Inquisitor 1357: Cause and Effect by Eclogue

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This is the second Eclogue Inquisitor that I have blogged.  The previous one had a literary theme.  This time …

 

 

 

.. we had a sporting reference as the theme.

The preamble stated: "In clue order, extraneous letters (one per clue) yielded by wordplay provide the names (one shortened) of two protagonists in a well-known dialogue and a key line from it.  Solvers should highlight in the completed grid the pictorial representation of the cause and its effect (37 cells in total, shown in five straight lines)"

The use of extra letters in wordplay is a fairly standard way of hinting at themes or end-games.

For a change I got started quite quickly with this puzzle and made good progress with my first pass through all the clues.  It was the appearance of  AGNEW in the phrase from the word play letters that was the penny drop moment (PDM) for me, especially as I could see that a skeleton of BRIAN JOHNSTON was also forming.

I think that this was one of the quickest solves I have done for an Inquisitor in recent blogs.  It helped that I was able to identify the complete phrase long before I had solved all the clues.  As a result, many of the clues became easier once the extra letter was obvious.

The complete phrase is BRIAN JOHNSTON JON AGNEW HE JUST DIDN’T QUITE GET HIS LEGOVER

The shortened name is JON.  The full Christian name is JONATHAN.  I feel sure that any cricket fan would have known the importance of IAN BOTHAM in the incident that set off BRIAN JOHNSTON‘s fit of the giggles.  With this knowledge, the identification of the three vertical lines [forming a wicket] becomes fairly easy.  The full dismissal of BOTHAM is recorded as IAN BOTHAM, HIT WICKET B[owled] C[urtly] AMBROSE. JON AGNEW used the phrase HE JUST … to describe how BOTHAM fell on to the stumps.  BRIAN JOHNSTON seemed to find this phrase particularly amusing and struggled to commentate for some time.  A couple of times he said STOP IT AGGERS to try and bring the incident to a conclusion..  This gives us the highlighted lines 4 and 5 in the grid.  In total 37 cells are highlighted as the O and I of  STOP IT are doing double duty.

If you are not a cricket fan, and have never heard of JOHNSTON, AGNEW, BOTHAM or AMBROSE the end game would have been more difficult.  There were however enough words in the phrase to do some research and find the incident.  There are many links to the actual commentary , the one given goes to a Daily Telegraph article.

The clues were probably at the easier end of the Inquisitor spectrum although a few of the definitions called upon particularly obscure uses of the entry.  I made significant use of Chambers to check the entries.  Having said that, you will see I have struggled with the wordplay on a couple of occasions.  I can’t work out the wordplay for ERGO [11 across], particularly in relation to the extra letter A.  I am defeated by the relevance of the word ‘Mother’ in the clue to 40 down [LEES].  Finally the exact definition at 41 across [COMMITTEEMEN] eludes me.

As I was a bit strapped for time when preparing and writing this blog, I was pleased to have a puzzle that didn’t take a week to solve.  There were 50 clues.  24 of them involved an anagram of part or all of the entry.  This helped the solve considerably.

The final highlighted grid looks like this:

Inquisitor 1357

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The title is fairly self explanatory, especially if you click through on the link above.

Note that in some examples of wordplay where there is more than one occurrence of the extra letter, it doesn’t matter which occurrence is omitted.  In other cases it does matter.  I haven’t indicated which examples are which.  I feel sure that anyone who tackles an Inquisitor will be able to detect where it is important to omit the right occurrence.

Across

 

      
No Clue Wordplay Extra Letter Entry

2

 

Local one making leather strike bat on the rebound between wickets (7)

 

(HIT [strike] + [BAT  reversed {on the rebound]) contained in (between (W [wicket in cricket terminology] + W [wicket] giving wickets)

W (HIT TAB<) W

B

 

WHITTAW (dialect [local] term for a saddler or harness maker; local one making leather)

 

7

 

Catamount carved rump and head of antelope (4)

 

Anagram of (carved) RUMP and A (first letter of [head of ] ANTELOPE)

PUMA*

R

 

PUMA (a CATAMOUNT is any of various large wild cats, applied especially to the PUMA and the lynx)

 

10

 

Is one worried about pound in recession for the moneyed classes? (6)

 

Anagram of (worried) IS ONE containing (about) (LB [pound weight] reversed [in recession])

NO (BL)< ES*

I

 

NOBLES (persons of high social title or rank; moneyed classes)

 

11

 

Work first time, then (4)

 

ERG (the CGS unit of work)  For the rest of the wordplay we need an A [for the protagonist] and an O for the entry, but I can’t see how we get them.  A could represent first, but I can’t link O and time.  Is there a dictionary somewhere that suggests that AO represents the beginning of time?

 

A

 

ERGO (in consequence; then)

 

12

 

Nervous eaters?  Eleven probing dubious poison batch (12)

 

XI (Roman numerals for the number eleven) contained in (probing) an anagram of (dubious) POISON BATCH

TO (XI) PHOBIACS*

N

 

TOXIPHOBIACS (people with a morbid fear of poisoning would be nervous eaters)

 

13

 

Jane’s organised concert party people, say (4)

 

Anagram of (organised) JANES

ENSA*

J

 

ENSA (Entertainments National Service Association, which provided entertainment for the armed forces during and after World War II; concert party)

 

16

 

Blast cover protecting female?  The reverse (6)

 

SHE (female) containing (protecting) COAT (cover) – i.e. the opposite (the reverse) of cover containing female

S (COAT) HE

O

 

SCATHE (blast)

 

17

 

Chinese wheels in workers’ half-yearly payments once (6)

 

HAN (a member of the native Chinese people) reversed (wheels) contained in (in) ANTS (workers)

AN (NAH)< TS

H

 

ANNATS (In Scotland, from 1672 to 1925 the half-year’s stipend payable after a parish minister’s death to his widow or next of kin)

 

19

 

Old England or Scotland – annual book oddly omits commencement of Union (5)

 

Anagram of (oddly) ANNUAL and B (book) excluding (omits) U (first letter of [commencement of] UNION)

ALBAN*

N

 

ALBAN (ancient name for the island of Great Britain, now used poetically for Britain, England, or especially Scotland)

 

20

 

Slovenly, lazy, oafish – signifying boor, primarily (4)

 

SLOSB (first letters [primarily] of each of SLOVENLY, LAZY, OAFISH, SIGNIFYING and BOOR)

 

S

 

SLOB (One who could be considered any or all of slovenly, lazy, oafish and boorish)

 

21

 

Must I sit with ill-fitting togs on Bondi? (8)

 

Anagram of (ill-fitting) MUST I SIT and W (with)

SWIMSUIT*

T

 

SWIMSUIT (swimming costume; something you wight wear on Bondi beach, for example, not that there is anything uniquely Australian about SWIMSUIT))

 

24

 

Return Jock’s secret hoard to set in disused bar (5)

 

TO contained in (set in) (POSE [Scottish {Jock’s} word for secret hoard] reversed [return])

ES (TO) OP<

O

 

ESTOP (archaic [disused] word for bar)

 

25

 

Mark well smear concealed in praise (5)

 

BLUR (smear) contained in (concealed in) NB (nota bene; note well)

B (BLUR) N<

N

 

BLURB (praise)

 

28

 

Joint producer of remixed metric jor (8)

 

Anagram of (remixed) METRIC JOR

MORTICER*

J

 

MORTICER (one who creates joints [in wood], mortise and tenon joints)  the mortise is the hole into which the tenon goes)

 

31

 

Eng / NZ bird in pursuit of silver (4)

 

AG (chemical symbol for silver) + MOA (a gigantic extinct bird of New Zealand)

 

O

 

AGMA (the phonetic symbol  for a velar nasal consonant, as the ng in thing or the n in think  ENG is defined as the symbol representing the sound of English ng)

 

32

 

State held back in what’s charged (5)

 

HAD (held) reversed (back) contained in (in) ION (an electrically charged particle)

I (DAH)< ON

N

 

IDAHO  (State of the United States)

 

34

 

Assembly of elders past engaged in wild talk (6)

 

AGO (past) contained in (engaged in) an anagram of (wild) TALK

K (AGO) TLA*

A

 

KGOTLA (an assembly of tribal elders in Botswana)

 

36

 

Jade absorbed by unusual neon compound (6)

 

NAG (JADE can be defined as a worthless NAG) contained in (absorbed by) an anagram of (unusual) NEON

NO (NAG) NE*

G

 

NONANE (a hydrocarbon [C9H20], ninth in the alkane series; compound)

 

39

 

Scars on flower stalks found in thin layers (4)

 

HILA (hidden word in [found in] THIN LAYERS)

 

N

 

HILA (scars on a seed where it joins its stalk)

 

41

 

_____ meet one time with MC being represented? (12)

 

Anagram of (being represented)  MEET ONE TIME and MC

COMMITTEEMEN*

E

 

COMMITTEEMEN (members of a committee)  I am guessing that the blanks at the beginning of the clue are meant to represent nameless functionaries often known as  COMMITTEEMEN

 

42

 

Nameless women’s funny old wry faces (4)

 

Anagram of (funny) WOMEN‘S excluding (less) N (name)

MOES*

W

 

MOES (obsolete [old] word for wry faces)

 

43

 

Marshmallow almost entirely found on wild heath (6)

 

ALL (entirely) excluding the final letter (almost) L + an anagram of (wild) HEATH

AL THEA*

H

 

ALTHEA (a plant of the marshmallow and hollyhock genus)

 

44

 

Gentlemen ordered ‘Eyes right!’ (4)

 

Anagram of (ordered) EYES and R (right)

RYES*

E

 

RYES (gypsy word for gentlemen)

 

45

 

Tense Stones lead singer’s engaged followers (7)

 

T (tense) + JAGGER’S (reference Mick JAGGER, lead singer of the Rolling Stones)

 

J

 

TAGGERS (close followers)

 
Down    

 

  

1

 

Strained unit seen to be cracking (7)

 

Anagram of (to be cracking) UNIT SEEN

INTENSE*

U

 

INTENSE (strained)

 

2

 

Poet’s to abide Welsh oath of old (4)

 

W (Welsh) + OONS (archaic [of old] oath)

 

S

 

WOON (Spenserean [poetic] word for dwell or abide)

 

3

 

The Italian ain’t moving from Troy (5)

 

IL (Italian for ‘the’) + an anagram of (moving) AIN’T

IL IAN*

T

 

ILIAN (from Troy)

 

4

 

Tongue dish served up with tea during broadcast (4)

 

Anagram of (served up) (DISH + T [sounds like {when broadcast} TEA])

TSHI*

D

 

TSHI (dialect and literary language [tongue] of Ghana; variant spelling of Twi)

 

5

 

Excusing writing, maybe Maoris edited book (4)

 

Anagram of (maybe) MAORIS excluding (excusing) R (writing is one the three Rs in basic education – reading ‘riting and ‘rithmetic)

AMOS*

I

 

AMOS (book of the Old Testament)

 

6

 

Online image maker made WBC happy (6)

 

Anagram of (happy) MADE WBC

WEBCAM*

D

 

WEBCAM (small digital video camera attached to a computer that can be used to send visual images across the Internet; online image maker)

 

7

 

Sets of three plans circulating around smallest state (6)

 

Anagram of (circulating) PLANS containing (round) (RI [Rhode Island, the smallest State in America])

P (RI) ALS*

N

 

PRIALS (three cards of the same denomination, especially in cribbage and in the obsolete game of post and pair; throws of three dice all falling alike; sets of three)

 

8

 

Stew served up with brew, coffee (5)

 

TOM (to work as a prostitute; STEW can also be defined as a prostitute) reversed (served up; down clue) + CHA (tea; brew)

MOT< CHA

T

MOCHA (fine coffee)

 

9

 

Dreamy Ben’s stoned, inspired by stimulating leaves (6)

 

Anagram of (stoned) BEN’S contained in (inspired by) QAT (leaves of a shrub of East Africa and Asia, chewed or taken as tea for their stimulant effect; stimulating leaves)

QA (BSEN*) T

Q

 

ABSENT (dreamy)

 

14

 

Mucus produced by spasm in tonus (4)

 

Anagram of (spasms in) TONUS

SNOT*

U

 

SNOT (nasal mucus)

 

15

 

Edmund’s gem, James’s constant (4)

 

JAS (James) + PI (mathematical constant; the ratio of a circle’s circumference to its diameter)

 

I

 

JASP (Spenserean [Edmund’s] word for JASPER [an opaque quartz containing clay or iron compounds, used in jewellery or ornamentation])

 

17

 

Item no longer, countertenor embraces soprano (4)

 

ALTO (countertenor) containing (embraces) S (soprano)

AL (S) TO

T

 

ALSO (an archaic definition of ITEM is likewise / also)

 

18

 

Sediment’s beginning to rise in river round current position (4)

 

STEE (TEES [river] with the S [first letter of {beginning to} SEDIMENT] rising [down clue] to the front) containing (round) I (electric current)

S (I) TEE

E

 

SITE (position)

 

22

 

Hundred thousand under rug in local village (4)

 

 WIG (rug) + C (Roman numeral for 100) + K (signifying 1000)

G

 

WICK (dialect [local] term for a village)

 

23

 

Female formed in papiermáché (4)

 

IRMA (hidden word in [formed in] PAPIERMÁCHÉ)

 

E

 

IRMA (girl’s name; female)

 

25

 

Areas of special relationships regularly emanating from bar-stools? (4)

 

BRTOS (letters 1, 3 5, 7 and 9 of BAR-STOOLS)

 

T

 

BROS (places for which one feels great affinity because of birth, upbringing, long residence, etc there)  Initially I thought this was to with brothers, but Chambers gives the additional definition relating to places for which one …

 

26

 

It’s tough lines to be bearing a cross? (4)

 

UGLI (hidden word in [to be bearing] TOUGH LINES)

 

H

 

UGLI (a citrus fruit which is a cross between a grapefruit, a Seville orange and a tangerine)

 

27

 

Crazy book’s liar (7)

 

B (book) + ANANIAS (liar from the Bible story in Acts)

 

I

 

BANANAS (crazy)

 

28

 

It’ll reduce flesh after that time in motivational research (6)

 

SINCE (after that time) contained in (in) MR (motivational research)

M (SINCE) R

S

 

MINCER (a machine for cutting meat into small pieces; it’ll reduce flesh)

 

29

 

Capital’s natural barrier halts me unexpectedly (6)

 

Anagram of (unexpectedly) HALTS ME

THAMES*

L

 

THAMES (the river THAMES forms a natural barrier in London [capital city])

 

30

 

Ancient Greek speaker, strange one is it? (6)

 

Anagram of (strange) ONE IS IT

IONIST*

E

 

IONIST (a person from, or a person who studies one of the divisions of Ancient Greece)

 

33

 

Sound rising over old mine is depressing (5)

 

GOOD (sound) reversed (rising; down clue) containing (over) MY (an archaic [old] definition of MINE is MY)

DOO (MY) G<

G

DOOMY (depressing)

 

35

 

Freeman‘s article on the theory of everything (5)

 

THE (definite article) + TOE (theory of everything)

 

O

 

THETE (a poor freeman in Athens under Solon’s constitution)

 

37

 

Disorderly tavern abandoning rule of law for one getting heated by alcohol (4)

 

Anagram of (disorderly) TAVERN excluding (abandoning) R (rule [of law])

ETNA*

V

 

ETNA (a vessel for heating liquids in a saucer of burning alcohol.)

 

38

 

Old informer punishes students upon return (4)

 

GATES (punishes [students or schoolchildren] by imposing a curfew or by confinement to college or school precincts for a time) reversed (upon return)

STAG<

E

 

STAG (obsolete [old] slang for an informer)

 

40

 

Mother reels off fibs to Jock (4)

 

Anagram of  (off) REELS

LEES*

R

 

LEES (Scottish word for lies or fibs )

I can’t relate MOTHER to either the wordplay or the definition.

 

 

13 comments on “Inquisitor 1357: Cause and Effect by Eclogue”

  3. Duncan. I always enjoy and appreciate your blogs.
    I like that you always include the full clue, thorough parsing, and very often the full dictionary definition.

  4. jon surdy @ 1

    Thanks for tracking down the missing A at 11a.

    Phi@ 2

    Thanks – I’m not sure how I missed that as it did cross my mind that mother was another definition.

    I did the blog in a bit of a rush before I went off travelling. Currently in Auckland, adjusting to a 13 hour time difference.

  5. I agree this was one of the easier IQs as regards completing the grid, but I just couldn’t see how to finish off the highlighting. The stumps were clear enough, and I saw AGGERS at the bottom as the bails, but couldn’t see what else was required. Once again this highlights the need to read the preamble carefully where I now see the word “dialogue” hints that we are looking for its completion by including the response from Brian Johnstone (other than the uncontrollable giggles that is).

    Thanks to blogger and setter and to Phi for explaining the relevance of “mother”

  6. I spotted Brian Johnston early on, which more or less nailed down the theme making things much easier from there.

    One small point, though. I only recently realised that this wasn’t in the ball-by-ball commentary but in the close of play round-up and was a deliberate set-up by Agnew using a line ‘couldn’t get his leg over’ that a print journalist had decided he couldn’t use. Agnew clearly had fewer scruples.

  7. Like some other bloggers I ‘got’ this early on and filled in a couple of the stumps without having solved some of the clues. Good fun though.
    I presume the positioning of the lines “STOP IT AGGERS” is meant to represent pictorially the bails falling off the wicket ?
    I didn’t get ‘the relevance of ‘Mother’ in 40D either but was too lazy to investigate further.

    Many thanks to Eclogue and Duncan.

  8. Reasonably easy, but fun, and I remember the hearing helpless giggling of Brian Johnston live on air. The commentary was voted “the greatest sporting commentary ever” in a BBC poll, topping “They think it’s all over. It is now!” by Kenneth Wolstenholme on the 1966 World Cup Final.

    I thought that the committeemen clue was rather like the old quotation clues where the answer simply filled in the blank space.

  9. Many thanks to all commentators and especially to Duncan for his usual excellent Blog. Between you all, you appear to have sorted out the individual queries that have arisen. We’re glad that this puzzle seems to have brought a smile, which was always our intention. As usual, we have added a short post-script to our setters blog, which can be found at the website address http://eclogue-eclogue.blogspot.co.uk

  10. “The title is fairly self explanatory” the blog says. Well, not to me it isn’t. Is the CAUSE the broken wicket or Agnew’s statement? And, given that it is rather hard to illustrate a fit of giggles, is the EFFECT the fallen bails, Johnston’s plea, …?

  11. Re #10 – a rather pedantic comment to an enjoyable puzzle.

    Re #6 – are you sure? Although my memory fades with each passing year, I thought this was during actual commentary. Either way, I always giggle myself when I hear any repeat of it – Johners had a very infectious laugh!

  12. #10 – Surely the cause was Botham’s failed acrobatics (pictorially represented in the grid, as stated in the preamble); and the effect, the concealed response of Johnston to Agnew. Seems obvious enough to me, even if you might need to fill in the sequence with the string of missing letters.

    A very entertaining puzzle, not least because of the opportunity to listen to the incident again.

  13. My comment was more directed at Duncan’s otherwise fine blog, not at the puzzle (tho’ I didn’t think that the title was one of its strong points).

    My co-author has taught me never to describe something as “obvious”: if it is obvious, then the reader doesn’t need to be told it is; and if it’s not obvious to someone, then you’ve just insulted them.

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