ev 849

[devadolly]

Where is everyone? I have only just got round to opening my EV for this week (just don't ask.......) and to my horror I saw it was my nemesis, Mr O. Promptly had palpitations and had to have a reviving cup of coffee, not attempted it as yet but as there is no N & C this week it must be do-able. The Three Fours compiler certainly got us going on that one didn't he?

Regards

[DocHH]

Hello DevaDolly
As soon as I spotted the Compiler my thoughts leapt to your previous comments on your absolute admiration for Mr O! Haven't spent much time on EV, but am struggling! The grid looks like the Gobi Desert, sparsely populated!!
Ciao

[ulysses100]

Not that I want to dampen your enthusiasm devadolly but I found this one very tricky indeed. It has taken me three days to do this one, so a good job that the deadline has been extended..
Easy(ish) clues to start on (not forgetting that a letter may have to be changed) are : 11a 16a 27a 32a 39a 2d 18d 23d 29d
A couple, like 1ac and 5d are easy anagrams, but beware of the entry (use a pencil !).
Good luck !

[devadolly]

Oh my Goodness! If you are struggling DocHH we are all in trouble - you have made my day..................I will now remove it from its hiding place and have a proper look at it, after I have finished what I am supposed to be doing instead of chatting to the EV nutters.

Regards

[devadolly]

I have set you all off haven't I? You sneaked in under the wire so to speak Ulysses100 didn't you? Just as I was busy clattering away to DocHH. Many thanks for the hints, they will be needed and are therefore very welcome.

Regards

[Christiana]

Hi Devadolly and others. I'm struggling this week, too, with a 'sparsely populated grid' and decided it was either horrendously hard and keeping everyone occupied or very easy, in which case should I just slink away. I'm getting there, but slowly. Have some of the larger 'straight' clues but wary of putting them in. will plod on.

[Rollo]

I found it a nightmare until I managed to work out who the co-writer of the quotation is.

Once I found the quotation it all became a lot easier.

[devadolly]

Hello all. DocHH, I have had a little (exhausting) look at it, without reference to your hinted at clues and have managed to reach double figures, the only one of your 'easy' clues I have done is 11a and I have assumed that to be one of the 'few' of which I seem to have managed a number. I have No's 1a,11a,22a,40a,5d,7d & 29d needing to be changed before entry?????????????????

Yes Christina, I feel distinctly cowed too.

Rollo, a tiny hint about the quotation would be a merciful act as I can't see my way to getting enough letters together to even atempt a straw clutching idea about it.

Regards

[ulysses100]

Changes are required in 1a 22a 40a 5d and 7d.
No changes in 11a (answer is hidden) and 29d (anagram).
Once I had discovered a four letter word as part of the quotation (from 4 of the last 5 clues at bottom of first column of across clues) it was easy enough to find in ODQ and get the author (two words).

[Rollo]

The instruction - not the quotation - is also the name of a 1934 film, a 1965 film and the one referred to in in puzzle is a 1956 song.

[novalis]

Struggled to begin with but once the quote emerged it became a whole lot easier.

What threw me towards the end was the fact that one short thematic element is repeated. Not usual with Mr. O.

The reason for the 3 fours is unconvincing as Shakespeare's dates were 1564 to 1616.

[Rollo]

"What threw me towards the end was the fact that one short thematic element is repeated".

That reminds me of a 1925 song.

[devadolly]

Thank you all for the hints - will take them up later. As usual am supposed to be doing something else.

The preamble talks about 12 normal clues, now am I right in thinking these are the ones that don't have a misprint in the definition but are 'adjusted' before entry? Those are the ones I listed in my previous post as not having a definition misprint, or am I barking up the wrong tree?

Ulysses100, I took 11a to mean return, and 29d to mean player, therefore no change to definition but change to the entry?????????????????????? Oh dear!

Regards

[ulysses100]

11a is return to mInd
29d is viOla player

The remaining 12 clues have no misprint in the definition and must have something done to part of the answer (in two clues this happens twice !)

[devadolly]

Thank you Ulysses but I think it is going over the shoulder!

[novalis]

Hi Devadolly!

Something should be "over" ( but not this over your shoulder ).

Think of something which is often "over" at Dawn ( the title of the puzzle ). The best ones certainly are even though everybody finishes up in the kitchen!!!

[devadolly]

Or on the stairs Novalis????? Is that a glimmer I see.......................Thank You

[novalis]

HI Devadolly!

Glad there's a glimmer there.

In the quiz I present on or near to Valentine's Day each year the first letter of the answers in round three spell out "Valentine Day Massacre". ( I eliminate the apostrophe S to make 20 questions. ) The last this year is "What is the name of The Sunday Telegraph's barred crossword?" Well, I had to think of something beginning with E!!!

[devadolly]

Novalis, I think you should add nasty barred crossword!

[DocHH]

Hello Devadolly,
Came back to this EV tonight, was showing the thread to my other half, who regretably still works full time, and is also of little use to either of us in solving EV, it all fell into place. It was the reference by Novalis to kitchen in respect of where everyone ends "UP" or perhaps even reversed that clinched it.
Better luck with tomorrow's EV
Ciao ciao