Hoping For A Hat-Trick? By Yimin From The Crosssword Centre

[Matakari]

Good day,
Trying to penetrate Yimin's devious approach! Answers with parsing would be appreciated for the following, please! Thanks in advance!

ACROSS:
5. Invigorate Northern Italy for base, brought back Victor Emmanuel (6): ?I??W?
19. Cavalryman’s pair of horses almost ready to tilt … almost (6): ????E?
20. Three kings? A couple followed by magnificent Nebuchadnezzar (9) : ??MR?????
29. Half-unsighted, edge turning ball in start of night-time cricket (8): L??M????
35. Notice on X-ray – born with base of spine attached to different organ (6): ?OC???

DOWN:
5. Bustles about local women and shapes frocks (5): ?H???
7. Tailless cat ascended mountain pass – it killed antelope (7): ?g????m
9. Princess born for king in extraordinary bond (5): ?t???
22. Delicate management uses diamonds in no trumps – endplay ultimately (6):
?m????
25. Topless bloke in Ibiza’s game! (5): A??E?
27. Addict’s doomed state (5) : A??EO

http://www.crossword.org.uk/hattrick.html

Some clues have an extra word. The initial letters of those words in clue order spell three names associated with a place. A prominent feature of the place appears in the unclued 14, 32 and 33 (four words). Solvers should highlight the name of the place in the completed grid.

This is Yimin’s 3rd Crossword Centre puzzle. Yimin will offer an additional prize to the first solver drawn from the electronic bag whose correct solution is accompanied by the correct explanation of the title and theme. The archive of Crossword News at the old Crossword Centre blog (https://crosswordcentre.wordpress.com/) will help, as will the ‘Themes’ of the 2009 puzzles in the database of Listener Crossword found under Crossword Links of that blog.

[ProfessorMaisie]

You have lots of errors (only 19a is right for the acrosses and 5d for the downs) it looks like a random scattering of letters! It might be helpful to show what you plan on entering, Matakari - and get help with the wordplay before you put them in. I only say this because it's nigh on impossible for regular solvers to help you with so many wrong letters in place (only those who've solved it in advance can help you as it is).

Anyway, you're asking for answers so here goes -

[Neveracrossword]

Thanks, PM - I had a similar message half-typed. The number of errors was dispiriting - I thought of suggesting that Matakari just ask for the answers initially, before starting!

Matakari, sorry for the negativity - but the number of mistakes made this a real chore for those wishing to help you!

[ProfessorMaisie]

return REN(e)W ('invigorate') N + 'I(taly)' for 'e' [='base'] = WINNER (def 'Victor') [Emmanuel is extra].

[ProfessorMaisie]

You're right about it being hard work, Neveracrossword - that first answer took me ages! I'll do the rest without showing all of the synonyms, Matakari - if you check the words online or in a dictionary you should find it interesting/enjoyable.

[ProfessorMaisie]

19a SPA(n) ['ready' is extra] HEE(l) = SPAHEE
20a PAIR-ROYAL ['Nebuchadnezzar' is extra].

[Neveracrossword]

Thanks, PM - I did this puzzle last week and quite enjoyed it. Once you get into the rhythm of a puzzle, it often gets more doable - well, for most of us!

If Matakari wins a prize I'm sure he will share it with you!

[ProfessorMaisie]

29a HEM + POI [reversed] + I(n) ['Night-time' is extra]+C(ricket)= HEMIOPIC
35a AD ['X-ray' is extra] NAT (abbrev) + '(spin)E' = ADNATE

[ProfessorMaisie]

I wouldn't want to jeopardize my amateur status - you're welcome to the prize!

[ProfessorMaisie]

5d W(omen)+HEWS ['frocks' extra]
7d LYN(x) [reversed] + GHAU(t) [minus/'killed' ('t) = 'it'

[ProfessorMaisie]

9d RA(r)E = 'extraordinary' with NEE replacing (r) = RANEE [bond is extra]
22d ICE (inside) NT + ('endpla)Y' ['uses' is extra] = NICETY

[ProfessorMaisie]

25 (h)OMBRE
27 FIE = 'doomed' +ND = 'state'

[ProfessorMaisie]

I hope a particular person does win this one, it's a nice thought from the setter and it would be nice to see the Hat-trick achieved.
With that in mind I wouldn't submit an entry for this puzzle even if I did submit entries (but I don't anyway).

[Neveracrossword]

PM, no, I wouldn't want the prize either - not through someone else's efforts!

[ProfessorMaisie]

I'm not thinking of the ethical implications (I wouldn't be posting on an answer forum if I did) but I think this kind of crossword puzzle is a good thing to get to grips with - and if people want to do that and they need help getting started then the help should be forthcoming.
I got help from this site when I started - decades ago (I'm simply returning the favour).

[ProfessorMaisie]

...there's still quite a bit of work involved after the grid is filled, and once solvers discover the back-story they might like to see the Hat-trick won too (good luck Roslyn).

[Neveracrossword]

Thanks for that,PM. Yes, I certainly appreciate the help and encouragement given by ABers - and I like seeing others get so much enjoyment from crosswords. Matakari's a seasoned solver now, but we all struggle with different puzzles, different kinds of puzzles.

[Matakari]

Thanks for the great start, ProfessorMaisie and Neveracrossword, I'm making some headway now! When I grow up, I want to be like you, to be able to solve puzzles in a jiffy! Meanwhile I keep studying the parsing you send me!

[Neveracrossword]

Matakari, thanks - but I didn't help at all, your OP put me off! I'm sure you have made lots of progress in the last decade or so, though it maybe doesn't feel that way at times.

[ProfessorMaisie]

It just shows you're never too old to make a mistake - 9d is the NE version of 'born' (not the 'nee' version) I hope that didn't distract you, Matakari - good luck with the rest of it.

[roslyn251254]

PM ....why do i get a mention in this thread?