The first line of a verse and a 6-letter word are to be identified and highlighted here with the help of four unclued entries.
There has been the occasional discussion at the Crossword Centre as to whether the Listener should have a difficulty rating along side; similar discussion has taken place at Magpie regarding its puzzles. The general view is not for the Listener, but Magpie does have one between A (easy) and E (very difficult). I think that EV puzzles could also benefit from a rating, printed as it is with a wide variety of other types of puzzle in a separate pull-out section of the Sunday Telegraph. There are probably many solvers who complete the normal crosswords, and perhaps dabble in the other puzzles, but who give EVs a wide berth because they know they can’t solve them! However, it is probably the easiest of the three barred thematics here at fifteensquared (although 935 Naughty Boy by Mynot certainly was not!), and I think some attempt to get new solvers on board would be a great idea.
The reason I bring this up today is that this puzzle was one of the easiest EVs for a very long time. Although I was momentarily sidetracked into thinking that Blackheath might be the subject in some way, the Black Death soon became the more likely theme, with …
“Ring-a-ring o’ roses, (in rows 2 and 3 and column 1)
A pocket full of posies (5dn 32dn and in row 12)
A-tishoo! A-tishoo!
We all fall down. (46ac)
… providing the unclued entries and what is to be highlighted. If this had been a Listener, I suspect appropriate, ie black, highlighting would have been required.
I guess it’s worse than swine flu … I’ve not had either!
Solving time: less than an hour
Legend:
ABC* = anagram
ABC< = reversal
abCDef = hidden
| ACROSS | ||
|---|---|---|
| 1 | THE BLACK DEATH | Unclued thematic |
| 11 | RING | fungal growth mark(s): RIND (bark) + G (starting to Germinate) – D (died); I can’t see the justification for marks |
| 12 | RESPIRE | to breathe: RESPITE (delay in action, old) – T (time) + R (right) |
| 14 | GOING | in course of life: GOG (one mythical survivor) absorbing IN; the other survivor was MAGOG |
| 16 | EROS | god: SORE< (grief) |
| 17 | SAGAS | long stories: SAGA (cloaks) + S (Sweden); saga is the p[lural of sagum, a Roman military cloak |
| 18 | STOIT | stumble, Scottish: SIT (ride) around T (the) O (old) |
| 20 | EGMA | attempt at William’s riddle: EG (for example) + MA (My Acting’s first); EGMA is Costard’s attempt at enigma in Love’s Labours Lost |
| 21 | SKAIL | disperse: S (son) + KAIL (slang for money in the US, eg Bronx) |
| 22 | REAR | 2 meanings: take away, Spenser & lightly cooked in some parts, ie dialectic |
| 24 | SEA FRET | mist blowing ashore: SET (sprinkle) about EA (running water) FR (French) |
| 25 | PASTE | basis of one’s character: PAS (precedence) + TE (note) |
| 26 | ARTIST | sage, old: TRAITS* |
| 28 | TEAPOT | spouted container: TEA (marijuana) + POT (cannabis); you’ve got to ignore the ” in spouted “Container which I don’t like! |
| 30 | GRIPE | 2 meanings: ditch, dialectic & vulture, obs |
| 33 | ERODENT | caustic: E (drug) + RODENT (gnawing) |
| 35 | ETCH | corrode: ETC (and the rest) + H (heroin) |
| 37 | LUTES | musical instruments: L (fifty) UTES (Amerinds, ie American Indians) |
| 38 | ERAS | divisions of time: ERAS(E) (almost destroy) |
| 40 | BELLY | bulge: BELL (bubble formed in liquid) + Y (bit of Yeast) |
| 41 | FLARE | spread: F (fellow) + LARE (learning, northern) |
| 42 | LION | conspicuous person: NOIL< (piece of combed wool) |
| 43 | ALGAE | group of organisms: ALAE (membranous outgrowths) covering (ie around) G (grand) |
| 44 | APROPOS | to the point: A + PROP (tiepin) + OS (exceptionally large) |
| 45 | STOP | pinch off: S (second) + TOP (tip) |
| 46 | WE ALL FALL DOWN | Unclued thematic |
| DOWN | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2 | HIRAGE | money for rental fee: HIE (hasten) about RAG (paper) |
| 3 | ENIGMATIC | obscure: (GIT CAME IN)* |
| 4 | LAGS | convicts: (S)LAGS (slovenly men losing face, ie front) |
| 5 | A POCKET | Unclued thematic |
| 6 | KENTIA | palm: KENT (pole) + I (in) + A (America) |
| 7 | EPEIRA | common spider: in crEPE IRAte |
| 8 | AIRT | direct, Scottish: AIR (voice) + T (to, shortly, ie t’) |
| 9 | TRONA | chemical combination: TRON (market place) + A |
| 10 | HES | men: SHE* |
| 11 | ROSE | became hostile: SORE* |
| 13 | NAAFI | canteen: initials of Nutrition An African Food In |
| 15 | GOLPE | circular device (heraldic): G (gallon) + OLPE (jug) |
| 18 | SATIETY | abundance: SATISFY (convince) – SF (science fiction) + ET (alien) |
| 19 | ARETT | award, once: ARE (abbreviation A) + TT (trophy) |
| 23 | ESPERANTO | language: [PARSEE INTO – I (island)]* |
| 24 | SAGER | more intelligent: SAG (bend) + ER (the Queen) |
| 27 | SELLA | (it’s) in bone: SELLA(FIELD) (nuclear base, halved) |
| 28 | TREMAIL | pin: REN (roll, old) in TAIL (long curl of hair) |
| 29 | ADELA | noble girl: ADELA(NTADO) (half Spanish grandee) |
| 31 | PHENOL | acid: PEN (write) about H (heroin) + LO< (look) |
| 32 | FULL OF | Unclued thematic |
| 34 | NARROW | precise: N (new) ARROW (pointer) |
| 36 | TRIPE | rubbish: TRIP (sheep) + E (earth) |
| 39 | SEEP | percolate: SEE (bishopric) + P (power) |
| 40 | BORA | wind: [A ROB (short man, ie for Robert, etc)]< |
| 41 | FEEL | think: FEE (French fairy) + L (left) |
| 42 | LAW | 2 meanings: determine & hill, Scottish |
Dave put a lot of effort into his blog.
No comment?
I’d say, Mike, it’s just because Dave’s explained everything so comprehensively in the blog in relation to a puzzle that did not give rise to any ‘issues’.
While ratings are fine in the specialized world of the Magpie which has puzzles even harder than the Listener, I think it’s right to avoid them in the dailies/Sundays firstly as they are subjective so could be wrong and secondly saying a puzzle was difficult could put solvers off even more IMHO.
Mike, thanks for your comment … and concern. This blog probably took twice as long to write as the puzzle did to solve, a record for me. As nms says, lack of comment may just mean nobody has anything earth-shattering to say. (I rarely post a comment which basically says ‘I agree with him’.) I’m looking forward to writing a blog for a puzzle that I have failed to solve completely (EV935 Naughty Boy by Mynot, which I mentioned above, nearly stumped me). That might provoke a few comments.
Musing further on the publication of difficulty ratings, I guess that if you have looked at barred thematics and have decided they generally take too much time or are not your thing, then you are unlikely to be swayed by the occasional ‘this one is easy’ tag. Fair enough. I have a similar view of Magpie puzzles above rating C! Not that that stops me marvelling at their ingenuity and trying to unravel the solution … time permitting!
Thinking more on your comment, Mike, I take it on board with regard to my commenting on other puzzles!
Dave.
PS The preamble states: “5 and 32dn (four words) plus a further hidden word (six letters — to be shaded) …”. In my opionion, this requires, in addition to the first line as required earlier, only POSIES to be shaded in the completed grid, and not A POCKET (5) and FULL OF (32dn). However, the solution states: “The first line and POCKET FULL OF POSIES were to be highlighted.” Who knows?!