Riddles By Gnomie

[Matakari]

Four unclued solutions, three of them translated from the original and one which is the work's title, are given as the answers to riddles in a work. The first and last lines of an aria from the work appear in the grid. The wordplay of every clue produces an additional letter that is not needed for the solution. These, read in clue order, give a further instruction.

Gradual and interesting headway with this one, thanks to your guidance from Roslyn and Neveracrossword!

Now to verify the following:

15(A) Fashions for wry faces long ago (4): MOES

46(A) Leader of technicians going into 'how' in promotional leaflet for stage contraption (8): ?LYT?U?R

47(A) In Holyrood, purposes of upset drink left finally by the French (6): ET?T?S
( ETITES Or ETITIS ) ?

27(D) Of castle constructed of mineral found in dolomitic limestone, say (7) :
T??C??? ( Thought of TACTITE, but this clashes with 39 (A) Window to the sky, mostly related to gospel writer (5) = LUCAN

37(D) Vigour and spirit in Ed's magical, medicinal plant (6) : ?ER??N ( VERVEN ) ?

And finally, a HINT for
42(D) Old white gannet turning up in inner temple (4) : ???S

13:39 Mon 12th Oct 2020

[Neveracrossword]

47 Ettles,I think.
15 Yes.
42. A common crossword word for 'temple'.

[ProfessorMaisie]

15 - yes. 46 - your 'u' should be W. 47 - neither, your 2nd 't' should be L. 27 - anagram of 'O[f] CASTLES' ('f' is extra) and it doesn't end '...ose' 37 - yes. 42 - is very obscure, first you need a 5 letter word for the white gannet but the middle letter [L] is extra, then reverse what's left for the def 'inner temple'.

[ProfessorMaisie]

For 47 the wordplay = reverse TE[a] + '(lef)T' + LES ('the French') with 'a' extra - def, Scots 'purposes'.

[ProfessorMaisie]

...sorry, 27 doesn't end '...ite' (as you have it) it does end OSE.

[Neveracrossword]

Matakari, I feel a little bad about recommending this puzzle, it sounds as if you're struggling all the way through it!

[Matakari]

Thanks, ProfessorMaisie and Neveracrossword, I'm almost through this word labyrinth. For 43 (D ) Arrange to pour water on Ian's fag end (4),
I now have S?WT ( SOWT)?
For the unclued solutions, I have:
30 HOP? (HOPE )?
34 ?SOOD ( KSOOD )?
41 GURANSAT
45 ?OVE ( LOVE ) ?

Any hints now for the final hurdle about ( i ) the work's title and (ii) first and last lines of the aria?

An immense thank you again for bringing me this far. What knowledge gained!

[Matakari]

A correction: 27(D) now reads TALCOSE and 34(A) ?LOOD which might be FLOOD or BLOOD.
Please take me now out of my misery with the latest request. Many thanks again for the learning experience!

[Neveracrossword]

You've still got lots of mistakes - 43, 34,41.... It's hard to give hints, especially as you have got thematic clues to sort first!

[ProfessorMaisie]

Yes, to all bar 'sowt' (DOWT), 'flood' and 'guransat' - that last one is the name of an opera (and your 'g' is a T, your 2nd 'a' an O) once you have the opera read up on wiki for the riddle details.

[Matakari]

Ok, I think I'm seeing the light now. Just give me the answer to 11(D) that seems to be messing up the works, thanks! Definition, I was told, is small boats and I've got now ( I may have got some of the Across clues wrong) -
11 Little boats' special promenades essentially prescribed on aft and fore of ship (11, 2 words): SMALlC?A?T?

[Neveracrossword]

Matakari, I think the labyrinth was too .... labyrinthian for you! Still, after PM's help, you can have a relaxing evening, perhaps listening to.....

[ProfessorMaisie]

'S(pecial)' + MALL[s] = 'promenades' [with 's' extra]+ ('essentially') (pres)CR(ibed) + AFT + ('fore of') S(hip)

[Matakari]

Yes, that does it, Professormaisie and Neveracrossword, I should have a relaxing time working out the rest on my own now, thank you!

[Neveracrossword]

Thanks, Matakari. The 'rest' can't be much, surely?

[Matakari]

Neveracrossword, it was plain sailing for the work, the riddles, the first and last lines of the very popular aria. But I do not know how important this part of the introduction is: "The wordplay of every clue produces an additional letter that is not needed for the solution. These, read in clue order, give a further instruction."

[Neveracrossword]

Matakari, that last part is pretty important - it rounds everything off! It shouldn't be too tricky for you in that you've been given the wordplay for many of the clues. You should have the wordplay too to some of the ones YOU solved. Just work your way methodically through them - and an important thing to note, in puzzles of this type, is that you can often see words/likely words emerging. It'll be very satisfying for you to do the last step.

[Matakari]

Thanks for the advice, Neveracrossword, I'll attack this part tomorrow! It's time for me to watch a movie!

[Neveracrossword]

Matakari, thanks. You can always ask for help with that bit too!