This week, there were no misprints or extra/missing wordplay letters, just clashes to identify.
The preamble read:
Ten thematic types linked to 5 down are formed in cells where entries clash; in all but one instance, clashes are formed by answers too long for the given space. Cells containing clashes must be left empty to represent the DISAPPEARANCES, leaving real words (ignoring spaces) in the final grid. Chambers Dictionary (2016) is recommended.
Not much to say about this entertaining puzzle, except:
- one half of the clash in the bottom left had me thinking that we were to identify families of poets like the WordsWORTHS
- it took me ages to identify both parts of even one of the clashes
- I needed to suss 5dn before the penny dropped
- when the penny dropped and WOOLWORTHS popped up, a broad grin crossed my face
After that, it was relatively plain sailing and thoroughly enjoyable. The letters from the clashing pairs gave stores that have disappeared from our high streets, all relatively recently. The one instance where the clashing answers were not longer than the space available gave C[&]A, another Broad Grin Moment.
The full list of companies that have gone out of business, top to bottom, are:
- OUR PRICE
- ATHENA
- COMET
- STAPLES
- C&A
- MFI
- DIXONS
- BHS
- WOOLWORTHS
- BORDERS
Thanks for this one proXimal (and co!).
Legend:
Definition in clue
ABC* = anagram
ABC< = reversal
abCDef = hidden
| ACROSS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| No | Answer | Clue and Explanation | |
| 1 | SAVOURED | Redeemer knocking out one journalist with a smack (6) SAVIOUR (redeemer) – I (one) ED (journalist) |
|
| 6 | TODDLE | Stroll a very small amount, returning duller, oddly (6) DOT< (a very small amount, returned) DuLlEr (oddly) |
|
| 10 | ALMAH | Not completely calm, a harassed dancing-girl (5) in cALM A Harassed |
|
| 12 | ONAGER | Asian beast just after drink heading off (6) ON (just after) [L]AGER (drink, without first letter) |
|
| 14 | EASE | Calm kid, not tense (4) TEASE (kid, vb) – T (tense) |
|
| 15 | LEATHERY | Tough ploughing earth in open land (6) EARTH* in LEY (open land) |
|
| 16 | COMPASS | After mile, step in lettuce field (5) PAS (step) after M (mile) in COS (lettuce) |
|
| 18 | STEMPLES | Money put into towers to replace second last of vintage cross-timbers (5) M (money) replacing second E (last of vintagE) in STEEPLES |
|
| 19 | SAILOR HAT | What might make hair o’ salt obscure (9, two words) (HAIR O’ SALT)*; &lit. |
|
| 20 | REIKI | Take Ecstasy and pink gin regularly as form of therapy (5) R (take) E (ecstacy) + pInK gIn (regularly) |
|
| 21 | GALETTE | Cake allowed to be swallowed in opening (7) LET (allowed) in GATE (opening) |
|
| 24 | ANCILE | Article caught in river is Roman shield (6) A (article) C (caught) in NILE (river) |
|
| 26 | MARIAN | Backward manner possessed by chap related to Tudor Queen (6) AIR< (manner, backwards) in MAN (chap) |
|
| 27 | JOSHERS | That woman’s after return of very good Japanese comics (7) HERS (that woman’s) after [SO (very good) J (japanese)]< |
|
| 29 | MONAXONS | Maybe sponges US tool after day working with spades (5) AX (axe, US spelling) after MON (Monday) ON (working) + S (spades) |
|
| 32 | OUT OF STEP | Upset fellow too shaky in conflict (9, three words) [UPSET F (fellow) TOO]* |
|
| 35 | BROGHS | Iron Age towers made from bronze – gosh that’s weird! (5) BR (bronze) GOSH* |
|
| 37 | HIDER | Secretive type is to stop withholding name (5) HINDER (to stop) – N (name) |
|
| 38 | EPODES | Poems reflected view about school (6) SEE< (view, returned) about POD (school) |
|
| 39 | VULN | Blacksmith shifting around gets wound (4) VULCAN (blacksmith) – CA (around) |
|
| 40 | WOOLSHEDS | Barrels containing large female Aussie fleeces in them (6) WOODS (barrels) about L (large) SHE (female) |
|
| 41 | ETUIS | Small pouches mostly suited to jockey (5) SUITE[D]* (mostly) |
|
| 42 | PHONEY | Bogus item with receiver, head of Yakuza (6) PHONE (receiver) + Y (head of Yakuza) |
|
| 43 | ARBOREAL | Old underwear to the left and right of trees (6) [O (old) BRA (underwear)]< (to the left) + REAL (right) |
|
| DOWN | |||
| 1 | SKEETER | Rising vapours hiding alien insect over the pond (6) REEKS< (vapours, rising) holding ET (alien) |
|
| 2 | AGAPAE | Feeding with mouth open, a Christian feasts (6) AGAPE (with mouth open) containing A |
|
| 3 | PRICELESS | Supremely absurd manufacturing eel crisps (5) [EEL CRISPS]* |
|
| 4 | EMISSILE | Arm beneath end of machine able to be pushed out (8) MISSILE (arm) under E (end of machinE) |
|
| 5 | THE HIGH STREET | Unclued | |
| 6 | TOENAIL | Note pants trouble anatomical part (5) NOTE* AIL (trouble) |
|
| 7 | ONES | People being sincere after outsiders leave (4) [H]ONES[T] (sincere without outside letters) |
|
| 8 | DARTRE | Diving bird with bottom raised displaying skin disease (6) DARTER (diving bird) with R (last letter) raised |
|
| 9 | LEMMATA | Frenchman’s the graduate penning dull mathematical propositions (7) LE (the, French) MA (graduate) holding MAT (dull) |
|
| 11 | ALSACE | Wine region’s beer overshadows white wine almost (6) ALE (beer) outside SAC[K] (white wine, almost) |
|
| 13 | RESTATE | Voice once more bit lower than others (5) ATE (bit) under REST (others) |
|
| 17 | ARIAS | A prince repressing ego strains (5) A RAS (prince) holding I (ego) |
|
| 22 | LAMP-HOUR | Measure of energy to light pub acquired by Gallic love (8) PH (pub, public house) in L’AMOUR (Gallic love) |
|
| 23 | TINED | With points level around noon (5) TIED (level) about N (noon) |
|
| 25 | NOURISH | Support posh elevated gent in drama production (7) U (posh) SIR< (gent, up) in NOH (drama production) |
|
| 26 | FIDEIST | Devout person strangely satisfied to lack sex appeal (6) [SATISFIED – SA (sex appeal)]* |
|
| 27 | JOBSWORTHS | Petty officials throw boss, Jack, out (5) [THROW BOSS J (Jack)]* |
|
| 28 | HOG-PEN | Don’t let anyone near writer’s dirty home (6) HOG (don’t let anyone near, ie monopolise) PEN (writer) |
|
| 30 | ABELIA | Flowering plant’s edible quince consumed by nursemaid (6) BEL (edible quince) in AIA (nursemaid) |
|
| 31 | DIURNAL | Set to keel over taking in pot daily (6) LAID< (set) holding URN (pot) |
|
| 33 | SUDSY | Foaming ale about to be despatched by Sue, sadly wrecked (5) [SUE SADLY – ALE*]* |
|
| 34 | DIVIDERS | They classify several ancient houses the same (5) DIVERS (several, old word) holding ID (the same) |
|
| 38 | BODE | Foretell getting reduction of one third in wine shop (4) BODE[GA] (wine shop, less a third) |
|
Very much enjoyed this one. Was lucky to get the answers that led to OUR PRICE and COMET revealing themselves, thus opening the way to the theme. Didn’t actually know that Staples had closed in the UK so that was news to me. Thanks proXimal and DH.