Spectator 2119

[djawhufc]

Hi all

Enjoy this week's crossword.

All the best

DJA

[barryjbutler]

Good morning Daniel. Many thanks as usual!

[bakajiji]

Thanks again, Daniel.

[roslyn251254]

Nice and straightforward today. I'll certainly have this next week as I head for a fortnight in Lanzarote!

[kayakamina]

Thanks as ever Daniel.

Enjoy your holiday Ros

K x

[x_word_fan]

Have filled the grid and found the quote bit the unclued entries have me puzzled.

[Neveracrossword]

All the unclued answers have the the second and fourth words of the clue, in several variations/interpretations of the words.
PS. I am hopeless at explaining, hope this makes some sense to you!

[x_word_fan]

Thanks - that is what I thought but was not confident - I assume you went for A I I R to fill the gaps

[x_word_fan]

oops - I meant E IIR

[kayakamina]

That's what I've put.

[novalis]

Why E for the first one? Surely it is I to give the same "symmetry" ( not exactly the right word ) as there is with the second and third unclued answers.

[kayakamina]

I see what you mean novalis.

[roslyn251254]

I didn't even notice the symmetry (must get to specsavers!) but went with I, I, I and R for my gaps. I got the "mi" bit straight out of Bradfords Red Dictionary

[x_word_fan]

I was thinking four different words, rare to get the same word more than once.

[novalis]

Even with I not E in the first gap there are four different words.

[x_word_fan]

So there are - I need specsavers too

[youngoffender]

Could it not be 'y' for the first gap? I'm finding this frustratingly ambiguous.

[whatsthat]

youngoffender, Bradford's gives mI - my is possessive and doesn't fit if I remember my school English correctly.

[mrcroft]

Going back to NOVALIS and KAYAKAMINA - I think 'pattern' fits better than "symmetry" and though Speccie isn't Chambers specific, MERA just doesn't exist anywhere, MYRA doesn't fit the simple pattern so it has to be MIRA, which as with the other three IS in Chambers. On a separate note there are some very dodgy anagram indicators !

[whatsthat]

Yes, mrcroft, I thought some of the anagram indications were very dodgy as well, but then we must expect quite a few with Dumpynose.

[bakajiji]

I don't understand 16D at all, can anyone give a hint (not the answer)?