Azed No 2116 Christmas Devilry

by

This year Azed’s Christmas puzzle combined an old favourite (although not of all solvers), Printer’s Devilry,  for the across clues, with something entirely new for the down clues. These were normal clues made more complex by the addition of a jumble of consecutive letters referring to the equivalent across clue (in sequential order). I can only wonder at the effort this must have involved. The effect, strangely, was perhaps to make the puzzle rather easier to solve than had all the clues been PD.

For the purposes of the blog,  all clues as published are in blue.  I have then shown the across clues with the missing letters included in capitals to show the full wording, and I have shown the down clues with the additional letters capitalised, followed by a brief explanation of the clue with the extraneous letters removed.  I hope this makes it possible to see how the hidden answers in the across clues were extracted, and what the correct form of the down clues was.

Across
1 INTERCOM Many birds will be flying south with wing (8)
Many birds will be flying south with wINTER COMing.
7 APSE As soldiers, chat in a mess (4)
As soldiers, chAPS Eat in a mess.
10 LARDALITE To buy are guns, of thousands – won’t seem excessive to collectors(9)
To buy a reguLAR DALI TEns of thousands won’t seem excessive to collectors.
11 DARIC Some fine puddings – too much after a big main course? (5)
Some finD A RICe pudding’s too much after a big main course
12 ORATES He’s rather unfit, soft, must train extra-hard (6)
He’s rather unfit so fOR A TESt must train extra-hard.
14 INMARSAT The traffic’s down as environment for residents (8)
The traffic’s dIN MARS A Town as environment for residents.
17 EVERTOR You don’t have to be clear, children, just loving and patient (7)
You don’t have to be clEVER TO Rear children, just loving and patient.
18 OUTSAT A bad-tempered teacher, clot in class, at his peril (6)
A bad-tempered teacher clOUTS A Tot in class at his peril.
19 UNIFIC A plain sponge is OK, but many think it more, fed (6)
A plain sponge is OK, but many think it more fUN IF ICed.
21 BLEARY The concept of humans was not part of Hitler’s philosophy (6)
The concept of humBLE ARYans was not part of Hitler’s philosophy.
23 COMEDO It’s hard to communicate with grandpa, now he has Betty (6)
It’s hard to communicate with grandpa, now he has beCOME DOtty.
25 LEGROOM Best men should know how to, hands being ready at all times (7)
Best men should know how to handLE GROOMs, being ready at all times.
28 MEATSAFE Our young one not keen on jaw? Marmite sandwiches for tea (8)
Our young one not keen on jaM EATS A FEw Marmite sandwiches for tea.
30 EITHER Why bother with other resorts I like? (6)
Why bother with other resorts? I likE IT HERe.
31 SURER As a result of the economic present, charges will rise (5)
As a result of the economic presSURE Rent charges will rise.
32 IDEALLESS Some people suppress any sign of emotion and hence of humanity (9)
Some people suppress any sign of emotion and hIDE ALL ESSence of humanity.
33 HEWN It’s irritating seeing many cuts throughout the film (4)
It’s irritating seeing many cHEW Nuts throughout the film.
34 SAND EELS Fishermen lay sea nets to trap their catch (8)
Fishermen lay seanS AND EELSets to trap their catch.
Down
1 INDIGO BLUE Pigment boiling duct – mine ore after crushing (10)
Pigment boiling duCTMINEORe after crushing.
*(BOILING DUE).
2 NAAN Granny’s snaffling first bit of peasants’ bread (4)
Granny’s snaffling first bit of PEASants’ bread.
A in NAN.
3 TERMITE Insect: end one on hollow treille (a trade) (7)
Insect: end one on hollow treILLEATRADe.
TERM 1 T(re)E.
4 ELIANS Most crawled slowly uphill for a writer’s fad: cairns (6)
Most crawled slowly uphill for a writer’s faDCAIRns.
SNAILE(d)(rev).  Followers of Charles Lamb (who wrote under the name Elia).
5 CRUSE Small poet, a sort that’ll do for ships’ companies in sound (5)
Small poETASORt that’ll do for ships’ companies in sound.
Sounds like “crews”.
6 MARTENOT Market raised toast in Marne for French inventor (8)
Market raised toASTINMARne for French inventor.
MART, TONE(rev).  Maurice Martenot invented an early form of synthesizer.
7 A L’ABRI Maybe Peter or vet found with air swirling around, under shelter (6)
Maybe PeTERORVEt found with air swirling around, under shelter.
LAB(rador) in *AIR.
8 PITH It’s topping for those in the sun, a certain coast, outré (4)
It’s topping for those in the sun, a certain coASTOUTre.
I think that this is just a cryptic definition, referring to a pith hat: any other suggestions?
9 STEROIDS Do resist mixing compounds e.g. in bun ICI file (8)
Do resist mixing compounds e.g in bUNICIFIile.
*(DO RESIST).
13 SARCOMERES Doctoring scares about measure: muscle cell parley (Barts) (10)
Doctoring scares about measures: muscle cell pARLEYBarts.
OMER in *SCARES.
15 YULETIDE See preamble (8)
The competition word.
16 CAROMELS Warbler (MO) ogles about me: bonbons rarely (8)
WarbleRMOOGLEs about me: bonbons rarely.
ME in CAROLS.
20 FEDARIE One of old accomplices as a team fête tailless gazelle (7)
One of old accomplices aSATEAMFEte tailless gazelle.
FED ARIE(l).
22 ARGHAN Fibre from Moroccan tree having hart, i.e. herd, inside (6)
Fibre from Moroccan tree having harTIEHERd inside.
H in ARGAN.
24 MISUSE Abrus reuse is accepted in contemplation (6)
AbRUSREuse is accepted in contemplation.
IS in MUSE.
26 MAVEN Expert chaps, one verse sale idly involved (5)
Expert chaps, one verSESALEIDLy involved.
A V in MEN.
27 STEW With news broadcast (English, not international) in state of agitation (4)
WitHNEWs broadcast (English, not international) in state of agitation.
*WITS, with E for I.
29 FELL Was she lass ended in upland tract? (4)
Was shELASSENDed in upland tract?
Cryptic definition.

*anagram

7 comments on “Azed No 2116 Christmas Devilry”

  1. Thank you for the very clear blog bridgesong. Azed certainly likes making work for himself. The real problem I find with this sort of thing is remembering quite what I’m supposed to be doing with each clue but that doesn’t detract from the enjoyment.

  2. I agree that the ‘jumbled’ down clues led to easier solving of the PD’s – this is the first PD puzzle I have ever completed!

    And although the jumbles made the solving easier, it sure made it a lot tougher to get a decent competition clue together.

    Nick

  3. Yet another excellent crossword from Azed – he really does go to a lot of effort to produce puzzles that are satisfying to solve. Thanks also to bridgesong for the clear blog.

    29dn: I think this is a double definition: fell[5] and fell[2].

  5. Thanks all
    When I reach the end of a crossword like this (Monday afternoon) I lean back and spend a few moments both admiring and being gateful for the compiler’s effort.
    I had a poor attempt at ‘yuletide’ which only increased my admiration.
    I am sometimes criticised when I complain that a weekday puzzle is too easy; I’m afraid that when challenges like this come along it just reinforces my view that such delights are achievable by humans.

  6. I slightly disagree that this format was easier because, like sidey, I was constantly reminding myself whether I was adding or subtracting.
    I did write next to each down clue the enumeration for the corresponding across clue which avoided repeated clue counting.

Comments are closed.