Themes and Variations by Wasp


Theme:        Clue contains an extra word which should be discarded before solving
Variation A:    Clue answer is a thematic word partially related to the entry
Variation B:    Clue answer needs thematic augmentation before entry
Variation C:    Clue answer needs thematic treatment before entry
Numbers in brackets refer to grid entries. Chambers (2008) is the primary reference, but does not include a common phrase, or proper nouns.

ACROSS
    1    Ten toasted tapas prepared for starter (8)
    6    Dick meets a fine woman who regretted having nothing (4)
    9    Soldiers’ lingo (5)
    11    It is proposed that those women eat seaweed (7)
    12    He makes plastic run with mixed ethylene ration   (9)
    13    Look towards bird which has no smell (5)
    14    Beat the German? It’s a miracle (6)
    16    Easily pay hospital, having got over fresh illness (10)
    18    Keep batting or get out (6, two words)
    22    Run after team having power rest (6)
    23    By yourself, go over old parchment letter by letter (10)
    24    Dismantling this with a dibber produces rib and bulkhead (6)
    26    Imbibing petrol, oil and lubricants, and Spanish phosphorus causes tumour (5)
    28    Having tried out in dodgy rota, he never works for a glossy (9, two words)
    29    Coins are thrown over wide square in this game (7)
    30    Press club (5)
    31    Great prosecutor locks up priest (4)
    32    Knowledge of hereditary component found in cheek (8)
 DOWN
    1    Wild swan shelters here (4)
    2    Gonzo is sold soft toy animal with hooves (8)
    3    Making ’ole again in part of London (7)
    4    By the sound of it, I love torturing old slugs (4)
    5    Joint found in gap in arrangement of ebony planks, perhaps (7)
    6    Demolish one in lift (6)
    7    Unusual sects and Royal society found in Worcestershire village (11, two words)
    8    Here’s a dawn sail crossing round east Yemen (8)
    10    This scanner sends letter to noisy drinkers (11, two words)
    15    Spooner’s need for a horse is climbing (8)
    17    Lamb-like ungulate to replace a deer for island settlers (8)
    19    Imitating Irish in place of quiet excursion (7)
    20    Air Police, standing still, put side by side (7)
    21    Throw bird out of a kitchen onto a Durham street (6)
    25    Primarily it’s shady exploit to old Athenians (4)
    27    Just over a kilo from selection of chokecherries (4)

To enter this competition, send your solution, either as a diagram or as a list of the entries, to me at derekharrison@yahoo.com, before the 8th December 2009. The winner, picked from the hat, will receive a prize  of Chambers Dictionary thumbed edition, which is donated by the publishers.

For more information about Chambers publications go to the Chambers website