Question and Answer by Chalicea

Puzzle explanation

The puzzle marked the centenary of the breaching of the tomb of Tutankhamun, on 26 November 1922. The unclued entries contained, in order, the exchange between Carnarvon and Carter when the tomb was opened:

Lord Carnarvon: Can you see anything? Howard Carter: Yes, wonderful things!

The extra letters in wordplay spelt out “royal burial site” (from across clues) and “shade pharaoh that they had found” (from the downs). TUTANKHAMUN was highlighted in a diagonal.

Clue explanations

Conventions: * = anagram, < = reversal

No Answer Explanation [extra letter]
Across
11 GRAALS GALS around RA[R](e)
12 JATO [O]AT in JO
14 LIPOSOMAL (MISLA[Y] POOL) *
17 TIRL (S)T(r)I(p) R(e)[A](l)L(y)
18 TARTANS TAR[L]ATANS − A (at the centre)
21 SEASICK [B]ASIC in SEK(t)
23 REDOWA (WEAR D[U]O) *
25 FICO (speci)FIC [R]O(le)
26 AMISH A[I]M + IS + H(aunting)
30 BED BE[A]D
34 FEE F[L]EE
37 ENSATE [S]ENSATE
38 ILLICIT ILL + I + CRIT[I](c) − R
39 HAT [T]HAT
40 BLEE B[E]LEE
Down
1 ORDINEE (I ENDOR[S]E) *
2 RASPY RAS[H] + P(opp)Y
3 DAKOTA (AKA TO[A]D) *
4 CLASH [D]ASH after CL
5 REAM [E]RE + A + M(eeting)
6 NANA (Ti)N [P]AN A(lley)
7 AMYLASE AMY + [H]EALS *
8 VAUS U in VAS[A]
9 OTTERS [R]OTTERS
10 NOBEL LAUREATE NOB + EL [A]L + AUREATE
12 JOTTED T[O]T in JOE D; ref. Joe DiMaggio, Marilyn Monroe
13 GLASS FIBRE (SELFIS[H] BRAG) *
15 ITCH [T]ITCH
16 NAKED [H]AKE in (po)ND
18 TACO (v)AC[A]TIO(n) − I
19 RIMA [T]RIM + A
20 POST PO[T]S + T(o)
22 SOWM S[H]OW + M
23 RACY RAC[E] + Y
24 WHEELIE (WH[Y] + LIE) around E(xplosiv)E
27 MAERLS [H]ARLEM’S *
28 HENNA HE + N[A]NA; ref. 6dn
29 RUNE RU[D]E around N
31 DUST D + UT around S[F]
32 LOTH H after LO[O]T
33 ODIN (H)O[U]DIN(i)
35 WAT WA[N]T
36 FIB F + BI[D] <
Back to 2022 menu