I-I-I! Mea culpa! The piercing eye of the acute observer will have noticed that I’m a tiny bit late with this post. Sorry. I was obsessively cataloging my alphabetti spaghetti. I’m sure you’ll understand. My therapist does.
The title of the puzzle gives a heavy hint as to how the down clues have to be altered. In each case, the ‘E’ has to ‘go’, that is, to be moved out of place. I was fortunate enough to cotton onto this quite early on which meant, with the occasional across clue keeping me right, a relatively quick population of the grid. There were quite a lot of anagrams, which helped maintain momentum, especially if you’re not very strict in denying yourself electronic solving aids.
Tying in, albeit slightly tenuously, with this ‘movement of E’, the extra letters in the across clues gave the first seven words from the well-known phrase DOS MOI POU STO KAI TEN GEN KINESO which, as I’m sure we all remember from our childhood Greek (You did all receive a childhood Greek?), means, “Give me where to stand, and I will move the earth”. This claim, the basic tenet of which has been criticised by modern science with all its clever folding space and time, is attributed to Archimedes.
You’ll have gathered that the letter to be added in the middle is also an E. This leaves ‘WHERE’ and ‘IFEOR’, showing that Ifor has a very literal ‘ego problem’, needing the E to go. Away this time, rather than elsewhere, but still…
Some very well written clues, either deceptive or simply with a lovely smooth surface. A few examples that I’m noted where 17dn, 23dn, 27dn, 38dn…
I am afraid that I have been unable to parse 30dn. I’m sure that a superior solver will enlighten me.
XXXX* = anagram
< = reversal
xxx = unused letter(s)
DOS = additional letters
| Across | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DOS |
1 | REDDENDOS | Legal clauses in Scotland refuse office parties (6) | legal clauses (in Scotland): RED (refuse) + DEN (office) + DOS (parties) |
| 5 | ESCARPS | Frantically scrapes sides of trench (7) | sides of trench: SCRAPES* {frantically} | |
| 11 | CLERISY | Educated people necessarily strange – not sane, mad (7) | educated people: neCEsSaRILY* {strange – not SANE*{mad}} | |
| 13 | TRIPLE |
Group of three sheep lie disemboweled (6) | group of three: TRIP (sheep) LiE {disemboweled} | |
| 14 | TAO | The right way to a rogue (3) | the right way: TOA* {rogue} | |
| 15 | BLEAT | Table fresh complaint (5) | complaint: TABLE* {fresh} | |
| MOI | 16 | PALMOIL | Bribe partner to labour once (4) | bribe: PAL (partner) + MOIL (archaic, labour) |
| 18 | THEES |
These reported, says you, once upon a time (5) | you, once upon a time: homophone {reported} of THESE | |
| POU | 19 | ESPOUSES | Embraces unusual insight, so use when worried (5) | embraces: ESP (unusual insight) + SOUSE* {worried} |
| 20 | SODOM |
Old bishop ensnared by perversion in place of depravity (5) | place of depravity: ins. {ensnared} of ODO (old bishop) in S(&)M (perversion) | |
| 21 | AWRY |
On one’s guard against danger, advance to the front in error (4) | in error: alteration (moving A (advance) to the front) of WARY (on one’s guard against danger) | |
| 22 | DAHLIA |
Trouble experience over flower (6) | flower: < {over} AIL (trouble) + HAD (experienced) | |
| 24 | MARRI | Disfigure state tree of Western Australia (5) | tree of Western Australia: MAR (disfigure) + RI (state) | |
| STO | 26 | RESTOCKS |
Freshly supplies rockets dispatched to sun (5) | freshly supplies: [ROCKETS + S (sun)]* |
| 29 | ESDRAS |
One date not included in misprinted address books (6) | books: ADdRESS* {misprinted, no ‘D’ (date)} | |
| 31 | FIAT |
Able to grasp a command (4) | command: ins. of A in FIT (able) | |
| KAI | 33 | SKAILING |
Cover government, concealing trouble spreading to Scotland (5) | spreading to Scotland: ins. {concealing} AIL (trouble) in SKIN (cover) G (government) |
| 35 | EASEL |
Front to back, let’s stand for a picture (5) | stand for a picture: < {front to back} LEASE (let) | |
| 37 | TAPIR | Animal part in short supply (5) | animal: [PART + I (in short)]* [supply] | |
| 39 | EERY | Strange right eye’s squint (4) | strange: [R (right) + EYE]* {squint} | |
| 40 | ADSUM | Maud’s confused here (5) | here: MAUDS* {confused} | |
| TEN |
41 | TENACE | It gives opportunity for finesse of two cards (3) | it gives opportunity for finesse: TEN + ACE (two cards) |
| 42 | AREOLE | Spot a triumphant cry (6) | spot: ARE (a) + OLÉ (triumphant cry) | |
| 43 | NEBULAR | Cloudy, beginning to rain; sadly unable to go ahead (7) | cloudy: UNABLE* {sadly, to go ahead=first} + R (beginning to Rain) | |
| GEN |
44 | CONVERGENT | Continued to keep new staff of office targeting the same point (7) | targeting the same point: ins. {to keep} of N (new) + VERGE (staff of office) in CONT (continued) |
| 45 | FRAENA | They might restrain members in wrestling arena after start of fight (6) | they might restrain members: F (start of Fight) + ARENA* {wrestling} | |
| Down | ||||
| 1 | RECTO | Front page in directory (5) | front page: diRECTOry | |
| 2 | LEAD | Guidance came (4) | double definition | |
| 3 | DOWSER |
He uses rule to diagnose misspelt English words (6) | he uses rule to diagnose: [E (English) + WORDS]* {misspelt} | |
| 4 | ILEUS |
Obstruction in London’s premier station not turned away (5) | obstruction: I (in) + L (London’s premier) + EUSton (station) {<NOT away} | |
| 5 | YAHWEH | God’s end of the way, with two hearts entwined (6) | god: [E (end of thE) + WAY + HH (two hearts)]* {entwined} | |
| 6 | SET-TO | Dispute in MOT test overturned after wings are scrapped (5, hyphenated) | dispute: < {overturned} mOTTESt {wings are scrapped} | |
| 7 | CROSIERS | Dealers turn up to square crooks (8) | crooks: alteration of CROUPIERS (dealers), replacing UP with S (square) | |
| 8 | REPAID | Returned person’s help (gave money back) (6) | gave money back: < {returned} PER (person) + AID (help) | |
| 9 | PELLOCK | Porpoise from loch almost trapped in tangled kelp (7) | porpoise: ins. of LOCh {almost} in KELP* {tangled} | |
| 10 | SLIMIEST | Most greasy items slip out of control when pressure’s released (8) | most greasy: ITEMSSLIp* {out of control, no P (pressure)} | |
| 12 | STRAFED |
Attacked military aircraft in historic service (7) | attacked: ins. of RAF (military aircraft) in STED (obs. service) | |
| 17 | AYRE | New Year song no longer (4) | song no longer (=obs.): YEAR* {new} | |
| 21 | AMNESIAC | Doctor came in as he’s forgotten everything (8) | he’s forgotten everything: CAMEINAS* | |
| 22 | DISGAVEL | Release from tenure – lad gives ground (8) | release from tenure: LADGIVES* {ground} | |
| 23 | LOAFERS |
Jumble sale for those who stand around (7) | those who stand around: SALEFOR* {jumble} | |
| 25 | ALLEGRO |
Lager lout, half-cut, rampaging in lively fashion (7) |
in lively fashion: [LAGER + LOut {half-cut}]* {rampaging} | |
| 27 | FATE |
Trouble after incomplete final issue (4) | final issue: AFTEr* {trouble} | |
| 28 | WIVERN | Secure shackles over headless monster (6) | monster: ins. {shackles} of oVER {headless} in WIN (secure) | |
| 30 | RIDENT | Call to silence from loud shrill laughing (6) | laughing: ****** | |
| 32 | ISRAEL | Serial criminal nominally striving with God (6) | nominally striving with God (refers to meaning of ‘Israel’): SERIAL* {criminal} | |
| 34 | SPARE | Meagre cuts in small stages succeeded at the start (5) | meagre: alteration of PARES (cuts in small stages), S (succeeded) at the start | |
| 35 | TUBER | Very stupid person’s recipe for some fungi (5) | some fungi: TUBE (very stupid person) + R (recipe) | |
| 36 | LEPRA | Disease contained by capable practitioner (5) | disease: capabLEPRActitioner | |
| 38 | CANE | Stir with end of large stick (4) | stick: CAN (stir=prison) + E (end of largE) | |
Hi Mr S.
30dn is [st]RIDENT, st being a ‘call for silence’ or as Chambers defines it “hush”.
The preamble states that the highlighting gives a cryptic representation of the first part of the statement “give me where to stand” so we have “me” (IFOR) being given (containing) “WHERE” standing (vertical).