So clashes in across and downs this week will define a track with non-clashing clues containing a misprint which will guide you on your way. Also some thematic unclued entries to deduce. Sounds like lots of fun.
And so it proved to be.
Nothing too difficult in the clues and relatively obvious misprints led to “CENTENARY OF HIS BIRTH”. Though this did n’t give a great deal away in determining the thematic material. However, for those like myself with young children and a dislike of most things Disney, I was pleased to see that the FAT CONTROLLER was the solution to 5 down. Several of his hard working engines comprised the unclued entries PERCY, TOBY, OLIVER and EDWARD.
It was only when I read this series of books as an adult, I learnt to appreciate the writer’s “political” view point, as it were.
I’ve highlighted the track (of the clashes) below and the clashing letters.
| TR | R | O | P | P | O | F | E | T | C | H | E | D |
| HE | E | L | L | O | V | A | G | O | U | R | D | E |
| P | OV | MW | E | G | A | T | A | B | B | O | W | F |
| S | E | R | AI | N | L | C | R | Y | S | T | A | L |
| P | A | O | SL | O | A | O | T | A | B | O | R | U |
| M | L | T | TB | A | R | N | E | T | U | R | D | E |
| A | S | H | I | HE | ER | T | AV | NE | R | M | I | N |
| N | O | R | N | C | A | R | T | E | KR | O | I | T |
| I | L | I | K | E | D | O | S | P | E | R | C | Y |
| F | I | S | T | F | U | L | E | S | NA | A | K | E |
| E | V | E | H | I | K | L | C | R | O | GW | ID | R |
| S | E | N | A | T | E | E | R | EN | C | T | E | NR |
| T | R | A | I | T | O | R | U | M | B | E | R | EY |
So there’s a choice of THOMAS THE TANK ENGINE or REV WILBERT VERE AWDRY – a quick check of the preamble and its the theme’s creator and not his creation to be highlighted. It is indeed The Reverend Awdry’s centenary this year and this has been marked by a set of royal mail stamps (not that this is relevant to the crossword) – no doubt among other things. Certainly, an impressive feat by Loda to create two relevant options to select.
So the completed grid:
| R | R | O | P | P | O | F | E | T | C | H | E | D |
| E | E | L | L | O | V | A | G | O | U | R | D | E |
| P | V | W | E | G | A | T | A | B | B | O | W | F |
| S | E | R | I | N | L | C | R | Y | S | T | A | L |
| P | A | O | L | O | A | O | T | A | B | O | R | U |
| M | L | T | B | A | R | N | E | T | U | R | D | E |
| A | S | H | I | E | R | T | V | E | R | M | I | N |
| N | O | R | N | C | A | R | T | E | R | O | I | T |
| I | L | I | K | E | D | O | S | P | E | R | C | Y |
| F | I | S | T | F | U | L | E | S | A | A | K | E |
| E | V | E | H | I | K | L | C | R | O | W | D | R |
| S | E | N | A | T | E | E | R | EN | C | T | E | R |
| T | R | A | I | T | O | R | U | M | B | E | R | Y |
As to the gremlins in this weeks puzzle – The clue numbers were missing on the online version after 47, but could be deduced quite easily – I can’t comment on the printed version. It would n’t be the same if the Telegraph gremlins had n’t tampererd with something.
All in all my Sir Topham Hatt off to Loda.
Key: Rev – Reverse * Anagram, DD double definition
ACROSS
| 1 | Right back’s partner is too much! (6) | |
| Rev(rt) (right) + oppo (partner) = TROPPO | ||
| C | 5 | Fellow’s cut metal achieved a certain prize {PRICE} (7) |
| F (fellow) n+ etched (cut metal) = FETCHED | ||
| 10 | 10 Man starts to lace lyonnaise eggs — terrific! (7) | |
| He (man) + ll (starts to lace lyonnaise) + ova (eggs) = HELLOVA | ||
| E | 11 | Broad {BREAD} in Port-au-Prince is outrageously rude after a spell (6) |
| Go (spell) + (rude)* = GOURDE | ||
| 13 | Welcome gay in a letter? Just the opposite (5) | |
| Hidden (welcOME GAy) with a misdirection = OMEGA | ||
| 15 | Bird’s offence — taking ecstasy with Romeo (5) | |
| Sin (offence) taking (e (ecstasy) + r (romeo)) = SERIN | ||
| N | 17 | Call Scots flogging last and clear store (STONE}(7) |
| Cry (call) + (last)* = CRYSTAL | ||
| 18 | One’s in swimming pool to get dropped coin (5) | |
| (pool + a)* PAOLO | ||
| T | 21 | Bill’s yellow bean (BEAT) (5) |
| Tab (bill) + or (yellow) = TABOR | ||
| 24 | Rod’s not old (start of thinning hair!) (6) | |
| bar (rod) + net (not old) = BARNET | ||
| E | 26 | 50% off each four made with points on crust (CREST)(4) |
| Ur (50% of four) + de (50% of made) = URDE | ||
| 27 | Head unseen money handler’s more affected by volcanic dust (6) | |
| Cashier (money handler) – head = ASHIER | ||
| 28 | Against trimmed fur? Rats! (6) | |
| V (gainst) + ermin (rimmed fur – ermine) = VERMIN | ||
| N | 31 | (NORSE) Worse dialect in Orkney? Certainly not right now — at first (4) |
| No (certainly not) + r + n (right now at first) = NORN | ||
| 34 | Almost all withdraw from the east, transported by him perhaps? (6) | |
| Rev(retract – withdraw) – t (almost all) = CARTER | ||
| A | 38 | Was a fin (FAN) of decapitated fish found in middle of cauldron? (5) |
| Pike – p (decapitated fish) in ld (middle of cauldron) = LIKED | ||
| R | 39 | Mysterious stuff I left an amount for hand to deceive (RECEIVE)(7) |
| (stuff + I + l)* = FISTFUL | ||
| 43 | Coachwhip, for one, is almost bare (5) | |
| S (is) + naked – d (almost bare) = SNAKE | ||
| 46 | A social set bragged ignoring term of reference (5) | |
| Crowed (bragged) – e = CROWD | ||
| Y | 47 | Surprisingly tense receving amateur bods (BODY) that once governed Rome (6) |
| (tense + a)* = SENATE | ||
| 48 | One raises etc., awkwardly splitting pair of queens (7) | |
| Er (queen) + (etc)* + er (queen) = ERECTER | ||
| O | 49 | Stroke yellow mule (MOLE) for example (7) |
| Trait (stroke) + or (yellow) = TRAITOR | ||
| 50 | Polish edges of marcasite ruby with brownish appearance (6) | |
| (me + ruby)* = UMBERY |
DOWN
| 1 | Salesmen backing Queen’s rider (4) | |
| Rev(er : queen)) _+ ps (rider) = REPS | ||
| 2 | Make known assurgent Libya accepts first lady (6) | |
| Rev (Lar : Libya abbreviation) around eve (first lady) = REVEAL | ||
| 3 | Excuse parking on meadow (4) | |
| P (parking) + lea = PLEA | ||
| F | 4 | Put up endless American smack for ligure (FIGURE) (4) |
| Rev(Flavour (endless)) = OVAL | ||
| H | 7 | For crests (CHESTS) remove top of lapels from suit (4) |
| Clubs (suit) – l (top of lapels) = CUBS | ||
| I | 9 | Distraught nude left running towards Nader (NADIR) (8) |
| (nude left)* = DEFLUENT | ||
| S | 11 | Scott(SCOTS) compelled retraction of newspaper — Times at first (4) |
| Rev(rag – newspaper) + t (times at first) = GART | ||
| B | 12 | One pushes goat {BOAT} as far as entrance to ranch after run out (5) |
| Ro (run out) + to + R (entrance to ranch) = ROTOR | ||
| 14 | Composed? — almost hot and stormy (5) | |
| Wrote – e (composed almost + h (hot) = WROTH | ||
| 16 | Play about with husband, a boat builder (4) | |
| No (play)+ a (about) + h (husband) = NOAH | ||
| 19 | Flipping contracts leads to outraged reaction (5) | |
| Rev (knits (contracts)) = STINK | ||
| 20 | Piece of ground — acre — a see’s disposed of (4) | |
| Acre – c (see) + a = AREA | ||
| 22 | Silence (rub out) Kelvin by end of June (5) | |
| (rub)* + k (kelvin) + e (end of June) = BURKE | ||
| I | 23 | Last {LIST} of cargo is meant for missing gold ordered (8) |
| (is meant for – or(gold))* = MANIFEST | ||
| 25 | Upsets romantic poet John, taking his capital away (4) | |
| Keats (romantic poet) – K (his capital) = EATS | ||
| 29 | Rex likes these local plants in shed cut and pulled up (4) | |
| Rev (spend (shed) – d) = NEPS (Catmint) | ||
| 30 | Girl’s a short time to wrangle (5) | |
| Mo (short time) + rag (wrangle) = MORAG | ||
| R | 33 | Eccentric senior’s left Oval — moved from ground to goof {ROOF} maybe? (5) |
| (senior – o (old) )* = RISEN | ||
| 35 | King’s in colder environment, more unpleasant (6) | |
| K (king) in icier (colder) = ICKIER | ||
| T | 40 | International Atomic Time covers hour of Asian stage {STATE} (4) |
| tai (temps atomique international) around h (hour)) = THAI | ||
| 41 | Once musical strain’s loud it overwhelms tenor (4) | |
| F (loud) + it + t (tenor) = FITT | ||
| H | 42 | Rue {HUE}… rue getting involved with Nicky, essentially (4) |
| (rue)* around c (nicky essentially) = ECRU | ||
| 44 | Any other competent business would, secondly, cut back supply (4) | |
| (back – c)* around o (would secondly) = AOCB (The abbreviation in the preamble) | ||
| 45 | Feel great desire for Edmund’s bird (4) | |
| DD (Edmund being Spenser) = ERNE |