Samuel ventures out from his home turf of the Telegraph Enigmatic Variations to offer a puzzle in the Inquisitor series this week.
The preamble told us that all but five clues contain an extra word that must be removed before solving. Read in clue order, the first and last letters of these words give twelve single words each linked thematically to an unclued answer (indefinite article should be ignored). Solvers should highlight a thematic 6-letter word in the completed grid.
For me, this was a puzzle that was solved in one sitting as the theme became apparent fairly early on, with PIKESTAFF falling quickly from the crossing letters generated by 1, 2, 4, 5 and 6 downs. I could see that PLAIN was the first word formed from the first and last letters of the early omitted words. The title ‘Comparability Study’ also helped to deduce SIMILE as the theme.
This was a puzzle where the two thematic bits, X and Y forming ‘as X as a Y‘ helped to solve the other bits. This was especially helpful in identifying some of the surplus words as some were less obviously out of place than others. It was also a great help that the words generated by the first and last letters from omitted words came out in normal grid order for the unclued entries. It was also helpful that the five normal clues all came at the end. Samuel could have made this puzzle far harder than he chose to do, but he gave us a puzzle that makes me ask for more.
There was a lot of thematic material in the puzzle. It’s not often that there are only 30 clues in an Inquisitor which need the wordplay explained. Given that I was blogging this puzzle either side of my youngest daughter’s wedding, the small number of clues was very welcome.
As a novice clue writer myself , I am always impressed by the ability of the top setters to select appropriate words to use as extra words. Samuel seems to have resisted the temptation to stick in superfluous adjectives all over the place. Nouns and verbs are used as well here. One of the first places I look for extra words is in a clue which strongly indicates a hidden word as it is likely to be formed from the words either side of the extra word. One of the first clues I solved therefore was 28 across where LLAMA was the extra word.
Three of the SIMILEs were not particularly well known to me – the ones with DIRT, DEATH and STONE – but all were easily deducible. I associate CHURCH MOUSE with POOR and POST with DEAF. I haven’t come across a SIMILE on DEATH before. Of course, one of the joys of the English language is the variations one encounters across the UK.
| Word from clues | Entry | Simile |
| PLAIN | PIKESTAFF | As PLAIN as a PIKESTAFF |
| HAPPY | LARK | As HAPPY as a LARK |
| THIN | RAKE | As THIN as a RAKE |
| BALD | COOT | As BALD as a COOT |
| POOR | DIRT | As POOR as DIRT |
| LARGE | LIFE | As LARGE as LIFE |
| DRUNK | LORD | As DRUNK as a LORD |
| RARE | HEN’S TEETH | As RARE as HEN’S TEETH |
| MAD | HATTER | As MAD as a HATTER |
| PALE | DEATH | As PALE as DEATH |
| FIT | FIDDLE | As FIT as a FIDDLE |
| DEAF | STONE | As DEAF as a STONE |
The 6-letter thematic word SIMILE can be found in the middle of the main diagonal from top left to bottom right.
The final grid looked like this;
The title, COMPARABILITY STUDY can be associated clearly with SIMILE
|
Across |
|
|||||
| No | Original Clue | Omitted Word | Letters | Adjusted Clue | Wordplay | Entry |
|
7
|
Mat treated with this dust could lead to perpetual asthma (3)
|
perpetual
|
PL
|
Mat treated with this dust could lead to asthma (3)
|
ASTHMA* is an anagram (treated) of MAT [given in the clue] and ASH [dust – the entry]
|
ASH (dust or remains of anything burnt)
|
|
9
|
Force to pull over just after Audi (7)
|
Audi
|
AI
|
Force to pull over just after (7)
|
DRAG (pull) + O (over in cricket scoring notation) + ON (just after)
|
DRAGOON (compel by force)
|
|
11
|
Tease about Federer finally getting newish racket in Melbourne (4)
|
newish
|
NH |
Tease about Federer finally getting racket in Melbourne (4)
|
ROT (tease) containing (about) R (last letter of [finally] FEDERER RO (R) T |
RORT (Australian word for din or racket)
|
|
12
|
Aide-de-camp worried about nationalist German compound (6)
|
Aide-de-camp
|
AP
|
Worried about nationalist German compound (6)
|
A (about) + N (nationalist) + G (German) + STY (pen; compound)
|
ANGSTY (anxious; worried)
|
|
13
|
Pray Ed’s snatched returning despot (4)
|
Pray
|
PY
|
Ed’s snatched returning despot (4)
|
RAST (Spenserean [Edmund] form of the word RACE in its context of meaning ‘snatched’) reversed (returning) TSAR< |
TSAR (despot)
|
|
14
|
Teach daughter of Minos song about death? (7)
|
Teach
|
TH
|
Daughter of Minos song about death?
|
ARIA (song) + (END [death] reversed [about]) ARIA DNE< |
ARIADNE (In Greek Mythology, ARIADNE is the daughter of Minos, King of Crete)
|
|
16
|
Rider’s improvisation outside family rejected (8)
|
improvisation |
IN
|
Rider‘s outside family rejected (8)
|
HORS (outside) + (NAME [family] reversed [rejected]) HORS EMAN< |
HORSEMAN (rider)
|
|
19
|
Bacteria resist me shuffling feet (8)
|
Bacteria
|
BA
|
Resist me shuffling feet (8)
|
Anagram of (shuffling) RESIST ME TRISEMES* |
TRISEMES (forms of feet in poetry, with three syllables)
|
|
22
|
Pound old Victorian manor in loud bombing (7, 2 words)
|
loud
|
LD
|
Pound old Victorian manor in bombing (7, 2 words)
|
Anagram of (bombing) MANOR IN IRONMAN* |
IRONMAN (a pound note in Australian slang [Victorian], presumably described as old because the Australian currency is now the Australian Dollar)
|
|
23
|
Legal proceedings in Holyrood stamp out Politburo in the end (4)
|
Politburo
|
PO
|
Legal proceedings in Holyrood stamp out in the end (4)
|
DIE (stamp) + T (last letter of [in the end] OUT)
|
DIET (proceedings under a criminal libel in Scotland [Holyrood])
|
|
26
|
Hellions stripped off embellishing obscener technique? (6)
|
obscener
|
OR
|
Hellions stripped off embellishing technique? (6)
|
Anagram of (embellishing) HELLIONS excluding (off) the first and last letters [stripped] H and S NIELLO* |
NIELLO (a method of ornamenting metal by engraving, and filling up the lines with a black compound; technique, perhaps even an embellishing technique)
|
|
28
|
Stun anaconda, llama, zebra to some extent (4)
|
llama
|
LA
|
Stun anaconda, zebra to some extent (4)
|
DAZE (hidden word in [to some extent] ANACONDA ZEBRA)
|
DAZE (stun)
|
|
29
|
Want cab seen radioing around (7)
|
radioing
|
RG
|
Want cab seen around (7)
|
Anagram of (around) CAB SEEN ABSENCE* |
ABSENCE (lack or want)
|
| 30 | Development programme ensured trial but not at first (3) | ensured |
ED |
Development programme trial but not at first (3) | TEST (trial) excluding (not) the first letter (at first) T |
EST (a philosophical and psychological programme designed to raise awareness and develop human potential, originated in California by Werner Erhard and used by some business organizations) |
| Down | ||||||
| No | Original Clue | Omitted Word | Letters | Adjusted Clue | Wordplay | Entry |
|
1
|
Minors head off playing for RU clubs (5)
|
RU
|
RU
|
Minors head off playing for clubs (5)
|
Anagram of (playing) MINORS excluding the first letter (head off) M IRONS* |
IRONS (golf clubs)
|
|
2
|
Go off with needlework anorak to get jumper (8)
|
needlework
|
NK
|
Go off with anorak to get jumper (8)
|
Anagram of (off) GO and ANORAK KANGAROO* |
KANGAROO (an animal that jumps; jumper)
|
|
3
|
Regalia perhaps is for protection (6)
|
Regalia
|
RA
|
Perhaps is for protection (6)
|
E.G. (for example, perhaps) + IS
|
EGIS (variant spelling of AEGIS [protection, patronage])
|
|
4
|
Terrible riot in Home Counties for risqué trip (6)
|
risqué
|
RE
|
Terrible riot in Home Counties for trip (6)
|
Anagram of (terrible) RIOT contained in (in) SE (South East; Home Counties area) S (ORTI*) E |
SORTIE (trip)
|
|
5
|
Mafia injured nark captured by Americans in place of delight? (6)
|
Mafia
|
MA
|
Injured nark captured by Americans in place of delight? (6)
|
Anagram of (injured) NARK contained in (captured by) (A [American] + A [American] to give Americans) A (NKAR*) A |
ANKARA (City, capital of Turkey; place)
|
|
6
|
Dump sucker left in terror mostly (4)
|
Dump
|
DP
|
Sucker left in terror mostly (4)
|
L (left) contained in (in) FEAR (terror) excluding the final letter (mostly) R F (L) EA |
FLEA (any of an order of wingless, very agile, parasitic, bloodsucking insects)
|
|
8
|
All Slovakia and Romania (and North Korea initially) get discordant music (6)
|
All
|
AL
|
Slovakia and Romania (and North Korea initially) get discordant music (6)
|
SK (International Vehicle Registration for Slovakia) + RO (International Vehicle Registration for Romania) + NK (initial letters of each of NORTH and KOREA)
|
SKRONK (term used to define music that is grating, dissonant, and frequently avant garde; discordant music)
|
|
10
|
Engulf a rotter in hollow revenge the undercover way (6)
|
Engulf
|
EF
|
A rotter in hollow revenge the undercover way (6)
|
A + (CAD [rotter] contained in REVENGE [excluding the central letters EVENG; hollow) A R (CAD) E |
ARCADE (covered passageway; undercover way)
|
|
15
|
Fortification of old sandy area isn’t about to trap revolutionary (8)
|
isn’t
|
IT
|
Fortification of old sandy area about to trap revolutionary (8)
|
DUNE (sandy area) containing (about to trap) EMIL (reference EMIL Barth [1879 – 1941], German Social Democrat who was a key figure in the revolution of 1918) D (EMIL) UNE or, and probably more likely DUNE (sandy area) containing (about) (LIME [ensnare, trap] reversed [revolutionary]) D (EMIL<) UNE
|
DEMI-LUNE (and old word for RAVELIN [a detached fortification work with two embankments raised before the counterscarp])
|
|
17
|
Deposit delicate letter on terrace (6)
|
delicate
|
DE
|
Deposit letter on terrace (6)
|
SIN (variant spelling of SHIN [the twenty-first letter of the Hebrew alphabet]) + TER (terrace)
|
SINTER (deposit from hot springs)
|
|
18
|
No new places to go for aloof animals (6)
|
aloof
|
AF
|
No new places to go for animals (6)
|
URINALS (places for me to go to the lavatory) excluding (no) N (new)
|
URIALS (Himalayan wild sheep; animals)
|
|
20
|
Ultimately, report after this measure could be glowing (6)
|
|
|
|
RADIAN (if you add a T [last letter of {ultimately} REPORT to the end of [after] RADIAN you get RADIANT [glowing])
|
RADIAN (the derived SI unit of plane angle; measure)
|
|
21
|
Most cunning saint embraces falsehoods (6)
|
|
|
|
ST (saint) contains (embraces) LIES (falsehoods) S (LIES) T |
SLIEST (most cunning)
|
|
24
|
Vote for raise, having switched sides (5)
|
|
|
|
ERECT (raise) with L (left; one side) replacing R (right; another side) ELECT |
ELECT (vote for)
|
|
25
|
Catalonian exclamation about Germany is quaintly charming (4)
|
|
|
|
OLÉ (Spanish [Catalonian] exclamation of approval, support or encouragement) containing (about) D (Deutschland; International Vehicle Registration for Germany) OL (D) E |
OLDE (quaintly charming)
|
|
27
|
Last piece of pipe with leak – it’s used in fencing (4)
|
|
|
|
E (last letter of [last piece of] PIPE) + PEE (slang for urinating; having a leak)
|
ÉPÉE (weapon used in the sport of fencing)
|
This helped pass the time while hiding in the corner of the local bowling alley. For the most part pretty straightforward, with a theme that revealed itself quite early on. A few of the similes were unfamiliar, but fairly easy to deduce. By the end I’d guessed what I’d most likely be looking for in the finished grid. One happy customer. 🙂
Yes, enjoyable puzzle, with PIKESTAFF showing way for me too.
Plenty of scope for another similar … rich as Croesus, clear as mud, hard as nails, sharp as a tack, etc.
I thought ANKARA, as “place of delight” was a reference to rahat lokum, or “Turkish Delight” ?
Thanks Samuel, this was lots of fun to complete. It took me somewhat longer to work out what was going on here and I must have filled ~2/3 of the grid before the PDM came. I’d put part of that down to me misunderstanding the intro: I took it to mean that the additional words would all link to ONE of the unclueds only. I wasn’t familiar with the Pikestaff phrase either and it was deducing HENS TEETH at the bottom that was the way in. I liked the way that the extra words were in the same sequence as the unclueds – that proved helpful when trying to work out what some of the last unclueds would be.
Murray Glover @2: I took it to refer to Turkish Delight and it raised a smile when I worked it out 🙂
I also couldn’t see why Ankara was a place of delight… until I could, and then smiled.
Never noticed the extra words were in the same order as the unclued entries: no question, Samuel was giving us every chance on this one. Pikestaff came early for me, and it became one of those puzzles where the thematic entries were dropping as quickly as the clued entries. But still stimulating and fun; thanks to Samuel and duncanshiell.
No mention of the misprinted clue? I spent as long pondering this as the rest of the puzzle put together – the best I’d come up with was ARIANE, which appears to be a French spelling of, err, Ariadne, around D.
But that didn’t spoil what was a gentle but enjoyable puzzle, with plenty to smile at (I had the exact same experience with Ankara as Neil Hunter @4). Another one which I solved without reference to a dictionary or other reference source, so I do appreciate the different levels of challenge we’re offered – gives us a chance to set our own bars.
Thanks to Samuel and Duncan
Much enjoyed, although I hesitated a long time over entering ARIADNE and was much pleased when the clue error was announced. “As PALE as DEATH” was familiar enough. The other two “not particularly well known” ones perhaps expect us to think of a different format from the expected “As X as Y”: STONE-DEAF is very common and I’ve come across DIRT-POOR.
Yes, like others I didn’t find this too taxing while admiring the variety and placing of the extra words. I expecetd to see as happy as Larry (whoever he was) but maybe Larry is a variation on Lark ? All in all ggod fun, so thanks to Samuel and Duncan for the blog
I absolutely loved this, and had completed a fair number of clues before I understood what was going on. It was “pikestaff” that did it for me as well. Was expecting happy as a sandboy, or … as Larry, rather than lark. No matter.
Have just realised that I forgot to highlight a word in the finished grid, so it’s a good job I didn’t send it in!
Thanks to Samuel and Duncan for the blog
A bit too easy for me. To echo Duncan, I was left wanting more. But “delight” was a delight.
A pretty easy stroll this week other than the Ariadne head-scratcher. I did learn a few new similes. I’d never heard of either the pikestaff one or the pale one. Agree with others about the place of delight. Very nicely clued indeed
Many thanks to both setter and blogger
HEN’S TEETH offered us a way in, being a phrase that surely only occurs in one context, and after that it all fell into place very quickly. We did not spot until the end that the thematic answers were thematically placed and did not notice at all that they were in the same order as the linked extra words in the clues, so hats off to Samuel for a very impressive construction. A puzzle which proves that they don’t have to be especially difficult to be a lot of fun.
Sorry, that should have read “symmetrically placed”!
Thanks Duncan and Samuel.
I found this slow going until I twigged the theme, after which it was a romp to the finish. Initially I convinced myself I was looking for opposites which delayed things. URINAL was my favourite. Like everyone says it was easier than normal but none the worse for that. Good to have a variation in difficulty so that some we can have some fun now and again.