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This is part 23 of A Trivial Pursuit, a 25-part puzzle hunt. Each part is solvable on its own, with the exception of the meta-puzzle at the end.

Here is a crossword for you to solve... Actually, here are two crosswords for you to solve.

And here are two lists of clues for the words that complete these grids... But the lists have been combined, and the same-numbered clues ordered alphabetically by their solutions, thereby obfuscating which clue corresponds to which grid.

Fortunately, the clues are straightforward definitions, and not cryptic-style... Ah, but in each pair of clues one word (with a connection to science or nature) has been omitted, and you'll need to choose that correctly from the list provided.

Well, at least once the crosswords are solved, that's it, puzzle complete and you can move on with your life... Except that there's a 9-letter compound word to infer somehow from the completed grids.

I hope this doesn't make things too difficult for you... (Or do I?!)

TASK: Solve the two crosswords below, and extract a 9-letter compound word from the result - this is the final answer to the puzzle. Before/while solving, you will need to 'repair' the broken clues by inserting the missing words from the provided list into the '[MISSING]' placeholders; each missing word should be used exactly once. You will also need to work out which clue in each pair corresponds to which crossword grid; a letter is provided in each grid to help you get started.

Grids:

Crossword grids
Solve on Penpa+

Missing words:

ATMOSPHERE BIRD CARBONATED CELL CORAL DIAMOND DOCTOR ENVIRONMENTAL FAT FIREFLIES FOOT GOLDEN HEART HEAT HORSE LEAD LEGS LEGUME MAMMAL MONKEY NEWT ORGAN OX SALT SECOND SKY SONIC SPECIES SPHERE STARS STONES THRUSH TRIANGLE UNIVERSE WIND WORLD

Crossword clues:

Across:

4. Elvis Presley song (1961): “---- -- ----- and make my [MISSING] go crazy” (4,2,5) / City in Siberia (11)
8. The juvenile stage of a [MISSING] (3) / Deity (3)
10. Member of Tolkien’s Fellowship (7) / Move one’s [MISSING] from a position in which one is placed on top of the other (7)
11. Embarrass (5) / “All ----- [MISSING] to Rome” (5)
12. [MISSING] character in Aladdin (1992) (3) / Greek letter (3)
14. Daughter of Jennifer Lopez (4) / [MISSING] water (4)
15. Xenophobic mutant race, enemies of the [MISSING] (6) / Written communication (6)
16. Kill (3) / Singer of 2014 international hit song containing the lyric, “I’m gonna fly like a [MISSING] through the night; Feel my tears as they dry…” (3)
18. “Goodbye” in Spain (5) / Sports brand with a double [MISSING] logo (5)
21. Greenlights (3) / Unexplained oddity seen in the [MISSING] (3)
22. Be gradually destroyed (e.g. by [MISSING]) (5) / Perfect (5)
23. Levy (3) / [MISSING] of long-haired domesticated cattle (3)
24. William ------, founder of an eponymous [MISSING] care company in 1906 (6) / University dissertation (6)
25. Race held in Epsom or Louisville? (4) / Home to [MISSING] Lake City (4)
28. Turf (3) / Natural order of the [MISSING] (3)
30. Sound made by a [MISSING] (5) / Entice (5)
31. Soft, creamy cheese, originating in Normandy (7) / Member of the [MISSING] family (7)
32. Ernie ---, former [MISSING] No. 1 golfer (3) / Hebrew letter (3)
33. Red blood [MISSING] (11) / Relating to fluids at rest (11)

Down:

1. Shape of the shadow of a [MISSING]? (6) / Nuremberg events? (6)
2. 2016 Disney film (5) / [MISSING] slogan: “Reduce, -----, Recycle” (5)
3. Island nation situated northeast of the [MISSING] Triangle (5) / Manual in India? (5)
5. Violent disturbance of the [MISSING] (5) / Bladed weapon (5)
6. Unleavened flatbread (7) / Describing a [MISSING] with no lines of symmetry (7)
7. Make (11) / 1967 hit for the Rolling [MISSING] (4,7)
8. Member of a mystic Jewish sect in the [MISSING] Temple period (6) / Minority group neighbourhood (6)
9. Meetings to discuss completed missions (11) / Mineralised debris in a secondary lymphoid [MISSING] (6,5)
13. Heavily built wild [MISSING] with backswept horns (7) / ‘Three bodies’ Buddhist doctrine (7)
16. Not at home (3) / Species of [MISSING] native to East Asia (3)
17. Inquire (3) / Omnivorous [MISSING] in the family Canidae (3)
19. Further back (6) / Short [MISSING] sequences used by brands in advertising (6)
20. Music artist behind the 2009 hit, [MISSING] (3,4) / Pool user? (7)
26. Capital city of Nigeria (5) / Dusan _____, Serbian footballer who [MISSING] for Fenerbahçe (5)
27. ______ Stoichkov, [MISSING] Boot winner at the 1994 FIFA World Cup (6) / Spinus spinus (6)
28. West Virginia, or West Bengal? (5) / Non-SI unit of [MISSING] (5)
29. Lane where the Muffin Man resides? (5) / A term to describe a person with excess body [MISSING] (5)

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  • 1
    $\begingroup$ Absolute pain you got here Stiv... $\endgroup$
    – Stevo
    Commented Oct 24, 2023 at 22:42
  • 1
    $\begingroup$ For 3 down; is the missing meant to be the triangle itself, not the missing you have right now? $\endgroup$
    – Stevo
    Commented Oct 24, 2023 at 23:17
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    $\begingroup$ @Stevo Nope, that clue is correct as currently written. $\endgroup$
    – Stiv
    Commented Oct 24, 2023 at 23:23
  • 1
    $\begingroup$ Mainly finished the crossword... However I don't know how to extract anything. $\endgroup$
    – Stevo
    Commented Oct 24, 2023 at 23:36
  • 1
    $\begingroup$ Actually I broke my own crossword :sob: $\endgroup$
    – Stevo
    Commented Oct 25, 2023 at 0:28

1 Answer 1

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Answers to the left grid:

Across:

4. Elvis Presley song (1961): "---- -- ----- and make my [HEART] go crazy" KISS ME QUICK
8. The juvenile stage of a [NEWT] EFT
10. Move one's [LEGS] from a position in which one is placed on top of the other UNCROSS
11. "All ----- [LEAD] to Rome" ROADS
12. Greek letter ETA
14. Daughter of Jennifer Lopez EMME
15. Xenophobic mutant race, enemies of the [DOCTOR] DALEKS
16. Singer ..., "I'm gonna fly like a [BIRD] ..." SIA
18. Sports brand with a double [DIAMOND] logo UMBRO
21. Greenlights OKS
22. Perfect IDEAL
23. [SPECIES] of long-haired domesticated cattle YAK
24. William ------, founder of an eponymous [FOOT] care company in 1906 SCHOLL
25. Race held in Epsom or Louisville? OAKS
28. Natural order of the [UNIVERSE] TAO
30. Sound made by a [HORSE] NEIGH
31. Soft, creamy cheese, originating in Normandy BOURSON
32. Hebrew letter YOD
33. Relating to fluids at rest HYDROSTATIC

Down:

1. Shape of the shadow of a [SPHERE]? CIRCLE
2. [ENVIRONMENTAL] slogan: "Reduce, -----, Recycle" REUSE
3. Manual in India? SUTRA
5. Violent disturbance of the [ATMOSPHERE] STORM
6. Unleavened flatbread CHAPATI
7. 1967 hit for the Rolling [STONES] RUBY TUESDAY
8. Member of a mystic Jewish sect in the [SECOND] Temple period ESSENE
9. Mineralised debris in a secondary lymphoid [ORGAN] TONSIL STONE
13. 'Three bodies' Buddhist doctrine TRIKAYA
16. Species of [LEGUME] native to East Asia SOY
17. Inquire ASK
19. Further back BEHIND
20. Music artist behind the 2009 hit, [FIREFLIES] OWL CITY
26. Capital city of Nigeria ABUJA
27. Spinus spinus SISKIN
28. Non-SI unit of [HEAT] THERM
29. A term to describe a person with excess body [FAT] OBESE

Answers to the right grid:

Across:

4. City in Siberia KRASNOYARSK
8. Deity GOD
10. Member of Tolkien's Fellowship ARAGORN
11. Embarrass ABASH
12. [MONKEY] character in Aladdin (1992) ABU
14. [CARBONATED] water SODA
15. Written communication LETTER
16. Kill OFF
18. "Goodbye" in Spain ADIOS
21. Unexplained oddity seen in the [SKY] UFO
22. Be gradually destroyed (e.g. by [WIND]) ERODE
23. Levy TAX
24. University dissertation THESIS
25. Home to [SALT] Lake City UTAH
28. Turf SOD
30. Entice TEMPT
31. Member of the [THRUSH] family REDWING
32. Ernie ---, former [WORLD] No. 1 golfer ELS
33. Red blood [CELL] ERYTHROCYTE

Down:

1. Nuremberg events? TRIALS
2. 2016 Disney film MOANA
3. Island nation situated northeast of the [CORAL] Triangle PALAU
5. Bladed weapon SWORD
6. Describing a [TRIANGLE] with no lines of symmetry SCALENE
7. Make MANUFACTURE
8. Minority group neighbourhood GHETTO
9. Meetings to discuss completed missions DEBRIEFINGS
13. Heavily built wild [OX] with backswept horns BUFFALO
16. Not at home OUT
17. Omnivorous [MAMMAL] in the family Canidae FOX
19. Short [SONIC] sequences used by brands in advertising IDENTS
20. Pool user? SWIMMER
26. Dusan _____, Serbian footballer who [STARS] for Fenerbahçe TADIC
27. ______ Stoichkov, [GOLDEN] Boot winner at the 1994 FIFA World Cup HRISTO
28. West Virginia, or West Bengal? STATE
29. Lane where the Muffin Man resides? DRURY

Filled-in grids:

soap operas and berries

The answer:

Across several answers in the left grid, we can read the words Crossroads, Emmerdale, Brookside, Hollyoaks and Neighbours. These are all soap operas.

Similarly, the words goose, blue, rasp and straw can be found reading downwards in the unchecked letters of the across clues in the right grid. These words can be combined with berry.

Putting these two together, we get the final nine-letter answer, soapberry.

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  • $\begingroup$ You've got all the parts, and the final answer is right there within reaching distance for you! You've found exactly what I wanted you to find hidden in the grids - I suggest you put them together and remember that this is a 'Science and Nature' themed puzzle... :) PS You can also include the central vertical word in your second grid... $\endgroup$
    – Stiv
    Commented Oct 25, 2023 at 9:54
  • $\begingroup$ Okay, so I'm looking for a word that fits both grids. This and this only fit one side of the story ... $\endgroup$
    – M Oehm
    Commented Oct 25, 2023 at 11:05
  • $\begingroup$ Actually, you already have both parts of the word... Each grid was supposed to provide a hint towards one half of the compound word. If I tell you that it begins in 'S' and ends in 'Y', hopefully you'll know what it is... (On reflection, I should perhaps have been a bit clearer in describing how to extract the word...) $\endgroup$
    – Stiv
    Commented Oct 25, 2023 at 11:20
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    $\begingroup$ Of course I was Making Things Difficult for myself by calling the thing in the left grid by its formal long name. You've chosen an appropriate title for the puzzle ... $\endgroup$
    – M Oehm
    Commented Oct 25, 2023 at 11:23
  • 1
    $\begingroup$ Haha, yes apparently so! That's as intended now though - thanks for solving :) $\endgroup$
    – Stiv
    Commented Oct 25, 2023 at 12:01

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