Monkey Business by Skylark

Puzzle explanation

The extra letters in clues spelt out “I saw something nasty in the woodshed”, from the novel Cold Comfort Farm by Stella Gibbons. Pseudo-rural words from the book, hidden in the grid, were MOLLOCKING (having sexual relations), CLETTERING (cleaning dishes with a twig) and SCRANLETTING (ploughing), which appears in the novel as “scranleting”. The characters in the grid’s perimeter were Flora Poste, Seth Starkadder, Mr Mybug, Ada Doom and Mrs Murther. The title hinted at the author’s name; while technically gibbons are apes rather than monkeys, Chambers has “ape” = “monkey” and vice versa.

Clue explanations

Conventions: * = anagram, < = reversal

No Extra letter Answer Explanation
Across
8 tit(I) TABOO (ti)T + (b)ABOO(n)
10 (S)cars or scar(S) SCRAUCHS (SUCH SCAR) *
11   PILED PI + LED
14 Latin(A) ULEMA U + L + (l)EMA(n)
15 (W)it AWAIT A + W + A(cerbic) + IT
16 bonobo(S) MOB ((bono)BO M(onkeying)) <
17   ARTSMEN SMARTEN *
18 P(O)uts SWALLETS SETS around WALL
19   LES LESS − S
20 (M)axis ROLLED ELL < in ROD
22   SOREST SO + REST
23 (E)mail MEM (so)ME M(ails)
26 (T)rump’s CREAM TEA (s)TEA(k) after CREAM
28   SCRYING S + CRYING
29 s(H)ave TOR (s)TOR(e)
30 (I)an OSAKA (O + A(n)) around SAK(e)
32 tee(N) TRICK T + RICK
34 ruin(G) ELGIN GIN after EL
35 me(N) DEONTICS (ORTHODONTICS − ORTHO-) around (m)E
36 (A)ward WAGED (GELADA − LA) with letters cycled after W(ard)
Down
1 Peer(S) EARL EARL(y)
2 (T)old FORMOL (L + O) < after FORM
3 mouth(Y) OSIERED OS + IE + RED
4 ru(I)ns AREG (A + EG) around R
5   OUTWEAR OUT + WEAR
6 Cuba(N) SCRAN S + C + RAN
7 though(T) THRIVE TH(o’) + RIVE
9 Marc(H) BEE BALM BEEB + CALM − (Mar)C
12 gall(E)on LETTERING LETTER + IN + G
13 vie(W) DAME DAM + (vi)E
19 L(O)ire LETTING L + BETTING − B
21 (O)wing LOCKING FLOCK − F + (r)ING
22 sen(D) SENSISM (MS + IS) < after SEN
24 new(S) ENSUED D after (E + N + SUE)
25 C(H)ore BRAE (ag)E(nt) after BRA
27   MERIAM ME + RAM around I
28 s(E)am SAMOA O/A after SAM
31 line(D) GLIB (BIG around L) <
33   CREE CREE(d)
Back to 2020 menu