Clues and Grid by Shark
Enter the prize draw by 30 June.
The background for this puzzle is a photograph of a chrysalis (of a monarch butterfly?) by icewerks.
A whooshing sound gradually increases heralding the arrival of a 3D puzzle grid…
This puzzle by Shark uses a conventional 7x5x7 grid and concerns a term first coined 50 years ago in 5ac, 7to, 21ac. This can be found in the entirety of one layer of the grid and solvers must submit it with their entries.
Solvers must appropriately change both unclued 24ups in such a way as to come right up to date, representing the full 50 years of this recurrent process. The whole grid represents the content of the shaded cells. When entering the changed items, solvers must apply its well-known description (6,2,3,6) and will then find that while up/down items become non-words, eight new, real words are formed and no blank cells appear in the final grid. Clues are presented in alphabetical order of their solutions before alteration except that Day 22 should come between Days 24 and 25.
The direction for Day 35 should be 28ac, not 28ac-6. This has been corrected in the online versions.
An electronic shriek and swooping strings lead into a familiar electronic theme…
Note that the thematic term was coined in 5ac, 7to, 21ac, which consists of the first three words of Day 22, but with a different final word (the second word of Day 38). This represents a series of episodes in the thematic saga.
There are three unclued entries: Days 23, 32 and 33. Day 32 (24up) is just a word for a family identifier. Days 23 and 32 are thematic 24ups and each should be replaced with the immediate successor. Day 23 represents the third (in the accepted numbering) and should be replaced by the fourth (the longest-serving and most recognisable). Bringing us up to date Day 32 represents the fourteenth (who had previously been the tenth) and should be replaced by the fifteenth (and current).
In these two cases the new entries are shorter than the originals. Don’t worry if you can’t see how to fill the grid with no blank cells. Just go ahead and submit your answers.
When entering the answers solvers should enter the original answers for all except Days 23 and 32, where the new shorter entries are required.
Shark has conjured up a paradox of space and time. Don’t hide behind the sofa!
The whooshing sound begins again… Hurry to submit before the grid disappears.
Day 1
Summer’s crazier with no money (5)
The entry point into this clue is the word “crazier” which demands a synonym of six letters starting with the letter “m”. Thus “Summer” here is not a season but rather a person or possibly a machine. [GS]
Day 4
Ignoring head and tail, pulls manipulates and goads (7)
You need to think of a word for pulls and omit the first and last letters (ignoring head and tail). Follow this with a word for manipulates to give you controversial animal controls (goads). [JP]
Day 10
Brings up beer? (7)
A wonderfully inane clue. A synonym for “brings up” (but not your own children) and at the same time a manly thirst quencher from down under. [GS]
Day 13
Small Indian animal — domestic animal in this place according to Spooner (3-4)
Strictly speaking this is not a true Spoonerism as the second word is a homophone. But as there are only two 3 letter words for popular household pets you should try either or both here. [GS]
Day 20
Experienced sailor traded, beginning to end, with a lieutenant (3,4)
Take a word for “traded” and move its first letter to the end. Add an a and abbreviation for lieutenant to find your experienced sailor. [JP]
Day 21
Relating to internal fold of bananas (7)
You need a shortened form of “of” followed by a slang synonym of a slang meaning of bananas. The answer is an unfamiliar word referring to a specific fold in the abdomen. [NI]
Day 24
A quick step putting bread on butter? (7)
This light quick step is often spelt with a couple of hyphens. Look for a middle eastern flatbread combined with a small portion of butter. [NI]
Day 30
Tear around sheep being invigorated (7)
Tear in the sense of rip apart should be placed around a sheep to produce a word for invigorated. [NI]
Day 34
Treatment of meat product once it’s gone off (5)
Not a way to rescue a joint that’s past its use by date! You need to think of a meat product and take away (gone off) an abbreviation for “it” to leave a word for “treatment”. [JP]
I am grateful to the other members of the Hints & Tips team: Garry Stripling (Gin) and Jim Pennington (Philostrate).
Happy solving!
Nick Inglis (etc)