Inquisitor 1267

[boreas]

I have finished the puzzle but am stuck on the 'further six cells', I can see a six letter word but don't understand about deciding whether or not to highlight it.

[JagoBean]

I decided to highlight it. My reasoning (which I'm not convinced about) was as follows. If the woodchuck sees the 6-letter word, then nothing changes - it's still the same time of year that you've highlighted interrupting the theme word. The second definition in Chambers is about a day on which things seem to happen in exactly the same way as on the previous day. If the 6-letter word is seen, then things today are the same as they were yesterday - still the same season. That's "more" consistent with the 2nd definition than not highlighting, which would assume a change.

Bit, err, convoluted. Other options, which I rejected, were 1a, and the letters in SUN and MON which have identical trajectories in the R-H side of the grid. There are quite a few areas in the grid with the letters for THINGS all connected, but that didn't get me anywhere either.

[Red Dave]

I have completed the grid - though I am not sure about 13A, but can only think of one word that fits there. The word play suggests something that does not seem to be a word to me, but I don't understand it totally.

Having completed it, I am happy to highlight the word which takes the last letter of 23A and the five letters of 24A to make a six letter word as it interrupts the key phrase with a "timely" letter T.

I can only now assume that we have to decide whether to highlight 1A or leave it as it is. Did we have to highlight 1A last week? Is that the key question?

[boreas]

Many thanks JagoBean. It is very convoluted so I think it will take me some time to absorb.

[boreas]

Hi Red Dave.
13a is ENCOLOURED.

encore= repeat performance. Take in 'lou' then add the last of reed'.

Apart from WINTER, there is another hidden six letter word.

[Red Dave]

Thank you Boreas. I've found the six letter word and everything now makes complete sense.

I find that the Inquisitor is very good at misleading me from time to time. It's so easy to go barking up the wrong tree. As far as 13A is concerned I'd convinced myself that the word was something like INDOLOURED - IN DO (meaning repeat from ditto) LOU RED but could not work out why Reed dropped the E!

Speaking of barking up the wrong tree, I was thinking at one time that DOG might be key to the crossword because of the GUNGHO and DOGHANDLER intersection, before I had any idea what I was doing as I thought GUNDOG might be the key!!

Thanks again.

[boreas]

Yes, I often find red herrings in the grids. Never sure if these are intentional or just coincidence.

[Laphria]

I have sent off the puzzle, but I am not happy at my understanding of 43ac. Anyone explain the logic? My best effort suggests it is a faulty clue, with something parallel to vampire = bat; bat = club; therefore vampire = club. Or have I missed something?

[slaney]

Could you give the clue Laphria - it doesn't ring a bell with me.

There have been some really excellent Inquisitor crosswords this year, and I think this is one of them, so thanks to Plench.

[boreas]

Laphria, this is how I see it:

well=so. t=time. well out of time=sto. I=ego (recalled. oge)

[Laphria]

Yep, that could be it. I was thinking well = spring; spring = stot --> sto + ego (rev.). And it was not a criticism of the puzzle - I can solve them but I could never compose one!

[boreas]

To be honest, I arrived at the answer via the definition - but spent more time decoding the clue.