Well a new setter for me in the EV space. And a complex preamble too. 11 across answers need thematic treatment and the other answers in these rows have a single letter misprint to reveal a subject in a thematic way. Clues for one answer in 8 columns have a misprint with another instruction. At the end there is a block of 10 cells to find and clear to illustrate some features to be determined. Treat the 10th cell as per the instruction. Clear as brown messy stuff in a bog.
Some tricky clues added to the challenge, too. Though most of the misprints were quite obvious. And the device to enter 11 of the across answers soon became obvious – leave a gap in the middle as all were one letter shorter than they should have been.
The misprints in the rows in row order spelled out
TERRYH-O – -MAS – hinting at TERRY THOMAS – again with a gap in the middle
Rows 9 and 10 remained unaffected by the theme.
The misprints in the down clues by column spell out
CUT I – – – – – T OUT or Cut it out
with the 5 central columns unaltered allowing the exposure of a group of 10 cells
TACHE
TEETH
The end game requiring the solver to cut out the E and draw a moustache and two teeth in the other cells representing the gap between Terry Thomas’ teeth. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terry-Thomas.
A very interesting theme and oddly not something I’d ever really noticed about Terry Thomas and yet his two front teeth had a remarkable gap between them
Thanks Karla – a new setter for me to blog too and not a puzzle for those new to these thematic barred puzzles.
Across
4 Unis in Gaza previously each accepting return of half pay (4)
4 Unit in Gaza previously each accepting return of half pay (4)
ea (each) around Rev. hp (half pay) = EPHA
9 Nipper caught by Peter maybe having lost scrap (5)
c (caught) + rabbit (Peter maybe) – bit (scrap) = CR-AB
13 Plant stopped by endless flat warning sound (7)
arum (plant) around la (endless flat) = ALA-RUM
14 Broad equine with coat retreated (4)
14 Bread equine with coat retreated (4)
Swap coat of Foal (equine) = LOAF
15 Bacon beside hold starts to moulder in extreme warmth (8)
15 Baron beside hold starts to moulder in extreme warmth (8)
b (baron) + on (beside) + ho (hold) + mie (starts to moulder in extreme) = BONHOMIE
16 Good piece periodically ignored relating to Reichenbach’s force (5)
gOoD pIeCe = OD-IC
17 D-drinker overturned drink (5)
rev. S-Sot (D-Drinker equivalent) = TO-SS
18 Turk who held mule and bat-eating parrot back (6)
18 Turk who held rule and bat-eating parrot back (6)
Rev. kea (parrot) around bat = ATABEK
20 Les in Rome splitting rock forms landmass (4)
20 Yes in Rome splitting rock forms landmass (4)
Si (yes in Rome) in aa (rock) = ASIA
22 Rarely circulated bones and meat (9)
past (rarely circulated) = rami (bones) = PAST-RAMI
23 Mining licence acquired by Senegalese (5)
Hidden seneGALEse = GA-LE
26 Slip spun trap across radius (4)
26 Ship spun trap across radius (4)
Rev. net (trap) around r (ardius) = TERN
28 Company chief bagging river chief (5)
CEO (Company chief) around R(river) = CE-RO
30 US State getting shot of molten lead, pits (4)
30 US State getting shot of molten lead, pots (4)
Delaware (US stae) – (lead)* = WARE
32 Poet initially missing Hazel in strip? (5)
Plath (Poet) missing initially = LA-TH
33 Sorrow and laughter about crash in Aero Club? (9)
hehe (laughter) about rta(crash) + ac (Aero club) = HEARTACHE
34 Trim books taken from rear (4)
parent(rear) – nt (books) = PARE
35 Tanzania accepted by President without restrictions: Imagine (6)
eat(Tanzania) in Ide (Biden without restrictions) = IDEATE
38 King’s companion with Hawke or Hunt cycling (5)
Cycle Ethan = THANE
40 Border around organ reed stop (5)
Rev. abut (border) = TU-BA
41 Hidden gels possibly treated iris tear (8)
41 Hidden gems possibly treated iris tear (8)
(iris tear)* = RARITIES
42 After part of leg exposed, relative is dancing less(4)
42 After part of leg exposed, relative is dancing lass(4)
calf(part of leg) – cf (exposed) + Ma(relative) = ALMA
43 Craft hollow trinkets with Jock’s gold (7)
gule(Jock’s gold) + ts(hollow trinkets) = GUL-ETS
44 Catch local on square basket (5)
s(square) + kep (catch local) = SKEP
45 Two babes outside of library that’s slippery (4)
45 Two bases outside of library that’s slippery (4)
ee (two bases) + ly (outside of library) = EELY
Down
1 Old wheat wife beats, full of earth insects
(C)1 Old cheat wife beats, full of earth insects
cabbage (old cheat) + w(wife) + hits(beats) around e(earth) = CABBAGE-WHITES
2 Goods from the main fellow plenty before noon (7)
f(fellow) + lots (plenty) + am (before noon) = FLOTSAM
3 One occupying second roller in Puebla (4)
an (on) in mo (second) = MANO
5 View sorcerer disappearing a quarter at top of court (8)
Prospero (sorcerer – a quarter) – ro + ct (court) = PROSPECT
6 Smells that can be equally impositions (4)
DD HUMS
7 During sample of duets, dim airhead turned (6)
rev. hidden dueTS DIM Airhead = AMIDST
8 Ancient feast before May, perhaps depending on contingencies(8)
ale (ancient feast) + a tory (May perhaps) = ALEATORY
9 Silly person basting duck with Cahors Medoc (4)
cot (Cahors medoc) around o (duck) = COOT
10 Area monitored by police actors right above upended bin (9 two words)
(T) 10 Area monitored by police actors right above upended bit (9 two words)
Rada (actors) = r (right) + Rev. part (bit) = RADAR TRAP
11 Mistress hiding note in Scottish one (4)
mi(note) in ae (Scottish one) = AMIE
12 Classic opening crack from sister after briefly supporting America (13, four words)
(T) 12 Classic opening track from sister after briefly supporting America (13, four words)
backing (supporting) – g (briefly) + the us (america) + sr(sister) = BACK IN THE USSR
19 Fruit roll lacking essential filling (4)
bagel(roll) – g (essential filling) = BAEL
21 Late barley mostly lovely and is likely to change (9)
(I) 21 Late barley mostly lively and is likely to change (9)
(late barle)* = ALTERABLE
24 Spartan entertainers the man thanks with dates (8)
he (the man) + ta (thanks) + eras (dates) = HETAERAS
25 Evidence of digging poorly below Flanders mainly? What? (8)
Moll (flanders maybe) – l (mainly) + eh (what) + ill (poorly) = MOLEHILL
27 kelvin leaves Means of Shopping in Bank of Scotland (4)
(T) 27 Kelvin leaves Means of Stopping in Bank of Scotland (4)
k(kelvin) from brake(means of stopping) = BRAE
29 Quite glide over public thoroughfares (7)
(U) 29 Quite guide over public thoroughfares (7)
St (quiet) + Rev. steer (guide) = STREETS
31 Animated film Off in Ohio with angles in odd locations (6, two words)
Ice (off in Ohio) + AnGlEs (odd locations) = ICE AGE
36 Submerge WWII landing zone devoid of bog (4)
(U)36 Submerge WWII landing zone devoid of bug (4)
Dunkirk (WWII landing area) – irk (bug) = DUNK
37 Pack round floor covering that’s rolled against piano (4)
Rev. mat (floor covering) + p (piano) = TAMP
38 Infer when criminals have vacated flat (4)
construe(infer) – cons(criminals) = TRUE
39 Fist once in muck assault almost raised (4)
39 (O) Fist once in mock assault almost raised (4)
Rev. Feint (Mock assault) – t = NIEF
Certainly a fairly tough challenge – thanks to Karla and twencelas.
I took it that we had to physically ‘cut out’ that middle E of TEETH, but it didn’t really show up on my scanned copy for submission…
Karla has had a couple of previous EVs, 1527 in 2022, 1584 in 2023, as well as a few IQs and three Geniuses (Genii?).
I believe TT specialised in playing the lovable ‘rogue’ (cad/player/cheeky chappie), helped by that grin and gap…not that I can claim to have watched much of his oeuvre…
Thank you for the blog, twencelas.
Great puzzle by Karla and a fun endgame. The French call this gap between the front teeth “les dents du bonheur”. How poetic.
I see that you didn’t mention the parsing of 38 down. I think it is ‘construe’ (infer) minus ‘cons’ (criminals have vacated) = TRUE (in its adverbial meaning = flat, as in firmly, utterly, completely)
Thanks Manu for pointing out my omission. Have corrected.