This week’s Inquisitor puzzle, My Hat, is by Kolya, a debut setter. My fellow Inquisitor blogger, Holy Ghost, tells me this is the 1000th crossword since the series was renamed Inquisitor in 2007.
The preamble informed us that corrections to misprints in the definitions of all but six clues spell the names of three participants in an international first which occurred in 2023: a perpetrator, an appellant and a judge. In the completed grid solvers must highlight 12 contiguous cells, spelling how the event was recorded (2 words) and a relevant regulation (2 words), thus revealing the perpetrator’s contribution on this occasion. One answer is entered unconventionally – its enumeration refers to the grid entry.
I made steady progress with the clues and hoped that the names would reveal themselves. The penny dropped when I realised that we were uncovering ANGELO MATHEWS as the first name (perpretator). This suggested cricket to me as MATHEWS plays for SRI LANKA. I could then see MARAIS ERASMUS appearing as the judge or umpire. For some reason, I am more aware of the names of umpires than I am of the names of Bangladeshi cricketers, so SHAKIB AL HASAN took a bit longer to deduce.
I wasn’t aware of the incident highlighted by the names in the grid, but a bit of internet research revealed that MATHEWS came to the crease in a 2023 Cricket World Cup match in Delhi. On reaching the crease, MATHEWS identified a problem with his helmet strap and called for a replacement. The Bangladesh bowler and captain SHAKIB AL HASAN appealed that MATHEWS was not ready to receive his first ball within the two minutes that had elapsed since the previous batter was out., as stipulated by Law 40.1 Apparently the Law states three minutes, but is amended for 50-over cricket to two minutes. The umpires, MARAIS ERASMUS, Richard Illingworth and Adrian Holdstock upheld the appeal and MATHEWS dismissal was recorded as TIMED OUT.
Bangladesh won the match by three wickets with ten overs to spare. The teams did not shake hands after the match. Sri Lanka were probably even more upset when SHAKIB AL HASAN was named player of the match!
The six clues without an extra letter all fell between first names and surnames of the three contributors to the incident. ANGELO space MATHEWS space SHAKIB space AL space HASAN space MARAIS space ERASMUS.
The 10 contiguous letters are highlighted in the grid below and read TIMED OUT LAW 40, using the unconventional entry of 40 WINKS at 31 down.
The clues were very fair with clear wordplay.
THe final grid is shown below with the detailed table further below indicating the changes to the clues when the misprints are replaced by their correct letters as well as the definitions andwordplay for each clue.
The title references ANGELO MATHEWS‘ helmet (hat). Thanks to Kolya for an interesting debut.
| No | Detail | Letter |
| Across | ||
| 1 |
Thoroughly inspiring leaders of Sheffield union recycle steel (5) Thoroughly inspiring leaders of Sheffield union recycle steal (5) USURP (take possession without right; steal) UP (completely; thoroughly) containing (inspiring) SUR (initial letters of [leaders] Sheffield, Union and Recycle) U (SUR) P |
A |
| 5 |
Troop races utilitarian parents (8) Troon races utilitarian parents (8) MILLDAMS (Scottish [Troon is a town in Scotland] word for millraces) MILL (reference John Stewart MILL [1806 – 1873], author of the ethical theory of utilitarianism) + DAMS (mothers; parents) MILL DAMS |
N |
| 11 |
Spied a crook scoffing down cooked desserts with singer maybe (10) Spied a crook scoffing down cooked desserts with ginger maybe (10) PANDOWDIES (deep-pan apple-pies or puddings richly spiced; cooked desserts with ginger maybe) Anagram of (crook) SPIED A containing (scoffing) an anagram of (cooked) DOWN PA (NDOW*) DIES* |
G |
| 13 |
Deputy to the Dáil checks one letter in a link (6) Deputy to the Dáil checks one letter in a line (6) TANDEM (arranged with one behind the other; in a line) TD (Deputy to the Dail [member of the Irish parliament] containing [checks] AN [one]) + EM (the letter M) T (AN) D EM |
E |
| 14 |
Odd burning fever for all to see in decline (4) Old burning fever for all to see in decline (4) AGUE (Biblical [old] term for a burning fever) U (film classification indicating that a film is suitable for viewing by people of all ages) contained in (in) AGE (grow old; decline) AG (U) E |
L |
| 15 |
Flier attracting warship island’s taken on twice (4) Flier attracting worship island’s taken on twice (4) IBIS (the sacred IBIS [bird; flier] was worshipped by the ancient Egyptians) I (island) + BIS (twice) I BIS |
O |
| 16 |
Film buff I write about in southern republic (9) CINEPHILE (devotee of the cinema; film buff) (I + PEN [write]) reversed [about]) contained in (in) CHILE (Republic in South America; southern republic) C (I NEP<) HILE |
|
| 17 |
Pale mendicant periodically heard outside ground (6) Male mendicant periodically heard outside ground (6) SADDHU (a Hindu holy man, ascetic and mendicant; male mendicant) Anagram of (ground) HADUSD (letters 1, 3, 5, 7, 9 and 11 of HeArD oUtSiDe) SADDHU* |
M |
| 20 |
Liberal with calm posture to some (5) Liberal with calm pasture to some (5) LEASE (dialect term [to some] for pasture) L (Liberal) + EASE (calm) L EASE |
A |
| 22 |
Eastern car (Kia) seems unreliable after tip of gearstick’s detached (7) Eastern cat (Kia) seems unreliable after tip of gearstick’s detached (7) SIAMESE (breed of domestic fawn-coloured cat, with blue eyes and a small head, probably descended from the jungle cat of India, Africa; Eastern cat) Anagram of (unreliable) kIA SEEMS excluding (after … detached) K (last letter of [tip of] gearsticK) SIAMESE* |
T |
| 24 |
Perhaps a plate clipping sous-chef’s nose in front of mob (5) Perhaps a plate chipping souschef’s nose in front of mob (5) SHERD (alternative spelling of SHARD [broken piece {chipping} of pottery]) S (first letter of [nose; front] Sous-chef) + HERD (mob) S HERD |
H |
| 25 |
Take back lost dog (3) Take back lost doe (3) TEG (old [lost] term for a doe in its second year) GET (take) reversed (back) TEG< |
E |
| 26 |
Ancient cattle behind with hobble (5) Ancient cattle behind with wobble (5) WAVER (be unsteady; wobble) W (with) + AVER (obsolete [ancient] word for cattle) W AVER |
W |
| 28 |
Whiny visitor after dark blue papers (7) Shiny visitor after dark blue papers (7) PERSEID (constellation in the northern sky; shiny visitor after dark) PERSE (dark blue) + ID (identity papers) PERSE ID |
S |
| 33 |
Noxious fumes overturned top spy’s plan (5) MIASM (foul vapours; noxious fumes) (M’S [top spy’s; the head of MI5 is referred to as M]) + AIM [plan]) all reversed (overturned) (MIA SM)< |
|
| 35 |
Twitted a pair of young women over gallons wasted (6) Twisted a pair of young women over gallons wasted (6) TWIRLY (twisted) TWo (a pair) + gIRLY (of women) excluding (wasted) O (over) and G (gallons) TW IRLY |
S |
| 36 |
Leader of men in red skirts one in dress shop (9) Leader of men in red shirts one in dress shop (9) GARIBALDI (reference Italian general and revolutionary Guiseppe GARIBALDI [1807 – 1882], who led a group of volunteers known as the red shirts) (I [Roman numeral for one] contained in [in] GARB [clothes; dress]) + ALDI (supermarket; shop) GAR (I) B ALDI |
H |
| 38 |
Scots ruin retro aprons (4) Scots rain retro aprons (4) SMIR (Scottish word for fine misty rain) RIMS (borders; edges; aprons) reversed (retro) SMIR< |
A |
| 39 |
Stingers around islander’s hut (4) Stinkers around islander’s hut (4) OIKS (boors; stinkers) SKIO (Orkney and Shetland [islanders] term for a hut) reversed (around) OIKS< |
K |
| 40 |
Result on crisis near (6, 2 words) Result in crisis near (6, 2 words) TURN TO (result in) TURN (crisis) + TO (close; near) TURN TO |
I |
| 41 |
Ruth Köchel and two ducks aerated water around Susan’s location (10, 2 words) Ruth Köchel and two ducks aerated water around Busan’s location (10, 2 words) SOUTH KOREA (Country where the city of Busan is located) SEA (water) containing (around) an anagram of (aerated) (RUTH and K [abbreviation for Kõchel, K number used in cataloguing Mozart’s music] and OO ((two characters represenbing zero, a duck score in cricket) S (OUTH KOR*) EA |
B |
| 42 |
Banks on team’s elderly supporters (8) SIDESMEN (old [elderly] term for deputy churchwardens or helpers to a more senior official [supporters]) SIDES (borders or banks) + MEN (team) SIDES MEN |
|
| 43 |
Pry out fragment without issue initially (5) Pay out fragment without issue initially (5) SPEND (pay out) SP (sine prole [without issue]) + END (odd piece or fragment) SP END |
A |
| Down | ||
| 1 |
Softy on horseback hurt hips (6) Lofty on horseback hurt hips (6) UPPISH (pretentious; haughty; lofty) UP (on horseback) + an anagram of (hurt) HIPS UP PISH* |
L |
| 2 |
Disrupt city’s midnight coven (7) SABBATH (a witches’ midnight meeting; midnight coven) SAB (act as a SABoteur; disrupt) + BATH (city in Somerset, England) SAB BATH |
|
| 3 |
Malfunctioning unit to perish on river, saving more entropy? (8) Malfunctioning unit to perish on river, having more entropy? (8) UNTIDIER (more disordered; having more entropy [a measure of the disorder of a system]) Anagram of (manufacturing) UNIT + DIE (perish) + R (river) UNTI* DIE R |
H |
| 4 |
US boss hot to finally stop clock (6) US boss hot to finally stop cloak (6) PONCHO (South American cloak) hONCHO (US slang for the leader or boss) with H (hot) replaced by (to) P (last letter of [finally] stoP) to form HONCHO HONCHO |
A |
| 6 |
First person injures hounds on air (6) First person injures sounds on air (6) IDENTS (short films or sound sequences used in broadcasting to identify the channel or station; sounds on air) I (first person) + DENTS (injures) I DENTS |
S |
| 7 |
Mike the focus of Green Day (9) Make the focus of Green Day (9) LIMELIGHT (to subject to the glare; make the focus of) LIME (green colour) + LIGHT (day, as opposed to night, which would be dark) LIME LIGHT |
A |
| 8 |
Note about leaving wild antelope to moult (4) Note about leaving wild antelope to mount (4) LEAP (surge; sopar; mount) Anagram of (about) NOTE excluded from an anagram of (wild) ANTELOPE* to leave an anagram of ALPE LEAP* |
N |
| 9 |
Sloth say within soldier’s head protection (5) AEGIS (protection) (EG [for example; say] contained in [within] AI [three-toed sloth]) + S (first letter of [head] Soldier) A (EG) I S |
|
| 10 |
Beat on strips to the north (7) Beam on strips to the north (7) SLEEPER (a horizontal beam supporting and spreading a weight, especially a support for railway rails) (RE [with reference to] + PEELS [strips]) all reversed (to the north; down entry) (SLEEP ER)< |
M |
| 12 |
They’re used for currying chopped legumes when last traces of nutmeg are gone (5) They’re used for carrying chopped legumes when last traces of nutmeg are gone (5) MULES (animals that are used for carrying loads) Anagram of (chopped) LegUMES excluding (when … are gone) G and E (final letters of [last traces of] each of nutmeG and arE) MULES* |
A |
| 18 |
Roads crumbling near sides (5) Roads crumbling rear sides (5) DORSA (backs; rear sides) Anagram of (crumbling) ROADS DORSA* |
R |
| 19 |
Last spy in Lima must put out devious spin to leave (9) Last say in Lima must put out devious spin to leave (9) ULTIMATUM (last word; last say) Anagram of [out] in LIMA MUsT pUT excluding (to leave) an anagram of (devious) SPIN ULTIMATUM* |
A |
| 21 |
Cremonese fuddle old lady in a tree (5) Cremonese fiddle old lady in a tree (5) AMATI (a violin [fiddle] or cello made by the Amati family (circa 1550 – 1700) of Cremona) MA (mother [old lady]) contained in (in) (A + TI [small Pacific tree]) A (MA) TI |
I |
| 23 |
Lagting permanently putting Parisian dream up above dissolution of Rome (8) Lasting permanently putting Parisian dream up above dissolution of Rome (8) EVERMORE (for all time; lasting permanently) RÊVE (French [Parisian] word for ‘dream’) reversed (up; down entry]) an anagram of (dissolution of] ROME EVER< MORE* |
S |
| 24 |
Pegs turn in light snowfall on top of Snowdon (7) SPIGOTS (peg sfor a vent-hole, or pegs used to close the opening of a tube or pipe) (GO [a turn in a game of some sort] contained in [in] SPIT [light snowfall]) + S (first letter of [top of] Snowdon) SPI (GO) T S |
|
| 27 |
Firm up line out, 10 ceding top spot to 5 (7) Fire up line out, 10 ceding top spot to 5 (7) ENLIVEN (put life into; fire up) Anagram of (out) LINE + tEN (10) with the first letter (top spot) T replaced by (ceding) V (Roman numeral for five) to form VEN ENLI* VEN |
E |
| 29 |
Means to convey wood in crémaillère (5) Means to convey word in crémaillère (5) E-MAIL (an electronic means of conveying words from one place to another) E-MAIL (hidden word in [in] crEMAILlère) |
R |
| 30 |
Odd liquid spread out before becoming focus of inquest (6) Add liquid spread out before becoming focus of inquest (6) DILUTE (add liquid to make thinner) DILaTE (widen or spread out in all directions) with the A (before) replaced by (becoming) U (middle letter of [focus of] inqUest) DILUTE |
A |
| 31 |
During tense year women darken second fiesta (6, 2 words) During tense year women darken second siesta (6, 2 words) FORTY WINKS (short nap; siesta) entered unconventionally as 40 WINKS FOR (during) + T (tense) + Y (year) + W (women) + INK (make black; darken) + S (second) FOR T Y W INK S |
S |
| 32 |
Zany cowgirl gets up without help (6) Many cowgirl gets up without help (6) MYRIAD (any immense number; many) DAIRY Maid (cow girl) excluding (without) AID (help) then reversed (gets up; down entry) (M YRIAD)< |
M |
| 34 |
Nothing odd about fiery wingless fly bagged (5) Nothing odd about fiery wingless fly bugged (5) IRKED (annoyed; bugged) IR (letters 2 and 4 [even letters; nothing odd] of fIeRy)+ KED (wingless fly) IR KED |
U |
| 37 |
Reduced supplement shown disdain (4) Reduced supplement shows disdain (4) BOOS (shows disdain) BOOSt (supplement) excluding the final letter (reduced) T BOOS |
S |
Thanks for the very clear blog, I had an unusual number of unparsed answers (and one incorrect one – TWIRLS not TWIRLY hence couldn’t solve 32d). I had never heard of Kochel so that was interesting!
One small addition, the preamble notes that the highlighting will “reveal the perpetrator’s contribution on this occasion”, which I assume is zero points hence the circular shape.
I have no interest in cricket (apologies) so this was a little hard to get excited about, but a noteworthy story nonetheless, and a very fair puzzle. Thank you!
I enjoyed what I completed of this puzzle, but in the time I had for it I had to leave a few clues unsolved and missed the trick with 40 WINKS. Also, the source I found for the story did not mention the name of the on-field umpire, and my name for him was incomplete. It was an interesting theme, though – I did not know of that unique incident in cricket.
Thanks to Kolya and duncanshiell.