Overhead Reduction by Schadenfreude

Puzzle explanation

The published blank grid was created by excising, from what is the required solution grid, the central column, closing up the gap and removing the entries and bars, thus cutting out “the middle man”, reflecting the puzzle’s title. Affected clued words are, top to bottom: areolae, pooris, scribe, arabis, prating, inisle, rifted, tierces, vanish, mantra, breast, anicuts.

Clue explanations

Conventions: * = anagram, < = reversal

Answer Explanation
Across
AREOLAE A + ROLE * + AE
MURRE RUM < + RE
POORIS OR in POI + S
NAPRON N + A + PR + ON
EASIER (A + (b)EER + IS) *
SCRIBE ’S + RIB in CE
ARABIS A + RABIS
PRATING RATING after P
INISLE (S + LINE) * after I; inch = island
EGEST Composite anagram of DELEGATES using DEAL; sick used as verb
GNAWN WANG < + ’N’
RIFTED (F + TRIED) *
TIERCES C(los)E in TIERS
VANISH V + A + N + ISH
MANTRA MANA about TR
DONNÉE DONNE + (Laureat)E
UPLIFT UP + LIFT; ride = a lift in a vehicle (N Am)
BREAST R in BEAST; surprisingly this word for a police officer is given as slang rather than derogatory in The Chambers Dictionary
SONCE (’S + ONE) about C
ANICUTS C in (A + N + SUIT) *
Down
APEAK A + PEAK
ROARING (O’ + AR) in (R + ING)
ORIBIS S after (I’ + BIRO) <
LIE-IN (E(njoyed) + I) in LIN
ENSURER URE in (EN + SR)
MACE M + ACE
UPRATE UP + RATE
ROBIN ROBIN before G gives ROBING
ENERGID GREEN * + I(nmate) + D
SATINET With B, SATINET gives an anagram of TIBETANS
DISTAIN (D + ISN’T) * around A
ISTHMUS THIS * + MU’S
ENEMATA (A’ + MENE) < + T’ + A
TERSEST SETTERS *
ARCTIC C in ARTIC
FENNEC NEC(k) after FEN
IGAPÓ I + GAP + O’
MAORI ROMAI(c) *
WHETS W + THE * + S
ORFE FOR * + E
Back to 2009 menu