How careless of the type setter – 17 clues have words from their definition in the next clue. Five clues both lose and gain a word. The initial letters of the misplaced words spell a quotation to allow 3, 4, 7 and 9 down to be completed. And after all that there is a landmark and location to find.
I found this a highly enjoyable variation with the words moving from clue to clue before they could be successfully solved. some were easier to spot than others certainly. Eventually I got to the quotation:
LIONS LED BY DONKEYS
The ODQ attributes this to Max Hoffman with the further qualification that it “Of the English soldiers, during World War I, in Alan Clark ‘The Donkeys’”.
Wikipedia explains this a little better as being a conversation between two German generals:
Ludendorff: The English soldiers fight like lions.
Hoffmann: True. But don’t we know that they are lions led by donkeys
It would appear to be a popular saying of the first world war era – which quite aptly described How General Donkey and other upper class asses merrily allowed the lion-like troops to be slaughtered.
The unclued downs were exactly what the quote said donkeys or lions (shown in brackets):
MOKE, BURRO and ELSA (lion)
NEDDY and MILLWALL (lion)
ASS, ASLAN (lion) and SIMBA (lion)
EEYORE and PARSLEY (lion – remember the Herb garden?)
The location lay in the middle of the fifth row YPRES
And the landmark the MENIN GATE in the middle of the top row.
Many thanks Nudd – a nice mechanism to mark the centenary of the horrific events in Alan Clark’s book. Could Nudd be a Millwall fan? If so I wish him a better season next year.
Key:
* anagram; rev. reverse; underline definition; DD Double definition
The corrected clue is presented second where necessary.
ACROSS
| 1 Reckless people spending money – they might generate sales (5) | |
| L | 1 Reckless people spending money – they might generate larger sales (5) |
| Madmen (wickless people) – m (money) = ADMEN | |
| 5 Tsigane rebuilt larger entrances to local (7) | |
| I | 5 Tsigane rebuilt entrances to Islay local (7) |
| (tsigane)* = INGATES | |
| 12 Islay governess takes overdose after dropping note in several pieces (7) | |
| O | 12 Governess takes overdose after dropping note organ in several pieces (7) |
| Duenna(governess) – n (note) around od(overdose) = DUODENA | |
| 13 Sanction organ delivered undamaged in post (6) | |
| 13 Sanction delivered undamaged in post (6) | |
| DD As sent = ASSENT | |
| 14 Detective sergeant’s after one habitually drinking resins (6) | |
| N | 14 Detective sergeant’s after one habitually drinking non-natural resins (6) |
| Alky (one habitually drinking) + ds (Detective sergeant) = ALKYDS | |
| 15 Slowly shift second piece of non-natural Aberdeen Angus (5) | |
| 15 Slowly shift second piece of Aberdeen Angus (5) | |
| Mo (second) + sey (piece of Aberdeen Angus – beef) = MOSEY | |
| 16 Argues in support of a cause, unfortunately lapsed (6) | |
| (lapsed)* = PLEADS | |
| 18 Turn over pole – this might help you rock (4) | |
| S | 18 Turn over pole – this might help you scale rock (4) |
| To (tuen over) + po pole) = TOPO | |
| 19 Silken cloth’s very black scale when dipped in Irish tea (5) | |
| 19 Silken cloth’s very black when dipped in Irish tea (5) | |
| Tay (Irish tea) around bb (very black) = TABBY | |
| 20 Research into Psalms (5) | |
| L | 20 Lift research into Psalms (5) |
| Ps (Psalms) around) Res (research) = PRESS | |
| 21 Lift journey killing time for disreputable person (3) | |
| 21 Journey killing time for disreputable person (3) | |
| Trip (journey) – t (time) = RIP | |
| 22 Summer’s up before end of August – most odd (7) | |
| (summer)* + t (end of August) = RUMMEST | |
| 24 Shelter chief side of sail (5) | |
| E | 24 Shelter chief side edge of sail (5) |
| Lee (shelter) + ch (chief) = LEECH | |
| 26 Edge delineation’s marginal assistance on reflection (7) | |
| 26 Delineation’s marginal assistance on reflection (7) | |
| Rev. marg(marginal) + aid(assistance) = DIAGRAM | |
| 28 Like a leg left by leader of cannibals in the country (5) | |
| Crural(like a leg) – c (leader of cannibals) = RURAL | |
| 30 Individual’s to quickly check pulse (7) | |
| D | 30 Disgraceful individual’s to quickly check pulse (7) |
| Scan (quickly check) + dal (pulse) = SCANDAL | |
| 33 Fellow quitting disgraceful Portuguese dance in difficulty (3) | |
| 33 Fellow quitting Portuguese dance in difficulty (3) | |
| Fado (Portuguese dance) – f (fellow) = ADO | |
| 34 Bloodsucker with minute instrument for bleeding cattle (5) | |
| Flea (bloodsucker) + m (minute) = FLEAM | |
| 35 Bacterium right inside small space (5) | |
| Step (small space) around r (right) = STREP | |
| 36 Centre-forward grabs the French character fixing pitch (4) | |
| Cf (centre forward) around le(the French) = CLEF | |
| 38 Anosmia’s masking partly unwholesome atmosphere (6) | |
| Hidden anosMIA S MAsking = MIASMA | |
| 39 Wild tales for the youngest (5) | |
| (tales)* = LEAST | |
| 40 One expressing pleasure, second ahead of Coe or Ovett? (6) | |
| Miler (Coe or Ovett) after s (second) = SMILER | |
| 41 Animal bearing special constable (6) | |
| B | 41 Beef animal bearing special constable (6) |
| Mule (animal) around sc (special constable) + MUSCLE | |
| 42 The air’s comfortable for Scottish beef in morning time (7) | |
| 42 The air’s comfortable for Scottish in morning time (7) | |
| Bien (comfortable) in am (morning) + t (time) = AMBIENT | |
| 43 Crew member holding line steps on rigging maybe (7) | |
| Y | 43 Crew member holding line steps on yacht’s rigging maybe (7) |
| Rating (crew member) around l (line) = RATLING | |
| 44 Advertisement that once advanced yacht’s most sacred places (5) | |
| 44 Advertisement that once advanced most sacred places (5) | |
| Ad (advertisement) + yt (that (obsolete)) + a (advanced) = ADYTA |
DOWN
| 1 Makes suitable anti-tetanus serum protecting father and daughter going north (6) | |
| Rev (pa(father) + d (daughter)) in ATS (anti-tetanus serum) = ADAPTS | |
| 2 Upset lord with fat behind (7) | |
| D | 2 Dope upset lord with fat behind (7) |
| Rev. Lud (lord) + lard (fat) = DULLARD | |
| 6 Those identifying American dope aboard nuclear ship (6) | |
| 6 Those identifying American aboard nuclear ship (6) | |
| Amer (American) is Ns (nuclear ship) = NAMERS | |
| 8 Disease mangled testes (6) | |
| O | 8 Disease originator mangled testes (6) |
| (testes)* = TSETSE | |
| 10 To make sharp, originator upturned cooking utensils (4) | |
| N | 10 To make sharp noise, upturned cooking utensils (4) |
| Rev (pans(cooking utensils)) = SNAP | |
| 11 After show of temper male’s song answered by counterpart noise (7) | |
| 11 After show of temper male’s song answered by counterpart (7) | |
| Strop (show of temper) + he (male) = STROPHE | |
| 17 Four people without question returned fish (5) | |
| Rev. quartet (four people) – qu (question) = TETRA | |
| 23 Support rental agreement beginning to end (5) | |
| Lease (rental agreement) l to end = EASEL | |
| 25 Money for theatrical entertainment about child (7) | |
| Drama (theatrical entertainer) about ch (child) = DRACHMA | |
| 27 To stick together when infiltrated by left (7) | |
| K | 27 Kind to stick together when infiltrated by left (7) |
| Cement (slick together) about l (left) CLEMENT | |
| 29 Before court blunder’s no good for kind state behind action (6) | |
| E | 29 Before court blunder’s no good for emotional state behind action (6) |
| Gaffe(blunder) – g(good) + ct (court) = AFFECT | |
| 31 Emotional person might sport this back in toilet (6) | |
| Y | 31 Yemeni person might sport this back in toilet (6) |
| Can (toilet) around aft (back) = CAFTAN | |
| 32 Region in South Africa where Yemeni speech gained fame (6) | |
| S | 32 Region in South Africa where succinct speech gained fame (6) |
| Part (region) in sa (south Africa) = SPARTA | |
| 37 Sullen threatening look cut short succinct dance (4) | |
| 37 Sullen threatening look cut short dance (4) | |
| Loure (dance) – e = LOUR |