As the world becomes more and more virtual, The Purge is here to entertain us. Most clues have an extra letter, spelling out a definition, and four require something to be removed before entry. Finally seven cells to highlight.
Relatively straight forward, I would say. Once you got your head into the right mindset to spot the extra letters. The surface readings were not massively helpful in spotting these letters.
Once the normal clues had been solved the definition spelled out was ROMAN FESTIVAL WHEN GHOSTS WERE EXORCISED.
Not exactly my strong subject.
The 4 normal clues led to answers FAR FETCHED, HIGH SPIRITED, LUFTWAFFE and ADUMBRATE. The elements to remove being Fetch, Spirit, Waff and Umbra – all words that can mean ghost, hence their removal.
The Roman festival being visible on the diagonal LEMURIA as defined in Chambers
- Lemuria n (pl) an ancient Roman festival (9, 11 and 13 May) when ghosts were exorcized
One hopes by then the ghost of Covid-19 will have been exorcised for our island, though the current position is not looking that likely. The festival is to be found from the 5th character on the NW to SE diagonal.
Thanks Ace of Hearts for keeping me away from the depressing statistics.
Key: * anagram; Rev. reversed; DD double definition; underline – definition
ACROSS
| 1 Trips to abolish peep show episodes in part of basilica (4) | |
| R | 1 Tips to abolish peep show episodes in part of basilica (4) |
| Start of abolish peep show episodes = APSE | |
| 4 Air coat affected with sleet (8) | |
| O | 4 Air cat affected with sleet (8) |
| (cat + sleet)* = TELECAST | |
| 10 Heavy pomp cut into Department of Health (5) | |
| M | 10 Heavy pop cut into Department of Health (5) |
| (cut)* in DH (Department of Health) = DUTCH | |
| 11 It’s unlikely drunken rat fed chef (5) | |
| (rat fed chef)* = FAR-FETCHED enter FARED | |
| 13 Rita renegotiated with monarch in German town … (5) | |
| A | 13 Rit renegotiated with monarch in German town … (5) |
| (Rit)* + ER (monarch) = TRIER | |
| 14 … and American travelled back to river in India (7) | |
| N | 14 … ad American travelled back to river in India (7) |
| Rev. ad + am (american) + ran (travelled) = NARMADA | |
| 15 Fact of pulling a unionist into the House of Lords (4) | |
| F | 15 act of pulling a unionist into the House of Lords (4) |
| a + u (unionist) in HL (House of Lords) = HAUL | |
| 17 Flower hiding NZ parrot? Not the least bit probable (6) | |
| E | 17 Flower hiding NZ parrot? Not the last bit probable (6) |
| Lily (flower) around kea (parrot) – a = LIKELY | |
| 18 This pig-herd I rounded up is boisterous (6) | |
| (this pig herd I)* = HIGH SPIRITED | |
| 22 Drunks upset after pummelling Brie (7) | |
| S | 22 Drunk upset after pummelling Brie (7) |
| (bries)* + ate (upset) = EBRIATE | |
| 24 Former Queen not toff with mother (7) | |
| T | 24 Former Queen not off with mother (7) |
| qu(queen) + on (not off) + dam (mother) = QUONDAM | |
| 26 Remote Lundy shelled hosting uncontrolled riot (6) | |
| I | 26 Remote Lundy shelled hosting uncontrolled rot (6) |
| Lundy – ly (shelled) around (rot)* = UNTROD | |
| 28 Turkey revels with contralto taking over from tenor and American bird (6) | |
| V | 28 Turkey reels with contralto taking over from tenor and American bird (6) |
| (Turkey – t + c)* = YUCKER | |
| 30 For example Ivana and Methuselah every so often meeting with Queen (4) | |
| A | 30 For example Ivan and Methuselah every so often meeting with Queen (4) |
| meThuSelAh + r (queen) = TSAR | |
| 32 Sinister French commander in Turkey analysed clue outside hospital (7, two words) | |
| L | 32 Sinister French commander in Turkey analysed cue outside hospital (7, two words) |
| aga (commander in Turkey) + (cue)* around h (hospital) = A GAUCHE | |
| 33 People displaying wit in situation (5) | |
| W | 33 People displaying it in situation (5) |
| lay (situation) around it = LAITY | |
| 34 Few fault fine organised foreign air force (5) | |
| (few + fault + f)* = LUFTWAFFE enter LUFTE | |
| 35 Like old silver medal unharmed on the inside (5) | |
| H | 35 Like old silver medal unarmed on the inside (5) |
| hidden medaL UNARmed = LUNAR | |
| 36 Convert into compound with audible alarm chasing etens on a regular basis (8) | |
| E | 36 Convert into compound with audible alarm chasing tens on a regular basis (8) |
| tEnS + homonym of terrify(alarm) = ESTERIFY | |
| 37 Originally nicer, did loiter yesterday lazily (4) | |
| N | 37 Originally icer, did loiter yesterday lazily (4) |
| starts of icer did loiter yesterday = IDLY |
DOWN:
| 1 Outline a stupid deserter taking ecstasy (4) | |
| a + dumb(stupid) + rat (deserter) + e (ecstasy) = ADUMBRATE enter ADTE | |
| 2 Move ground up river in place of usual surroundings (7) | |
| G | 2 Move round up river in place of usual surroundings (7) |
| Rev. up + r (river) + lieu (in place of) = PURLIEU | |
| 3 Unpleasant fellow to think during turn in TV programme (8) | |
| H | 3 Unpleasant fellow to tink during turn in TV programme (8) |
| tink in spot (turn in TV programme) = STINKPOT | |
| 4 The hobbit initially every day confined in room in state of servitude (9) | |
| O | 4 The hobbit initially every day confined in rom in state of servitude (9) |
| t + h (The hobbit initially) + all + d (day) in rom = THRALLDOM | |
| 5 In France snot excited old clutch of pheasants to trap knight, not understanding at first (6) | |
| S | 5 In France not excited old clutch of pheasants to trap knight, not understanding at first (6) |
| eye (old clutch of pheasants) around n (knight) + nu (not understanding at first) = ENNUYE | |
| 6 Poet’s rare singlet covered in vegetable alkali (4) | |
| T | 6 Poet’s rare single covered in vegetable alkali (4) |
| Hidden vegetabLE ALkali = LEAL | |
| 7 Games like hurling a cat accepted in Crimea, oddly (7) | |
| S | 7 Game like hurling a cat accepted in Crimea, oddly (7) |
| a + mog(cat) in CrImEa = CAMOGIE | |
| 8 A funny story in Perth about Rowan perhaps. (4) | |
| W | 8 A funny story in Perth about Roan perhaps. (4) |
| a + Rev. bar (funny story) = ARAB | |
| 9 Planet poet’s declared mother of Uranus (5) | |
| E | 9 Plant poet’s declared mother of Uranus (5) |
| sed (Homonym of said (declared)) + Ge (mother of Uranus) = SEDGE | |
| 12 Ranger also involved in communist uprising (6) | |
| R | 12 anger also involved in communist uprising (6) |
| and (also) in Rev. red (communist) = DANDER | |
| 16 Objects of antiquity pale, almost (9) | |
| E | 16 Objects of antiquity pal, almost (9) |
| Virtu (Objects of antiquity) + ally (pal) = VIRTUALLY | |
| 19 Rock band’s wine guarded by keen-sighted person with degree (8) | |
| E | 19 Rock band’s win guarded by keen-sighted person with degree (8) |
| hawk (keen-sighted person) + d (degree) around win = HAWKWIND | |
| 20 Ax prolonged cry soprano must equal (6) | |
| X | 20 A prolonged cry soprano must equal (6) |
| s + (equal)* = SQUEAL (I assume must as in fermentation defines the anagram) | |
| 21 One returned herd to Spain in transit (7, two words) | |
| O | 21 ne returned herd to Spain in transit (7, two words) |
| Rev. ne + rout (herd) + e (spain) = EN ROUTE | |
| 23 Free to hire area in empty tunnel for series of masses (7) | |
| R | 23 Fee to hire area in empty tunnel for series of masses (7) |
| rent (fee to hire) + a in tl (empty tunnel) = TRENTAL | |
| 25 Expressions of surprise precluding mischievous child and me (6) | |
| C | 25 Expressions of surprise preluding mischievous child and me (6) |
| mys (expressions of surprise) + imp (mischevious child) = MYSELF | |
| 27 Predecessor of rias for example discovered in elevated star (5) | |
| I | 27 Predecessor of ras for example discovered in elevated star (5) |
| eg (for example) in Rev. sun (star) = NEGUS | |
| 29 Stare after retreating distant crowd (4) | |
| S | 29 tare after retreating distant crowd (4) |
| Rev. far (distant) + t (tare) = RAFT | |
| 30 Locale in south-east Asia that has ultimately changed to Italy (4) | |
| E | 30 Local in south-east Asia that has ultimately changed to Italy (4) |
| that – t + i (Italy) = THAI | |
| 31 Bill’s dalliance of children returns stuffing to Romany ryes (4) | |
| D | 31 Bill’s alliance of children returns stuffing to Romany ryes (4) |
| Rev. hidden romanY RYEs = EYRY |
The theme started to open up for me with ADTE, the two crossers (-DT-) indicating a purge having taken place and thereby (incidentally) helping me solve that clue (Adumbrate). I coudn’t immediately associate Umbra with anything until I encountered the next purge at 11a (FARED, solved as Far-fetched). I decided then that I was looking for ghosts, and I had already made the complete words ‘Roman festivel’ and ‘ghosts’ from the extra letters.
An enjoyable puzzle and a neatly executed theme. I had to look up the festival to find the last thematic item in the grid.
Thanks to setter and blogger.
Yep, pretty straightforward, but lots of fun. I needed to look up the festival too, but there it was clear as day once I had.