Sunday Telegraph Enigmatic Variations Ev 1217

[ringer]

Gosh - that was a struggle. Took me most of the afternoon and evening to complete but can retire to bed happy. Worth persevering. Thank you Jaques.
Woke today to a light covering of snow after the deluge on Friday had all but melted. I thought spring was in the air - silly me!

[Mamyalynne]

I don't think Winter is quite done with us yet.

Well done on the puzzle, too tough for me.

[tonyav]

No where near done yet, Mamya. Apparently.
http://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/uknews/uk-weather-arctic-weather-bomb-leaves-britain-facing-month-of-snow-chaos-and-freezing-temperatures/ar-BBqmKYp

[DocHH]

Hello everyone,
This EV certainly was a struggle, some of the missing letters were certainly far from obvious. Fortunately I managed to solve the 2 longest clues and took a leap of faith as to where they were entered. Purely by chance that was the correct guess. I could then start the jig-saw puzzle, which gave some help with unsolved clues.
A clear blue sky here and wall to wall sunshine, just a slight frost on the car windscreen, but not on the ground.

[devadolly]

Hello! Not started yet, and the comments do not give hope. Great day here, GM sunning on K-D's mat and washing on line. Will no doubt ask for help before too long.

[devadolly]

Yes, this is the cry for help. Have a number of answers but cannot parse them of the letters a general hint would be welcome.

[hankir]

No one has responded so far to devadolly.

I am stuck too.

I have 15 missing letters, and 4 thematic answers, not enough to figure out the endgame. Or help devadolly.

[devadolly]

Glad there is someone there H. Have 4 of thematic but getting no-where. Help!

[hankir]

I have numbered the clues from 1 to 42. If you need any of these answers, let me know.

I think these 4 are thematic.

3. Marrying Male....
28. Trendy Privy...
36. Eilidh's stripping....
41. Rocky islands....

The others:

1, 2, 3, 9, 10, 11, 14, 17, 18, 29, 34, 38, 39, 40.

Have you figured out what quantitative easing applies to thematic answers?
I don't.

[Nedne]

3 is not a thematic clue.

5 is thematic and should lead to the treatment of the thematic clues. Look at where the extra letters are added in the normal clues. Quantitative easing is the introduction of what an accountant might call money?

[hankir]

Thanks Nedne.

You are right about 3. I did change the 4th word to get the answer.

I am trying to solve 5 but have not been able to parse it. Some more staring is required. What is the definition word?

[Nedne]

Hi Hankir,

Definition is "to claim proudly"

[hankir]

Thanks Nedne.
I decided to take the two answers I had (Eilidh's and Trendy ), added a letter to each and entered them in the grid.

I was able to add some of my answers in the grid based on those two.
I was able to parse most answers.

I have only one remaining to solve.

Ran wildly......
I am missing the first letter.

Also the answer in first column could have a B or a D as the first letter.
I have to think about it tomorrow as I am too tired now. Sleep should clear it up I hope.

[Nedne]

Hi Hankir,

The missing letter is I.

Hmm...I didn't think about and alternative in column 1, I went for B. Google search gives B as a town and D as a village so I'm fairly sure it's B, and it would also be supported by the message from the extra letters.

[hankir]

Thanks Nedne.

B it is.

[devadolly]

Have the theme and have sorted 6 of them but am finding it really hard work. Do we add only the 3 obvious UK old fashioned letters, or is it any letter we add. The 3 letter in the first column is driving me bonkers....heavy hint please.

[DocHH]

devadolly,

the third letter in the first column is part of a hidden word with the missing letter being "i". The clue starts "Cause of inflamation's buried in "You lit ------".

The 4th letter of the first column is the start of a thematic entry, clue starts, "Not quite public"

The fifth letter in the first column is also the start of a thematic entry, the clue starts "Disease of turnips". Surely himself would know what that would be!!

Have been away with no internet connection for a few days. It's OK, but coming back to multitudinous e-mails is a pain in the nether regions. Herself has been to her great-nephew's first birthday party this afternoon! I think she enjoyed it more than he did! She totally ignored my suggestion of an appropriate gift. She went for a wooden pull-along train puzzle and some t-shirts. My suggestion was a noisy toy that would annoy Dad, viz a xylophone! By the time he gets to be about 5 I'll be suggesting a drum kit!

[hankir]

which column 1 are you talking about?

If the columns of clues, then..

There are two 3 letter clues in Column 1.

Italian car.... Think of a two word car (4,5). Take the first word and apply the clue instruction.

Military district... Think of a word for outlaw. Look it up in Chambers.

[devadolly]

Thanks All, it was the clue column I was referring to...Military outlaw. Also is it just 3 different added letters or more?

[Nedne]

Hi Devadolly,

Seven different added letters (two used twice, one used three times)

[devadolly]

Many thanks to All. Gently plodding with breaks looking at this week's.