h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

This multi-layered word puzzle was inspired by incorrect guesses to the previous quiz. It’s not as difficult as it looks, but the instructions are a bit complicated. Hopefully everything will become clear.


Each clue leads to two similar words. One of them is formed by inserting a letter into the exact centre of the other.


So, for example, if the clue was;

1. fugitive; landing strip

The solution could be:

1. runaway; runway

The inserted letter in this case would be A.


The shorter answer to each clue is 6 letters long, with the exception of the one for clue 26, whose length is an even number to be deduced. Two answers are hyphenated.

Each letter of the alphabet is used once and once only in the set of 26 inserted letters.


Now, there are only 25 clues listed below. The 26th clue (consisting of two single-word definitions) is derived by taking alternate inserted letters from the other 25 in clue order.


The first to deduce, solve and post the answer to clue 26 will be the winner.

…

1. ore extraction; ugly
2. beetle; beveled edge
3. tree; well-liked
4. clergymen; ravines
5. spent time pleasantly; spun
6. cricketer; superhero
7. dairy cattle; middle-distance runners
8. firearm; Japanese ruler
9. fruit; schools
10. discuss; evergreen
11. hit hard; overdue
12. frozen treat; selection
13. duplicated; fooled around
14. aristocracy; sabotages
15. speakers; suitors
16. permanently marking; vague idea
17. communist; of a religious order dedicated to the Virgin Mary
18. Persian king; photocopies
19. expenditure; perform better than
20. fowl; jailer
21. perform magic; small American parrot
22. females; young males
23. drinking; expressing dissatisfaction
24. delay; in hiding (2 words)
25. avoiding work; winter sport

26. (to be deduced - see the instructions)

1. Mining – minging - G
6. Batsman – Batman - S
10. Confer – Conifer - I
14. Noble – Nobble - B
17. Marxist – Marist – X
18. Xerxes – Xeroxes – O

<BB<

8. Shotgun - Shogun - T

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22. Ladies - laddies - D

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25 Skiving – Skiing V

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12. Choc-ice – choice - C

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13. Cloned - Clowned – W

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2. Chafer – Chamfer (M)

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20. Turkey – Turnkey - N

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4. Canons – Canyons – Y
23. Boozing – Booing – Z
(That's been annoying me all afternoon as neither 'Wining/Whining' nor 'Wining/whinging' fits)

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11. Belted – Belated - A

<BB<

3. Poplar - Popular - U

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21 Conjure - conure - J

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Anyone else want to finish this one off?

Is no-one else doing this one? I thought I'd take an early start as I'd not be here over the weekend and was convinced it'd be finished off by the time I returned. We still don't know if any of my guesses are right yet.

1. ore extraction; ugly – Mining; minging (G)
2. beetle; beveled edge – Chafer; Chamfer (M)
3. tree; well-liked – Poplar; Popular (U)
4. clergymen; ravines – Canons; Canyons (Y)
5. spent time pleasantly; spun
6. cricketer; superhero – Batsman; Batman (S)
7. dairy cattle; middle-distance runners
8. firearm; Japanese ruler – Shotgun; Shogun (T)
9. fruit; schools
10. discuss; evergreen – Confer; Conifer (I)
11. hit hard; overdue – Belted; Belated (A)
12. frozen treat; selection – Choc-ice; choice (C)
13. duplicated; fooled around – Cloned; Clowned (W)
14. aristocracy; sabotages – Noble; Nobble (B)
15. speakers; suitors
16. permanently marking; vague idea – Inking; Inkling (L)
17. communist; of a religious order dedicated to the Virgin Mary – Marxist; Marist (X)
18. Persian king; photocopies – Xerxes; Xeroxes (O)
19. expenditure; perform better than
20. fowl; jailer – Turkey; Turnkey (N)
21. perform magic; small American parrot – Conjure; conure (J)
22. females; young males – Ladies; laddies (D)
23. drinking; expressing dissatisfaction – Boozing; Booing (Z)
24. delay; in hiding (2 words)
25. avoiding work; winter sport – Skiving; Skiing (V)

26. (to be deduced - see the instructions)

G M U Y ? S ? T ? I A C W B ? L X O ? N J D Z V
G U ? ? ? A W X ? J Z V
M Y S T I C B L O N D ?

(No E, F, H, K, P, Q, R)

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There's a ? between W and X. Otherwise ok, so far as I can see.

You didn't let us get a word in edgeways, Bluebottle!

19 - Outlay - Outplay

24. delay; in hiding (2 words)

Holdup - holed up

15. speakers; suitors

Woofers - Wooers