Nothing – interesting title. Some thematic adjustment to answers and highlight the nothing theme and strangely no clue numbers but not a jigsaw.
Therein lieth a clue. The thematic device being to remove numbers from all answers where they occur meaning the final grid had no numbers and the diagonal from SW to NE reads ARITHMOPHOBIA or a fear of numbers. Certainly nothing in this puzzle to scare an arithmophobe.
Not much else to say (apart from abash and branchia were more elaborately clued than they needed to be but the surfaces were much improved by it) – good fun though
Thanks Hedge-sparrow
Key: Bold number removed; underline defintion; * anagram; DD Double definition; Rev. reversed
ACROSS
* Investigates earl getting into difficulties
probs(difficulties) around e(earl) = PROBES
ONE * Former gunner – striker stopped by nobody
Caner (striker) around none (nobody) = CANNONER = CANNER
* Build protective structure around vacant lodge, enclosing garden area facing west
Rev. le (vacant lodge) around lawn (garden area) = ENWALL
* Moor boat lacking appropriate technology – mind out!
boat – at (alternative technology) + (mind)* = BODMIN
* Pope’s daughter (euphemistically speaking) is hard to please, having load of energy
nice (hard to please) around e (energy) = NIECE
* Sandarac tree, chief source of bitter yellow powder
arar(sandarac) + oba( chief) = ARAROBA
TWO * Tracks natural killer circling shot tower
nk (natural killer) around (tower)* = NETWORK = NERK
* Regurgitated food’s cold dessert, not starter
c(cold) + pud (dessert) – p (starter) = CUD
* Foil gets crumpled wrapping Shetland wool
(gets)* around oo (wool in Scotland) = STOOGE
* Uncompromising, essentially horrific opening of The Great Unknown is gripping
ri (essentially horrific) + t(opening of the) in gt (great) + y (unknown) = GRITTY
ELEVEN * Spell ‘venue’ wrongly in exam
(spell venue)* = ELEVEN PLUS = PLUS
NINE * Aged local cobbler (retired) taking in ‘chaste’ Spanish lady’s lean state
Rev. snob (cobbler) around ines (chaste Spanish Lady) = BONINESS = BOSS
* Crofter’s handful of grass almost ready for harvest at front of pasture
ripe(ready for harvest) – e (almost) + p (front of pasture) = RIPP
* Children getting out of carriage uproariously
chariot (carriage) – ch (children) = ARIOT
* This tiny amount of money’s a penny short for what mobile kitchen might offer
soup (what mobile kitchen might offer) – p (penny) = SOU
* Completely consumed high tea at college #
(tea)* + up (at college) = ATE UP
* Depressed person died falling off motorcycle
moped (motorcycle) – d (died) = MOPE
EIGHT * Heavily flowering at last, white ornamental lily deadheaded
(g+white)* + lily – l (dead headed) = WEIGHTILY = WILY
TWELVE * Broadcast tweet covering novel impromptu – like row Schönberg created
(tweet)* around (novel)* = TWELVE NOTE = NOTE
* Former French general redeployed guard around Italy
(guard)* around i(italy) = GIRAUD
* More spiteful after trimming weight in China (a little over a pound) +
cattier(more spiteful) – r = CATTIE
* Priest is only partially religious
rELIgious = ELI
FIVE * Luxurious holiday resort initially welcomes Victor #
fiesta(holiday) + r (resort initially) around v (victor) = FIVE-STAR
* Señorita accepts wager and loses
miss (senorita) around lay = MISLAYS
* Bells greeting start of matins in church
hi (greeting) + m (start of matins) in ce (church) = CHIME
* Pacific island, awfully nice around end of summer
i(island) + (nice)* around r (end of summer) = IRENIC
* Stew left in a countrywoman’s basket is sent back
Rev. a Leap (basket) around l (left) = PAELLA
TEN * Secret pen spreading false assertions
(secret pen)* = PRETENCES = PRECES
* Remove decorations from wavy, hollow candlestick
unde (wavy) + ck (hollow candlestick) = UNDECK
DOWN
SIX * Worthless note received by ex-spy in bust
(exspyin)* around n (note) = SIX-PENNY = PENNY
* Soldiers carrying partners to the other side of Scotland
Or (soldiers) around we (partners) = OWER
* Previous edition of periodical – Time? #
Reversed time = BACK ISSUE
* Vaguely, I recollect Phi having affinity for negative charge
(i recollect phi)* = ELECTROPHILIC
THREE * Describing a trick where King’s disappeared from deck rather mysteriously
(deck rather – k)* = THREE CARD = CARD
* Northbound Autobahn divides wood – shame
Rev. ab(autobahn) in ash (wood) = ABASH
* Could be President Biden runs in Nice marathon, amazingly! #
(r+ nice marathon)* = NORTH AMERICAN
* English Master raised objection, left in charge of clot
e(english) + m(master) + Rev. ob (objection) + ic (in charge) = EMBOLIC
* After Lord’s disappearance, takes steps to prove lineage
dances(takes steps) – d (lord) + try (prove) = ANCESTRY
* Note beginnings of improved self-awareness in American child’s developmental condition
ut (note) + is (beginnings of improved self-awareness) in am (american) = AUTISM
* Spot of old relish
DD GOUT
* Gave preliminary clean to unorthodox shared pew
(shared pew)* = PREWASHED
* Gill’s concealed broken china in undergarment
bra(undergarment) around (china)* = BRANCHIA
* Make mistake rearing schoolchildren
Rev. slip up (make mistake) = PUPILS
* Loud, flamboyant, ancient Scots
(loud)* = OULD
* Note found in safe is not so significant
peter (safe) around ti (note) = PETTIER
* Amble around centre of Rotterdam in silence
pace(amble) around e (centre of Rotterdam) = PEACE
SEVEN * Leading lady taken in by dodgy bankers neither gains nor loses #
eve in (bankers)* = BREAKS EVEN = BREAK
FOUR * Bony fish initially uncommonly filling for evening’s starter? Indeed
u (initially uncommonly) in for + e (evening’s starter) + yes (indeed) = FOUR EYES = EYES
* Band encircling top of lum hat
tie (band) around l (top of lum) = TILE
I think my grid must have been at least half-complete when PRETENCES and NETWORK indicated to me what the theme was about and how it was implemented. BREAKS EVEN and ELEVEN PLUS were my next two thematic answers. The theme was executed very well, considering how difficult it is to disguise some of the ‘number words’ in the way that is possible with (for example) NETWORK and CANNONEER. Other numbers have to be in plain sight, as it were, in compound words or phrases, as exemplified by ELEVEN PLUS and FIVE-STAR. Even so, my last three were quite tough to tease out (BONINESS, TWELVE-NOTE and FOUR-EYES).
It felt odd working with no clue numbers. But the grid looked tidier as a result, and I had no particular difficulty with it. I suppose if arithmophobia takes hold it goes all the way!
Thanks to Hedge-sparrow for an enjoyable puzzle, and to twencelas for the blog..
Good fun, even if the lack of clue numbers made me realise how useful numbers are! Network was my way in, with eleven-plus confirming the theme for me. Did get held up by going for twelve-tone rather than note. Nice work by Hedge-Sparrow to get in twelve thematic entries and the theme word, and also particularly enjoyed the clue to North American. Thanks to him and to twencelas.
Liked the wordplay of the title, no thing, number obsession.
I must be an arithmophile. I spent a fair while writing in the grid and clue numbers, and enumerations…chuntering away to myself as to why the setter/editor were making me do their work for them…until the penny dropped a while later!
Thanks to Hedge Sparrow and twencelas…