Commonplace by Brock

Puzzle explanation

The puzzle marked the 50th anniversary of the TV series The Wombles, first broadcast on 5 February 1973. The sections of clashing and multi-answer entries were the names of all the Wombles in the original series, as follows: 14ac/15dn Tomsk, 16ac Wellington, 21ac Bulgaria, 4dn Tobermory, 5dn/19ac Cholet, 23dn Bungo, 30dn/38ac Orinoco. These were replaced in the grid by dots (always leaving real-word grid entries) placed according to their locations on a world map; the Womble Wellington was named after Wellington School, Somerset (where the author Elisabeth Beresford’s nephew was a pupil), so the dot was located in England, not New Zealand. The initial letters of the items “recycled” among six clues, in clue order once they were restored to their proper places, spelt “litter”. That related to the grid entry REFUSE, which was altered to REUSE to reflect what the Wombles did with rubbish. At 11dn, ENTOMB was changed to ENWOMB to show WOMBLES in the column. The extra letters in wordplay spelt out “things that the … folks leave behind”, a line from the TV programme’s theme song, with the word “everyday” missing. The puzzle’s title was a synonym of that and also referred to Wimbledon Common, the place where the Wombles lived.

Clue explanations

Conventions: * = anagram, < = reversal

No Moved item Answer Explanation [extra letter]
Across
1 The Times → light bulb SPLOTCH (SPOT + CH) around L(ight buLb)
6   CATSUP (PU[T] around STAC(k)] <
10 light bulb → ink PIERIAN PIER + (A INK) * − (tas)K
12   BICCY B + [H]ICCUPY − UP
13 TV → The Times ANNEX AN + (o)N (Th)E + X
14   GRAM-ATOM MAR < in MAG(g)OT *
16   DWELLING, TONEME WELL in (DING + NOTE * + ME)
17   REVET [I]RE + VET
18 racket → TV ROOSE ROO + SE(t)
19   ÉTRANGERS ANGER in REST *
21   BULBUL, GARIAL ARIA in GULL * after BULB
24   WEBSITE (BEST WI[N]E) *
25   PANGEA [G]ANG in PEA
29   ARCED (G + HID + ARCED + [S]) * = DISCHARGED
30   FUEL RODS (S[T]UF(f) around (D + ORLE)) <
31   DERIG DIG around [H]ER
33   ASSAM (Momb)AS[A] SAM(ple)
35   ESSAY E + S + S[T]AY
36   WETSUIT STEW < + [T](o)U(r)I(s)T
37   THE MAIN CHANCE (I CHEAT HENC[H]MAN) *
38   OCOTEA COTE in OA(k)
39   UNSTINTED (STE[E]D after UN) around TIN
Down
1   SPARROWS SP + [F]ARROWS
2   PINTO P[O]INT + O
3   OR ELSE LSE after [L]ORE
4   TITO, BERM, ORYX (BY MOTOR EXIT) * around R(oute)
5   CATECHOL TECH in COAL *
6   CEREAL (LA[K]E + REC) <
7 ink → elastic TIME GUN (TIN MUG + (blu)E) *
8   SCAVENGER HUNT (THUG + CRAVENNES[S]) *
9   PYETS Y in PE[L]TS
11   ENTOMB EN + TO + B[E] after M
12   BARNYARDS BAR + [A]NY + ARDS
15   SKERRED KERR in SED
16   DEBIT ((T(o) D(ad)) around [V]IBE) <
20   REFUSE RE[E]FER − ER + USE
22   LET-DOWN (W + [B]LEND TO) *
23   TABUN, GORGETED (GENDER GOT) * after TABU
26   LESSEE LE[E]S + SEE
27 elastic → racket PLASMA (PLASTER MACK) * − RACKET * + A
28   COPY IN C[H]OP + YIN
29   ASPECT AS + P[I]CT around E
30   FACTOR IN ACTOR in FIN
32   ELSAN [N]ELSON with A for O
34   NICE N + ICE[D]
Back to 2023 menu