Crossword Help Forum
Forum Rules

I have the "The first line of the more familiar first verse" but am a tad puzzled by the inclusion and placement of "with" in ....

26d - Moulding personality with rising energy (4)

I know it's not one of the extra words but, from a strictly parsing point of view, shouldn't it be and, given that it isn't, would it not be better placed between 'rising' and 'energy' and not before it - basically, isn't the "moulding" got from "personality rising with energy"?

I know it's quite possible I've reached the stage where I've stared at it for so long I'm starting to go round in circles so maybe I'm missing something obvious!

It struck me as unusual, but it's needed for the surface to work, and Chambers defines"with" as "affected by" among other things, so "personality, with rising," gives the reversal.

If it were an across clue, "X with reversing" would not seem odd at all I think.

Thanks Buddy, and I do see what you mean - but doesn't moving "with" to "Moulding personality rising 'with' energy" produce an equally literate and pleasing surface?

I don't like that surface as much, and I guess the setter did not either.