We have an Inquisitor this week set by Nimrod, one of the pseudonyms used by John Henderson who is the editor of the Inquisitor series. Usually a Nimrod puzzle is quite a challenge and this was no exception.
The preamble told us that a single letter must be removed from each of 16 clues to enable solving; in clue order these letters spell a thematic phrase. Wordplay in all remaining clues omits one or more letters of the defined answer to be entered;
cells containing these letters must be shaded to mark a relevant anniversary.
We weren’t told how many letters we would be shading as some entries would have more than one letter shaded and there would be shaded letters common to across and down clues.
There are forty-three clues so twenty-seven have incomplete wordplay. I find it easier to detect extra letters in clues than I do to deduce wordplay omitting letters. For these clues, I rely quite heavily on the definition and then work backwards to the wordplay.
In fact, the greatest help, for me, came from the symmetry of the unclued letters in the grid and the realisation that there were real words being spelled out by these letters.
My first few clues solved were SAY (16 across, amended clue), ARES (1 down, amended clue), REVENUE (11 across, unclued letters), ODIOUS (8 down, unclued letters) and RUMBA (19 across, unclued letters). From there on, the grid filled slowly, but without a full understanding of the wordplay in every case.
The message from the letters omitted from clues fell first when I guessed that it could be OUT OF THE DARKNESS. I hadn’t identified the location of every omitted letter at that point, but I now had a better idea of which clues I would find them in. This helped identify all the remaining clues with letters omitted from the wordplay. Eventually, I also had enough entries to start shading and could see that I was probably mistakenly shading letters that were actually clued.
Using the likely symmetry of the shading and the possible outline of a lightbulb, I spotted the name THOMAS EDISON [1847 – 1931] could represent the correct shaded cells on the right-hand side of the grid and EUREKA MOMENT could represent the left-hand side. This, of course, associated the message OUT OF THE DARKNESS with the shading. It also helped that I was shading the letters in yellow. The complete shading enabled me to go back and do a bit more work on the parsings where I hadn’t yet identified the wordplay 100 percent correctly. Eventually, it all fell into place.
A bit of research showed that THOMAS EDISON had his EUREKA MOMENT on 21st October 1879. The puzzle was published on 26th October 2024 so fairly close to an exact anniversary of the day and month. 145 years seems an odd period of time for an anniversary celebration, but 1879 is also the number of this Inquisitor. This may be a coincidence, but I doubt if Nimrod does things coincidentally.
The graphics below show the grid before and after highlighting. The detailed table shows how sixteen clues were amended and how the incomplete wordplay omitted 1, 2 or 3 letters from the remaining twenty-seven clues. The clue for MASE (20 down) only had wordplay for one letter, the E. It is often the case in puzzles where some clues have incomplete wordplay that you will find a clue with only one letter highlighted in the wordplay.
I doubt if I was the only solver who had MICRON at 18 across before realising that it had to be MIKRON to form EUREKA properly in the shading.
The title ‘Looking for Inspiration’ can be linked to EDISON‘s quote ‘Genius is 1 percent inspiration and 99 percent perspiration’ Research shows that EDISON did not invent the lightbulb [inspiration , but he did put in hours of wordk[perspiration] to identify a filament that would make production of the lightbulb viable commercially. Indeed EDISON also said he didn’t have an original idea of his own. ‘My so-called inventions already existed in the environment—I took them out. I’ve created nothing’.
| No | Detail | ||
| Across |
Letters omitted from clues are indicated in bold blue Letters unclued in wordplay are indicated in bold orange |
Letter 1 | Letter(s) 2 |
| 3 |
Where spoilt food’s ended, reluctant folk struggling long ago to make ends meet (11) Where spilt food’s ended, reluctant folk struggling long ago to make ends meet (11) CRUMBCLOTHS (CLOTHS laid under a table to keep CRUMBs from the carpet; where spilt food ends) LOTHSCRUMBC (LOTH [reluctant] + SCRUM [descriptive of a group of people struggling] + BC [before Christ; long ago]) with the letters cycled right by 6 places to form CRUMBCLOTHS such that the L and the S are placed together (making ends meet) CRUMBCLOTHS |
O |
|
| 11 |
Level attached to right income (7) REVENUE (income) R (right) + EVEN (level) R EVEN |
UE | |
| 13 |
Tolerate Caledonian guy treating eye misusing conclusion from optometry (4) Tolerate Caledonian guy treating eye missing conclusion from optometry (4) DREE (Scottish [Caledonian] word meaning endure or bear; tolerate) DR (doctor; guy treating [you]) + EYE excluding (missing) Y (last letter of [conclusion] from OPTOMETRY) DR EE |
U |
|
| 14 |
Exceptional weekend place, English: see Rugby is trending! (4) Exceptional weekend place, English: see Rugby is rending! (4) ERUV (a word from Judaism denoting an area within which certain activities normally forbidden in public on the Sabbath [Saturday in the Jewish calendar] are permitted; exceptional weekend place) RU (Rugby [Union]) contained in (rending) (E [English] + V [Latin vide; see]) E (RU) V |
T |
|
| 15 |
Fruit pastries folded over for starters (7) ROSEHIP (fruit of the rose) O (over) + PIES (pastries) reversed (folded) O ‘over [O]’ for starters means that the O comes first in the answer, rather than take the first letter [starter] of OVER) O SEIP< |
RH | |
| 16 |
Utter ego (3) Utter eg (3) SAY (utter) SAY (for example; e.g.) double definition SAY |
O |
|
| 17 |
Recoil begun by mother birds? (8) AMNIOTES (any vertebrate animals that possess an amnion, chorion and allantois during fetal development; birds are AMNIOTES) (SET IN [in progress; established; begun] + MA [mother]) all reversed (recoil) (AM NI TES)< |
O | |
| 18 |
Small measure must initially decrease? (6) MIKRON (alternative spelling of MICRON [former name of the micrometre {small measure}]) M (first letter of [initially]) + IRON (press; de-crease) M IRON |
K | |
| 19 |
Difficulty with a ballroom dance (5) RUMBA (a ballroom dance based on a modification of a lively Afro-Cuban dance of the same name) RUB (obstacle difficulty) + A RUB A |
M | |
| 21 |
Tending to move like this to bag rubbish (7) ASTATIC (having no tendency to stand in a fixed position; tending to move) SIC (being faithfully reproduced; like this) containing (to bag) TAT (tawdry or shabby articles; rubbish) S (TAT) IC |
A | |
| 23 |
Flowers representing old man’s blood? Lord, no (13) ALMONDBLOSSOM (flowers on an ALMOND tree) Anagram of OLD MAN’S BLOOD excluding (no!) D (Dominus; lord) ALONDBLOSOM* |
MS | |
| 27 |
Limited interest in land and sea stimulated in cycling month (7, 2 words) BASE FEE (a freehold estate of inheritance to which a qualification is annexed; limited interest in a piece of land) ASE (anagram of [stimulated] SEA) contained in (in) BFE (the letters of FEB (FEBruary [a month] cycled one place to the right) B (ASE*) FE |
E | |
| 31 |
Sources of torment most acutely short (5) WORMS (anything that corrupts, gnaws or torments; sources of torment) WORST (most acutely) excluding the final letter (short) T WORS |
M | |
| 32 |
Mouths part of decree (6) ORDAIN (decree) ORA (mouths) + IN (part of) ORA IN |
D | |
| 33 |
Withdrawal of sculptures etc inside that hurt relations with the community (8) OUTREACH (an organisation’s activities involving the local community) ART (sculptures etc) reversed (withdrawal) and contained in (inside) OUCH (that hurt!) OU (TRA<) CH |
E | |
| 34 |
Work fat off with acting in stage production (3) Work at off with acting in stage production (3) PLY (work at [steadily]) PLAY (stage production) excluding (off with) A (acting) PLY |
F |
|
| 36 |
They’re paid to travel distance (7) FARNESS (distance) FARES (prices paid to travel) FARES |
NS | |
| 38 |
Tarot cards open and counted out, faces showing (4) Taro cards open and counted out, faces showing (4) COCO (alternative spelling of COCCO [ the taro or other edible araceous tuber]) COCO (first letters of [faces] each of CARDS, OPEN, COUNTED and OUT) C O C O |
T |
|
| 39 |
Winger thrashing United in opening (4) Winger trashing United in opening (4) MOTH (an insect with wings; winger) MOUTH (opening) excluding (trashing) U (United) MOTH |
H |
|
| 40 |
Scots cloak Western display in sunshine (7) ROKELAY (Scottish word for a woman’s short cloak, worn in the 18th century) LEK (a display put on by blackcocks and capercailzies on piece of ground of the same name; to display on a LEK) reversed (western) contained in (in) RAY (reference a RAY of sunshine) R (KEL<) AY |
O | |
| 41 |
Discover poet’s buried head – packing a bit poor (11) SUBSTANDARD (poor) (SUS [discover] + BARD [poet]) with the B (first letter of [head] contained in [buried] SUS) all containing (packing) TAD (a small amount; a bit) SU (B) S (TAD) ARD |
N | |
| Down | |||
| 1 |
War-god rages at sea, sinking galleon (4) War-god rages at sea, sinking gallon (4) ARES (God of war in Greek mythology) Anagram of (at sea) RAGES excluding (sinking) G (gallon) ARES* |
E |
|
| 2 |
Palace equerry’s left driver to embark on sea trip (6) Palace equerry’s left river to embark on sea trip (6) SERAIL (seraglio [a Turkish palace, especially that of the sultans of Constantinople) (E [first letter of [left] of EQUERRY + R [river]) contained in (to embark on) SAIL (sea trip) S (E R) AIL |
D |
|
| 4 |
Wound very sore after fencer’s last backstroke (7) REVERSO (a backhanded sword-stroke) R (final letter of [last] FENCER) + an anagram of (wound) (V [ver] and SORE) R EVRSO* |
E | |
| 5 |
Pull up roughly, not out, not completely (6) UNROOT (pull up) Anagram of (roughly) NOT OUT excluding the final letter (not completely) T UNOOT* |
R | |
| 6 |
Make Sooty “Bi”, wanting single husband (6) BESMUT (blacken with soot; make sooty) BISMUTH (the chemical symbol for BISMUTH is Bi) excluding (wanting) (I [Roman numeral for one {single}] and H [husband]) BSMUT |
BSMUTH | E |
| 7 |
Keynote Address? That’s beginning, with introduction from lecturer (3) LAH (LAH is the keynote for minor scales [musical terminology]) L (first letter of [introduction] LECTURER) + A (first letter of [beginning] ADDRESS) L A |
H | |
| 8 |
Word mix-ups at intervals offensive (6) ODIOUS (offensive) ODIUS (letters 2, 4, 6, 8 and 10 [at intervals] of WORD MIX-UPS) ODIUS |
O | |
| 9 |
Possibly Rosemary’s pains close to knee because of this (6) Possibly Rosemary’s pins close to knee because of this (6) HEREBY (by this; because of this) HERBY (descriptive of rosemary’s nature) containing (pins) E (last letter of [close to] KNEE) HER (E) BY |
A |
|
| 10 |
Pollock inaccurately reinterpreted males as art (9, 2 words) Pollock inaccurately reinterpreted males as at (9, 2 words) SEA SALMON (defined in Chambers as pollock with the qualification inaptly [inaccurately]) Anagram of (reinterpreted) MALES AS + ON SEA SALM* ON |
R |
|
| 12 |
Store in pits capable of expansion (7) TENSILE (capable of being stretched; capable of expansion) ENSILE (store in pits or silos) ENSILE |
T | |
| 18 |
In dark, undisturbed places they might like Mike Laws or me being cryptic (9) In dark, undisturbed places they might lie Mike Laws or me being cryptic (9) MEALWORMS (larvae of a beetle (genus Tenebrio) frequently found in granaries and flour stores; in dark, undisturbed places they may lie) Anagram of (bring cryptic) M (Mike is the international radio communication code for the letter M) and LAWS OR ME – note: Mike Laws was the editor of the Inquisitor series before Nimrod (John Henderson, today’s setter [me] and current Inquisitor series editor) MEALWORMS* |
K |
|
| 20 |
Use device to amplify energy (4) MASE (use a device to amplify microwaves) E (energy) E |
MAS | |
| 21 |
Prince Igor has no pizzazz (4) AMIR (the title borne by certain Muslim princes) IGOR excluding (has no) GO (energy; pizazz) IR |
AM | |
| 22 |
Only half believe Cockney firm (7) ADAMANT (unyielding; firm) ADAM AND EVE (Cockney rhyming slang for ‘believe) excluding the second 5 [of 10; half] letters NDEVE leaving only the remaining half) ADAMA |
NT | |
| 24 |
Casanova stealing just a little kiss from Patsy (7) SEDUCER (Giacomo Casanova [1725 – 1798], Italian adventurer and author was known as one of the greatest lovers in history and therefore could be described as a seducer) SUCKER (gullible person; patsy) excluding (stealing) K (first letter of [just a little] KISS) SUCER |
ED | |
| 25 |
Foodstuff University College rector initially orders off unruly gangs (6) Foodstuff University College rector initially orders off unruly gags (6) ROUCOU (annatto [bright orange colouring matter obtained from the fruit pulp of a tropical American tree, used as a foodstuff]) (R [rector] + OOU [first letters of [initially] each of ORDERS, OFF and UNRUL) containing (gags; stuffs; chokes)(UC [University College]) R O (UC) OU |
N |
|
| 26 |
Too hasty, demoting second lords (6) OMRAHS (Muslim lords) RASH (too hasty) with the S (second) being lowered (demoted; down entry]) to the final position to form RAHS RAHS |
OM | |
| 28 |
Heading north, half-hearted scouting missions separate (6) SECERN (distinguish; separate) RECCES (reconnaissance; scouting missions) excluding one of the central Cs (half-hearted) and reversed (heading north; down entry) RECES< |
N | |
| 29 |
French music for Jamaican dance movement (6) FRISKA (the quick dance movement of a Hungarian csárdás) FR (French) + SKA (a form of Jamaican music similar to reggae) FR SKA |
I | |
| 30 |
Container in garage ceases to block lion off (6) Container in garage cases to block lion off (6) OILCAN (container often found in a garage) CA (cases) contained in (to block) an anagram of (off) LION OIL (CA) N* |
E |
|
| 35 |
Repeatedly the solver misses the last twist (4) Repeatedly the solver misses the last twit (4) YO-YO (fool; twit) Consecutive occurrences of [repeatedly] YOU (the solver) excluding the final letter (misses the last) U YO–YO |
S |
|
| 37 |
Leverkusen’s red stripe (3) Leverkusen’s red tripe (3) ROT (German [Leverkusen is a town in Germany] for ‘red’) ROT (rubbish; tripe) ROT |
S |
thanks D and N! very exhaustive blog (especially the 1879 observation). For me as with many others no doubt my eureca moment was indeed MIKRon.
Commenting at this late hour, I fully expected to see a fair number of responses. Their absence suggests that plenty of solvers found this very challenging and DNF. I really thought I was going to be one of them, but perseverance paid off, leading to a very neat finish. There were a number of quite obscure answers (for me at least) not helped by the unclued letters, and without resorting to technological help, I don’t think I would have cracked them. Having done so, the clues were, as expected from John H, all very sound. I guessed the answer to 6D but it took me ages to spot that Bi = Bismuth, inexcusable with my science/maths background.
Like Duncan, I found the emerging symmetry a great help and I had to correct my spelling of MICRON (hadn’t come across the alternative before). I did not spot the shaded message until quite late – truly a light-bulb moment!
Thanks to Duncan for the comprehensive blog and to Nimrod for an ultimately very satisfying ride.
Dave W, you are quite correct as far as I’m concerned. I got a long way, accurately identifying Out Of The Darkness and shading most of a shape that looked a bit like a wonky question mark, but ultimately my perspiration did not produce enough inspiration. Not helped by going astray on the odd clue (eg convinced that 36A had to be EARNERS, unable to parse ADAMANT so shaded the wrong letters, never heard of MAS (which I don’t see in Chambers) so stuck down MIS instead, as well as MICRON…. Google searches on Out of the Darkness produced far too much, none of it helpful or linked to any obvious anniversary, and I ultimately concluded I really didn’t know what I was looking for and gave up. Perhaps if I’d been tried harder to find a message in the shaded clues, as well as a shape, I might have fared better. As it is, my thanks to Nimrod for a lot of head-scratching, and to Duncan for the very helpful elucidations, including picking up the subtleties of dates etc that confirm just how clever some of these setters can be!
This was definitely on the tough side, but I finally beat (most of) it into submission. Amusingly I managed to get the theme and the lightbulb shape (after a couple of minor missteps) but hadn’t noticed that the shaded letters spelt something significant! So close… I really need to learn to stare at grids for just a little bit longer.
Thanks both!
I found this less taxing than Nimrod’s usual difficulty. Though I failed to parse a few clues, including Crumbcloths and Almond Blossom, so my thanks to Duncan for clearing them up. Seeing the likely symmetry of the highlighting certainly helped.
I didn’t twig with the Mike Laws reference, either. I scanned the grid hoping for a nod to Joseph Swan.
Applause from me for puzzle and blog, thanks both.
I feared I wouldn’t finish this one and was pathetically grateful when I did! Most impressive: all thanks to Nimrod and duncanshiell. As in @5 above I never quite parsed the wordplay for ALMOND BLOSSOM but took it on trust: fortunately I saw EUREKA MOMENT (a lightbulb appearing cartoon-fashion over Edison’s head?) before running into the MICRON/MIKRON alternatives. The Mike Laws clue took a long time but eventually caused a big smile.
Great puzzle and blog
But way above my pay grade
Thanks
I had my lightbulb moment (I’m grateful for the symmetry) with ten clues unsolved, and several more unparsed. I took it as a victory and retired! Thanks to Nimrod and duncanshiell for a very helpful blog.
It didn’t take too long to find Out of the Darkness, but googling the phrase mostly pointed to WWIi themes. So, bearing in mind that we’re close to Remembrance Day I thought “poppy” – and the shading seemed to be leading in that direction as I completed most of the grid. I didn’t pick up that the shaded cells would also spell out cue words, which might have turned the lights on. So overall, maybe 6/10 for me this week, although full marks to Nimrod for the challenge and to anyone who completed this puzzle!