Sunday Telegraph ev 748

[novalis]

Have got the instruction up to the end of the clues ( but still have eight to solve! 19, 24 and 30 across and 6,7, 22,24 and 33 down). It reads "The first and last letters should be entered normally and the others jumbled so that each answer has a.............." but what are the missing three words.? Going back to look at it again with a couple of glasses of red inside me. That usually helps!!!

[lector]

are not the last three words somewhere in the completed EV grid / digram ('and must be highlighted').

can you tell me if i am on the right lines, please!


In the first clue 1a) -

presumably the answer is Campanologist (anag of captain's gloom) and the word 'Tahitian' is the 'superfluous' word

so the first and third letter of 'Tahitian' are TH

in the second clue 2a) the answer is Tether and the superfluous word is 'effort'?

THE F

am I correctly on my way?!!!!

[lector]

a possible answer to 19a) is TOUAREG (alt spelling of Tuareg)

Touareg is an anagram of ('regularly') to argue

They seem to be 'noble' Berbers - the men wear a veil / the women are unveiled!

what do you think?

[lector]

I have just proved that 'Touareg' cannot be the answer!!

[lector]

well .... I have now come to the conclusion that my suggestion above is not the answer!!

I think you need to enter all the first and last letters of the answers .... this will then identify a pattern for how the other letters in an answer are entered in the diagram ...

for example re 1d) the answer is Chateaubriand -
so you can enter C (first letter) and D (last letter)
by answering clues 12/14/16/18/20/26/30/35/ 37/ you enter another 9 letters (the first letter of the answer to all these clues) .... this just leaves you with 2 letters to complete using all the letters from the word Chateaubriand ---- I think what you have to do may become obvious!

[novalis]

Lector - solved after three glasses of red. The completion ( diagonally from top left to bottom right ) is "change of heart".
1A campanologist - o's go in unchecked spaces
39A disparagement - a's go in unchecked spaces.
1D chateaubriand - 2 a's go in uncheked spaces.
11D trouser-pocket - o's go in unchecked spaces.
19A - upstage.( entered ustgape ).
You are on right lines with words to be eliminated. Follow through. Remember to enter first and last letters normally. Once you have most of the answers you should be able to fit them in logically.
If you need further help please post another message.
Happy solving.