Clues to the nine-letter entries — all real words — consist of three definitions to component parts in order. To form the entry, each part must suffer an identical LOSS affecting the same letter each time in a given clue. The six letters thus obtained can be arranged to give a relevant two-word phrase, which must be written below the grid. Nine other entries are deemed to have suffered the same LOSS leading to a different word being clued. However, the entries have their losses restored, always in checked cells. Numbers in brackets refer to the spaces available. Chambers Dictionary (2016) is recommended; 5 is in ODE.
The six letters obtained from the 9-letter entries give THE END. The end of each of the 4-letter component parts of the 9-letter clues is missing and each of the other entries that have suffered the same LOSS require THE END to be added.
This one started quite slowly for me, with the 9-letter clues appearing particularly daunting, but once I’d made some progress the rest of the gridfill proceeded apace, although it was only quite late in the day that the consistency of the removed/added letters’ positions dawned on me.
| Notation | |
|---|---|
| Definition | word |
| Indicator | [word] |
| Anagram | WORD* |
| Reversal | <WORD |
| Missing end | CAPOTE |
| Across | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| N | 4 | SEAN Net SPIN to put favourable slant on DERN historic secrecy (9) | SEA SPIDER |
| 11 | I < [rejected] {H (hotel) OP (work)} in Malaysian city (4) | IPOH | |
| 12 | R (Rupee) [amongst] AI (highest-rated) |
ARIARY | |
| E | 13 | PATE Head RISE to respond to TICE lure of the Bard (9) | PATRISTIC |
| 14 | CAP (Better) < TO [back] success at cards (6) | CAPOTE | |
| 15 | Curse < NAB (collar) [getting twisted] (4) | BANC | |
| 17 | Amphibia [wrecked] OUR* DELA |
URODELA | |
| 18 | Delivery vehicle: [second article offloaded from] CAR |
CARTA | |
| 20 | < HIS (Chap’s) [recalled] [keeping] T (tense) since appearing on the boards (4) | SITH | |
| 21 | Queen, overseas, RAN (spread) EE (English) [repeatedly] (5) | RANEE | |
| 24 | TALL (Remarkable): [A (alto) replacing last L (line)] in feature of Indian music (5) | TALAR | |
| 27 | Blackguard [two items in CRU (vineyard) switched] (4) | CURB | |
| 29 | THO (America’s admitting) S (Sweden) [follows] E (European) code (5) | ETHOS | |
| 30 | Expert [first to LEAP out] in [endless] MAE |
MAESTRO | |
| 31 | Male STAGE (phase) [showing no end of ARROGANCE] (4) | STAG | |
| 33 | Tension from R (Rector) [involved in] STAIN (shameful action) (6) | STRAIN | |
| E | 34 | MARE (Horse) MORE (rather) EALE (evil, it’s conjectured) (9) | MARMOREAL |
| 35 | B (Book) II (two) [includes] KIN (family) scene of great devastation? (6) | BIKINI | |
| 36 | < [Recalled] RAP (discussion) [covering] I (one) or two (4) | PAIR | |
| T | 37 | BLAT American to blurt out: MEAT ‘Pork, perhaps BLET internal decay’ (9) | BLAMEABLE |
| Down | |||
| H | 1 | DISH Ruin CUSH (theatrical armour) SESH (session) (9) | DISCUSSES |
| 2 | A PIANIST (keyboard player) [with change of heart]? There’ll be a buzz about him (8) | APIARISTS | |
| 3 | COMPANY (Firm) [offering O (nothing) for ANY] payment for injuries (6) | COMPOT | |
| 5 | P (Pressure) [to interrupt] EATER (diner?) Shock for the French (6) | EPATER | |
| 6 | Bet ANE (old Scottish article) [contains source of TARTAN] (4) | ANTE | |
| 7 | European dance: D (daughter) [in] ARAN (Irish islands) [participating in] SA (it) (7) | SARDANA | |
| 8 | Outstanding exponent indicates N (unspecified amount) [in] PRICE (cost) (6) | PRINCE | |
| 9 | Papal officer TAR (set on) [filling] DAY (time) (6) | DATARY | |
| 10 | < {N (New) IRE (resentment)} [rising] in ancient country (4) | ERIN | |
| D | 16 | CARD Eccentric BOND relationship, ARID dry (9) | CARBONARI |
| 19 | Excellent TERR |
TERRIFIC | |
| 22 | M (Male) [tucking into] ALE (booze) with < AIR (elevated attitude) – Spanish port? (7) | ALMERIA | |
| 23 | Burn HARK (to go in quest), [chasing head of CHIMERA] (6) | CHARKA | |
| 25 | Birmingham University, AS (in that degree), getting TON (fashionable people) (6) | ASTONE | |
| 26 | < LIAR (Source of story) [upset] [about] ET (SF film) merchandising? (6) | RETAIL | |
| 28 | UN (A local) [snaring] TAHA (weaver bird) gets person in a state (6) | UTAHAN | |
| 32 | Japanese fish – T |
TAIL | |
| 33 | My origins are in SOME EUROPEAN REPUPBLIC, BROADLY (4) | SERB | |
| D | A | C | S | E | A | S | P | I | D | E | R |
| I | P | O | H | P | N | A | R | I | A | R | Y |
| S | I | M | P | A | T | R | I | S | T | I | C |
| C | A | P | O | T | E | D | N | B | A | N | C |
| U | R | O | D | E | L | A | C | A | R | T | A |
| S | I | T | H | R | A | N | E | E | Y | E | R |
| S | S | C | T | A | L | A | R | C | U | R | B |
| E | T | H | O | S | M | A | E | S | T | R | O |
| S | T | A | G | T | E | S | T | R | A | I | N |
| M | A | R | M | O | R | E | A | L | H | F | A |
| B | I | K | I | N | I | R | I | P | A | I | R |
| B | L | A | M | E | A | B | L | E | N | C | I |
THE END
There is a setter’s blog at: http://phionline.net.nz/loss/
The grid printed in my copy of the newspaper was the grid from EV 1562.
Did anyone else have this?
I managed to construct the grid from the clue numbers and answer lengths assuming “normal” symmetry.
Cap’n P’ng’n – It was the same in the PressReader version that I printed off – when I started it I assumed there was some extra trickery going on, but eventually realised it was probably just the wrong grid! At some point I happened to notice they had put an updated PDF version on the old puzzle site – not much use to those who cancelled their subscriptions in disgust when the PDFs stopped being published a while back…but it does beg the question that if they can put the PDF there when they make a mistake, why can’t they just put the PDF there every week? Might retain a few subscribers that way…anyway, rant over…kudos to you for reverse engineering it, and thanks to Mister Sting and Kcit.
@3 mc_rapper 67. I get the puzzle via someone who is on an email list of someone else who apparently gets the paper and then emails a photocopy of the EV. Except this time the original sender sent a PDF with a remark that he was surprised it was available. Now I know the incorrect grid was the reason, and I’m happy I didn’t have to deal with it. {I agree with your reasoning, but reason does not always rule the news biz.} Thanks to kcit for the setter’s blog and the puzzle and to Mister Sting for the blog. The EV series has maintained its good quality of content despite the threats to shut it down.
THE END