EV 1668 (Hints)

Enigmatic Variations 1668 (Hints)

The Answer by Ifor

Hints and tips by The Numpties

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Ifor needs no introduction for EV solvers. Dave Hennings’ crossword database tells us that he has been setting them since 2010 and this will be his 47th in the series. We know that he will give us a challenge with lots of demanding wordplay and that we can expect one of a wide range of literary, scientific, media-related, or theatrical themes.

Preamble: All occurrences bar one of the same letter must be replaced in the initially-filled grid as suggested by a song title, to be written underneath (five words). Solvers must choose corrections such that in grid order they give THE ANSWER, part of another song by the same musician. The eight across clues to unchanged entries each contain the same letter exactly once; this must be replaced before solving. In clue order correct replacements name the musician. All changes create new words. Both songs are referenced in ODQ; Chambers Dictionary (2016) is recommended; 34 is in Collins.

As usual, with an Iforian preamble, we were bemused: “What was it all about?” We worked out that there was a common letter that must be replaced wherever it appeared in the grid (except for one answer where we wouldn’t need to change it) and the new letters, still giving real words, would, in grid order, spell ‘part of another song’. (Note: ‘grid order’!) Eight across clues with ‘normal’ entries (those whose answers did not include that letter – we assumed) would have that significant letter in them just once, and changing those eight letters would give us the name of the musician. So his name would consist of eight letters. Nothing to do but solve!

Across

13      Gauchos in chats ignoring hard American climbers (6)
We needed to remember that a significant letter was changing in the answer or in a word in the clue. This clue was a great help since we could see that we had to remove a letter for ‘hard’ from a word to produce these ‘climbers’. Something had to be done with those gauchos.

16        Small guy  yearning to have object of self-consciousness delayed (4)
A generous clue in which we were prompted that we must ‘delay’ or enter later that one-letter ‘object of self consciousness’. Already, we were realizing that a significant letter was appearing in our answers (in 1 across, as well, for example) and that it was conveniently placed where it could be changed.

20        Bridge avoiding almost all eastern end of church (6)
We removed ‘almost all’ from a word for a ‘bridge’ (not the kind of bridge that crosses a river).

24         Chart rocks in stroll across the Pennines (5)
We are prompted here that this is a northern word for that ‘stroll’. ‘Rocks’ tells us what to do to produce the word.

37          Initially hope springs eternal, then blasted local’s closed! (4)
The ‘local’ here told us that this was a dialect word and ‘blasted’ and ‘initially’ informed us how to find this word. That ! at the end is interesting. The exclamation mark is sometimes taken as the setter wanting to be seen as clever or unorthodox, but it should be used only where the surface justifies it, as here.

39        Lunar module one shielded by hot oxide  (6)
Ifor needed three letters here to build the name of this oxide. We remembered here that if the answer did not contain that key letter, the clue would contain it once, and that letter would need to be changed to give us one of the letter of the musician’s name.

Down

6          Some dragonflies are finally emerging from changes in development (7)
‘In development’ tells us what to do with those ‘changes’ and we are prompted that one letter needs to be extracted.

9          Drum case I rattled; underlying racket returns (8)
This drum is of a an unusual kind, not the sort one would hear. The answer consists of three elements; I, the ‘case’ and that returned racket.

17         Last of corps posted to the front charged with violent hatred (10)
There are two clue elements here, the adjusted ‘corps’ and a word for ‘charged’.

26        Abandoned group of domesticated birds grazes earlier before being eaten (7)
‘Abandoned’ says that this is an obsolete word. We needed an old word for ‘before’ to be ‘eaten’ by another for ‘grazes’.

35         Great numbers turning up after beheading Scots divine (4)
A word for ‘great numbers’ needs to be ‘turned up’ and ‘beheaded’.

36         Rural communities admiring houses (4)
‘Houses’ is the key word here.

That letter gave us the help we needed (and it was, perhaps what might be expected). A couple of ‘ear worms’ were soon wriggling around. We realised how important it is to really focus on the preamble in a thematic cryptic crossword and we were full of admiration for what Ifor achieved.

Remember to put that title below the grid and 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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