Enigmatic Variations 1178 The Pine Man by the Ace of Hearts

Words to be removed from each clue and latent letters to be removed from each answer. Nothing like a straight cryptic crossword! And a name to find too – who is the Pine Man?

A fair mix of clues this week, which is how I like it drawing you in to the completed grid. Once the grid was filled the 2 messages became apparent.

Then to make some sense of the theme and work out the name that needs too go below the grid.

• The latent letters to be removed spell out.

CHAMPION JOCKEY HAS WON NINE EPSOM DERBIES

• The first and last letter of each extra word spell out:

NEVER SAY DIE

CREPELLO

ST PADDY

SIR IVOR

NIJINSKY

ROBERTO

EMPERY

THE MINSTREL

TEENOSO

and the connection is they are the nine horses that Lester Piggott has won the Derby on.

Derby – (9) – Never Say Die (1954), Crepello (1957), St Paddy (1960), Sir Ivor (1968), Nijinsky (1970), Roberto (1972), Empery (1976), The Minstrel (1977), Teenoso (1983)

So why the Pine Man – apparently he was called the Long Fellow – simple as that or not if like me you don’t have royal blood and follow horse racing.

Thanks Ace of Hearts – my only quibble is 14ac where room is also in the clue. Thanks also for the horse racing education I gained along the way.

key:

* Anagram

Rev. reverse

Underline definition

Clues are presented with the extra word removed and the lower case letter(s) in the answer is/are the letters latent.

ACROSS

C		1 Mineral for Spenser to pollute in the Nile after confusion (11)
	NE	Mineral for Spenser to pollute in the after confusion (11)
		Pi (confusion) + blend (pollute) in (the)* = PITcHBLENDE
H		11 Irate, upset in perfectly viable circumstances initially causing eruptions (8)
	VE	Irate, upset in perfectly circumstances initially causing eruptions (8)
		(irate)* in PC (perfectly circumstances initially) = PhREACTIC
A		12 Old ruler, terribly nervous, regrets exit of European Union when split (6)
	RS	Old ruler, terribly nervous, exit of European Union when split (6)
		(nervous – eu)* = SOVReN
M		14 Joey, say, is angry after requisition for journalists’ meeting room (9)
	AY	Joey, say, is after requisition for journalists’ meeting room (9)
		Roo (Joey as in baby kangaroo) after Press (requisition) = PRESSROOm
P		15 Disraeli to give a curtain call penned by Andrea Earnshaw (8)
	DI	to give a curtain call penned by Andrea Earnshaw (8)
		Hidden (andREA EARnshaw) = REAppEAR
I		16 Eccentric bull in the outskirts of Milwaukee showing Wisconsite courage (5)
	EC	bull in the outskirts of Milwaukee showing Wisconsite courage
		Ox (bull) in Me (outskirts of Milwaukee) = MOXiE
O		17 Thirty-three regularly making Austrian dessert recipe (5)
	RE	Thirty-three regularly making Austrian dessert (5)
		ThiRty-ThrEe (regularly) = ToRTE
N		19 Devilish artificial intelligence discovered in hybrid pedigree cats (7)
	PE	Devilish artificial intelligence discovered in hybrid cats (7)
		Ai (artificial intelligence) in (cats)* = SATAnIC
J		21 Sounds like you fib before legal agreement to return bride’s headgear (9, two words)
	LL	Sounds like you fib before agreement to return bride’s headgear (9, two words)
		U (sounds like you) + lie (fib) + rev. Pact (agreement) = jULIET CAP
O		24 SUV for example has this drive down with tilt outdoors (9)
	OS	SUV for example has this drive down with tilt (9)
		Fur(down) + wheel (tilt) = FoURWHEEL
C		26 Exact medicine provided in wobbly teashop pies (8)
	TP	Exact medicine provided in wobbly pies (8)
		If (provided) in (pies)* = SPEcIFIc
K		27 Returning moonshiner conceals amputated fish (5)
	AD	Returning moonshiner conceals fish (5)
		Hidden Rev. mOONShiner = SNOOk
E		29 Destroyers defy doctor in Nova Scotia (6)
	DY	Destroyers doctor in Nova Scotia (6)
		Dr(doctor) in NS (Nova scotia) = eNDeRS
Y		31 Samurai plough middle of range to get ridge (7)
	SI	plough middle of range to get ridge (7)
		Ard (plough) + and (middle of range) = yARDANG
H		33 Rabbi adjusting ladles at ancient seat facing away from screen (9)
	RI	adjusting ladles at ancient seat facing away from screen (9)
		(ladles at)* = hEADSTALL
A		34 Virtuoso isn’t only harbouring ascetic (6)
	VO	isn’t only harbouring ascetic (6)
		Hidden iSN’T ONly = SaNTON
S		35 The Rasputin rite upset Greek soldier in Trojan War (9)
	RN	The rite upset Greek soldier in Trojan War (9)
		(the rite)* = THERsITEs (only it isn’t an anagram!)
W		36 Chalky crested heron cited ugly interj (12)
	IJ	Chalky crested heron cited ugly (12)
		(heron cited)* = wHITECROwNED

DOWN

O		2 Unwisely err in Indian pressing instrument (6)
	IN	Unwisely err in pressing instrument (6)
		(err in)* = IRoNER
N		3 Note matting sack I have experimentally made (9)
	SK	Note matting I have experimentally made (9)
		Te (note) + tat (matting) + I’ve (I have) = TEnTATIVE
N		4 Youngster lived so many years in male sanctuary (5)
	YR	Lived so many years in male sanctuary (5)
		Av (lived so many years) in he (male) = HAVEn
I		5 Oddjob returned enchanted in baronet’s small role (7, two words)
	OB	Returned enchanted in baronet’s small role (7, two words)
		Rev(rapt (enchanted) + i(in) in Bt (Baronet) = BiT PART
N		6 Must see scary entertainer, trembling (9)
	ER	Must see scary, trembling (9)
		(see scary)* = nECESSARY
E		7 Irish princess, twenty-two, captured by returning brassnecks (5)
	TO	Irish princess, captured by returning brassnecks (5)
		Rev. hidden brASSNecks = NeSSA
E		8 Radiation measuring device notes monitoring Epsom trainer’s routine initially (9)
	EM	Radiation measuring device notes monitoring trainer’s routine initially (9)
		Dos (notes) + mtr (monitoring trainer’s routine initially) = DOSeMeTeR
P		9 Disinfected side inside to eat away prejudice (8)
	PE	Disinfected side inside to eat away(8)
		Xi (side as in eleven) in erode (eat away) = pEROXIDE
S		10 E.g. colony you reputedly nearly destroyed dealing with communities of plants and animals (11)
	RY	E.g. colony you nearly destroyed dealing with communities of plants and animals (11)
		(eg colony yo)* = sYNOECOLOGY
O		13 Devious state though renegade entrusts us (12)
	TH	Devious state renegade entrusts us (12)
		(entrusts us)* = ToRTUoUSNESS
M		18 Sharpen a copper emblem belonging to Greek goddess (9)
	EM	Sharpen a copper belonging to Greek goddess (9)
		A + cu (copper) in (belonging to) Ate (Greek goddess) = ACUmINATE
D		20 Coliseum for example to stop old Italian; this gets the blood flowing (9)
	IN	Coliseum for example to stop old; this gets the blood flowing (9)
		Arena (Coliseum) + lin (to stop old) = AdRENALIN
E		22 Sexist manoeuvre and clap for erotic night club performance (8, two words)
	ST	Manoeuvre and clap for erotic night club performance (8, two words)
		(and clap)* LAP DANCe
R		23 Set up leaders of Interpol regime organising secret spying in popular public toilet (7)
	RE	Set up leaders of Interpol organising secret spying in popular public toilet (7)
		Reverse initial letters in clue = PISSOIr
B		25 Last singer antagonised brawler losing head (7)
	LT	Singer antagonised brawler losing head (7)
		(rawler)* = WARbLER
I		28 Earthquake shifted stone in the workplace? (6)
	EE	Shifted stone in the workplace? (6)
		(stone)* = ON-SiTE
E		30 No explosive kiss before degree (6)
	NO	Explosive kiss before degree (6)
		X (kiss) before tnt (explosive) = eXTeNT
S		32 Sancho cooked dour Spanish breads (5)
	SO	Cooked dour Spanish breads (5)
		(dour)* = DUROs