Check is an Inquisitor setter who debuted in February 22 with puzzles appearing just under yearly since then. The four earlier puzzles have had themes focused on sport, science, literature and film. Clearly Check likes to explore different themes. I wonder what we have today?
The preamble told us that unclued entries suggest how a virtual line should be completed. Down clues are really two nonoverlapping clues, one for the indicated number and one for its symmetrical opposite; either may come first. A modern update to the virtual line is required: first and last letters from single extra words in each across clue provide wordplay for what should instead appear in the final grid.
There’s a lot going on with extra words in the across clues and double clues run together in the Downs. We also have a ‘virtual line’, whatever that is.
In the end, it wasn’t too complex to identify the extra words and separate the down clues into their constituent parts. I got my foothold in the grid with the Down pair clued at 3 (OPUSCLE / TALIPOT) and the Across clues at 9 (SCUTCH) and 24 (REIKI).
It soon became clear that the ‘virtual line’ was a normal row illustrated without specific cells and some down clues simply covered that row with their relevant letters being entered in the row.
The virtual line displayed NORTH-SOUTH
The uncluied entries took me a bit longer to crack, but the NORTH-SOUTH reference helped. In pairs we had the Supermarkets (MORRISONS and WAITROSE,), Snack food chains (GREGGS and PRET [a Manger]) and the Britpop bands OASIS and BLUR. In each pair, the upper half of the grid displayed the entry most associated with the NORTH and the bottom half displayed the SOUTHern equivalent.
OASIS formed in Manchester and BLUR formed in London, so there is a clear NORTH-SOUTH split there. MORRISONS and GREGGS definitely have roots in the NORTH. MORRISONS stayed NORTH until its takeover of Safeway in 2004 when its spread widened considerably. GREGGS history dates back to 1939, with the first shop opening in 1951. After the death of the founder John in 1964, his son Ian took over and began a rapid UK-wide expansion.
Locations of WAITROSE and PRET outlets are definitely skewed SOUTH. Following the expansions mentioned above, the current spreads of MORRISONS and GREGGS stores, show that the NORTH skew is no longer so apparent. For the Supermarkets, a comparison of Booths [sometimes known as the WAITROSE of the NORTH) and WAITROSE would show a much clearer divide. GREGGS just want to take over the world!
The extra words in the Across clues are highlighted in the detailed table below. Taking the first and last letters of the extra words in clue order we find the message:
TIN COATS ALWAYS LEAD TO WHITE REMAINS
which we had to use as a cryptic clue to a new entry to replace NORTH SOUTH. That clue generated
SEVERN-WASH
(SN [chemical symbol for tin] containing (coats) EVER [always]) + W (first letter of [lead to] White) + ASH (remains)
S (EVER) N W ASH
The SEVERN-WASH Line is a more modern general informal geographic reference point in England, running from the River SEVERN estuary to The WASH (a bay in the North Sea), that roughly divides the country into its “NORTH” and “SOUTH” for certain economic and social discussions, though it’s not a precisely defined border and the divide itself is a complex, nuanced gradient rather than a sharp line.
I was impressed that the Across clues still generally read fairly smoothly after omitting the extra words
The two grids below show the original filled grid and the replacement with SEVERN- WASH for NORTH-SOUTH
The final grid still shows real words with LOGO going to LEGO, RENT to VENT, LETS to LEES, PHOTONS to PROTONS, HEROISE to HEROINE, SOAP to SWAP, GENU to GENA, and ROTE to ROSE,
The title Long Division refers to the fact that the ‘boundary’ between NORTH and SOUTH in the UK is fairly Long.
Please note that I do realise that the NORTH-SOUTH divide and the SEVERN-WASH line do only refer to England, but as I live in Scotland, I tend to take the UK view of NORTH and SOUTH.
Thanks to Check for an entertaining puzzle.
| No | Detail | Word
Letters |
| Across | ||
| 8 | Quickly delete taxi software before losing advance (8)
Quickly delete software before losing advance (8) DAPPERLY (quickly) D (Dele, Latin for delete) + APP (software program) + EaRLY (before [synonym in Bradford’s]) excluding (losing) A (advance) D APP ERLY |
TAXI
TI |
| 9 | Sons seize narc lacking source of “legal” grass (6)
Sons seize lacking source of “legal” grass (6) SCUTCH (another name for couch or couch grass, a grass related to weed) S (sons) + ClUTCH (seize) excluding (lacking) L (first letter of [source of] Legal) S CUTCH |
NARC
NC |
| 11 | Endlessly finds fault with Arabian okra jelly (4)
Endlessly finds fault with Arabian jelly (4) AGAR (a jelly prepared from seaweeds of various kinds) nAGs (finds fault with) excluding the outer letters N and G (endlessly) + AR (Arabian) AG AR |
OKRA
OA |
| 12 | Swingers might use this aspect of topless curviness (4)
Swingers might use this aspect of curviness (4) VINE (a climbing or trailing stem which can be used for swinging) VINE (hidden word in [aspect of] curVINEss) VINE |
TOPLESS
TS |
| 13 | Fine dress has no actual need for diamond? (4)
Fine dress has no need for diamond? (4) ROCK (a slang term for a diamond or other precious stone) fROCK (dress) excluding (has no need for) F (fine, on lead pencils) ROCK |
ACTUAL
AL |
| 15 | Strong active types burying unknown regulars on Wichita construction site (10)
Strong active types burying unknown regulars on construction site (10) BULLDOZERS (machines for levelling and clearing land that are seen regularly on construction sites) BULL (strong) + (DOERS [active types] containing [burying] Z [a letter frequently used to denote an unknown value in equations]) BULL DO (Z) ERS |
WICHITA
WA |
| 18 | Drop off retro Yankees strips (5)
Drop off retro strips (5) SLEEP (drop off) PEELS (strips) reversed (retro) SLEEP< |
YANKEES
YS |
| 19 | Scarface’s chief lowlife flipping bagged cocaine (4)
Scarface’s chief flipping bagged cocaine (4) SNOW (slang term for cocaine) S (first letter of [chief; head] Scarface) + WON (got; bagged) reversed (flipping) S NOW< |
LOWLIFE
LE |
| 20 | Consents to remove ad about dates (4)
Consents to remove about dates (4) AGES (statements or periods of time; dates) AGreES (consents) excluding (to remove) RE (with reference to; about) AGES |
AD
AD |
| 21 | Each decade irritated tattoo (5)
Each decade irritated (5) EATEN (irritated) EA (each) + TEN (a decade is a group or series of TEN, usually relating to years) EA TEN |
TATTOO
TO |
| 22 | Formerly close section’s amended wish to circumvent strike (10)
Formerly close section’s amended to circumvent strike (10) CONSTIPATE (obsolete [formerly] word for ‘close’) Anagram of (amended) SECTION containing (to circumvent) PAT (gentle strike) CONSTI (PAT) E* |
WISH
WH |
| 23 | Somewhat far-out input could set back eightsome (6)
Somewhat far-out could set back eightsome (6) OCTUOR (octet; eightsome) OCTUOR (reversed [set back] hidden word [somewhat] in faR-OUT COuld) OCTUOR< |
INPUT
IT |
| 24 | Concerning ear infection’s first potassium iodide treatment (5)
Concerning infection’s first potassium iodide treatment (5) REIKI (a form of Japanese natural therapy involving the laying on of hands or gentle massage) RE (with reference to; concerning) + I (initial letter of [first] Infection) + KI (chemical symbol for potassium iodide) RE I KI |
EAR
ER |
| 25 | Peak time at work changes University exam to centre of Derby (4)
Peak time at work changes University to centre of Derby (4) TORR (alternative spelling of TOR [rocky height; peak]) TOUR (reference TOUR of duty [time at work]) with R (middle letter of [centre of] deRby) replacing (for) U (university) TORR |
EXAM
EM |
| 26 | Boat spread limits Asti in the morning (6)
Boat spread limits in the morning (6) SAMPAN (Oriental boat propelled by a sail or oar[s]) SPAN (spread) contains (limits) AM (ante meridiem; before noon; in the morning) S (AM) PAN |
ASTI
AI |
| 27 | Catholic nuns to impose changes in parts (9)
Catholic to impose changes in parts (9) COMPOSITE (made up of [in] distinct parts) C (Catholic) + an anagram of (changes) TO IMPOSE) C OMPOSITE* |
NUNS
NS |
| Down | ||
| 1 | Siemens board failing to control onset of stagnation accumulates share from owner in established plants
Siemens board failing to control onset of stagnation accumulates ADSORBS (accumulates on a surface) Anagram of (failing) (S [siemens; derived SI unit of electrical conductance] and BOARD) containing (to control) S (first letter of [onset of] Stagnation) OR Anagram of (failing to control) (S [siemens; derived SI unit of electrical conductance] and BOARD) + S (first letter of [onset of] Stagnation) AD (S) ORBS* or ADSORB* S Share from owner in established plants (7) NERINES (any plant of the S African genus Nerine, related to the amaryllis, with scarlet or rose-coloured flowers) NERINES (hidden word in [share from] owNER IN EStablished) NERINES |
|
| 2 | This country’s declared edict regularly upset local, claims administrative region
Regularly upset local, claims administrative region MACAO (Special Administrative Region of China) MACAO (letters 2, 4, 6, 8 and 10 [regularly] of lOcAl ClAiMs) reversed (upset) (M A C A O)< This country’s declared edict UKASE (an edict with force of law in Tsarist Russia) UKASE (sounds like [declared] UK’S [this country’s]) UKASE |
|
| 3 | Palm cut from rental I potentially close up, struggling for a little work
Close up, struggling for a little work OPUSCLE (alternative spelling of opuscule [short work]) Anagram of (struggling) CLOSE UP OPUSCLE* Palm cut from rental I potentially TALIPOT (an East Asian palm with large, hand-shaped leaves) TALIPOT (hidden word in [cut from] renTAL I POTentially) TALIPOT |
|
| 4 | Briefcase intermittently dropped off for public spaces upset “celebrity” singers
Briefcase intermittently dropped off for public spaces RECS (recreations grounds; public spaces) RECS (letters remaining in bRiEfCaSe when letters 1, 3, 5 and 7 (B, I, F, A and E) [intermittently] are excluded [dropped off]) R E C S Upset “celebrity” singers RATS (turncoats; people who inform; singers) STAR (celebrity) reversed (upset) RATS< |
|
| 5 | Smear delays a Labour Unionist returning constituent bit of plumber’s kit
Smear delays a Labour Shouldn’t the clue be Smears …. SLAVES (people who work extremely hard; labour [people collectively]) SALVES (smears) with the A delayed in appearance from letter 2 to letter 3 ) SLAVES Unionist returning constituent bit of plumber’s kit U-TRAP (drain-trap and tube bent like the letter U; bit of kit for a plumber) U (Unionist) + PART (constituent) reversed (returning) U TRAP< |
|
| 6 | Element of Indian Navy beginning to apprehend one pair of men capsizing boat (4)
Element of Indian Navy beginning to apprehend one NAAN (type of slightly leavened bread, as baked in Indian and Pakistani cookery; element of an Indian [meal]) N (navy) + A (first letter of [beginning to] Apprehend) + AN (one) Pair of men capsizing boat RO-RO (Roll-on Roll-off ferry; boat) (OR [other ranks; men] + OR [other ranks; men] giving a pair of men) reversed (capsizing) (RO–RO)< |
|
| 7 | Constant measure of Christian force oddly set free Saints
Force oddly set free Saints STRESS (force) STRE (letters 1, 3, 5 and 7 [oddly] of SeT fReE) + SS (saints) S T R E SS Constant measure of Christian COPTIC (descriptive of a COPT [ Christian descendant of the ancient Egyptians]) C (constant, in mathematics; also the constant for the speed of light) + OPTIC (trademarked device attached to an inverted bottle for measuring alcoholic liquid dispensed; measure) C OPTIC |
|
| 10 | Glorify fancy soirée after husband rings around Telegraph office to suppress initially excessive amounts of radiation
Glorify fancy soirée after husband HEROISE (glorify) H (husband) + an anagram of (fancy) SOIRÉE H EROISE* Rings around Telegraph office to suppress initially excessive amounts of radiation PHOTONS (quantums of light or other electromagnetic radiation) (PHONeS [rings] contains [around] TO [Telegraph Office]) excluding (to suppress) E (first letter of [initially] Excessive) PHO (TO) NS |
|
| 14 | Charter torn knee operations to divert away from fresh pension outrage
Knee operations to divert away from fresh pension outrage GENU (the knee) GENU (anagram of [fresh] pENsion oUtraGe excluding [away from] an anagram of [to divert] OPERATIONS) GENU Charter torn RENT (hire; charter) RENT (torn) double definition RENT |
|
| 16 | The French tenor section permits a kind of opera alto to occupy elevated position
The French tenor section permits LETS (permits) LE (one of the French forms of ‘the’) + T (tenor) + S (section) LE T S A kind of opera alto to occupy elevated position SOAP (reference SOAP operas [sentimental, melodramatic radio or television serial concerned with the day-to-day lives of the members of a family or other small group]) A (alto) contained in (to occupy) POS (position) reversed (elevated; down entry) SO (A) P< |
|
| 17 | Record old language broadcasting noted medieval instrument
Broadcasting noted medieval instrument ROTE (medieval stringed instrument) ROTE (sounds like [broadcasting] WROTE [recorded; not]) ROTE Record old language LOGO (simple programming language with list processing features and distinctive graphics) LOG (record) + O (old) LOG O |
I am most impressed by Duncan’s research into distribution patterns of English food and sandwich retailers; presumably some trade body supplies these, but can’t do the same for the sales of Oasis/Blur. Like him I found this an enjoyable but surmountable challenge, being familiar with all the key features (and it was clearly solvable from Scotland, where Pret and Waitrose are visibly less prominent). I don’t see a problem with ‘Smear’ in 5A; the surface works, and ‘Smears’ wouldn’t parse. Many thanks to Check and Duncan.
I think Duncan mistakenly has SLAVES as the answer to 5D in the explanatory table, when it’s actually SLAVE. Hence ‘Smear’ is correct (but would have indeed needed to be ‘Smears’ for ‘Slaves’).
An excellent puzzle although it took me a long time to realise the blank row needed to have letters in it. My fault really given that otherwise 16D and 17D would have only been two-letter words, when the (unwritten?) rule of crosswords seems to be a minimum of three.
The North and South examples were amusing, but thank you to Duncan for showing us the southward march of Greggs and Morrisons!
All in all really good fun and with multiple layers as befits a top notch Inquisitor.