Anax provided a puzzle for the York S&B this weekend entitled “Top Job! by Anax” and it certainly was a top job by Anax! If you haven’t already solved the puzzle and wish to do so before reading this blog then click on the following to download a copy: Anax @ York 2017.
This was a fitting tribute to John Henderson, the organiser of this weekend’s event. All of his setting pseudonyms (Enigmatist, Io, Nimrod and Elgar) have been used in one way or another as indicated below.
The preamble can be broken down as follows:
Two answers are unclued – 4ac, 44ac
Six more must be jumbled before entry – 1ac, 7ac, 43ac, 45ac, 5dn, 31dn
One light contains two identical alternatives to a name – 27ac
Two other names are removed elsewhere – ELGAR 18/19ac, NIMROD 35/37ac
Another name is hidden – ENIGMATIST in the bottom row
as is a suitably arranged job description – I AM SETTING in the top row – aptly, an anagram of ENIGMATIST
Many thanks to Anax for a most enjoyable way to spend a couple of hours on a Sunday afternoon (much, much better than doing the ironing, my customary Sunday afternoon pastime).
Across
1 Kind of computer game to entertain a writer (4)
SIAM – SIM (kind of computer game) around (to entertain) A – a jumble of AMIS (writer)
4 See preamble (3)
SET – unclued
7 Huge object, not hard one (5)
TINGA – T[h]ING (object, not hard) A (one) – a jumble of GIANT (huge)
13 Half a day with a hospital nurse (4)
AMAH – AM (half a day) A H (hospital)
15 Christmas verse removed from book (4)
NOEL – NO[v]EL (verse removed from book)
16 Number one actor returned in place of 27 (1-6)
E-REGION – NO (number) I (one) GERE (actor) all reversed (returned)
17 I love to wear stupid expression (5)
IDIOM – I plus O (love) in DIM (stupid)
18 Stuff that wraps a sweet (5)
CARAM – CRAM (stuff) around (that wraps) A – CARAMEL (sweet)
19 Dope user ruined decorations (7)
NITURES – NIT (dope) plus an anagram (ruined) of USER – GARNITURES (decorations)
20 What’s the point of freezing water? (6)
ICICLE – cryptic def.
22 Argument about constant drudgery? (4)
WORK – ROW (argument) reversed (about) K (constant)
24 Laugh when photo session doesn’t start (4)
HOOT – [s]HOOT (photo session doesn’t start)
26 Amateur chasing tree snake (3)
BOA – A (amateur) after (chasing) BO (tree)
27 On a game show, nearly name a process of physics (12)
TENNISATTENN – TENNIS (game) ATTEN[d] (show, nearly) N (name) – IONISATION (a process of physics) with both IOs changed to TEN (as per the preamble)
30 Eternity ring put in letter (3)
EON – O (ring) in (put in) EN (letter)
32 It indicates watery fluid in these rocks (4)
SERO – contained in (in) ‘theSE ROcks’
33 Norm’s a soldier (4)
PARA – PAR (norm) A
34 Plug in more ‘experimental’ aerial protector (6)
RADOME – AD (plug) in an anagram (experimental) of MORE
35 Jewish marriage brokers took tea after Sabbath (7)
SHADCHA – HAD CHA (took tea) after S (Sabbath) – SHADCHANIM (Jewish marriage brokers)
37 No good eating wild rats, mice etc. (5)
ENTIA – an anagram (wild) of EATIN[g] – RODENTIA (rats, mice etc.)
39 Explorer following gypsy around stronghold (5)
EYRIE – IE (explorer {for those who use Windows}) after (following) RYE (gypsy) reversed (around)
40 Councillor’s servant not entirely covered in powder (7)
DUMAIST – MAI[d] (servant not entirely) in (covered in) DUST (powder)
41 Bowl over potty, but the wrong way (4)
STUN – NUTS (potty) reversed (but the wrong way)
42 First thing under the hammer? African money (4)
LOTI – LOT 1 (first thing under the hammer)
43 A girl needs one good turn (5)
HENIG – HEN (a girl) I (one) G (good) – a jumble of HINGE (turn)
44 See preamble (3)
MAT – unclued
45 Time can only be time, right? (4)
ISTR – IS can only be) T (time) R (right) – a jumble of STIR (time)
Down
1 Perhaps environmentally adapted spies initially turned into race (9)
SPECIATED – CIA (spies) T[urned] (initially turned) in (into) SPEED (race)
2 Heraldic image of a big cat eating a monarch (7)
ALERION – A LION (a big cat) around (eating) ER (a monarch)
3 Fantastic! Beautiful! Put it up! (4)
MEGA – A GEM (beautiful) reversed (put it up)
4 Son’s objective to produce lard in Scotland (4)
SAIM – S (son) AIM (objective)
5 Farmers the last to waste bread (6)
EMONEY – [wast]E (the last to waste) MONEY (bread) – a jumble of YEOMEN (farmers)
6 Swimming monster swimming in a what? (7)
TANIWHA – an anagram (swimming) of IN A WHAT
8 Endless river regarded as strong (9)
INDURATED – INDU[s] (endless river) RATED (regarded as)
9 We do not allow infrared type of film (4)
NOIR – NO (we do not allow) IR (infrared)
10 Spare income goes to student of global trade (3-9)
GEO-ECONOMIST – an anagram (spare) of INCOME GOES TO
11 Charity fighting to change sides (4)
ALMS – ArMS (fighting) with L replacing the ‘r’ (to change sides)
12 Fern, possibly laurels around pine tree’s edges (12)
TRACHEOPHYTE – TROPHY (possibly laurels) around ACHE (pine) plus T[re]E (tree’s edges)
14 His guards sell hockey passes (3-4)
HIT-OUTS – HIS around (guards) TOUT (sell) – I don’t have access to a SOED and so cannot confirm the ‘hockey’ reference. All my sources give it as a term used in Australian rules football.
21 Indication that one’s left out Italian peasants (9)
CONTADINI – an anagram (out) o IND[i]CATION (indication that one’s left)
23 Before New Hampshire diner there’s nothing warmer (3,6)
FAN HEATER – FA (nothing) NH (New Hampshire0 EATER (diner)
25 Hawk makes stop on lake (7)
TIERCEL – TIERCE ([organ] stop) L (lake)
28 Pretend to cross borders to hand over old royalty (7)
SHAHDOM – SHAM (pretend) around (to cross) H[an]D (borders to hand) O (over)
29 XX keeps it up — they love it (7)
EROTICS – SCORE (XX) around (keeps) IT reversed (up)
31 A stomach upset, and artist’s in shock (6)
MRAUTA – A TUM (a stomach) reversed (upset) around (and … ‘s in) RA (artist) – a jumble of TRAUMA (shock)
35 Unfortunately she’s blind (4)
SESH – an anagram (unfortunately) of SHE’S – ‘blind’ as in a long drinking session
36 A course for a river (4)
ARUN – A RUN (course) – a river in Sussex
37 Discharge them, then object? (4)
EMIT – ‘EM (them) IT (object)
38 Almost mad about newspaper being racist? (4)
NAZI – ZAN[y] (almost mad) reversed (about) I (newspaper)