EV 1656 (Hints)

Enigmatic Variations 1656 (Hints)

Transfiguration by Kcit

Hints and tips by The Numpties

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Kcit needs no introduction for EV solvers. Dave Hennings’ crossword database tells us that he has been setting them since 1993. We know he will give us a challenge with demanding clues, often with some musical connection.

Preamble:  Clashes occur in three cells. Two entries with clashes and three without are subject to the TRANSFIGURATION implied by a song from the unclued answer, being replaced by five other synonyms. New crossing entries created by replacements are all verifiable in Chambers Dictionary (2016).

That preamble suggests to us that we are going to find five synonyms, and a careful hunt through the clues tells us where they will be. We see that the second row of the grid is unclued so suspect that we will find a 13-letter title there and we are warned that there will be three clashes, two in one of those synonyms and one in another of them. We are prompted that new words will be created when we make those synonymous replacements.

Across

6            Small reptile penetrated by one hot wind (6)
The reptile in this answer was possibly not very small at all. There were three clue elements to put together to produce that ‘hot wind’.

18          Dated terms of reproach from institute adopted by Irish playwright initially (4)
Think of the famous initials of an Irish playwright – ‘institute’ has to go into those initials to give the ‘dated terms of reproach’.

21          Note scoundrel overturning Scottish reel (4)
The ‘note’ and ‘scoundrel’ have to ‘turn over’ to give us a Scottish word.

25         Body of people, old French company, found in disgusting place (7)
There were three clue elements here. The ‘disgusting place’ was the usual crossword one and the old French company (an abbreviation for that) provided the other two.

30         Something like Sanskrit in China and India (4)
The convention in these hints of underlining the definition part of the clue says it all here. To get that short word for ‘something like Sanskrit’, we had to combine China and India.

36         Bridge team leaving to transfer keystone (5)
We had to remove a pair of letters for the partners in a bridge team from a synonym for ‘transfer’ to produce this ‘keystone’.

40          Cinematographer’s mask beginning to reveal body 6)
For this ‘body’ we needed an unusual word for that mask.

Down

1           Society to bundle up to welcome a composer (7)
We have commented in the past that seeing ‘a’ in wordplay suggests that the ‘a’ will be needed for the answer as, otherwise, an editor would delete it as ‘redundant’. The ‘society’ was needed here too, and a word for ‘bundle up’.

5           Historic opera singer loves reduced aria (7)
An opera singer’s name was needed here. ‘Loves’ was used in an amusing way and her aria had to be curtailed.

6           Messy situation for me, but offering no new obstruction (6)
We have already met this ‘messy situation’ in clue 25 across and to it we need to add a term that says ‘for me’ (not new).

12          Possibly never a toast? It surely is! (11, three words)
Kcit must have smiled broadly when this clue worked out. Of course, ‘possibly’ tells us about that toast.

14          Puccini opera excluding canine – Butterfly’s dog? (4)
You might need to do a little reseach into a couple of Puccini operas to understand why the dog in question might be Butterfly’s (Surely Madame Butterfly, the Japanese Cio Cio San didn’t have a dog?)

24          Article in recording supported by state body (7)
Another body! We put a short article into a short term for a recording and completed the answer with a word for ‘state’.

33          A name in the Louvre given elevation (4)
This is another clue that produces a smile. Think of the most famous ‘name in the Louvre’ and how you might define a ‘name’ in Paris.

We were aware that music was, of course, not Kcit’s only love (even if, here, there was a fair smattering of opera and a couple of composers) he has indulged another of his passions in this crossword. The widely ranging initial set of ‘synonyms’ was not easy to work out but the clues held clear hints so that we knew how to perform the ‘transfiguration’.

Do please send in your entry and add your comments here and to the setters’ blogs that are appearing on Big Dave’s site on Thursdays and to the detailed blogs that also appear on Thursdays on  fifteensquared.

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