Inquisitor 1291Preamble: Two clues contain an extra word, the two words giving a cryptic hint to the theme. In all other clues, the correct forms of single letter misprints give a thematic example identifying two groups, each of which after thematic treatment is represented in the grid: one group, including plurals, in the eight shaded unclued entries (all real words, entered clockwise); the other group in nine symmetrically disposed clued entries, which must be highlighted (45 cells altogether). One member of the latter group is a proper noun, the first word in a two-word name. Unchecked letters in the unclued entries could make SORCERESS TEASED LEO.
Long, confusing but ultimately fair, just the way we bloggers (and other solvers) luv ’em! 😉
In my experience when one of these puzzles has misprints they tend to be in the definition but these misprints could and did appear anywhere in the clue plus we had the added problem of looking out for the two clues with a superfluous word. Given the above, I found it very tough to get started. Eventually some clues capitulated and I managed to get going though the corrected misprints took ages to form anything approaching meaningful.
Eventually I started to see some words forming, giving AROUND THE RUGGED ROCKS THE RAGGED RASCALS RAN meaning that the nine symmetrically disposed clue entries were anagrams (rugged) of rocks and the eight shaded unclued entries were anagrams (ragged) of rascals.
Knowing that the rocks were symmetrically disposed and knowing that they covered 45 cells in all made it fairly easy to find all the rocks. My first way in was RESAY (j5-j9) which is an anagram of AYERS (the first word in a two word name: AYERS Rock or, more correctly, Uluru.) Other rocks are: ACERBIC(c3-i3), FREE(l2-l5), NAVEL(g5-g9), NIRLIE(d9-i9), PRAT(b9-b12), SKRAN(d5-d9), STONIER(d5-j5) and TEARING(e11-k11) giving BRECCIA, REEF, ELVAN, INLIER, TRAP, KRANS, NORITES and GRANITE, respectively.
The rascals are, obviously, ORGEAT(a1-f1), MUSKLE(g1-l1), SCYLLA(m1-m6), NODDER(m7-m12), RORTER(m13-h13), LASCAR(g13-b13), SOLDER(a13-a8) and TRAVEL(a7-a2) giving TOERAG, SKELUM, SCALLY, DONDER, TERROR, RASCAL, DRÔLE and VARLET.
The only things I didn’t really understand were the puzzle’s title, BABEL and the extra words, RESTED and TORNADO. I’m guessing that RESTED is an anagram of DESERT (loosely speaking a rock) and TORNADO is indicative of spinning round-and-round but I’m quite happy to be put right by respondents. ** see comments 1-5 (below) **
LICK (35d) + TORNADO (36d) = TONGUE TWISTER. BABEL = a scene of confusion.
This was a superb puzzle with so many levels revealing themselves gradually. The construction is impressive with all real words and symmetrical thematic material. I found it extremely tough but I wonder if that might be more to do with the fever that had me laid up for three days. In any case, very enjoyable stuff – thanks Dysart.
| Across | |||||
No. |
Clue |
Amended clue (definition underlined) |
Entry |
Corrected letter |
Wordplay |
| 9 | Isolated, like European confined in solitary | Isolated, lake European confined in solitary | LONELY | A |
Lake+ONLY (solitary) containing European |
| 10 | Feudal land from queen given to farmers initially | Feudal land from queer given to farmers initially | FIEF | R |
FIE (queer)+F(armers; intially) |
| 12 | A Celt meeting King Edward, first half of quarrel being bitter | A Colt meeting King Edward, first half of quarrel being bitter | ACERBIC | O |
A+Colt+ER (King Edward [Edward Rex])+BIC[ker] (quarrel; first half) |
| 13 | Yet more old radios jamming, not in some areas | Yet more old radius jamming, not in some areas | NARY | U |
NAY (yet more) containing Radius |
| 14 | Twisted veils are briefly clutched by failing soprano | Twisted veins are briefly clutched by failing soprano | VARICES | N |
ARe (briefly) inside VICE (failing)+Soprano |
| 15 | Boars move around upland tract having no borders | Board move around upland tract having no borders | PANEL | D |
PAN (move around)+fELl (tract; having no borders) |
| 17 | It’s more fashionable to shop around | It’s more fashionable to stop around | TONIER | T |
TO+REIN (stop; rev: around) |
| 20 | Told about trick to protect king | Hold about trick to protect king | RECKON | H |
RE (about)+CON (trick) containing King |
| 21 | Feller introducing cardinal to retired Indian brass | Feeler introducing cardinal to retired Indian brass | ANTENNA | E |
TEN (cardinal number) inside ANNA (old: retired Indian money: brass) |
| 22 | Fungicide, the last of three briefly applied to a mask | Fungicide, the last of three briefly applied to a mark | THIRAM | R |
THIRd (3rd; last of three; briefly)+A+Mark |
| 25 | Silence one local carrying special firearm having an unsolid feel | Silence one local carrying special firearm having an unsolid fuel | GAS GUN | U |
GAG (silence) containing Special+UN (one) |
| 26 | Irish deny installing ultimately offensive plaque in Parisian street | Irish deny installing ultimately offensive plague in Parisian street | RENAGUE | G |
offensivE (ultimately)+NAG (plague) inside RUE (French for street) |
| 27 | Actor Marvin breaking into box office | Actor Margin breaking into box office | BRANDO | G |
RAND (margin) inside BO (box office) |
| 31 | Typical young female, now employed for good, is mean to Angus | Typical young female, new employed for good, is mean to Angus | NIRLIE | E |
gIRLIE (New substituted for Good) |
| 33 | Perhaps comely face of Devi, a Hindu incarnation | Perhaps comedy face of Devi, a Hindu incarnation | DRAMA | D |
Devi (face of)+RAMA (Hindu incarnation) |
| 35 | Leaves by yard made the sound of an insect | Leaves by yard made the round of an insect | KATYDID | R |
KAT (leaves)+Yard+DID (made the round) |
| 37 | Local slew Roman prefect out of confusion | Local slow Roman prefect out of confusion | LATE | O |
piLATE (Roman prefect: Pontius Pilate) minus PI (confusion) |
| 38 | Leaves mall in a hurry | Leaves call in a hurry | TEARING | C |
TEA (leaves)+RING (call) |
| 39 | Yank’s casually passing underneath Russian jeeps | Yank’s casually passing underneath Russian keeps | THRU | K |
underneaTH RUssian (hidden: keeps) |
| 40 | Star’s key gag (passé) | Star’s key gas (passé) | ALTAIR | S |
ALT (key Рon a computer)+AIR (gas; obsolete: pass̩) |
| Down | |||||
| No. | Clue | Amended clue (definition underlined) | Entry | Corrected letter or extra word |
Wordplay |
| 1 | Trooper regularly collects shabby clothes to burn | Trooper regularly collects shabby clothes to turn | ROTATE | T |
tRoOpEr (regularly) containing TAT (shabby clothes) |
| 2 | Swelling in molly perhaps angler treated, removing scale finally | Swelling in holly perhaps angler treated, removing scale finally | GNARL | H |
ANGLeR minus scalE (finally) (anag: treated) |
| 3 | Caning disrupts ancient feast to vengeful goddess | Canine disrupts ancient feast to vengeful goddess | ALECTO | E |
ALE (ancient feast)+Canine+TO |
| 4 | Mediterranean port – was God here at the end? | Mediterranean port – war God here at the end? | TYRE | R |
TYR (war god)+herE (at the end) |
| 5 | Restoration of tombs uncovered historical cups | Restoration of tombs uncovered historical caps | MOBS | A |
tOMBS (uncovered; anag: restoration of) |
| 6 | Dull excursion’s done for marriage | Dull excursion’s gone for marriage | UNITING | G |
UNexcITING minus EXCursion |
| 7 | Relatives having a chance in New Britain | Relatives having a change in New Britain | KINA (New Britain is part of Papua New Guinea, where kina is the currency) |
G |
KIN (relatives)+A |
| 8 | Bint runs out of knowledge | Bent runs out of knowledge | LEANING | E |
LEArNING (knowledge; minus Runs) |
| 11 | Rio’s godfather finally in charge | Rid’s godfather finally in charge | FREE | D |
godfatheR (finally) inside FEE (charge) |
| 16 | Fate toppled informers | Fare toppled informers | SKRAN | R |
NARKS (informers; rev: toppled) |
| 18 | Nazi leader’s raised cosh in Sofia’s centre | Nazi leader’s raised cash in Sofia’s centre | NAVEL | A |
N(azi; leader)+LEVA (currency in Sofia, capital of Bulgaria) |
| 19 | Former PLO leader, perhaps halfheartedly, riding in state once more | Former PLO leader, perhaps halfheartedly, rising in state once more | RESAY | S |
YASsER (Yasser Arafat: former PLO leader, perhaps; halfheartedly; rev: rising) |
| 23 | I and American thank trackers, a group of Zulus | I and American thank crackers, a group of Zulus | INKATHA | C |
I+American+THANK (anag: crackers) |
| 24 | One old perennial ground yields fish favoured by Romans | One old perennial around yields fish favoured by Romans | MURAENA | A |
ANE (old word for one)+ARUM (perennial) (rev: around) |
| 28 | Recover walk perhaps creeping without power | Recover wall perhaps creeping without power | RETILE | L |
REpTILE (creeping; minus Power) |
| 29 | Servant exchanging tips with one old Arian noble | Servant exchanging tips with one old Asian noble | DAIMIO | S |
MAID (first and last transposed)+I (one)+Old |
| 30 | Dump dope | Rump dope | PRAT | R |
(double def) |
| 32 | Mole ruined garden hedges | Male ruined garden hedges | EDGAR | A |
ruinED GARden (hidden: hedges) |
| 34 | Soldier rested briefly in limo | N/A | MERC | N |
 **see comments 1-5 (below)** |
| 35 | Lick Maori food with a bit of local cabbage | Link Maori food with a bit of local cabbage | KAIL | KAI (Maori food)+L(ocal; bit of) **see comments 1-5 (below)** |
|
| 36 | At a distance losing force tornado circles top of rubber tree | N/A | ARAR | TORNADO |
 |
We had the ‘n’ at the end of the cryptic hint appearing in 34d giving ‘nested’ rather than in link asyou have in the blog. That left us with lick as the second word. Putting the two together it would then give you lick = tongue and tornado = twister.
The title was a bit of a mystery except that Chambers defines it as a ‘sense of confusion’ or a ‘confused sound of voices’.
There may be something about people speaking in tongues if we remember the Bible story correctly.
We also took a while to get started and needed you for the parsing of 9 ac so thanks for that.
Thanks Dysart for the challenge!
soldier rented! lick = tongue.
Thanks Martin Haigh – it was too early this morning and when Bert had a look at it he reminded me of the correct parsing for 34ac! Senility set iin obviously as it was me – Joyce who solved that one!!
Hi kenmac – I’ve just noticed that the blog is filed under uncategorized.
I too had “Lick” as the extra word 35d, but couldn’t then work out where the n should go in 34d. This was partly because the clue as it stands made perfect sense – at least to me.
I couldn’t parse 13a, 15a, 35a, 37a (my LOI) as well as 34d so thanks kenmac.
I’m not sure I appreciate clues such as 13a and 35a which, when amended, are essentially nonsense. It makes spotting the amended letter that more difficult.
Apart from that little niggle a very enjoyable and challenging crossword which lasted through the weekend and into the following week!
Thanks all, I’ve updated the post to reflect your suggestions.
I had Maori (TONGUE) as the redundant word.
35a is unfair. ‘Did’ is just as likely to mean ‘made the sound of’ (as in impersonated) as ‘made the round of’. I know ambiguity is part of the point but in a very tough puzzle where you had no indication of which part was misprinted i though that was a little much
I gave up when i couldnt find an anagram for ORGEAT, frankly
Starburst @7
Try this website: Chambers Word Wizard
Enter ORGEAT in the text box and click GO (or press ENTER). This gives you:
GAROTE
ORGEAT
ORTEGA
TAGORE
TOERAG
And you can simply pick the one that fits the bill, TOERAG in this case.
Many thanks to Dysart for an engaging and tricky puzzle and to Kenmac for the excellent blog.
Like you Kenmac I had initially assumed “rested” as the first superfluous word. This may in part have been my nagging subconscious memory telling me there had been another “tongue twister” related puzzle recently. Indeed, an inspection of the archive reveals no 1281 (YZ) by Samuel had an identical theme/sub-theme.
Two similarly-themed puzzles ten weeks apart ? Give it a year chaps and then my memory banks won’t unduly interfere with my reasoning !
Nonetheless, great stuff and it kept me going beyond the weekend.
Hard – yes … but not ferocious. Misprints being anywhere makes things more difficult – main definition, subsidiary definitions in wordplay, placement indicators (e.g. ground corrected to around), and so on. Several very tough clues (for me 15a, 37a, 6d, 24d, 29d), digging out the wordplay after getting the answer. And misprints in elements of wordplay that lead to single letters: “like” for “lake”, “celt” for “colt” (not “cent”), “radius” for “radios”, plus a number of others. All grist to the setter’s mill.
Starburst @7: I don’t think 35a is unfair. Your preliminary parsing leaves no scope for a redundant word, so there must be a misprint; given that, ’round’ for ‘sound’ is a candidate, and a quick check of Chambers reveals “to make the round of” under the headword “do”. Voilá
Thanks for the blog Ken, and Dysart for a puzzle up to his high standard.
PS The wordplay for 6d is slightly wrong: it’s UNexCITING minus EXCursion.
Just catching up with the website again, but I’m still feeling bruised by my encounter with I#1294. I solved 9a, 2d, 3d and 4d before throwing in the towel and when the solution was published it took me a good hour to fight my way through the answers! With so many variables I would rate it 5+ on your scale; one more suited to The Listener, I would say.