Phi is a prolific setter of Independent and Inquisitor puzzles. He also sets for the Guardian using the pseudonym Pangakupu.
We had a fairly short preamble for this week’s puzzle which told us to imagine the filled grid divided into four 6×6 quadrants. In two of these, the same word is concealed in different alignments. Taking this word to apply to its component cells, place each of the quadrants containing it over each of the other two quadrants. This will yield four words: repeating one will give the title to be written below the grid.
There were no gimmicks in the clues, no extra words, no misprints, nothing! – just standard clues which I dipped into as I would with a weekday national daily crossword.
There are a couple of clues with quite intricate wordplay at the start of the crosses – those for CARAVANSERAI and CHARADE, but the majority of clues just had two component parts to the wordplay. We had one triple definition – SLEW
The one parsing I am unsure of is the one for SEE OUT which I think is just a double definition. It would be useful to know if anyone has a better idea.
The initial grid, highlighting the double appearance of the thematic word HOLE is shown below.
If we number the four quadrants of the grid as 1 (top left), 2 (top right), 3 (bottom left) and 4 (bottom right), we see that HOLE is located in quadrants 1 and 4. If we remove HOLE and implement its meaning, we can create a see through portion or HOLE in each of quadrants 1 and 4. The next step is to overlay quadrant 1 on each of 2 and 3, and then to overlay quadrant 4 on 2 and 3.
This produces the following 6 x 6 grids in order quadrant 1 on 2, then 4 on 3, then 4 on 2 and finally 1 on 3.
Reading through the HOLEs we can see ALL’S, WELL, THAT and ENDS Given that we are told that we have to repeat one word to find a title, it is immediately clear that we are looking for the Shakespeare play ALL’S WELL THAT ENDS WELL
I have chosen to write the title under the original grid, but one could just as easily write it under a 12 x 12 grid constructed from the 4 6×6 grids shown above.
The title of the puzzle, Find the Title is self explanatory.
Thanks to Phi for the challenge.
| No | Detail |
| Across | |
| 1 | Inn’s bar not entirely following concern about American vehicles (12)
CARAVANSERAI (formerly in some Eastern countries, a kind of unfurnished inn or extensive enclosed courtyard where caravans stop) (CARE [concern] containing [about] [A {American} + VANS {vehicles]]) + RAIL (bar) excluding the final letter (not entirely) L CAR (A VANS) E RAI |
| 10 | Difficult to keep one in church travesty (7)
CHARADE (piece of ridiculous pretence or absurd behaviour; travesty) (HARD [difficult] containing [to keep] A [one]) all contained in (in) CE (Church [of England]) C (HAR (A) D) E |
| 11 | Creative skill around film alien gets historic award (5)
ARETT (obsolete [historic] word for ‘award’) ART (creative skill) containing (around) ET (film about an extra-terrestrial [alien]) AR (ET) T |
| 12 | Raider can end without money (6)
LOOTER (raider) LOO (toilet; can) + TERm (an end) excluding (without) the final letter (end) M LOO TER |
| 13 | Strip used by Arsenal at home (4)
LATH (thin strip of wood) LATH (hidden word in [used by] arsenaL AT Home) LATH |
| 14 | Very likely to include a Welsh forename (4)
ERYL (Welsh forename) ERYL (hidden word in [to include] vERY Likely) ERYL |
| 15 | Tutor overlooking a meadow’s spiral formation (7)
COCHLEA (anything spiral-shaped) COACH (tutor) excluding (overlooking) A + LEA (meadow) COCH LEA |
| 16 | Survive longer than escort after confrontation? (6, 2 words)
SEE OUT (survive longer than) SEE OUT (conduct [escort] to the door, possibly after a confrontation) double definition? SEE OUT |
| 18 | Public funding is invested in soccer team? (4)
FISC (public revenue; public funding IS contained in (invested in) FC (football club; soccer team) F (IS) C |
| 19 | Something tantalising in series presented after afternoon meal (6)
TEASER (something tantalising) TEA (afternoon meal) + SER (series) TEA SER |
| 25 | Smile crookedly about first sign of police forces (6)
IMPELS (forces) Anagram of (crookedly) SMILE containing (about) P (initial letter of [first sign of] Police) IM (P) ELS* |
| 27 | Excellent example not initially ringing bells (4)
PEAL (a set of bells) PEArL (an excellent example) excluding (not) R (first letter of [initially] Ringing) PEAL |
| 28 | Advanced line about one vegetable (6)
LENTIL (legume; vegetable) (LENT [advanced money] + L [line]) containing (about) I (Roman numeral for one) LENT (I) L |
| 30 | Lamb (in Tales from Shakespeare): inclination to have line later (7)
EANLING (a young lamb) – EAN is a Shakespearean word for ‘to give birth to’ but Chambers doesn’t seem to associate EANLING directly with Shakespeare. LEANING (inclination) with the L moved along the word (later) to form EANLING EANLING |
| 33 | A turn a large number of Americans eliminated (4)
SLEW (turn about the axis) SLEW (American term for a large number or amount) SLEW (slayed; killed; eliminated) triple definition SLEW |
| 34 | Managed to cut power in school (4)
COED (COEDucational school where girls and boys are educated together) COpED (managed) excluding (to cut) P (power) COED |
| 35 | Expect rare gambling game will secure agreement (6, 2 words)
LOOK TO (expect) LOTO (rare spelling of LOTTO [a game played by covering on a card each number drawn until a line of numbers is completed or all of the numbers are covered, also called housey-housey, now usually bingo) containing (to secure) OK (a term signifying agreement) LO (OK) TO |
| 36 | Covering yard, almost flooded out, once (5)
AWAYS (old [once] term for AWAY [out {from home]]) AWASh (flooded) excluding the final letter (almost) H containing (covering) Y (yard) AWA (Y) S |
| 37 | Antiquary remains an epitome of poor sight? (7)
ASHMOLE (reference Elias ASHMOLE [1617 – 1692], was an English antiquary and founder of the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford) ASH (remains) + MOLE (a typical example [epitome] of an animal with poor sight) ASH MOLE |
| 38 | Conservative entering clubs and bars, not as smart as all that (12)
CLEVER-CLEVER (flaunting a superficial knowledgeableness, but really someone who is not all that smart) C (Conservative) contained in (entering) (C [clubs] + LEVER [bar] + LEVER [bar], giving clubs and bars) C LEVER (C) LEVER |
| Down | |
| 1 | Group of songs not unknown following symbol on stave (5, 2 words)
C CLEF (a symbol, an ornamental form of the letter C, used to indicate middle C on the stave) CyCLE (a group of songs) excluding (not) Y (letter often used to represent an unknown value in mathematics) + F (following) C CLE F |
| 2 | Out of the water, but seconds later no longer on bay? (6)
AHORSE (on a HORSE, such as a bay [chestnut or reddish-brown coloured HORSE]) ASHORE (out of the water) with S (seconds) being moved down the entry (later) to form AHORSE AHORSE |
| 3 | Simple roles, not the lead, filled by the French (7)
ARTLESS (simple) pARTS (roles) excluding (not) the initial letter [the lead] P containing (filled by) LES (one of the French forms of ‘the’) ART (LES) S |
| 4 | Ocean very swirling in Scottish bays (4)
VAES (alternative word for VUES [bays or creeks in Orkney and Shetland {Scottish islands}]) (SEA [ocean] + V [very]) reversed (swirling) (V AES)< |
| 5 | Historic despot never imprisoning former monarch (4)
NERO (reference the despotic Emperor NERO of Rome [37 – 68]) NO (never) containing (imprisoning) ER (Elizabeth Regina, former queen) N (ER) O |
| 6 | Private room in convalescent hospital provided by college corporation (7)
SANCTUM (private room) SAN (SANitorium; convalescent hospital) + C (college) + TUM (belly; stomach; corporation) SAN C TUM |
| 7 | Get the message about a story about Sweden (7)
REALISE (understand; get the message) RE (with reference to; about) + A + (LIE [story] containing [about] S [International Vehicle Registration for Sweden) RE A LI (S) E |
| 8 | Confirm visiting Lord’s? (6)
ATTEST (confirm) AT (visiting) + TEST (cricket match between countries, often played at Lord’s cricket ground) AT TEST |
| 9 | Home of famous traveller with a car garaged? (6)
ITHACA (Greek home of the mythical traveller Odysseus, immortalised in the epic poem, Odyssey) ITHACA (hidden word in [garaged] wITH A CAr) ITHACA |
| 15 | Ancient wall support, black in centre (5)
CORBE (Spenserian [ancient] word for a projection from the face of a wall, supporting a weight) B (black, when referring to the softness of pencil lead) contained in (in) CORE (centre) COR (B) E |
| 17 | Declining to overlook match official exercising (5)
USING (exercising) refUSING (declining) excluding (to overlook) REF (REFeree [match official]) USING |
| 20 | Spiders are new, infesting fifth region? (7)
ARANEAE (the garden spider genus) (A [are [unit of land measurement] + N [new]) contained in (infesting) (AREA [region] + E [letter indicating the fifth occurrence {A, B, C, D – E}]) AR (A N) EA E |
| 21 | Shed erected in middle of week shows round shape (7)
ELLIPSE (a rounded shape) SPILL (drop; shed) reversed (erected) contained in (in) (EE [central letters of [middle of] wEEk) E (LLIPS<) E |
| 22 | Not entirely large, a certain particle in bacteria (7)
EPISOME (genetically active particle found especially in bacteria) EPIc (large scale) excluding the final letter (not entirely) C + SOME (a certain) EPI SOME |
| 23 | Emetic, excellent, very good, upset colt (6)
IPECAC (IPECACuanha [the dried root of various South American plants, used as a purgative, emetic and expectorant]) (ACE [wonderful; excellent] + PI [pious, very good]) all reversed (upset; down entry) + C (colt) (IP ECA)+ C |
| 24 | Lumpy fish that hurts when swallowed by marine creature (6, 2 words)
SEA OWL (lumpsucker; lumpy fish) OW (expression indicating that something hurts) contained in (when swallowed by) SEAL (marine creature) SEA (OW) L |
| 26 | Large insect without head no longer affected baby? (6)
LEETLE (an old-fashioned [no longer] affectation for LITTLE [baby]) L (large) + bEETLE (insect) excluding the first letter [without head] B L EETLE |
| 29 | Misfortune in transactions – it should be worth double? (5)
TWOER (informal term for anything that counts as or for two, or scores two; it should be worth double) WOE (misfortune) contained in (in) TR (transactions) T (WOE) R |
| 31 | Soaring bird, not very close (4)
NEAR (close) (RAvEN [a bird] excluding [not] V [very]) reversed (soaring; down entry) NEAR< |
| 32 | Left hand adequate to pick up cosmetic (4)
KOHL (a fine powder of native stibnite, black in colour, used (originally in the East) to darken the area around the eyes; cosmetic) (LH [left hand] + OK [okay; adequate]) all reversed (to pick up; down entry) (KO HL)< |
At last! Another IQ that I was able to finish completely. The previous ones were by Ifor and eXternal, both of which I enjoyed. The rest were largely by new setters: for some, I completed the grid but gave up on the end-game and for others I did not even get that far.
So this one was a joy. A nice mix of easy and harder clues which I completed in reasonable time. At first scan of the preamble, it looked like another impossible end-game. However, as soon as I spotted the two HOLEs, everything fell into place and I was done within minutes. Very neat.
So, grateful thanks to Phi for an enjoyable ride, a novel idea and an impressive finish. Thanks also to Duncan – I agree that 16A is probably a DD.
Horses for courses but I thought this was disappointing – basically a standard crossword with a (neat enough) 5 minute endgame addition, but no Theme or additional device (extra letters etc), which for me is the main point.
I realise it’s good to mix harder and easier Inquisitors, and we’ve had a few really tricky ones, but this one I thought fell short of the minimum requirements.
Thanks to duncan for parsing a few of the clues that I hadn’t managed.
I was solving this on a series of trains between London and Zürich, without convenient access to a Chambers to flip through, so I was pleased to find that I could sort out almost everything without needing such assistance (EPISOME being the exception). Nothing wrong with a straightforward puzzle from time to time, and the HOLE idea was clever, so as far as I was concerned the title was much better justified than it is in the Shakespeare play. Thanks to Phi and Duncan.
Sagittarius @3 I recommend the Chambers App available for under £10, including a handy anagram finder / empty cell filler. Some might call it cheating but I am spending long enough on these puzzles as it is that I’m very happy to get the assistance.
This puzzle made a refreshing change from several previous puzzles by having no clue manipulations (like extra words or misprinted letters). Not that I am against such manipulations, but, being quite a slow solver, I do find that I have to set aside more time when the clues are more complex.
The clues were excellent and well up to the usual standard. I had no inkling of what the thematic manipulations were all about until I completed the grid, but it did not take long to find HOLE (actually CHOLER first) in the top left quadrant, and there it was also in the bottom right. The title then came very easily. I liked the way the grid was constructed around a theme whose name was (helpfully) made up only of 4-letter words.
Thanks to Phi and Duncan.
AB @5, yes, I found CHOLER & CHOLES first, then CHOLE x2 as required before spotting what was staring me in the face!
Sagittarius @3: I thoroughly endorse arnold’s recommendation @4 to get the Chambers App. I’ve had it for years and found it invaluable on long journeys (rail, road, air …). And you get free version updates.
As to this puzzle, almost too easy but rather neat. Thanks to setter & blogger. And I had the same nose-wrinkle over SEE OUT at 16a.
Well, there are times when the setter likes a more straightforward approach as well. (The next one expected has clashes and a clue gimmick, and a word I am sure you won’t know as a thematic component.)
SEE OUT: I have read often enough scenes where a confrontation occurs and one of the parties snarls: “I’ll see myself out!” at the end of it.
Setter’s blog at: https://phionline.net.nz/setters-blogs/find-the-title/
Phi @8. Re “Well .. well”, I say” hear-hear!”
Re (…), do mean you mean Kruger’s puzzle or your next one?
Re SEE OUT, a confrontation is not necessarily hostile but just a face-to-face discussion. (Chambers agrees). It could well be ended by the venue owner offering quite amiably to see the other party out.
We enjoyed this puzzle and were amused by the construction at the end.
We had only just completed the IQ from the week before so were more than happy to complete this during the day over coffee/lunch/tea.
We would also endorse the Chambers App – we have the Dictionary and Thesaurus. Both are very useful.
Apologies for the late comment – we’ve been busy sorting out a number of other events including the S&B at Nottingham.