Preamble: Wordplay in down clues leads to an extra letter not to be entered in the grid. In clue order, these letters give advice concerning 47 across.
Definitely one of the shortest preambles I’ve seen.
I started this in Belfast International Airport while waiting for my flight to Luton and I’d largely finished it by the time I was told to put my tray table away in preparation for landing. Just a couple of answers left to justify, including 16a (was it CARAT or KARAT??) and how to treat the advice. Returning home it didn’t take long to complete the grid but the actual treatment took me ages to work out. In hindsight, I was just being a bit thick.
I found the clues to be pretty easy with, perhaps, way too many anagrams but then when you’re on your way to a two-day conference which includes free beer then it’s maybe just what the doctor ordered!
So, 47a began to form and, eventually, it couldn’t be anything but ERASMUS. Desiderius Erasmus Roterodamus was a Dutch scholar famous for his adages.
The extra letters generated by the down clues spelled out: THIRD LETTERS OF ACROSS CLUES. And third letters, in turn, led to COLOUR ADAGE OF DUTCH SCHOLAR.
So, the next step should be easy but as I said, it took me ages. I led myself down a blind alley (pun intended) as I’d spotted THE BLIND across the diagonal and I did not see the obvious answer staring me in the face in the Wikipedia article referenced above. I convinced myself that I was looking for THE BLIND LEADING THE BLIND though I have no idea what sent me down that path – perhaps some dodgy internet search or something. It wasn’t until after I had started doing the blog that it finally hit me. Erasmus’s most famous adage was IN THE COUNTRY OF THE BLIND, THE ONE-EYED MAN IS KING and there it is in 5 diagonal lines: a5-e1, a9-i1, a13-m1, e13-m5 and i13-m9. Having more eyes than anyone else around would definitely give one the Comparative Advantage, hence the title.
Thanks Chalicea for a nice gentle puzzle.
Across
| No |
Clue |
Entry |
Wordplay |
Third letter |
| 2 | Uncle chasing idiot for bard’s grant |
BETEEME | BÊTE (stupid person)+EME (uncle) | C |
| 7 | Show deceptively, condescend with force, not depth |
FEIGN | dEIGN (condescend; Force replaces Depth) | O |
| 11 | Talk bunkum, empty bull, absolute bosh finally |
BLAH | BulL (empty)+Absolute+bosH (finally) | L |
| 12 | Sloppy black footed albatross (not northern) |
GOOEY | GOOnEY (black footed albatross; minus Northern) | O |
| 14 | Rough and hairy, inherently adverse to sensuality |
SETOSE | adverSE TO SEnsuality (hidden; inherently) | U |
| 15 | Warn skilled profession about foreign article |
ALERT | ART (skilled professional) containing LE (foreign [French] article) | R |
| 16 | Standard weight of annual return in ancient coal vessel |
CARAT | AR (annual return) inside CAT (ancient coal vessel) | A |
| 17 | Old scold to exhibit round burgh’s centre |
SHROW | SHOW (exhibit) containing buRgh (centre) | D |
| 18 | Plan incomplete exemplar |
IDEA | IDEAl (exemplar; incomplete) | A |
| 19 | Magical charm one outfit reflected? |
TIKI | I (one)+KIT (outfit) rev: reflected | G |
| 22 | The French single currency |
LEONE | LE (the in French)+ONE (single) | E |
| 25 | Professorial assistant at Dijon, maybe |
ADJOINT | AT DIJON (anag: maybe) | O |
| 26 | Suffering fever, agony without name |
AGUISH | AnGUISH (agony; minus Name) | F |
| 29 | Sad unionist distraught after following gangs |
SQUADS | SQ (following)+SAD Unionist (anag: distraught) | D |
| 30 | Unusual EEC trio forming clique |
COTERIE | EEC TRIO (anaag: unusual) | U |
| 32 | Interjection encouraging departure from trim ship |
IMSHI | trIM SHIp (hidden: from) | T |
| 36 | Excited dash for fish | SHAD | DASH (anag: excited) | C |
| 37 | Ethnic dish: it accompanies ragu, essentially |
SAAG | SA (sex appeal: it)+rAGu (essentially) | H |
| 39 | It’s regularly do-or-die, limitless obit for antelope |
ORIBI | dOoRdIe (regularly)+oBIt (limitless) | S |
| 40 | Mechanical adjustment of wheels to primarily eliminate wearing |
TOE-IN | TO+Eliminate (primarily)+IN (wearing) | C |
| 42 | Cohort leader rejected Albanian currency within Albania’s frontiers |
AKELA | LEK (Albanian currency; rev: rejected) inside AlbaniA (frontiers: first and last) | H |
| 43 | An ocean dweller’s symbol bears Latin inscription, principally |
LOLIGO | LOGO (symbol) containing Latin+Inscription (principally) | O |
| 44 | Fall to wooing position, absurdly keen, with hint of lechery |
KNEEL | KEEN (anag: absurdly)+Lechery (hint of) | L |
| 45 | Channel cut around one bleaching vat |
KEIR | KERf (channel) containing I (one) | A |
| 46 | Perception’s unsteady state |
TASTE | STATE (anag: unsteady) | R |
| 47 | Unclued | ERASMUS |
Down
| No. |
Clue |
Entry |
Extra |
Wordplay |
| 1 | Check local rain’s descent of rock face |
ABSEIL | T |
TAB (check)+SEIL (rain; local: dialect) |
| 2 | Mineral in barrel convenient once before start of exportation |
BLENDE | H |
BL (barrel)+HEND (convenient |
| 3 | The following recital intermittently facile for poet |
EATHE | I |
THE after rEcItAl (intermittently) |
| 4 | Like a sword put down to embrace Salvation Army |
ENSATE | R |
ENTER (put down) containing SA (Salvation Army) |
| 5 | Might she advise on, say, Eastern Moroccan house? |
EGERIA | D |
EG (say)+Eastern+RIAD (Moroccan house) |
| 6 | Loamy erupted volcanic mud |
MOYA | L |
LOAMY (anag: erupted) |
| 7 | Like being entertained in holiday delight |
FEAST | E |
AS (like) inside FÊTE (holiday) |
| 8 | Ways of remaining inactive, lacking velocity, transitive, shifting |
INERTIAS | T |
TRANSITIvE (minus Velocity; anag: shifting) |
| 9 | Good turn managed to supply all? |
GO ROUND | T |
GOOD TURN (anag: managed) |
| 10 | Idiots knitted one twinset |
NITWITS | E |
I (one)+TWINSET (anag: knitted) |
| 13 | Reactionary IT going into crosses for female cells |
OOTIDS | R |
IT (rev: reactionary) inside ROODS (crosses) |
| 20 | Shaken, stirred measure |
KANEH | S |
SHAKEN (anag: stirred) |
| 21 | Make fast returns, grabbing acceptable historic opportunity |
ROUM | O |
MOOR (make fast; rev: returns) containing U (acceptable) |
| 23 | Mavericks make public announcements |
OUTLIERS | F |
OUT (make public)+FLIERS (public announcements) |
| 24 | Shakespearean duke’s over-trusting, protecting earl |
NIEF | A |
NAÏF (overtrusting) containing Earl |
| 26 | Drug leaves cast fazed about old address |
ACCOAST | C |
COCA (drug leaves) inside CAST (anag: fazed) |
| 27 | Soldier’s cane sugar crop, if abandoned |
GOORKHA | R |
GOOR (cane sugar)+KHARif (crop; IF abandoned) |
| 28 | Lifting device that is unproductive in Scotland of old |
HISTIE | O |
HOIST (lifting device)+IE (that is) |
| 31 | Stew in ancient little pans; type of bone removed |
PAELLA | S |
PAtELLAS (ancient little pans) minus T-bone |
| 32 | Artistic phrases distorting core of admission |
IDIOMS | S |
aDMISSIOn (core of; anag: distorting) |
| 33 | Suspend Commonwealth of Independent States’ social gatherings |
HANGIS | C |
HANG (suspend)+CIS (Commonwealth of Independent States) |
| 34 | Confused lingo concerning refuse |
IGNORE | L |
LINGO (anag: confused)+RE (concerning) |
| 35 | Place sheltering an entwining plant |
LIANE | U |
LIEU (place) containing AN |
| 38 | Perish, surrounded by water? Goodbye! |
ADIEU | E |
DIE (perish) inside EAU (water) |
| 41 | Source of advantage without trouble at first law hearing |
OYER | S |
OYStER (source of advantage) minus Trouble (at first) |
I think the grid construction deserves a mention – I had THE BLIND on the leading diagonal before I got anything else, but when the full adage emerged on the other diagonals it was a deeply satisfying revelation. That’s surely an astounding achievement, to fit so long a phrase in so regular a pattern into a normal symmetrical grid. It obviously needed some obscure words to make it work, but I’d like to thank Chalicia for the generous cluing of these, which always seems preferable to me. I was scratching my head for a while over 31A – I couldn’t work out how the type of bone, which was obviously patella, had something removed from it by the wording of the clue. Took me about as long as the rest of the puzzle put together to actually pay attention to the clue.
Three relatively easy IQs in a row – surely it can’t last….
I agree, relatively easy but I must concur with OPatrick that the grid construction was stunning. When I found the quote I couldn’t help wondering how on earth our setters manage to think these things up. So thanks for the blog Kenmac – my solving experience was much the same as yours, and hats off to Chalicea for a superb grid and pdm.
Chalicea’s done this a few times in EVs, so it took me maybe half a second to find the quote once I knew what I was looking for, but it’s good to see IQ solvers enjoying what is a great way to hide a long quote in the grid. Up to her usual standards and hopefully enjoyable for all. If memory serves this was the same weekend as a hideously tough Listener, so glad to have had the chance to solve something easier, but still well-constructed. Thanks Chalicea.
Perhaps surprisingly this was the only quote I found in my copy of ODQ under Erasmus. Surely he had more pearls of wisdom to share?
Indeed, third week in a row I at least nearly completed the grid. Just four answers missing. I actually found the correct answer to 24dn in a word search but didn’t enter it in the grid as I couldn’t see what it had to do with the clue. I’ve only just got it. D’oh!
Something about how my brain works means I usually fail to spot hidden messages, especially on the diagonal. Even with it having been pointed out I have trouble seeing it on the grid in front of me, and I don’t think it’s entirely due to my handwriting.
I had the same head-scratching period as OPatrick@1 with regard to pans and bones. I also had the quote in mind as ‘In the land of the blind …’ so it took a while to see the correct version but it led to a very satisfying penny-drop when I finally saw it. Many thanks to chalicea for a lovely puzzle and to kenmac for the blog.
And I’ll also echo OPatrick’s comment with regard to generous cluing. While I eventually enjoy the achievement of solving them at all, I have the feeling that I spend far too much time tussling with things like ‘Local contractor confused Jock’s ancient boy with Niamh’s crusading underwear (11, 2 words)’ [*] which seem to be willfully obscure just for the sake of it.
* Yes, I just made this up, but I bet it appears somewhere soon !! 🙂
Not an “easy” puzzle as some have implied, but a “do-able” one for a change. Had trouble with 33D as “HANGIS” is not in my old Chambers and had to internet that one. Only one I couldn’t parse was 37A “SAAG” – again not in my Chambers and I’m unaware of SA as an officially recognised abbreviation!
I would never have spotted the quotation – would this have been required as part of one’s entry to the competition?
My note at the end of the puzzle: “easy clues; great grid“. Thanks to all.
Somewhat late posting due to lack of internet but we feel the puzzle deserves a comment from us.
We were initially somewhat disappointed. At last we had time for an Inquisitor but it was over too quickly. However, the message took a while to find but when we spotted it, we realised what a tour de force it was!
Thanks to HolyGhost and admiration to Chalicea.
Thank you Kenmac for that great blog. I wonder whether you know how much the setters look forward to seeing what you write and appreciate it if we earn your approval – and thank you to all the others for those warm comments. I know the clues were on the easy side (but this one was set years ago; my next one might be more challenging – watch this space). Like so many setters, I prefer creating the grid to writing the clues, and concealing a message or a mass of material in a grid is great fun and a source of setter adrenalin!
Muchpuzzled – perhaps you have an expurgated edition of Chambers. SA (sex appeal) and SAAG are both on the first S page (our editor would strike them out if they weren’t!)
BF – we love your clue (but can’t solve it – help please!) then we’ll try to include it in a future IQ 🙂
Chalicea@10
I have to think up the answer as well ? Good grief, I thought that was the solver’s job. There’s more to this setting business than meets the eye, but I’m sure the answer will turn out to be ‘Calvin Kleins’ (with an latent ‘s’, of course). Thanks again for the puzzle.
BF 🙂 !