Bad Postman by NoBadWeather
This puzzle clearly has some things missing, but it also has something extra; you might want to work in pairs to find a special Bonus Clue.
Solution to the meta puzzle:
The clues are missing letters. These missing letters spell:
THREE ZERO, THREE TWO, THREE FIVE, ONE TWO, THREE THREE,
Put more succinctly: “3032351233(7,4)”
Worked on “in pairs” per instructions: “30 32 35 12 33 (7,4)”
These numbers are clue numbers. They are all unique by direction (no number is both an across and
down clue). If we substitute each number with its solution (e.g. 30a has solution “COMPLEX”), we
obtain:
Complex problem to do ranking on the move (7,4)
Which has the ultimately sought solution:
GORDIAN KNOT
(TODORANKING*)
| Clue | Entry | Extra | Wordplay | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Across | |||||
| 1 Mostly just shy to examine contents (4) | SCAN | T |
SCAN(t) | ||
| 3 March, perhaps losing lead record to Polish working dog and bone? (2,3,5) | ON THE PHONE | HR |
(m)ONTH + EP + HONE | ||
| 10 One slight slip, say? Au contraire! (1,5,3) | I THINK NOT | E |
I + THIN + KNOT | ||
| 11 Comparison in contents of speech (5) | RATIO | E |
(o)RATIO(n) | ||
| 12 Buzzed about family’s heirarchy (7) | RANKING | ZE |
RAN(KIN)G | ||
| 13 One saying no thanks after sculpting granite (7) | INGRATE | R |
GRANITE* | ||
| 14 Greeting theologian in French, sparing in good double entendre (6,7) | HIDDEN MEANING | OT |
HI + DD + EN + MEAN + IN + G | ||
| 21 Concealing of information hole, covering for example a negative chart (13) | STEGANOGRAPHY | H |
STY containing EG + A + NO + GRAPH | ||
| 30 Campus of school with extremely lucrative taxes, essentially (7) | COMPLEX | RE |
COMP + L(ucrativ)E + (ta)X(es) | ||
| 31 Delicate packaging strewn regularly produces delay in receiving (7) | LATENCY | E |
LA((s)T(r)E(w)N)CY | ||
| 32 Prosecute together with one’s children (5) | ISSUE | TW |
I’S + SUE | ||
| 33 One assumes those people love naked travelling (2,3,4) | ON THE MOVE | O |
ON(THEM + (l)OV(e))E | ||
| 34 Splattered in hot paste to proffer recognition with a bowler, perhaps? (3,4,3) | TIP ONES HAT | THR |
INHOTPASTE* | ||
| 35 Unfinished palaver (2-2) | TO-DO | E |
(double def) | ||
| Down | |||||
| 1 Those who carve heart-stricken captains (6) | SKIERS | E |
SKI(pp)ERS | ||
| 2 Sample of brash antics in Ghanaian region (7) | ASHANTI | FI |
Hidden in (br)ASHANTI(cs) | ||
| 4 Badger found in twelve or nine connected points? (7) | NONAGON | VEO |
NO(NAG)ON | ||
| 5 How to conceal time I essentially underereacted, delivering start off-key? (3-4) | HOT-WIRE | NE |
HO(T)W + I + (under)RE(acted) | ||
| 6 Perfect example once within average number (7) | PARAGON | TW |
PAR(AGO)N | ||
| 7 Acquire more than our welcoming brew, Newton! (7) | OUTEARN | O |
OU(TEA)R + N | ||
| 8 Opinionated article after the Spanish ran off (6) | ELOPED | THR |
EL + OP–ED | ||
| 9 Editor covers state that is coveted (6) | ENVIED | EE |
E(NV + IE)D | ||
| 14 Tricks poor actor to have one size lower (3) | HAS | THR |
HA(M->S) | ||
| 15 Deer to get high, maybe? (3) | DOE | EEB |
“DO E” | ||
| 16 I’ve taken four steps back for some time (3) | ERA | RA |
Caesar shift IVE 4 steps back (e.g. E(fgh)I) | ||
| 17 Low anchor striking bottom (3) | MOO | CK |
MOO(r) | ||
| 18 Fine out, nice atmosphere (3) | AIR | ETS |
FAIR – F | ||
| 19 Scamp’s half dirty (3) | IMP | S |
IMP(ure) | ||
| 20 Alternatingly glary and lively (3) | GAY | E |
G(l)A(r)Y | ||
| 22 Send over drink to make statement when clock runs out (5,2) | TIMES UP | VEN |
EMIT< + SUP | ||
| 23 Insolence extended while sailing vessel (7) | GALLEON | C |
GALL (insolence) + EON (extended while) | ||
| 24 Excluding unknown debts could be lethal if drawn in? (7) | NOXIOUS | O |
NO + X + IOUS | ||
| 25 Drink following party in woven material (7) | GALATEA | M |
GALA + TEA | ||
| 26 Occasional song to arise from worker tailor, perhaps? (6) | ANTHEM | MA |
ANT + HEM | ||
| 27 Fictional space-faring smuggler is hot, and also no rogue! (3,4) | HAN SOLO | F |
H + ALSONO* | ||
| 28 Small tomb you initially turned into current plot (6) | SCRIPT | OU |
S + CR(Y->I)PT | ||
| 29 Homer failing to introduce Odyssey’s final character, giving description of saviour? (2,4) | MY HERO | R |
HOMER* around (masterfull)Y | ||