This puzzle contained a device I’d never seen before, which, at first glance looked like it was going to prove troublesome. In the end, however, it was fairly easy-going. Each entry had to rebound off its terminal bar, thus if the word KENMAC was to be entered in a 5-letter space, the final C would rebound and the answer would be KENMC (the C overwriting the A as it rebounds.) In a 4-letter space the A & C would rebound, overwriting the M & N, respectively, giving KECA. In a 3-letter space, the M, A & C would overwrite N, E & K, respectively, giving CAM. No answer was more than twice its entry length so, for example, the answers to the 4-letter entries could be anywhere from 5 to 8 letters long and the 12-letter entries could be anywhere from 13 to 24 letters long.
The hardest answers, for me, were the two which were exactly twice their entry length. I solved it over two stints taking probably around two hours in total.
In the grids (below) the rebounding letters are shown in red and the letters they replace are shown in blue.
| Across | ||||
| No | Entry | Answer | Definition | Wordplay |
| 1 | ELFN | ELFIN | Butterfly | F(emale) inside NILE (rev: western) |
| 4 | GATECREH | GATECRASHER | Uninvited guest | GATE (a way of doing)+C(old)+RASHER (bacon) |
| 10 | TOOXO | TOOLBOX | Workman’s case | LOOT (rev: returned)+B(lack)+OX (bull) |
| 11 | PRUNS | PRUNES | (double definition) | (double definition) |
| 13 | SQURO | SQUALOR | Poverty | SQU[e]AL (no end of [remors]E)+OR (soldiers) |
| 14 | THEALAC | THEATRICAL | Exaggerated | A[ztec]+RELIC+THAT (anag: restored) |
| 15 | ADEC | ADVICE | Counsel | D(istrict) A(ttorney) (rev: brought back)+V (see)+ICE (illicit drug) |
| 17 | CATASTROYLLA | CATASTROPHICALLY | With a most unfortunate outcome | I(nternational)+CALL (cap) inside CAT (tom)+A[sk]+S[portsman]+TROPHY (prize) |
| 21 | UNIFODE | UNIFORMED | In distinctive garb | UNI[n]FORMED (minus N (knight)) |
| 23 | ITERANO | ITERATION | Act of repeating | IT+ERA (time) +I (one) inside TON (fashion) |
| 25 | CAPITALTNEMH | CAPITAL PUNISHMENT | Death penalty | CAPITAL (Washington) +[ir]ISHMEN inside PUNT (boat) |
| 28 | EDOC | POSTCODE | It contributes to a sort of correspondence | POST (after)+CO (man in charge)+D[i]E[s] (oddly) |
| 30 | AASVOGL | AASVOGEL | South African vulture | GOAL SAVE (anag: new) |
| 31 | REAEL | REAL ALE | Beer | ALL+ARE+E(nglish) (anag: drunk) |
| 32 | INTES | INTENSE | Concentrated | IN[c]ENSE (C[loudy]) replaced by T[int]) |
| 33 | EARRE | EARLIER | Lower | EARL (peer)+I (one)+ER (Queen) |
| 34 | AIRCOROD | AIR-CORRIDOR | Approved flight path | AI (A1: excellent)+RC (Taiwan: IVR)+OR(egon)RID (clear of)+O(f)+R(ussian) |
| 35 | MEOC | MEDICO | Doctor | (hidden: in and rev: retired) in [trur]O CID EM[ploy] |
| Down | ||||
| No | Entry | Answer | Definition | Wordplay |
| 1 | ETSE | ETCHES | Cuts out | 75% of [sk]ETCHES (rough drawings) |
| 2 | LOQUAYT | LOQUACITY | Gift of the gab | QUALITY+O[‘reilly]+C[onnery] (anag: unusual) |
| 3 | FOUNTNEP | FOUNTAIN PEN | Writing tool | FOUN[d]+PAINT+EN[d] (anag: smudged) |
| 4 | GOODSNATI | GOOD SAMARITAN | Charitable person | GOO (sentimentality)+DIANA SMART (anag: to develop) |
| 5 | ATTETU | ATTRIBUTE | Accessory | ATT(orney)+RIB (wife)+UTE (car) |
| 6 | TAHC | WHINCHAT | Bird | WHIN (homophone: we hear – WIN (mine)+CHA (tea)+T(ime) |
| 7 | CRAZYFL | CRAZY GOLF | Game | CR(own)+A[ugust]+Z+Y (axes as in plural of axis)+G[ood]+O[ld]+L[eague]+F[ootball] |
| 8 | RULE | RUSSEL | Material | RUSTLE (homophone: we hear) |
| 9 | ENAML | ENAMEL | Coat for canine [tooth] possibly | NAME (label) inside [b]EL[t] |
| 12 | SCRAEL | SCRABBLE | (double definition) | Scrabble is a popular board game |
| 16 | POINTORED | POINT OF ORDER | Procedural question | I FRONTED POOR (anag: mistakenly) |
| 18 | LONERARE | LONE RANGER | Individualist with vengeful attitude | Silver often transported this individualist (Silver being the name of The Lone Ranger‘s horse.) I guess INDIVIDUALIST is doing double duty here. |
| 19 | VICNAI | VICTORIAN | From the 1890’s (during The Victorian Era) | VICTOR+IAN |
| 20 | GRIEVEC | GRIEVANCE | A cause for complaint | EVAN (Welshman) inside GRICE (small pig) |
| 22 | DUMBERO | DUMBLEDORE | (double definition) | Dumbledore is a wizard in the Harry Potter stories by J K Rowling. |
| 24 | OLDLOO | OLD SCHOOL | (double definition) | Winchester college could be called an old school. |
| 26 | AVANI | AVANTI | Forward | AVIAN+[enthusias]T (anag: moves) |
| 27 | ESTR | ESCORT | (double definition) | Ford Escort – car from 1968 – 2000 |
| 28 | EGGR | EGGAR | Moth | EG (say)+GAR[den] ((half of) fertile region). This explanation has been amended as a result of comments 6 & 8. Original comment was: EG (say)+REG[ion] (anag: fertile (I think.) ) |
| 29 | FLEC | FLEECE | Overcharge | FLEE (leave hurredly)+CE (Chancellor (of the Exchequer)) |
I hadn’t seen this entry device before either, and found the puzzle a refreshing solve, having all normal clues, and no need to google for any details. Just the sort of thing for tackling over a leisurely couple of pints on a Saturday afternoon, even keeping an eye on the football, if you’re that way inclined 🙂
I once thought of using this idea with palindromes, but shan’t now! The checking could be tricky of course, but the clue-writer was mercifully helpful. Thanks to Kruger fo a good puzzle.
I enjoyed this very much. An interesting twist for the entries. One or two words that bounced twice would have been fun, but I guess that would have been a step too far.
Like Ken I thought that the puzzle would be more difficult than it actually was.
I think d6 should be a G from GRIEVEC
Oops – thanks Duncan. A spot of finger trouble in my Excel worksheet.
Fixed now.
Gah, I didn’t quite finish this as I thought 17A was catastrophical (even though it isn’t a word!), the incorrect checking letters therefore preventing me from getting crazy golf and lone ranger. Thanks for the blog Ken and to Kruger for a very novel, enjoyable puzzle.
28d. It makes no difference to the entry, but I’d thought the original word was eggar …. eg + half of garden (fertile region)
The Lone Ranger clue made me smile.
And WHINCHAT was the last answer to fall, a little time after I’d completed the grid.
Re 34a: I haven’t seen R clued by Russia – any reference?
In response to Kettledrum: according to Chambers, EGGER is more common than EGGAR (though shtum for a week …).
Comment 6: In retrospect, I think Kettledrum is right (about GAR being half of garden (=fertile region).
Yep, I think you’re both right. As you can see from my explanation, I wasn’t too happy with EGGER. This is one of those rare occasions when you can get the answer wrong and still be right!!
I’ve corrected the blog.
Din’t worry, Ken – I had exactly the same for the wordplay as your original (anagram of half of REGion), and wasn’t at all unhappy with it.
I loved this one. I went a bit wrong with 15ac. My first guess was ADVISE -AD +VIS + E(for drug). Which made 6dn impossible to solve until I realised a noun was needed not a verb. Even so, a thorougly enjoyable challenge. I would appreciate more puzzles as gratyifing as this one.
Thanks kenmac.
Thoroughly enjoyed this puzzle,which turned out to be easier than I thought from reading the preamble.
I got EGGAR as one of my first entries,as they seem to turn up in my garden most years in September(didn’t realise there was an alternative spelling).A beautiful large moth,one of the few moths I am able to identify!
Last one in for me was POSTCODE,which wasn’t as difficult as I was making it !