Brilliant by Brock

Puzzle explanation

The puzzle celebrated the diamond jubilee in 2024 of the formation of the Royal Air Force’s Red Arrows areobatic team. In the preamble X stood for “information” and in messages it was “in formation”; Y stood for “Red Arrows” throughout. RED ARROWS formed a 3×3 block in the grid; misprint corrections for clues whose answers were partly entered in that block spelt “X SE to NW”, so the block’s letters were to be replaced by red arrows “in formation southeast to northwest”, ie in the Red Arrows’ signature diamond formation as shown in the badge here. Misprints (wrong letters) from clues whose answers overlapped with PELICANS, JACKS and ÉCLAT spelt out “two teams uniting X [in formation] of Y [Red Arrows]”, referring to two of the aerobatic teams that were merged in the creation of the Red Arrows, namely the Red Pelicans and the Yellowjacks; PELICANS and JACKS were highlighted red and yellow accordingly. The corrections to the remaining unused misprints gave “ring around motto”, ie around ÉCLAT (brilliance). The title referred to a brilliant as a certain cut of diamond.

Clue explanations

Conventions: * = anagram, < = reversal

No Correction; misprint Answer Explanation
Across
10 T(R)ee; W COMA C + O’ + MA
11 Ti(G)re; T ERITREA TITER * − T + RE + A
12 p(I)tches; A HURLER HER around URL
13 (M)eal; W CABOC (O(ld) C(EO) A(nd) C(ompany) B(ig)) *
14 S(N)uggle; M NOUSLE NOUS + LE
15 Lim(P); O LANK FLANK − F
17 (N)esters; T SKYLARKS (S(oi)L + ARKS) around KY
19 (C)lan; E CETES homophone of SEATS
20 coa(X); T REDRAW WARDER <
22 (S)erial; A LINEAR EAR after LIN
23 (E)lement; C RADON AND/OR *
25 (T)aking; M AIRSHOWS (OR A SWISH) *; ref. 4dn
29 cla(E)S; S SCYE homophone of SIGH
31 (G)et; B SCAMPI SCAM + PI
32 b(O)ss; U TARGE 2 meanings
33 (B)otched; N CLATCH L in CATCH
34 r(U)ling; I INKATHA IA around THANK *
35 n(A)n; U AVAL AVAIL − I
36 S(H)eepish-looking; T SARSEN-STONE (SEEN AS TOR) * around N,S
Down
1 (R)ite’s; S ICONOCLASTIC (O/C + PLASTIC − P) after COIN *
2 fl(O)pping; I NO-HOPE OPE after NOH
3 str(O)ke; I OARSMEN OMEN around (WARS − W)
4 R(U)mbles; A ROLLS (mun)ROS around (L + L)
5 (O)ut, B ARRAYER ARREAR with AYE for EA
6 coi(N); L TICAL IC in TA + L
7 Wor(D); M ITALA I(n) T(he) A(pple) L(acking) A(ppeal)
8 ato(M); P NEON NE + ON
9 por(T); N JACKSONVILLE J + (INVOKES CALL) *
16 r(O)use; E STIR RIT’S <
18 to(T)al; N RADS STRADS − ST
20 (N)ame; G RAOUCHÉ OUCH in AREA * − A
21 Ta(P); X RAT-A-TAT RAT(e) + A + TAT
24 shor(T); E ORPHAN (HARP ON) *
26 Clar(O); K SEGAR SE + RAG <
27 Sp(E)ck; O HAETS ET in HAS
28 (W)ound; F SCARS (S + S) around CAR
30 Tin(S); Y CANS SNAC(k) <
Back to 2024 menu