Morning everyone. There will probably be some sore heads in York today: some from the ale, some from having a go at this beast of a grid from Komornik.
Key to the solve are the nine clues indicated by ??: all anagrams showing a misplaced letter (an indirect anagram).
Komornik can explain much better than I:
Why can’t Accustomed model taken to court be USED?
by Komorník
Komorník, having made the life-changing resolution to break only one “rule” at a
time, nine entries exemplify the same setting error. Unfortunately he’s not even
getting that right, as every instance is compounded with another mistake, typing
each letter of the fodder wrong once. As in chess, the ?? denotes “this is a blunder”.
18 allows solvers perhaps astray at this point to know what is happening, while the
undefined and undefinable 14 across provides a helpfully-presented checklist; and
the “wrong” letters may be treated as SEMI-NULLS.
As well as the thematic 14 and 18, one geographical proper noun, one prominent
trade-name, one cultural term, one colloquial form, one fairly plausible adjective and
one three-word phrase do not appear in Chambers.
Link to the full explanation from Komornik: York 2025
Definitions for non-theme clues are underlined
Across
6/13 US hoax? Bucks can be seen all round it (8)
AMERSHAM
US [Amer] hoax [SHAM]
Bucks + Buckinghamshire
9 ^^Old paper here crumpled ?? (9)**
HEIRATICA
Old paper [I] for M
10 See 23 Down
11 Stoned Bishopthorpe element assailed the woman ?? (4,2,3)
CAME AT HER
Substitute I for E
13 See 6
14 17 (9)
AACEHIMRT
The letters of THE MARCIA in alphabetical order to show what the anagram fodder is
18 Unclued (4,2,3,6)
LOST IN THE MARCIA
The anagram indicator [“lost”] hinted at in the preamble: “Lost in the Marcia” = one letter misplaced for another in the anagram of IN THE MARCIA
20 Quaint venue to hatch a plot ?? (9)
MACHINATE
Substitute N for R
23 What may get thrown at us before lunch (a short time) (4)
AMMO
Before lunch [AM] a short time [MO]
25 Some old Manichaeans espoused this, confusing where we are … ?? (9)
CATHARISM
Substitute S for E
29 … with current Tao, misreading letter of Plato (4)
IOTA
Anag. [“misreading”] current [I] + TAO
30 Our setting’s contrived – for an artist it’s fine ?? (5,4)
CAMEL HAIR
Substitute L for T
31 Anguilla is absorbing the Spanish (4)
EELS
Spanish word for “Is” [ES] absorbing [around] the [EL]
Down
1 Fashionable? Kitsch? I collect hides (4)
CHIC
Hidden word [“hides”]: KITSCH I COLLECT
2 Cried, suffering over malady, primarily of the skin (6)
DERMIC
Anag [“suffering”] CRIED over [around] malady primarily [M]
3/4 With the appearance of a show vegetable, Dad comes first ? (8)
PARADISH
Vegetable [RADISH], Dad [PA] comes first
5/24 What Mötley Crüe, say, made to rock our Establishment ?? (4,5)
HAIR METAL
Substitute L for C
7/26 It’s shown by two over four, strangely, where S & B get together ?? (5,4)
MARCH TIME
Substitute M for A
8 This joint’s in painful state with painful joints ?? (9)
RHEUMATIC
Substitute U for A
12/21 Mistakes confessed to – rare at breakdown (6)
ERRATA
Anag. [“breakdown”] RARE AT
14 Is the setter not a little brain-tired? (4,1)
AINT I
Hidden word [“a little”] BRAIN TIRED
15 Nice chap – Komorník’s under 19, unbelievably (5)
HOMME
Komorník’s [ME] under [behind] 19, unbelievably [anag OHM]
Reference to Nice in France = word for man in French
16 Yorkshire pub cooking… iron sulphide ?? (9)
MARCASITE
Substitute S for H
17 Tours undertaken – industry leaders? (3)
TUI
First letters of [“leaders”] Tours Undertaken Industry
19 Physicist showing up in Rotherham hotel (3)
OHM
Backwards hidden word [“showing up in”] ROTHERHAM HOTEL
21 See 13
22 Perhaps seal sliver of bone after throwing up (6)
ANIMAL
Sliver of bone [LAMINA] after throwing up [backwards]
24 See 5
25/10 Nuts to gather under this? (4-4)
COCO TREE
Double def: where you would find coconuts, in a place where people would be mad to gather!
26 See 7
27 See 26
28/27 Most of capital raised to count up to the death (8)
MORTALLY
Most of capital [ROME] raised [backwards] to count up [TALLY]
Good grief. And I say that as someone who got *most* of this puzzle done.
I have said this before: Komorník is an absolute madman, in the best possible way. His puzzles are right at the line of what’s permissible – sometimes one side of it, sometimes the other. But he always knows what he is doing. Even if sometimes his puzzles defeat me, I absolutely love his approach. The crucial thing is I don’t mind being defeated by him: rather than him always allowing me to win in our tussles, there are times where tip my hat to him and retire gracefully.
Sure, not everyday fare, but my goodness I love doing these from time to time.
Thank you Hamish. I have come to rely on Soup for assurance that there is still a place for Komorník in this world.
A pity the puzzle wasn’t available in full at York. It’s nicely reproduced here at the link, but also can be found by writing to komornik1cryptics@gmail.com
One thing just to correct: HIERATICA is the correct spelling of 9 across – the old rule applies I before E except after slivovica.
It was fun working out all the near-anagrams and slipping the hints into the rubric – the usual approach.
For those who like a bit of Komorník madness occasionally to escape from this increasingly sad world, it won’t be long before the next Challenge comes out: the last Saturday in January, whch I reckon is when the euphoria of solving all the Christmas puzzles wears off.