Inquisitor 1291

[Ripper]

I'm completely stuck (must be the heat!) I think I know the theme, but I've only filled in about half the grid and I'm getting nowhere!
Could anyone please give me a hint to get me started again?
Thanks in advance.

[slaney]

I found this was pretty difficult, with some fiendishly well hidden misprints.
Very enjoyable though and satisfying to finish.
Is there any clue in particular you want help with, Ripper?

[Ripper]

Thank you for replying Slaney. Please could you confirm that one of the extra words is from 36down? I'm asuming that the shaded entries are anagrams?
6 down might get me going again: Dull excursion's done for marriage (7) sorry I've only got one letter! _ _ I_ _ _ _
Thanks again, I'm not the qickest solver in the world but the penny has normally dropped earlier than this!

[boreas]

Yes, one of the two extra words is in 36D.
6D is a word meaning dull, minus a shortened form of excursion - giving a word for marrying.
(Gone is the misprint.)

[slaney]

Hi Ripper.
Take a 10 letter word for dull , remove an abbreviation for excursion to get a word meaning marriage. The misprint is done...gone.
Yes there is a extra letter in 36d

[slaney]

...and didn't refresh...

[boreas]

Hi Slaney . . . sorry for butting in

[slaney]

No problem boreas .... my fault.

[Ripper]

Thank you Slaney & Boreas, I'll have another go!

[Ripper]

I'm finally getting somewhere! But I have no idea about the shaded areas - I have some words that fit, but can't seem to make sense of them via anagrams etc.... Could someone please give me a hint as to what they mean/represent
Thanks in advance

[boreas]

They are anagrams of 'members' of the first themed set.
Have you worked out what the two sets are?

[boreas]

Sorry Ripper!
I should hav said SECOND set.

[Ripper]

Boreas - you're a star! I can now keep going, hopefully I'll crack this one before the thunder disrups our electricity again!

[boreas]

Hi Ripper,

In my copy of the paper the bars of the shaded areas weren't very clear.
It looked like the entry starting at 5A was 12 letters long - but it's two completely unconnected six letter words.
Ditto the bottom left hand corner.

[Ripper]

Hi Boreas
Luckily my grid is quite clear - which is more than I am. I've got most of the shaded answers entered (though I'm a bit stuck on the one starting below 40 in the bottom right hand corner - I have a word which seems OK but isn't in Chambers. But that's not my real headache! I assume IN the grid I'm looking for examples of the items mentioned in the first group and apart from one possibility I can find nothing. It's probably me getting the 'wrong end of the stick' as usual! Could you please give me a nudge in the right direction? I'm blaming my thickness on the fact that we celebrated our Silver Wedding last night!!!!
Thanks in advance

[boreas]

Congratulations!

To get the examples of the first set, you have to take grid entries and anagramise them.

The word below 40 begins with R. It's in Chambers, but the main entry is an adjective.

[Ripper]

Thanks Boreas, I'm determined to crack this one!

[Ripper]

Hallelujah! Thanks to the patience of Boreas I've completed the crossword (I reckon I should get in the Guinness Book of records for the longest time spent on one!)

[boreas]

Once upon a time I used to take a week . . .

[Lathamjeld]

I hate to jump in on your thread, but I am really struggling to work out what to do in the grid. I have the eight unclued answers going around the grid and I understand that they are anagrams of words which are thematic synonyms.

As for the 45 symetrically disposed cells for highlighting....I am going crazy staring at the grid. Could anyone give me a subtle nudge in the right direction?

[Gregsdad]

Lathamjeld

Take 9 of the clues which are wholly enclosed by the shaded perimeter (there are 11 in all that have no overlapping letters with the perimeter words but ignore 10 c and 39 ac) and run them through an anagram tool e.g Chambers Word Wizard. You'll find they all have a common theme.