Enigmatic Variations 1681 (Hints)
Not Mentioned by Kcit
Hints and tips by Gabriel
+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – +
Kcit is also Phi and is based in NZ – thus the pseudonymic inversion I assume – and a prolific setter (e.g. Listener, Inquisitor and the dailies). He tends to be very fair, rigorous and on the harder end of the spectrum. The title is tantalizing and it only made sense once I had made some sense of the theme. Actually that’s pretty typical for me. Some people though seem to be able to telepathically infer the theme from the title alone which of course accelerates the solving process. I invariably find that it’s the last piece of the jigsaw that clicks into place. In this case, I speculated that it had something to do with “unmentionables”.
Preamble: 1a 25a 45 (four words) is the only episode of a show in which a significant character and object are NOT MENTIONED. Solvers must make sure they are absent here too by removing them and leaving 11 cells blank (allowing for the blanks, the grid still contains real words after their removal). 15 clues contain a misprint in the definition; the correct letters spell the name of someone who was MENTIONED but should NOT have been. One answer is a suffix and one an abbreviation.
Classifying clues is challenging when there is an unknown number of each type, however in this case, knowing there are exactly 15 misprints constrains the solving challenge somewhat. The name emerges in clue order fortunately and will quickly help you reveal the theme. I will shamelessly admit that despite being a boomer and somewhat geeky, I have below-average knowledge of such.
Clues:
Across
6 Encouragement for horse controlling chestnut in an instant (6)
An onomatopoeic answer. Wordplay is a two-letter abbreviation inside its container.
11 A group of Chinese backed Japanese port (4)
I wasn’t familiar with the port in question but I trusted the wordplay (reversal, literal letter) and looked up the result to confirm.
14 Downgrade support received by type of buttercup (8)
The relevant anatomical support is denoted by a common short word. The type of buttercup needs a bit of Chambers mining though.
16 Hope RU condemned element of tackle? (6)
Simple enough anagram for an alternate spelling of something associated with a block.
28 Medical tool? Some affirm neuralgia will regress (4)
This abbreviation is a portmanteau of two more familiar (to me) TLAs of the same medical technology. The answer is in plain sight.
31 Plant juice as swallowed by relative after relapse (5)
I had expected a misprint since the surface looked weird to me but once you solve the wordplay, which is simple containment and reversal, you might find yourself running to the BRB to confirm the surprising definition.
39 One with a prank mostly regarding core in addition (6)
Underlining the definition should help in identifying the misprint. Recall that the preamble mentioned both an abbreviation and a suffix. And this isn’t the abbreviation.
42 Afternoon at the Gabba – Australian recalled part of Test seeing English dismissed (4)
Not a very hard clue but worth mentioning the two Australian references, three cricket references and two one-letter abbreviations. For non-Brit solvers, you will unavoidably have to familiarise yourself with some common cricket references to become more cryptically proficient. “Recalled” often indicates reversal and “dismissed”, while also a cricket term, often indicates removal.
44 Soldiers on far side of boundary? It’s a short-lived thing (6)
A charade of two elements with “on far side” indicating placement. The 2nd element is another 2-letter abbreviation worth knowing from the British military.
Down
1 Revolutionary for one rock group to unite (5)
Both parts of the revolutionary wordplay are initialisms, one a Latin abbreviation, the other for the rock group in play.
2 Gave an impression of international engagement after invasion by Spain (6)
The wordplay has three parts, one of which invades another. If the verb tense in the definition doesn’t seem right, it probably isn’t.
3 Bird in old texts soaring around large trees (5)
The definition doesn’t refer to a specific type or variety. The wordplay requires a word from an old language containing an abbreviation for large.
4 Worry no more in performance, making pun (7)
The wordplay requires including a 3-letter obsolete word for worry in a synonym for performance, which has many definitions (19 nounal in my version of Chambers).
5 New program runs in circles? Possibly to be returned (7, two words)
Most programs today are 3-letter items on the phone. The actual definition was unfamiliar to me but it’s an informal shortening of a well-known term.
20 Loud noise covers racket building trams (7)
Wordplay is two elements with one contained in the other that have similar meanings The def took a bit of working out since it’s modified.
29 Flash stone, specially cut, given to groom (6)
Again there are two wordplay elements, the first a two-letter abbreviation for a short time and the second a word with a pretty esoteric meaning – you’ll find yourself reaching for the BRB again to confirm its meaning. I was reading Winnie-the-Pooh out loud the other day which triggered a definitional association.
34 What church may expect, no longer promptly securing hearts (5)
Note that the contained one-letter abbreviation only applies to the plural form. “No longer” is a common archaism indicator.
37 Dye source grown in damp soil over following area (5)
A 3-letter word describing “damp soil” within two abbreviations and you’ll find yourself again consulting the BRB to confirm the definition.
Definitions in clues are underlined
My solving partner (Jpeg) mostly guessed the theme from the preamble (yes, I’m amazed but as I mentioned I’m not much of a fan). I needed most of the name to be revealed to figure it out. So, unless you’re lucky figuring out the theme early on, you might find this quite challenging since you really need the relevant online reference to understand how all the preamble elements unfold. Discovering the 11 cells to remove is helped by regularity (and some symmetry) and the fact that what’s left are all real words ignoring the resultant blanks.
Jpeg calibration scale:
1/4 = Can solve this solo with no hints.
2/4 = Can solve the whole thing but maybe some clues are unclear or the endgame is a little tricky.
3/4 = Would get stuck and need help.
4/4 = Would be staring at a blank grid – couldn’t even get started and would need a blog like this!
Toughness: 2 out of 4 on the difficulty scale (I didn’t guess the theme until very late)
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Well I never! Certainly don’t remember this “episode” or maybe I was behind the sofa.
Clues on the mild side for kcit enabled a fairly rapid grid fill and reveal of the name. The first word of the episode emerged early and provided a likely steer so there were no surprises. Google filled in the background to a tale that’s interesting even if one isn’t a fan.
Thanks to kcit and Gabriel.
Subject is one of my favourites, so 10 out of 10 to Kcit. Very impressive clueing, with nice surface reading, though I found a few quite difficult. I will admit to needing hints.
Many thanks.
I got there from the first and last words of the episode..thanks to Google. I found some of the clues tough and although the grid is filled I still can’t see where an H W and L came from..despite having the name. Interesting subject matter – the things you learn from an EV!!!! Thanks all!
I too had trouble with the H [2d]. Clearly the tense needs to change, as Gabriel suggests, and I changed Gave to Give – then had to rethink. Re the W [10a] imagine a hyphen too.