Serpent continues his Mirror Image sequence in this week’s puzzle.
The first two Mirror Image puzzles were based on paintings by Salvador Dali (Swans reflecting Elephants) and Barnett Newman (Onement VI). The third one was created around the theme of Rorschach inkblots. There was a fair chance then that this puzzle would relate to art or symmetric images of some kind.
Indeed, the preamble confirmed that when it stated: "Twelve across clues contain an extra word that must be removed before solving: the word’s first letter must be written at one end of the row in which the answer is entered; the last must be written at the other end. The resulting columns spell out the title of the thematic image. All but two down clues contain an extra word that must be removed before solving; these words have something in common, which can be used to generate a self-referential hint. Solvers must make use of the hint to draw an outline of the thematic image’s subject, and must also complete the last row. Solvers may add colour to better represent the image.
To begin, I identified how the across clues were positioned, to determine which clues definitely had an extra word and which clues formed pairs in which only one of the pair had an extra word.
I took a while to fill the grid. Some of the extra words were obvious, some less so. The final extra word I found in the acrosses was THEORIES in 14 across. In the downs, the last one to fall was CONTRACTING in 6 down. For that clue I had RECKLESS in mind as the extra word for a while.
Once I had all the across extra words, there was a bit of work to determine which letter went in the left hand column and which went in the right hand column. I could see some colours being spelled out by some of the letters with WHITE, BLUE and RED being apparent. A bit of sorting generated WHITE AND BLUE in one column, which left COWS SKULL RED for the other.
The analysis of the across extra words is shown below.
Art is not one of my strong points, but the name GEORGIA somebody was obviously going to be the entry in the unclued bottom row. A bit of research showed that GEORGIA O’KEEFFE had painted COWS SKULL RED WHITE and BLUE. The painting shows a marked symmetry about the vertical axis.
For the extra down words, my initial thoughts were along the line that each word had two or more occurrences of at least one letter, so I started looking for adjacent ‘same-letter pairs’ in the grid. There are a few and some of them form a chain. For example the TT and EE in row 4 each lead symmetrically to diagonal pairs HH and AA. The AA even led on to NN in row 7, but the trail went cold after that.
A further study showed that each word had a symmetrical pair of letters as shown in the image below.
Not only that, but, in clue order, the symmetric letters spelled out the message SYMMETRIC LETTER PAIRS with the spaces between the words perfectly positioned as the two clues without extra words.
At that point I started to notice letters in the grid that were symmetrically spaced about the vertical axis. I identified pairs in rows 2 to 12 NTRLITDCOM forming a contiguous line in each half of the grid. There are also a pair of symmetrically placed letters in row 1 – the two Es in columns 2 and 13.
The animated image below shows the filled grid and it’s development into O’KEEFFE’S painting.
The detailed table below shows the original clues together with the clues that were generated by omitting words plus the various entries and parsing.
There is one clue that I can’t parse properly and that’s the one for HEROIN at 19 across. I feel sure someone will tell me how it works.
Serpent always gives us high quality clues which require a bit of lateral thinking. His definitions aren’t always taken straight out of the dictionary. Just in the early acrosses we had the definitions ‘warm-up for the main’ and ‘old cook’s defence’. There are always good surfaces in the clues with smattering of misdirection.
I enjoyed this and look forward to Mirror Image V which I expect will appear in the future.
Solvers wishing to learn more about GEORGIA O’KEEFFE [1887 – 1986], can find plenty of material on the web.
| No |
Clue Amended Clue |
Word | Letter(s) | Entry |
| Across | ||||
| 1 |
Warm-up for the main on-line broadcast (6, 2 words) EL NINO (a periodic large-scale warming of the surface of the Eastern Pacific Ocean, especially off the coast of Peru and Ecuador, associated with extreme meteorological phenomena in the Pacific region; warm-up for the main [ocean]) Anagram of (broadcast) ON-LINE EL NINO* |
|||
| 6 |
Sliding movement of revolutionary corkscrew jammed by idiot (6) Sliding movement of revolutionary jammed by idiot (6) CHASSE (gliding step in dancing; sliding movement) CHE (reference CHE Guevara [1928-1967], Argentine Marxist revolutionary) containing (jammed by) ASS (idiot) CH (ASS) E |
CORKSCREW | C W | |
| 11 |
Seize resistance hero supported by old cook’s defence (6) Seize resistance supported by old cook’s defence (6) NAPRON (earlier [old] form of APRON [piece of cloth, leather, etc worn in front, especially by cooks to protect clothes from dirt or damage]) NAP (seize or steal) + R ([electrical] resistance) + ON (supported by) NAP R ON |
HERO | O H | |
| 12 |
Bloody extraordinary interview (4) Bloody extraordinary (4) RARE ([of meat] underdone or bloody) RARE (extraordinary) double definition RARE |
INTERVIEW | W I | |
| 13 |
Weapons brought back in good order (4) SNUG (in good order) GUNS (weapons) reversed (brought back) SNUG< |
|||
| 14 |
Professor’s incisive theories implement Archimedes’ Screw? (6) Professor’s incisive implement Archimedes’ Screw? (6) RAISER (Archimedes’ Screw is a device for RAISing water) RAISER (sounds like [professor’s] RAZOR [sharp; precise; incisive] implement) RAISER |
THEORIES | S T | |
| 15 |
Yahoo encrypts Chinese website’s address? (5) Yahoo Chinese website’s address? (5) CHURL (ill-bred, surly fellow; lout) CH (Chinese) + URL (Uniform Resource Locator [the system of addresses for the World Wide Web]) CH URL |
ENCRYPTS | S E | |
| 17 |
Drinking establishment offering the consumer little? (5) LOCAL (public house; drinking establishment) LO-CAL (low in calories; something offer little sustenance to the consumer) LO CAL |
|||
| 19 |
Screen idol’s last drug attack (6) Screen idol’s last drug (6) HEROIN (an example of a drug) HERO (revered film star playing fictional lead characters ; screen idol) + IN (? – I’m not sure how ‘last’ and IN are related) I have tried working backwards from HEROINE but I can’t see how that would work either. HERO IN |
ATTACK | K A | |
| 20 |
Abridged column about posh ball (6) PILULA (a little pill; a ball) PILLAR (column) excluding the final letter (abridged) R containing (about) U (upper-class; posh) PIL (U) LA |
|||
| 21 |
Unchristian cannibals say disembowelled macaque had upset scientists (10) Cannibals say disembowelled macaque had upset scientists (10) MEATEATERS (cannibals are examples of MEATEATERS) ME (letters remaining in MACAQUE when the central letters ACAQU are removed [disembowelled]) + ATE (consumed; had) + ATE (worried; upset) + RS (Royal Society; United Kingdom’s national academy of scientists) ME ATE ATE RS |
UNCHRISTIAN | U N | |
| 22 |
Neglected legend heartlessly treated with contempt (6) Neglected heartlessly treated with contempt (6) DISSED (treated with disrespect or contempt) DISUSED (neglected) excluding the central letter [heartlessly) U DISSED |
LEGEND | L D | |
| 24 |
Extremely dull minister’s power is beginning to dwindle (6) DRIEST (most [extremely] uninteresting [dull]) PRIEST (minister) with P (power) replaced by (is) D (first letter of [beginning to] DWINDLE to from DRIEST DRIEST |
|||
| 26 |
Quote new article about reducing pain medically? (6) ANETIC (medical term for soothing [reducing pain]) (CITE [quote] + N [new] + A [article]) all reversed (about) (A N ETIC)< |
|||
| 29 |
Seek information verbally on which to base biographical sketch? (6) Seek information verbally on which to base sketch? (6) CANVAS (coarse cloth made of cotton, hemp or other material, used for painting on; on which to base sketch) CANVAS (sounds like [verbally] CANVASS [seek information]) CANVAS |
BIOGRAPHICAL | L B | |
| 32 |
Pottery club contest hosted by rival club (12, 2 words) Pottery club contest hosted by club (12, 2 words) WEDGWOOD WARE (pottery made by Josiah WEDGWOOD [1730 – 1795] and his successors, including a distinctive type with cameo reliefs in white on a coloured ground) (WOOD [[golf] club] + WAR [contest]) contained in (hosted by) WEDGE (another [golf] club) WEDG (WOOD WAR) E |
RIVAL | R L | |
| 35 |
Men succeeded in short contest’s climax (6) ORGASM (climax) OR (other ranks; men) + (S [succeeded] contained in [in] GAME [contest] excluding the final letter [short] E) OR GA (S) M |
|||
| 36 |
Writer’s minutes undermine doubtful statement about trouble (6) Writer’s minutes doubtful statement about trouble (6) MAILER (reference Norman MAILER [1923 – 2007], American writer) (M [minutes] + ER [expression denoting hesitation or doubt]) containing (about) AIL (trouble) M (AIL) ER |
UNDERMINE | E U | |
| 37 |
Piece of music elicited less feeling (6) Piece of music less feeling (6) NUMBER (a piece of music) NUMBER (deadened; with less feeling) double definition NUMBER |
ELICITED | D E | |
| Down | ||||
| 1 |
Journalist controlling businesses run in specialised market added value (8) Journalist controlling run in specialised market added value (8) ENRICHED (add value) ED (editor [journalist]) containing (controlling) (R [run] contained in [in] NICHE [specialised market]) E (N (R) ICHE) D |
BUSINESSES | S | |
| 2 |
Dislike Labour leader over two yearly articles (6) Dislike Labour leader over two articles (6) LOATHE (dislike intensely) L (first letter of [leader] LABOUR) + O (over) + A (indefinite article) + THE (definite article) – this is a down entry so the L and O are over the two articles A and THE L O A THE |
YEARLY | Y | |
| 3 |
Develops true commitment and runs amok (8) Develops true and runs amok (8) NURTURES (brings up; develops) Anagram of (amok) TRUE and RUNS NURTURES* |
COMMITMENT | M | |
| 4 |
Institute about to leave National Museum of Childbirth (5) Institute about to leave National of Childbirth (5) NATAL (connected with or descriptive of childbirth) NATIONAL excluding (to leave) (I [Institute] and ON [about]) NATAL |
MUSEUM | M | |
| 5 |
Allowed choice sort of review into breaking newspaper article (8) Allowed choice sort of into breaking newspaper article (8) OPTIONED (given a choice) Anagram of (sort of) INTO contained in (breaking) (OP-ED [a newspaper article printed OPposite the EDitorial column, usually expressing the personal opinions of the writer) OP (TION*) ED |
REVIEW | E | |
| 6 |
Reckless old man’s contracting contagious disease outside temporary accommodation (8) Reckless old man’s contagious disease outside temporary accommodation (8) CRASHPAD (a place providing temporary accommodation) CD (contagious disease) containing (outside) (RASH [reckless] + PA [father; old man]) C (RASH PA) D |
CONTRACTING | T | |
| 7 |
Orders place to put up house rent retrospectively (5) Place to put up house rent retrospectively (5) HOTEL (place to stay; place to put up for the night) HO (house) + LET (rent) reversed (retrospectively) HO TEL< |
ORDERS | R | |
| 8 |
Simple job function maintains effective treatment (8) Simple job function effective treatment (8) SINECURE (an office without work; a cushy job) SINE (trigonometric function) + CURE (effective treatment) SINE CURE |
MAINTAINS | I | |
| 9 |
Decide about question to inform science (6) Decide about question to inform (6) SQUEAL (turn informer; inform) SEAL (agree; decide) containing (about) QU (question) S (QU) EAL |
SCIENCE | C | |
| 10 |
Bomb factory’s something cooked up in kitchen (8) EGGPLANT (American term for an aubergine, a fruit that can be cooked in the kitchen) EGG (mine or bomb) + PLANT (factory) EGG PLANT |
|||
| 16 |
Feel very hot in scullery right by oven (5) Feel very hot in right by oven (5) ROAST (feel very hot) R (right) + OAST (kiln to dry hops or malt; oven) R OAST |
SCULLERY | L | |
| 18 |
Compound adulterating new element, but not with oil (5) Compound adulterating new, but not with oil (5) OLEIN (glycerine ester [compound] of oleic acid) Anagram of (adulterating) NEW excluding [but not] W [with] and OIL OLEIN* |
ELEMENT | E | |
| 23 |
Cold period anticipated, ignoring week with temperature dropping still (5) Cold period, ignoring week with temperature dropping still (5) INERT (still) WINTER (period of cold) excluding (ignoring) W (week) and with T (temperature) falling (dropping) in this down entry to from INERT INERT |
ANTICIPATED | T | |
| 25 |
East European prince returned item from state wardrobe (5) East European prince returned item from wardrobe (5) SAREE (Hindu woman’s chief garment, a long cloth wrapped round the waist and passed over the shoulder and head; item from wardrobe) (E [East] + E [European] + RAS [Ethiopian prince]) all reversed (returned) (SAR E E)< |
STATE | T | |
| 26 |
Dread about fine stopped everyone sleeping (5) Dread about fine stopped sleeping (5) AWOKE (stopped sleeping) AWE (dread) containing (about) OK (alright; fine) AW (OK) E |
EVERYONE | E | |
| 27 |
Doctor leaving vessel perturbs person responsible for border (5) Doctor leaving vessel person responsible for border (5) EDGER (someone responsible for trimming or creating the border of a lawn or a garment for example) DREDGER (vessel) excluding (leaving) DR (doctor) EDGER |
PERTURBS | R | |
| 28 |
Unconscious state capturing first of memories for briefest of intervals (5) COMMA (the smallest interval, break or discontinuity) COMA (unconscious state) containing (capturing) M (first letter of [first of]) MEMORIES COM (M) A – either M could be the one contained |
|||
| 29 |
Search contents of shopping for band (5) Search contents of for band (5) COMBO (small jazz or dance band) COMB (search) + O (middle letter of [contents of] FOR) COMB O |
SHOPPING | P | |
| 30 |
English University can gainsay returning prize (5) English University can returning prize (5) VALUE (prize) (E [English] + U [university] + LAV (lavatory; can [slang for lavatory]) all reversed (returning) (VAL U E)< |
GAINSAY | A | |
| 31 |
Guitarist shoots up small line (5) Shoots up small line (5) SERIF (short decorative foot at the end of a stroke on a printed character; small line) FIRES (shoots) reversed (up; down entry) SERIF< |
GUITARIST | I | |
| 33 |
Band go to Scottish priory (4) Band go to Scottish (4) GANG (group; band) GANG (Scottish word for go) double definition GANG |
PRIORY | R | |
| 34 |
Telegraph shares women’s anger (4) Telegraph women’s anger (4) WIRE (telegraph) W (women) + IRE (anger) W IRE |
SHARES | S |
19a “screen” the last letter of HEROINE
I have good memories of the previous Mirror Images and was pleased to see another.
The SW corner yielded first, and from there I managed to fill four solid rows across the bottom of the main grid before coming to a temporary stop. At that point I saw the possibility of the word BLUE in either the left or the right column, paired with LRED on the opposite side. I also had the likely names GEORGIA and O’KEEFFE in the bottom row.
I had not heard of that artist before, but on finding her in Wikipedia I found the name of the cow’s skull painting, and the painting itself gave me a good idea of how the grid would be made to represent the painting, given a bit more data from the hint later on.
Having a complete set of letters in the outer columns obviously helped with the Across clues thereafter. The NE quadrant proved to be a bit sticky, but SQUEAL and SNUG opened it up, and with the completed grid came the full text of the hint.
The clues were excellent, and the graphic theme was very well implemented – and succinctly indicated.
Thanks to Serpent, and to duncanshiell for the blog.
What a fantastic puzzle – and I hadn’t even realised until reading the blog that the “symmetric letter pairs” spelled “symmetric letter pairs” (hence “self referential hint”, which I struggled to make sense of even though I got the hint).
As I’m a sucker for colouring, rather than drawing a line through the letters, I chose to colour the outside lot in blue, leaving the inside lot in white – and the picture ended up looking remarkably like the painting.
Thank you to both setter and blogger – a true joy to complete.
I confess I failed to see the common element in the surplus down clues (one or two of which I had wrong), hence no drawn skull’s head (thank you for the graphics!). But until then, a pleasant journey to a well-known painting, and a very clever device.
Thanks to Serpent and duncanshiell.
An enjoyable solve, with all answers parsedy I noticed immediately that the rubric didn’t state exactly which end of the extra words should be placed in which column (Serpent, that was very cunning) : COWS SKULL RED WHITE AND BLUE, but surely MUSEUM at 4D leads to both M and U – giving SYMMUETRIC – I got the idea though. Words were nicely spaced by the two normal down clues. Found the cells, drew the skull, then … ‘Solvers may add colour’ (‘may’ – optional again – second week running). Well, I added some colour, as it’s a fun way to end any Inquisitor!
A very nice puzzle indeed – shame about the ‘M and U’ dilemma at 4D and the optional colouring once again. Many thanks, as always, to both setter and blogger.
Regarding 19A – I also parsed the clue as per kenmac above.
What a joy to have a puzzle in which there wasn’t a shred of doubt about the endgame – that hasn’t always been the case in some recent barred puzzles. This was great fun with some excellent clues and (for me) and I learned something new (although I can’t say this style of art appeals). Serpent really is at the top of his game in both barred and daily puzzles.
I didn’t notice the M/U issue in MUSEUM, probably because I’d already worked out the message from the letters I already had, so it didn’t spoil the enjoyment at all. I didn’t bother with the colouring, because my artistic skills make the purveyors of unmade beds and the like look like Rembrandt.
Nice one, Serpent.
Thanks Serpent for introducing me to such a fine work
I could only find mauve and pink pencils but it still looked OK
Very nice-thanks all
Great puzzle, and another excuse to get the crayons out. 🙂 Getting SYMMETRIC LETTER PAIRS proved to be the most troublesome issue, having already identified the artist and painting. I suspect my attempt at reproducing it was approximate at best, but I enjoyed colouring it in which is what counts.
Correction: second sentence of my post should be “…some excellent clues and I learned something new…” Apologies for illiteracy.
Not everybody may have spotted that Serpent is featured in this week’s Meet the Setter on the Graun website.
I thought this was great, and so enjoyable. GEORGIA came early, quickly followed by O’KEEFFE (but the style of the painting is not what I usually associate with her work). The emergence of the self-referential hint took a little while to emerge but was very neat when it did.
I didn’t parse 19a HEROIN(e) and for 14a I found two people called Professor RAISER (but that didn’t explain “incisive”).
So, thanks to Serpent for an excellent puzzle, and to Duncan for the blog – I added a flattened arc connecting the two E’s in the top row to complete the cow’s skull.
Many thanks to duncanshiell for the excellent blog. And thanks to everyone who has taken the time to solve and comment on the puzzle. I’m delighted it seems to have been so well received.
We completed the grid, found the art work and the painter – we saw an exhibition of her work not too long ago. But……..
We were then stuck. Lots of time was spent looking at the extra words and wondering what ‘self-referential’ was all about. So……
Thanks to Duncan for the blog. We are now kicking ourselves. All seems quite clear and devious when you know the end game.
Hats off to Serpent. You defeated us this time but we enjoyed the puzzle.
As someone else has said a very clear and neat endgame and the usual exemplary clueing. Great stuff.
kenmac@1 and Me_sat_here_at_home @ 5
Thanks to both for tactfully noting that I missed the subtle use of the word ‘screen’ in the clue when trying to parse HEROIN
A beautifully constructed puzzle thank you Serpent. And big thanks to Duncan for a really fine blog.
Loved this one.