Wednesday 30 October 2024

November 2024 Prize Puzzle

 Rising Costs II by Hedge-sparrow

Thirteen cells represent thematic locations.  Twelve clues include an extra word (in one case, two adjacent extra words), to be removed before solving.  Six of the thematic locations occur where entries from pairs of these clues cross: the locations’ names (one comprising two words) are formed by jumbling together the extra words from each such clue pair. 
The names of six further thematic locations are formed by sets of clashing letters from crossing entries.  The final location’s name (comprising three words) is formed by a combination of both these methods.
In all cases, the first initial of the location’s name must be inserted in the appropriate cell.
In all clues that don’t include extra words, the wordplay leads to the answer plus an extra letter not entered.  These letters spell out part of a quotation relevant to the theme.
Solvers must highlight the theme (15 cells total in four separate rows) and the surname of its creator (8 cells in a straight line).

Chambers 2016 is the primary reference.  Enumerations refer to space available in the grid for entries.

Across
1 Chase role as revolutionary Persian governor, once (6)
6 Sends electronic messages to gluttons (4)
10 Routine includes running nude round building (7)
12 Things thrown out, such as wax-stemmed match (6)
13 Display item misrepresented period of conflict (7)
14 Sister embraced by former archbishop John (4)
15 Heartlessly brace orang-utan to dance to the Sex Pistols? (4)
16 Nurse abandoning love for star joker (7)
18 Something to work on began to engage artist (7)
19 Children’s game using bones fashioned at the back with points (4)
20 Give up holding tail of pilot whale (3)
21 Hotel spectre troubled English resort (6)
25 Dictionary article covering 500 Old Norse writings (4)
27 Bad stomach dogs old mountain nymph (5)
29 Three harp seals stripped Navy Inn (6)
32 College fair skillfully ringing bass ringer for springer? (7)
35 Ultimately plan to destroy unruly teenager (3)
37 A desire to withdraw Hebrew measure of dry goods (4)
38 Dead tissue perhaps caused by caustic cashew nuts recipe (4)
39 After one overcomes touch of anxiety, beauty transforms polar location (6)
40 Dodgy entrail – toilet – how far?! (4)
41 Inharmonious priest at church dividing fraternity’s extremes (6)
42 “Peace” girl: one returning to enter Irish Academy (5)
43 Shuts resorts (3)
44 Vet said blocks become encrusted in measure of sugar solution density (6, two words)
Down   
1 Rising damp abbot found in jam pan used for hash (7)
2 Cook a lot of Galway seaweed (4)
3 Memo about short story editor reconstructed (8)
4 Do something to tackle Rector over faith that's reinterpreted creation of man? (8)
5 Appeared anxious at first over imbibing too much (8)
6 Bishop Maude, vacantly tucking into dessert, sounded contented (4)
7 Immeasurable number wearing ties Institute of Management’s included in list (7)
8 Woodland deities bedeck war god with crown of silver ash (6)
9 Change direction, say, going up incline (5)
11 New female artiste enthralling internet nerd (5)
17 Dark sides of life one bears (5)
19 Develop boils after operation’s exorcised evil spirit (4)
20 Fiery virtuoso more than half crazy with enthusiasm (4)
22 One employed to advertise weird, disembowelled bushpig abducted by sleep fairy (8, two words)
23 Introduction of mortice locks providing protection for top models (7)
24 Deep water rising affects local lapwings (7)
26 Ignoring Consumer’s Association, syndicate alters amount of stuff to bulk buy (5)
28 Deputy MC spouting ordinary profundities (6)
30 I sing wordlessly, reflecting absolute inability to speak Norn (6)
31 Young Green charges hire fee (6)
33 One who conducted hoax ensnaring bloodsucker (5)
34 Conference, perhaps held by extreme characters in local playwright’s union (5)
36 Brats damaged ski-lift (4)

To enter this competition, send your entry as an image or in list format, including the highlighted words,  to ccpuzzles@talktalk.net before 8th December 2024. The first correct entry drawn from the hat will receive a book from the Chambers range, which has been donated by Chambers


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