Spectator 2593 By Lavatch

[Matakari]

Good evening, I’m stumped by the following for which
I would appreciate answers with parsing. Thanks in advance!

4d Makes Greek coin with size I changed (9) : ??R?????S
9d Flower’s white round iceberg’s edge (6) : ?AR???
10d Volume in case upon switching periods in house? (10): ?C?????C??
15d Ruling party admitting king’s crime (10) : N?????T???
17d She inherits Scot’s land areas in segments (10) : T?????R???
31d Insects in north-east oddly flying (7) : ?O?????

[ProfessorMaisie]

Hope I didn't confuse with 23d, klazomaniac - I should have shown it as ARANeA with D taking over from the 'e' (making it ARANDA, as you say).

[klazomaniac]

Not at all. Completely understood :-)

[Matakari]

Many thanks, ProfessorMaisie! I did get 5d, 7a, and 16a, but was not sure of the parsing. This is an interesting brain teaser that keeps me awake. Still have a few more to grapple with now!

[ProfessorMaisie]

The 'skimpy'/short 'thong' in 7a is RIE(m), Matakari.

[klazomaniac]

Matakari 'an interesting brain teaser' Really ?
[I think it's a laborious pain in the ****. lol]
But we have come so far now, I feel it would be rude to give up now.
This has turned into a joint effort of some great minds, Yet the struggle is real

I have suggestions for:
7d Ensate (like a sword)
10d Assets (properties)
17d Illegal (banned)

But sadly cannot get them to parse.

[ProfessorMaisie]

7d ENS 'being' ATE 'destroyed' ['royal' is extra].
10d Swedish word for bank is AS
17d 'peg' = LEG 'from' = A (inside) ILL ['birds' extra].

I agree with your verdict on the puzzle, - far too tortuous/obscure to be fun.

[klazomaniac]

Once again, Thank you for your clarification and parsing. :-)

[klazomaniac]

I now can see that 6d is an anagram of 'Minsk, Belarus'
leaving ( I, E, L ) as the remaing 3 letters that need to be positioned in 11a, 17a and 22a

I shall go to work on these now. But would be grateful if others could also. This Crossword needs putting to bed !

[ProfessorMaisie]

LACINIAE IRISATE CALYCLE

[ProfessorMaisie]

But you might still be out of bed awhile longer - there are (I think) 3 obscure pairings in the other wordplay-only clues, and 3 obscure ones formed by extra words.

[ProfessorMaisie]

...the 'L' is in 1a.

[klazomaniac]

Astounding work Prof M !

I was hoping for a full grid before I tackle those (not holding my breath though) ;-)

[Matakari]

Thanks,Klazo, I got 10d. Thanks also ProfessorMaisie, for your unstinting support with this monster of a crossword. You are a genius to crack so many obscure clues and we thank you for enriching our own skills. The following are still eluding me:
20a Hall's through, after second grand slam goes off (5) :??L?N
1d Local fixes railways by Princes Street (6) : S?E???
2 d Goddess's slave girl regularly accompanying nursemaid (6) : A?L???
22d Keeping a teacher's course notes, old man splits after college (6 ) : C?PI?G

[ProfessorMaisie]

Not genius but a long drawn-out, dogged troll through Chambers (eg finding the single word 'balancing' in the middle of the very long entry for 'cross' - you should try it, Matakari}.
20 S + ALON(g) = 'through' [minus g(rand)] with 'slam' extra.
1 STELLS - 'railways' = ELLS (alt sp. of USA el[evated]) r'ways) ['princes' extra].
2 slAve GirL + AIA ('nursemaid') AGLAIA
22 def 'keeping a course' [''teacher's'' extra] 'C(ollege)' + two single letter notes A+G [around] PIN (archaic chessman) = CAPING.

[ProfessorMaisie]

Checking Chambers for a few answers at the end of a puzzle is much more fun than dragging that big book out until your eyes water and your arm goes numb.

[klazomaniac]

LOL Prof M :-)

My eyes have started to bleed with this puzzle.

Unfortunately for me, I don't possess 'The Big Book'. But with the amount of effort you've had to apply, I'm glad I don't possess one on this occasion !

Many thanks for all your efforts/answers and parsing.

[Matakari]

Thanks again, ProfessorMaisie and Klazo, before I can even think of tackling the many facets of the preamble and the wordplay-only, I am on the last two clues.

15a Simple man's piety criticised, as unruly youth is ripped off (4): LAM?
4d English vessel welcomes Orkney’s sounds (4) : VAE?

[klazomaniac]

I'm thinking Lama [from Lambasted] But as with most of this puzzle, I cannot parse.

Did you get an answer for 33 ?

These are the three that are stopping me.

[klazomaniac]

I've had a re-think

Lamb (of God = jesus)

Lamb (- As TED[dy boy])

[bobbinwales]

unruly youth could be the TED (teddy boy) that's removed