I blogged an Independent by Serpent last Thursday and find that he has also set the Inquisitor being blogged today
Serpent’s puzzles have had a variety of themes , so I looked forward to seeing what was in store in this puzzle.
The preamble was fairly short and told us that Across clues contain an extra letter that must be removed before solving; these letters, in clue order, spell a name. Four thematic entries are clued by wordplay only.
Solvers must highlight the better known name in the completed grid.
There didn’t seem to be anything particularly unusual in the instructions, so I just barrelled in to see what I could solve.
As Inquisitors go, the clues seemed to be towards the easier end of the spectrum. The first part of the name from the omitted letters appeared to be MILDRED but that didn’t ring any bells. It took a bit longer to suss out the rest of the name as I wasn’t thinking of a second forename until quite late in the piece.
In the event, the omitted letters generated MILDRED ELLA DIDRIKSON [1911 to 1956] I’m afraid even then the name didn’t mean much so a bit of research was required. Once I had identified the lady, the appropriateness of the title – ALL-ROUNDER – became apparent. Mildred was an exceptionally talented sporting lady who was an Olympian athlete as well as an exceptional golfer at a time when the quality of ladies sports was still considered to be a number of levels below that of the men and sexism was rampant. A noted sportswriter of the time commented that ‘it would be much better if she and her ilk stayed at home, got themselves prettied up and waited for the phone to ring’.
In addition to her track and field achievements and her golfing prowess, Didrikson was also a skilled player of baseball and basketball.
Following her marriage, she was better known as BABE ZAHARIAS and that name can be found in the NW-SE diagonal of the completed grid.
There are many internet articles about BABE ZAHARIAS, including the one on Wikipedia at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Babe_Didrikson_Zaharias
The detailed blog below indicates where the omitted letters occurred in each of the across clues and also shows the four entries formed from wordplay only. These were
HIGH JUMP (4 across) – silver medal at the 1932 Olympics [demoted to silver as she was ruled to have used an inadmissible technique]
JAVELIN (6 down)- gold medal 1932 Olympics
HURDLES (20 down) – gold medal in the 80m event at the 1932 Olympics
GOLF (31 down) – 41 wins on the Ladies Professional Tour including 10 Majors
Many athletes have won Olympic gold medals in two of running, jumping and throwing events, but BABE ZAHARIAS is noted as the only person to have won a gold in all three areas.
The clues were all clued very fairly and I didn’t encounter any serious difficulties in the parsing. Full details shown below.
The completed grid is shown below – the only highlighting required is of the name BABE ZAHARIAS. The wordplay only entries are just highlighted in the blog grid for information.
The title ALL-ROUNDER is self-explanatory given BABE ZAHARIAS‘ multitude of sporting talents. The puzzle was published on the 110th anniversary of her birth.
| No | Clue | Letter | Entry |
| Across | |||
| 1 |
Steal clothes tailor’s mending to show off (4) Steal clothes tailor’s ending to show off (4) BRAG (boast; show of) BAG (steal) containing (clothes) R (last letter of [ending] TAILOR) B (R) AG |
M | |
| 4 |
Start to follow fair from the ground (8, 2 words) Start to follow far from the ground (8, 2 words) – no definition HIGH JUMP (one of the 1932 Olympic events in which Babe Zaharias won a medal [silver]) HIGH (far from the ground) + JUMP (move suddenly; start) HIGH JUMP |
I | |
| 9 |
Deal with lake’s faulty flood management device? (5) Deal with lake’s faulty food management device? (5) LADLE (large, usually deep spoon for lifting liquid; food management device) Anagram of (faulty) DEAL and (with) L (lake) LADLE* |
L | |
| 11 |
Mexican driver carries plug for in-car entertainment? (5) Mexican river carries plug for in-car entertainment? (5) RADIO (example of an element of an in-car entertainment system) RIO (Spanish / Mexican word for river) containing (carries) AD (advertisement; plug) R (AD) IO |
D | |
| 13 |
Run to contradict loud scepticism (8) Un to contradict loud scepticism (8) UNBELIEF (withholding of BELIEF; scepticism) UN + BELIE (contradict of reject as false) + F (forte; loud) UN BELIE F |
R | |
| 14 |
Opening result foregoes first base (4) Opening result forgoes first base (4) VENT (opening) EVENT (anything which happens; result) excluding the first [of two] letter E (base of natural logarithms) (forgoes first base) VENT |
E | |
| 15 |
Don allowed to stop physical exercise is satisfied (7) On allowed to stop physical exercise is satisfied (7) REPLETE (full; satisfied) RE (with reference to; on) + (LET [allowed] contained in [to stop] PE [physical exercise]) RE (P (LET) E) |
D | |
| 16 |
Bizet made to accept liberal society’s attacks (7) Bizet mad to accept liberal society’s attacks (7) BLITZES (attacks) Anagram of (mad) BIZET containing (to accept) L (liberal) + S (society) B (L) ITZE* S |
E | |
| 19 |
Conservative members slave for son to go up in world? (5) Conservative members save for son to go up in world? (5) CLIMB (ascend; go up in the world) C (Conservative) + LIMBS (members) excluding (save for) S (son) C LIMB |
L | |
| 22 |
Calculated change of policy leaving last 50% of cash in till (8) Calculated change of policy leaving last 50% of cash in til (8) TACTICAL (calculated) TACK (change one’s position; change one’s policy) excluding the final letter K (leaving last) + (CA [2 of 4 [50%] letters in CASH] contained in (in) TIL) TAC TI (CA) L |
L | |
| 23 |
Ignorant taunt in Spain filled with expression of distaste (8) Ignorant taunt in spin filled with expression of distaste (8) UNTAUGHT (uninstructed; ignorant in the sense of uniformed) Anagram of (spin) TAUNT containing (filled with) UGH (expression of distaste) UNTA (UGH) T* |
A | |
| 25 |
Perhaps dreading evasive people’s lurching movements (5) Perhaps reading evasive people’s lurching movements (5) REELS (staggering movements; lurching movements) R (reading is one of the three Rs [reading, riting, rithmetic|]) + EELS (evasive people) R EELS |
D | |
| 27 |
Stop stories about church circumventing something essentially established by law (7) Stop stores about church circumventing something essentially established by law (7) ENACTED (established by law) END (stop) containing (stores) (A [about] + [CE {Church (of England)} containing {circumventing} T {middle letter of (essentially) SOMETHING}]) EN (A C (T) E) D |
I | |
| 30 |
Symbolic computation somehow garbled answer (7) Symbolic computation somehow garble answer (7) ALGEBRA (method of calculating by symbols; symbolic computation) Anagram of (somehow) GARBLE + A (answer) ALGEBR* A |
D | |
| 33 |
Artist’s last lover seen from behind, dressing (4) Artist’s last love seen from behind, dressing (4) LINT (cotton substitute for dressing wounds) (T [final letter of {last} ARTIST] + NIL [nothing; zero; love score at tennis]) all reversed (seen from behind) (LIN T)< |
R | |
| 34 |
Solid coil precipitated dissolved substances trapped by membrane (8) [it could also be the i in coil that is the extra letter] Sold coil precipitated dissolved substances trapped by membrane (8) COLLOIDS (substances in a state in which, though apparently dissolved, cannot pass through a membrane) Anagram of (precipitated) SOLD COIL (or SOLID COL) COLLOIDS* or COLLOIDS* |
I | |
| 35 |
Effort sunk into energy by state (5) Effort sun into energy by state (5) ESSAY (tentative effort) S (sun) contained in (into) (E [energy] + SAY [state]) E (S) SAY |
K | |
| 36 |
Striking effects found in ornamental ceramics from the East (5) Striking effect found in ornamental ceramics from the East (5) ECLAT (striking effect) ECLAT (reversed [from the East] hidden word in [found in] ORNAMENTAL CERAMICS) ECLAT< |
S | |
| 37 |
Obstruct field regularly like animals raised in the open? (8) Obstruct field regularly like animals raised in the pen? (8) STALL-FED (of domestic animals, FED and fattened in a STALL [pen]) STALL (delay; obstruct) + FED (letters 1, 3 and 5 [regularly] of FIELD) STALL FED |
O | |
| 38 |
This island group rings Skye (4) This island group rigs Skye (4) KEYS (low islands or reefs, often found in a group, e.g.Florida KEYS) Anagram of (rigs) SKYE KEYS* |
N | |
| Down | |||
| 1 |
What may attract readers confused image with book (5) BLURB (a publisher’s commendatory description of a book, usually printed on the jacket to attract readers) BLUR (confused image) + B (book) BLUR B |
||
| 2 |
We hear row will continue to cause annoyance (6) RANKLE (cause annoyance) RANK (tier; row) + LE (sounds like [we hear] ‘LL [abbreviation for will]) RANK LE |
||
| 3 |
Understand nurses purged laxative discharge (5) GLEET (viscous, transparent discharge from a mucous surface) GET (understand) containing (nurses) LE (letters remaining in LAXATIVE when the central letters AXATIV are removed [purged]) G (LE) ET |
||
| 4 |
Young man contemptuously spurning wife’s support (4) HELP (support) WHELP (contemptuous word to describe a young man) excluding (spurning) W (wife) HELP |
||
| 5 |
Fat man covered in coating of grease (4) GHEE (clarified butter; fat) HE (man) contained in (covered in) GE (first and last letters of [coating of] GREASE) G (HE) E |
||
| 6 |
Escape death cycling in early part of year (7) – no definition JAVELIN (one of the 1932 Olympic events in which Babe Zaharias won a medal [gold]) LIVE (escape death) with the letters cycled two spaces to the right and wrapping round to the front (cycling) to form VELI contained in (in) JAN (January [early part of the year]) JA (VELI) N |
||
| 7 |
Note that can be read in two different ways (5) MINIM (musical note) MINIM is a palindrome that can be read as the same word forwards and backwards – note that can be read in two different ways MINIM |
||
| 8 |
Drug injected into staff is fit for human consumption (7) POTABLE (fit to drink; fit for human consumption) TAB (TABlet, pill or drug) contained in (injected into) POLE (staff) PO (TAB) LE |
||
| 10 |
Use money university extracted from international association (7) MILEAGE (indicated of how far a car has been driven;measure of the use of the car) M (money) + I (international) + LEAGUE (association) excluding (extracted from) U (university) M I LEAGE |
||
| 12 |
Shortfall doctors certified after leaving emergency room (7) DEFICIT (shortfall) Anagram of (doctors) CERTIFIED excluding (after leaving) ER (Emergency Room) DEFICIT* |
||
| 17 |
Shuts up wearing performers for the audience (7) INTERNS (imprisons; shuts up) IN (wearing, in the sense I am IN clothes) + TERNS (sounds like [for the audience] TURNS [performers]) IN TERNS |
||
| 18 |
School bell’s sound dismissing head of kindergarten quickly (7) SCHNELL (quickly [from German]) SCH (school) + KNELL (sound of a bell) excluding (dismissing) K (first letter of [head of] KINDERGARTEN) SCH NELL |
||
| 20 |
Character most often seen in Pall Mall rushed about (7) – no definition HURDLES (one of the Olympic events in which Babe Zaharias won a medal [gold]) Anagram of (about [?]) L [most frequent character in PALL MALL) and RUSHED HURDLES* |
||
| 21 |
Oral production covered by Principal at A level (7) PALATAL (phonetics term for a sound uttered by bringing the tongue to or near the hard palate; oral production) PALATAL (hidden word in [covered by] PRINCIPAL AT A LEVEL) PALATAL |
||
| 24 |
I agree accepting colour brought about Golden Age (6) HEYDAY (prosperity; time of highest achievement; golden age) (YAH [yes, I agree] containing [accepting] DYE [colour]) all reversed (brought about) (H (EYD) AY)< |
||
| 26 |
Be one of those men denigrating women going topless? (5) EXIST (to have actual being; be) SEXIST (descriptive of men denigrating women) excluding the first letter S (going topless in a down entry) EXIST |
||
| 28 |
Pot is a drug that’s nothing if not addictive initially (5) CROCK (pot or jar) CRACK (highly addictive form of cocaine mixed with other substances) with the A (first letter of [initially] ADDICTIVE) replaced by (if not) O (character representing zero or nothing) CROCK |
||
| 29 |
New studies dismissing contents of diet powders (5) DUSTS (powdery matters) Anagram of (new) STUDIES excluding (dismissing) IE (central letters of [contents of] DIET) DUSTS* |
||
| 31 |
Board game associated with life’s odd characters (4) – no definition GOLF (sport at which Babe Zaharias excelled) GO (board game) + LF (letters 1 and 3 [odd characters] of LIFE) GO LF |
||
| 32 |
Ran legendary bar close to well-off area (4) BLED (oozed; ran) FABLED (legendary) excluding (bar) FA (last letters of [close to] each of WELL-OFF and AREA) BLED |
I’d never heard of her either, but what an amazing athlete! I am grateful to Duncan for explaining 28D and 31D which I had failed to parse fully, but otherwise found the puzzle very fair and an interesting subject.
Thanks to Serpent.
I admit to googling MILDRED and olympics after sussing HUGH JUMP and JAVELIN-and hit the jackpot-What a Babe!. Thanks Serpent fore revealing an amazing story-and duncan for blog
It was a pleasure to work through this clean, clear and unpretentious puzzle with an unfamiliar but interesting theme that was worthy of an airing on the 110th anniversary of the high-achieving all-rounder’s birth.
Being told which clues were special was a helpful feature, likewise the fact that there were four (not ‘some’) thematic entries that lacked a definition in the clue. As Duncan noted, the clues were at the more accessible end of the Inquisitor range (and of Serpent’s range too, I expect), and the sort of solving experience that comes with that is welcome from time to time.
Thanks to Serpent and duncanshiell.
As mentioned above, at the easier end of the spectrum this one. Finally, my bad case of going ‘word blind’ (as commented upon in a recent blog) has decided to leave me, and I can suddenly ‘see’ again. I also had decent vision a couple of days ago (for Inquisitor 1705 – to be blogged next week), which is a real relief. Perhaps I should have embarked upon ‘Dry July’ a wee bit sooner! Thanks as always to the setters and bloggers. The Inquisitor remains one of life’s utter joys.
I mean Inquisitor 1706 of course … oh no, now I’ve gone number blind!
This was a theme that was new to me too, so again something interesting learnt thanks to the Inquisitor. On the easy side overall, with no hold-ups encountered that I can remember, and thoroughly enjoyed.
Definitely at the 1 end of the spectrum but it’s worth highlighting the quality of the clueing, an aspect frequently gets overlooked in barred puzzles. Thanks Jason
Much enjoyed. Not as tough as some but to be honest this can be a relief! All thanks to Duncan and Serpent. Didn’t know either name but saw the “better known” one in the diagonal and Googled to confirm.
I have a vague recollection that Serpent hid this lady’s name in a daily puzzle a while back. Certainly I knew the name and that was the bell it rang.
What an amazing lady and life. I’d never heard of her, one can imagine how lauded she’d be were she a man.
Lovely blog thanks Duncan, I couldn’t parse 3D so get that now
Thanks to Serpent for the educational fun. I enjoyed this one.
Many thanks to Duncan for the meticulous blog, and to everyone who has taken the time to solve the puzzle and leave a comment. She was indeed an incredible woman. I’m sure Phil @10 is right – she would be far better known had she been a man