Inquisitor 93 – REDRESS by Phi

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I got the TV message straight away. REDRESS and TransVestite (not TeleVision!) indicated that we had to do some cross-dressing.

The first clear example was 2 down, where the wordplay pointed to HUSONEY but I couldn’t link that with stones.

3 down followed where the definition led to PAINFUL, but the grid entry should start with M if 1A contained SHAM for fake. This gave me MAIN for ocean. I was misled into thinking about MA and PA for a while, but after solving 19A the R seemed to indicate FRY for the fish, so PAINFUL became MAINFRY and I spotted PAUL “dressed” as MARY.

Looking back HUEY in 2D had come from a four-letter girl, and MASONRY was “stones”.

So we were looking for defined words with a boy or girl’s name outside, which was to be switched with another name of the opposite sex, but the same length, to satisfy the wordplay.

It all went swimmingly except for 7D where I had the wordplay but couldn’t think of the defined word and 13D which was the reverse. I found 15D pretty hard too, being seduced by CARBACHOL for a while (CAROL seemed a good name to replace and CABAL was in there!)

Some unusual words and excellent clues. A most enjoyable puzzle from Phi.

I don’t really measure the time – I do it in spurts, but it was about three hours.

The redressed answers were:

 Clue  Defined word  Cross Dresser  Grid Entry
 1A  HELMSMEN are navigators  HELEN as SHAUN  SHAMSMUN; SHAM + M in SUN
 27A  ROSELLA is a parakeet  ROSA as PETE  PETELLE; TELL (have impact) in PEE (water!!)
 34A  ALLSPICE is a dried pepper  ALICE as KEITH  KELSPITH; [ELKS]* + PITH
 2D  MASONRY is stones  MARY as HUEY  HUSONEY; US ONE in H(ungar)Y
 3D  PAINFUL is causing discomfort  PAUL as MARY  MAINFRY; MAIN + FRY
 7D  KARATE is fighting skill  KATE as DAVE  DARAVE; DA + RAVE
 12D  MASTERWORK is a great piece of art  MARK as BETH  BESTERWOTH; BEST (ahead of the rest) + [THE ROW]*
 15D  BARBARIAN is a very cruel fellow  BRIAN as CLARE  CARBALARE; CABAL ARE round R

The remaining clues were:

Across
6 ADAR is a Jewish month; RADA reversed
9 CURATE is a churchman; CUR + ATE
10 NONAGE is youth; NO + NAG + E
11 USTION is an obsolete word for cauterisation; [U IS NOT]*
14 NOINT is an alternative to anoint – identify successor; NO + INT
15 CORDAGE is rope; OR (threa)D in CAGE
16 OFFA was a dyke-builder; OFF + A(berdare)
18 NIEVES are fists; I in SEVEN reversed
19 HEARER is an auditor; HER round EAR
23 DRAWEE is a bank (if a drawer is a customer); DEE (euphemism for damn) round RAW (exposed)
24 RHUMBA is a dance (I didn’t realise you could spell it with an H); R (take) + HUM + B.A.
26 ASKS is requests; (T)asks are chores
29 RENEW is start again; RE(I)N + E(ast) and W(est)
30 BISTRO is a cafe; BIRO round ST
31 AIRIER is offering more ventilation; A1 + IE in R(olls) R(oyce)
32 TAUTIT is tangled; TAUT + IT
33 FLEA is an insect; LEAF last to first
Down
1 SCUNTHORPE is a town; [SHOP C(O)UNTER]*
4 STOT is a clumsy fellow; TOTS reversed
5 UNIONIDAE are pearl mussels; UNI + ON + [IDEA]*
6 ANODE is a terminal; AN + ODE
8 AGOG is with great alertness; A + GOG (a giant) and AGO (from the past) + G(lare)
12 FRIARS are monks; RI in FARS(I)
17 FEEBLY is without much strength; FEE (charge) + BY round L
20 RAKES UP is finds incriminating information; RAKE + SUP
21 DEMERIT is a black mark; DEER (you have to pronounce “does” correctly!) round M + IT
22 SUTURE is evidence of operation; SURE round T(rade) U(nion)
25 MEDIA is (should be are!!) the communications industry; AIDE + M(anager) reversed
28 EVIL is sin; LIVE (as it happens – pronounce it correctly again!) reversed
29 RIAS are valleys; abbreviation for Scottish architects association

8 comments on “Inquisitor 93 – REDRESS by Phi”

  1. I have to confess that I was defeated by this puzzle (my first attempt at an Inquisitor). Thank you for your clear explanations. I solved most of the ordinary clues without too much trouble, but couldn’t work out how to apply the theme, even in the case of 27 across, where I solved the clue according to the wordplay but couldn’t find the definition word.

    I have one small niggle. 8 down: “A giant from the past beginning to glare with great alertness”. I can just about accept “with great alertness” as a definition (Chambers has “in excited eagerness”, which isn’t quite the same thing), and A + GOG is obviously the wordplay; but what does “beginning to glare” have to do with anything? I wasted a lot of time wondering if I had got this completely wrong, even though all the checking letters were correct.

  2. Sorry, I’ve just noticed that 7 down has been omitted from the blog. The word play and crossing letters give DARAVE for 7, so that must be DAVE to be replaced by KATE, giving KARATE.

  5. Sorry about the omission of DARAVE and KARATE.
    I hadn’t really thought about 8D, but I now am inclined to agree with Bridgesong. There are two lots of wordplay and a definition. Most unusual!
    I’ll make the necessary amendments.

  6. Yes. When I solved it myself I think I got it from A + GOG. I have however seen clues with three or more definitions – two or more of which presumably are considered to be wordplay, so I guess it is is possible to have as many definitions and wordplays as the setter wishes as long as the clue reads sensibly and all definitions and wordplay lead to the same answer.

  7. I agree that I’ve often seen duplicate definitions, one valid clue type is the “double definiton” after all, but I’ve rarely seen duplicate wordplay plus a definition. Still a good and valid clue.

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