The Fragmentation of Reality by Lavatch
Puzzle explanation
(Akira) KUROSAWA (born March 23, 1910), spelt out by choosing the correct letters from possibilities in Group A, made the films Rashomon and Seven Samurai, which appeared in the grid when Group B answers were correctly placed; SAMURAI is entered at 7dn to allow ringing of the figure 7 to represent the first word. In Rashomon, a Samurai, his wife, a bandit and a woodcutter all recount a crime in different ways, a theme which determined the structure of the puzzle, with four different types of clues and many possible solution grids. Clashes from Group C answers could be resolved either way and still make real words; the correct resolution allowed wife, bandit and woodcutter to appear in the grid, so all four main characters from Rashomon were represented.
Clue explanations
Conventions: * = anagram, < = reversal
Group A
| No |
Wordplay |
Definition |
Explanation |
| Across |
| 7 | SORUS | SORDS | SO + RUS(a) |
| 11 | MIXES | MIRES | SEXISM < – S |
| 14 | MINOR | MINAR | MOOR, IN for O |
| 25 | EDDA | EDDY | (’D + D) in EA |
| 28 | NAVELS | NAVEWS | (L in AVES) after N |
| Down |
| 6 | HELPER | KELPER | (HE + ER) about LP |
| 9 | RENS | RENT | WRENS – W |
| 29 | ARISTA | ARISTO | ARIA about ST |
Group B
| No |
Correct no |
Answer |
Explanation |
| Across |
| 1 | → 21ac | RASH | TRASH – T |
| 12 | → 40ac | STAVE | ST + AVE |
| 21 | → 24dn | NEAREST | NET about ARES; the setter and editors apologise for referring to Ares as a Roman (rather than Greek) god |
| 40 | → 7dn | SAMURAI | (RUM < + A) in SAI |
| Down |
| 7 | → 35dn | HASH | H + ASH |
| 18 | → 1ac | SAMARAS | MARA in SAS |
| 24 | → 18dn | STOVE | (d)EVOT’S < |
| 35 | → 12ac | DEAREST | DEARES + T’ |
Group C
| No |
Answer |
Explanation |
| Across |
| 17 | NIFE | NE about IF |
| 20 | CLOD | L(amb) in COD; lunchbox is slang for cod (in this meaning) |
| 27 | BULL | BULLA – A |
| 34 | SCOT | C in SOT; “silly” as noun |
| Down |
| 1 | SEROWS | S + SWORE < |
| 16 | WOAD | WO + AD |
| 27 | PANDIT | DIT after PAN |
| 30 | CUTTER | C + UTTER |
Group D
| No |
Answer |
Explanation |
| Across |
| 13 | REDISTIL | LIST(en)ER I’D * |
| 15 | OLOGIES | (LOG + IE) in OS |
| 18 | SERICON | ON after SERIC |
| 19 | SISTRA | SIS + ART < |
| 32 | AFFEARE | FEARE after (A + F) |
| 36 | ORVIETO | OR + I in VETO |
| 37 | DRAPE | RAPE after D |
| 38 | STEATITE | TEAT in SITE |
| 39 | INSERTS | INS about TRÈS < |
| 41 | TAHRS | TARS about H; this would also indicate THARS, but those are SEROWS, ie, 1 (dn) |
| 42 | STEWERS | ST + EWERS |
| Down |
| 2 | AMELIA | ELIA after MA <; meaning of name |
| 3 | MID-OFFS | DO in MIFFS |
| 4 | RESIT | TRIES * & lit |
| 5 | ASTEISM | ASTERISM – R |
| 8 | ORIFICES | OR + IF + ICE + S |
| 10 | STRAND | STD (sexual disease) about RAN |
| 19 | SHLEPPER | SH + homophone (leper) |
| 22 | AUFS | A + US about F |
| 23 | ONAGERS | (SO about Regan [King Lear]) < |
| 26 | DECEIVE | R to D in RECEIVE |
| 31 | STOEPS | SEPS about TO |
| 33 | OVATE | OE about VAT |
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