Preamble to this puzzle read: All but one of the unclued lights are of a kind, verifiable in Brewer. The remaining one links the others. Ignore one apostrophe and two accents.
Thanks to Caran’s timely interventions, see comments 2 and 4, I have decided to rewrite this preamble, because I was mistakenly under the impression that the link here was KINGS, but actually it’s QUEENS, which fits better with the preamble. I didn’t have a Brewers, but managed to locate an online version whihc backs up the QUEENS option, so I’ll laso edit the themed clues to relect that.
As to the puzzle itself, it is no mean feet to produce a barred puzzle without a plethora of obscure words and meanings. I feel the stter has done a sterling job of keeping the clues and solutions comparatively mainstream.
Thanks, Fire.
| ACROSS | ||
| 1 | QUEENS |
Theme word
|
| The word that can prefix all the themed entries. | ||
| 7 | SPEECH |
Theme word
|
| The Queen’s Speech, which is now the King’s speech of course. | ||
| 12 | UNVEILING |
Prepare linguine vongole starter for opening ceremony (9)
|
| *(linguine v) [anag:prepare] where V is V(ongole) [starter] | ||
| 13 | LANAI |
Two guys retiring to Hawaiian island (5)
|
| <=(IAN + AL (“two guys”), retiring) | ||
| 15 | ANIMATORS |
Cartoonists redesign a main story, cutting the end (9)
|
| *(a main stor) [anag:redesign] where STOR is STOR(y) [cutting the end] | ||
| 16 | PELAGE |
Letter about convict in fur coat (6)
|
| PEE (“letter”) about LAG (“convict”) | ||
| 20 | ATTACHE |
Sore feeling follows a dry official (7)
|
| ACHE (“sore feeling”) follows A + TT (teetotal, so “dry”) | ||
| 21 | CRAMBO |
Game start for cavalier tough guy (6)
|
| [start for] C(avalier) + RAMBO (“tough guy”) | ||
| 22 | ADVERB |
Notice vicar coming back with bishop drunkenly? (6)
|
| AD (“notice”) + <=Rev. (Reverend, so “vicar”. coming back) with B (bishop, in chess notation) | ||
| 24 | ALLEGING |
Declaring final leg in gymnastics displays (8)
|
| Hidden in [displays] “finAL LEG IN Gymnastics” | ||
| 26 | WARE |
Theme word
|
| Queen’s ware is cream-coloured Wedgwood earthenware. | ||
| 27 | TAR |
Pitch for art nouveau (3)
|
| *(art) [anag:nouveau] | ||
| 28 | DAY |
Theme word
|
| Queen’s Day was an annual celebration in remembrance of the day of accession of Queen Elizabeth I (17 November, 1558) | ||
| 29 | BAYS |
Theme word
|
| The Queen’s Bays is a nickname for the 2nd Dragoon Guards. | ||
| 32 | IGNITION |
I mix gin and it on lighting up (8)
|
| I + *(gin it on) [anag:mix] | ||
| 34 | RANSOM |
Theme word
|
| A Queen’s ransom is an exceptionally large sum of money. | ||
| 35 | ACORNS |
One third of all footsores may develop into much bigger growths (6)
|
| [one third of] A(ll) + CORNS (“footsores”) | ||
| 37 | RE-ENTER |
Go back to tenant over final part of upgrade (2-5)
|
| RENTER (“tenant”) over [final part of] (upgrad)E | ||
| 39 | PARROT |
Repeat standard rubbish (6)
|
| PAR (“standard”) + ROT (“rubbish”) | ||
| 42 | REICHSTAG |
Wealthy male taking drug in government building (9)
|
| RICH (“wealthy”) + STAG (“male”) taking E (ecstasy, so “drug”) in | ||
| 43 | IDAHO |
I had a tool for caller ID (5)
|
| I’D (I had) + A + homophone/pun/aural wordplay [for caller] of HOE (“tool”) | ||
| 44 | MESSENGER |
Theme word
|
| Historically, a trusted royal courier. | ||
| 45 | COLOUR |
Theme word
|
| In the plural, regimental insignia | ||
| 46 | BEASTS |
Theme word
|
| The Queens’s Beasts (not in Brewer’s) are a series of ten heraldic statues representing the genealogy of Queen Elizabeth II. | ||
| DOWN | ||
| 1 | QUIP |
Equipment has crack (4)
|
| Hidden in [has] “eQUIPment” | ||
| 2 | UNREADY |
Edit any rude description of ill-advised king (7)
|
| *(any rude) [anag:edit]
Refers to Æthelred the Unready, who was an “ill-advised” king. |
||
| 3 | EVIL |
Theme word
|
| Queen’s evil is another name for scrofulud, a form of TB that it was once believed could be cured by the touch of a king. | ||
| 4 | NIAGARA |
Over range, fresh rain falls (7)
|
| *(rain) [anag:fresh] over AGA (“range”) | ||
| 5 | GINGHAMS |
Checks good and bad actors after drink (8)
|
| G (good) + HAMS (“bad actors”) after GIN (“drink”) | ||
| 6 | SNIVEL |
Complain partners live untidily (6)
|
| S + N (South + North, “partners” in bridge) + *(live) [anag:untidily] | ||
| 8 | PLAY |
Have a game of Othello? (4)
|
| Double definition | ||
| 9 | ENORMITY |
Wickedness and hatred overwhelming men (8)
|
| ENMITY (“hatred”) overwheming OR (other ranks, so “men”) | ||
| 10 | CAROB |
Heads of Bournville, Ovaltine, Rowntree and Cadbury rejected chocolate substitute (5)
|
| [heads of…rejected] <=B(ournville) O(valtine) R(owntree) A(nd) C(adbury)) | ||
| 11 | HISTOGRAMS |
Acrobatic hoist, weights and high bars are common occurrences here (10)
|
| *(hoist) [anag:acrobatic] + GRAMS (“weights”) | ||
| 14 | WATER BIRD |
Bad writer is silly goose? (5,4)
|
| *(bad writer) [anag:is silly] | ||
| 17 | ECLAIR |
Sweet city with liberal vibe (6)
|
| EC (postcode for the “City” of London) with L (liberal) + AIR (“vibe”) | ||
| 18 | PAGEANTRY |
Show time in storage (9)
|
| AGE (“time”) in PANTRY (“storage”) | ||
| 19 | PAEDIATRIC |
Doctor participated without physical training relating to children’s medicine (10)
|
| *(particiaed) [anag:doctor] where PARTICIAED is PARTICI(p)A(t)ED without PT (physical training) | ||
| 23 | BOYISH |
Juvenile delinquent is on the up to some extent (6)
|
| <=YOB (“delinquent”, is on the up) + ISH (“to some extent”) | ||
| 25 | SYNOVIAL |
Seriously gutted – not one tiny glass of liquid in joint (8)
|
| S(eriousl)Y [gutted] + NO (“not one”) + VIAL (“tiny glass”) | ||
| 26 | WINE CASK |
Moan audibly about empty snack container (4,4)
|
| Homophone/pun/aural wordplay [audibly] of WHINE (“moan”) + ca. (circa, so “about”) + [empty] S(nac)K | ||
| 30 | MANATEE |
A little woman ate every sea creature (7)
|
| Hidden in [a little] “woMAN ATE Every” | ||
| 31 | CORONET |
Crown is my single piece of treasure (7)
|
| COR (“my”) + ONE (“single”) + [piece of] T(reasure) | ||
| 33 | ORATED |
Addressed to ‘Dear Dicky’ (6)
|
| *(to dear) [anag:dicky] | ||
| 36 | CREDO |
Labour in firm belief (5)
|
| RED (“colour associated with the “Labour” party) in Co. (company, so “firm”) | ||
| 38 | THOU |
You ain’t half grand! (4)
|
| [ain’t half] THOU(sand) | ||
| 40 | RIGS |
Boring plants irking us now and then (4)
|
| (i)R(k)I(n)G (u)S [now and then] | ||
| 41 | TORS |
Go off climbing small hills (4)
|
| <=ROT (“go off”, climbing) + S (small) |
Thanks for the blog, loonapick. I think 26 A is Ware (glazed Wedgwood earthenware of a creamy colour).
Caran@2 – you may be right.
Loonapick, thanks – Ware is in Brewers, in the Queen, Queen’s list. Oh, and Boys at 29 should be Bays, I feel, and Feasts is Beasts.
Caran@3 – as I said, you may be right. I will try to find a Brewers and see if that clears things up.
I can recommend the 20th edition of Brewer’s (2018) edited by Susie Dent. It’s a lot of help, particularly for the Speccie which I did until recently and which often has themes based on entries in Brewer’s. As Caran says, all seem to be under the Queen headword.
Caran and TimC – thanks to both. I have now rewritten the blog with amendements. The 2018 edition is quite expensive – I’ll see if my lovely wife will buy me it as a birthday present next month.
Just by way of note, Fire are a team of four setters (Fire being Danish for four).
I don’t have Brewers (I’m tempted to get one) and BAYS and BEASTS weren’t my first thoughts, but I did manage to confirm them.
Many thanks for the blog.
Jay is revealing much about the identities of my Spectator, as the weeks go by. Iwould be interested to know his sources. I have an idea! Please do confirm.
I meant “Spectator TEAM” —- apologies
Hi Doc, I hope you don’t mind. I was hoping to encourage a few more solvers over to these blogs. The main source is your own article “Fifty years of the Spectator crossword”.
Though Fire, who are more recent, I heard from a seafarer.