EV 1707 (Hints)

Enigmatic Variations 1707 (Hints)
Crassword by Stick Insect
Hints and tips by Gabriel / Jpeg

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Stick Insect has been known to set the occasional numerical puzzle as well as regular cryptics. But what is a CRASSWORD? Something vulgar or offensive? With only 3 normal clues and no obvious gimmick to the remainder, it’s time to get to work.

Preamble: Entries to the three normal clues, plus three other cells, must be highlighted to show a message related to the remaining clues in this CRASSWORD. Chambers Dictionary (2016) is recommended. 

Gemini was quite firm and laconic in its response to the preamble, freely acknowledging its helplessness: “I am unable to assist with the thematic cryptic crossword CRASSWORD. The provided preamble contains information about the crossword’s structure and a hidden message, but it doesn’t include any of the actual clues. To help you, I would need the specific clues you are trying to solve.”  OK, so your mission is clear: salve some clues!

Clues:
Across
1 Troubled man found in Lupercal site of concealment (12)
The WP requires Huey Long’s kind of man to be found inside an anagram of Lupercal.  Recall cryptic conventions include enumerating hyphenated terms assuming no hyphen.

11 Justifications when adopting game costume (9)
The definition might remind one of Nirvana (the band). The WP requires a common 2 letter synonym “adopting” two words, a game and a particular martial arts costume. 

13 Using relative title, university knew to hold firm in opinion (7)
Def would be more easily read as “Using title of a relative”. The wordplay is two 1-letter abbreviations followed by a 5-letter word. You will need to be creative for one of those abbreviations.

15 Drew amphibian (5)
This clue is missing something. There aren’t too many amphibians to choose from, but the common ones outside of salamander are four letters.

21 Mao daily stripped, left out Asian dress (5, three words)
If you look in the big red book, you won’t find too many three word phrases of 5 total letters, much less ending in the letter I.

23 Highland fabric caught around toilet (5)
For this Scottish word for cloth, the WP surrounds a common 3 letter word for toilet with an unexpected abbreviation.

34 View first couple abandoning newcomer (7)
Take a seven letter word for newcomer, drop the first two and get something that does *not* mean View. What could that definition signify?

 

Down
1 Las Palmas ICU lout in slip of the pen (12, two words)
This two word foreign phrase adopted into English and other languages is obtained wordplay-wise via a basic anagram, but what is the anagram indicator? This clue was my way into the puzzle. Keep the strangeness of this clue in mind when solving other clues of similar ilk.

5 Northern Ireland welcomes peace language (5)
The definition refers to an African language. The wordplay contains a three letter word for something that might make peace as it happens but isn’t typically associated with it (and be prepared to be misled) inside the obvious 2 letter abbreviation.

7 Some ruminants eat sparingly with more than one mouth (6)
To get the proper noun for the definition, combine a four letter word meaning to eat sparingly and a three letter word. But that’s seven letters. So something’s missing in the clue perhaps?

10 I agree TV corrupts, involving a grammatical type with box (12, two words)
The underlining shows something unusual with this clue, whose WP is an anagram plus a 4 letter word.

22 See short, old Latin poet (4)
The Latin here could refer to the poet as well. But for the wordplay, the common 1 letter abbreviation (not for Latin) comes first, before a shortened 4 letter word.

35 Male’s local inn; sh – it could be ruined (4)
The best use of this dialect word belongs to American football coach Bum Phillips. The  wordplay is an anagram of what should be 2 2 letter words, but “it” is not one of them.

Definitions in clues are underlined.

Well then. With enough clues solved, especially the three normal clues plus three letters that need highlighting, Stick Insect has left a relevant message for us.

I found this puzzle quite fun and enjoyable and the clues were not too painful once that message was found (or with enough of a way in).

It must be acknowledged that the theme is rather surprising and quite clever and you’ll need to think laterally.  Don’t be crass about it!

Toughness: 2 out of 4 on the difficulty scale.

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