[If you’re attending York S&B please see comments 32&33] - here
A puzzle from eXtent this week
The preamble told us that six entries are affected by shortages; answers to the corresponding clues must be entered as jumbles. Superfluous letters, spelling out a two-word phrase, must be used to make good the shortages.
We could deduce therefore that a fair number of the across clues are normal. I started off by solving as many across clues as I could. My first entries were in the lower half with TSARINA, SOCIETY, and PIRANHA, the first of which generated one of the letters in the two-word phrase. The first shortage I solved was the one for TUBE at 33 across.. I then
got GARNER and TWEE which helped me realise that the shortages were always going to be located in unchecked letters.
It took a bit longer to find all the superfluous letters and I didn’t see till quite late what the two-word phrase was going to be. Eventually it all slotted into place and the phrase became apparent as RATION STAMPS which clearly linked to the theme of shortages.
The end game was very clear once I realised that I could create MARGARINE and BUTTER from two of the jumbles and spaces. The remaining rationed products then became fairly obvious and I was able to understand what was going on at 22 down where I was having difficulty solving the clue to get GLITCH
| No |
Entered Jumble |
Product Rationed |
Letters used and Letters remaining |
| RATION STAMPS | |||
| 3 across | _ARG_R_NE | MARGARINE | MAI RTON STAPS |
| 19 across | _E_ROL | PETROL |
PT RON STAS |
| 33 across | BUT_E_ | BUTTER |
TR ON SAS |
| 11 down | _WEET_ | SWEETS | SS ON A |
| 15 down | SUG_R | SUGAR | A A |
| 22 down | CL_THI_G | CLOTHING | ON |
This was a clever piece of grid construction as there must have been a number of steps. Firstly to identify six rationed products that contained the letters in RATION STAMPS. Secondly to find the right products such that the letters of RATION STAMPS would appear in the unchecked letters for the relevant entries in a symmetric grid. Thirdly to identify suitable words for the remaining entries. The only word that I thought was quite obscure was ARTSIER at 27 down.
The clues were good with some excellent surfaces. I liked the reference to an atomic plant at Thurso in 13 across given that Dounreay is fairly close to the town. I also liked the triple definition for a clue with a letter to be removed. That was the one for REACH at 40 across. I also thought the letters to be omitted to form the two-word phrase were well hidden. Often in clues of that nature, there are words that just don’t look right, but for this puzzle that wasn’t the case.
The grid below shows the shortages.
The second grid shows the products that require the RATION STAMPS to become available
The title SHORTAGES has been explained in the text above.
| Across | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No |
Clue Amended clue |
Letter
|
Wordplay (and definition for thematic entries) | Entry |
| 3 | Gather plot developer is short of central characters (9) |
|
GAR GARNER (gather) entered as a jumble with spaces – see Entry column |
_ARG_R_NE |
| 12 |
What will lead to crash? Inexperienced drivers losing front end (7) What will lead to cash? Inexperienced drivers losing front end (7) |
R |
EARNERS |
EARNERS (some enterprises (especially illegal or slightly shady ones that bring in a good income or profit) |
| 13 | Dispute in Thurso about hosting atomic power plant (5) |
|
WAP (Scottish word [Thurso] for fight or quarrel) containing (hosting) AP (atomic power). The Dounreay atomic power plant just over 10 Km from Thurso is now being decommissioned. P (AP) AW< |
PAPAW (fruit tree; plant) |
| 14 | Doctor feels loathing for locals stealing marrow for dealers (9) |
|
DR (doctor) + (UGS [dialect {local} word for ‘loathes’] containing [stealing] GIST [pith; essence; marrow]) DR UG (GIST) S |
DRUGGISTS (dealers in DRUGS) |
| 16 | Unlikely description of heartless relative? (4) |
|
NICE (NI NICE |
NICE (delightful, an unlikely description of a heartless person) |
| 17 | Leader of orchestra regularly using baroque instrument (4) |
|
O (first letter of [leader of] ORCHESTRA) + BOE (letters 1, 4 and 7 [regularly] of BAROQUE) O BOE |
OBOE (double-reed treble woodwind instrument, frequently used when playing baroque music. Indeed there is a Baroque OBOE) |
| 18 |
Guardian editorials avoided utter rubbish (7) Guardian editorials voided utter rubbish (7) |
A |
Anagram of (rubbish) ES (letters remaining in EDITORIALS when the central letters DITORIAL are removed [voided]) and UTTER TRUSTEE* |
TRUSTEE (custodian; guardian) |
| 19 | Knowledge of rock proceeding from geology essentially (6) |
|
L (middle letter of [essentially] GEOLOGY) + ORE (solid, naturally-occurring mineral aggregate; rock [solid mineral material]) L ORE – LORE (knowledge) – entered as a jumble with spaces – see Entry column |
_E_ROL |
| 20 | Series of dramatic scenes summon social worker (7) |
|
PAGE (summon) + ANT (social insect that works very hard scavenging) PAGE ANT |
PAGEANT (series of tableaux or dramatic scenes connected with local history) |
| 21 | Rigorous discipline that is used repeatedly by new church (7) |
|
SC (scilicet (Latin) for namely; that is) + IE (id est; that is again [repeatedly]) + N (new) + CE (Church [of England]) SC IE N CE |
SCIENCE (knowledge ascertained by observation and experiment, critically tested, systematized and brought under general principles; rigorous discipline) |
| 24 |
Working party taxing leader’s vehicle (4) Working party axing leader’s vehicle (4) |
T |
QUAD |
QUAD (reference a QUAD bike [small, powerful four-wheel-drive vehicle, used eg in military, agricultural and sporting activities]) |
| 26 | Tailor takes turns scratching bottom (5) |
|
ALTER ALTER |
ALTER (make different; tailor) |
| 27 | What starts to attract helmsman on yacht? (4) |
|
AHOY (first letters of [starts to] each of ATTRACT, HELMSMAN, ON and YACHT) AHOY |
AHOY (an interjection used to hail another vessel) |
| 30 |
One ruling Iran as it descends into chaos (7) One ruling ran as it descends into chaos (7) |
I |
Anagram of (descends into chaos) RAN AS IT TSARINA* |
TSARINA (Russian empress; one who rules) |
| 32 | Fellowship provided by college priest out of sense of duty (7) |
|
SO (provided) + C (college) + SO C IETY |
SOCIETY (fellowship) |
| 33 | Bath connected to end of waste pipe (6) |
|
TUB (bath) + E (last letter of [end of] WASTE) TUB E – TUBE (pipe) – entered as a jumble with spaces – see Entry column |
BUT_E_ |
| 34 | Waterborne killer could be terminal for Indian pariah (7) |
|
Anagram of (could be) N (last letter of [terminal for] INDIAN) and PARIAH PIRANHA* |
PIRANHA (ferocious S American river fish; waterborne killer) |
| 35 |
Pieces written for one that consolidates opinions (4) Pieces written for one that consolidates pinions (4) |
O |
SOLI (hidden word in [pinions] CONSOLIDATE) SOLI |
SOLI (plural of SOLO [piece written for one]) |
| 37 | Very large guards on horseback returning for work (4) |
|
OS (outsize; very large) containing (guards) UP (on horseback) reversed (returning) O (PU)< S |
OPUS (work) |
| 39 | Did I guess this answer? (9) |
|
DISGUISED (the clue could therefore be written DID I GUESS DISGUISED as DISGUISED is an anagram of (DISGUISED) DID I GUESS) DISGUISED* |
DISGUISED (the answer to the clue as rewritten) |
| 40 |
Gent to communicate with eXtent (5) Get to communicate with eXtent (5) |
N |
REACH (get to) REACH (communicate with) |
REACH (extent) triple definition |
| 41 | Condition becomes more relaxed after cycling (7) |
IS EASED (more relaxed) with the letters cycled one place to the right and the end letter D wrapping round to the beginning (after cycling) to form DISEASE DISEASE |
DISEASE (illness; condition) | |
| 42 | Verse form only encountered in Greek lines (9, 2 words) |
(MET [encountered] contained in [in] GR [International Vehicle Registration for Greece]) all contained in (lines) LONE (only) LON (G (MET) R) E |
LONG METRE (quatrains of eight-syllable lines; verse form) |
|
| Down | ||||
| 1 |
Another shot and wine sold (4) Another shot and wine old (4) |
S |
RED (type of wine) + O (old) RED O |
REDO (further attempt; another shot) |
| 2 | Hairdresser cut short twist of hair for party (8) |
|
BARBE BARBE CUE |
BARBECUE (party, especially held out of doors, where food is grilled over an open fire) |
| 4 | American player intercepting also made cross (7) |
|
GERE (reference Richard GERE [born 1949], American actor [player]) contained in (intercepting) AND (also) AN (GERE) D |
ANGERED (irritated; made cross) |
| 5 | Realm‘s military force changing sides (6) |
|
LEGION (military force) with L (left) being replaced by R (right) thereby changing sides to form REGION R EGION |
REGION (realm) |
| 6 |
Cook gratin badly (4) Cook grain badly (4) |
T |
GR (grain) + ILL(badly) GR ILL |
GRILL (cook by radiant heat) |
| 7 | Goes back over card game rule after turning over spades (8) |
|
(ÉCARTÉ [card game] + R [rule]) all reversed (turning over) + S (spades) (R ETRACE)< S |
RETRACES (goes back over) |
| 8 | Idiot almost on sun, space explorer (6) |
|
NAN NAN S EN |
NANSEN (reference Fridtjof NANSEN [1861 – 1930], Norwegina explorer) |
| 9 | What embodies Greek character? Awfully apt inscription (7) |
|
EH (expressing enquiry; what?) containing (embodies) (PI [Greek letter] + an anagram of [awfully] APT) E (PI TAP*) H |
EPITAPH (inscription) |
| 10 |
Secretion of insect staring through eyes endlessly (3) Secretion of insect string through eyes endlessly (3) |
A |
LAC LAC |
LAC (a dark-red transparent resin used in making shellac, secreted on the twigs of trees in Asia by certain coccid insects) |
| 11 | Cutesy piglet’s squeal after time (6) |
|
T (time) + WEE (piglet’s squeal) T WEE – TWEE (affectedly or sentimentally pretty or quaint; cutesy) – entered as a jumble with spaces, see Entry column |
_WEET_ |
| 15 | Tent erected on special mats (5) |
|
GUR (yurt; tent) reversed (erected; down clue) + S (special) RUG< S – RUGS (mats) – entered as a jumble with spaces, see Entry column |
SUG_R |
| 20 |
Minor rumble disregarded in fair (5) Minor ruble disregarded in fair (5) |
M |
P PETTY |
PETTY (minor) |
| 22 | Snag light cape on the rocks (6) |
|
Anagram of (on the rocks) LIGHT and C (cape) GLITCH* – (snag) – entered as a jumble with spaces, see Entry column |
CL_THI_G |
| 23 | Person stuffing to lay hands on chicken (8) |
|
ONE (person) contained in (stuffing) BLESS (ordain; anoint; lay hands on) B (ONE) LESS |
BONELESS (spineless; cowardly; chicken) |
| 25 | Gain a vineyard in California (7) |
|
A + (CRU [vineyard] contained in [in] CAL [California]) A C (CRU) AL |
ACCRUAL (earning; gain) |
| 26 |
Better praise mother upon death (5) Better raise mother upon death (5) |
P |
MA (mother) reversed (raised; down clue) + END (death) AM< END |
AMEND (improve) |
| 27 | More creative monkey lowering tail in forest (7) |
|
TARSIER (lemuroid monkey of the East Indies, nocturnal, tree-dwelling, with large eyes and long tarsal bones) with the T (last letter of [tail of] FOREST) dropping down the word [lowering; down clue] to form ARTSIER ARTSIER |
ARTSIER (more ARTy; more creative) |
| 28 | Hardly ever appropriate rowing? (7) |
|
A SPORT (rowing is an example of A SPORT) A SPORT |
ASPORT (rare word for ”to take away’ or to appropriate) |
| 29 | Failure of Nelson at sea unburdened in moving confessional (6) |
|
CONFESSIONAL is an anagram of (moving) NELSON and the entry FIASCO. After the removal of (unburdened) the anagram of (at sea) NELSON from CONFESSIONAL, we are left with CFSIOA an anagram of FIASCO FIASCO* |
FIASCO (complete failure of any kind) |
| 31 | Sublime gold section in passage (6) |
|
AU (chemical symbol for gold) + (S [section] contained in [in] GUT [alimentary canal; passage] AU GU (S) T |
AUGUST (sublime) |
| 33 |
Struck policeman audibly (5) Truck policeman audibly (5) |
S |
BOGIE (sounds like [audibly] BOGEY [slang term for a policeman]) BOGIE |
BOGIE (low heavy truck) |
| 36 | Freshwater fish are fancy (4) |
IDE (freshwater fish) + A (are; measurement of area) IDE A |
IDEA (fancy) | |
| 38 | Female swan feather (3) |
PEN (female swan) PEN |
PEN (large feather) double definition |
Yep, enjoyed that. I think only one or two of the “rationed” entries needed help with the letters supplied, as there were only a few possibilities given checking letters, but it was a nice endgame nevertheless.
A model Inquisitor, with a well-executed theme. I liked the way that the 12 letters extracted from the clues filled the unchecked cells of the six themed entries. And the preamble must be among the most succinct I have encountered in these puzzles – sufficient information in the fewest words.
I saw early on that the word at 3a had to be MARGARINE, but I could neither solve the clue nor connect the full word to ‘shortages’. It was only when I had RATIONS (plus two other letters) that it clicked: SUGAR and BUTTER were screaming to be filled in from the crossers I had, and when I got RATION STAMPS in full I was able to make up the other items as well.
I also would like to mention the clues – they were excellent. I liked the reference to eXtent in 40a REACH and other tricky misdirections here and there. For some reason I also found GLITCH (leading to CLOTHING) hard to find.
Many thanks to eXtent, and to Duncan for the blog.
You see a Serpent and you know you’re in for a treat. You see an eXternal and you know you’re in for a treat. You see them together (as eXtent) and you know you’re in for a double treat.
33a just had to be BUTTER but refused to yield until we spotted the potential MARGARINE across the top.
Wenever found the extra A (from 18a) but otherwise a great way to spend a Saturday afternoon.
Many thanks to setters and blogger.
The pdm came when, assuming petrol was in, margarine was competing with ‘bargepole’ to be 3A. At about this time, ‘ration’ seemed to be suggesting itself. So margarine and rationing it was. But even then it was no stroll; and I found the using of the letters of ‘ration stamps’ helpful in the solve.
As others have noted, it’s even more ingenious than it seemed at first. If it has a weakness, it’s that you don’t actually have to solve all the clues (eg, I never saw it was ‘garner’ at 3A) to finish the grid.
Many thanks to eXtent and duncanshiell
Thanks very much for the great blog. I am still very much a rookie on these puzzles- i completed the grid-just about and (with help of a friend) twigged the shortages but failed to make the connection. Great stuff. I can only improve-I hope.
Unfortunately, it was the instruction that six of the clues had to be entered as jumbles completely put me off this one. A nice theme for a puzzle, though.
I enjoyed this. The theme didn’t give itself way too easily, which I like.
Thanks to Duncan and eXtent.
Ylo @6
I too didn’t know what to make of the instruction for dealing with those six clues ‘affected by shortages’ and to be ‘entered as jumbles’. But I decided to plough ahead anyway (very much as Duncan did) and just try and solve the clues anyway. Inevitably I couldn’t solve (or even understand) a few of the clues, and at least some of these were likely be the special clues. What made everything clear eventually were words like ‘?ARG?R???, ‘SUG??’ and ‘BUT???’ forming in spite of their clues.
I enjoy reading your comments on these blogs and remember your contribution to the recent review. I hope 2020 will be a fruitful year for you!
I enjoyed this one. More difficult than eXtent’s previous IQ. The first special entry to fall was 3A: when I had found all the checked letters, it had to be MARGARINE. My good lady thought the theme might be ingredients for short pastry but as one who was around when rationing was in force, I suspected otherwise. So when PETROL became the only possibility for 19A, it was just (just???) a matter of solving the remaining, often ingenious, clues. I did not realise the full significance of the last sentence of the preamble until reading Duncan’s blog – quite some grid construction needed to make the superfluous letters the same as the unchecked letters.
Thanks to eXtent for the entertainment and to DS for the blog.
This was excellent. Nice conceit, admirable gridfill and – as others have remarked upon – some really top-notch cluing.
Thanks to both
Spotted the theme pretty quickly, getting PETROL, MARGARINE, BUTTER, and SUGAR. Failed to parse GRUGGISTS and GLITCH, but CLOTHING was easy enough.
Failed to spot that the letters in RATION STAMPS were the ones used fill in the gaps, which was the icing on the cake.
I resisted MARGARINE being rationed as well as BUTTER for a long time — until I finally looked up https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rationing_in_the_United_Kingdom#Food_rations and learnt that “On 8 January 1940 bacon, butter and sugar were rationed.” so I assumed that this was an 80th anniversary observation… but perhaps that’s just me reverse engineering (?)
Many thanks to Duncan for the excellent blog, and to everyone who has taken the time to solve and comment. Ilan Caron @12 is correct in assuming the puzzle was compiled with the 80th anniversary of the introduction of rationing in mind.
Sorry to say that I found this a little mundane – probably my expectations were too high for a puzzle from the usually excellent combo eXt(ernal+Serp)ent as kenmac notes @3. (Slightly perked up by discovering @12 & @13 that the publication date was the weekend closest to the 80th anniversary of …)
Very enjoyable – tough enough to keep me head scratching a fair bit, but intriguing and not inaccessible. One minor quibble – how does “so” mean “provided”?
Thank you to setter (s?) and blogger.
Sorry – “so” is at 32 ac. I see “provided” is listed in Chambers as a possible meaning, but I’m struggling to think of a context for this.