Enigmatic Variations N0 1597 By Vagans

[Matakari]

Good afternoon, a brain tease which has me stuck on the following for which I would appreciate some help. Thanks in advance!

( Solvers are invited to find ILLUMINATION in a crucial page in a historic book of evidence which has been damaged. Unclued entries name the book’s title ( 4 words) and 4 key witnesses ( 1 in short ), all to be highlighted along with 34 other cells whose letters are omitted in the wordplay of their clues ( in 5 cases causing its total loss). Blocks of adjacent cells naming symbols of each witness, 1 in each quarter, must be highlighted ( 16 cells total ) and their illustrations optionally restored. Single extra characters in 17 otherwise normal clues confirm the page’s location.
Chambers Dictionary ( 2016 ) is highly recommended. )

17a Scots scrape distinction ( 5 ) : U?L??
19a Humblest local river retreat ( 7 ) : L?A????
32a Master antique point ( 4 ) ?O??
6d Problem arising in competition puzzle8 ( 6 ) : ??I???
7d Dash beneath floor endlessly leaking ( 6 ) : ?O????
10d Fife’s ungenerous in bid for face protection ( 7, 2 words ) ?AL????
25d Summer child forward in embrace of Alderaan princess ( 7 ) ??ONI?N

[Neveracrossword]

30. A slightly poetic word for 'moving slowly'. A four letter word for 'stomach', noun, goes inside a word in the clue. This is one of the clues with a 'single extra character'.(Not one of the 'letters omitted in wordplay' ones, I don't know how you're getting on with there being two devices!)

[JJ109]

27a Anagram

[JJ109]

31 rank = definition. Abbreviation for dead + a bird very similar to a heron minus its last letter + an unclued letter.

[Matakari]

Thanks, NACW, please let me know the wrong letters in 21 and 31 so that I'll work from there.

[Neveracrossword]

In 21, your N and I are wrong, in 31 your M is wrong. You've had a very generous hint for the latter, so that one should be easily fixed.

JJ, thanks for yesterday's post.

[Matakari]

Thanks, but I'm still a bit lost.
27d Can’t see the anagram: re+rums +I ?
30d guts/val?
21a E????e = Eprise?

And for 26d Trick last adults playing children’s games ( 7 )
FIDULT?

[JJ109]

27d Yes, it is an anagram of those letters
3d Val - the V is surplus
21a what is french for head?

[Neveracrossword]

Re 21, I'm shocked, Matakari!

[JJ109]

26d last letter of trick and your other letters are correct

[Neveracrossword]

Matakari, if this puzzle isn't proving much fun for you, you could maybe try the new Genius and the new Crossword Centre puzzle. PS The latter involves removing over 100 letters from the clues before solving ... you have been warned!

[Matakari]

Thanks again, jj109 and NACW! 21a did put some doubts in my mind.
(21 New French head infatuated in Nice ( 6 )
I would have opted for "éprise" going well with "infatuated" instead of "entêté" which means stubborn. Chambers gives "captivated" or "smitten" for éprise.
I'll probably have a shot at the Genius which seems less arduous for me. The Crossword Centre puzzle deters me because of the number of letters to be removed...not my bag of tea spotting the letters to cut out!

[Neveracrossword]

Thanks, Matakari, especially for the French stuff. The preamble mentions Chambers being recommended - and that gives 'infatuated' for 'en tete'. Your 'eprise' meets the 'infatuated in Nice', but has nothing to do with the beginning of the clue!

NB In Genius you've to remove words from within words in the clues. Hope that's fun!

[Matakari]

Ok, we have to follow Mr Chambers, but as far as we know, the French never use “entêté” to mean infatuated.

I’ve just had a look at the Genius and have tried these two clues. I seek an opinion on my approach and answers. Thanks in advance!

(1 ) Utterly destroy North American airbase by destructive insect bites (11)
EXTERMINATE
Take away “air” from airbase…Def “utterly destroy”, “termite” for insect bites…

( 2 ) In-law is able to accept negative response (5) CANON
Take out “in…
“can” is able to
negative response: non

[ProfessorMaisie]

Yes to both,
CANON drop [in] from 'in-law' .
EXTERMINATE drop air] from 'airbase'.

[ProfessorMaisie]

...and your wordplay is right too.

[ProfessorMaisie]

If it would help, I can let you know where to enter them, Matakari.

[Neveracrossword]

Matakari, if you have further queries, you might be better starting a Genius thread - so those who have tackled the puzzle could help. This thread is on EV, and might not attract the same readers, helpers.

[ProfessorMaisie]

...but just to tidy up your wordplay -
'bites' is the containment indicator for N+A in E('base')X('by'/times)TERMITE.
You've used the French negative instead of the English NO (just force of habit, Matakari - or a simple typo?)

[ProfessorMaisie]

...and just to be picky it's 'is able' for CAN and 'to accept' is the containment indicator in this case.
I think it's worth being pedantic because these are excellent clues - not a single word is superfluous and they provide very good 'surfaces'.
All of the clues feature this precise, crisp and clever use of language, so it's a good one to get to grips with, | think. And if you've got a single word left-over, you've probably messed up (like putting an engine back together and finding you've got one bit left}.

[ProfessorMaisie]

...that's once you've thrown out the deliberate exta bits, of course.