Mashonaland by Raffles

Puzzle explanation

“La donna è mobile” (in the Phrases and quotations from foreign languages appendix of The Chambers Dictionary) is sung in Rigoletto by the Duca di Mantua (as the role is sometimes named, though either “Duke of Mantua” or “Duca di Mantova” would be more logical). The thematic answers are women with an Italian or Roman connection, entered as jumbles. Extra letters in wordplay gave Margaret Thatcher’s apparently contradictory statement, “the lady’s not for turning”. The title is a cryptic instruction, “mash ONALAND”, to produce LA DONNA.

Clue explanations

Conventions: * = anagram, < = reversal

No Answer Explanation [extra letter]
Across
1 ELEONORA DUSE E + NOEL < + (m)OR(e) + AD + USE
10 MUSSIEST S[T]IES in MUST
12 GASP A(pproach) S(lightly) P(roblematic) after [H]G
13 CONTADINA (AND ACTION) *
14 URSULINE URSINE around U(sefu)L
15 TABID TABBI[E]D − B(ecome)
17 ORLE L in [L]ORE
18 ROSINESSES R(uined) + O/[A] + SIN + ESSES
21 MARGHERITA (GREAT HARM I) *
24 SALT SA[D] + LT
26 AO DAI [Y]ODA in A1
28 MARCHESA MARCHES + A
30 BACCHANTE CAB < + CHANTER − R
31 NACH NACHE[S] − E(roticism)
32 TEETOTUM (U + M) after (TEE[N] + TOT)
33 SCHIAPARELLI (CHI + A) in SPARE + ILL <
Down
2 SUNNAH N[O]AH after SUN
3 SIGNORA AROUSING * − U
4 NEDS NE[T] + DS
5 MONA LISA NAILS * in MOA
6 BETTINA BETA around TIN
7 OATER OA[F] + TER(m)
8 TELLUS TELL + US
9 OPPRESSION (OPINION − IN) around P[O]SERS *
11 SCAB (typhu)S + C[R]AB
13 MONTESSORI MORI around (ON + TRESS − R)
16 DIARRHEA AID < + RR + HEA[T]
19 SEA CATS [U]SE + ACTS around A
20 SOPRANO S + OPRAH with (N + O(pera)) for H
22 TAMBAC T[R]AM + CAB <
23 JAMBUL L after JAM BU[N]
25 LETCH T[I]CH after LE
27 DITT DI + T[N]T
29 HEEL HE[G]EL
Back to 2015 menu