We have an Inquisitor by Kruger , one of the fairly prolific setters, this week. This is Kruger’s 68th Inquisitor. His first, Inquisitor 6 in current numbering, appeared in February 2007.
The preamble was short this time, telling us that one of the unclued entries has been caught on the other and eight other answers should be thematically modified to reflect this. Letters in the yellow cells can be arranged to give another thematic word which must be written below the grid.
I made steady progress through the clues and could see a few answers that were not going to fit in the grid – CIGAR, MATE, POPE, BLADE and BREAK. At that point, I hadn’t yet solved BARMAID, HUSTLE or PROWL. Soon after, I deduced APRIL FOOL’S DAY in the left-hand silver column 1 and POISSON D’AVRIL in the right-hand silver column 13
The French phrase translates as April Fool, so a POISSON D’AVRIL is caught on APRIL FOOL’S DAY. In France, there is a tradition of fixing a paper fish to the back of a POISSON D’AVRIL. This is reflected in the grid, where eight answers are replaced by words that have the same meaning as the associated answer, but can also define a type of fish.
The clue answers that were changed before entry are shown below:
| Clue | Answer | Entry |
| 1a | BARMAID | ALEWIFE (a woman who sells ale; BARMAID)
a fish related to the herring, common off the NE coast of America |
| 6a | CIGAR | WHIFF (small CIGAR)
a fish related to the turbot |
| 22a | MATE | CHUM (friend or associate; MATE)
a type of Pacific salmon |
| 27a | POPE | RUFF (POPE is another name for the ruff)
a European freshwater fish |
| 35a | HUSTLE | BOUNCE (HUSTLE)
the lesser spotted dogfish. |
| 42a | BLADE | SKATE (the BLADE mounted on a boot for moving on ice)
a large edible kind of ray of tropical and temperate waters |
| 9d | BREAK | FLUKE (accidental success, creating a chance or BREAK)
a flounder, a flatfish |
| 19d | PROWL | SNOOK (PROWL or sneak about)
any of several marine fishes, including the cobia, robalo, garfish |
GOWK (an April Fool) is the word that can be formed from the cells coloured yellow. It should be entered under the grid as shown below. For a while, I thought that every answer that intersected a yellow cell would be one of the answers to change. GALL proved that was not the case.
GOWK
Thanks to Kruger for a fun puzzle in recognition of the event on April 1st every year. I enjoyed the challenge of deducing the amended answers. I could see the new words were synonyms of the answers they replaced, but it took a long time to realise that the new words were also types of fish.
| No | Detail | |
| Across | ||
| 1 | Beer seller in bank angry receiving only a bit of interest (7)
BARMAID (lady who sells beer) BAR (bank or shoal at the mouth of a river) + (MAD [angry] containing [receiving] I [first letter of {only a bit o} Intereset]) BAR MA (I) D entered as ALEWIFE |
ALEWIFE |
| 6 | Smoke from vehicle overcoming retreating US soldier (5)
CIGAR (a smoke) CAR (vehicle) containing (overcoming) GI (US soldier) reversed (retreating) C (IG<) AR entered as WHIFF |
WHIFF |
| 11 | Let him take around old camelid (4)
PACO (an alpaca; an alpaca is a camelid) CAP (capiat (Latin for ‘let him or her take) reversed (artound) + O (old) PAC O |
|
| 12 | Surprisingly, Royal Artillery wet can fight (8)
WATERLOO (reference the Battle of Waterloo in 1815; fight) Anagram of [surprisingly] RA (Royal Artillery]) and WET) + LOO (toilet; can is a slang term for the toilet) WATER* LOO |
|
| 13 | Source of aid concerning Aintree perhaps (8)
RECOURSE (source of aid or protection) RE (with reference to; concerning) + COURSE (Aintree is an example of a racecourse) RE COURSE |
|
| 14 | Pulpiteer fanatic holding back evil demon (6)
AFREET (an evil demon) AFREET (reversed [back] hidden word in [holding] pulpiTEER FAnatic) AFREET< |
|
| 15 | Dogs initially kept in tethers (5)
TIKES (alternative spelling of the northern Briitsh dialect word TYKES [dogs]) K (first letter of [initially] Kept) contained in (in) TIES (tethers) TI (K) ES |
|
| 16 | Young girl to laze about before entering gambling hotspot (8, 2 words)
LAS VEGAS (gambling hotspot in America) (VEG [to laze about or engage in mindless activity] + A [before]) contained in LASS (young girl) LAS (VEG A) S |
|
| 20 | Pests dispersed in stages (5)
STEPS (stages) Anagram of (dispersed) PESTS STEPS* |
|
| 22 | Male and partner regularly fit (4)
MATE (fit) M (male) + ATE (letters 2, 4 and 6 [regularly] of pArTnEr) M A T E entered as CHUM |
CHUM
|
| 23 | Ingenious trap ensnares head of alligator (4)
NEAT (ingenious) NET (trap) containing (ensares) A (first letter of [head of] Alligator) NE (A) T |
|
| 25 | Adore fantastic nymph (5)
OREAD (a mountain nymph) Anagram of (fantastic) of ADORE OREAD* |
|
| 26 | Inflexible back (5)
STERN (unyielding; inflexible) STERN (rhe rear; the back) double definition STERN |
|
| 27 | Shoot English parish priest (4)
POPE (parish priest in the Greek Orthodox Church) POP (shoot) + E (English) POP E entered as RUFF |
RUFF |
| 28 | Vital force sacrifices soldiers beyond help (4)
GONE (beyond help) orGONE (according to Wilhelm Reich, a vital force permeating the universe) excluding (sacrifices) OR (other ranks; soldiers) GONE |
|
| 29 | Means of locking covered opening left for husband (5)
LATCH (means of locking) HATCH (covered opening) with L (left) replacing (for) H (husband) LATCH |
|
| 31 | Maybe John’s wife accompanying inexpert boxer accepted in city (8)
YOKOHAMA (city in Japan) YOKO (reference YOKO Ono [born 1933], wife of John Lennon [1940 – 1980]) + HAM (an inexpert boxer) + A (accepted) YOKO HAM A |
|
| 33 | Contrary, disliked people trifle (5)
STRAW (a trifle) WARTS (disliked people) reversed (contrary) STRAW< |
|
| 35 | Exert pressure on the Parisian after performing thus (6)
HUSTLE (exert pressure on) Anagram of (performing) THUS + (after) LE (one of the French forms of the definite article ‘the’) HUST LE entered as BOUNCE |
BOUNCE |
| 39 | Finally unable to leave larcenous suspect related to foreign agent (8)
CONSULAR (related to work for a diplomatic agent of a foreign government) Anagram of (suspect) LARCeNOUS excluding (to leave) E (last letter of [finally] unablE) CONSULAR* |
|
| 40 | Tone of voice embodies the same unessential property (8)
ACCIDENT (unessential quality of property) ACCENT (tone of voice) containing (embodies) ID (idem [Latin for ‘the same’) ACC (ID) ENT |
|
| 41 | Caruso Live features pieces for one singer (4)
SOLI (plural of solo [pieces for one singer]) SOLI (hidden word in [features] caruSO LIve) SOLI |
|
| 42 | Young man admitted to Board of Education previously a dashing fellow (5)
BLADE (archaic term for a dashing fellow) LAD (young man) contained in (admitted to) BE (Board of Education) B (LAD) E entered as SKATE |
SKATE |
| 43 | Foolishly halt in front of local – a crowded, bustling place (7)
ANTHILL (example of a crowded, bustling place) Anagram of (foolishly) HALT IN + L (first letter of [front in]) ANTHIL* L |
|
| Down | ||
| 2 | Erected authentic Boer encampment (4)
LAER (in South Africa [Boer], a defensive ring of ox-wagons; an encampment) REAL (authentic) reversed (erected) LAER< |
|
| 3 | Bark beginning to flake underneath most of timber (4)
WOOF (bark) WOOd (timber) excluding the final letter D (most of) + F (first letter of [beginning to] Flake]) WOO F |
|
| 4 | Guarantee without latest of subclauses to come into effect (5)
INURE (put into operation; come into effect) INsURE (guarantee) excluding the S (final letter of [latest of] subclasseS) INURE |
|
| 5 | Relax while in eastern Spain (4)
EASE (relax) AS (while) contained in (in) (E [eastern] + E [international vehicle registration for Spain]) E (AS) E |
|
| 7 | New York police right to abandon compassion (4)
HEAT (slang term for the police in America [New York]) HEArT (compassion) excluding (to abndon) R (right) HEAT |
|
| 8 | Trite air cultivated to provoke (8)
IRRITATE (provoke) Anagram of (cultivated) TRITE AIR IRRITATE* |
|
| 9 | Chance introduction to reporter occupies former schoolmaster (5)
BREAK (chance) R (first letter of [introduction to] Reporter) contained in (occupies) BEAK (old [former] slang for a schoolmaster) B (R) EAK entered as FLUKE |
FLUKE |
| 10 | Warning on Hamish’s flight up front (8)
FOREPART (front) FORE (warning given on a golf course if a ball might hit someone) + TRAP (Scottish [Hamish] term for a flight of steps [stair]) reversed (up; down entry) FORE PART< |
|
| 14 | Old Greek’s rough breathing from untipped cheap cigarette (5)
ASPER (old Greek term for ‘rough breathing’) gASPER (a cheap cigarette) excluding the first letter G (untipped) ASPER |
|
| 17 | Joke about Loch Fyne primarily full of whirlpools (5)
GULFY (full of whirlpools) GUY (lark or joke) containing (about) LF (first letters of [primarily] each of Loch and Fyne) GU (L F) Y |
|
| 18 | Lorraine’s pal to turn out Spanish mate (5)
AMIGO (Spanish term for friend or mate) AMI (French [Lorraine] word for pal) + GO (turn out) AMI GO |
|
| 19 | To search for prey, soft growl’s no good (5)
PROWL (search for prey) P (piano; soft) + gROWL excluding (no) G (good) P ROWL entered as SNOOK |
SNOOK |
| 21 | Artistic crackpot stays (8)
TRIATICS (stays joining the tops of direction-finding masts diagonally) Anagram of (crackpot) ARTISTIC TRIATICS* |
|
| 22 | Agents defending American cause shortly destroyed home of white men (8)
CAUCASIA (home of white people) CIA (Central Intelligence Agency; agents) containing (defending) (A [American] + an anagram of (destroyed] CAUSe excluding the final letter [shortly] E) C (A CAUS*) IA |
|
| 24 | Webs of lies toerag oddly recollected (5)
TELAE (webs) Anagram of (re-collected) LETEA (letters 1, 3, 5, 7 and 9 [oddly] of LiEs ToErAg) TELAE* |
|
| 30 | Californian lorry traffic (5)
TRUCK (American [Californian] term for a lorry) TRUCK (to traffic) double definition TRUCK |
|
| 32 | Violent attack where shooting occurs (5)
ONSET (violent attack) ON SET (where a film is shot) double definition ON SET |
|
| 34 | Ore, a large amount, found over time (4)
WADT (an earthy ore of manganese) WAD (a large amount, of money especially + (over) T (time) – this being a down entry, the letters WAD are placed over the letter T) WAD T |
|
| 36 | Nothing against adult woman (4)
OONA (woman’s name) O (character representing zero or nothing) + ON (over) + A (adult) O ON A |
|
| 37 | Bill’s thigh protection’s excellent – not restyled in the middle (4)
CUSH (Shakespearean [William, Bill] term for thigh armour) CUSHty (slang term for excellent) excluding (not) TY (central letters of [in the middle] resTYled) CUSH |
|
| 38 | Impudence a cause of irritation (4)
GALL (impudence) GALL (ill-will, a cause of irritation) double definition GALL |
Thanks for all the fish Duncan; I solved the puzzle, but couldn’t see anything appropriate that linked the 8 new entries. Obvious, of course, once pointed out, and a nice link to the “Caught” title of the puzzle. Thanks also to Kruger for a seasonally appropriate offering.
I always appreciate Kruger’s clues, and the only real difficulty I had with a few of these arose because they were among the eight ‘other’ clues, and the entry therefore was not the same as the answer. I enjoyed this element of the thematic design, whereby we have to identify those clues and solve them without help from any crossing letters. After filling most of the top half of the grid I could see enough of APRIL FOOL to guess the entry down the left but was puzzled at first when POISSON seemed to be the only way to start the entry down the right. With most of the grid complete, I had the idea of looking up POISSON in Chambers, and that proved to be a highly efficient way to complete the puzzle. SNOOK and FLUKE were my last two ‘other’ clues to fully solve.
Thanks to Kruger for the puzzle and to duncanshiell for the clear blog. (I failed to notice that all the altered entries were types of fish.)
I’ve been living in France for the last 48 years, and speaking the language for even longer, so I should maybe have spotted the Poisson d’avril on the right rather sooner than several hours after finishing filling the grid, and actually waking up the next morning and thinking ‘Bien sûr’, that’s what it is.
Jolly good seasonal fun. As with @2 above, the penny dropped for me when POISSON looked likely and I checked it in Chambers. At that time I hadn’t entered any obvious (to me) fish, but ALEWIFE was in and a dim memory stirred. Of all the fishy substitutions, PROWL>SNOOK resisted longest.
All thanks to Kruger and duncanshiell. I never thought to check my back for a paper fish.
First solved was CIGAR for 6a, which soon turned out to be a theme word when cross-checks did not agree. I had SKATE in the opposite corner before looking at the clue, which, bearing in mind the title, suggested fish, leading to further progress. Then I saw that POISSON would fit the start of the last column, consulted Chambers, and the rest of the pennies dropped. Since April 1 was not the publication date, this theme had not occurred to me so I had been caught “hook, line and sinker” with this one.
Thanks to Kruger for an enjoyable puzzle and, of course, to Duncan.
PS. Sag @1, I enjoyed the apt reference to Mr Adams.
Sometimes you know you’re missing the point, even as you fill the grid, find the synonyms, and April Fool. But, no fish (it didn’t help that I had ‘sneak’ for prowl, rather than ‘snook’). Congratulations to Kruger for a crafty puzzle, and thanks to Duncan for the answer!
This started well, with the two included entries falling quickly. Once BLADE had to become SKATE, I twigged the concept but my very basic fish vocabulary let me down, not helped by getting most of the letters in the answers before I’d managed to solve the relevant clues. Still, I got ALEWIFE (totally by-passing BARMAID), SNOOK and BOUNCE, but my Google fingers were tiring so I missed the rest. So, only 6/10 this week and I feel like a right GOWK. Thanks all the same to Kruger for fooling me, and to Duncan for filling in some of the many gaps in my knowledge.
Interestingly (to me at least), in 5 of the 8 thematic clues the definition of the answer also applies to the entry, but in the other 3 it doesn’t: 22a CHUM ≠ ‘fit’, 27a RUFF ≠ ‘parish priest’, 42a SKATE ≠ ‘dashing fellow’. And in 27a, the answer (POPE) also happens to be a fish.
Thanks go to blogger & setter (tho’ I think 1a was very hard to solve cold).
Jon M @7: I am probably too late for you to read this but my saviour was Bradford’s Crossword Solver’s Dictionary which has very comprehensive lists of most things you might need (not in the pocket version). There are over 800 fish listed, by word length then alphabetically. I would not be without my printed copy of this treasure trove.