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T |
HE IDEA of Wrong Number appears
to have begun with Ximenes, whose first such competition puzzle appeared in
1952. There’s no indication in the Slip for that
competition that clue writers made the first cardinal error of clueing the
wrong word, but it’s noted that many made the second, of making the locating
definition (for IMPERIAL) superfluous to their clue.
Azed’s
last Wrong Number competition, no 2382,
appeared more than four years ago – not quite the longest gap for this puzzle
type, but perhaps a sign that his canon of Specials continues to expand.
This month, as ever, Azed enjoys
the extra challenge of placing the locating definition of another solution in
every clue, and his clue-writing is the more inventive for it, although it’s also more than usually dependent on anagrams – 20 of
the 35 clues include letter mixtures of some sort.
The best process for solving
is given in the preamble: start by solving a clue cold, then look for a
suitable definition in another clue of the same length. In this puzzle some are
much harder to spot than others. For the clue-writing competition, read
the instructions carefully. A few competitors almost always enter a clue to the
word defined in the asterisked clue rather than to the unclued
solution. Also remember, as noted by Ximenes in 1952, that the locating
definition must be one word, and must be integral (nay, “absolutely
essential”) to the clue that contains it and not additional to its own definition
and wordplay.
In the explanations below the clues are numbered as they appear in the puzzle.
The notes in brackets indicate where their solutions go in the grid, and the
one-word definition that appears in the clue at that location.
1. Buttocks TERAS (12a;
malformation) The clue is simply a locating definition for PRATT, so
per the instructions, it needs to be replaced with a clue to the only unclued 5-letter solution, TERAS (whose own locating
definition is found at 12 across). The clue must contain a one-word definition
of PRATT, the actual grid entry at 1 across. It would be hard to find a more
friendly competition word than TERAS, with its common letters and dozen or so
one-word anagrams. There are many words for a bottom to work into the clue,
too, of which at least two (‘arse’ and ‘seat’) are
partial anagrams of TERAS. For once clue-writers are spoilt for choice.
5. Like upright
text (in short), alias one’s cracked, making Greek dance ROMAIKA (Roma(n) + I in aka; 11a;
caper)
11. Effect lively
caper (not constant) with toe
OPERATE (anag. less c; 33a; conduct)
12. Moor male
with malformation of hat
HEATH (he + anag.; 25d; bent) An easy enough
clue, but its locating definition is difficult to spot. It’s
bent2, meaning a dry grass stalk, or an area covered with them.
13. With start of
eulogy I abandoned false praise in gravelly tone RASP (anag.
less e, I; 9d; file) It’s usual for Azed to indicate in the wordplay that the
letters subtracted from anagram material (the i and e
of ‘praise’) are given out of order, but he hasn’t done so here.
14. ‘Snarly’
outer rib? It won’t get inflamed ROBURITE (anag.;
2d; explosive) The solution is a substance that explodes flamelessly. The definition of TIGERISH draws all the
attention to itself.
15. Climbing dens
a safeguard for last of mice in a row SERIAL (e in lairs, rev.; 7d;
publication) An ingenious piece of wordplay allows the
definition of SURETY to become part of a container indication.
18. Send central part of skeletons out, snugly packed NESTLED (anag. of send (ske)let(ons); 32a; cherished)
21. Giggly girl
with the group exuding mere whiff of happiness?
TITTERING (tit + t(h)e ring; 4d; swaying) Solvers may need to consult Chambers for the definition
‘swaying’ (for which see titter2) given at 4 down.
22. Mother-in-law
traditionally displaying silver with application in clothes DRAGONESS (Ag + on, all in dress; 17d;
monster)
Azed has taken the eleventh definition of ‘on’ from Chambers (‘applied
to’) and recast it to provide the necessary noun to locate DILIGENCE, whose
clue returns the favour with ‘monster’.
24. Fell timeless
bits of atoll arc ‒ such as are dead CORALLA (anag.
less t; 18a; skeletons) A lot of extra wording is needed to cope with the
egregious ‘fell’. Without it there may be a decent & lit. clue available,
but Azed still achieves a coherent surface with what he has.
28. Chinese
caging dog with malaise ‒ creature akin to one called Manx? HAGDON (anag. in
Han; 6d; bird) Hagdon is a name for the shearwater, of which a Manx variety is
found around the UK.
29. Each had sex
wildly ‒ is growth drastically reduced thereby? AXEHEADS (anag.
inc. ea; 20d; cleavers) It wouldn’t be an Azed without something a little smutty worked
in.
30. Record of
past life in ordinary brief space OBIT (O + bit; 13a; eulogy)
31. Wherein one
may find special fruit clusters? SHOPS (s + hops, & lit.; 34a; imprisons) The question-mark carries the heavy burden of doubt for the
definition. Dr Watson solved this one last, torn between SHOPS and SHIPS,
equally likely or unlikely bearers of fruit clusters, with hips also being
fruit. The locating definition ‘imprisons’ didn’t
stand out at all in 34 across.
32. Cherished
scripture is keeping translator getting stuck into it SHASTRA (has tr. in SA; 5a; text)
33. Crooked
Ronnie caught displaying cruel conduct NERONIC (anag.
inc. C; 24a; fell) A reference presumably to Ronnie Kray. The locating
definition at 24 across is fell3, meaning cruel.
34. Grammar
school imprisons mature fruit
GAGES (age in GS; 31a; fruit) Unusually this clue pair uses the same
definition in both.
1. Irish get
all agitated, showing personification of wild beasts TIGERISH (anag.;
14a; snarly)
2. Stock
explosive in erstwhile spring drill LOCKSTEP (anag.
in lep; 19d; march) Some nicely misleading wordplay giving a role to ‘explosive’
and indicating an old spelling of ‘leap’.
3. Can odd bits
of potato rear crookedly? PRATT (anag. of alternate letters; 1a; buttocks) Azed uses a very multi-purpose definition for a backside,
the US ‘can’. This doesn’t preclude competitors from
repeating it in their own clues to TERAS, but some may prefer to avoid it.
4. Swaying
polar pine ‒ it yields a pleasant aroma PIPERONAL (anag.;
21a; whiff)
6. End of bird
leads to proprietor requiring drug DOWNER (d + owner; 22d; drug) ‘Leads to’ is
just here to join the parts of the charade, but looks misleadingly like an
indicator of initial letters. Azed uses the same definition (‘drug’)
in both the clue and the locator for a second time.
7. Publication
plugs this cup I love ‒ like a sip?
LIBANT (comp. anag.; 23d; touching) Dr Watson didn’t recognise ‘plugs’, meaning ‘hits’, as an
anagram indicator, and took a while to parse the clue, which compounds the
solution with ‘cup I 0’ to give ‘publication’.
8. Left beds in
eager broadcast documentary
REPORTAGE (port in anag.; 16d; style)
9. What may be
kept on file? See some of what can circulate ACTA (hidden rev.; 30a; record) Another slightly
loose definition, for the benefit of ‘file’ for RASP.
10. One gets
pale, usually at first, having to climb mount UPGO (first letters rev.; 26d; climb) The only clue to
have specifically ‘down’ wordplay. It would of course be fine for the clue to
be wrong-numbered in an across position.
16. Couches with
endless artifice I nail in new style TRICLINIA (tric(k)
+ anag.; 8d; beds) Triclinia are Roman couches that cover three
walls of a room.
17. I minced leg
badly, just missing front of monster coach DILIGENCE (anag.
less m; 22a; application) ‘Monster’ for DRAGONESS is worked almost seamlessly into
the wordplay.
19. Around middle
of march, pop soon gets frazzled in appearance PROSOPON (r in anag.;
1d; personification)
20. Place label
in surface for e.g. cleavers
PLANTAGE (tag in plane; 29a; growth) Azed finds a very
specific example of a plant to meet the needs of AXEHEADS. Cleavers under
cleave2 is a name for goose-grass.
22. Drug after
endless nausea dealt with discomfort UNEASE (anag.
less a + E; 28a; malaise)
23. Pen going round
university, touching, for sponsor SURETY (U re in sty;
15a; safeguard)
25. Treat bent tuber TATER (anag.; 3d; potato) With the right material, a wrong number clue
can be done as succinctly as this.
26. Friends
having to climb pass
SLAP (pals, rev.; 27d; blow)
The clue’s own definition is of
slap2, a Scottish hill pass.
27. Blow missing
boxer’s head, fray’s ending, making one livid ASHY ((b)ash + y; 10d; pale) ‘Pale, ashen’ is
one meaning of ‘livid’ given in Chambers, related to its origins in a Latin
word meaning lead-coloured.
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