EV 847 Fields of Action

[DocHH]

After last weeks elusive resolution of the relevance of the title, this week's one, athough obscure was much more obvious. Populated the grid quite quickly, but took a while to hunt down everything that needed highlighting!

[novalis]

Hi DocHH!

I shall drink some of them shortly!!

[devadolly]

Thank you Novalis - how could I be so stupid not to have tried the great man first! Especially as I had 16a. Am still not on the right wave-length as per the title and all your (in the wider sense) observations about barriers/symmetry /thematic entrys etc.

Red wine is drinking isn't it? Nanny will still not be pleased............

Regards

[novalis]

Hi Devadolly!

Think of his very famous quote about an activity which would take place in a field ( or across many fields!! ) and think about what would divide those fields.

[Rollo]

I bet that has got you foxed!

[devadolly]

My head is hanging, I am ashamed........................I feel quite unspeakable! Have to trundle off now as I can hear blarting from the barn but will attack this afresh tomorrow. Many thanks.

Regards

[copelander]

Dochh, Thank you so much. Just in from work and quite surprised to find such an active site. I had been looking for a separate 7 letter word, which was lurking. Had me quite foxed! I think,perhaps, a little Pinot Grigio to celebrate a finished grid. Regards to all

[DocHH]

Well deduced, Devadolly,
I am in fact a Physics grad, for first degree, there-on-after Chem Eng and Applied Physics! However my penchant for cryptic crosswords came from my mother who had no formal qualifications!
However that is neither here nor there,
16a First letter =O
21a First letter = C
25 a First letter = R
31a First letter = I (for that read cap i)
35 a First letter L
38a First letter D
So 16d should now be OK.
Hope that is "fox"y enough for you!
Happy hunting! Tally Ho!

[copelander]

Hi DocHH, my previous post was obviously from an overworked brain.....a quick look showed me the 7 letter lurker. Thanks again for the pointer.

[BigDave44]

Doc - thanks for the help on the Saturday GK Quick. Mrs BD usually does this one, but with no proper grid it was more of a challenge!!

I have completed the EV 847 grid, the first time that I have tried, I even managed 30a before the hints were published (probably because there were no unusual words in it) but I am unsure of the wordplay for the following:

12a Does the "ne" relate to outdated?
22a Does the note mean no "t", or am I way off target?
39a Is the stringed instrument a tub(a), and, if so, why?

28d Have an answer which fits the first word, but then I'm lost

The quotation was no problem, I've even seen the play which is probably more than most people have!! As to the rest of it, the hints above might just as well have been in a foreign language.

Finally, with regard to "Three fours" - have you considered the right angled triangle, with sides of three, four and five? Probably a red herring, but you never know!

[DocHH]

Hello BigDave
Pleased you tried EV and completed it. You'll have to have a go at the Spectator on thursday!
12a ne is an obsolete form of not.
22a n = abbreviation of note
39a first three letters reversed are an old viol. The whole of the wordplay is reversed.
I am unable to explain 28d, although the last 3 letters are someone lying down without the first letter. Someone else might be able to explain it fully.
We try only to give hints rather than direct answers, so it can get a little cryptic!
As for Thee Fours, I suspect that as usual the title has a relevance to either the theme of the EV, or has been modified in the same way that the answers have to be modified before entry into the grid. Once some time ago the title was "TIC OFF". The theme of that EV was that piece of work by Elgar, ENIGMA(tic)) VARIATIONS.

[BigDave44]

Doc - Many thanks

Ironically I discarded the correct solution to 39a at least twice!!

I now have 28d - find a word using the extra letter + the first three letters reversed and look it up even if you think you know what it means!!

[DocHH]

Thank you BigDave, although I wont be crucifying myself for not knowing that! I'd completely overlooked the obvious use of the extra letter.

[ulysses100]

DocHH --- at last the penny drops ! It's so hard when you get something stuck in your mind that you can't see a way out. I had denied myself the answer to 30a which I had had all along but couldn't see the wordplay, and like yourself, did not know the alternative country word for a fox (unlike the well-known one at the end of the barrier !). Thanks again for the hints.

[Rollo]

I am assuming that the requirement is to highlight 4 words in total. The preamble could be more specific.

[DocHH]

Hello Rollo
The rubric doesn't say to highlight the barrier, in fact it says it is uninvolved in the main action. I would have thought by highlighting it, it is no longer a barrier.

[Rollo]

HI Doc.

I read the preamble as saying that is was the "something else.... lurking at the end of the thematic barrier" that is uninvolved in the action, not the barrier itself.

[DocHH]

Hello Rollo
Don't think so, you have to "highlight something else thematic (7 letters ) at the end of a thematic barrier". Which for me means the barrier does not need highlighting. You could always "barrier" your bets and highlight it in a different colour! I do not send in any completed EV so am just content to complete it.

[copelander]

I thought the preamble suggested that the lurker was uninvolved inthe main action, but still had to be highlighted.

[BigDave44]

Thanks to help from this post, I have finally found the themes and the barrier.

I was, however, temporarily misled by the 3 letter Scottish animals, two of which were lurking in the undergrowth!!

[devadolly]

Hi everybody, aren't there a lot of posts, definately nattering and chattering!

Have managed to finish most of the grid with the exceptions of 5d,12a & 9d (don't worry, am already kicking myself and blushing with embarassment at the prospect of the answers) but all barriers, thematic or otherwise, have by-passed me (am currently more worried about our barriers and wriggly lambs) nor can I find a country name for the inedible! It will just have to be flung over the shoulder.

PS. I knew physics and wildly scientific matters were a part of you all............................