Enigmatic Variations 1162 Shortfall by Ottorino

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6 answers to jumble after completing the grid to complete 2 groups of 3 creative people; 11 letters to be discarded from the definition of 11 clues describe where to put 2 letters to eliminate the Shortfall. It’ll make more sense as the grid fills up I hope.

It did eventually come together – I did have some trouble with parsing the clues – and quite quickly I guessed the instruction to eliminate the SHORTFALL was “Outside Grid”.

That didn’t really give a lot away but a lot of head scratching (my fleas are bad at this time of year) and a little time and I saw SYMPHONY deriving from 43ac.

Original grid

N E G U S E S K O C H I A
I M A G E D M O C H E L L
C O L L A G E R C E R Y M
K V E A L E N E U R O N E
E E R I E B A R L U N C H
D A E R R O R C T B R E R
S P L E E N A O S S I A N
M A U D S E S A U T E N A
E N C I P H E R N A S A L
T A T T O O S S T E E D L
A G I O U V P E R V A D E
G E N U S E S L I N T I E
E R G T E N N Y M P H O S

So a symphony with a shortfall would be unfinished. Relatively quickly Mahler, Schubert and Elgar became derivable from down clues. That was one of the trios – the other one had to logically be books or NOVELS from 36dn. Very slowly I found Dickens, Dumas and Austen as the writers who had unfinished works.

After modification:

D E E U S E S K O S H I M
I M L G E D M O C C E L A
C O G L A G E R C H R Y H
K V A A L E N E U U O N L
E E R I E B A R L B N C E
N A E R R O R C T E R E R
S P L E E N A O S R I A N
D U M A S E A U S T E N A
E N C I P H E R N A S A L
T A T T O N S S T E E D L
A G I O U O P E R V A D E
G E N U S V S L I N T I E
E R G T E E S Y M P H O N Y
L

And that was that. Thanks Ottorino – in keeping with the puzzle the blog too is unfinished. Any assistance in parsing 9, 25, 32 and 34 down gratefully received. Thanks to Mike Denton for enabling the parsing to be completed.

 

Key:

* anagram; Rev. reverse Underline definition DD Double definition

ACROSS

1 Ports with water negotiable by topless vehicles (7)
Neg (negotiable) + buses – b (topless vehicles) = NEGUSES
6 Goosefoot and array of artichokes leaving rest struggling (6)
(artichokes-rest)* = KOCHIA
11 Am retired to fish in Berwick after I produced picture (6)
I + Rev(am) + ged (fish in Berwick) = IMAGED
12 How Edmund wrote lots without elements of any representation of melancholy (7)
(melancholy – any)* = MOCHELL
14 Ruskin perhaps exchanging last of allowance for a picture (7)
College (Ruskin perhaps) swapping e for a = COLLAGE
15 Leave out nun’s headcovering for poet (5)
(leave)* = VEALE
O 16 Nero fiddled with tune, omitting opening for cello (7)
Nero fiddled with tune, omitting opening for cell (7)
(nero + tune – t) = NEURONE
17 Job not including car. That’s scary! (5)
Career (job) + ie (that is) = EERIE
U 19 Pudu could finish this off, but left half unchewed (8 two words)
Pud could finish this off, but left half unchewed (8 two words)
Bar (but) + l(left) + unch (half unchewed) = BAR LUNCH
21 Mischievous child head expelled for wrongdoing (5)
Terror (mischevious child) – head = ERROR
23 Sombre Rommel boxes Montgomery’s relative (4)
Hidden somBRE Rommel = BRER (Montgomery as in Alabama)
24 Retro topless joint records organ (6)
Rev. (knee – k (topless jint) + lps(records)) = SPLEEN
27 Gaelic poet or Italian national (6)
DD OSSIAN (Ossi is a place on Sardinia)
28 One invited to garden in shepherd’s plaid? (4)
DD MAUD (Come into the garden Maud)
29 Cook eats up unfinished fried food (5)
(eats up – p)* = SAUTE
32 Ambassador’s kidnapped by criminal prince. Employ Morse? (8)
(prince)* around HE (ambassador) = ENCIPHER
33 Society disliking racket almost entirely sounded by the hooter (5)
NAS (Noise abatement society) + all (entirely) – l = NASAL
T 35 Coloured designs for skint volunteers: turquoise at front; black back (7)
Coloured designs for skin volunteers: turquoise at front; black back (7)
Ta (volunteers) + t(turquoise at front) + rev(soot (black) = TATTOOS
S 37 Finally speaks Dutch after support mounts (5)
Finally speaks Dutch after support mount (5)
S (finally speaks) + tee (support) + d (Dutch) = STEED
39 Appear regularly. Depart once. Pass through rarely (7)
aPpEaR (appear regularly) + vade (depart once) = PERVADE
40 Classes write first answer incorrectly (7)
(neguses)* = GENUSES
41 Jacklin tied securing birdie at Gleneagles (6)
Hidden JacLIN TIEd = LINTIE
42 Measure indicating a lot of work before acquiring great name (6)
Ere (before) around gt(great) + n(name) = ERGTEN
43 Obsessive women near antique fashion shop, pinching money (7)
Ny (near antique) + (shop)* around m (money) = NYMPHOS

DOWN

1 Earlier, refuse to admit Spain. South of Madrid cut off (6)
Nick (refuse to admit) + e (spain) + d (South of Madrid) = NICKED
2 Woman taking moment to arouse feelings nostalgically (5)
Eve (woman) around mo(moment) = EMOVE
I 3 What blows a loti? Delay arising with last of lisente (4)
What blows a lot? Delay arising with last of lisente (4)
Rev. lag (delay) + e (last of lisente) = GALE
D 4 He closes ford ages after marine mammal starts to escape river (6)
He closes for ages after marine mammal starts to escape river (6)
Seal(marine mammal) + e (starts to escape) + r (river) = SEALER
5 Cut B side first on single (8)
Side (edge) + B + one(single) = EDGEBONE
6 Foundations of rock to anchor the ancient Greek statue (4)
End of rocK tO anchor thE = KORE
7 Does obscure sect in Civil Service put leader of opposition first? (7)
O(leader of opposition) + cult(sect) in cs (civil service) = OCCULTS
8 Atop rickety bus, see dear, sweet children (7)
Cher(dear) + (bus)* = CHERUBS
9 Near island, visiting lions and wading birds might be born in these (9)
nr (near) = I (island) in heroes (lions) = HERONRIES
10 Short of time, Hamlet replaced dancing-girl (5)
(hamlet – t)* = ALMEH
13 Enchantingly rewritten and striking Wild Night of a Wild Cat (7)
(enchantingly – night)* = LYNCEAN
16 Newton acting for bard plucks African fruits (7)
N(newton) + a(acting) + rases (plucks – Spenser) = NARASES
E 18 Ancient note being prepared to reformat lecturing (9)
Ancient not being prepared to reformat lecturing (9)
(lecturing)* = RELUCTING
20 Perk up personal appearance and run topless (7)
Rev. PA (Personal appearance) + manage (run) – m = APANAGE
22 Triumphs maybe, taking over bishopric uncivilly (8)
Cars (triumphs maybe) around o (over) + ely (bishopric) = COARSELY
25 Remove every fish brought back to the van (7, two words)
Rev. (ide(fish)) + tout (every) = EDIT OUT
G 26 Wantonly use position with earl to make someone king? (7)
Wantonly use position with earl to make someone kin? (7)
(use+ pos)* + e (earl) = ESPOUSE
R 30 See dishevelled, deserting mutineers at sea make pier (6)
See dishevelled, deserting mutineers at sea make pie(6)
(mutineers – see)* = UNTRIM
31 Walks … just to get around! (6)
All (just) + Rev(see (get)) = ALLEES
32 Exhibition stand missing central part of sphere-like tier (5)
Etagere (exhibition stand) – re(middle of sphere-like) = ETAGE
34 Gods in women’s room rising later (5)
DI (Gods) in rev (oda (woman’s room) = ADDIO
I 36 Maybe use this to fix carpi above nerve nets (4)
Maybe use this to fix carp above nerve nets (4)
Hidden (abOVE Nets)= OVEN
D 38 For Spenser, giving nod pains the human body, lacking resistance (4)
For Spenser, giving no pains the human body, lacking resistance (4)
Earth (human body) – r (resistance) = EATH

1 comment on “Enigmatic Variations 1162 Shortfall by Ottorino”

  1. 9dn HERONRIES is (NR + I) in HEROES

    25dn is TOUT (= every) after IDE< (fish brought back); "in the van" in Chambers is defined as "in the front"

    32dn is ETAGERE (a display stand) minus (sphe)RE(like)

    34dn An ODA is a room in a harem, so a women's room, so wordplay is DI in ODA<

    Excellent debut from Ottorino, and I hope to see more from the setter.

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