Spectator 2549

[Matakari]

Good day, I would appreciate answers for the following, please! Thanks in advance!
ACROSS:
32 Like seaweed I found, not new, drifting round about (6) ????I?
35 Chiefly wanting one to be dignified (5) M?O??

DOWN:
9 Portion put out, not acceptable (4) : D?S?
19 Fabulists for example aim to break boundaries (10) ?E???????R

[novalis]

32 - subtractive anagram
25 - word for chiefly minus I (O is wrong)
9 - word for put out/extinguish minus U
19 eg end in lists

[roslyn251254]

9d portion as in medicine
19d usual 2 letters for for example then 3 letter word for aim, all inside boundaries...ends in S not R

32a anagram of i found minus the N(new) + c (about)
35a O is wrong...6 letter word for chiefly minus the i

[Buenchico]

9. dish (double defn)

[Buenchico]

^^^ ignore that!

[Matakari]

Many thanks, Novalis and Roslyn, for this help!
I hope these are the last two to get me off to the theme! Thanks!

6 (D ) Dull people, nasty and surly, not unknown (7) : MURD?N?
17 Game with nice end, oddly involving knight and last of pawns (10, two words) ?E??T?N?IE

[Neveracrossword]

Stick at those two, Matakari - it'd be immensely satisfying to get them and move on to the theme....

[novalis]

6 down - subtractive anagram - M is wrong
17 - last letter is wrong. You need to reverse your last two letters on 39 across.

[johnpiper]

Well i would like some help on four of the clued lights please
12A Sorry for retiring American musician.(7) I have ?R???US
31D Fool once in class, runs away (5) I have ?S?OT
15D Pu, first off taken in by lavish old stranger (6). I have ??EN??
3D Silly person in Scotland getting a plug (6) ?OT?L?

And in the preamble presumably the name of the novel is hidden in the grid means just that....
and 21 D is FAMILY?

[shaneystar2]

Orpheus
Assot
Frenne
Dottle
Family is correct
The novelist is Russian and is a down clue

[LancastrianOik]

John:

12a: a common word for "for" but anagrammed + a short word for "pardon". Reverse them both then ad a common 2 letter phrase for American and you get a musician.

31d: a verb beginning with A meaning to "arrange in order", minus the letter R.

15d: A synonym for "pub" minus the first letter inside an anagram for lavish or limitless.

3d: a double definition, beginning with DO- it's in Chamber's.

You are on the right lines with "family"- it's one of the titles synonyms for a work by the author whose name is at 18d.

Hope that helps.

[roslyn251254]

12a Orpheus ...pro (for) reversed + eh(what?) revered + us

[novalis]

12 - Famous mythical musician who went to the Underworld.
31 - a word meaning to mix minus R
15 - 3 letter word for pub minus first letter in a 4 letter word for lavish
3 - double def - begins with D
Family is right. Defined by first 3 letters of 27 across
Yes, it is hidden as a letter run in the grid

[johnpiper]

really helpful thank you
i think that 12 a is a wonderful clue!

[LancastrianOik]

John- 15d. I meant "synonym" not anagram. Doh.

[johnpiper]

I have jumped to a conclusion that i think might be wrong which is that 18D begins with N and ends with V but (hence why i think i am wrong) i cant find a two word novel that he wrote

[LancastrianOik]

If you looked in Wikimedia you's find "Pale Fire"

[LancastrianOik]

Try again:

"If you looked in Wikipedia you'd find "Pale Fire". I'm all thumbs today.

[Matakari]

Many thanks, all, it was exciting to nail the theme!

[johnpiper]

Many thanks Matakari i did see that but kind of rejected it as too obscure! what a convoluted puzzle this week. i was away last week so am about to tackle 2548!

[johnpiper]

But have found that i need to solve 30 down and 37 a
For the second word in 27A i have BOTE which is an Awards so that presemabl in the plural is 37A AWARDS but then i have 30 down as ?C?AEN (6) which doesnt make much sense to me

Sorry to be slow here but its a puzzle
unless i have missed a synonym for 1 across whjch is one of the characters in the novel?