Ev 1158; Fool's Mate By Ifor

[DocHH]

Hello EVers,
To be honest the first pass through the across clues did not yield too many gifts. However the first pass through the down clues yielded a few with a common letter. My leap of faith proved provident and helped solve lots of other down clues. It also did lead me to the throwaway quotation in ODQ. Thank goodness it did not use the American version. Quite quickly I had a more or less fully populated grid. The fact that the rubrick indicated "5" across clues had parts jumbled helped as well. As always symmetry(ish) helped.
Being a humble scientist, I was not aware of the 3 thematic names and their connection. Thank you "search engines"! There has to be an easier way of selecting one letter from each of the remaining across clues than the one I used, which was quite pedestrian, to explain how the phrase from the FOOL'S MATE suggests who he is and his relationship to the thematic names!
About to pour a Grant's (signature) Rich Roasted Malt, as preprandial. Roasted Pork Loin for dinner, with roasted potatoes, parsnips, leek, chantenay carrots and cauliflower! Cheese and biscuits to follow!

[ringer]

Hi All
I too stumbled upon the letter in question and populated the grid fairly quickly. However I cannot see how to obtain the phrase - have stared at letters all afternoon (nothing better to do - am suffering with a heavy cold and opted for a "duvet day").
Hope your dinner was an improvement on ours. DocHH - chicken was rather tough and I am abstaining in case I need to resort to painkillers later on.

[DocHH]

Hello Ringer,
Nice to see you here again. Are you still teaching "hard" maths and doing choir stuff? Simple maths should "count" for a lot with this week's EV! You might need a few extra fingers and toes though!
The Pork Loin was delicious. Herself stabbed it and inserted some garlic cloves, sprinkled mixed herbs over the outside and then roasted it slowly, so very little shrinkage and very tender! Not sure how far back anyone I talk to tomorrow will recoil from the garlic breath!
If I am roasting chicken I always make a mix of butter and herbs (crushed garlic for extra flavour), then lift the skin of the chicken and force the herby butter mix under it. For good measure laying streaky bacon across the chicken breast and legs really does ensure juicy, tender chicken!

[Cagey]

I agree this seemed tricky at first. But then got much easier once the letter was twigged. Enjoyed this one a lot. I am also a scientist and wasz only familiar with one of the names, but that was enough to get to the other 2

Thank you Ifor.

[ringer]

Yes DocHH - I'm enjoying teaching Mechanics this year - Great fun! Singing is a real pleasure and I also play a few wind instruments. Still not got my befuddled head around the counting to find the phrase. I seem to be getting dobbledegook.

[devadolly]

Hello All! It's all gobble-de-gook! Total white-out on this one, have decied Mr Ifor is a new and more devious edition of Mr O.
"Just a few wind instruments" ringer? Am of the opinion that musicians/mathematicians/linguists all come from similar moulds and are (generally) brilliant at all three disciplines, all of which I covert and fail miserably at.
Off to get a large piece of Silverside out to cook and then book the next beastie in for the orders. Then will stroke the Ginger Mog in hope of enlightenment!

[novalis]

Hi everybody,
The thematic work is one of my favourites and I am sure that the throwaway quote has been used in a dim and distant past EV. Getting 2 down reminded me of it immediately. Ringer, being completely tone deaf I envy anybody who can play a musical instrument to no matter what level. DD - nil desperandum. After a good night's sleep catching up with the Zs all will become clear. Time now for a(nother) glass or three of South African red.

[ringer]

dobbledegook = double gobble-de-gook if you hadn't already guessed.
Recounted and obtained the message but still baffled about the phrase. Ah well - maybe it will come to me.
devadolly - I certainly fit into the first two of your categories but I am definitely not a linguist!

[devadolly]

Two out of three is frightening enough ringer! Thank you for the reaffirming novalis, pulled myself together and braved the 'snow-field' yesterday, now have the letter and the bottom of the grid more or less full. Am still floundering around the rest of the preamble and as to the end-game.....................less said the better! Ginger Mog is currently making typing some-what difficult and I cant find his off-button to ask for a bit of peace & quiet.

[novalis]

Ringer and DD think of an adjective to describe the main character from the thematic work. That may help you with the phrase.

[devadolly]

Er, main character? Thematic phrase?? You are well ahead of me there novalis....................absolutely no clearing of thematic mists on this horizon I fear!
Ringer, I'm sure you could make a repeating musical theme from the double/gobble-de-gook mantra!!

[novalis]

DD, if you have the omitted letter look up its usual phonetic rendition in the index to the Oxford Dictionary of Quotations. All should then become clear.

[devadolly]

Thanks for the clue novalis. Will try harder.