Lost in Translation by Ottorino

Puzzle explanation

The modern Italian alphabet doesn’t use the letters J, K, W, X or Y. Each of them was removed (once) from four across clues, while the down clue to LETTERS had all five removed; the five letters didn’t appear anywhere else in the clues. The other down clues’ first letters in grid order spelt out “insert one clue number”; the number to insert was 21 for LETTERS, referring to the size of the Italian alphabet. At the bottom of column 6, WJXKY was changed to ITALY, the Italian form of which, ITALIA, was an entry at the top of column 11.

Clue explanations

Conventions: * = anagram, < = reversal

Removed letter Answer Explanation
Across
Man(x) TOM-TOM TOM + TOM
(w)and ADONIS (AND IS) * around O
t(w)inge ORIGINATE OR + (pa)I(ns) + (A TINGE) *
(j)am MINUS (SUN + I’M) <
iron(y) USER (FEATURES − (FE + AT)) *
(j)ousted BRIGADE (BRAND IMAGE) * − MAN *
(K)eel SEELS EEL in SS
(j)argon ELSE EARLS − AR + E
so(w)n ESAU (potato)ES AU(nt)
inde(x)ed ESCOLAR CEROS * around LA
he(x)ad REBECCA REBE(l) + CC + A
dish(y) MENU MEN + U(ndress)
all(y) AWLS homophone of ALL + S
Bo(x)er STOEP TO in SEP
Ma(y)’s JAUNTED JE around AUNT + D
li(k)e ILEX LIE * + X
du(k)es SUEDE (E + DUES) *
(J)ester STREEKING ESTER * + KING
(k)not TEENSY TREE − R + N + S + Y
t(w)in SUSSED DUSTINESS * − TIN
Down
  DISSECTS (DIS + S) around SECT
  ENTÊTÉ ENTE(r) + TE
  ESCAPEES SEE < around SPACE *
  HELE ((Franc)E LE H(avre)) <
  ITALIA LITHUANIA * − HUN *
(J)ess, (K)en, Rub(y), (W)a(x) LETTERS (TELE STAR) * − A
  MIDDLE C MEDIC * around (D + L)
  MINICAB (Do)MINICA B(oost)
  MOIRE MORE around I’
  NARES (Louisia)NA RES(t)
  NEEDLE NEED + L(icenc)E
  NEEM MEN < around E
  OSIRIS OS + IRIS
  RESIST LISTERIOSIS * − (OIL IS) *
  SALAMIS SAL + AMIS
  SENSOR ENO’S * in SR
  SNUGS (STEN GUNS − TEN) <
  TIMBRE TIMBRE(l)
  TOUGH THOUGH − H
  UNDEAD UND + E(zr)A + D
Back to 2018 menu