Recently, there have been a number of EVs that have left me staring blankly at a filled grid, unclear as to how to proceed. Although it shouldn’t have been, this was one of those.
For some reason (probably the fact that the words are technical), I overlooked the missing letter in the definition to 7dn. This led to a certain amount of delay, and a painstaking re-parsing of all of the clues (indicating why I should probably write this blog as, rather than after, I solve).
Once I’d found the letter, things moved a little more quickly, though not unproblematically, towards their conclusion. Before making more progress there was a brief dalliance with the possibilities of the films ‘M’ and ‘Dial M for Murder’ (the latter partly due to FRENZY also appearing). Then the true significance of M became apparent: James Bond films and, in particular, Dr. No (it is the film, rather than the book, that is the theme).
The adjustment to be made in the answer to 7dn was then pretty obvious, and meant that BONE became BOND.
The Ms in clues lead to an embarrassment of Dr. No characters (and one malevolent organisation), none of which (not even 22dn) I had consciously noticed:
QUARREL
(Professor R.J.) DENT
HONEYCHILE (Rider)
(Dr.) JULIUS (No)
(Felix) GAULEITER
SPECTRE
(Sylvia) TRENCH
(Miss) TARO
Lastly, starting with the newly-inserted D, we have the two contiguous words that are to be highlighted, namely, DR. NO.
Notation
(xxx) = definition
{xxx} = (anagram/homophone/container/etc.) indicator
XXX* = anagram
< = reversal
xxx = unused letter(s)
maxilla=added letter
Please post a comment if the explanations are not clear.
| Across | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | JIGGUMBOBS | Robert is trailing German stringed instrument surrounded by James’s gadgets (10) | gadgets: BOB (Robert) S (is) [trailing] G (German) GU (stringed instrument) [surrounded by] JIM (James) |
| 10 | NUCHAL | Gypsy pursues foreign letter belonging to scruff (6) | belonging to scruff: CHAL (gypsy) [pursues] NU (foreign letter) |
| 11 | ADOPT | Approve physical training after difficulty (5) | approve: PT (physical training) [after] ADO (difficulty) |
| 12 | ULEX | Wife brings inside most of meadow plant (4) | plant: UX (wife) [brings inside] [most of] LEA (meadow) |
| 13 | INCONIE | Within a small group learn once – that is fine for Shakespeare (7) | fine for Shakespeare: IN (within a small) CON (learn once) IE (that is) |
| 14 | PLUS | Additional fabric is finally cut (4) | additional: PLUSH (fabric) [finally cut] |
| 16 | ENA | Fire lady (amateur nurse previously) (3) | fire lady: A (amateur) EN (nurse) [previously] |
| 17 | OUMA | South African nanny stuck in Khartoum airport (4) | South African nanny: [stuck in] khartOUMAirport |
| 18 | QUARREL | Fencing move cut – relative ground of complaint (7) | ground of complaint: QUART (fencing move) [cut] REL (relative) |
| 19 | USER | Marshal getting rid of heroin for druggie (4) | druggie: USHER (marshal) [getting rid of] H (heroin) |
| 20 | IMPLANTS | Inserts one thousand saplings (8) | inserts: I (one) M (thousand) PLANTS (saplings) |
| 23 | STARTFUL | Apt to begin second dish almost stuffed (8) | apt to begin: S (second) TART (dish) FULL [almost] (stuffed) |
| 26 | SOAP | Doctors, perhaps, provided additional premium (4) | doctors, perhaps: SO (provided) AP (additional premium) |
| 28 | BREWERY | Lexicographer finishing with Y – yeast is in there (7) | yeast is in there: BREWER (lexicographer) Y |
| 30 | PAVE | Pitch music for dance dropping note (4) | pitch: PAVEN (music for dance) [dropping] N (note) |
| 31 | LET | Previously prevented first half of bee, perhaps (3) | previously prevented: [first half of] LETTER (bee, perhaps) |
| 33 | EBBS | Falls in Derby occasionally needing surgeon (4) | falls: dErBy [occasionally] BS (surgeon) |
| 35 | EN AVANT | Wing backed soldier, perhaps, being forward in France (7, 2 words) | being forward in France: <VANE (wing) [backed] ANT (soldier) |
| 36 | DENT | Director initiates medical, ward’s reduction in money (4) | reduction in money: D (director) ENT (medical ward) |
| 37 | ACRED | Aircraftsman with a former squadron landed (5) | landed: AC (aircraftsman) RED (a former squadron) |
| 38 | DE-BLUR | Sharpen education reverting to British pop band (6, hyphenated) | sharpen: <ED (education) [reverting] BLUR (British pop band) |
| 39 | HONEY-CHILE | Mel’s country term of endearment for southern girl (10, hyphenated) | term of endearment for southern girl: HONEY (mel) + CHILE (country) |
| Down | |||
| 1 | ANUROUS | An ox no longer consumes head of ox without tail (7) | without tail: AN URUS (ox no longer) [consumes] O (head of Ox) |
| 2 | JULIUS | Emperor of Japan upset filipino about independence (6) | emperor: J (Japan) <SULU [upset] (filipino) [about] I (independence) |
| 3 | ICES | New York butchers cut up rump of cows (not dead) (4) | New York butchers: DICE (cut up) S (rump of cowS) [not] D (dead) |
| 4 | GAULEITER | Official under the Nazi regime in France returning to fasten again (9) | official under the Nazi regime: GAUL (France) <RETIE [returning] (to fasten again) |
| 5 | MANS UP | Marks answer amiss and accepts responsibility (6, 2 words) | accepts responsibility: M (marks) ANS (answer) UP (amiss) |
| 6 | ODOUR | Old grim scent (5) | scent: O (old) DOUR (grim) |
| 7 | BONE | Tree beginning afresh dropping last maxilla, perhaps (4) | maxilla, perhaps: BO (tree) NEW (beginning afresh) [dropping last] |
| 8 | SPINET | Play a record on film – a tuneful contrivance (6) | tuneful contrivance: SPIN (play a record) ET (film) |
| 9 | STEAL | Snip special bird (4) | snip: S (special) TEAL (bird) |
| 14 | PARR | Almost ward off fish (4) | fish: [almost] PARRY (ward off) |
| 15 | GALLABIEH | Irritate a Hebrew up the wrong way grabbing one local cloak (9) | local cloak: GALL (irritate) A <HEB (Hebrew) [up the wrong way] [grabbing] I (one) |
| 21 | ASPS | Reptiles die with head down (4) | reptiles: PASS (die) [with head down] |
| 22 | SPECTRE | Phantom’s dropping head in respect (7) | phantom: RESPECT [dropping head] |
| 24 | TRENCH | Fish encircles river in moat (6) | moat: TENCH (fish) [encircles] R (river) |
| 25 | FRENZY | Tailspin from fighter plane on unknown journey once overhead (starting to yaw) (6) | tailspin: F (fighter plane) Z (unknown) REN (journey once) [overhead] Y (starting to Yaw) |
| 27 | AVENUE | Anonymous location for passage (6) | passage: A (anonymous) VENUE (location) |
| 28 | BLEAK | Black hole lacks colour in places (5) | lacks colour in places: B (black) LEAK (hole) |
| 29 | WOVEN | Lear, perhaps, succeeds with crossed threads (5) | with crossed threads: OVEN (lear, perhaps) [succeeds] W (with) |
| 32 | TARO | Salt on arum (4) | arum: TAR (salt) O (on) |
| 34 | HELL | Previously cover pit (4) | pit: HELL (previously cover) |
Thanks, Mr S. I would have said that Bond and Dr No were overlapping words, not contiguous.
Tony,
Certainly ‘Bond’ and ‘Dr No’ are overlapping, but ‘Dr’ and ‘No’ are contiguous. We were, if I understood correctly, to highlight DRNO, not BONDRNO.