Enigmatic Variations No.1163 – Lucas by MynoT

I have a soft spot for puzzles such as this that have clues presented in alphabetical order of their answers. �Goodness knows why, when I might end up�staring at a blank grid! �Perhaps its just that the ‘sort and slot’ technique appeals to the same desire for order as jigsaws.

At any rate, ‘Lucas’ could be a number of things. �Isn’t George still flogging the dead horse of Star Wars? �Maybe it’s related to that.

It’s not. �No Skywalkers or Death Stars to be seen. �A pity, perhaps, but I seem to be making fast progress with the puzzle, so that quickly goes out of my mind.

I experience�what seems to me a lucky guess at what goes where in the grid, but might very well be evidence of clever construction.

Whichever it is, the more difficult entries and unheard-of words cause just enough friction to keep things interesting.

I’m not expecting part of the theme to involve a whole entry, so it takes me right to the end to finalise the puzzle. �The rest of the theme appears along the tried-and-true NW-SE diagonal.

The completed grid looks like this:

�S

�P

�O

�U

�S

�E

�A

�M

�E

�T

�R

�O

�S

�O

�L

�F

�A

�C

�T

�G

�A

�M

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�S

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�V

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�N

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�N

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�X

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�B

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�H

�E

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�D

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�D

�A

�S

�A

�Y

�S

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�Y

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�N

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�A

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�A

�S

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�D

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�R

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�P

�D

�A

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�N

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�A

�S

As illustrated, the theme is FIBONACCI SERIES. �This explains the title of the puzzle, as Fran�ois �douard Anatole Lucas was a mathematician who�took great interest in Fibonacci numbers.� You can read more about him here.

The one part that did�slow me down is the NW corner, and that *is* evidence of clever construction. �The unclued entries – many of which are in the NW corner – are:

1ac and down SPOUSE and SOVIET
2 PLANXTY
3 OFFPUT
5 ETUC
8 EMPAESTIC
13 OLFACT
21 BRETASCHE
34 SERIES

1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34… That’s the Fibonacci Series. �Very nice.

Notation

(xxx) = definition
[xxx] = (anagram/homophone/container/etc.) indicator
XXX* = anagram
< = reversal

Please post a comment if the explanations are not clear.

AENEAS	Nɠ(Born) AS�(when) [following] AE (aged) traveller (6)
AGREED	A GREED (keen desire) is OK (6)
ANNULAR	Fourth digit from the left: ANNUL (cancel) A�(one) on R (right) (7)
APSE	Niche for APPS (programs) [on phones] (4)
ASAR	Ridges in�A SAR (fish) (4)
ASIA	Continent�A S (second) [before] I A [start on ALCOHOL] (4)
ASSAYS	Tests ASSES (coins) AY (indeed) [for] E (Spain) (6)
BEEDIE	Cheap fag makes BEE (insect) DIE (perish) (6)
CEPS	These mushrooms are [regularly] ChEaPeSt (4)
COXAE	COX (Helmsman) needs AE (ligature) for more than one hip (5)
CYAN	FanCY A Nest [hiding] teal perhaps (4)
EIRENIC	Pacific EIRE (country once)�[not quite] NICE (friendly) (7)
ELAN	Style of E (eastern) LAN�(network) (4)
EMU	Unit of measurement for large bird (3)
ERNST	Painter in�STERN* [getting knotted] (5)
ESCROCS	French swindlers ES (in Paris are singular) CROCS�(reptiles) (7)
EXURB	Beyond Greater London, say, <[echoing] [part of] BRUXElles (5)
FINITE	PINITE (Hydrous silicate) [not] P�(soft) [but] F (fine), subject to conditions (6)
GAMIEST	International in a bit of fun on street is most sensational (7)
IN PIG	Pregnant IN (because of) PIG (Ian’s hot water bottle) (5, two words)
IO MOTH	Its larvae can give a painful sting in IOM (tax haven) that’s [possibly] HOT* (6, two words)
METROS	[With a change of head] RETROS (some rockets) [could become] underground systems (6)
OCHER	OR (Gold) [without] CHE�(red) is colour for Americans (5)
OGEE	Cyma AP (apparently) [not on] APOGEE�(highest point) (4)
OSPREY	OS (Large)�PREY�(lunch perhaps) for bird (6)
OURS	Bear in France is belonging to us (4)
OXHIDE	OXIDE (Compound) [used around] H�(hard) skin (6)
PROG	University officer PRO (in favour of) G�(Gauss) (4)
PYAEMIA	{A�PIE MAY}* [perhaps] cause poisoning (7)
REGULAE	[Start of RUGBY] LEAGUE*[‘s changed] rules (7)
REHEELED	Recovered�HE (cardinal) REELED (danced) [around] (6)
REIST	Sudden fit of stubbornness in Perth from I (one) [among]�REST�(others) (5)
RONCADOR	R (Take) ON CAD (ungentlemanly person’s) OR�(gold) fish (8)
RORE	Will created this tumult being READ OUT [at first] [accompanied by] RE�(note) (4)
SCOG	Shelter in Scotland from�S (Southern) COG (deception) (4)
SOARED	Rose [sounds like] SWORD�(one that’s sharp) (6)
SOBA	SO (Likewise) B�(black) A�(are) noodles (4)
STASHIE	STASH (Secret hoard) IE�(that is) a disturbance for Scots (7)
STEED	For Shakespeare the function of another horse (5)
THREEP	Traditional belief in the North is THREE P (of little worth) (6)
TIAN	Mixed gratin not Greek (4)
URE	Old wild ox in river (3)

1 comment on “Enigmatic Variations No.1163 – Lucas by MynoT”

Comment #1

Mike Denton

March 15, 2015 at 6:43 pm at

As you say, Mr Sting, a nice puzzle. I was worried that there would be no single method of filling the unclued entries with real words; I shouldn’t have doubted the setter!

Comments are closed.

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