirling dancing girl in the East (8)

BAYADÈRE (Hindu dancing-girl; dancing-girl in the East)

Anagram of (whirling) ARAB EYED

BAYADERE*
12 Orgue against popgun being discharged (6)

Argue against popgun being discharged (6)

OPPUGN (to attack, especially by argument; argue against)

Anagram of (being discharged) POPGUN

OPPUGN*

 A
14 Flukes possibly result from these, mostly hostile air staff (6)

Fluxes possibly result from these, mostly hostile air staff (6)

ENEMAS (fluid injected to clean out the rectum. Fluxes can be defined as excrement cleaned out of the rectum by ENEMAS)

ENEMY (hostile [forces]) + AS (air staff)

ENEM AS

Updated as a result of comment 5 below

 X
16 Trees’ chief points put before a chartered surveyor (6)

SUMACS (trees or shrubs of the genus Rhus)

SUM (chief points) + A + CS (Chartered Surveyor)

SUM A CS
17 Sacred syllables entrusted to groomsman (3)

OMS (sacred syllable intoned as part of Hindu devotion and contemplation)

OMS (hidden word in [entrusted to] groOMSman)

OMS
19 From which poet derived lone excuses once in the north (9)

From which poet derived love excuses once in the north (9)

PLEASANCE (poetic term meaning that which gives pleasure; a word from which a poet derived love)

PLEAS (excuses) + ANCE (North of England term for once)

PLEAS ANCE

 V
21 Mother and child produce small dark fruit (6)

DAMSON (a small dark purple fruit)

DAM (mother) + SON

DAM SON
22 Honourable, mostly closed Asian part (6)

Honourable, mostly closed Asian port (6)

HONSHU (HONSHU is the largest island in Japan, but I cannot find a port city called HONSHU)

HON (Honourable) + SHUT (closed) excluding the final letter (mostly) T

HON SHU

 O
23 Bet she mixes with men (6)

Net she mixes with men (6)

ENMESH (to entangle; to net)

Anagram of (mixes with) SHE and MEN

ENMESH*

 N
25 Tiny force, little velocity in a thunderclap (6)

ABVOLT (10-8 volts; a tiny force)

V (abbreviation for [little] velocity) contained in (in) (A + BOLT [a thunderclap])

A B (V) OLT
27 Jellyfish, strangely oozy chaps (9)

SCYPHOZOA (a class of jellyfish)

Anagram of (strangely) OOZY CHAPS

SCYPHOZOA*
30 She casually upset ‘salt of the earth’? (3)

REH (an efflorescence of sodium salts on the soil in India, etc; salt of the earth)

HER (casual term referring to a lady [she]) reversed (upset)

REH<
32 Attention seekers hemming Lord Lieutenant in lively Soho (6)

HOLLOS (shouts of encouragement or to call attention; attention seekers)

LL (Lord Lieutenant) contained in (in) an anagram of (lively) SOHO

HO (LL) OS*
35 Remains with poet’s precious metal on dry land (6)

ASHORE (on dry land)

ASH (remains) + ORE (poetic term for precious metal)

ASH ORE
36 Lend spy every resource initially (6)

Lens spy every resource initially (6)

PEEPER (slang term for any of various types of glass or lens)

PEEP (spy) + ER (first letters of [initially] each of Every and Resource)

PEEP ER

 S
37 Copy gear cunningly for underground growth (8)

GEOCARPY (the production, or ripening, of fruit underground)

Anagram of (cunningly) COPY GEAR

GEOCARPY*
38 Formidable opponent trimmed columnar shaft (4)

TIGE (the shaft of a column)

TIGER (formidable opponent) excluding the final letter (trimmed) R

TIGE
39 Study letter, for instance (5)

ESSAY (study)

ES (the letter S) + SAY (for instance)

ES SAY
40 Declare consuming giddy love for sausage (7)

SAVELOY (a highly seasoned sausage)

SAY (declare) containing (consuming) an anagram of (giddy) LOVE

SA (VELO*) Y
Down  
1 Socialist’s beginning to sling mud (4)

SLOB (mud)

S (first letter of [beginning to] Socialist) + LOB (throw; sling)

S LOB
2 Feeds soft food, sources of nourishment for infants? (4)

PAPS (feeds soft food)

PAPS (nipples or breasts; sources of nourishment for infants)  double definition

PAPS
3 Clubs prats yielding dull thuds, perhaps (6)

CRUMPS (dull thuds)

C (clubs) + RUMPS (buttocks; prats)

C RUMPS
4 Organised church stag? (5)

Organised church stay? (5)

RANCE (a prop or stay)

RAN (organised) + CE (Church of England)

RAN CE

 Y
5 Ingredients of greyest mince pies (4)

EYES (‘mince pies’ is Cockney rhyming slang for EYES)

EYES (hidden word in [ingredients of] grEYESt)

EYES
6 Rob pale daughter (4)

Rod pale daughter (4)

WAND (a rod)

WAN (pale) + D (daughter)

WAN D

 D
7 Lead out a noble lady (5)

ADELA (ladies name meaning noble)

Anagram of (out) LEAD + A

ADEL* A
8 Worthless people turning solemn (6)

LEMONS (worthless people)

Anagram of (turning) SOLEMN

LEMONS*
9 Highland’s weary churl ate spasmodically (8)

TRAUCHLE (to weary or overburden)

Anagram of (spasmodically) CHURL ATE

TRAUCHLE*
13 Nothing quiet with mauther’s old clog (6)

GALOSH (rustic shoe, sandal or clog)

GAL (a mauther is big awkward girl [GAL]) + O (character representing nothing) + SH (quiet!)

GAL O SH
15 Relentless tracker the French note in silence (6)

SLEUTH (relentless tracker)

(LE [one of the French forms of ‘the’] + UT [a syllable representing the first note of the scale, now generally superseded by doh]) contained in (in) SH (silence!)

S (LE UT) H
17 Black sea port room in harem holding link? (6)

ODESSA (Black Sea port)

ODA (room in  a harem) containing (holding) ESS (a link in a collar of ESSes [chain of links in the shape of a letter S])

OD (ESS) A
18 Old coins a denizen of Manchester expends (8)

MANCUSES (old English coins)

MANC (short form of MANCunian, an inhabitant or denizen of Manchester) + USES (expends)

MANC USES
20 Stem cry and cheer (6)

SOBOLE (a creeping underground stem producing roots and buds)

SOB (cry) + OLÉ (an exclamation of approval, support or encouragement; a cheer)

SOB OLE
24 Theme of culture belonging to me and Thomas (6)

MYTHOS (the characteristic or current attitudes of a culture or group, expressed symbolically; theme of culture)

MY (belonging to me) + THOS (Thomas)

MY THOS
26 Clean up European farewell to several people (6)

VALETE (farewell addressed to more than one person)

VALET (to clean up) + E (European)

VALET E
28 Ed’s maritime minster expressed disgust with call to St Mungo’s (5)

Ed’s maritime monster expressed disgust with call to St Mungo’s (5)

PHOCA (Ed[mund] Spenser’s term for a scaly sea monster)

PHO [alternative spelling of FOH [expression of disgust]) + CA‘ (Scottish word for ‘call’.   St Mungo was a 6th century Scottish missionary and bishop)

PHO CA

 O
29 Syncopated unknown work father follows (5)

ZOPPA (syncopated)

Z (letter frequently used to represent an unknown value in mathematics) + OP (opus; work) + PA (father)

Z OP PA
31 Strain getting in American gaiter (4)

Strain getting in American waiter (4)

TRAY (waiter can be defined as a salver or TRAY)

TRY (strain) containing (getting in) A (American)

TR (A) Y

 W
32 His Excellency on Royal Society belonging to the lady (4)

HERS (belonging to the lady)

H.E. (His Excellency) + RS (Royal Society)

HE RS
33 Showy plant is nothing after northern callus (4)

SEGO (showy liliaceous plant)

SEG (North West England dialect word for a callus especially at the base of a finger) + O (character representing nothing)

SEG O
34 Hear about English threepenny bit (4)

TREY (threepenny bit)

TRY (hear [in court]) containing (about) E (English)

TR (E) Y

 

7 comments on “Inquisitor 1897: An Inspector Calls by Eclogue”

  1. I enjoyed filling most of the grid in one session, leaving the top half to be completed and SPECTRE still to be found. From the collected letters AXONSYDOW, and needing two more, the name clearly had to be Max von Sydow, and when the shaded word could only be SPECTRE, I just had to make the connection with BLOFELD. I guessed PLEASENCE and WALTZ but had to look up the rest.

    A nicely constructed puzzle with an impressive gridfill, including (inevitably) more than a sprinkling of unfamiliar words. I had the same problem as Duncan in the clue to HONSHU

    Thanks to Eclogue and Duncan.

  2. Thanks from me too to Eclogue and Duncan. A lucky early guess here: the first few down solves at top left, along with the title, suggested SPECTRE for the unclued entry and thus BLOFELD, with most of the grid still empty. No memory at all of the actors’ names as suggested by “players”, though: I had to look them all up.

    I too was slightly bothered by HONSHU working as a Japanese “part” but not as far as I could see a “port”. But assumed I was being pig-ignorant somehow.

  3. Thanks Duncan – we spotted the possibility of SPECTRE fairly early on and knew some of the actors but not all.

    We just assumed HONSHU was a port as everything else fitted.

    Thanks Eclogue – all good fun.

  4. An enjoyable and well-constructed puzzle; 32d must be a contender for easiest clue of the year, though it’s arguably balanced by the very tricky 30a.

    Wikipedia tells us Fleming was at Eton with the father of the amiable cricket commentator Henry Blofeld; friends in Norfolk (Blofeld country) told me the villain was named in ‘tribute’ to a school bully, also in the family, who was tormenting Fleming’s nephew.

    Thanks to Eclogue and Duncan. I also wrote in Honshu without a second thought.

  5. Others have said it all. No problem for me seeing the theme, and I knew that Donald Pleasence and Charles Gray had played Blofeld, with Max von Sydow in the unofficial (ie not Salzman/Brocolli) extra Sean Connery remake of Thunderball. I agree that the Inspector Calls title is a sort of homophonic reference. Thanks for the blog, Duncan; I think you have accidentally left out the explanation of the wordplay for ENEMAS. Thanks also to Eclogue.

  7. Hi all,
    I imagine this is a redundant ask but I can’t seem to figure it out- is the Inquisitor puzzle available online somehow?

Comments are closed.