Two unclued part-quotations, the first being completed by extra letters in the wordplay of each clue. The surname of the author of the second is to be highlighted in the grid.
The top & middle rows are shaded blue (for a boy?), and the bottom one is pink (for a girl?) …
I just ambled along without undue difficulty. Words from the superfluous letters suggested themselves: CONVENIENT TIME and THERE’S NEVER, plus some guesses at the entries in the unclued rows: CHILDBIRTH, TAXES, maybe DEATH …
Some quotes about DEATH & TAXES (Benjamin Franklin, Daniel Defoe) but none mentions CHILDBIRTH. But then there’s a later one from Margaret Mitchell’s Gone with the Wind: “DEATH AND TAXES AND CHILDBIRTH! THERE’S NEVER ANY CONVENIENT TIME FOR ANY OF THEM.” So, that’s the blue-shaded entries and the superfluous letters, but what about the entries shaded pink & the name to be highlighted? Judicious use of Google leads to “[There is no more sombre enemy of good art than the] PRAM IN THE HALL“, from Enemies of Promise by Cyril CONNOLLY, to be found on the leading diagonal.
Is that it – two (part-)quotations loosely connected by the title, & one author? Maybe I missed something, but I felt somewhat underwhelmed; nevertheless, thanks go to Chalicea.
{The definition for 13a seems not quite right. “Tolkien’s ogre” = ORC, and although ORCA appears under the same headword, the latter seems to apply only to its meaning ‘whale’.}
| Across | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Answer | Extra letter | Wordplay |
| 10 | ACCESSORY | T | [TRY (trial) + CO(mpany) CASES]* |
| 13 | ORCA | H | ORCHAT (enclosed garden, obs) − (go)T |
| 14 | SPOOM | E | MOOSE< (US elks) around P(ower) |
| 15 | SENNA | R | SEN (nurse) + RAN< (slipped) |
| 17 | LAPSANG | E | (r)ANG(e) after LAPSE (falling away) |
| 19 | LIER | S | SLIER (more secretive) |
| 20 | LOOK YOU | N | L(iberal) NOOKY (sex) + OU (fellow, S Afr) |
| 21 | EATING | E | [NEGATIVE]* − V(alue) |
| 27 | CACOON | V | [VAN + COCO]* |
| 29 | PLAYERS | E | PLEA (appeal) + YEARS (very long time) − A(ccepted) |
| 32 | TRON | R | RR (Right Reverend, Bishop) in TON (people who are in) |
| 35 | BUFFOON | A | [FUN OF ABO]* |
| 36 | A-LIST | N | [STALIN]* |
| 37 | ROTOR | Y | OR< (operations research) + TORY (conservative) |
| 38 | GAEA | C | [CAGE A(bout)]* |
| 39 | SEPTUPLET | O | [SPELT OUT EP (en passant)]* |
| Down | |||
| No. | Answer | Extra letter | Wordplay |
| 1 | DAMSEL | N | DAMN (censure) SEL (individual, Scot) |
| 2 | ECHELON | V | ECH(e) (authentic) + VELO(city) (speed, loosely) + N(ew) |
| 3 | TERNE | E | ETERNE (unchangeable) |
| 4 | AS ALSO | N | NASAL (concerning nose) OS< (bone) |
| 5 | NOGAKU | I | [IN AUG(ust) OK]* |
| 6 | DRIP-FED | E | [PREDEFINED − EN (nurse)]* |
| 7 | APPALTI | N | IT(alian)< after PAL (mate) all after NAP (cloth) |
| 8 | EXOGEN | T | EX(port) (c)OGENT (convincing) |
| 9 | SIMURGH | T | MIST< (fog) + UR (old city) + G(houlis)H |
| 11 | CON-ROD | I | ON (working) in DORIC< (type of Greek pillar) |
| 12 | NONI | M | (overblow)N OMNI(presence) |
| 16 | ANYHOW | E | [H(usband) ONE WAY]* |
| 18 | KABAYA | F | AY (indeed) in KA (spirit) around FAB (excellent) |
| 22 | ACT DROP | O | A(dvanced) CROP (mode of cutting) around TOD (one’s own) |
| 23 | CONFORM | R | CORN (grain) FORM (species) |
| 24 | INWOVEN | A | INN (hotel) around WO (without) + AVE (greeting, formal) |
| 25 | RETIAL | N | RETINAL (connected with light-sensitive tissue) |
| 26 | TRESSEL | Y | TRES (very, Fr) SLY (cunning) around E(nglish) |
| 28 | ARBOUR | O | [ROAR (a)BOU(t) |
| 29 | PROMPT | F | PROF (don) + MP (politician) T(o) |
| 30 | LENGTH | T | LENT (temporarily provided) GT (great) H(eight) |
| 31 | SHTETL | H | H(o)T(e)L after [ESTH]* |
| 33 | OUTS | E | OUTDOES (excels) − DO (party) |
| 34 | ALEPH | M | P(aragrap)H after MALE (masculine) |
|
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Yes, I was a bit underwhelmed too, looking for something a bit more cohesive.
A fairly straightforward solve, and I agree that I didn’t quite see the connection. I’m guessing that Chalicea has had recent experience of child birth.
Good fun nevertheless, and I certainly agree with the first quote.
Thanks to setter and blogger. HG, I had the same issue with ORCA.
Surprisingly light on the comments this week – I guess that’s because everyone felt as “whelmed” as H___G____ 🙁
Nothing much to add either, unfortunately. I just wanted the blogger to know that we’re still here 😉
Late again to the party but should be back to normal now that we are back in the UK!
We downloaded the Independent on the ipad but then had no internet access. As others have said it probably won’t be one of the best 10 of the year but we still enjoy the Inquisitor challenge – even more so with no internet access!
Bert found CONNOLLY but neither of us had any idea of the connection. Thanks to HolyGhost for the blog and Chalicea for the puzzle!
So sorry to underwhelm some of you – what can I say? Thank you to Holy Ghost for the blog and I’ll try not to disappoint you next time. I had a fair amount of input from lady solvers and even some men who did see the link and quite enjoyed a relatively easy solve that focused on a female issue – that baby that puts a temporary (about 20-years) end to our professional career/ social life etc. No – no recent experience of child birth, I’m a relatively new granny. (Yes, the ORCA was a real blunder – a second ‘sorry’!) Keep blogging, we enjoy it and know what hard work it can be.
Coming back weeks later: look up ‘orc’ in the 2011 Chambers and you’ll see ‘a fierce sea monster’ under the headword definition!